Restaurants
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
Great Gilbert Scott!
The original watch nerd, Noodlefish, pries himself away from Twitter and the online watch forums for a few short hours to dine out in style at Marcus Wareing’s new restaurant in the St Pancras Hotel: The Gilbert Scott. He comes away thoroughly impressed by the food and service but blushing at his fellow guests’ dinner conversation.
By Noodlefish, published on 1 June 2011
Casting doubt in Battersea: The Fish Place
Our resident foodie, Douglas Blyde, takes his sister for lunch in Battersea and finds himself quoting the works of Morrissey. And dissing Scott’s. Whatever next!?
By Douglas Blyde, published on 4 April 2011
Have a gay old time: Gay Hussar
From stirrups to the carburettor, buttons and soap, the Hungarian Republic has given the world much of use. However, other than an annual flow of 10,028,000 litres of elixir, Tokaji, it is not widely celebrated for its gastronomic canon of goulash, galuska and gyors… But, as if titled by Carry On writer, Norman Hudis, London’s [...]
By Douglas Blyde, published on 15 December 2010
Au Chai de l’Abbaye: Love it
Here’s our top tip for eating in Paris: Au Chai de l’Abbaye. Located on the rue de Buci in the 6th arrondissement, it has a wonderful typical brasserie decor. There are always a couple of people perched at the bar, the odd drunk stumbling through the door (and being pushed back out by one of the [...]
By Patito, published on 8 December 2010
Bistro Volnay: delicious, affordable and French (unlike the Ritz’s Martinis)
Mother Patito recently came to stay. We spent weeks pondering which restaurant to book; we flicked through guides, read websites, asked our pals. But nothing sounded right. The main issue with restaurants in Paris is finding one that isn’t overrun by tourists. We know, we know, we’ve only been here two months and we’re already grumpy [...]
By Patito, published on 1 December 2010
