Iranian stews and kebabs in Soho It’s strange to begin a restaurant review by talking about another restaurant, but bear with me for a moment. Some of the best dishes at Brigadiers, an Indian restaurant in the City, were the kebabs which meant it was immediately noticeable when the kebab chef responsible, Kian Samyani, left … Continue reading
It’s tempting to dismiss Brat out of hand before you’ve even laid eyes on the place. It’s situated above the newly relocated Smoking Goat in Shoreditch, which makes it sound like the hospitality equivalent of a grubby bedsit or a suffocating flatshare. The kitchen is headed up by Tomos Parry, formerly of the lauded Kitty … Continue reading
Uniquely Japanese in more ways than one Eccentric cultural institutions usually lose something in translation when they’re transplanted outside of their home country. Monster truck rallies, Eccles cakes and Viz magazine are prime examples. The izakaya is another. A Japanese staple, these bar-cum-restaurants are often translated as pubs or gastropubs, but none of those names really quite fit as izakayas are subtly different … Continue reading
Steakhouse and pub all-in-one Update 19/7/21 – this restaurant has now closed The original Hill and Szrok is a butchers in Broadway Market that branched out into catering. Re-purposing its central marble slab into a communal table, the butcher turned into a self-described ‘cookshop’ at night. ‘Cookshops’ are apparently the Regency-era precursors to restaurants in … Continue reading
Moo, cluck and oink Disclosure: A 10% discount was applied to the bill for my fourth meal, unsolicited. This was accepted only out of politeness. I originally had no intention of reviewing Le Bab. The first thing that put me off was the location – Soho’s Kingly Court (home of the risible Whyte and Brown) is effectively … Continue reading
Better than Fera at Claridge’s, any day of the week Despite its booming property prices, leafy lanes and bourgeois reputation, Crouch End isn’t one of London’s dining hotspots. This is almost certainly due to its comparatively out-of-the-way, off-the-Tube location. It’s a 10 minute bus ride from Finsbury Park station which is an unimaginably arduous trek – if … Continue reading
Contemporary Indian small plates for sharing I’m fortunate enough that I can almost anything I want, but others have restrictions on what they can eat. The Cape, the better half of the The Squinting Brummie, is gluten intolerant for example. A surprising number of London’s restaurants do little to accommodate those with celiac diseases, but … Continue reading
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
José gains a big brother Small London Bridge tapas joint José is one of my favourite restaurants to have opened in 2011. It’s therefore an understatement to say that I was excited about the opening of its sister restaurant, Pizarro, just down the road. While José serves up tapas, Pizarro serves up a menu of … Continue reading
A night at the opera or a bit of a Zeppo? Gauthier and Arbutus are two of my favourite restaurants in Soho, but they’re not only a bit pricey but also rather formal – Gauthier especially so. Polpetto is just as enjoyable and more affordable and that little gem is now joined by Duck Soup, … Continue reading
The Picky Glutton 
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