The Manor transforms into an Italian It’s tough times for restaurants with household names and independents alike having to close up shop all across the country. Skyrocketing business rates, a continuing staffing shortage, rising wages, intense competition (especially in London) and, in some cases, overaggressive expansion and impatient investors are all playing their part in … Continue reading
Tag Archives: prosciutto
Vico review – Italian fast food that thinks it’s opera but is just out of tune
Cheap (ish) Cambridge Circus cuisine Marketing is a magical thing. It can transform the mundane into something much more wondrous and exotic. Vico, an Italian restaurant that has taken over what used to be the Pizza Hut on the corner of Cambridge Circus and Charing Cross Road, is basically a fast food joint. Or a canteen or cafeteria if … Continue reading
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
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
Rawduck Hackney review – fish for Sunday roast, raw duck, cold lamb and more
East End brunch and dinner I’m deeply sceptical about the entire idea of brunch. It’s the original naff restaurant marketing gimmick – add some muesli and eggs to get a whole new meal! Charge extra for some mediocre coffee! While Rawduck didn’t change my mind about this bastard relative of the elevenses, I’m still mightily impressed … Continue reading
Human meat – Wesker and Son butchers at Smithfield Market
Not for the squeamish or vegetarians I don’t have much time for marketing stunts, but the Wesker and Son pop-up butchers at London’s Smithfield Market piqued my interest. Organised by the publishers of the upcoming Resident Evil 6 video game, Wesker and Son sells meat made to look like human body parts. I managed to … Continue reading