This week’s Review of the Reviews is the last one for 2022 – we’ll be back in the New Year with a two-week round-up. Here’s what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 18 December… it seems to be very Mayfair-focused; maybe our regular critics were treating themselves for Christmas. […]
A vast new pan-Asian restaurant and basement cocktail bar, Tabu, opens tonight in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in the premises which previously housed The Vaults nightclub. Tabu is said to be inspired by 1920s-style New York speakeasies and accommodates up to 400 guests, with entertainment including DJ sets and live performers every Thursday to Sunday. The […]
Certain details in this article have been corrected. Rising star Harriet Mansell has announced her intention in the New Year to reformat her highly rated Lyme Regis restaurant Robin Wylde. She plans to reposition the business with the addition of a bakery to the existing restaurant space. The eight-course tasting menu celebrated in our soon-to-be-released […]
High-profile West London-based restaurateur Sam Harrison has said he might close his popular new restaurant, Sam’s Riverside, by Hammersmith Bridge, after being forced to remove a marquee for outdoor dining by the local council. He said the move was costing the business £15,000 in lost trade a week and had forced him to cancel 50 […]
Paul Kitching, chef-proprietor of Edinburgh restaurant 21212, has died suddenly at the age of 61. His passing was announced this week by his partner, Katie O’Brien, who said “I’ve lost my love“. Paul was born in Gateshead and worked in leading kitchens, including Gidleigh Park in Devon, before launching Juniper in Altrincham with Katie. In […]
Veteran Soho restaurant Quo Vadis is to double in size following a major refurb in January. Owners the Hart Brothers say the work will provide a “grander and more spacious restaurant” befitting the cooking of acclaimed chef-partner Jeremy Lee (pictured). Having opened in 1926, Quo Vadis is rare among older restaurants in that it trades […]
Our weekly summary of what the national and local restaurant critics were writing about in the week ending 11 December 2022. ***** The Times “I’m so thrilled with it that I’ve just booked a table for 20 for the Times Comment Christmas dinner.” Giles Coren wasn’t reviewing Bouchon Racine, he just wanted to pop in […]
North Italian-style TOZI Grand Cafe opens on Monday 12 December, as the gastronomic offering at the Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London continues to take shape. Sister restaurant to TOZI in Pimlico and another branch in Amsterdam, it is on the ground-floor of the new art’otel in Electric Avenue, where it will be joined next […]
Soho gastronomic landmark I Camisa is to close down after Christmas – just seven years short of its centenary – unless a buyer steps forward to save it. Famous for its sandwiches, the Old Compton Street deli is a relic of central London’s Italian community and a much-loved feature of ‘old Soho’. Gianni Segatta, a director of […]
Los Angeles celeb chef Kris Yenbamroong has found a permanent showcase for his US-style ‘nu Thai’ cuisine at the new Hoxton Hotel overlooking Shepherd’s Bush green, launching on Monday 12 December. Chet’s, which aims to combine the excitement of Thai flavours with the comfort of an American diner, had a test run as a pop-up […]
