Food and Drink

By Jack Peat, TLE Editor  A metaphor linking a renowned opera and an outcast grape variety almost undoubtedly falls under the ‘stretched’ bracket, but I won’t shy away from this ambitious literary feat nonetheless. Carmen, an opéra comique based on the life of Don José, tells of a man who abandons his Basque family heritage in pursuit of the independent and rebellious Carmen. Deserting his bourgeois heritage he is forced to make his way as part of the proletariat, doing...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Renowned as one of London’s finest mixologists, Oskar Kinberg opened Dabbous with his friend and former colleague Ollive Dabbous at the start of 2012, in which he oversees the restaurant’s stylish bar area – Oskar’s Bar – which features a cocktail menu with uses all homemade syrups and infusions. On the menu, there’s an innovative selection of drinks, featuring a range of classics and signature creations from the man himself, including the likes of...

By Nathan Lee, TLE Correspondent  The final stages of the French Open, the Champions League final, the Canadian Grand Prix and sweltering weather forecast throughout the weekend. Yep, summer is finally here. And as is the custom in Britain, the start of the summer usually involves pulling out the rusted tin can on wheels that is the barbecue. Unused and dishevelled you contemplate whether a disposable BBQ would be less hassle than sprucing up your long-serving garden companion. But to save...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Arriving just in time for the summer, Burger Bear founder Tom Reaney is set to take over the central roof of Old Street’s monolithic roundabout, bringing a brand new pop-up venue The Magic Roundabout to the East-End. Opening off the back of a Kickstarter campaign set up last year, which managed to raise a huge £36000, The Magic Roundabout is set to open next weekend and will feature a brand new street food market...

Photo credit: Ben Fisher/ Photoshelter By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food We’ve already discussed Champagne Lanson’s plans to take over the Summer’s social calendar, and with The Championships, Wimbledon now well on its way, ahead of the tournament which commences on Monday June 29th, the brand has teamed up with the All England Lawn Tennis Club to create a special limited edition ‘Wimbledon’ bottle for the delicious Champagne Lanson White Label. The new “Wimbledon” bottle is inspired by the game...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Their delicious Burgers and colossal portion sizes have most probably taken over your Instagram feed over the past three years, so if you still haven't visited MEATliquor, you're most certainly missing out. Situated just behind London's busy Oxford Street, it's no surprise that the London branch of the Restaurant has become hugely popular in recent years. So busy, in fact, that you're likely to have to queue around the block for 90 minutes, just to...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food With plenty of exciting restaurant openings constantly taking place across the Capital, here’s our pick of the best new restaurants and bars arriving in London over the coming month.   The Ivy – Covent Garden Iconic celebrity favourite – The Ivy is set to reopen this month, following a five-month closure for renovation. This re-work ties in with the 100th anniversary of the restaurant and internally we can expect quite a bit of change. Everything apart from the...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Specialising in celebrating British milk and offering 100% natural low fat and low sugar milkshakes, Shaken Udder have a new range of drinks that are available to buy from some of the UK’s leading supermarkets. And tying in with the new drinks, the brand have shared the recipe for a delicious alcohol optional cocktail recipe. This delicious, creamy, thirst-quencher is perfect for a summer's day and can be made with or without alcohol. The...

By Nathan Lee, TLE Correspondent  In Rathfinny on the south coast of England, ex-fund manager Mark Driver is in the process of planting what will be, when completed in 2020, one of the biggest single-site vineyards in Europe. The location offers a lot of promise. According to the local weather station in Eastbourne average temperatures have been climbing since the 1980s to almost a degree higher today, making it an idyllic spot to dabble in the temperature-sensitive world of viniculture....