Restaurants

Mrs Le’s Banh Mi and Grill has opened in Battersea bringing an authentic Vietnamese restaurant experience to south London. Derived from the Le family’s matriarch Mrs Le's has built a dynasty of restaurants across the capital and continues to expand. The key to her success has been to stick to what she knows best, and despite overseeing a growing empire Mrs My Le continues to make early morning trips to Billingsgate market after peeling garlic by hand into the early hours. Her...

One of just three restaurants with three Michelin stars in London, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is currently offering a menu with prominent focus on black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) – one of the globe’s most prized natural ingredients, native to Southern Europe. Established in 2007, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is the flagship UK restaurant from one of the world’s most decorated chefs, with 26 restaurants operating worldwide. Best known for offering high-end, contemporary French cuisine, the kitchen of Alain...

“Fine dining is just a load of bollocks; don’t you think? When I eat out, I want to be filled-up with something hearty,” yapped an unfamiliar barber - oxymoronically complaining about Angela Hartnett’s recent suggestion that Brits aren’t a nation of foodies. Like a cat agitated by next door’s belligerent Pit bull, I instinctively arched my back and gritted my teeth, primed to curmudgeonly defend haute cuisine. But suddenly conscious of the razor being dragged across my gullet, I recoiled...

By Sophie Parkin  Chinese food is something that has become largely commoditised over the last 20 years or so. You’ll struggle to find even the smallest villages without a Chinese restaurant or takeaway, and much of the food is more or less comparable (obviously with a few exceptions). It would be fair to say there was an air of skepticism when making the trip up to the top end of the northern line. Situated on the main road, we were...

General perception of Chinese food in Britain has come along way since we began importing tea during the 17th Century. Now Britain’s favourite international cuisine, according to research conducted by Paymentsense in 2017, Chinese food was first introduced to London during the late 1800s. ‘The Chinese Restaurant’ in Glasshouse Street (near Piccadilly Circus) was London’s first recorded Chinese restaurant, opened in 1908. Until the 1930s, however, Limehouse in East London was considered London’s Chinatown, though the west-end overtook when a...

With more than a quarter of a million Scottish people living in London and the South East (and with a fair number of brilliant Scottish restaurants) – it’s unsurprising that Burns Night has become so commonly celebrated in London. With plenty of exciting events taking place this week – from whisky and chocolate pairing to indulgent Burns Night suppers, both traditional and contemporary – we select the best events taking place in London restaurants and bars to celebrate Burns Night...

With dinner at Bob Bob Ricard, three things are almost guaranteed: a ubiquitous sense of occasion, an uncontrollable wave of excitement over the “Press for Champagne” button and all its photogenic glory, plus a cumbersome bill to finish. Just two weeks into 2018, however, it’s already proving to be a tough year for restaurants - with many having already closed or announced imminent closure. Earlier this month Galvin Bistrot De Luxe and Victor Garvey’s Encant announced their closure. The Jamie Oliver...

Following the success of a number of pop-ups at festivals, and across London, plus a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign – The Vurger Co has announced plans to open its first permanent site in Shoreditch, East London. Aiming to launch in March, the Shoreditch site will have space for around 30 covers, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Here, the plant-based vegan burger pioneers’ full menu will be available. “Fresh but indulgent” burgers will include the best-selling ‘Tabasco Auburger’, made with...

Eating alone at five thirty in the evening, down a side street in Clerkenwell, used to be pretty low on my tick list. But this was different. It was an evening I’d been waiting 18 months for. I’d finally bagged a (single) seat at London’s most exclusive restaurant. Of course ‘exclusive’ can mean many different things. Sure there are ‘sleb heavy haunts where if you ain’t been on Big Brother you’re not getting in. There are Michelin starred restaurants for...