Restaurant Review: Barrafina, Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross

August 3, 2023.Reading time 9 minutes.

I’ve been meaning to go to Coal Drops Yard for ages … well since it opened in October 2018 and people started talking about it being a great foodie destination. So when good friends Annie & Jerry suggested meeting there to eat at Barrafina, I was delighted. At last, I was going to make it […]

Restaurant Review: Trattoria Brutto

September 23, 2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

Those of us who love Italy are always thinking of ways to bring some of it home – recipes to make in your kitchen; beautiful pottery from the Amalfi coast; glass from Murano; chocolate from Turin. Russell Norman, however, opens restaurants. First he brought Venice to London in the shape of Polpo; now he brings […]

Where to Eat with Kids: Franco Manca, Kingston upon Thames

September 2, 2022.Reading time 9 minutes.

Going to nearby Kingston upon Thames with grandsons Freddie (7½) and Ben (4¾) has become a regular holiday time ritual and makes a lovely outing for me with the boys. A major attraction is Bentalls toy department, which is one of the best I know, and they always come with a little money from Mummy […]

Lunch at Brindisa, Richmond upon Thames

August 17, 2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

We have a joke in UK that you wait ages for a bus and then three come along all at the same time. I’ve been playing this out with tapas bars recently. For years I meant to go to one of Jose Pizarro’s restaurants/tapas bars, finally made it to the RA one (click here) in […]

Where to Eat with Kids: Hache Riverside Social, Kingston upon Thames

May 31, 2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

It’s half term week, so a promise to take the boys to Kingston upon Thames – more specifically Bentalls – in the next holiday time was fulfilled. Bentalls has a brilliant toy department, which is its chief attraction to the boys, including the best collection of Schleich animal figurines that I know of (short of […]

Restaurant Review: Tangawizi

May 20, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’ve written about Tangawizi before but it was 12 years ago in the early days of the blog. I listed it as one of my ‘favourite haunts’ – a category I eventually abandoned but Tangawizi remains a favourite haunt and the only place I ever order a takeaway from. I thought it deserved some attention […]

The Petersham, Richmond upon Thames

April 12, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

It was a perfect early April evening to go to The Petersham, the restaurant in the 4-star Petersham Hotel, with its glorious views over the River Thames. Despite the chill in the air the sun had been shining all day and was now slowly fading towards a beautiful sunset, which we’d witness from our dining […]

Restaurant Review: Com Viet, Covent Garden

April 3, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

I was meeting my friend Louise and another of her friends, Martha, to see the much-acclaimed play, Home, I’m Darling at the Duke of York’s Theatre in St Martin’s Lane. Louise got the tickets; Martha chose and booked the restaurant (just round the corner in Garrick Street); Travel Gourmet turned up! It’s nice when other […]

Where to Eat with Kids: Corto Italian Deli, Twickenham

December 26, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Corto Italian Deli in Church Street, Twickenham is a favourite family haunt and I’ve written about it a few times on the blog – it’s fabulous for morning coffee, lunch, family celebrations, and to buy the best quality Italian foods you’ll find anywhere. We go there a lot but it’s taken me a while to get […]

Revisiting Italian Favourites

March 3, 2017.Reading time 12 minutes.

Life has been a bit full-on of late and so I’ve not had much time to write on the blog. Then a lingering cold led me to cancel a couple of visits to new restaurants that it would have been good to write about. The last week or so though has seen me returning to […]