Restaurants
For whom The Bell tolls
If only “local roast pheasant as tough as a shoe” and “vanilla set cream as tense as the latex of a Spitting Image puppet” were the worst things about Douglas Blyde’s overnight stay at The Bell in Ticehurst. His tribulations recall those of Hemingway’s Robert Jordan. It’s a harrowing tale indeed.
By Douglas Blyde, published on 14 December 2011
Seamless Mr Wing is hard not to like
A lovely setting, fantastic staff and excellent food – what’s not to like?
By Alex Larman, published on 5 December 2011
JW Steakhouse gives Hawksmoor, Goodman, Cut et al a run for their money
JW Steakhouse is a worldwide group that prides itself on offering the best steaks in any given city, and the ones in London are certainly magnificent – not bad, given that the nearby competition includes Goodman, Hawksmoor and now Wolfgang Puck’s establishment, Cut.
By Alex Larman, published on 5 October 2011
Names Can’t Be Bulldozed: The Capability at Waldorf Astoria Syon Park
The multi-coloured Waldorf Astoria at Syon Park is an example of what our man Douglas Blyde refers to as “identity theft.” Here, butterfly motifs trespass slate signs to the business centre where a Phillip Morris convention occurs whiIe all’s immobile in a token butterfly cage in the lobby. But we’ve not come to stare at an empty butterfly sarcophagus; we’ve driven over to pick at a grouse at main restaurant, The Capability.
By Douglas Blyde, published on 28 September 2011
Casa Batavia is easy to recommend
Casa Batavia is a really welcome addition to the pantheon of local West London restaurants, and, judging by the Italian-heavy nature of many of the visitors when we went there, about as authentic as you’re likely to get. A visit there is easy to recommend.
By Alex Larman, published on 12 September 2011
Blueprint: An icon
Marking the 21st anniversary and imminent 80th of designer, Sir Terence Conran, Douglas Blyde visists London’s Blueprint Café.
By Douglas Blyde, published on 22 August 2011
The Admiral Codrington lives up to good first impressions
The Cod is a Chelsea institution that gets first impressions right. It has a clubby wood-panelled atmosphere, with the sort of pleasantly boisterous bar that attracts a well-heeled, discerning clientele. But can it deliver the food to match?
By Alex Larman, published on 27 July 2011
Café Luc holds it own against Marylebone’s finest
Café Luc – one of the very first places that one comes to on Marylebone High Street – is more than a match for the likes of Providores, Orrery or even nearby Blandford Street’s L’Autre Pied or Trishna says our galloping gourmet, Alex Larman.
By Alex Larman, published on 29 June 2011
Taxidermy and banquettes at the Riding House Café
Douglas Blyde dines at Riding House Café – the restaurant that Richard Harden describes as “a sort of younger and trendier Wolseley” – and leaves it as stuffed yet healthy looking as a combed, furred and sharply illuminated wall mounted rodent.
By Douglas Blyde, published on 15 June 2011
Counting stars over The Capital
Long the source of heated debate amongst foodies, the real value of the sometimes-reverred Michelin star once again comes into question as we visit The Capital. Alex Larman’s dining companion reckons some restaurants with three stars aren’t as good as this.
By Alex Larman, published on 13 June 2011
