Hotel TerraVina Dining – restaurant review
Hotel TerraVina is a gem. It’s a well-appointed house – well, it seems like someone’s home (read the accommodation review here). A line of colourful...
Travels & Tapas in Basque Country – travel review
We have likely heard of it but if pinpointing this region on a map was a capital offence then it’s probable a few of us...
Vassilis Papagiannakos at Domaine Papagiannakos Winery – interview
A few years ago one might scoff at the prospect of a visit to a Greek winery. The memory of old-school Retsina lingers on. That...
Lambrusco – another taste – wine review
If you are of a certain age then even the name ‘Lambrusco’ will likely raise a smirk. Once the smirker’s composure has been restored then...
The Sparkle of Vilmart & Cie – travel review
The Champagne house Vilmart & Cie was founded in 1890 by Désiré Vilmart and is considered by many an authority to be perhaps the leading...
La Belle Epoque – 5-star floating through Burgundy – travel review
What a grand title for a barge! Luckily the lady lived up to her name and our expectations, which she did actually exceed in every...
Wine & Spice Series 2015 at Cinnamon Club – restaurant review
It’s without doubt one of the best Indian restaurants in London. It’s housed in a historic grade II listed building near Westminster Abbey. It was...
Champagne – a brief encounter – drinks review
One is spoilt for restaurants in London. Highend Michelin-starred, white-tableclothed establishments abound. The weather becomes warmer. We dream of those balmy days and longer evenings...
Southern Oregon – sleep and eat in style – travel review
The average British tourist heading for the US on vacation will likely have limited horizons. There is the Big Apple with the draw of bright...
Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte, Canary Wharf – restaurant review
We are spoilt for choice in London, and indeed in many cities. We can chance a fishy Japanese breakfast, indulge in lavish Italian lunches, feast...
The Delicious Simplicity of Alentejo – the food and drink of forgotten Portugal – travel review
We live life at a frantic pace and when we take a moment to reflect we muse on the quiet life, the good life, of...
Vila Vita Parc – Wining and Dining in The Algarve – travel review
We, cold souls, languish in northern Europe, longing for holidays offering bright sun and vibrant food. Look at any Mediterranean travel brochure and along with...
Vila Vita Parc and Herdade dos Grous – travel review
Vila Vita Parc enchants the guest with its exotic gardens; it invigorates the visitor with its pools and spa; it tempts with its food and...
Port and the Douro – travel review
I would love to tell my readers that I am an expert on that full and iconic beverage but until recently Port was that festive...
Ignatius ‘Iggy’ Chan – Singapore’s Sommelier – interview
There are few restaurants owned, run by, and named after a sommelier but Singapore’s iconic “Iggy’s” is just that. Ignatius ‘Iggy’ Chan is an immensely...
Taylor’s Port and Fladgate Hospitality – travel review
Port is enjoying something of a revival with the addition of both white and pink varieties to its classic styles. It’s a wine with a...
The Yeatman Hotel and the first couple of Port – hotel review
The Yeatman Hotel doesn’t sound, to the ill-informed, a particularly Portuguese name for a hotel. One would more readily expect a name like “Henry the...
Dehesa Charcuterie and Tapas Bar – restaurant review
Dehesa is a charcuterie and tapas bar which draws on the cuisines of both Spain and Italy. Not so surprising when you consider the tradition...
500 Red Wines and 500 White Wines – reviews
Life was easier back then. A bottle of sherry for Christmas or when the vicar was coming to tea, some brown ale for dad on...
In and Out of Africa …in search of Gérard Depardieu by Francis Gimblett – review
I review many and several books each week and pride myself on being able to spot a literary disaster at ten paces. They often fit...