Heading to sunny Malta? Then read on to discover 3 gems away from tourist traps. Malta is a popular tourist destination known for its rich history, culture, gastronomy, and stunning natural landscapes. The islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino offer so many activities ranging from diving, enjoying the beaches, sightseeing and visiting historic sites. Malta has a fascinating history dating back over 7,000 years. The islands have been influenced by various civilizations including the Phoenicians, Romans, Knights of St. John, Napoleon, and the British Empire. History enthusiasts can explore ancient ..read more

Nothing says British Sunday as much as a ‘Sunday roast’ does. Home-cooked, gastro pub. And why not, fine dining, the english capital is not lacking in options. And if you opt for fine dining, then why not make it properly special and choose a place that will stick in your memory for years to come? For example, a quintessential British establishment, 5* the Lanesborough Hotel. REGENCY SPIRIT, CONTEMPORARY GLAMOUR Such a stunning hotel Until a few months ago, despite having lived in London for decades, I had not realised the period, creamy white elegant building overlooking wellington arch and ..read more

We dine at Vins is an intimate restaurant & wine bar in Islington. I don’t often venture to North London feeling it is ‘far’, which in truth, it isn’t; with age I am just less included to travel across London or even hop across the river to the West End! The occasion to go north came with an invite to try out a local wine bar called Vins, located in a somehow liminal zone between Inslington and Canonbury. Vins exterior On a lovely summer evening I rode my scooter from a very busy Blackfriars Road through a quite empty Smithfield market, via St John Street and all the way up and up past Ang ..read more

A local pub with great food is a treasure not to be taken for granted We used to have a ‘local‘ which we loved, and spent pretty much every sunday lunch at for a number of years. We celebrated birthdays and took friends and family; a place we felt at home. For a number of reasons which are possibly silly and sort of personal, I decided I no longer wanted to visit such establishment. With that, we no longer enjoy the comfort and conviviality of a local. Why am I giving you this long preamble? Just because, when we walked into the Talbot in Brockley, the feel of ‘welcome back’ that I had so mis ..read more

A long time coming Indeed, I had been meaning to try Matt Gillian’s food ever since his first appearance on the Great British Menu a few years ago, yet I had never managed to. Until lockdown, that is, when Matt launched a number of ‘caddies‘ and food boxes. I ended up ordering a few times because the food was fantastic and the value excellent. But… a trip to his beautiful West Sussex restaurant Heritage had to happen. Since this is a ‘milestone birthday’ year, my friend Sarah and I had booked ourselves in for July but our date had to be postponed due to COVID rules still in place. Heritage ex ..read more

Our ethos is to support dogs, and in doing so, helping them to have a long, enjoyable, and fruitful life, whilst also enriching the lives of their human parents Hats off to any business launching in the middle (or during a pause?) of a global pandemic. Love My Human Townhouse is one of those businesses, having opened up on the Kings Road at the beginning of July. In my humble opinion, anything that is extra dog focused deserves special attention. I immediately planned a visit and booked a table, right after reading my friend the Dogvine’s review. The Townhouse is run by the same people behi ..read more

Exploring the unknown: vegan food! My colleague Paul and I sometimes treat ourselves to a lunch out. Being near Liverpool Street, we have plenty of choice around us yet he’s vegetarian so we have to pick somewhere with enough choice for him to have a satisfying meal.   A couple of weeks ago we were trying to decided where to go when he smugly announced: ‘I’ve found a perfect place: Vegan Yes in Brick Lane’. He sent me the menu link which read like someone with a very creative mind had tried to come up with the oddest combination of Korean and Italian food, excluding any ingredient that wo ..read more

I had been meaning to try out Mere for a while, pretty much in fact since Monica Galetti opened it after leaving her previous post of many years at Le Gavroche. Soft shell crab She’s a formidable lady who seems a lovely person as well as a talented chef and I had been keen to try her food because of her south pacific roots as well. A London visit by my kiwi friend Jo seemed the perfect occasion for a visit to Mere. The venue The restaurant is located in Charlotte Street on the former site of, I am pretty sure, exotic restaurant Archipelago which I used to love. Gone however is the mock south p ..read more

Having spent many meals at the Duck & Waffle, I have known their former executive chef Tom Cenci for a while. When he announced he was leaving a year ago, I knew it would not be long before Tom came back with a vengeance somewhere exciting. And it could not have been better, as he’s taken position at the helm of the kitchen of a place pretty local to me, which means we’ll be able to visit soon: the Loyal Tavern. The Loyal Tavern is the revamped Village East in Bermondsey Street and since re-opening a couple of weeks ago, we’ve already visited twice. Amber and I at Loyal Tavern – iPhone pho ..read more

A river runs through… The meandering silhouette of the Thames unites Marlow to London on slick, elegant menus. Why? Because Marlow is where Tom Kerridge’s pubs (including Michelin starred The Hand and Flowers) are located and by London’s Embankment is where he has just launched his new venue within the sumptuous Corinthia Hotel. Kerridge’s Bar and Grill is a far cry from his Marlow outposts, at least in look and feel. The venue Dark colours, tones of emerald green and mahogany, leather upholstery and modern art pieces (including sculptures by Tom’s wife Beth) scattered around the dining room ..read more