From its name onwards, there is knowing coolness, a certain intentionality to what COR is seeking to achieve. It’s a place to watch in an upcoming district of Bristol. And if COR is seeking to ape what is arguably the best restaurant in England (Clare Smyth’s Core in plush Kensington, London), then why not? The team at Michelin have already awarded COR a Bib Gourmand; stars may beckon.
Just moments from Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, central train station and main shopping street, diners can imagine themselves transported to Spain. Parador 44 is a wonderfully conceived venture, set up by an enterprising couple of brothers. Visitors can sip sherry, eat top Basque-influenced nosh and then sleep upstairs in a handful of boutique hotel rooms. There is every reason to do all three.
It was not the most auspicious of starts. When my dining comrade and I descended on Bellazul it was pouring with rain. We arrived soaked. Welcome to England in April. It’s about as far from the Mediterranean as one could imagine. Open only for two months, Bellazul has the laudable intention of transporting diners to the sunnier climes of southern Europe. The venture is well-intentioned but does not totally succeed.
If New Quebec Street in Marylebone were my local high street, then I would be delighted. Luckily it is close to where your reviewer both lives and works. Zayna has been a long-standing favourite for curry. There’s also a great wine shop, a fishmonger and more. In addition, Boxcar is located on this street. Open since 2017, Gourmand Gunno corrected a long-standing anomaly by visiting it recently. Billed as a ‘neighbourhood restaurant’, it certainly constitutes a wonderful addition to the street, for both food and vibe.
From a modest café that opened over a hundred years ago, to a Michelin-starred celebrity hang-out, the history of the Ivy has been both varied and colourful. The brand remains an enduring one in the culinary world despite having opened Ivy spin-offs across the country, in towns such as Guildford. Its most recent venture has been to create an Asian sub-brand. Trading partly on its name, the ethos at Ivy Asia is full-on decadence with decent enough food to match.
London doesn’t lack for brave new restaurant concepts. However, it’s a Hobbesian world, sufficiently short, nasty and brutish that about half of all restaurant openings in the city shut within a year. You can blame Brexit, inflation, changing fashions, or all/none of the above, but the truth is stark. If your reviewer were a betting person, then he would put Jam Delish in the unlucky category.
Everyone likes a party, right? Few come bigger than Carnival, a celebration of all things West Indian in London’s Notting Hill every August. It’s a great vibe and your reviewer, who lives locally, has been going on an off for the last two decades. What the Rum Kitchen offers is not a homage to Carnival – as their website might seem to suggest – but a commercialisation of the Caribbean experience. If it’s an informal party vibe you’re after at a competitive price, then Rum Kitchen is for you. However, diners hoping for authentic Caribbean food will be sorely disappointed.
