Masterminded by a MasterChef Disclosure: upon asking for the bill, my fourth meal here was given free of charge by the management in light of my repeated custom. This was not asked for and was accepted out of politeness. There’s no shortage of casual Japanese restaurants in London, but Nanban is different. Although headed up by … Continue reading
I call shotgun Update 14/2/17 – this restaurant has now closed There’s been a small boom in American-style barbecue restaurants in London since I first started covering the cuisine in-depth. New openings tend to be fairly traditional though, at least in principle, in both cuts of meat and technique. They also tend to stick to all … Continue reading
Seafood show-offs in St James Estiatorio Milos (henceforth referred to as Milos) is an international mini chain of Greek seafood restaurants with branches in Athens, Montreal and the US. Its arrival in the moneyed mini Mayfair extension that is St James has been highly anticipated by some, but it’s hard to see the appeal at … Continue reading
Kebabs are just the beginning, not the end Black Axe Mangal advertises itself as an avant-garde kebab house drawing influences from around the world, not just from Turkey. But while the chargrilled meat dishes take centre stage on Black Axe’s ever-changing menu, the skill of the kitchen expresses itself in ways not confined to the … Continue reading
Diamond in the rough My dining companions aren’t just mouths to help me eat more dishes in a single setting than I could manage alone. My most trusted dining companions compliment and challenge my tastes, while the free range ones act as my eyes and ears bringing me news of new and interesting restaurants to … Continue reading
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
How Not To Do A Barbecue Restaurant Expectations, prejudices and other pre-conceived notions can cloud your judgement, which is why I try to be as open-minded as possible when reviewing restaurants. Trying to do so when walking through the door at Grillstock Walthamstow was difficult though. My Bristol-based chums had waxed lyrical about the original … Continue reading
Now there’s a headline I never thought I’d ever write Update 14/2/17 – this restaurant has now closed The comfortably leafy and middle class, yet relatively remote northwestern climes of Kensal Rise is the last place I’d expect to find an American barbecue restaurant. Even more so given the celebrity money backing it – DJ Yoda is … Continue reading
Vietnamese sandwiches spread across the capital My 2014 group test of banh mi eateries proved to be one of my most popular Best and Worst round-ups – and also one of the most contentious, as some of the ill-tempered Comments attest. I’m quite thick-skinned though and I take such vehement, blinkered criticism as a sign … Continue reading
Not a Cornish pasty in sight A lot of gastropubs are restaurants in all but name, but The Newman Arms in Fitzrovia stands apart from that annoying trend. It’s actually a boozer with a tiny downstairs drinking den that gets so packed out (especially on Thursdays and Fridays), that the crowds spill out onto the street … Continue reading
The Picky Glutton 
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