Holborn Dining Room review – the Instagram pie phenomenon
★★★★☆ / British

Holborn Dining Room review – the Instagram pie phenomenon

Aye for pie with an eye for pie One should never, ever underestimate the importance of how food looks. Attractive-looking food not only influences how we perceive its taste, but can get otherwise disinterested punters in through the door in the first place. This placebo-like effect can be seen in the social media hubbub surrounding Holborn Dining Room. This previously … Continue reading

Cattle and Co review – King’s Cross meat bandwagon rattles along
★★☆☆☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Burgers

Cattle and Co review – King’s Cross meat bandwagon rattles along

Botched burgers and bungled barbecue Conflating burgers and barbecue into the same menu is a common mistake. It’s easy to see why – alongside mac and cheese, they are the emblematic dishes of American cuisine in the popular imagination. But they’re also very different. The best burgers are cooked medium rare at high temperatures with … Continue reading

Pitt Cue City review – Soho to Liverpool Street barbecue changes more than just the location
★★★★★ / Barbecue/BBQ / British

Pitt Cue City review – Soho to Liverpool Street barbecue changes more than just the location

Barbecue British-style Update 10/6/2019 – this restaurant has now closed The move from street food maverick to established restaurant can be a rocky one. Even if you somehow tame the logistical and financial maelstrom of setting up a London restaurant, there’s still the task of evolving your menu to keep up with the competition. That’s something The … Continue reading

Q Grill review – bandwagon barbecue bumbles into Camden
American / ★★☆☆☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Eclectic

Q Grill review – bandwagon barbecue bumbles into Camden

Porky’s larger, better looking but shallower neighbour You wait months for a new American-style barbecue restaurant in London and two arrive at the same time. Q Grill in Camden arrives hot on the heels of One Sixty in West Hampstead, but while One Sixty has a fairly short, focussed menu, the menu at Q Grill … Continue reading

The Ape and Bird review – the Shaftesbury Avenue gastropub that’s no tourist trap
★★★★☆ / British / Gastropub

The Ape and Bird review – the Shaftesbury Avenue gastropub that’s no tourist trap

The Polpo guys do it again Updated 12/01/18 – this restaurant has now closed. Updated 6/04/14 – set menu details added. It’s mildly myopic to say that there’s no where good to eat on Shaftesbury Avenue as the myriad delights of Soho, Covent Garden and Chinatown are only a few minutes walk away. Still, if … Continue reading

★★★☆☆ / British / French / Italian

Tom’s Kitchen review – laid-back British comfort food in Chelsea

Tom Aikens Restaurant’s casual little brother I love fine dining and the meal I had at Tom Aikens Restaurant was one of the best of its kind. Sometimes though I’m just not in the mood for fancy food, but Tom Aikens has that covered too. Tom’s Kitchen is a much more casual and affordable sister restaurant … Continue reading