At long last the miserable weather is finally letting up and I can now start tending to my garden, which judging by the amount of greenery in it, is going to be no easy feat. Nonetheless, the summer also brings me back to writing after a short hiatus (I call it the winter hibernation). It must have been around this time last year that I called Dabbous for a reservation only to be told that the earliest dinner reservation was 10 months away and the earliest lunch reservation was 6 months away. read more »
November 3, 2012
Brasserie Zedel, London
The golden pair of London’s restaurant scene have done it again. The Corbin-King partnership, spanning 30 years, that is responsible for iconic culinary institutions such as The Ivy, Le Caprice, J. Sheekey (these ones they sold) and later The Wolseley and Delaunay, now has another behemoth to their name. Brasserie Zedel, having opened just earlier this year, is nothing short of spectacular. One doesn’t quite know the beast that lies below the streets when walking into what seems like a small french brasserie. I certainly was confused as to where to go, thinking the restaurant was upstairs and that I should take the lift, instead of going down to where the bar is. Even whilst walking down the stairs, the place seems eerie. Then of course, one reaches the main concourse of Zedel with passages to the bar, the performance room and the restaurant. read more »
October 28, 2012
Odette’s
The first time I heard of Bryn Williams was when I was working at The Orrery and, as is the case with most restaurants, one is made aware of all the notable alumni that have done time at the stoves. It wasn’t until many years later that when looking for a good neighbourhood restaurant in North London did Odette’s come back on the radar and this time, we were there without a second thought. Naturally, being in Primrose Hill bodes well in any situation, whether it’s a leisurely stroll up the hill to view all of London in its glory, or a lazy pint in the local pub, or even a cup of coffee in the many coffee shops on the street. read more »
October 28, 2012
Trinity, London
When I told my cheffie friend M that we were going to go for dinner to Clapham, he did a double take and asked if I was sure I meant Clapham, being, as one could say, not the choice of destination for a gastronomic treat (no offence to Claphamites). Reason was that I’d heard, over the past year, many a good thing about Trinity, Adam Byatt’s neighborhood eatery, named after the church that guards the local vicinity. Clapham Common, by the way, is a haven for mass groups of people running, jumping, indulging in boot camp-style fitness regimes even in the pouring rain. read more »
