All posts filed under: Restaurants

Slobbering at Bukowski, Soho

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What Meaty goodness at Bukowski, Soho Where 10 D’Arblay St London W1F 8DS Experience Friday night in Soho and pubs and bars are overflowing with creative types who are at the beginning of a huge session to let off steam from the heavy week of work that they have just endured. I arrive at Picadilly Circus and meander up through the narrow Soho streets, past me favourite Georgian townhouse buildings and arrive at Bukowski, the third outpost from the charcoal grill specialists. My late friend is late again, so I browse the menu before he arrives and ask the friendly South African waiter for a glass of wine. I ask him which is better, the Cuvee des Galets (syrah/Grenache/carignan), or the Black Ink (sweigelt/st laurent) and his response got us off to a great start. “Are you old enough to be drinking wine?” he smirked. I wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not, but presumed not as I have been ID’d more in the last year than I ever have in my life. “I’m …

Cleaning up at Wringer + Mangle, Hackney

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What Dinner at Wringer + Mangle, HackneyWhere 13-18 Sidworth Street London E8 3SD Experience I didn’t realise it at the time of booking the dinner, but Wringer + Mangle was the first venue I visited after landing back in the UK following a year and a half hiatus from my beloved London. I turned up to my friend’s surprise birthday party horrendously jetlagged and struggled to sip on delicious cocktails from ridiculously big jugs. It’s all a bit hazy, but I remember hoping I would return when I was settled back to UK time. I had far less of a foggy head during my second attempt and last night was joined by a couple of good friends for dinner and drinks. As soon as I arrived, I recognised the outside seating area immediately and plodded past to enter the huge loft style dining room, which stretched as far as the eye could see. The space felt quiet for 7pm on a Thursday night and I hoped it would get busier as we walked towards our …

Upcoming: Summer Series at Somerset House 7-7th July 2016

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What Summer Series at Somerset House with American Express Where Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA News Get in! The line up for the Summer Series at Somerset House with American Express has been announced – Londoners, you’re in for a treat. This year’s line up includes Everything Everything, Laura Mvula, St Germain and my personal favourite, Hiatus Kaiyote. Arriving back in London after a hiatus of my own and receiving news like this makes me a happy bunny indeed. Tickets from £29.50 (plus booking fee) Available online from http://www.somersethouse.org.uk Full Line Up July 7 HIATUS KAIYOTE – £29.50 / GA Enhanced: £49.50 July 8 PAUL HEATON AND JACQUI ABBOTT – £35.00 / GA Enhanced: £55.00 July 9 BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE – £29.50 / GA Enhanced: £49.50 July 10  LAURA MVULA – £29.50 / GA Enhanced: £49.50 July 11  EVERYTHING EVERYTHING – £29.50 / GA Enhanced: £49.50 July 12  JAMES MORRISON – £35.00 / GA Enhanced: £55.00 July 13  COURTNEY BARNETT – £29.50 / GA Enhanced: £49.50 July 14  CARAVAN PALACE – £29.50 / GA Enhanced: …

A Cocktail Party in the City

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What Cocktails in the City, where twenty of London’s most innovative cocktail bars throw a three day cocktail party! Where One Mayfair Experience I’ve heard amazing things about Cocktails in the city from people who went to their summer event last year. From what I’ve gathered, the idea is to round up as many of London’s top cocktail mixologists under one roof so that people like you and me can enjoy maximal amount of cocktails for minimal effort. What’s not to love about that? After a pretty long week at work and a sneaky lunch time google image search of the rather fancy One Mayfair where the event was being held, Joe and I were ready to go. The venue, formerly St Mark’s Church and now a Grade I listed building, was an impressive setting for some of the best cocktail makers in London, including Reverend JW Simpson, The Alchemist and City Social, who were joined this year by some equally innovative bars from Amsterdam and Paris. Split over four floors, the heated and fur …

Rev JW Simpson Spirited Sermons: Best of British Gin

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What A night of gin tasting and cocktail making with Tarquin’s gin of North Cornwall Where Reverend JW Simpson, 32 Goodge Street, W1T 2QJ Experience Tonight was a special night because it was the first time I had seen Sarah (Food for Think leader) since she left us for a much sunnier Australian climate, almost a year and a half ago! And what better way to celebrate her returning exactly the same shade of pale as when she left, than by drinking loads of straight Cornish gin. We got to Rev JW Simpson, a super stylish basement bar on Goodge Street (and one of my favourites), at around 7pm and were greeted by very affable staff who seated us in a cosy corner and walked us through the itinerary for the evening. Southwestern distillery, made famous by Tarquin’s gin and pastis, had pitched up to allow a group of gin enthusiasts to indulge in an array of cocktails, attempt some mixology and learn about the history of what is undoubtedly one of the more intriguing alcohol …