Taberna do Mercado review – food so good the City doesn’t deserve it
★★★★★ / Portuguese

Taberna do Mercado review – food so good the City doesn’t deserve it

Sophisticated Portuguese food satiates the cravings you never knew you had If Spanish and Portuguese cuisine were human siblings, then Spanish food would undoubtedly be the attention-grabbing overachiever. From paella, jamon iberico de bellota and Cantabrian anchovies to the heady heights of modernist Basque and Catalan cooking, Spain has it all. Portugal, on the other hand, rarely … Continue reading

Bilbao Berria review – Regent Street tapas that’s not quite good enough
★★★☆☆ / Spanish / Tapas

Bilbao Berria review – Regent Street tapas that’s not quite good enough

Masterchef? What’s that? I don’t envy any new tapas restaurant opening in London. Unless you’re as good as José or Ember Yard, or as cheap as Barrafina, then it’ll be a real struggle to stand out. Bilbao Berria tries to rely on three things to set itself apart – a menu with alleged Basque and Catalan … 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

Osteria Tufo review – homely Finsbury Park Italian
★★★★☆ / Italian

Osteria Tufo review – homely Finsbury Park Italian

A cosy North London neighbourhood restaurant Until recently I’d largely become bored of Italian restaurants in London. They were either underwhelming, needlessly fussy or old-fashioned and just plain awful. What restored my faith wasn’t a glitzy haute cuisine restaurant in Mayfair or Chelsea, but a small bistro near Finsbury Park called Osteria Tufo. Osteria Tufo … Continue reading

★★★☆☆ / Modern European / Modernist

Athenaeum Hotel review – food worth getting out of bed for?

Posh nosh or just a load of complete tosh? It must be a hard and unenviable task running a luxury hotel and restaurant in Knightsbridge and Mayfair. No matter what, you will be compared to the big name competition – The Mandarin Oriental has Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, while The Berkeley has two restaurants, one by Marcus Wareing … Continue reading