There’s certainly one thing that kept me sane through lockdown and that’s coffee. Lots of it. From pods to drip filters, I’ve been drinking caffeine by the litre load and here some of my faves… Caravan We all love Caravan restaurants for their avo on toast and baked eggs but it’s their coffee they’re really known for. They take an ethical standpoint to source ‘green coffee’ supporting local communities like the Twa people of Burundi, a landlocked country near Rwanda. The resulting beans, once fully washed at the Businde washing station, offer notes of vanilla, black cherry and Lady Grey tea of ..read more

The Berkeley hotel, in Knightsbridge, has transformed a former car park into The Garden at The Berkeley, a gorgeous outdoor restaurant. There are real trees strewn with fairy lights. Generously spaced tables, each topped with an automated hand sanitiser dispenser. There’s music pumping loudly enough to feel fun but so you can hear yourself talk with it. On a balmy Thursday evening it feels like the South of France. We start with small plates of grilled baby courgettes and charred padron peppers (£10.50), rainbow radishes with hummus and baba ganoush (£10.50) and a salad of watermelon, feta ..read more

Restaurants may be reopening their doors (hallelujah!) but if you’re not ready to step outside your own door just yet here are some of the best DIY kits to get your restaurant fix in your own home. Arabica DIY falafel kit Middle Eastern food with bags of flavour is what you’ll find at Arabica’s restaurants in Borough Market and King’s Cross. Their DIY falafel kits are no different. You mould and fry the falafel yourself which is lots of fun then smother with tahini, chilli sauce and chopped salad. It’s like being on holiday. Corbin & King home dining Class-act restaurateurs Jeremy King an ..read more

One thing Lockdown certainly taught us is our home bars need a little love – a 12 year old bottle of Sangria just won’t cut it anymore. Here are some fun tipples to keep your drinks cabinet looking tantalising. Aluna Coconut Rum Throw out your Malibu, this blend of rums from Guatemala and the Caribbean has heaps of toasted coconut flavour. It’s low in sugar, too, so when you shake it up with a little pineapple juice and coconut water you get the perfect Pina Colada. It’s like being on holiday without leaving your front door. Bathtub Gin Wrapped in brown paper this is a gin which both looks go ..read more

While I would never encourage getting rat arsed during Lockdown, everyone needs a little libation to cheer their souls once in a while. Here are some favourites that have been whetting my whistle during isolation… Blackcow Vodka This is an interesting one – ‘pure milk vodka’. Jason Barber and Paul Archard decided to change the path laid out for them by their great grandparents who were successful cheese makers. They saw how much milk was being wasted in the process so decided to make vodka out of it. The richness here lends itself particularly well to homemade Espresso Martinis. Lush. Bombay ..read more

Healthy fast food chain and all round good guys, Leon, have launched Feed Britain, a food delivery service which offers gigantic boxes of goodies from ready meals to glorious meat to fresh fruit and veggies. There’s a specific focus on producers whose business has suddenly vanished with the closure of the city’s once thriving hospitality scene. Leon Family Meals (£36) sees bags of menu highlights like Brazilian black bean and chilli con carne. Our favourite is Thai green chicken curry with chunks of tender thigh swimming in a lake of sweet and fiery curry sauce. It’s super easy to prepare to ..read more

Big Mamma Group is a collection of fun, Italian restaurants across Paris and Lilles, which have proved rather popular. Their latest venture is Gloria, a trattoria in Shoreditch, based on 1970s Capri. I like it already. Inside it’s stunning with something pretty at every turn. We sink into the thousands of cushions in our booth, admiring the specially designed crockery, from the candle holder to the plates. There’s serious attention to detail. The menu is vast. It all sounds lush. We start with burrata cremosa (£12), an exquisite ball of creamy cheese, and smoked stracciatella (£7) which is ..read more

Take a look at Fischer’s or Colbert and you’ll see Corbin and King know how to make a bloody good neighbourhood restaurant. The latest addition to this subtle empire is Soutine on St John’s Wood High Street, North London. Arguably their nicest looking yet, Giles Coren best sums it up in his Times review: “It has been magnificently overhauled to look just like the sexiest goddam Parisian café since 1920s Montparnasse.” He ain’t wrong. The café cum bar at the front and dining room out the back are both stunning. We start by sharing a whole globe artichoke (£10.75). I message my friend Hugh ..read more

Bored yet? Furloughed? Hungry? Here are some of my favourite bits to eat and drink around London Town, from socially distant shopping to delivered-to-your-door goodies. Ampersand Butter The best butter around? You betcha. This cultured butter is made by the lovely Grant Harrington on a farm in Oxfordshire. Michelin starred restaurants aplenty use his butter and now you can get your hands on it in London shops like Pavilion on Broadway Market and Taylor’s in Maltby Street or from Ampersand’s website. Arabica If meze helps to lighten your mood then Arabica has you covered. The more adventurous ..read more

Meat Lovers Rejoice! While we can’t sit down in a gorgeous dining room tucking in to a bone-in prime rib while glugging Claret we can order some of the country’s finest meat to enjoy in our own home. Here is the best of the best… Blacklock at Home It’s the restaurant I’m missing most so a Blacklock at home meat box was always going to make me happy. A bit tricky to get hold of as they’re so popular – you’ll need to go on the website at 10am on Mondays – but it’s worth it. A load of Warrens butchers’ finest skinny chops, some larger Sunday roast style cuts and the all-important, not so secret ..read more