From the founder of Fitzrovia's Akoko comes Akara, another West African restaurant this time in Borough (Yards). Whilst the Fitrovia branch is pitched at the more elevated level, its (equally smart) offshoot blends “the crispy, fluffy attributes of Nigerian Akara Osu with the flavour-packed delights of Brazilian Acaraje ”, i.e., each country’s spin on the … Continue reading Akara
A lively restaurant with a pool table in Chinatown, Speedboat Bar is the kind of restaurant that wants everyone to have a good time. Its crowd-pleasing Thai food will certainly help with that. Speedboar Bar comes from the Sethi brothers’ JKS Restaurants, the umbrella behind an impressive spread of ventures, from Mayfair’s Gymkhana and Iranian … Continue reading Speedboat Bar
Located in that glossy little corner of St James’s, Toba is an Indonesian restaurant by Pino Edward Sinaga. It’s taken over the spot of Michelin-starred West African restaurant Ikoyi. It's a strange part of town, St James’s. Essentially a lesser-known southern extension of Mayfair, it's barely a half mile square and yet contains a high … Continue reading Toba
Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins describe their live-fire restaurant in London’s Dalston as “More than just a restaurant.” It’s a “cult”. After a series of successful pop-ups, together they’ve opened their first permanent site in a rough old yard at 40FT Brewery. A large custom-made grill and smoker stand proudly in the covered yard. Bringing … Continue reading Acme Fire Cult
Fully plant-based eatery Mallow comes from the team behind Mildred’s. Though at the forefront of veggie dining, Mildred’s has always felt a bit run-of-the-mill. The sort of world food that you might cook at home. Mallow, on the other hand, feels far more creative and special, with an equally varied menu but thoughtfully done. Though … Continue reading Mallow
For me, Greek food screams Spring / Summer. So Notting Hill’s Suzi Tros – which conjures up all the vibes of the Mediterranean, visually and culinary – was a natural choice for small plates over Easter weekend’s very blue skies and the final arrival of Spring. For years, you could count the number of genuinely … Continue reading Suzi Tros
Tucked away off the King’s Road on lovely Park Walk, Huo has a distinct LA vibe, with a focus on pan-Asian “clean” food. It helps that Huo’s location is aptly known as “Chelsea Beach”, a descriptor they live up to very well. It might be just off King’s / Fulham Road, but sitting at a … Continue reading HUŎ
Located in the 18th-century house sitting on Vauxhall Bridge roundabout, Brunswick House is home to chef-patron Jason Boxer. A historic setting for a chef of high pedigree: Boxer is part of that generation of cooks who was nurtured in the comforting shadow of Fergus Henderson of St John and his wife, Margot. From this we … Continue reading Brunswick House
“More vegetables, more nutrition, less waste”. So the moto goes of Slow Burn, a vegetable-focused pop-up in Walthamstow. Founded by Head Chef Chavdar Todorov, their goal is to champion vegetables, moving meat to the side. With sustainability at the core of their kitchen philosophy, most dishes are veggie and vegan friendly, using fresh and seasonal … Continue reading Slow Burn
Though I’m not usually one to choose a vegan restaurant, Tendrill doesn’t qualify as that exactly – it self-describes as a “(mostly) vegan kitchen”. I’m also not one to choose a restaurant that charges £80 for an cancelled reservation. But the only compensation offered on my follow-up plea to founder and chef, Rishim Sachdeva, was … Continue reading Tendrill
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