Archive For The “British” Category
Previously a down-market Frog and Firkin, The Elgin is another pub that has recently been taken over by Geronimo Inns. Fortunately the group has maintained the striking Victoriana and attracted a different clientele. The sports-bar atmosphere has disappeared along with its dubious drinkers, or at least the drinkers here are no more dubious than in…
(This restaurant is now closed) The centre of London throngs with life on a mid-week summer’s day and it’s just as thronging on a Sunday. Streets are filled with both visitors and locals taking advantage of everything this cosmopolitan city has to offer. Chinese restaurants for brunch of aromatic dim sum, American burger chains for…
That nasty Mr. Hitler did a good job of destroying iconic and untouched Victorian pubs. That was in the early 1940s so there were plenty around and probably most in their original condition. We saw, or at least those of us of a certain age did, the modernisation of Britain in the 1960s. Some changes…
London’s Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 opened on 27th March 2008 to a less-than-glorious start. I am sure most travellers have received their baggage by now but the memory of that ignominious first week will remain with those who were closely associated with it. But now it really is just a memory, and Terminal 5 is…
It’s one of Britain’s most celebrated buildings and doubtless the most stunning of Victorian stations. St Pancras has it all. Original brickwork and sweeping iron beams framing huge windows. A bustling terminus welcoming travellers from both home and away, and bidding bon voyage to those off to the Continent or elsewhere in Britain. It has…
We have been told, and I believe, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We need to have fuel to catapult ourselves onto the unsuspecting world. We need to be energised and replete with foods that hopefully someone else has prepared. Breakfast away from home offers many advantages. Britain was for many…
Would I like to write an article about the food at the Institution of Civil Engineers? Well, I have had some strange requests during the course of my writing career and this one was right up there with such projects as a review of an empty binder and a very expensive saucepan lid. What do…
Over the last three decades Browns has become a familiar name for those looking for an authentic brasserie experience. In 1973 the very first Browns opened its doors and it has been a popular chain ever since. We visited Browns Covent Garden and it had anything but the feel of a chain restaurant. There were…
Yes, dear reader, I travel and I expect you, too, will have that delight from time to time. When one flies there are invariably tedious hours to fill while one waits for the plane which is still most likely stuck in JFK or Johannesburg. If you are lucky then you’ll be marooned in an airport…
Iqbal Wahhab, now OBE, (awarded that high honour in recognition of his public service and services for promotion of the hospitality industry) is a man famously passionate about food as well as society in general. The Times has described him as “a National Treasure”. He uses his position for the benefit of many and we…
Today I have a review of a smart restaurant conveniently situated about 2 hours outside Paris. Good transport links with easy access to city shops. Superb food and waiters who speak English, and a menu in English as well. Yes, that’s got your attention, my dear Anglophone reader! Even better news is that, if you…
The Mitre has a facade very much in keeping with its smart Holland Park surroundings. It’s a 1930s building that has been used to good advantage by the present owners. It has a surprisingly spacious and light interior thanks to some large windows that overlook a palm-planted courtyard garden. This space isn’t used by the…
London is celebrated as perhaps having the most vibrant and eclectic theatre district in the world. Yes, going for an evening of roaring grease paint and smelly crowd is still a treat but it’s never been more accessible. Tickets are easy to book and you won’t need to mortgage the kids to finance the trip……
Afternoon tea is very much in vogue these days, so why wouldn’t you have a traditional afternoon tea in London, the capital of European tea-drinking? If you are going to the trouble of visiting London then you want to enjoy afternoon tea at its best and that’s just what Hyatt Regency The Churchill offers. This…