If restaurants are experiences more than merely meals, then Sibilla plays in the premier league. The approach tells you everything you need to know: perched on a hillside above the river Aniene, guests know that they are set for a show. Combine a stunning location with top-notch local cooking plus a comprehensive wine list and you have a winning formula.
Keep it simple and do it well is a mantra that more restaurants should follow. If Barrafina were not enough for fans of all things Spanish, then Parillan, from the same team, takes things to another level. There are few better outdoor spots to eat and drink, sit back and relax anywhere in London.
Reader, rest assured, all the animals you may consume at Happy Lamb did enjoy good lives. The menu delightfully informs diners that not only the lambs, but the cows and the deer too, not forgetting the ducks, led initially happy lives. Many were ‘grass-fed’ too. It’s hard to fault the relentless optimism pervading the venue. The nosh is pretty good too.
There’s a certain skill attached to opening a restaurant less than three months ago, yet making it feel as if it’s been there forever. Osteria Vibrato does just that. It fits perfectly into the Soho zeitgeist and is a classic in the making.
It does exist: Michelin-quality Indian cuisine in the suburbs. Look no further than Surbiton’s Koyal. Chef Nand Kishor Semwal and his team have pedigree. If you can earn recognition at Trishna and Gymkhana, then running your own restaurant is the next logical step. Koyal makes it seem easy. Diners love it too, with every table occupied on a recent visit.
There’s a certain magnetic magic about rooftop dining spots in London. Views, people-watching and the chance to get a tan are all ticks for this reviewer. Forza Wine is where the cool kids hang out, whether in Soho, on the South Bank or down in Peckham. At the venue perched atop the brutalist National Theatre, the vibe is less about the stage and more about the show.
Israeli food has become cool in recent years. Almost every middle-class household owns at least one cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, while the Palomar has been a destination venue in London since its doors opened in 2014. Expectations are now markedly higher than a decade ago, and while Bala Baya did shows flashes of potential genius, it was left wanting in several areas.
With outside dining being the norm for now, Skylon is worth considering. Expect a confident but far from ground-breaking demonstration of modern British cooking with a few European twists. Given we are still in the early era of returning to normality, food and wine lists have a greater than usual level of brevity. At least it makes choosing easier. To complain though is to miss the point: what we have been missing is not chef-cooked food per se, but atmosphere – this is what venues such as Skylon are selling….
My initial visit to this venue in February was characterised by a mix of positive and negatives: design, views and cocktails in the former camp, but a poor menu concept and disappointing service distinctly in the latter. However, full plaudits to Sea Containers for mostly delivering on this occasion…
