Food and Drink

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food When the notion of visiting a Scottish restaurant is suggested, it’s virtually impossible to avoid vivid recollections of the world’s many terrible themed restaurants and pubs. Many of these monstrosities are thanks to Scottish expats that emigrate and attempt to bring a glimmer of Highlands charm to the land of our continental neighbours. As a result, many of the eating and drinking establishments set up are generally beacons of bad taste, designed solely for the...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food In recent years, it has become obviously apparent that many restaurants have started to focus less so on meat and fish, instead offering a range of cruelty-free alternatives. And instead of being solely reserved for the less omnivorous of beasts amongst us, many of these dishes are so exciting that there’s genuinely no need for any meat to be included. To tie in with National Vegetarian Week (May 16-24), we’ve compiled a selection of...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Am I really the only person who thinks it’s possible to make it through the summer without drinking upon somebody else’s roof? Last weekend was the hottest of the year, so it’s not too surprising to find that just about every media outlet in the world has chosen to roundup a list of the best rooftop drinking spaces to visit across the next couple of months. The problem, however, is less with the concept...

Glen Grant 10 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky makes up one of my top three off-the-shelf drams (and happened to be named the best single malt in the world by whisky expert Jim Murray), so I was keen to try the three new whiskies Glen Grant are launching this month. The launch sees the introduction of the 12 Year Old, 12 Year Old Non Chill-Filtered (which will only be available in duty free and travel retailers) and 18 Year Old variants. We were...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Strength: 7.2% Brewed: Southfields, London Set up by a small group of friends in the summer of 2012, Rocky Head Brewery is heavily inspired by the American craft beer scene, operating as a microbrewery from a site in South West London. Although a somewhat ramshackle organisation, using equipment sourced from various sources, the brewery is becoming known to produce some of London’s finest beer, having even collaborated with the likes of Selfridges in order to brew the department...

Light pours in through a wall of windows; whirring fans sway - suspended from a high ceiling; banquettes and chairs are upholstered in olive green velvet and leather; fine glassware sparkles on marble tables; designer lamps and distressed mirrors adorn the walls. Doors open onto an elegant, awning-covered terrace. This is French-colonial Hanoi, recreated in a four storey townhouse in the heart of Fitzrovia - an unlikely location for a Vietnamese restaurant, and all the more fascinating for it. House...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food To tie in with National Margarita Day back in February, Patrón tequila launched a competition in the search of the Margarita of the Year. Taking the unique recipes from seven top bartenders across the United States and Mexico and encouraging fans of the drinks brand to vote, with the winner having been announced just in time for the Mexican Cinco de Mayo holiday. Eventually, the Rosa Picante Margarita from Jordan Corney of Bohanan’s Bar...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Located mere feet away from Piccadilly Circus, the restaurant space at The Criterion has become one of the city’s most historically significant since being built in the late 1800s by architect Thomas Verity. With its cavernous ceilings tiled with intricate mosaics, a bar area that stretches down into the main dining space and a focus on real gold leaf and marble furnishings, the restaurant space at The Criterion is truly breathtaking: offering an air of...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Set to take over Regent’s Park for four days between 15th-19th June, restaurant festival Taste of London will return with an impressive line-up of some of the UK’s best chefs and over 40 of London’s restaurants. What’s more, a number of live cooking demonstrations will be taking place across the event, with some interactive culinary features and master classes also taking place. This year, the likes of Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw, and Monica Galleti will...