If you’re after retro-kitsch and enjoy the feeling of dining on a cruise ship, then Manzi’s might be the place for you. However, if it’s good seafood and professional service you’re after, then diners should consider a different venue.
The Hunan Man: Southern China, innit?
When you enter a restaurant and it’s brightly lit and almost deserted, things can go one of two ways. Either the evening will be a complete disaster, or this is a hidden gem that we shouldn’t be shouting about too loudly lest its popularity suddenly explodes. The Hunan Man fortunately falls into the latter camp, albeit after a decidedly inauspicious start.
2024 in review
Eating, especially in good restaurants, has to count as one of life's pleasures. It is also a privilege, and one for which this reviewer is grateful. The past year has seen more than 70 restaurants visited across 11 different countries. As of the end of November 41 new reviews had been posted to the Gourmand Gunno website in 2024, as well as multiple entries added to the Global Gunno page of favoured spots in non-UK cities. Below follow my highlights -
The Barbary: Bigger, bolder and better
It is a truth universally acknowledged that sequels are never as good as the originals. When the exception disproves the rule, it’s therefore highly refreshing. Eight years on from the launch of the Covent Garden original (which your reviewer loved), the team at the Barbary have just opened their second venue. It’s a clear statement of intent, and also very good.
Ibai: Bringing Basque to Britain
“I like, I buy”, is a well-known expression much beloved of many who work in the City. It’s a happy coincidence that the latter declarative is homophonic with the name of Nemanja Borjanovic’s latest restaurant venture. Ibai is conveniently located for all those finance bro’s and their expense accounts, but anyone who wants to appreciate some of the best Basque cooking available outside Spain should make a point of visiting.
Fonda: Found my fondness
Think of Fonda as the younger sibling of KOL, perhaps the means of making Mexican more mainstream in the UK. Chef-patron Santiago Lastra created a small revolution when he launched his first restaurant in Marylebone. It was a homage to the cuisine of his home country but fused with a very British perspective. If KOL is for grown-ups (with a serious price tag attached), then Fonda is full of fun, capturing the joyfulness of all things Mexican and plonking it just off Regent’s Street.
The Baring: Solid ground
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.
Kinkally: Georgia on my mind
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.
48 hours in Oxford: History in the making
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.
Phetpailin: Top local tip
Don’t be put off by the strip club next door, or the walk up to a first-floor room, Phetpailin was a top tip from a Manchester local for a Saturday night out in town. Located in the city’s Chinatown district, the restaurant has been serving up traditional Thai food since 2006. Even better: if you like wine, there’s a bring-your-own option, with a bargain charge of just £1 corkage per bottle.
On the evening when our group of four visited, Phetpailin was doing brisk business. Despite being given a two-hour window for our table, at no stage did we feel rushed or pressured. Throughout, service was excellent, with the staff delighted to provide menu suggestions and bring multiple changes of glassware for our somewhat demanding group.
While the mixed selection of starters provided a strong way for the venue to showcase its cooking, Phetpailin really came into its own with the mains. Our quartet ordered widely from the menu, selecting Phad Thai and red curry among others. The server’s wisdom came in especially handy here as your reviewer was recommended one of their fish curries, not a choice he would normally have gone for. The Pla Chu Chee, or crispy tilapia fillet in a thick red curry sauce topped with lime leaves, was a masterpiece of sensations and textures, with the spice tingling harmoniously but balanced superbly with the coconut cream in the sauce. At just £30/head (and we did, of course, bring our own drinks), Phetpailin is a veritable bargain.
On a separate note, an honourable mention to This And That. Apparently a Manchester institution, the venue is currently celebrating its fortieth birthday. Little has probably changed since 1984. The angle of this India café is ‘three curries on a plate.’ What you see is what you get. Your reviewer sampled on Sunday night the venue’s excellent chicken tikka, lamb and spinach offering and a spoonful of chickpea curry all for the unbelievable price of £8.50.
Panda’s Kitchen: Jay Rayner was right
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.
KOL: From strength to strength
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.
The Parakeet: One step away from excellence
Like Yossarian in Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22”, it was love at first sight for your reviewer when he stepped into the Parakeet. Full marks for décor, vibe, service, food, drinks and pricing. This was the broad consensus view among our party of four but – and you knew there was going to be a catch – the Parakeet failed in one crucial respect: if you’re vegetarian, then you’re very poorly catered for. This should be fixed to make the venue truly excellent.
Los Mochis: Mexican mash-up
Los Mochis is full of juxtapositions, in a good way. We’re in plush Notting Hill, but the exterior of the building is covered in graffiti-influenced art. Fine dining is married with street food. Japanese and Mexican flavours jostle. But, both atmosphere and experience delivered. My dining comrade and I enjoyed the fun vibes outdoors in the late summer sun, but Los Mochis apparently comes truly alive in the evenings. Think dark interiors, cool cocktails and a soundtrack to match.
Dehesa: The trouble with tapas, again
Diners in the Carnaby Street area are spoilt for choice. Almost every cuisine under the sun is within walking distance. Passing trade might be necessary for survival, but it is far from sufficient. Dehesa ought to be a sure-fire winner, serving up Mediterranean-influenced small dishes at a reasonable enough price. Our group of two ordered five tapas-sized tasters. Only three were a marked success, which probably tells readers all they need to know.
Akira Back: Art backed by substance
For those unfamiliar, Akira Back is a global phenomenon. He has more than 20 restaurants around the world. Each blends his unique style of Japanese, Korean and American, reflecting the countries in which he grew up. London is lucky to have its first Akira Back eatery, open now for three months in the recently launched Mayfair Mandarin Oriental. Both your reviewer and his dining comrade were impressed.
28-50 Oxford Circus: Fair score
Has 28-50 had its heyday? Your reviewer initially encountered this inspirational and wine-democratising concept in the late-2000s, around its inception. Its Marylebone outlet received a Blog entry within the first six months of Gourmand Gunno’s website. The title of a 2015 review of the Mayfair branch – “Gone downhill” – perhaps tells readers everything they need to know. Nonetheless, 28-50’s backers have persisted. Its latest opening launched just post-pandemic and occupies an impressive site just north of Oxford Circus. Location notwithstanding, were your reviewer in the business of formally scoring restaurants, then 28 out of 50 would be a fair assessment.
Llama Inn: What, no llama?
Cool as the Llama Inn may be, it still doesn’t have it all. Sure, it’s located on the boundary of where Hoxton meets Shoreditch. It’s got a rooftop bar with stunning city views. It’s got a sister restaurant in Brookyln, New York. But – and of course there was going to be a caveat coming – it’s misnomer to call this a Peruvian restaurant. There may be some Peruvian nods, but they’re mingled up with many things Japanese and there is barely a llama to be seen in either the venue’s décor or on its menu. Maybe neither of these things matters, especially if you’re a hipster, but your reviewer and his dining comrade had hoped for a little bit more.
Burnt Orange: On fire and on trend
Open now for three years, Burnt Orange has justifiably become one of Brighton’s destination restaurants. The team behind it certainly has pedigree. If the Coal Shed gained its reputation through excelling in cooking over coals, then the angle at Burnt Orange is to deliver food that has been prepared through smoking and flaming. Unsurprisingly, the venue is decked out in a range of… you’ve guessed it… shades of burnt orange. There’s a whole aesthetic concept behind this restaurant.
Chourangi: Kolkata comes to town
India has the world’s largest population and is the seventh biggest country globally when it comes to land mass. Given its size, it is only reasonable to expect huge variations in its cuisine. Most Indian restaurants in central London tend to embrace the food of Mumbai (Bombay), with a few nods to Gujarat and Delhi. Chourangi is therefore a very welcome addition to the London scene. Its mandate is to showcase “unexplored flavours of India”, with a specific emphasis on food from western Bengal.