Archive For The “N American” Category
Mexican Fiesta of Food. I love food. It can be any shade of ethnic, traditional, fast, slow or convenient. Tortilla ticks a lot of boxes. It’s Mexican-inspired, casual, speedy, friendly and fun and there are a lot of branches around so likely to be convenient for most of us. The menu at Tortilla is considerable…
Byron Burger – New Chicken options Byron was founded in 2007 by Tom Byng and Head Chef Fred Smith. They have created a signature range of satisfying and rather impressive burgers. They have remained solid in these rather troubled times and still offer those quality beefy temptations to loyal followers. But the company moves with…
That’s quite a title – Cooking in Marfa: Welcome, We’ve Been Expecting You. Marfa sounds like it could be a Mediterranean island with sun-kissed beaches and a whole load of lemons, but it is in fact a rather stylish small town in a desert in Texas, and not far from the Mexican border. In the…
Well, perhaps this is lucky timing for a review of a restaurant called POTUS! President Trump has been visiting London and POTUS Bar and Restaurant at Crowne Plaza London – Albert Embankment is just a stone’s throw from the new American Embassy. Perhaps Mr Trump will pop in to sample some solid American fare before…
It’s true! I am a Londoner and have never been, until now, to the Hard Rock Café. My guest boasted that he had been before, but that was back in 1975! Yes, this restaurant is iconic and although its food is quintessentially American there is so much that is British. Hard Rock Café was founded…
I was already an unashamed admirer of this classic steakhouse. Smith & Wollensky ticks all the gastronomic boxes for me, and with decor to bring joy to the very soul of this reviewer of ‘a certain age’. Yes, I appreciate quality, but it must be unintimidating. Yes, I want classic service, but it must be…
Yes, Park Lane is swanky and fringed with outstanding hotels, and all of them are celebrated and worthy. One of the most popular is Grosvenor House with its impressive function rooms and public spaces that are worth another look after a recent refurbishment. But it also has a host of dining options, including JW Steakhouse…
Anyone who has had a trip to the States might recognise the name of this restaurant – or more accurately, recognise the ‘names’ of this restaurant. They don’t allude to mythical partners who might have opened the restaurant, but rather to a couple of names picked at random from a Manhattan phone directory! Smith and…
Stagolee’s is an American restaurant and we have plenty of those in the UK, ranging from dubious to excellent in quality. But Stagolee’s is unlike all those other US-inspired eateries. This spot will introduce the diner to a different face of American food but a truly authentic one, and you’ll likely not find these vibrant…
Peanut Butter Fudge S’mores was a sweet star What a view! There can be few places more picturesque than the bank of the River Thames by the 18th century Richmond Bridge. It’s beautiful at any time but on a summer’s evening it’s memorable. A seat at Jackson and Rye will give you the best spot….
Soho in general and this street in particular became the refuge of Huguenots, French Protestants who fled to England in the early 1680s. The street was named after Henry Compton who raised funds for a local parish church which eventually became St Anne’s Church. Now there is The Patty and Bun at No.18! By the…
It’s raining in Kensington and we are hungry for brunch. Yes, that convivial meal twixt brekkie and weekend dinner that allows for a broad menu over which to pore. Kensington is posh and I would venture to say that Dirty Bones has the only entrance in the area that resembles that of an iffy dive…
One is spoilt for restaurants in London. High-end Michelin-starred, white-tableclothed establishments abound. There are exotic and periodically good curry houses. There are trending trucks offering all manner of international fare. And then there are those enduring restaurants that specialise in meat. Think of some prime beef served with an array of vegetables, and there could…
Kensington High Street is smart. There is the usual complement of restaurants in the area and they range from the expected Lebanese to the trendy European casual restaurants; but this is a wealthy neighbourhood so there are eateries here that might demand a second mortgage. One would expect to pay a premium for a meal…
I guess the name says it all. BBQ is what Porky’s offers, but this is the real thing rather than the chain variety, which has more to do with fast food; the traditional (Memphis) barbecue on which Porky’s is modelled is rather on the slow side …like 18 hours slow. Joy and Simon Brigg were…
There is a little piece of London that will remain forever America. No, it’s not the US Embassy. It’s the award-winning Big Easy, which is an institution where you will be a lot more welcome, and staff are even polite! This casual restaurant is modelled on those American Gulf Coast crabshacks. That might not mean…
Ed’s Easy Diner is a small chain of classic American diners. It was founded in November 1987 in London by Barry Margolis. It was the first of its kind in the UK when the first Ed’s opened its doors in Soho. Over the last couple of decades Ed’s Easy Diner has become a landmark and…
‘OK, so review London’s Planet Hollywood.’ ‘Yes, but I’m a serious restaurant reviewer.’ ‘Go on, you might like it.’ …That’s the conversation I had with myself and I am glad to say I was right. I did like it. I am not normally a lover of fast food and I wasn’t sure that I’d be…