Bao Borough review – the Taiwanese sequel worth singing about
★★★★☆ / Chinese / Taiwanese

Bao Borough review – the Taiwanese sequel worth singing about

Every dish on the menu tried and tasted Bao in Borough isn’t just another Taiwanese restaurant serving up gua bao. It’s the latest in a line of small but highly successful bao restaurants that have been lauded and recommended by many, including this site. Living up to one’s own expectations is tough enough. Living up … Continue reading

Coal Rooms Peckham review – a train station restaurant that isn’t a dreary chain
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Steak/chophouse

Coal Rooms Peckham review – a train station restaurant that isn’t a dreary chain

Plus a beast of a bacon sandwich Salvaging, reusing and repurposing old fittings and furnishings to adorn new restaurants is nothing new; it’s been an ongoing trend in the English-speaking world for at least a decade, if not more. Renovating old buildings, while judiciously paying homage to their original purpose, has received less attention but … Continue reading

Smokestak review – barbecue street food settles down in Shoreditch
★★★★☆ / Barbecue/BBQ

Smokestak review – barbecue street food settles down in Shoreditch

Smoke is the new black. It’s easy to rant and rail against hipsters and their rapidly gentrifying east London hub. For many, such as my dining companion Vicious Alabaster, they’re all little more than pompous, shallow, fad-chasing Macaroni twits. That may or may not be true, but I generally don’t care. From a utilitarian perspective, they … 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

Morada Brindisa Asador review – charcoal-fired tapas comes to Piccadilly
★★★☆☆ / Spanish / Tapas

Morada Brindisa Asador review – charcoal-fired tapas comes to Piccadilly

Big and small plates of charcoal grilled and baked meat Brindisa is one of the older tapas mini-chains in London, having sprouted as an off-shoot of a Spanish goods import operation more than a decade ago. Perhaps because its existence is therefore taken for granted, it’s rarely spoken of in the same excitable or reverential tones … Continue reading