Underrated London, Down from London and a salad made in London
28 January 2025
Introduction
I cooked a recipe from the papers, took a lovely photo and then realised it was similar to Alison Roman’s spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric. I’ve canned that, and above is one of the typical lunches I make when I put a whole lot of ingredients onto a plate, season and drizzle it all with olive oil. Job done. This one was radicchio, clementines, feta, pecan nuts and mint.
Books
Danube by Irina Georgescu
in the Independent with an interview here and recipes for fried red pepper salad, baked cornmeal with cheese and eggs and chicken pilaf with potatoes and garlic courgettes
Easy Air Fryer: Big & Bold Delicious Food by Jamie Oliver
in the Times with five easy air fryer recipes including Kerala roast chicken and curry sauce, posh fish and chips, roast potatoes and harissa cauliflower
The Potato Book by Poppy O’Toole
in the Observer, with recipes including salt ’n’ pepper chips and hot honey and bacon mash.
Restaurants
High end affordable restaurants in London in the Standard including Jospehine Bouchon, Rambutan and the Wine Bar at Farm Shop where I happened to go for lunch last week. It’s the third time I’ve been and it’s always been unnaturally quiet for the quality of the food and wine.
This time, I had an exemplary cheese and leek toastie preceded by chicken and ham croquettes with roast garlic and tarragon mayonnaise. On a visit last year, I shared a cheese platter and a salad with pickled rhubarb which I went home and copied.
The best places to eat on the Kent and Sussex coast in the Times although there are none featured in Sussex. Maybe there’s a Part 2 coming as the headline says but it includes two in Broadstairs, six in Margate and five in Deal. Obviously the place to go for those pesky ‘DFL’s’* like me.
Cosy pubs in the UK in the FT including the Greyhound Inn in Pettistree, the Harrow Inn in Steep and the Tanners Inn in Alnwick.
In the FT, Tim Hayward wrote about ‘the incredible, meal-ruining potential of a rough ceramic plate.’
In the Guardian, Grace Dent went to the Unruly Pig, in Bromeswell, Suffolk
‘this is a pub for the adventurous diner who is happy to enjoy the culinary ride.’
I went here last year on a weekend away and much preferred the Greyhound Inn in Pettistree.
In the Observer, Jay Rayner went to Dzo! Viet Kitchen in London N1 :
‘crowded restaurant alleys like Upper Street can make it tough to choose where to spend both your money and your time. Dzo! Viet is most certainly worth a bit of both.’
In the Standard, David Ellis went to Fantômas in London SW3 with original food from chef Chris Denney, originally of 108 Garage, but poor service.
‘this is a chef of endless imagination, uncommon talent and an explorative, expert palette (except with puddings; I would have preferred gobbling the candle to the spiteful cherry sorbet with horseradish).’
In the Sunday Times, Charlotte Ivers went to Stow in Manchester and liked it a lot.
In the Telegraph, William Sitwell went to Wildflowers in London SW1
‘with its nice lighting and good service, Wildflowers is a very decent idea’
In the Times, Giles Coren went to AngloThai in London W1
‘this is a beautiful, new, cutting-edge London restaurant run by lovely people, and intended very much as a destination. Make it yours.’
*Husband didn’t know this means “Down from London” so thought I should elaborate.
Travel
Overtourism in the Independent
UK
Underrated London attractions in the Times including the Thames Barrier,
Chelsea Physic Garden, (although there’s not much to see at this time of year),
Emery Walker’s House, Hammersmith, which reopens in March with one of my favourite cafés, the ElderPress nearby.
and the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in Islington.
The best restaurants on the Isle of Skye in the Independent.
Europe
The Guardian say ‘when in Rome … go where the Romans go’, not the tourist crowds.
Actor Claes Bang's guide to Copenhagen, in the Standard including his comment, ‘at this exact time of year, I would not advise people to travel to Copenhagen, because it’s grim and bleak and cold and rainy. If you’re lucky, it might be snowy. I’d definitely say go in spring or early autumn, that’s when it is at its most beautiful.’
Austria’s most beautiful railway journey, The Arlberg Line in the Telegraph
Reasons for going back to Brussels in the Telegraph, ‘fine food, in chic restaurants and cosy brasseries (I’ve never eaten better, in any other city), partly for the beer of course (Belgians brew the world’s finest ales), but above all for the architecture.’
and also the hiking paradise of Luxembourg.
‘Long overshadowed by its formidable neighbours, little Luxembourg punches well above its weight when it comes to outdoor adventure.’
Reading the papers
People ask me how I read all the papers. I believe in paying for quality journalism and my husband and I have digital subscriptions to the Times and to the Telegraph.
The Times gives you two free articles a week as a registered user and the Telegraph gives you access to one free article each week if you register an account. The FT gives a certain number of free articles
Local public libraries often have Pressreader which gives access to over 7,000 newspapers world wide for free or you can subscribe to it.