These days London is acknowledged to be a hot contender for food capital of the world, thanks to its diversity and the creativity of its concepts. And although we blasé Londoners may think that the bubbling cauldron has reached saturation point, foreign investors re still looking to join the party. The rate of enquiries in …
Paris
La Ferme London
In case you thought there were more than enough restaurants at the Farringdon road end of Exmouth Market, let me introduce you to another one. Quietly over the last 2 months a Chinese takeaway has metamorphosed into la Ferme, a small stylish but not-at-all-trendy restaurant and shop. It couldn’t be more French if it tried. …
Restaurant Sound
An architect designs an empty restaurant, that’s for sure. There are no people getting in the way, no piles of messy food and no wine glasses to knock over. There is also no sound. Lunchtime, it is acknowledged, is for talking, perhaps business or gossip. But functionality prevails. In the evening it’s all about the …
La Table des Anges
Perhaps the proprietor of this restaurant was thinking of the book An Angel at My Table by the New Zealand writer Janet Frame, when he decided to build an identity to launch his new venture. But I didn’t ask him. I have the FT critic Nick Lander to thank for having found this restaurant. By …
Pret a Manger and Exki, Paris
I spent the first decade of my sandwich cafe life when in the North West of England referencing Pret a Manger. The first branch of Mangetout in Liverpool opened in 1992 when Pret at two branches in central London still had to be qualified by its full title. Pret now has branches seemingly on every …
Balthazar Bakery
The most eagerly awaited opening in the restaurant world this Spring was the second branch in London of Balthazar, Keith McNally’s highly successful New York restaurant. Arguably the doyen of the New York restaurant scene, McNally has opened 12 individual restaurants over the last 25 years, all in out-of-the-way places. Although, such is the self-generated …
Le Snacking in Paris
City restaurant tours have become much easier with the fashion of small plate eating. This is particularly the case in London where starter sized portions are now possible in many critically acclaimed restaurants and cafés at any time of the day. In Paris restaurants the lunch menu is still usually offered at a prix fixe, …
Septime – Paris
I don’t much like booking weeks ahead for a restaurant. Necessary perhaps when there’s a special occasion or a group of people to get together, but otherwise, to have to plan at least 4 weeks ahead to eat some food seems excessive. And somehow the build up is bound to end in disappointment. One advantage …
Speciality Fine Food Fair 2012
The Speciality Fine Food Fair at Olympia heralds the beginning of the Autumn food trade fair season, on the first weekend of September every year. It is too early for this year’s olive oil harvest, but is timed completely right for showing beautifully packaged jams, chutneys, teas and chocolates, ready for Christmas trade. This is …
