Bao London review – Taiwanese bun street stall settles down in Soho
★★★★★ / Chinese / Taiwanese

Bao London review – Taiwanese bun street stall settles down in Soho

The entire menu reviewed Update 13/01/18 – added new opening hours and updated formatting Bao is a street food stand that was one of the winners of my Taiwanese buns group test, outdoing flashier, more well known competition such as Flesh and Buns. While Bao still operates a stall at various markets, it now has a small … Continue reading

Peckham Bazaar review – oddball Eastern European takes over old pub
★★★★☆ / Eclectic / Greek / Turkish

Peckham Bazaar review – oddball Eastern European takes over old pub

It’s sort of like Turkish food, but even more fun Thanks to UKIP and the generally nasty tone of British politics in recent years, ‘Eastern European’ has become a loaded phrase. Our new neighbours have nevertheless been slowly making their impact on London’s dining scene. ‘Eastern European’ food doesn’t have the greatest reputation though and that nebulous … Continue reading

Bo Drake review – the Soho Asian barbecue where there’s smoke but no fire
★★★☆☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Eclectic / Korean

Bo Drake review – the Soho Asian barbecue where there’s smoke but no fire

It’s Korean-ish BBQ with a dash of Mexican. Sort of. Around Christmas/New Years time I usually got a small shovel-load of emails asking me to predict what the restaurant trends for the coming year will be. Putting aside my view that being so beholden to the trends of the day is a sign of a weak mind … Continue reading

Metamorfosi review – Gorgonzola lollipops and eel with ice cream
★★★★☆ / Italian / Modern European / Modernist

Metamorfosi review – Gorgonzola lollipops and eel with ice cream

This review of a Rome restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Holidaying by oneself can be a lonely experience, but it also gives a great degree of freedom – especially when it comes to choosing where and when to eat. Metamorfosi is a restaurant that would put many of my dining … Continue reading

Kintan vs Jin Go Gae review – Japanese and Korean barbecue face-off
★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Japanese / Korean

Kintan vs Jin Go Gae review – Japanese and Korean barbecue face-off

Chancery Lane vs New Malden Update 22/2/2015 – added extra comment about the weird booze at Jin Go Gae Every restaurant needs a hook (or, if you’re uncharitable, a gimmick) to stand out in London’s dizzying eating out market. Kintan claims to be the first Japanese barbecue (‘yakiniku-style’) restaurant in the capital. While technically true, as far … Continue reading

Antico Arco review – Rome fine dining near the Janiculum Hill
★★★★☆ / Italian / Modern European / Modernist

Antico Arco review – Rome fine dining near the Janiculum Hill

This review of a Rome restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Londoners love to complain about The Big Smoke’s public transport and traffic congestion, but they haven’t seen anything until they’ve tried getting around Rome. The Eternal City’s minuscule metro and rail networks (minuscule for a major European capital at … Continue reading

Portland review – lamb tartare and pickled shiitake on Great Portland Street
★★★★☆ / Eclectic

Portland review – lamb tartare and pickled shiitake on Great Portland Street

Picture’s sleek new rival Coming up with restaurant names is not easy. With umpteeen restaurants opening a week in London, all the names that are both good and obvious have long been taken by now. But the guys behind Portland on Great Portland Street near the BBC’s Broadcasting House aren’t even trying. Given how its … Continue reading

Hotbox review – the City barbecue miles better than Bodean’s
American / ★★★★★ / Barbecue/BBQ

Hotbox review – the City barbecue miles better than Bodean’s

Market stall BBQ settles down on Commercial Street Market stalls and street food tend to be underestimated and under-appreciated by many visitors to London. That’s their loss as street food vendors can often be far better than more established restaurants, as my group test of American-style barbecue eateries demonstrates. An increasing number of street food vendors are settling down in … Continue reading

Le Chalet review – Q Grill winter pop-up at Selfridges
★☆☆☆☆ / Eclectic

Le Chalet review – Q Grill winter pop-up at Selfridges

It’s not as French as you think, nor as good as you’d hope It’s well known that media ownership in the UK is concentrated in the fat, gold-encrusted hands of an increasingly small group of notorious moguls, shadowy oligarchs and ex-porn barons. While restaurant ownership is far more diversified, in London at least, a similarly small … Continue reading