Restaurant Sat Bains is the best reason to visit Nottingham November 20, 2024 When you think of the great culinary capitals of the world, your mind probably wanders to Tokyo, Paris or perhaps San Sebastian, cities where the great chefs of our time gather, their collective talent creating a surge of excellence and innovation. You probably do not think of Nottingham, or, more specifically, a nondescript little corner [...]
This will change how you think of Morocco October 22, 2024 THE LOCATION When the Portuguese landed on the stony face of the Atlantic coast in the early 16th century, they stopped at El Jadida, a Moroccan port just an hour south of Casablanca. To protect trade routes between Europe and Asia during their two-and-a-half-century occupation, they built a stronghold known as Mazagan. The centrepiece of [...]
This trip to Languedoc turned me into a wine snob October 17, 2024 I’m not a wine guy. The oenophile subjects alcohol to a level of scrutiny that, to me, feels antithetical to the loosening joys of boozing. I enjoy wine. I prefer wine that tastes nice. But to theorise about it, to intellectualise it, to hold it to the light and inspect its colour, to soliliquise about [...]
Ibai review: This Basque restaurant is one of the best of the year October 9, 2024 Creating a vibe is a tricky business. You can have the most beautiful dining room in the world and somehow end up with a tragic, inexplicable lack of vibes, even slipping into negative vibe territory, actively sucking the spirit out of your diners (see: Brasserie Zedel). On the other hand, you can have a brutalist [...]
Why Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is the most fascinating city in Europe October 7, 2024 Towering over the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is Mtatsminda Park, a Soviet-era fairground and gardens set atop a craggy hill. Accessed by a funicular railway, you will find a host of terrifying, creaky old amusement rides, including the 65-metre-high Giant Wheel, which seems to bow outwards over the edge of a sheer cliff. Dotted around [...]
No more Noma: What’s next for Copenhagen’s food scene October 3, 2024 For decades, Noma has been one of the most coveted restaurants on the planet. It birthed ‘new Nordic’ cuisine in 2003 and stamped the small Danish capital on the gastronomic map, winning the world’s best restaurant award multiple times and holding Michelin stars since 2008. Its stratospheric success was led by head chef and co-founder [...]
‘I didn’t give a f**k what Ofcom thought’ – in conversation with Grace Campbell and Hannah Crosbie October 1, 2024 Wine writer Hannah Crosbie interviews her friend and comedian Grace Campbell in Soho’s Bar Crispin about the changing face of social media, the pull of TV and getting high in Edinburgh. Hannah Crosbie: So the last time we saw each other was that hilarious night at the Edinburgh Fringe. We went to Noodles & Dumplings [...]
When viral fame fades: From Binley Mega Chippy to the Spudman October 1, 2024 In March 2022, I visited fish and chip takeaway Binley Mega Chippy in my hometown of Coventry 10 minutes after it had opened for dinner, joining a growing queue of people snaking out across a tarmac car park on the side of a busy A road. A line of cars waiting for a parking spot [...]
Just leave me to my basic b***h pumpkin spice latte, ok? September 30, 2024 We are well into Starbucks pumpkin spice latte season and I for one will be openly celebrating this seasonal joy, says Lauren Potts Nothing seems to irk certain corners of the internet more than the humble pumpkin spice latte (PSL). The sneering usually comes from a certain type of person – mostly coffee snobs and boomers [...]
Bordeaux month: Here are the best clarets to celebrate September 10, 2024 September has been named Bordeaux month – it seems every grape has its own international wine day so why not dedicate an entire month to one of the most renowned and beloved wine regions in the world. Here’s what you need to know when selecting a bottle of Bordeaux red. Firstly, French wine is often [...]