Any pub that employs a chef with credible restaurant CV now feels it has the right to append the prefix ‘gastro’ to its name. Many have installed josper grills or wood fires to buttress their claims. Renovate on old boozer may earn extra points. The Baring doesn’t try too hard. It doesn't need to either. This neighbourhood venue lets its quality speak for itself.
Your reviewer’s only previous visit to a Georgian restaurant was a disappointment. The passing of time and a desire to be open-minded provoked a recent visit to a new venue purveying Georgian cooking. It was well-conceived, but ultimately underwhelming.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Oxford students will take every opportunity to show off their erudition. With this maxim in mind, when your reviewer and eight of his chums returned recently to their Alma Mater for a reunion weekend, he was reminded of the famous line of Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr: “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” In simple terms, the places where we dined some thirty years ago have stood the test of time.
Harrow is famous for its school, perhaps its eponymous hill, but little else. Although it is located less than ten miles from where this reviewer grew up, he was not aware of its dining options – until recently. Step forward Jay Rayner. I have long been a fan of the restaurant critic of The Guardian and have enjoyed several of his books, including My Dining Hell. This is a summary of his most damning reviews. 19 of the 20 places subsequently have shut. Fortunately, his recent piece on the incongruously named Panda’s Kitchen was praiseworthy – and rightly so.
People love to make lists, however arbitrary they may be. KOL is one of only two UK restaurants to rank in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, placing at number 17. It must, therefore, being doing something very good. Your reviewer had written two highly praiseworthy pieces about KOL in the past (see here and here), but a recent visit to the venue demonstrated to our group of four – all of whom were previously familiar with KOL – just how much it had raised its already strong game.
When visiting a part of England not known to your reviewer, the natural response is to do some research beforehand. On this occasion, it involved asking several friends and colleagues who hailed from/ had visited the area. All were unequivocal in their approbation of the Gunton Arms, a view echoed by the local taxi driver who drove us to this destination. Fortunately, the advice paid off. If on the north Norfolk coast near Cromer, then this is the place to go.
Fallow take-one was a pop in Heddon Street. Such was its success, that take-two saw the restaurant move to a larger (and more bling) premises just off Haymarket in the very centre of London. While it may have lost some of its original intimacy and vibe, none of the ethos underpinning the restaurant nor the quality of the offering has changed. If it’s modern (and sustainable) British food you’re after, then Fallow is the place.
Most visitors are drawn to the Lake District for its hiking paths and bucolic views. Don’t shout it too loudly though, but there is also an exciting gastronomic scene afoot in the region. Cumbria boasts seven restaurants with Michelin stars. Among them, Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume (in Cartmel) is arguably the most famous. While we were not quite lucky enough to pay it a visit, we did the next best thing and spent a highly enjoyable recent evening at Henrock, the chef’s latest restaurant venture in the region.
Say foodie to many Londoners and they may respond ‘Borough Market.’ Say on-trend districts to the same audience and many might reply ‘Hackney.’ Surprise, surprise then that the two venues operating as Elliot’s appear within the confines of… Borough Market and Hackney. Food is all sourced from the former with a strong emphasis on the fashions du jour: local and seasonal. Visit the Borough venue (as we did) and you will be confronted with exposed brickwork, mismatched fittings and a sassy kind of New York vibe. There’s natural wine too. It’s almost all too achingly cool.
Look up the word parlour in the dictionary and you will get two definitions: first, as a sitting room in a private house; next, as a room in a public building for receiving guests. It is perhaps not accidental then that Parlour, an on-trend British restaurant in central north west London, fulfils both these terms. Diners are made to feel very welcome; spending time at this venue is a bit like being in a good friend’s house.
A weekend break in August to a luxury hotel in the Surrey Hills ought to be the stuff of dreams. Barnett Hill, an impressive Queen Anne-style property near Wonersh, is a beautiful building with lovely grounds and excellent walking options nearby. While it was not the fault of the property that the British weather impeded full enjoyment of the outdoor facilities, blame certainly must lie with the hotel for the underwhelming dining experiences that characterised our stay.
The shoes of the Gay Hussar are big ones in which to step. Noble Rot’s second venture, located on the same site as this former London establishment, nonetheless do the job admirably. Homage to the Hussar is evident, from the artistic triptych of Soho life that adorns one wall on the first floor dining room through to a few original menu items that remain, albeit somewhat reinterpreted. After the success of their original Fitzrovia venture, the Noble Rot team have imposed their clear stamp in Soho.
What could be more quintessentially English than fish and chips by the seaside? A recent work jaunt saw Gourmand Gunno make the one-hour train journey down from London to see seafood done properly in one of the oldest restaurants in Brighton. There’s far more to English’s though than just the humble battered plaice…
The dictionary says that the term ‘fallow’ means farmland that has been ploughed and harrowed but is then left for a period without being sown in order to restore its fertility and avoid surplus production. Although an ancient concept, it also has a wonderfully modern resonance, according well with all things sustainable. Fallow, one of the hottest new openings of 2020, takes this idea as its guiding principle and successfully pulls off the act of being both a right-on and very cool venue.
With outside dining being the norm for now, Skylon is worth considering. Expect a confident but far from ground-breaking demonstration of modern British cooking with a few European twists. Given we are still in the early era of returning to normality, food and wine lists have a greater than usual level of brevity. At least it makes choosing easier. To complain though is to miss the point: what we have been missing is not chef-cooked food per se, but atmosphere – this is what venues such as Skylon are selling….
It has become almost de rigeur for every tall building in the City of London to provide a dining experience on one of its higher floors. The claim of 14 Hills, that it offers “unapparelled” views of London, is perhaps hyperbole. Fortuitously, there is more to enjoy at this venue than just the views. 14 Hills delivers very solid if not quite ground-breaking cuisine at a reasonable price point.
Visit the homepage of the Ivy and the word that stands out most strongly is ‘modern’, which prefixes the perhaps less glamorous ‘British restaurant’ descriptor. Sceptics might suggest a case of trying too hard, whereas a more generous interpretation would highlight that the success of this stalwart restaurant brand lies in its ongoing relevance. concept. A large group of us recently descended on the Soho branch of the ever-expanding empire and came away impressed by the execution if not outright wowed. ..
Say Four Seasons to anyone with knowledge of the hospitality industry and they will probably look longingly. For those unaware, this 90-strong hotel chain present in 39 countries has a well-deserved reputation for offering some of the best luxury experiences available. A recent event saw your reviewer have the fortune to visit the chain’s Hampshire venue, set on the edge of the New Forest in the village of Dogsmerfield…
The owners of the Rosewood Hotel seem – after several iterations – to have hit upon a winning formula for their restaurant. They have created an all-day brasserie of modern British classics with a few twists. It’s worked for years at the likes of the Wolseley or the more recently renovated the Ned. Similar to the latter, the Rosewood benefits from a glorious history and diners get to enjoy the spacious marble-pillared room which used to house Pearl Assurance…
Credit to the founders of Honest Burgers – a now 20+ outlet mini-chain in London and beyond – for being ahead of its time. Your reviewer may not be the biggest fan of burger and chips but in the interests of research, I visited the Marylebone branch of Honest with a willing colleague last week and a very specific purpose in mind – to sample the vegan burger they have recently launched. The burger was damn good and would convince many a sceptic
Rockliffe rocks. This 5-star hotel in north Yorkshire is well worth a visit, dining being one of the many reasons to do so. While the Orangery is the venue’s culinary high-point (see a more extensive review here), the Brasserie will not leave visitors disappointed...
Luxury breaks in fine English country hotels don’t come much better than the experience provided by Rockliffe Hall. While the original buildings date from the 18th Century, the offering throughout is distinctly modern including three different and all very good restaurants in which to eat. The high point, where my comrade and I enjoyed full tasting menus that would easily rival Michelin-starred venues throughout the UK, was the Orangery. ..
Many restaurants may claim that they operate a nature to plate philosophy, but few do it with as much passion and commitment as the Kitchin. Based on a recent visit, the Kitchin fully deserves its Michelin star, which it has held since 2007. Located in the redeveloped Leith waterfront area, just on the edge of Edinburgh, the venue both looks and feels distinctly modern but still manages successfully to show reverence for the past.
