New London food and drink hub: Iyoki opens this December

Posted: 16/11/2022

Ikoyi will welcome guests to its new home within London’s new space for the creative industries, 180 The Strand on London’s Northbank. And the time to get excited is now. With a dedicated entrance on the corner of Surrey Street, the larger restaurant and kitchen space will afford its co-founders, Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale, the freedom to focus on the future evolution of their pioneering restaurant. You could describe the new Iyoki as “a restaurant beyond definition” and the core identity of Ikoyi will persist: a true form of global modernism that is placeless, free, unfixed and personal whilst symbolising the energy of its international city home. With an open kitchen, a larger dining space, an outdoor terrace, and a private dining room, the pair commissioned the acclaimed Danish architect and designer David Thulstrup, to help them create a cohesive union of all four spaces. This will be Thulstrup’s first hospitality commission in Britain. His aesthetic and practice of a contemporary approach to the Scandinavian values of simplicity and humility with a dash of boldness will be fully embraced at Ikoyi. See more at the Iyoki Instagram

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

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Arnold Ivey crafts a new menu at London’s Avenue in St James

by James Banham

Posted: 16/09/2019

Oysters from all over the UK, fresh fish caught that morning and incredible wholesome, borderline umami flavours, the new menu by the UK chef is one to try. Arnold Ivey’s stints at the likes of London institutions like Bluebird Chelsea, Orrery in Marylebone, Paternoster Chop House (the first dates restaurant) and Kensington Place before it shut down, all contribute to the stunning new menu. Sure, they do the Avenue classics that draw the regulars, like the Avenue Cheeseburger and Classic Chicken Caesar Salad, but it’s the new seafood additions that are really worth the visit. Think whole seabass off the bone, mussels, fish and chips, yellowfin tuna tartare with cucumber, apple and seeded crackers, Severn & Wye smoked salmon, served alongside soda bread, capers shallots and dill cream, and the famous lobster roll with Mary Rose sauce and fries available on the weekend brunch menu. And top it all off with new dessert options like a house-made strawberry Avenue take on the eton mess and a sensationally tart lemon meringue. Both musts! Head to the Avenue at 7-9, St James’s St, St. James’s, London SW1A 1EE or their website to book your experience.

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Nobu London is doing something different for art

by James Banham

Posted: 18/07/2019

Nobu London does two works of art: one’s the menu, the other is the new exhibition they’re putting on, giving artists the chance to have their works presented at the Old Park Lane restaurant. London-based artist Milly Peck has kicked it all off with her work in the restaurant until mid-September. She’s created a number of pieces exclusively for Nobu London that use routing as a means of drawing. Her work explores the area between a flat image and a three-dimensional object, working with graphically rendered scenes to reimagine the everyday into prop-like cut-outs. It’s pretty great stuff and has been exhibited across the UK. There’ll be more in store, too, so check in with Nobu London.

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Plateau London launches their St Tropez Terrace for the summer with a French Riviera brunch and picnic

by James Banham

Posted: 08/07/2019

Canary Wharf’s about to get a little more lively thanks to Wimbledon and Plateau, which is putting on a spread with Limited Edition M de Minuty Rosé to create a St Tropez garden terrace for the summer. A little bit of France in the financial district, it’s all about Plateau’s summertime rose brunch, a pink picnic package – pinknic, they’re calling it – and a delicious tennis-y rose dessert. Think of a Mediterranean floral-filled slice’a bliss, decorated in lights, and festooned with plants. It’s a plant filled Instagram-poppin’ feast for the eyes that you won’t want to leave. Oh, and you know that picnic package they’re doing? Well, it’s new for 2019, and in addition to summery tidbits, stars a bottle of limited edition Minuty Rosé to share. The Pink-nic, served all-day, features a mix of savoury and sweet quintessential British bites; Braised beef cheek slider in a brioche bun with horseradish cream; Lobster roll with fine herb mayonnaise and fennel pollen; Yellow fin tuna tartare with lime and sesame and quick snacks such as Padron peppers; Sourdough bruschetta with minted ricotta, peas with broad beans and cocktail sausages with honey & mustard. But if sitting a bit more rustic isn’t your jam, then Plateau is still going the classic option, offering either two (£20) or three (£25) courses, with the menu featuring brunch classics such as: Avocado on multi seed toast, with fried or poached egg; Eggs Benedict; and fried egg with chorizo, sweetcorn, spring onions, mushrooms and chilli. Larger plates from the Josper grill come in… Read More

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Rainbow brunch for London Pride: VIVI Restaurant and Bar goes gay

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

As rainbows descend on the city of London for Pride this month, you can’t hide away from the fact that as sure as gay is here to stay, you need to eat. So, with that in mind, VIVI Restaurant and Bar in London – see more of it here – is putting on a spread worthy of a kween. Kicking off at 11.30am, VIVI will open up the menu for anyone to enjoy three courses of delicious colourful brunch dishes and bottomless bubbles, Bloody Marys or Aperol Spritzes alongside live music from London’s hottest DJs playing the best of Cher, Gaga and much more! Tickets are £35 for the three-course brunch, and you can go bottomless for just £17.50 extra. VIVI will donate £1 from each ticket to LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity akt. Get your ticket at this website.

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LONDON: Mac & Wild in Fitzrovia have taken a healthy step

by James Banham

Updated: 13/06/2019

Sure, they might flog bottles of premixed cocktails – that smell and taste amazing – they may do some hearty-as-hell dishes that you never want to stop eating and pump out cocktails that you could have one a day of, forever; but Mac & Wild in Fitzrovia are doing something new. They’ve recently added to their menu, a take on a Highland Poke bowl, that takes all the elements of the healthy, almost, food group within itself, and added their own slant. Mac & Wild are known for their Scottich fare, heartiness and all-round tastiness, so it makes sense they offer something for the more scarcily-fed-inclined amongst us, who’re after something a little more green. They’ve got ‘wee plates’ of bread, haggis and fish bites, larger plates of burgers and carb-heavy dishes for those winter days, but the new ‘wild bowls’ are all about a healthy balancing-out of the two. Think, a salmon buckthorn bowl for £14, of sea buckthorn diced salmon, supergrains, green bean salad, miso, lime & sesame, kimchee, Asian dressing & puffed barley, for example. Or, something like the vegan pulse pop bowl for £12.5, which is as the name suggests, vegan; of golden vegan haggis pops, supergrains, raw kale, chilli, almond & broccoli salad, pickled seaweed, scotch bonnet hot sauce & seeds. All bases are covered right in the middle of Fitzrovia London, right in time for summer. See the full menu and make a booking at the Mac & Wild website.

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Bottomless brunch in London: COYA Angel Court goes boozy

by James Banham

Posted: 25/05/2019

As the sun comes out in London, so do (more of) its drinkers and what better way to do it than a bottomless brunch? COYA in Angel Court – one of five global locations – has ramped it up a bit for its base of loyal and new friends, putting on a bottomless brunch spread fit for Liz herself, every Saturday. It’s for people who’re after something a bit more special than your usual endless servings of house white and beer, turning out a three hour affair of bottomless pisco sours and other cocktails, champagne, vibrant Peruvian dishes, music and special performances. It kicks off each Saturday in the Pisco Bar & Lounge with unlimited pisco sours, espresso martinis, margaritas and bloody marys for drinks, while tacos, bao buns and anticuchos take over the food menu. But that’s not where it ends. Ceviche, beef tataki, kingfish tiradito with truffle oil and more will also be available to the tune of smooth DJ beats in an environment that’s oh, too trendy. Good to know: The first weekend of each month will be a special edition brunch, with surprise performances and a special offering. Each month will have a different theme to elevate the experience and surprise guests. Get the spirit package for £65 a go, or the champagne package for another £10. See more at the COYA Angel Court website or find them at 31-33 Throgmorton St, London EC2N 2AT.

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Summer Safari in London: Mr Fogg’s Society Exploration

by James Banham

Posted: 23/05/2019

Africa is coming to Covent Garden in London as its own take on a boozy safari at Mr Fogg’s. It’s all about exotic Whitley Neill handcrafted gin and vodka cocktails, cricket powder brownies and spruiking a largely unforgettable summer. The venue will put on an immersive experience where adventurers and the curious will be invited to explore what lies below the streets of London. It’s a full themed experience for guests, turning staff members into full safari guides and khakis with pith helmets, the decor into African desert plains, and the menus into a card of exotic finds and libations found abundantly on the great continent. Completely – and charmingly – to theme, the team at Mr Fogg’s will be on hand to offer each and every explorer their liquid vaccinations, offering a welcome treat for guests taste buds, before serving up edible Victorian sun ointment, a coconut flavoured tropical, boozy mousse. Finishing it off with a Whitley Neill original handcrafted dry gin & tonic, featuring a quinine-rich tonic, of course, known to be a traditional mosquito deterrent. Then of course, there’s the food food menu; a sensory journey for both the eyes and stomach, featuring insects and game meat. Guests to this underground Safari can sample dishes like biltong, and curried tempura grasshoppers & courgette with a sweet chilli sauce, as well as cricket and chili rice cakes and cricket powder brownies. Set to run until the start of September, the summer safari will offer a window into the wild world of Africa. For like-minded individuals who are keen to be… Read More

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London’s National Gallery celebrates Sorolla Spanish Master of Light exhibition with new menus

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

The National Dining Rooms and The National Café right in the middle of London are celebrating the Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light exhibition at The National Gallery with a special menu hailing all the way from Spain thanks to restauranteur, Oliver Peyton. It’s all going down from 18 March to 7 July, and has been inspired by the stunning work of Spanish painter, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastidas. Think tapas style starters of smoked ham, manchego croquettes with pimento aioli, for instance. Then you’d move onto the likes of hake fish in romesco sauce and almond olive dressing, vegetable paella with sprouting broccoli, asparagus, padron peppers and saffron. Dessert looks something like a bit of crema catalana or tarta de Santiago served with clotted cream and it all kicks off for £19 (about $40) for two courses or £24 ($50) for three. Complete with artwork by the artist themselves, comprised of vivid seascapes, garden views, and bathing scenes for which he is most renowned, the Sorolla exhibition features more than 60 works spanning Sorolla’s career. It – and the restaurants, obviously – are worth a visit. See more at the Peyton and Byrne website. Find them here: The National Dining Rooms Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN The National Café East Wing, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

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6 reasons to visit the new Vivi Restaurant and Bar in London

by James Banham

Updated: 18/03/2019

If the 60s were your decade of choice, you like quality bevs and fancy a new joint to visit, right in the middle of London, then the new Vivi Restaurant and Bar at Centre Point is for you. Complete with flair bartending, an all-day menu and a quality range of decor, the new venue – by the folks who brought us the famed London Skygarden – offers up a fresh new six reasons to pay it a visit. And then keep coming back. The dining room Open from brekkie to brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, head chef Arnaud Delannay will be pumping out signature dishes that focus on bold flavours and fresh seasonal ingredients. He’s kind of made a name for himself by turning out twists on the old classics such as Keen’s twice baked cheddar soufflé; chicken kiev and mash; and duck à l’orange and all the desserts you need. 2. The bar Vivi has really made its mark with the whole nostalgic thing. By working with a drinks menu that celebrates old school bartending with imaginative, quality cocktails, they’ve carved a niche out for themselves that really hits the mark when it comes to justi what you need. Drinks like Wild Honey on the Beach of Bulleit rye whiskey, pimento dram, lemon thyme infused honey, lemon and The Beach Boys, The Weeping Guitar of gin mare, Italicus rosolio di Bergamotto, cucumber, elderflower, lime, tonic water, everything they make is quality. 3. The gallery This is where Vivi-goers comes to people watch, gawk,… Read More

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