European, South london
Alex Gunz
The Laundry: Cleaning up

A few steps away from the colourful chaos that is Brixton, diners seeking a haven will find the Laundry. It is – you’ve guessed it – located on the site of a former washing house. Closed after 120 years in service and reopened in 2019 as an all-day dining destination, the Laundry delivers.

The Laundry: Cleaning up
Middle Eastern, Mayfair
Alex Gunz
Berenjak: Winning formula, on repeat

JKS don’t do bad restaurants. Slowly but surely the group seem to be taking over the London dining scene. Not content with a swathe of successful Indian restaurants, their Persian franchise is seeking to hit the big time, with its third venue. Beyond the Soho original and a Borough market outlet, the newest opening sits right in the heart of swanky Mayfair. It has all the ingredients for an enduring success.

Berenjak: Winning formula, on repeat
Chinese, Soho
Alex Gunz
Liu Xiaomian: Spicy, numbing and addictive

These three adjectives are the first thing diners see when they walk into Liu Xiaomian. They are projected in red neon on the back wall. No surprises then in terms of what to expect. The fiery sensations linger long after visiting and it will only be a matter of time before a return trip. We were told that Liu was addictive after all.

Liu Xiaomian: Spicy, numbing and addictive
Seafood, Jersey
Alex Gunz
Oyster Box: A must-visit in Jersey

Few things make your reviewer happier than sitting in the sun and admiring a stunning view, with a plate of oysters and a glass of dry white wine alongside. Jersey’s Oyster Box provides all the above. It should be a must-visit venue for any discerning diner on the island.

Oyster Box: A must-visit in Jersey
Afternoon Tea, Mayfair
Alex Gunz
Afternoon tea at the Ritz: Much glitz

There’s something wonderfully quaint and yet quintessentially English about the ritual of afternoon tea. There are few better places to do it in London than at the Ritz Hotel. The experience is one of opulence and decadence. The additional benefit is that guests can feast heartily yet not leave bloated. Tea has a wonderful restorative effect.

Afternoon tea at the Ritz: Much glitz

European

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Gauthier Soho: Impressed, but not wowed (September 2014)

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Just minutes from the sex shops of Soho is not perhaps the most obvious place to site a high-end French fine dining restaurant. Diners enter Gauthier (eponymously named after the head chef) through a discrete black door on Romilly Street and find themselves amidst an oasis of calm, a notable contrast to the outside world.

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Little Social: Needs to think bigger (June 2013)

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After having thoroughly enjoyed Pollen Street Social on several occasions, I approached Little Social with some anticipation, intrigued as much as anything to see whether Jason Atherton could continue to work his magic in another restaurant formula or whether Pollen Street’s smaller sibling would be an example of brand-extension-gone-too-far, an unnecessarily bold incursion situated directly opposite its precursor.

Kaspar’s Seafood Bar & Grill (May 2013)

My dining comrades and I had been excited about a visit to Kaspar’s given its location in the beautifully refurbished Savoy hotel. Week-old restaurants inevitably have their teething problems and one should always read reviews (mine included) with a metaphorical pinch of salt, but the only one I had seen (Fay Maschler’s – a critic whom I generally respect) had lowered my expectations, given its relatively damning assessment.