Eternal sunshine is always on our minds these days, whether it's concern about climate change or dreaming about dining alfresco – but it's where you sit that counts If there's one benefit to global warming, it may be that this ...
Molehill made out of a mountain Le Mont restaurant, situated on the top of the Urbis building in Manchester, has closed, making it the second of the city's fine-dining restaurants to close in as many months. The restaurant opened in 2002 and, ...
Fay Maschler digests the new-look Red guide to London and is struck by its methods and its madness Derek Bulmer, Editor of Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2007, has been quoted – in this very magazine – as saying that ...
Tom Aikens' bijou Chelsea empire is set to expand this summer with a new eco-friendly fish and chip shop Tom Aikens is opening a fish and chip restaurant and takeaway in the same area as his two other restaurants in Chelsea in the late summer. ...
Mike Lucy, founder of Company of Cooks and Caper Green companies, has agreed terms to open the Riverside Terrace Café and eight bars in the renovated Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank at the end of May. Under the Company of Cooks ..
Here comes Robomoji – praise the Lord and pass the peanuts Robomoji looms over the competition, a robotic machine sporting chain belts, wicked saw-tooth gears and a vice-like appendage that looks ready to break a few bones. Is this an iron ...
Who is he? Colin Wong, Director and Co-Owner of the Aroma Group of restaurants. There are currently nine restaurants in the Group. Eight Aroma Oriental buffet restaurants and Alisan restaurant. Alisan opened in December 2006 and is their first ...
Wizzy Korean restaurant, which opened in London SW6 to great acclaim in spring 2005, has closed, with the site up for lease. Its owner was Hwi Shim, who had previously worked at Hakkasan and Nobu. Harding Chartered Surveyors said it had closed about ..
Tian of Chicken with Coriander, Tomato, Avocado, Curly Endive, Raspberry Vinegar Reduction I have no idea why it is so popular. I guess that people read the description and think ‘that's exactly what I feel like'. It's a little ...
It's not every day that restaurants open to more or less rave reviews, particularly when the chef is not that well known outside the ranks of professionals and foodies. Theo Randall at the Intercontinental has done just that. Long time Head Chef...
You don't need a big kitchen to produce great food, but you do need to be organised. That's the message from chefs who work wonders in small spaces When it comes to kitchens, it's true that size doesn't matter, it's what you do...
Going all the way to please your guests is a must when it comes to giving exceptional service Service is second nature to the hospitality industry, going out of your way for your guests should be par for the course. Enzo Cassini, General Manager at ...
When buying or selling a restaurant as a going concern the process can be riddled with potential pitfalls. So how can restaurateurs be sure they are making the right decision and ensure they get the best deal? Reasons to buy include: to increase ...
Ian Pengelley, Executive Chef at Gilgamesh in Camden, London, gives us the lowdown on his epic search for kitchen equipment Ian Pengelley was not exactly the envy of chefs everywhere when he took on the kitchen at Camden's mighty 365-capacity ...
They're all at it when it comes to whisky – so what's the best of the rest? Remember booze cruises (at least, in principle)? Here's one with a destination other than oblivion. We've looked beyond Scotland, Ireland and the USA to .
How to prepare for the environmental legislation coming into force in July The WEEE directive, which stands for waste of electrical and electronic equipment and deals with how electrical appliances are disposed of at the end of their lives, will come...
Reading In.gredienti, the self-published cookbook from Chef Massimiliano Alajmo and his brother Raffaele, of Restaurant Le Calandre, near Padova in northern Italy, you get an insight not only into a great chef's food and recipes, but into his ...
Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney on how they plan to keep the quality high and get the staff in place as they get ready to take Roka and Zuma worldwide Rainer Becker has probably thanked his hairdresser more than a few times. I'm not talking about ...
Sod the sarnies and have an affaire to remember The Spiel: ;Sweet to savoury crêpes with ingredients that are natural and healthy for people on the go.; says Managing Director Daniel Spinath. Which means? The crêpes are baked ...
Toss the old '70s carcass aside for a sharp new-wave carvery When the news broke that Posh Spice had taken her kids to a Toby Carvery for lunch, the nation gasped. Surely even La Beckham's blessing couldn't save these '70s throwbacks?...
First in a new series that assesses a new concept's potential The Spiel: ;A contemporary twist on the traditional East End pie and mash shop.; Which means? Customers construct their meals from a selection of mashes, sausages or pies, ...
Two years after the contracts were signed, ‘London’s first truly modern Brazilian’ is here. When Mocotó opened its doors last week in the site that formerly housed Oliver Peyton's Isola, owner David Ponté, founder ...
Boutique bowling operator All Star Leisure is to open two more bowling alleys with upmarket American diners. All Star Lanes opened in Bloomsbury, last year, headed up by Charles and Adam Breeden of The Lonsdale restaurant in Notting Hill and co-owner...
Who is he? Creator and co-owner of Chino Latino fusion restaurants. There are currently three, all in Park Plaza hotels (his co-owner is the hotels' owner): Nottingham opened fi rst in 2003, followed by Leeds in 2004 and then London on the Albert...
The Chef: Giorgio Locatelli Chef/Patron Locanda Locatelli, London W1. The Kit: Ultimate combined pasta machine (with sheeter, cutter) • 95 x 45 x 90cm • 104kg • £5,000 + VAT The sales spiel ;Modula is the ultimate ...
Jean-Luc Naret is the public face of Michelin and the man navigating Les Guides Rouges into the 21st century Jean-Luc Naret has the perfect poker face. Sat in the lounge of Lanesborough hotel, the week before the announcement of this year's Great...
Less is now more at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. Chef patron Raymond Blanc has slashed the number of dishes on offer from 31 to 23 and put up prices. Following a two-year study, Blanc has cut the à la carte menu to nine choices, introduced ..
Santa Maria del Buen Ayre is an amazing success story, so how about the sequel? I first met Alberto Abbate, manager and co-owner of Santa Maria del Buen Ayre, in December 2004, a week before he was due to open his first restaurant in Hackney's ...
This seems an odd time to be thinking about wine. The papers are full of bogus detox diets, everyone is talking about ‘taking it easy', and customers have credit card debts to meet, so this month I have decided to highlight a few wines that .
How the right soundtrack can set the tills ringing The Performing Rights Society (PRS) has just released a report outlining the benefits of music in restaurants, as part of an awareness campaign to highlight obligations regarding music licensing. ...
The crazy cocktail classes that can pull punters into your restaurant I'm not the most well coordinated person you're likely to meet, so the thought of trying to make cocktails, especially in the company of several London media ladies, ...
Don't trust to providence, provide for yourself If you are a restaurant owner, fit and well with a bustling business, a pension may be the last thing on your mind. After all, your business is your pension, right? Well, maybe, but to ensure you ...
Will Ricker has perfected the pan Asian restaurant formula. Buit with a new venture open and another coming, quality remains his mantra. Will Ricker, godfather of Pan Asian London restaurants, has been a bit quiet of late. The 44 year old Australian ..
Pourcel brothers pull out of Pulze partnership deal at 11th hour The Pourcel brothers have pulled out of the partnership deal with Claudio Pulze to take over ailing fine dining French restaurant W'Sens and turn it into a more mid-market concept....
To win the battle against bacteria, scrub your staff daily and make sure their habits are clean The chef wipes his nose with his hand and then dips a soiled finger into the sauce to taste it. The waiter bringing the starters to the table has an ...
It’s time to sort out the inconsistencies surrounding service charge in the uk. That’s our mission for 2007 and we need you to lead the debate. By 2008 we hope to have a solution that suits everybody.
Late nights, tempers frayed, nerves a-jangle – you can't imagine just how many times harmony has been restored in this office over an order of pizza from our local Strada. Sometimes it's the only thing that's brought us back from ...
To help restaurateurs save money and the planet, free workshops are available from the LDA Being energy efficient and minimising waste is not just about benefiting the environment, it is also a great way to save restaurateurs money and improve ...
Hamish Anderson on his artful development of the Tat's prestigious wine collection The Tate Gallery opened on the site of Millbank Penitentiary in London in 1897. Officially named the National Gallery of British Art, it quickly became known as ...
After a dismal season there's loose talk of an Indian summer, but as I write, it's too soon to say for sure. So in a spirit of optimism, let's consider some wines that will suit a warmish autumn before we start to think of the kind of ...
Knowing about good food and having great presentation skills simply isn't enough if you're thinking about jacking in the day job to become a restaurateur say first-timers You're sociable. You give dinner parties. You have ‘mine ...
If you reckon museum food is tired and boring, think again. Forward-thinking operators are dusting off its image and upping the takings A top-name chef and museum food isn't a traditional pairing. Usually, those unfortunate enough to be struck by...
Racine founder sells up to concentrate on role with Nick Jones Henry Harris, Chef and joint co-owner of Racine in Knightsbridge, has sold his share of the business to Eric Garnier, with whom he set up the business five years ago. Harris has now ...
The spiel? ;An authentic American diner (so far, one in Soho, one in Shoreditch) with milkshakes, cocktails and beer. We are here for more than just a burger: it's a whole dining experience,; says Co-owner Andreas Akerlund. Which means? ...
Forget Ludlow, for the hottest of gourmet hot spots right now, check out the virtual world of Second Life (aka SL). For those who aren't familiar with it, allow us to introduce a virtual world complete with shops, embassies, and yes, restaurants,...
Brand extensions of restaurant food can be a lucrative sector to get into, but only if it matches the reputation of your business ;You cannot bottle the experience, but you can ensure that when the customer uses the products at home they are of ...
From fed-up and hard-up to Nobu protégé and celebrating his first year going solo with Dinings Eight years ago, Tomanari Chiba, Chef/Proprietor of Japanese restaurant Dinings, asked his Taiwanese designer friend I Yu if he'd design ..
Pascal Proyart has quietly been waiting in the wings of the London restaurant scene, but now, with a newly refurbished restaurant, it's time for him to take centre stage It was a clear chill day last winter that found Pascal Proyart, me and a ...
PASTA WITH PEDIGREE Whitby Crab with Pasta and Herbs This dish is as simple as you could possibly get – that is why it works. The ingredients are locally sourced, fresh and made to order; the crab is caught in Whitby, the pasta made on-site. It .
Who is he? Owner of the Korova Group, which operates six sites in Liverpool with another two to open by the end of 2007. How did he get into the industry? ;Out of sheer necessity. I was entrepreneurial by nature and I'd been involved in a ...