HKK review – Chinese fine dining in the City
★★★★☆ / Chinese / Chinese Dumplings / Chinese Noodles

HKK review – Chinese fine dining in the City

Suits you or just for suits? Hakkasan was one of the restaurants that helped foster the idea that Chinese food in London wasn’t just greasy take away fare. HKK is a new City spin-off of the Soho original, but with an emphasis on expensive tasting menus that befits its location in the shadow of capitalism’s … Continue reading

The Pig and Butcher review – a pig’s ear or worth a butcher’s?
★★★★☆ / Gastropub

The Pig and Butcher review – a pig’s ear or worth a butcher’s?

Yet another Islington gastropub or something more? Islington has no shortage of gastropubs, but The Pig and Butcher caught my attention for two reasons. One, it has a hint of blood thirstiness in its name that is both mildly amusing and quite fitting since there’s apparently an on-site butcher’s room. Two, it comes with The … Continue reading

★★☆☆☆ / Eclectic / Pan-Asian

Tapasia review – is the food any better than the pun-fully bad name?

Small bites at high prices Update July 2013 – this restaurant has now closed More restaurants than ever are opening in Soho despite the relative scarcity of real estate and Tapasia is one of the newest. This small bar and restaurant, located on bustling Old Compton Street, serves up Asian-inspired tapas which isn’t as strange … Continue reading

★★☆☆☆ / Chinese

Soahc review – Karl Pilkington wouldn’t like it

This review of a Shanghai restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Eating out in a non-Western place like Shanghai with other Brits can be a miserable experience. For every one person that’s open-minded enough to give almost anything a try, there will be another five that would make Karl Pilkington … Continue reading

★★★★☆ / Modern European / Modernist / Spanish

Saüc review – hit and miss hotel dining in Barcelona

This review of a Barcelona restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage. There’s no shortage of fine dining restaurants in Barcelona and quite a few of the newer ones are opening or have opened inside plush hotels but Saüc is slightly different. Although now located inside the Ohla Hotel on Via … Continue reading

★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / Mexican

La Bodega Negra review – Mexican food gets sexy

A Mexican restaurant of two halves As my fellow restaurant blogger 31_75 pointed out recently, in his own inimitable style, there are very few good Mexican restaurants in London. The situation isn’t nearly as bad as it was two decades ago when all we had were horrid Tex-Mex dives like Chiquito, but it’s still far from … Continue reading