What is the first thing you see in the morning?

The only thing I can see first thing in the morning is my coffee. I make my own coffee. I like the whole ritual of it all – I’m not really in a rush. Often it’s iced espresso with a little bit of cold brew.

Describe the view from where you are right now

We are in a dimly lit – lit with a gilded, golden light – subterranean restaurant. It’s warm; it’s clubby; it’s vibey. It’s yet to open, so there’s a bit of anticipation in the air. I love this time of night – it’s just before the curtains rise on the stage.

Is there a view you can’t quite forget?

My fiancée’s face.

Which artwork could you see every day?

Francis Bacon’s Study for a Pope. It’s the most striking painting I’ve ever seen. When I first saw it in person I made, like, an an out-loud gasp. The colour of the Pope’s robe; the way that Francis manipulates the facial expressions. It’s haunting and emotional.

What gets you dancing?

Late-1990s hip-hop.

Which singer or song do you never tire of hearing?

Rags to Riches by Tony Bennett.

Which aroma takes you back to childhood?

The smell of breaded chicken that’s been freshly fried and is sitting out. I’ve got back from school, but I’m not allowed to have it yet. If I steal it I’ll get yelled at, but I want it very badly.

What do you smell of today?

I don’t know because I’m not wearing any cologne and I haven’t had a cigar yet. But I normally wear Tom Ford Tobacco Oud.

How does your home smell?

I have a big rosemary plant outside that I’m always snipping from – so some sort of combination of rosemary and the fancy candles that my fiancée leaves around the house.

Describe a dish that’s stayed with you.

I lived in Italy when I was much younger and, in the market, they made an elaborate seafood risotto. I’ve still never had anything that tastes like it.

What is the taste of summer?

Prosciutto with melon – usually cantaloupe melon.

Olive or a twist?

Olive, dirty.

What do you always have in your fridge?

A bunch of different kinds of spreads. Things such as pickled cauliflower and chopped-up veg. The Italians call it giardiniera.

Describe a dish you cook for yourself.

I enjoy making a really simple, nourishing pasta, like a spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino.

Silk or cashmere?

Silk.

Marble or wood?

Wood.

Do you have a favourite piece of furniture at home?

I have this amazing reproduction of a 1960s Italian record player in my living room that I’m obsessed with. I play only old records on it. The newest album I have is early- to mid-1970s.

The Dish is a monthly column that shines a light on London's most thrilling plates.

Named after a sad 19th-century clown and centred around ‘shepherd’s food’ from the underappreciated Abruzzo region of southern Italy, Auguste is the recently opened space from chef Mike Bagnall and ex-Bambi GM Dylan Walter. Yes, of course it is in East London – sliding into the plot formerly occupied by trendy London Fields eatery Papi to be exact. Yet whilst its specificity and spotlighting of simple, rustic technique might not make for particularly ostentatious fare, Auguste digs deep into the age-old adage that you don’t have to shout the loudest to make a hefty impression.

At the centre of their offering are arrosticini, aka dainty skewers fired over a furnacella: a sort of long, thin grill designed specifically for accommodating charred sticks of meat in vast quantities, that sits in a tiny open-plan kitchen area at the back of the restaurant. A cornerstone of the region’s cuisine to which Auguste has nailed its flag, arrosticini are delightfully unfussy things. Originally, their function was a way to reduce food waste. With origins dating back to 1830, shepherds in the mountainous slopes of the Gran Sasso d'Italia would cut their mutton into purposefully small cubes to take it right to the bone. Threaded onto skewers, they would go on to remain the area’s signature culinary export almost two centuries later.

Auguste has given their arrosticini a suitably 2026 update for a hip crowd that are more likely to have spent their working hours creating content than toiling in the fields. There are £5 camparinos (a campari spritz, served long and tall). The staff all look like they could have fallen out of a Charli XCX video, which is handy as her creative director is sitting happily at a corner table the night I visit. There’s an undeniable frisson of cool to the atmosphere here, but the space is minimal and chic, with a pleasingly old-school taste for white linen that’s rare for the area.

As well as the grill, they offer a daily, changing menu of streamlined starters (a plate of fat-flecked Cobble Lane finocchiona salami; thick slabs of Pecorino Romano D.O.P.), and a fresh and enticing array of small plates designed for sharing. Glistening slithers of cured sea bream are topped with piquant, olive-y puttanesca. Sweet datterini tomatoes and smokey peperonata come muddled with a generous amount of creamy stracciatella. I’m told in advance by a friend in the know that their blue cheese-laden potato rosti is a must, but sadly word has clearly spread as it’s already sold out by 7.30pm.

Given the more colourful nature of some of their sharing plates, it’s surprising that it is indeed the arrosticini that shoulder their way to top billing. But such is the easy pleasure of simple things done well. The night we dine, they have a quartet on offer including rose veal liver and a more upmarket wagyu. We’re guided towards the Salt Marsh lamb, and the chicken hearts – one classic, one offaly. Despite being cut so small, the lamb (served in portions of six) is impressively tender and full of flavour. Maybe there’s a little salt on there but Auguste is letting the fire do the talking. It’s confident, and far more memorable than you might expect.

Five plump little chicken hearts nestle up on each of their two spikes. Here, they’re served with a silky bowl of bagna cauda, a punchy Italian dipping sauce made with anchovies and garlic. Hearts and anchovies – they’re not flavours for the weak. Pair it with one of their vesper martinis or a fulsome red and you’re firmly in Grown Up Dining territory. But if your palette leans that way, there is enormous pleasure to be found.

Only four-percent of Italy’s tourism, we’re told by our impossibly stylish waiter, comes from Abruzzo. It’s not a go-to destination by any means and, as such, its food remains fairly under the radar. Auguste might well help bump up their numbers. If you see a crowd of tasteful Londoners roaming the foothills this summer, you’ll know why.

Auguste, 1F Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3DQ. Book a table.

What was once an industrial hub known for its grit and gall has all but transformed into one of the UK’s brightest creative centres, which welcomes visitors with signature Scottish warmth. As part of its shape-shifting, Glasgow has gradually become Scotland’s most exciting restaurant city; more creative and nuanced than its more well-heeled cousin over to the east. The dining scene here feels refreshingly unconcerned with trends or theatrics, focusing instead on something far harder to manufacture: genuinely good food served in places people actually want to spend time in.

The city’s restaurants reflect Glasgow itself. They are warm, confident and sometimes a little irreverent. You will find Michelin-starred tasting menus that remain pleasingly unpretentious, neighbourhood dining rooms where chefs cook the sort of food they crave on their days off and independent restaurants run by people who care deeply about ingredients, seasonality and hospitality.

Much of this momentum has been driven by a new generation of chefs choosing to build their careers here rather than move south. The result is a restaurant landscape that feels collaborative rather than competitive, with kitchens championing Scotland’s exceptional produce, from west coast seafood and Highland game to vegetables grown on small farms across the country.

What makes Glasgow particularly compelling right now is the range of experiences available within a relatively compact city. One evening might involve an intimate tasting menu beneath a railway arch, while the next could mean candlelit pasta, exceptional cocktails or some of the country’s best pizza enjoyed with a bottle brought from the corner shop.

Cail Bruich

A standout of Glasgow’s restaurant scene, Cail Bruich earned the city’s first Michelin star in 2021 under the direction of chef Lorna McNee. Its unassuming frontage on Great Western Road hints at the overall experience, elegant in its restraint. Interiors are beautiful and fuss-free, service is polished but discreet and the cooking is irresistibly confident. You are firmly in tasting-menu territory here, with dishes served under calm, warm lighting in a dining room that looks onto the open kitchen at one end. The best seat in the house is the chef’s table for two tucked beside the pass, where you feel right in the thick of it as you eat to the background notes of ‘oui chef’. Despite the high standards and relentless demand (it is almost always booked out), the atmosphere never feels frantic. Begin with bubbles or a well-made cocktail before moving through canapés, snacks, bread, fish and meat courses, finishing with dessert and petit fours. Signatures include McNee’s crab Thai green curry tartlets in the opening snacks and warm butter madeleines to close proceedings. In between come dishes such as buttery pork belly cooked until sticky and caramelised with the first wild garlic of the season, chive butter-doused Japanese milk bread with foie gras and cured duck breast, smoky beef tartare infused with coal oil and an outrageously good rhubarb and custard dessert that tastes like the realisation of all your childhood dreams.

725 Great Western Road, G12 8QX, cailbruich.co.uk

Celentano’s

Celentano’s serves the kind of food you could never tire of. Hearty Italian cooking brightened with the best seasonal produce from Scotland’s exceptional larder. Owners Anna and Dean Parker are deeply committed to sustainability, making everything from the bread to cocktail syrups in-house and cleverly repurposing what might otherwise be waste into new ingredients. You will struggle to find a better spicy margarita in Glasgow, which pairs perfectly with the excellent bar snacks. The mushroom lasagne fritti are particularly good. Creamy mushroom sauce layered between pasta sheets, cut into bite-sized pieces and breadcrumbed before frying make for nibbles so good they often cause a little light mouth burning as you greedily stuff them in before they're quite cool enough. Equally memorable are the cod’s roe doughnut bites topped with spicy kimchi, which has the acidity to cut neatly through the richness of the fish. Order a pasta course if you are doing things properly, perhaps Dexter beef ragù on tagliatelle or ricotta-filled agnolotti, before moving on to barbecued steak or fish with the restaurant's famed potato strati: its crisp layers pressed firm, then cooked in beef fat until golden. Tiramisu appears seasonally, but the affogato is a dependable favourite for dessert. You’ll find this restaurant inside the newly opened Arthouse Hotel in the centre of town, where a creative crowd gathers to fill the stylish dining room with a good level of buzz. The easygoing but knowledgeable team perfectly judges the rhythm of each table too, making you feel immediately at ease against a background playlist of uber cool music.

129 Bath Street, G2 2SZ, celentanosglasgow.com

Big Counter

The restaurant that kickstarted Glasgow’s red table trend, Big Counter is effortlessly cool thanks to its laidback attitude. A friendly team ushers guests into a dining room filled with cookery books and culinary paraphernalia, lit by candlelight dripping from wax-covered wine bottles. You won’t find hard-to-pronounce ingredients or encyclopaedic wine lists here. Instead, the appeal lies in excellent ingredients handled with care and turned into deeply flavoursome plates with little fuss. It is the sort of place that pulls in most of Glasgow’s best chefs when their own night off rolls around. Drinks options are short and sharp with a couple of cocktails and a concise selection of wines and beers. The food follows a familiar rhythm. Thick hunks of sourdough arrive first, pleasingly already buttered, followed by starters such as grilled mussels with garlic butter. Mains usually include a beautiful piece of fish, a sharing steak and handmade pasta, all accompanied by towering plates of chips and salad. And if proof is in the pudding then cosy classics such as steamed syrup sponge or bright lemon meringue pie seal the deal here.

76 Victoria Road, G42 7AA, booking.resdiary.com

Gloriosa

Rosie Healey has a knack for creating flavour combinations that transport you straight to the sunshine. Meals here almost always begin with squashy focaccia and glossy olives before the unnervingly stylish team talk you through a daily changing run of Mediterranean plates. Produce sits firmly at the centre of the menu with simple combinations that play on texture and the holy trinity of flavours that is savoury, sweet and sour. Bright salads might combine black figs, almonds, pancetta croutons and bitter leaves with red wine vinegar or tomatoes, peaches and cucumbers topped with feta and oregano, dressed with moscatel vinegar and olive oil. Meat and fish receive similar treatment, from whole roasted pheasant to British tuna crudo. Then there is the pasta which is freshly made each day and consistently addictive with unusual yet simply sauces. In winter a small log burner at the back keeps things cosy while candlelight flickers year-round. Add a strong drinks list and a very strong playlist and a good time is almost guaranteed.

1321 Argyle Street, G3 8TL, gloriosaglasgow.com

Margo

Scoop Restaurants owns several of Glasgow’s most popular dining rooms but the jewel in its crown is undoubtedly Margo. Opening in 2024, it filled a long-standing gap for a reliably good restaurant in the centre of town. The two-floor dining room has been packed ever since thanks to its lively atmosphere and a team that greets you like a regular, even on your first visit. There is an open kitchen, an excellent cocktail list and a jazzy playlist alongside plates that sit comfortably between comforting and inventive. Crunchy potato chipsticks with taramasalata became an instant hit and have remained on the menu since day one. Other standouts include crab and crayfish cocktail with a Bloody Mary sauce and pickled celery or a half duck served as both cassoulet and farce, accompanied by bitter leaves and brandy prunes. Those keen to extend the evening can head to the sister bar downstairs, Sebb’s, which won Michelin’s Exceptional Cocktail Award in 2026. Here, DJs spin records beneath converted arches late into the night.

68 Miller Street, G1 1DT, margo.restaurant

Errol’s

Not all pizza places are created equal and there are a few reasons why Errol’s sits firmly at the top of the pile. First it focuses almost entirely on the pizzas themselves rather than crowding the menu with endless sides. Secondly it is BYOB which makes for a pleasantly affordable evening. Thirdly the staff are genuinely warm which makes it the sort of place you immediately want to return to. There are only a handful of topping options with a favourite being sausage and onion finished with unapologetically generous quantities of finely shaved Parmesan. The bases are thin and crisp and the pizzas large enough to share if you are so inclined. Those craving extras can choose from only two sides, a burrata of the day and a sharply dressed salad topped with even more cheese. It is small and walk ins dominate so expect a wait at busy times. Secure a table though and you will be rewarded with a fun dive bar aesthetic and some of Glasgow’s best slices.

379 Victoria Road, G42 8RZ, instagram.com

Outlier

Outlier has evolved from a small coffee shop in Glasgow’s East End to an all-day destination and community hub. On weekends it plays host to its eponymous run club, attracting many of the city’s keenest athletes, while the evenings bring calm with a candlelit dinner service. Its minimalist interiors contribute to the zen, with a background of toning mustard tiles and pale wood tables and chairs surrounding an open kitchen. The menus are in a constant state of flux, but can be roughly categorised as modern European without too much of a firm grip on any one cuisine. Oysters, sourdough and other snacky bits being proceedings, followed by plates like beef tartare with gherkins and truffle mustard or trout with pumpkin, mushrooms and black olive. The desserts are equally as accomplished thanks to the in-house pastry team, and there are regular theme nights too, that span everything from burgers to pastas, so there’s always a new reason to visit.

38 London Road, G1 5NB, instagram.com

Fallachan

Entirely unique, Fallachan is fine dining for people who are genuinely interested in the process behind the plates. Here, in this converted railway arch, chef Craig Grozier leads his team in turning out an intimate tasting menu experience. There’s just one table where you sit communally with other diners while you watch the food being prepared about two feet away from you by the startlingly relaxed-looking team. And it’s not your typical fine-dining combinations either, with Grozier finding his own groove via a foraging and technique obsession. Borrowing a lot of methodology from Japanese cooking, you’ll find a wonderful harmony of umami peppered throughout the menu, plus all sorts of preservation at play here, from the homemade charcuterie and pickles through to the salted rhubarb and Scottish black crowdie cheese. If you’re a bit of a jaded diner, the fresh approach here is sure to appeal, with the restaurant’s unique approach to flavour combinations. There’s also a vegetarian tasting menu available, making this the perfect place for mixed groups celebrating something special. To match the food, there’s an equally strong drinks pairing, with a welcome mix of non-alcoholic and alcoholic serves that strike the perfect balance.

8 Eastvale Place, G3 8QG, fallachankitchen.co.uk

Crabshakk

A stalwart of Glasgow’s dining scene, Crabshakk has become such an institution that a second site opened beside the Botanic Gardens a few years ago. Larger and a little glossier than the original Finnieston restaurant, it retains the same relaxed spirit. The joy of Crabshakk lies in its consistency. You always know what you are going to get, and it is always good. Start with a cold glass of bubbles before ordering the wildly addictive scallops in anchovy and crispy sage butter. Bread or chips are essential here for mopping up the sauce. From there, you might move on to a daily seafood special or a classic such as fish and chips. There is no wizardry beyond excellent ingredients and accomplished cooking, though the atmosphere certainly helps. The room is almost always busy with the pleasant hum of a full dining room. It works equally well for intimate dates perched at the high tables looking out onto the street or larger groups tucked into the banquettes at the back.

18 Vinicombe Street, G12 8BE, crabshakk.co.uk

Brett

From the same stable as Cail Bruich, Brett displays a similarly high standard but in a less formal setting. It’s recently had a bit of an interiors refresh, which sees its dining room given a bistro edge, with crisp white tablecloths and flickering candlelight. The combination of being tight on space and its vibe of a high-end continental wine bar creates a really upbeat, adult atmosphere that is ideal for smaller groups and dates. It’s a menu focused around beautiful local ingredients enlivened by the odd Asian ingredient here or there. As is nearly always the case, the snacks steal the limelight with a fat tempura scallop served with warm tartare sauce and a vinegar powder-dusted crispy potato. The mushroom XO linguine with anchovies, Parmesan and crispy leeks is mandatory and a masterclass in creating rich, umami flavours by layering ingredients. Once you’ve completed that, your reward comes via mains such as stuffed chicken hind with Thai herbs and brown butter or venison with salted apricot and kuri squash. All that is a long way round of saying it’s hard not to like Brett, with its easygoing charm and complex plates all served in a convivial setting, accompanied by a top-class wine list.

321 Great Western Road, G4 9HR, brettrestaurant.co.uk

Eleven Fifty Five

After more than a decade at the helm of The Gannet, Peter McKenna and Kevin Dow have returned with Eleven Fifty Five, a reinvention of the space that trades in the original’s fine dining polish for something a little more relaxed. The new restaurant, the pair say, draws inspiration from Irish snugs and Parisian bistros, resulting in a dining room that feels lively, convivial and built for long evenings. The space now incorporates more dining within the former bar area and a rebuilt mezzanine, which includes a private room. The menu follows a similar philosophy. Expect generous bistro cooking built around excellent produce and robust flavours. Even oyster haters might be convinced by the team’s iteration here, doused in a Vietnamese dressing, and the beef tartare with bone marrow is one of those dishes you think about long after the meal has ended. Daily changing mains include a whole fish on the bone, beautiful steaks or grilled spring cabbage with white bean and mushroom cassoulet and a seaweed emulsion. The overall feeling is relaxed but assured thanks to tip-top service, wonderful drinks and a confident menu, which all contribute to Eleven Fifty Five being the sort of restaurant where you settle in easily and find yourself staying longer than planned.

1155 Argyle Street, G3 8TB, bistroelevenfiftyfive.com

Corner Shop

Corner Shop brings a slice of Basque cooking to Glasgow and does so with a distinctly cool, unfussy confidence. The small restaurant has built a devoted following thanks to its lively atmosphere, an achingly cool team and a menu built around snacking and sharing plates that arrive steadily throughout the evening. The cooking draws clear inspiration from northern Spain. Jamón croquetas are a must-order, crisp on the outside and creamy within, while simple combinations such as sticky chorizo on toast deliver the sort of punchy flavours that pair perfectly with a glass of something interesting. The drinks list is part of the appeal too. Wines, aperitifs and cocktails change frequently, often leaning towards unusual or lesser-known bottles that keep regulars coming back to see what is new. The room itself is intimate and full of energy, a clashing combination of red Formica tables and buffed stainless steel, and the sort of place where tables quickly fill with friends passing plates back and forth while the team behind the bar keeps the drinks flowing.

45 Old Dumbarton Road, G3 8RF, cornershopglasgow.co.uk

I’m on the phone to Jago Rackham. He’s taking the call hands-free, as he’s in the middle of prepping a sea bass – and its accompanying roe – that he’s just bought from his local fish van in east London. The groundwork sounds grand, but it’s all for a solo supper, because the friends he’d invited over have just bailed.

He doesn’t mind. In fact, the news prompted a masterclass in how to use his new book To Entertain: Instructions for a Dinner Party. Part cookbook, part memoir and part hosting manifesto, it has a page dedicated to cancellations. ‘When I got the text, I just sent them a photo of that passage from the book,’ he says, which tells readers to give notice, be upfront and not to feign illness. ‘I’m now officially on the record for not caring if someone drops out.’

Rackham is a writer (he has a restaurant column in The Observer) and self-taught cook (‘I don’t call myself a chef as I’ve never worked in a restaurant’). Aged 31, he’s also behind the cult Instagram account @ecstacy_cookbook, which showcases his ‘baroque, over-the-top, messy, medieval’ approach to catering. His style of cooking – which he describes as ‘sort of beastly and rough’ – is often presented with the help of his artist partner Lowena Hearn, and meets the current appetite for food paired with fashion, as spearheaded by one of his culinary heroes, Laila Gohar. Rackham and Hearn made a multi-tiered monochrome cake for Vogue editor Tish Weinstock’s Halloween-themed wedding; he created a six-hour food performance called Greed during Frieze art fair; and recently delivered edible vegetable sculptures for an event at London’s Serpentine gallery.

If these creations sound intimidating, know that his book is altogether more stripped back, featuring everyday recipes such as a lamb shoulder with honey and wine that’s made to be transformed into a ragu the next day. Inspired by the word-first 1950s cookbooks of Elizabeth David and Patience Gray, there are no photos of dishes. Instead, recipes are interspersed with gorgeously vivid vignettes detailing post-party spillages on a tablecloth or the buying of wine glasses at a flea market in France. The book is also punctuated by pencil and charcoal sketches by the painter Faye Wei Wei.

‘She came round to my flat, I made dinner and she sketched.’ Based on photos of Rackham’s food and friends, they capture movement and merriment. The book is deliberately smaller than your average cookbook too: ‘I want people to be able to read it in bed or in the bath.’

As well as notes on choosing music and handling unexpected guests, the message behind To Entertain is to encourage anyone to feel comfortable hosting at home, regardless of income or space. His biggest piece of advice? ‘Remember, people are coming to see you and your friends, not to eat. So don’t panic about the food. And never make something you haven’t cooked before.’ We’ll raise a glass to that.

To Entertain: Instructions for a Dinner Party by Jago Rackham is out now, £22 (Robinson).

If you've ever felt uninspired by a supermarket meal deal, you might be in luck – Claridge's Bakery is looking to elevate the grab-and-go lunch with the launch of 'The Mayfair Meal Deal'.

The daily offer, composed by Executive Baker and Creative Director Richard Hart and Head Baker Frederic Doncel-Latorre, will include a signature sandwich, drink and sweet treat, all for £15.

The bakery, which opened in January 2026, prides itself on reinventing British classics. Sweet treats span nostalgic Belgian Buns, cherry bakewells and the bakery's signature Jammy Dodger, while the daily sandwich menu includes favourites such as cheese and pickle and salmon and cream cheese.

With Grosvenor Square and Hyde Park just down the road, it's a perfect option for an afternoon picnic or a quick lunch in between meetings.

The Mayfair Meal Deal is available seven days a week at Claridge's Bakery, Brook's Mews, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR.

This week, Chef Monica Galetti will open a new London restaurant: 130 Primrose.

The new restaurant has a noble ethos: to recruit, train and employ people with experience of homelessnesswill occupy the site formerly known as Home Kitchen Diner, a previous incarnation of the social enterprise that operated for a year until August 2025.

Seating 50 covers on Regent’s Park Road, 130 Primrose will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 9 am in a relaxed, brasserie-style setting, with additional street-side seating. Its à la carte menu will draw on Mediterranean influences, and later will bring in nods to Monica’s native Samoa. At lunchtime, sandwiches and salads will also be available, while evenings will feature an additional charcuterie and cheese offering. A speakeasy-style cocktail bar is set to open on the lower ground floor later next month.

The restaurant takes its name from the Latin phrase prima rosa, a symbol of spring and new beginnings; 130 Primrose aims to foster renewal, confidence and lasting opportunity. The restaurant will offer employees paid work, accredited training and clear progression within hospitality under the guidance of Monica Galetti and Head Chef Eric Zhang. Eric will lead the kitchen full-time.

Candidates for 130 Primrose are being recruited through referrals from partner charities including The Big Issue, Crisis, Beam, Soup Kitchen London and Only A Pavement Away. Each employee is offered a six-month contract as part of the front of house or kitchen team at 130 Primrose, which includes the opportunity to complete qualifications such as Food Hygiene and Allergen Awareness certifications. Upon completing their time at the restaurant, each employee is supported in progressing to further opportunities within the hospitality industry.

Of the new endeavour, Galletti says: “Too often, people facing homelessness are excluded from work and written off by society – seen only for their circumstances, not their potential.

"At the same time, the hospitality industry, among many other challenges, faces a shortage of committed, qualified staff. We’ve started to close both gaps to prove that talent can flourish anywhere and change perceptions. But we must do more. We must build on what we’ve learned and scale up to provide more opportunities for more people who need them. These are people with an extraordinary life experience doing extraordinary things with the right support. Employment brings dignity, belonging, and a future."

From forward-thinking Asian small plates to modern British classics built for long, lazy lunches, the restaurant scene in South East London has been upping its game in recent years to the point where, now, a hop south of the river is a must for anyone seeking the city’s finest fare.

Peckham alone has become a hotbed of exciting new openings vying for attention along Rye Lane and beyond. Here, the creative spirit of the area has concentrated into a culinary destination that takes this vibrancy and refines it, spotlighting heavyweight new talents and creating dining spots that feel elevated yet unfussy, with a focus on memorable dishes at an accessible price point. Elsewhere, head to Herne Hill for inviting neighbourhood restaurants, or to Bermondsey for natural wines and seasonal produce.

Read on for a potted guide to our pick of the region’s best restaurants.

Hausu

Taking up residence in the space formerly occupied by Peckham stalwart Coal Rooms, Hausu opened its first brick-and-mortar spot in 2024 after a series of successful pop-ups and its permanent incarnation has been just as much of a triumph. Helmed by head chef Holly Middleton-Joseph, Hausu is a true fusion of global ideas - inspired by her Trinidadian and Chinese heritage, an “Italian approach” to cooking, and copious travels to Cambodia, Australia and more. If all that sounds like a bit of a mish-mash then Middleton-Joseph knows how to curate this cultural smorgasbord into a menu that’s slick, stylish, and some of the best food we’ve had in a long time. Their toasted rice ice cream with a five-spice caramel is an expertly balanced dance of sweet and savoury, while a small bowl of what they call Dad’s Broth arrives as the most umami-drenched, soul-warming soup you’re ever likely to sip. All situated in a cosy yet chic railway arch that also boasts a newly-launched listening bar and drinking den upstairs, Hausu is a true gem in the crown.

11a Station Way, Peckham, SE15 4RX

Llewelyn’s

Sitting on the increasingly buzzy, pedestrianised stretch alongside Herne Hill station, Llewelyn’s has all the hallmarks of a perfect neighbourhood eatery: a bright and airy dining room ideal for friendly catch-ups or work lunches, with plenty of outside tables for the summer and a next-door deli, Lulu’s, selling provisions to take home. Their concise menu favours seasonal, modern British fare, with an above-average line in fish (a John Dory with chicken butter sauce dish is fabulous) and generous portion sizes that’ll leave you undoing a top button. If you’re in the mood for a snackier selection, plump for fat slabs of potato bread and delicate pink pickles to start, and order the finely sliced pork collar with peppery, horseradish-spiked celeriac remoulade whilst working your way through their abundant wine list.

293–295 Railton Road, Herne Hill, SE24 0JP

Levan

Beloved since its opening in 2018, Levan wears its European sensibilities proudly – from their menu, “inspired by the ‘bistronomy’ movement and [their] favourite restaurants in Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona and Stockholm”, to the relaxed yet spirited atmosphere of their Peckham space. With copious bottles of wine lining the walls to get you in the mood for a good time, grab a table at the counter for a short set lunch (£20 for two courses; £25 for three) or bed down in their central dining area for a long, lazy meal. A hefty stack of comté-festooned brick-like ‘fries’ is their indulgent signature dish, while other big-hitters include a rich massaman crab brioche, and a radicchio and Ossau-Iraty vol-au-vent.

12-16 Blenheim Grove, Peckham, SE15 4QL

Dockley Road

Affiliated with Bermondsey’s produce destination Spa Terminus, Dockley Road Kitchen takes both a super seasonal and super local approach, sourcing the majority of its ingredients from neighbouring vendors and using them to create magic. A bright and inviting space that opened its doors last year, most of their compact menu is ever-shifting, but a few playful sharing plates have become their trademark: a porky ‘banh mi’ terrine and an internet-baiting cacio e pepe dauphinoise that’s decadent in all the best ways. Here, chef Emily Chia (formerly of St. John) has created a menu of good mood food with an atmosphere to match.

1 Dockley Rd, Bermondsey, SE16 3AF

Forza Wine

Forza Wine may slowly be creating an empire, with branches now open at the National Theatre and in Soho, but Peckham remains restaurateurs Bash Redford and Michael Lavery’s spiritual home. Perched on the rooftop of the area’s bustling Cornerhouse building, it’s an oasis away from the hubbub of the streets below: a place to sip aperitivo, linger over “Italian-ish” sharing plates, and gaze across the city (in summer, Forza is a particular delight). Their signature Custardo - an affogato-style dessert that swaps vanilla ice cream for creme anglaise - has taken on a life of its own, but their generous savoury plates are equally worth the trip: fresh, ingredient-first delights such as braised beans with ham, pea, mint and pecorino, or bavette steak with spinach, chilli and fennel.

The Rooftop, 133A Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4BQ

Lai Rai

Within less than six months of opening, Vietnamese canteen Lai Rai earned a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand - the culinary institution’s marker of excellent cooking at an affordable price tag - and the Rye Lane restaurant’s approach embodies this spirit. Serving banh mi and Vietnamese coffee by day before pivoting to small plates and cocktails at night, it’s a place to go when you want quality cooking and a relaxed, unfussy ambience. Cross the threshold of their red-and-white striped awning, and embrace a social, snack-focussed menu that combines classic south east Asian flavours with clever twists. Their chao com prawn lollies covered in toasted rice are a must, while dishes such as a papaya salad with braised pig ear and pineapple come good on their experimental promise.

181 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4TP

Marcella

The sister restaurant of Peckham’s Artusi, Marcella switches up the postcode but doesn’t skimp on the quality, offering up a short menu of Mediterranean dishes and an all-Italian wine list that will have you dreaming of balmy summer holidays far removed from Deptford High Street. If you want to fully indulge in tradition, order a small primi-sized handmade pasta course such as their pipe all'amatriciana – a classic Roman dish involving guanciale - and then move onto meat or fish secondi mains. Their wine selection is at least four times as extensive as their food, so if you’re just in the mood for a tipple, there’s plenty to keep you entertained on that side too.

165A Deptford High St, SE8 3NU

40 Maltby Street

An oldie but a goody, 40 Maltby Street – a gem in Bermondsey’s titular Maltby Street Market - has been luring happy diners to its railway arch enclave for a decade and a half now. Its pull still remains for good reason: attached to Gergovie Wines – importers of excellent, non-interventionist bottles that are available here to sip by the glass - their blackboard menu changes by the week, featuring a seasonal selection of dishes designed to “celebrate the produce of this island and also its proximity to the continent”. That means very British dishes such as a wild rabbit and bacon pie sitting next to salt cod brandade or pickled sardines with sorrel. It’s a place that demands you keep coming back.

40 Maltby St, Bermondsey, SE1 3PG

There’s a prawn toast revolution going on in London right now. No longer consigned to the stuff of grease-sodden paper takeaway bags or sharing starter platters down your local Chinese restaurant, now a host of the capital’s most exciting eateries are doing increasingly cheeky and experimental things to the humble combination of shrimp and carbs; dressing it up and deconstructing it into ever more seductive shapes that have made it an unlikely frontrunner for the city’s most playful plate.

At Jikoni in Marylebone, which describes itself as “a mixed heritage restaurant serving food inspired by Asia, The Middle East, East Africa and Britain”, their viral prawn toast scotch egg has become a word-of-mouth favourite – a soft-boiled quail’s egg encased in prawn meat and festooned with a mix of panko breadcrumb and crushed spicy prawn crackers. Hausu in Peckham serves theirs with an elevated mix of prawn and scallop while, down the road, 2025 new opening Lai Rai has already become known for its Chao Com: Vietnamese prawn lollipops that surround pork fat-infused mounds of prawn in crispy young rice.

It is to Bethnal Green, and the fittingly named Paradise Row, however, that we travel to reach an exemplary gem in the prawn toast crown. Founded by Chinese-Vietnamese chef Eric Wan (ex-of Dinner by Heston), Tempo only opened its doors last winter but is one of those special places that flies from Day One. I first visited a couple of weeks in and there were no early-doors hiccups, no feeling of a staff still trying to find their feet. A wine bar with a succinct menu of 10 plates (three snacks; four small; three large) and a few sides, they’ve done away with any of the fluff and narrowed their offering down to only the top tier - with a breezy, unflustered atmosphere to match.

It’s all killer, no filler; the equivalent of an album full of singles. And, amongst a menu that will leave you reminiscing on its mouthfuls of spicy braised aubergine, draped atop a bed of whipped tofu with a side of crisp, gnarly wontons for scooping, or XL prawns the size of your head, barbecued with a zingy citrus chilli glaze, it is their two-slab portion of shrimp toast that has swiftly claimed the Number One spot.

Tempo is not trying to rewrite the rulebook with their take on the classic. Though it looks more like a sando after a fight with a deep-fat fryer, its prawn mousse – spiked with chunks of prawn meat – spread in the middle of two fat slabs of golden bread rather than sat on top, the main elements are all there. Instead, it’s the perfect balance of texture and flavour that makes this a dish worth returning for. By encasing the shrimp on all sides, it retains its plumpness and moisture far more than usual. Each bite is all the right kinds of crisp on the outside and unctuous on the inside. Meanwhile, their MVP is a bright green chilli sauce, delicately piped onto the top of each piece, whose piquancy (a little citrus; a little – I would guess – coriander) offsets the richness below. On the side is a roll of finely sliced, translucent pickled daikon - another fresh note to level the balance.

There’s something incredibly confident about dishes this good coming from a place this relaxed and easy to spend time in. Tempo know what they do and they do it extremely well. The staff are friendly, their natural wine list starts at an accessible £9.50 per glass, while the menu is concise enough that, between three or four, you can forgo the conversations and order the whole thing. Do that, but make sure to ask for two of the shrimp toast – trust me, you won’t want to be sharing.

Tempo, 252 Paradise Row, E2 9LE

One of the most charming Easter-themed cinematic creations is the 1907 short Les Œufs de Pâques produced for Pathé by the visionary Spanish film pioneer Segundo de Chomón. An early example of stop-motion and playful manipulation of scale, it features his wife, the actress Julienne Mathieu, dressed as a pagan enchantress gathering giant eggs before a baroque gilt frame. As if by magic, each egg hatches to reveal a Lilliputian dancer, brought vividly to life through delicate hand-stencilled colouring. While only just over three and a half minutes long, this celluloid gem perfectly captures a nostalgic sense of magic, one that adults rarely allow themselves to indulge in anymore.

Some luxury chocolatiers manage to capture this same sense of mystery, innocence, and wonder with carefully crafted confections that, like Chomón’s enchanted eggs, conceal delightful surprises within. Presenting a perfect fusion of fashion, artistry, and irresistible indulgence is Maxime Frédéric, the pastry chef of Louis Vuitton, who has reinvented the Chocolate Egg Bag (250 Euros) based on a 2019 design by Nicolas Ghesquière.

First released last year, this is quite literally arm candy: a dark chocolate shell embossed with the maison’s signature Monogram pattern, filled with roasted nuts, candied fruit, and hazelnut praline. The white chocolate top handles and zipper, rendered in an Easter chick yellow, are new to this model. While it may not unzip, hands-on handling is entirely encouraged; inside lies a sleek bar of milk chocolate with a centre of praline and lemon caramel.

Alongside this showpiece, LV’s luxury chocolate assortment extends to a box of six adorable miniature Chocolate Egg Bags (65 Euros) in a variety of flavour combinations, as well as a trio of exquisitely crafted chocolate chicks (35 Euros). Each offers a distinct filling: one pairs crunchy buckwheat praline with buckwheat caramel; another combines oat praline with honey caramel; while the third features praline enriched with smooth vanilla caramel.

Claridge’s Executive Pastry Chef, Thibault Hauchard, has fully embraced the concept of unlocking surprises with his functional chocolate egg (£70). The dark outer shell, made from Claridge’s own in-house chocolate, features miniature doors inspired by the hotel’s iconic gold Art Deco entrance. Opening them reveals a second, golden-wrapped egg filled with a decadent combination of vanilla, buckwheat praline, and caramel. For a quick luxury grab-and-go treat, Claridge’s new bakery, led by baking supremo Richard Hart, also offers delectable hot-cross buns available for £3 from 3–6 April 2026.

Cédric Grolet, The Berkeley’s master pâtissier and taste trickster, has created an Easter oxymoron: not a bunny, but a chocolate squirrel (£65). Naturally, it’s stuffed with hazelnut praline croustillant with a hint of fleur de sel, available in milk or dark chocolate.

Nicolas Rouzaud at The Connaught has embraced a more bacchanalian aesthetic with his ornate Easter egg (£65), inspired by the orchards of his childhood in the south of France. Baroque in style and bursting with chocolate and candied fruit, it is positively sculptural and almost too good to eat.

The Birley Bakery offers a menagerie of Easter confections, including a traditional Easter Colomba cake and plenty of chocolate bunnies. The pièce de résistance is the Mother Hen and Family (£67) featuring a mother hen and her chicks set on a milk chocolate slab encrusted with roasted, salted corn kernels, and completed with sugared ladybugs, spring flowers, and grassy details.

Mayfair restaurant Il Gattopardo presents the glamorous Claudia Cardinale of Easter eggs (£48), a dazzling creation hand-painted in a striking blue leopard print. Radiating pure seduction and decadence, the egg boasts a shell of silky Valrhona dark milk chocolate, concealing hidden pearls of caramel chocolate within.

The empress of all Easter eggs is without a doubt Marchesi’s dark chocolate egg, adorned with swallows and pink flowers. Priced at £1,300, it is an objet d’art in its own right, with painted and sculpted details as intricate as a Fabergé egg, and a centrepiece that resembles a miniature Rococo-style tableau. While it is sold out, the pâtissier offers plenty of regal alternatives: the pink raspberry egg (134Euros) is particularly beautiful, perfectly timed with London’s current Schiaparelli exhibition at the V&A, since the designer famously adored shocking pink. Elsewhere, the four little Aztec eggs (83 euros) exude a refined, couture-inspired elegance, perfectly reflecting the sophistication of this historic pasticceria, now owned by Prada. The assortment includes white chocolate with cocoa nibs, milk chocolate with hazelnut nibs, white chocolate with pistachio, and white chocolate with raspberry.

Cookery writer Elizabeth David is widely credited with awakening Britain’s appetite for more adventurous, flavoursome dishes with her seminal work A Book of Mediterranean Food, published in 1950. At a time when wartime rationing was still in place, the book offered a vivid celebration of exotic, sun-drenched cuisine, with recipes that paid little heed to the strict couponing of the era.

More than a cookbook, it offered readers hope and escapism, drawing on David’s travels through Italy, France, the Greek islands and Egypt. The book was peppered with anecdotes from literary heroes such as Henry James and D. H. Lawrence and illustrated by John Minton. Perhaps most surprisingly, the book introduced British readers to olive oil, then seen as something of a medicinal oddity, more likely to be found in a chemist’s shop as a cure for earache than in the kitchen.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when olive oil crossed over into everyday British cooking, though the explosion of televised cookery shows in the 1990s, celebrating new cuisines and Mediterranean flavours, certainly played a big role. Since then, cooking oils have poured onto the market, evolving into a competitive cooking category. All have been scrutinised for their health benefits, with those high in saturated fats, such as coconut and palm oil, widely considered the least favourable because of their association with heart disease.

The clear standout has been olive oil. According to a recent survey by Statista, by 2024, the UK’s appetite for olive oil had grown to the point where imports were worth £442 million, up more than £100 million on the previous year, a jump of almost a third in just twelve months.

Most holistic of all is specifically extra virgin olive oil, consistently hailed as a superfood. Although all olive oils are high in unsaturated fats known to reduce 'bad' cholesterol, this distinction matters. The purer the olive ‘juice’, cold-pressed from a single source and bottled quickly, the richer it is in polyphenols. These micronutrients are the real magic of extra virgin olive oil, widely praised in medical research for their anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the price of olive oil has almost doubled since the end of 2021, reflecting a drop in production across Mediterranean countries as growers grapple with drought, extreme heat and outbreaks of plant disease. Yet, as so often happens, pressure has sparked opportunity and creativity. A growing number of producers, both established and emerging, are placing greater emphasis on organic practices, thoughtful sourcing, and a more stylish, design-led approach to olive oil.

Leading the pack is Manni, a luxury extra virgin olive oil producer whose olives are grown in the nutrient-rich volcanic soils on the slopes of Mount Amiata in southern Tuscany. What sets Manni apart is its concept of ‘live oil’. Developed in collaboration with the University of Florence and Italy’s National Research Council, the brand uses a patented process which helps preserve freshness, flavour and health benefits for up to two years, no small feat given that oxidation quickly dulls both taste and polyphenols. There’s a lesson here: always keep your extra virgin olive oil in a cool shaded place.

Certified organic and produced in a zero-waste mill operating on circular economy principles, Manni also has pedigree. Founded by Armando Manni in 2001, the brand became an early darling of the culinary world, gaining a celebrity following after its oils were included in the Oscars’ presenter gift bags in 2005 and 2006. Gwyneth Paltrow has raved about it on Goop and it has since remained a favourite among Michelin-starred chefs, from Thomas Keller and Hélène Darroze to Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Gagnaire. "Apart from Harrods in the UK, we do not sell to shops. We supply to chefs and sell through our website because being tight with logistics and transportation is how the olive oil is guaranteed as having the best extra virgin qualities," says Manni.

Manni oils come in sleek black bottles with collectible cap designs. With a look closer to luxury cosmetics, they bring a stylish, minimalist edge to your kitchen shelf.

By contrast, Glug extra virgin olive oils are fun and kitsch. The squeezy, sauce-style bottles feature playful labels showing two cartoon olives holding hands. While the packaging is deliberately simple, the product itself is high quality: made from single-source Picual olives in Spain, the oil is pressed from tree to juice and bottled in just under four hours.

UK-based Katia El-Fakhri who co-founded the brand with her partner Tom Cohnin, says they started the business in 2023 when they became frustrated by the poor quality of mid-priced supermarket oils, blended and tasteless: "I'm from a Lebanese family and over there olive oil is an everyday essential. We wanted a very high-quality product that you could just easily drizzle on everything that wouldn't cost the earth." Glug's 750ml extra-virgin olive oil is indeed well priced at £16 for 750ml.

"We started nerving out on olive oils, trying different kinds from all over the world. We settled on the Picual olives because they have a lovely strong peppery flavour. The extra virgin olive oils we sell have the harvest date printed on the labels. Harvesters literally go out to the grove, collect the olives, pass them over rotating wheels to naturally remove any sticks stalks and leaves and then crush them to make juice. The taste is fresh and rich which reflects this natural organic process."

Even more niche is Honest Toil, a family-run olive oil producer based in the small town of Kyparissia, in the south-west Peloponnese, Greece. Founded by husband-and-wife duo Tom Woodgate and Juli Laki, the brand is rooted in hands-on production: they own their own groves and harvest the fruit alongside a small team, using the old-fashioned method of manually shaking the olives from the trees with sticks.

“I love the sense of camaraderie with the other growers at the press,” explains Woodgate. “After a day of picking stood there ready with various cups and bottles, held straight under the tap, everyone desperate for their first taste of the new harvest, this almost offensively lurid, neon green oil pumping straight out from the tap. After a day of tickling trees, the pride is real!”

Now sold worldwide and through more than 200 stockists across the UK and Ireland, as well as online, the extra virgin olive oil is extracted the same day at a local press run by a mother-and-son duo. Packaging ranges from a simple 500ml bottle to generous 2, 3 and even 5-litre cans, while the exuberant bespoke artwork is created by emerging artists, including Nottingham-based muralist and author Zen Kay.

Honest Toil prides itself on small-batch yields with exceptionally low acidity, resulting in a wonderfully creamy oil that the founders describe as “grassy, with a peppery bite and a real punch of fresh-cut grass.” Its oils are used in Ottolenghi's restaurants, by Helen Graham of Bubala in London and Rosie Healy of Gloriosa in Glasgow.

Greek olive oil certainly has historical kudos. It was Homer, after all, who famously called it “liquid gold”, writing of Odysseus bathing in it to restore and rejuvenate himself. According to the European Court of Auditors, Greece is actually the third-largest producer of olive oil in the European Union, producing around 259,000 tonnes between 2019 and 2024. This places it just behind Italy, which produced 284,000 tonnes over the same period, and far behind Spain, whose output exceeded one million tonnes. However, Greece stands apart for the unusually high proportion of its olive oil produced as extra virgin.

Bringing cheer to luxury deli shelves is Yiayia and Friends, an extra virgin olive oil brand (also sold online) recognised for its colourful bottles, decorated with cartoon eyes, playful hearts and jolly faces, including a grey-haired cartoon figure, a reference to the Greek word ‘yiayia’, meaning ‘grandma’. Founded in 2017, Yiayia and Friends is the brainchild of Beetroot, a collective of creatives lauded for their striking design work. In 2023, four partners were elected to the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), which brings together the world’s leading graphic designers. With clients including The Design Museum and Monocle, it’s no wonder Yiayia and Friends has become a favourite among stylish cooks.

The oils are crafted from sustainably grown and manually harvested Koroneiki olives which are high in polyphenols and have a tangy peppery flavour. Carving a niche for itself in a busy market, the brand also produces high-quality infused oils. The standout, according to Marketing & Brand Manager Philipp Hieslmair is the lemon extra virgin olive oil. "Unlike conventional infused oils, the lemons are pressed together with the olives, rather than added afterwards. This method creates a naturally integrated flavour that's fresh, aromatic, and exceptionally vibrant," he explains. "Besides special editions [ like Santa-themed bottles at Christmas and pink/red Valentine's Day bottles] it is one of our bestsellers."

For something more leftfield, dressed in seductive packaging, there’s Wonder Valley, a family-owned company based in California founded in 2014 by husband-and-wife team Alison and Jay Carroll. Olive oil harvesting takes place in Lake County, Northern California, a region full of old-growth trees, where the fruit is carefully picked and cold-pressed. They also make cosmetics (also stocked on Goop), with all of the glass bottles decorated with labels showing a nude goddess holding up an olive branch. Flavours are described as having notes of green tea, cut grass, and apricot, finishing with a strong peppery bite. For those who really want to geek out, the polyphenol count is listed too, though without knowing how much degrades over time or what each dose actually does, it’s mostly a novelty.

One thing is certain: whatever your kitchen style, always go for extra virgin. Like a fine wine, the fruit source and production methods matter. So read the fine print; the more information, the better.

As the days start to get ever-so-slightly shorter and the inclination to return to sociable afternoons, in-person meetings, and the odd spot of well-deserved indulgence begins to rear its head once more, so enters the peak season for a good set lunch menu.

A set lunch is the perfect combination of efficiency and treat: a way to test out a long-craved restaurant at a snip of the à la carte price, and without the need to write off the rest of your afternoon (unless you want to stretch it out – in which case, be our guest…). As Quo Vadis’ suitably cheeky website bumph states: “The vicissitudes of modern life mean we are often strapped for time, or indeed cash. Yet must that condemn us to a life without the finer things?”

Here at The Blend, we say a resounding “No”, and thankfully, right now, many of London’s beloved restaurants are awash with excellent offerings – from heritage favourites to Michelin menus and more. Below, we round up a selection of the city’s best.

Brunswick House

Lunch doesn’t come in much grander surrounds than Brunswick House. A restaurant set in the heart of a nearly-300-year-old Georgian mansion just down the road from Vauxhall station, Brunswick’s decor might be antique, but its menu is always fresh thanks to celebrated chef Jackson Boxer. Their set lunch is exceptionally good value, and prioritises produce-driven, seasonal modern British and European plates. Currently, that includes dishes such as roasted leeks with sourdough and belly of pork with puy lentils and mustard. London’s most extravagant bargain? Almost certainly.

Cost: Two courses £15, three courses £19

Available: Weds-Fri, 12pm-2.30pm

Quo Vadis

Currently toasting its 100th year with a suitably celebratory roster of guest chefs and special events, there’s no better time to embrace the charms of Soho institution, Quo Vadis. An old-school, effortlessly chic place to step away from the bustle of central London and into a space where time stands temporarily still, beloved chef-proprietor Jeremy Lee has brought back the Soho Set as an accessible entry point. The menu will change with the seasons, but currently includes smoked mackerel pate with toast, and pork fillet with onions and sage. It’s also available as an early-dinner menu, too.

Cost: Two courses £30; three £35

Available: Mon-Sat 12pm-2.20pm, 5pm-6.15pm and 9pm-10pm

Noble Rot

With three branches in Mayfair, Soho and the City each serving different set menus, you could happily spend half your working week lunches at Noble Rot without ever getting bored. A wine bar as much as a restaurant, its dishes are at their best when paired with a grape but of course the tipples are optional: with head chefs ex of Perilla (Mayfair), The Sportsman (City) and The Ledbury (Soho), you don’t need to be tipsy to appreciate their constantly changing menu of French-influenced, modern European fare. Think: roast chicken with creamed spinach and mustard, and guinea fowl thigh.

Cost: Two courses £24, three £28

Available: Daily, 12pm - 2.30pm

Galvin La Chapelle

In celebration of their recent crowning as Best Restaurant at City AM’s Toast Awards, Michelin-starred Spitalfields gem Galvin La Chapelle are offering their Toast & Taste menu until the end of the month: a splash of decadent fine dining, with four courses plus a glass of sparkling rosé for under £50. As you’d expect from an award-winning establishment, the service is impeccable, while their set menu bridges the gap between classic and modern with highlights including a delicate brick pastry with truffled ricotta and honey ‘snack’ to start, and a rich slow-cooked fallow deer main. For a supplementary extra, try their Baba au Tiramisu: a two-person dessert for sharing that’s doused and set on fire at the table for extra pizazz.

Cost: Four courses plus a glass of bubbles £49, plus optional supplementary extras

Available: Until February 24th, 12pm - 9pm

Bubala

If you’re trying to unite a table full of varying dietary requirements, then look no further than plant-based paradise Bubala. Vegetarians and vegans will be in heaven, while their Middle Eastern menu is so flavour-packed that even dyed-in-the-wool carnivores will come out happy. At lunch, they serve a sharing mezze set that provides a potted tour through their à la carte menu. An impossibly smooth hummus and laffa bread vie for stomach space with smacked cucumbers, crispy confit potato latkes, an unctuous block of halloumi with hot honey and plenty more. Come hungry, leave needing to undo your top button.

Cost: £27pp until February 13th, then regular price (around £32pp)

Available: Weekdays, 12pm-3pm

The Devonshire

If the hordes of eager drinkers spilling out onto the street and supping Guinness on any given evening are anything to go by, the pull of The Devonshire isn’t losing its magnetism any time soon. You’ll still have to be quick off the mark to secure a booking, but when you do, their set menu is a delicious entry point to their classic British cuisine. This is comfort food par excellence: a prawn cocktail elevated with langoustines, or steak with hefty duck fat chips. And it’d be rude not to add a pint of the black stuff – after all, as the saying goes, it’s good for you.

Cost: Two courses £25, three £29

Available: Mon-Sat 12pm-10pm

Arlington

Opened in 2024 at the site of beloved St. James mainstay and celeb hangout Le Caprice, Jeremy King's Arlington operates with a similar laissez-faire decadence in mind. It’s a place for lunchtime drinking (preferably a martini) and turning off your email notifications, which is possibly why their set menu is available on weekends when you can really embrace the spirit of the place and leave any thoughts of work at the door. Don’t go expecting anything too avant-garde; Arlington serves classics such as a shallot tart with goat’s cheese or a fillet of pollock with romesco. But for a touch of glamour and an excellent vibe, Arlington knows exactly what it’s doing.

Cost: Two courses £21, three £24.75

Available: Sat-Sun, 11.30am-3pm

Albers

De Beauvoir neighbourhood restaurant Albers calls their set offering a Workers Lunch. If that all sounds a bit frugal and functional, then worry not: you’ll head back to your desk having enjoyed a quietly indulgent main and a glass of house wine to keep you going for the rest of the afternoon. Plates are pretty and modern; the space is bright and open. With a current trio of selections including the deceptively simple sausage, tomato and beans, or squash, ricotta and celery chutney, Albers is an affordable, elevated yet unfussy option for an end-of-week treat.

Cost: One course and a glass of wine £16

Available: Thurs-Fri 12pm-3pm

Claridge’s newly opened bakery in Brook’s Mews, which runs behind the main hotel entrance, features an open workspace with a state-of-the-art rotating oven that resembles a glass portal from a science-fiction movie. “I just stand in it and I’m gone, teleported away,” jokes executive baker and creative director, Richard Hart, the award-winning author and chef who has shaken up the artisanal bread scene with his distinctive sourdough.

A true man-on-the-move, he’s written an award-winning book on the subject and has channeled his entrepreneurial energy into ventures across the globe. In 2018, Hart opened Hart Bageri in Copenhagen, which he co-founded with René Redzepi of Noma fame, and also began discussions with Claridge’s. He can now add this bijou bakery to his portfolio, alongside Green Rhino in Mexico City, which he launched in June 2025.

It’s true that in spirit at least, Hart is travelling back in time with his menu of delectable baked goods for this new London venture, inspired by the British classics of his youth – cherry bakewells, iced finger buns, lardy bread, sausage rolls, and Scotch eggs — reinvented with imaginative flair and a delicate balance of flavours.

“I have such fond memories of childhood summers at my grandparents’ in Clacton. We’d wander down to the bakery, and the smell of warm bread would fill the air, it was absolutely magical,” says the baker who rose to prominence in the early 2000s while working at the famous Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.

For Claridge’s Bakery, Hart has even created his own version of a milk chocolate walnut whip and a trio of fondant fancies inspired by the familiar look of Mr Kipling’s square sponge bites. Their shape is where comparisons end: these are light and creamy, infused with yuzu, fresh raspberries, or Belgian chocolate.

In a city now teeming with luxury patisseries and bakeries, Claridge’s is far from the only five-star hotel inveigling customers with unique, Instagram-worthy creations crafted with traditional savoir-faire. Nicolas Rouzaud at The Connaught on Mount Street runs a pink-themed patisserie renowned for its sculptural cakes, including a signature hound-shaped chocolate mousse. At The Berkeley, French talent Cédric Grolet has fully embraced the chef’s counter concept, where pastry chefs can be observed creating all manner of artistic trompe-l’œil confections, turning dessert into theatre.

“Many of the big pâtissiers have come to London, and their work is amazing to watch, but baking bread, for me, is especially fascinating to see. When you look at dough rising in the oven, it’s a beautiful thing, but more than that, it strikes you as something important and good for the soul,” says Hart.

On the topic of his much-celebrated long-fermented bread, the baker has incorporated sourdough into every loaf, even the French stick – the name he’s using instead of ‘baguette’. “The wheat is sourced exclusively from a speciality mill in the Marche region of Italy that sits between land and sea, lending this ingredient “a very special taste and character,” he explains.

“I feel like a lot of modern bakeries today make very similar stuff, regardless of where they are in the world. I wanted to come to Claridge’s and make something that was ‘of place’. What’s happened to Bloomers? What’s happened to freshly made granary loaves? These breads are now sadly synonymous with the factory-made sort, but with the knowledge we have today, let’s make them beautifully, with the highest quality ingredients and over a long fermentation.”

Indeed, this elevated and decadent take on beloved bakery favourites aligns well with the hotel’s own brand of nostalgic glamour, defined by its iconic Art Deco interiors that quietly evoke a bygone era when glamorous film stars, high society figures, and European royals gathered for afternoon tea, late-night revelry, and perfectly mixed cocktails.

And while the gleaming stainless-steel kitchen equipment and futuristic oven firmly establish a sense of fresh innovation, it’s easy to imagine some of Claridge’s historic guests happily indulging in these reinvented delights too.

Katharine Hepburn, who was famously refused access to the hotel in 1951 for wearing trousers and who gained entry via the service entrance instead, would surely bag herself a French stick and zoom off on one of the many Lime bikes stationed outside in the mews. Or perhaps she’d opt for Hart’s bacon butty served in a warm, crusty roll. “They really are out of this world good,” says Hart. “I reckon there’ll be long morning queues for them.”

Claridge's Bakery, Brook's Mews, London, W1

Before there was ever Champagne, there was cider. The fermentation process that gives the wine its characteristic fizz is only possible if the bottle is strong enough to handle the pressure within. And much to the region’s chagrin, the first person to make the breakthrough wasn’t from the vineyards of France, but the orchards of England.

That said, the so-called verre Anglais, created by Sir Kenelm Digby in the early 17th century, allowed Champagne to flourish, and in the centuries since, the two drinks have taken rather different paths. Champagne has long been a byword for good taste and wealth, and last year, 27 million bottles were shipped out of the region to discerning drinkers across the world.

Cider, meanwhile, was gradually stripped of its artisanal soul, and slowly resigned to its position as the sharper, sweeter, fizzier alternative to beer on the bar top. For many, it was the original alcotop, and as far from the rolling hills of Champagne as it’s possible to be. But the mood is shifting. ‘One of the things that’s clear to me is how misunderstood cider is,’ says Luke Benson, cidery cellar master at The Newt in Somerset, a former country estate turned luxury spa hotel and working farm.

The Newt has been the toast of the UK’s luxury travel industry since it opened in 2019 – the Michelin guide calls it ‘one of England’s finest country-house hotels’ – but long before the house was opened to guests, plans were afoot for a vast orchard that would bring traditional cider making – or ‘cyder’, as they call it – back to the county on a marketable scale.

Six years later and there are 3,000 trees and 70 varieties of apple on the grounds, as well as a state-of-the-art fermenting barn. And after a bumper autumn harvest, the cidery at The Newt expects to turn around 80,000 litres of juice into its various 2023 vintages.

The Newt’s bestselling cider is Wyvern Wing, a flat 8% sipper that smells and tastes more like Sauvignon Blanc than scrumpy. A pale ferment in a tall-necked bottle, it doesn’t look like cider, either, and that’s the point, because Wyvern Wing is targeted firmly at cider’s burgeoning premium market.

Last year, despite overall volume continuing to shrink, UK cider sales topped £2 billion for the first time, and the sector has experienced a 5 per cent value growth since 2023. Fine English cider is on the menu at the best restaurants across the country, including Restaurant Story in London, The Fat Duck in Berkshire, and L’Enclume in Cumbria, and new cider makers are popping up all the time. And there isn’t a pint glass in sight.

‘Big bottles have definitely become more accepted,’ explains Felix Nash, founder of pioneering retailer and wholesaler Fine Cider Company, ‘and there have been more professional makers establishing themselves, and they are better able to do better-priced big bottles. Things that can sit in a Fine Cider section on a pub drinks menu at £20-30 a bottle, and be ideal for lunch or before dinner.

‘The drinks industry now knows about the potential of fine cider,’ continues Nash, ‘the public really knowing is the next stage. But more and more people are starting to understand how incredibly industrial mass-market cider can be: two-thirds water, one-third apple concentrate, from anywhere on Earth, and made into “cider” in as little as a week.’

So, if you’re open to swapping grapes for apples this Christmas, what should you be buying? ‘Firstly, look for cider made with 100 percent fresh, pressed apple juice, seasonally,’ says Nash. Then look for a vintage, and just begin tasting as freely and widely as possible.

The key proviso, though, is a change of mindset, suggests Benson. ‘If you go out to a restaurant or bar and see that a bottle is £25, instead of thinking, “Why is that cider so expensive?”, ask, “Why is cider normally so cheap?”’

Bigger isn’t always better. Just ask some of London’s best bartenders, who’ve spent much of 2025 mixing up micro cocktails. While the invention isn’t new – Tayer + Elementary created its One Sip Martini in 2019, closely followed by Rita’s Mini Martini in 2020 – the cool factor is undeniable, in terms of both temperature and aesthetics.

There are many reasons these short sippers work in a restaurant setting. Dining up at the bar at Shoreditch hotspot One Club Row, we were casually passed a couple of off-menu mini martinis while we decided what we wanted to drink. They had the benefit of convincing us to order those same drinks in a larger format. Their impact can also be felt at Nieves Barragán Mohacho’s new Spanish restaurant Legado, where the arrival of a three-sip tomato martini and a diminutive melon and tequila concoction turned the study of its 50 dish-strong menu of pintxos and gambas from daunting task to delight.

First impressions count, and the speed with which these drinks can be turned out help make a place immediately hospitable. How many times have you sat down at a busy restaurant, only to wait ages for someone to come and take a drinks order? This was the issue Stevie Parle, head chef and restaurateur behind 2025 hotspot Town, weighed when designing the bar menu. “Our martinis are premade, which not only means they’re perfect every time, but in 30 seconds you can pour an ice-cold cocktail that’s been made with extraordinary care into a frozen glass,” he explains. “I always think if guests get a martini in their hand fast, they’ll relax and feel like they’re going to be looked after.”

Three-sip cocktails can also draw a line under the working day and signal a start of an experience. This was the inspiration behind Missy Flynn’s Mini Martinis at Soho bistro Rita’s. “I wanted to introduce martinis in an accessible, low-commitment way to add theatre and a sense of occasion to sitting down to a meal,” says Missy. This is also the case at Nina in Marylebone, which offers a choice of three Tinis. “We wanted to take something as iconic as the martini and give it a new rhythm – make it shorter, sharper, more deliberate,” says owner Shree Narain. “The Tinis are our way of distilling the essence of a great cocktail into three perfect sips. Each one is named after a cigarette brand – Vogue, Sterling, Lucky Strike – as a nod to old nightlife and the idea of something small, addictive and precise.” In fact, Nina only serves micro cocktails. “Some guests start with one; others treat them as a sequence,” Shree explains. “The size allows for movement – a few different moods across an evening rather than one long drink.”

Smaller cocktails serve another important purpose: they guarantee your drink remains ice-cold. “Spirit-forward drinks such as martinis and negronis are meant to be cold and clean, and the smaller size keeps them that way,” says Shree. “The Sterling, our take on a classic martini, remains crystalline from first sip to last. A martini should never outstay its chill.”

Then there’s the ABV benefit of a smaller drink. “A lot of people love the idea of drinking martinis, based on the idea of them being chic and sophisticated – a very New York or LA thing. The truth is, not many of us can handle that much neat, cold liquor, so the idea of being a martini drinker is often more appealing than the martini itself,” says Missy. “I think a full-size martini on an empty stomach is a terrible idea – the body is shocked and it's hard to move onto other drinks from that point.” This is why the Rita’s team made theirs a ‘wet’ martini, with a decent amount of vermouth. “Our mini is very much geared around allowing our guests to have that moment of celebration and decadence at the start of the meal, but in a more manageable way.” Shree agrees: “The smaller size keeps the ritual but removes the heaviness – you can have one before a meal and still enjoy your food.”

So, they’re just the way to kick-start a meal, but could micro cocktails also work as a digestif? Shree thinks so. “Guests often treat the Vogue that way,” he says. “The almond and hazelnut notes work beautifully after food. And a small digestif makes sense as something to close the night quietly.” It’s also something Missy is exploring. “We have a mezcal negroni with fig-infused Campari that comes in a smaller glass, and that’s a great way to end a meal,” she says. “Plus, we're also working on some Pousse-Café layered liquor spirits for the festive period”. We’ll drink (in moderation) to that.

THE 3 MUST-TRY MICRO COCKTAILS

One Sip Martini, Tayēr + Elementary

The original micro martini – one that was so influential, it spawned its own merch line – Tayēr + Elementary’s One Sip Martini landed on the east London bar’s menu in 2019 and has been on it ever since. Served in a miniature stemless glass that’s perfectly sized to hug a single blue cheese-filled olive, this short sipper is made with Tayēr’s own vodka, fino sherry and vermouth.

Tayer-Elementary.com

Mini Martini, Rita’s

Don’t even think about ordering one of Rita’s signature mini martinis without opting for one or two jalapeno popper gildas alongside it. Comprising gin, vermouth and lemon oil, this is a glistening, almost savoury three-sip drink that’s designed as the perfect way to kick-start a meal.

RitasDining.com

The Dill Boy, Town

Stevie Parle’s Covent Garden restaurant Town is one of 2025’s hottest openings. Designed by Kev of cocktail hotspot Satan’s Whiskers, Town’s bar menu is every bit as good as the main event. His miniature Dill Boy cocktail, complete with shimmering dots of dill oil, is the star of the show.

Town.Restaurant

Through the 2010s, Stevie Parle opened a string of London restaurants – Rotorino, Palatino, Craft London, Sardine – that established him as one of the capital's most exciting young chefs. But the pandemic hit hard. By 2020, most of his portfolio had closed, leaving just Pastaio, his lively Soho pasta joint. That summer, in defiant response to the lockdowns, he launched an outdoor restaurant called Joy. It was loved but short-lived, forced to close after landlord disputes. For the next few years, Parle kept his head down, running Pastaio and waiting for the right moment to return.

In May, Parle rediscovered his joy. Town is a huge, glossy site on a statement corner of Covent Garden. Launched with Jonathan Downey – the restaurateur with the likes of Milk & Honey and Street Feast on his CV – the striking restaurant was an immediate success, with five-star reviews from all the major critics and reservations becoming gold dust.

The reviews are nice – “I've always done all right with reviews generally,” Parle tells us – but they aren’t a guarantee of wider success. “Town began with way more of a bang than I expected,” he admits.

So what’s the secret?

“I think I make restaurants that feel like London, restaurants people want to be at, that make sense to people,” says Parle. But Town is also a much more glamourous proposition than his previous openings, where foraging and sustainability were front and centre. This time, “I wanted great vibes. When people come in, I can see them walk through the front door with a look that says, ‘I can have some fun here.’ It’s almost more important than the regenerative agriculture projects and the deep partnerships with farmers. A fantastic vibe, a happy kitchen, a space that feels like it has some escapism – those were the primary goals.”

That vibe comes from the people, but it also comes from Town’s atmospheric design, which blends high-gloss colour with moody dark woods and retro-future furnishings. Parle and Downey created the space along with new design studio North End, who had previously worked with JKS Restaurants (Gymkhana, BiBi). “We had a clear vision for what we wanted – it was almost an ingredients-first approach to design,” says Parle. “We decided on high-gloss lacquer because it’s impactful but affordable. Then we went for some robust, expensive elements like the lava stone that clads the columns and makes the amazing green kitchen pass pop. We made some bold decisions and stuck to them.”

The menu is crowd-pleasing in new ways, and one of its surprise hits has been a starter of potato sourdough served with dipping gravy. “That dish is quite eccentric,” Parle says. “But the whole menu is my vision of what people want to eat now – what I want to eat now.” Beyond its earthy appeal, Parle links the dish’s success to the quality of the ingredients – the gravy is made using beef from his own herd of cows.

“Ingredients first, always” is the philosophy behind the drinks list too. It’s been put together by Kevin Armstrong of Satan’s Whiskers, the Bethnal Green bar that’s become a perennial on world’s best bar lists. “Kevin’s an absolute genius and has a very similar approach to me,” says Parle. “It's about the best ingredients, simplicity, nothing being over the top.” Armstrong’s Dill Boy, a micro martini crowned with a shimmering dot of dill oil, is undoubtedly a fine way to kick-start a meal. “I always say tiny martinis don't count – but they do work.”

Late in October, just five months after Town arrived, Parle opened the doors to Motorino in Fitzrovia. It wasn’t the plan to launch two restaurants so close together – “one ran late, one didn’t” – and there are some differences between them.

Downey and Armstrong are involved again, but so too is Luke Ahearne. As head chef of Marylebone’s Lita, Ahearne won a Michelin star within a year. “It was important to me that there was someone else's voice in the picture,” explains Parle. “I made Town as my ideal, what's perfect for me, and I didn't want to just do the same thing again.” Parle and Ahearne both came up cooking Italian (like many of London’s greatest chefs, Parle started out at The River Café), and have now come up with both a spaghetti-free carbonara and a gin-spiked sausage ragu for Motorino. “Sometimes restaurants with a strong design aesthetic don't want the food to be too good. They want the food to be good enough. I'm not interested in that.”

The Motorino aesthetic has a similar feel to Town “but a completely different palette,” reckons Parle. “I like curves, getting the lighting right, making sure the whole place glows. That's important, whatever design aesthetic you're working with.” The new place also has three private dining rooms that mirror 70s recording studios, and will surely come into their own during party season.

With the two openings behind him, I ask Parle about the biggest difference he’s seen in the five years since his previous restaurant launch. “Times are tough from a business perspective,” he says. “No one's making the money they used to make. The risk is higher and the reward is lower, but it's also a time of great creativity and immensely high standards.”

Around London, Parle still loves Mangal II on Stoke Newington Road (“the Malaysian flatbread and roti are fantastic”), he’s eagerly awaiting the next restaurant from ex-Pahli Hill chef Avinash Shashidhara (“probably one of the best British Indian chefs cooking today”) and he recently enjoyed 64 Goodge Street, just next to Motorino. “I think you can eat any food on the planet at world-class quality in London these days,” he says. “There's no restaurant scene like London right now.” He puts that down to “incredible British produce” and an ingredients-first approach that seems to work –whether you’re sourcing dill or lava stone.

Visit Town.Restaurant and Motorino.London

On a bright, cold Sunday in November, the eccentric grandeur of the Palazzo Castiglioni on Milan's Corso Venezia is briefly eclipsed by a curious event taking place on its lower floors: The Panettone World Cup.

For the uninitiated, a panettone is a tall, domed, cylindrical fruitcake and a cornerstone of the Italian Christmas tradition. It's made via a days-long process using a fermented yeast called lievito madre, which gives the panettone its pillowy texture, delicate scent and slight tang.

As is the way with the Italian table, panettone's history is studded with lore. But according to writer and academic Alberto Grandi, the cake was flat, unremarkable and unaffiliated with Christmas until the early 20th century and the intervention of the Motta food company, who gave it a rebrand and a makeover, popularising the shape we know today.

In turn, a resistance to mass production emerged, and a culture of craftsmanship took root. "After a bizarre backwards journey," Grandi told the FT in 2023, "panettone finally came to be what it had never previously been: an artisanal product."

This year's PWC is the fourth iteration since 2019, and an Italian has taken the top prize at each of the first three. But the 2024 edition welcomes competitors from Australia, Brazil, Peru, Japan and beyond, and the air is thick with the possibility of an international upset. Fortuitously, hopes of a UK victory rest on the shoulders of an Italian.

Francesco Coratella is the executive pastry chef at London's Birley Bakery, panettone's spiritual home in the UK. Alongside executive head of bakery and pastry Vincent Zanardi, he began making panettone for the bakery a few years ago, starting with just a few hundred at Christmas 2022, but expects to sell over 4,000 this festive season.

"Our panettone is more citrusy than the traditional recipe," he explains, days before the competition. He has been tweaking his recipe for months, adjusting to Cup rules. Birley Bakery's panettone has an almond-studded, craquelin crust, which is not traditional, and is therefore forbidden.

"With a competition like this," Coratella says, "it's the small details that make the difference." Three days later, the corridors and salons of the Palazzo are packed with the great and good of the panettone world: millers, bakers, fruit growers, palette-knife specialists, grand-looking maestros in crisp chef whites and towering toques.

The Blend arrives in time to see Coratella's introduction to the salon, and receive a slice of his panettone. It is wispy and bouncy and tastes of honey and marmalade and apricot jam. "Great scent!" whispers Zanardi approvingly.

"You're looking for the attributes that the ideal panettone should have," explains PWC judge and Harrods executive pastry chef Markus Bohr. "First, the outside: the dome [should be] evenly formed, then you cut it in half and see that the fruits are evenly distributed. Then you take a slice and see how the crumb bounces back, because it tells you something about how engaged the gluten was during the making. Then you smell it. Ideally, you have the perfect balance of slight acidity from the fruit, and a vanilla underpinning."

At 5pm, everyone gathers to hear the final verdict. First, the sub-prizes for the best panettone by a non-European chef (Yasuda Tazumi of Japan) and for the best chocolate panettone (Pasquale Iannelli of Calabria), before the lights finally dim and a hush falls over the room. The winner is… Ton Cortés… of Spain! Applause erupts and cries of "Viva Espańa!" fill the room as the runners-up console one another and smile in that way only a runner-up can.

Even the Italians are magnanimous, and none more so than Coratella, who warmly concedes that Cortés' panettone is, indeed, superior. But there are 4,000 people in London who might disagree…

GOOD TO KNOW

The earliest record of panettone's existence dates back to the 16th century, though its true origins are diffuse. Some believe it was created by a lovelorn nobleman who used the sweetly enriched loaf to woo a local baker's daughter, while others suggest it was named after Toni, a lowly but resourceful cook working at the court of a Milanese duke.

Valentine Warner

No one is more at fault with off-grid glamour than the chef, writer and broadcaster, and co-founder of the immersive gastronomic travel adventures, Kitchen In The Wild

'I adore holidaying in southern France. Its market squares have a very particular smell: a combination of plane trees, sun cream, pastis and cigarettes. I love the anticipation of food once seated at a pavement table, the paper table cloths, the inevitable wine rings and the deafening ‘chzzzzzz’ of cicadas.

I’m never happier than eating al fresco; enjoying those more ‘provincial’ tastes of good local cooking, food with real roots. Outdoor eating has so much to do with charcoal and woodsmoke too – an ingredient that can’t be imitated by a gas barbecue.

This is how I approach Kitchen In The Wild, a series of hosted retreats held in some of the world’s most remote and extraordinary destinations, which is a collaboration between various acclaimed chefs (such as Jackson Boxer and Angela Hartnett to name but a few) and myself and the visionary event organiser Clare Isaacs. Stand still and see what is around you, find out what grows both in the garden and in the wild. What is a given area famous for, what dishes are particularly local, what is the history? This understanding is then passed on to our guest chefs so they can arrive with confidence – beyond their natural talent to think on their feet.

Next summer, Kitchen In The Wild will be taking over Eilean Shona in Scotland, and there will be a lot of luncheating eating outside. Maybe a shellfish bake with a fire lit in the sand, the razor clams and mussels steamed under seaweed. Weather is a state of mind and with a buttered rum in an enamel cup a little drizzle is of no consequence. With lots to forage from the mossy pine woods it’s a fabulous wild larder. Venison, candied pine cones, lobster with a very special burnt cream or grilled geese – it’s a special place for Kitchen Play. That’s the joy of bringing the outdoors into the kitchen. The menu changes as the inspirations are cut from the ground or picked from the branches. Evening in the dining room will see a beautifully decorated and bountiful table, the room filled with the tinkling of glass, dancing cutlery and the happy volume of chatting guests. And as for music? Well, do you like Grace Jones or bagpipes?

Angela Hartnett

The Michelin-starred chef-parton of Murano, Cafe Murano and Hartnett Holder & Co has recently announced she will head up a new restaurant and terrace at the Royal Opera House in London

It all harks back to my Italian family holidays, in particular summer Sunday lunches there, which have shaped my taste and, indeed, the way I like to cook. Piles of prosciutto with melanzane, followed by pasta and some platters of roast meat. In terms of great al fresco moments to be had in the summertime, I think the restaurant Toklas, off the Strand, always has a great atmosphere on its outdoor terrace. Then there’s The Seahorse in Dartmouth, where you can just gaze at those views over the River Dart.

Jackson Boxer

The celebrated British chef and restaurateur is behind London’s Brunswick House and Dove, and a collaborator with the Experimental Group hotels

One of my favourite terraces is Tuba Club in Marseille, where the very talented Sylvain Roucayrol uses the freshest fish from the Mediterranean in clever, elegant presentations. Marseille was wonderful energy and a host of interesting young chefs, and a long lunch at Tuba after a bracing hike and swim in the Calanques is the ideal summer al fresco proposition.

We’re so lucky to have terrace seating at both Dove and Brunswick House, especially at Brunswick, where to years of careful planting and cultivation have now almost entirely hooded the tables in vines and wisteria. While the seasonal focus of our menu will always grounded in food in Britishness, the pleasure of eating outside under the gently rustling shadow of leaves feels distinctly southern European.

Gioconda Scott

The Anglo-Spanish chef, restaurateur and founder of the Tresrarire is culinary director at Al Moudira, Egypt

Growing up, summer meals at our family home, Trasierra: it was the setting of a table for anything, even an omelette or the opening of a tin. From a young age my mother involved us, and instilled in us the importance of cooking and the role of table setting outside.

As for a dream al fresco dinner now? I’m working with the hotel Al Moudira, just outside Luxor in Egypt, where we make delicious flat bread in the wood-fired oven, served with labneh and fresh herbs from the garden followed by grilled smoked quails with za’atar and rosemary and seasonal vegetables from the garden. For pudding, it would have to be Kitty Travers’ delicious Luxor banana ice cream with peanut brittle.

Otherwise, a night-time picnic on the beach of east Kent or in the Spanish coastal region of Asturias remain favourite. Make a fire, grill some excellent sausages and crack open a cider, lie back and look at the stars and listen to the lapping waves.

A canapé is the original fast food. Presented on a travelling tray, picked with one's own champagne-flute-holding hand, enjoyed without the need for clunky cutlery – just one bite's worth, mastication perfectly and politely synced to the exact moment that your conversation partner happens to be speaking.

A mouthful of a blue cheese gougère? The Gochujang devilled eggs? Old-school pigs in blankets? A delicious, one-hit micro burger, maybe? All dispatched while the eye wanders to the roaming delivery of the next ingestible instalment.

Pretty, tasty, witty mini finger-food delights have been amusing our bouches and catering our cocktail parties since the 1800s – "canapé" from the French word for "sofa", le mot français itself being derived from the Greek kōnōpeion, meaning "an Egyptian couch with mosquito curtains".

Food historians believe that the French landed on the gastronomic term because the toppings of spicy fish or seasoned meat perched atop the base like a person sitting on a sofa, although some have suggested that the name simply referred to one- or two-bite, finger-held hors d'oeuvre variants – pearls of caviar and scallion slivers, say – served to guests who were actually seated on sofas (rather than at tables).

But the format, according to tradition, is fixed. Bien sûr, lettuce leaves, choux-pastry hammocks and tiny Yorkshire puddings may be the couches au courant and thus a regular sight on 21st-century party platters, but the classic 1903 cookbook "Le Guide Culinaire" by Auguste Escoffier firmly states that a bona fide canapé must have a bread base, with "perhaps a spread or oil, one main ingredient, and a simple garnish".

Escoffier, who ran kitchens at The Savoy in London and The Ritz in Paris, set the standard for the modern canapé, citing speed, rigour and culinary imagination as its core attributes. "This method is correct, quick and gives the opportunity for individual artistry in presentation." We don't mind if we do…

The traditional brasserie is something of a public good – a semi-formal, boisterous dining room serving a consistent menu of Mitteleuropean classics, from the first café au lait of the morning to the last petits fours of the night. Pop by for a glass of Sancerre and a plate of cheese, or settle in for a meaty four-hour lunch – for the patron, it makes no difference.

Paris' Brasserie Lipp is the perfect example. Founded in 1880 by Léonard Lipp, a restaurateur fleeing the German occupation of Alsace-Lorraine, it has served the denizens of Saint-Germain-des-Prés (and a good many who are not) for almost 150 years, and is still one of the best lunches in the city.

Expect fleet-footed waiters in stiff collars, paper tablecloths, pichets of decent house wine, and poulet rôti. (The word "brasserie" actually means brewery, and the first 'brasseries' were established as dining rooms attached to breweries in France's Alsace region, where 60 per cent of the country's beer is still made.)

In London, the traditional format is perhaps best represented by Brasserie Zédel – a brilliantly loving tribute to Paris' great brasseries of old – which opened on the site of the former Regent Palace Hotel off Leicester Square in 2012. To this day, diners flock in their droves to enjoy the vast Belle Époque dining room (which formerly served as the Atlantic Bar & Grill), its mastery of steak haché and a remarkably cheap prix fixe menu.

Head down Piccadilly and you'll find Brasserie Zédel's sibling, The Wolseley, an all-day grand café in the Viennese style opened in 2003, which for a long time remained the coolest dining spot in town – it was impossible to visit and not see a bold-face name demolishing a chopped salad or coming up short against a Frisbee-sized schnitzel.

Or venture up the Strand to The Delaunay, opened in 2011 (same group, different métier), which is much the same, though slightly moodier. All three were founded by Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the pioneering restaurateur duo who dual-handedly defined London's restaurant scene for a decades-long stint split by the millennium.

In 2022, Corbin and King were ousted from their eponymous empire after losing a bidding war to buy the business out of administration, but 2024 marks the latter's triumphant return to the London scene. He has already opened Arlington in St James', which is essentially Le Caprice – the duo's first ever restaurant and a legendary hangout of royals and rock stars alike – under a different name.

Next came The Park in Bayswater, a contemporary grand café with a European/Californian influence, and soon King will turn his Midas touch to Simpson's in the Strand, a wood-panelled dining room founded in 1828 and famed for joints of meat carved tableside. King told The Times that it will reopen as a "big-theatre brasserie" that makes diners feel like they've gone back in time. Sounds like he's right on the money.

Over the past few years, though, London's brasseries have had to jostle for relevance in a wave of "modern European" menus, small plates, unreserved seating and sharing concepts, as well as a resurgent love for the neighbourhood wine bar, such as Newington Green's Cadet and Camberwell's Little Cellars.

However, as the rising cost of living pinches ever harder, a desire for value, ease and comfort has materialised, allowing the brasserie's star to rise once again. And better yet, it is evolving, with a slew of new openings that underscore the appeal of the bistro's ability to deliver on the kinder, simpler side of dining.

Café François, a new all-day spot in London's Borough Market, is a lower-key offshoot of Maison François in St James', with a dedicated deli counter and bakery, and a menu serving whole chickens, prime ribs, salads, even Vietnamese bánh mì.

Searching for inspiration for Café François, restaurateur François O'Neill didn't pop over to Paris or nip down for a long weekend in Lyon, but instead headed west. "We travelled to Montreal, Los Angeles and San Francisco to experience a lot of different ideas," he tells The Blend, "downloading" various tidbits that could be collated on a menu that takes its cues from France's culinary diaspora, rather than the mores of its grand historical kitchens.

Whereas O'Neill describes Maison François as "brasserie luxe" – "slightly elevated, you go in for an experience" – he says that Café François is "democratic, accessible, where people come for easy food. I think there's been a lack of that." In Fitzrovia, new restaurant Elsa operates with the same energy, albeit on a smaller scale. "For me, [a brasserie represents] warmth and casualness, but not at the expense of quality," says Elsa's co-founder Solynka Dumas, a food writer.

The concise weekday menu is flecked with European classics that pay homage to the Franco-German roots of Dumas and her partner, Julian Oschmann – deep-fried Munster, anyone? – but at the weekend it offers a simple whole roast chicken with mayonnaise, salad, pink fir potatoes, and baby leeks with tarragon and Riesling. Has a menu ever offered such succour?

In Covent Garden, Jackson Boxer, one of London's most prominent chefs and the co-founder of a number of the city's best-loved dining rooms, has recently opened Henri, a Parisian-style bistro within The Henrietta hotel. Boxer, who laments the creep of chain restaurants in the area, says the menu is "playfully rooted in tradition and the wonderfully classical French culinary canon", noting how Parisian hospitality never fails to delight. "I can't wait to play a part in bringing a taste of this to central London," he adds.

The menu at Henri skews Gallic, but tends to focus on British makers and suppliers. Baguettes, for example, are by Dalston's The Dusty Knuckle bakery, and the bavette steak comes not from French cattle, but from Swaledale Butchers' heritage breeds in Yorkshire.

The all-day-dining love-in continues at Holland Park's resurgent brasserie, Julie's. Much like Le Caprice, throughout the latter stages of the 20th century it was very much the place to be for monied bohemians – Mick Jagger was a regular and one table was famously scarred by Tina Turner's dancing heels – but it was forced to close last year after 53 years of raucous business.

However, it seems you can't keep a good brasserie down, especially one as saucy as Julie's. Under the stewardship of new owner Tara MacBain – a Holland Park local and debutante restaurateur – and chef-patron Owen Kenworthy, the décor is cosy, the cocktails are toothsome and the menu features riffs on French classics including lobster soufflé, tête de veau carpaccio and eggs mollet.

London is enjoying a wider casual-French resurgence, too, visible in the success of Shoreditch's Bistro Freddie, Clerkenwell's Bouchon Racine, Chelsea's Joséphine Bouchon and Borough Market's Camille. And a number of London's most formal Michelin-starred restaurants have been forced to close – Michel Roux Jr's Le Gavroche was perhaps the most notable case, but Galvin at Windows and Marcus at The Berkeley (by Marcus Wareing) both fed their last customers in the past few months, with Jason Atherton's Pollen Street Social set to follow suit this month.

O'Neill feels he knows why. "I hate to see them go," he says, "but it's a hard city, hard business." And expensive, chef-led menus are losing appeal: "I think people gravitate to things they know, feel confident about."

Christmas creates conundrums. Tree? Norway spruce or Nordmann fir? Turkey or goose? Presents before lunch... or after? And breakfast champagne? To be served in a high and slender flute or a shallow and chic coupe?

The oenophile's choice? Une flûte à champagne – tall and tapered, either with a conical base or straight-sided with an inward taper – which was first manufactured in the mid 1600s by English glassmaker George Ravenscroft (the Brits, of course, being by then the world's biggest consumers of champers), its slender form minimising the oxygen-to-wine ratio by reducing the surface area where carbonisation can disperse, enhancing both aroma and taste.

The coupe's origin story is much naughtier, sexier and sillier – the shallow, mammary jatte-téton (breast bowl) shape said to be modelled on, variously, the petite breasts of historically significant women including the mythical Helen of Troy, Marie-Antoinette (born 1755) or even keen Moët imbiber Madame de Pompadour (born 1721).

Alas, this is probably fanciful glassware tattle; la coupe more likely derived from the mastos cup, a breast-shaped drinking cup used by the Greeks. The first visual record of champagne consumption, Jean-François de Troy's 1735 painting Le Déjeuner d'huîtres, depicts a riotous scene of a post-hunt bacchanal, the men drinking champagne from small, bowl-shaped glasses.

A hundred years later, another regal influencer would popularise the coupe amongst Britain's champagne socialisers. Queen Victoria was said to dislike French bubbly because it made her burp – she even set a trend for the carrying of pocket whisks with which to dissipate the CO2. Victoria insisted on coupes over flutes because their larger surface area meant less fizz.

No wonder the coupe has long been acknowledged as the more glamorous goblet. Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren drank from its libidinous architecture; Karl Lagerfeld, inspired by Marie-Antoinette's original bol-sein, referenced Claudia Schiffer's famous form for a Dom Pérignon champagne bowl in 2008; and in 2014, artist Jane McAdam Freud and London restaurant 34 Mayfair created the 34 Kate Moss Coupe, modelled on the British model's left breast. Another reason for the coup(e) d'état currently underway in the best boîtes? You can't make a champagne fountain with tall, thin glasses...

What is the first thing you see in the morning?
The football scores online.

Describe the view from where you are right now.
Grilled chicken salad for the staff meal at work.

Is there a view you can't quite forget?
My family at Christmas in Dublin.

Is there a particular artwork you always return to for inspiration?
"Pony Kids" by Perry Ogden.

Is there a particular artwork you're obsessed with at the moment?
"A Is for Ant" by Jack Davison.

What sound do you wake up to?
Lime bikes outside.

What sound would you like to wake up to?
BBC News.

What gets you dancing?
Project Pablo.

Which song always makes you cry?
"Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.

And which one always makes you smile?
"Let's Dance" by David Bowie.

Which singer or song do you never tire of hearing, and why?
U2/Bono, as he's the best.

Which smell takes you back to childhood?
Brown bread.

What smell makes you feel at home?
Jo Malone candles.

What is your earliest scent memory?
Mum's mushroom pasta.

What was the first meal that made you fall in love with food?
My mum's pork pasta.

Describe a dish that's always stayed with you.
Sunday roast chicken.

What is the taste of autumn/winter/summer?
Autumn is pumpkin, winter is mince pies and summer is tomatoes.

What is your go-to dinner-party dish?
Chicken pie.

What is your favourite restaurant in London?
The Quality Chop House.

In the world?
La Petite Maison in Nice, France.

Silk or cashmere?
Cashmere.

Marble or wood?
Wood.

Do you have a favourite piece of furniture at home?
My sister's old pink sofa.

Is there an object that you cherish the most?
My first half-marathon race medal