Sierra de Gredos, Spanish
Alex Gunz
A Gourmand’s Guide to Gredos

Whisper it rather than shout it, and certainly don’t tell everyone, but something very exciting is happening in the Gredos region of Spain. Drive two hours northwest from Madrid, where diners lack no shortage of plush restaurants, to encounter a truly different experience. Three days in the region left your reviewer and his group of five dining comrades swooning for both more of its food and wine.

A Gourmand’s Guide to Gredos
Mediterranean, Bristol
Alex Gunz
COR: Blimey, that was good

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.

COR: Blimey, that was good
Spanish, Cardiff
Alex Gunz
Asador 44: Smokin’, Cardiff-style

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.

Asador 44: Smokin’, Cardiff-style
Mediterranean, Marylebone
Alex Gunz
Bellazul: Not quite the Mediterranean

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.

Bellazul: Not quite the Mediterranean
British, Marylebone
Alex Gunz
Boxcar: Every neighbourhood needs one

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.

Boxcar: Every neighbourhood needs one

Japanese-influenced

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Humo: Style versus substance

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Humo: Style versus substance

There was one particular moment at Humo when your reviewer had to struggle hard to keep a straight face. The server was introducing our trout and caviar starter. He highlighted how the trout had enjoyed its life in a river in Hampshire before meeting its death in an Ike-Jine Japanese fashion which is supposed to minimise pain by paralysing the nervous system. Conveniently for diners, it also preserves the quality of the fish fat. Said trout is then smoked over oak. It is next topped with 3-month aged caviar, which is stored at exactly minus one degree in order to promote freshness. Perhaps it was the earnestness of the description. Maybe it was the length of time it took. Sure, we all want to be entertained when we go out – and have no doubt, there is no shortage of quality on show at Humo – but it was hard to escape the notion that the venue just took itself a little bit too seriously.

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Mielcke & Hurtigkarl: Daring to be different

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Mielcke & Hurtigkarl: Daring to be different

Copenhagen does not lack for outstanding eating, garlanded chefs or Michelin stars. Anyone who is interested in food and has not heard of Noma must probably have been living in a cave for the last decade. The challenge for any chef in Denmark’s capital city is to do something genuinely noteworthy, that guests will remember fondly, start talking about and just might become the next big thing. Mielcke & Hurtigkarl is not new – it first opened in 2008 – and does benefit from being housed in a stunning 17th century building, but it represents one of the most exciting things happening in Copenhagen cooking currently.

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Lucky Cat: Lucky for some

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A decade or so ago, Gordon Ramsay was, arguably, one of the most famous chefs in the UK. He has certainly been responsible for a subsequent generation of culinary luminaries such as Clare Smyth and Jason Atherton. Current consensus, however, veers to the critical for Ramsay – maybe he has lost his touch? – and when Lucky Cat opened in late 2019 (unfortunately just pre-pandemic), critics seemingly rushed to be sceptical. Sure, maybe London does not need another slightly edgy yet still very commercial pan-Asian venture (think Roka, Zuma et al), but my comrade and I were recently impressed by a lunchtime visit to Lucky Cat.

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Tokyo Pizza: Japan meets Italy, in Maida Vale

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Tokyo Pizza: Japan meets Italy, in Maida Vale

Restaurant venues which seek to twin food cultures rarely work. They speak of concept or novelty rather than underlying culinary ability or inspiration. Despite my inherent scepticism, Tokyo Pizza – the restaurant’s name gives one a pretty clear indication of what to expect – is perhaps onto something. The principle here is certainly a great one: take the much-loved Italian dough base and then top it with Japanese-influenced ingredients...

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Taka: Substance and showmanship

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Taka: Substance and showmanship

The Taka concept here is to take classic Japanese cooking principles and marry them with locally sourced British ingredients. A more cynical interpretation might be that it’s trying to appeal to as broad a target market as possible. The décor feels distinctly Japanese but the vibe is more London if you actually focus on what you’re eating, then it’s mostly pretty damned good....

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Roka Canary Wharf: Hai!

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Roka Canary Wharf: Hai!

Credit to the backers of Roka that they astutely chose Canary Wharf for their second outlet, opening it some five years before either its Mayfair or Aldwych branches. Follow the money was perhaps the principle. Admittedly, it took me a full decade to visit this venue, but a recent lunchtime meal impressed both me and my comrade. If only all Roka experiences could be as satisfying as this one.

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Dinings: Dine out on this

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Dinings: Dine out on this

Blink and you might miss it. Dinings is located in a tiny Georgian townhouse on an obscure side street in Marylebone. Spacious, the venue is not. Rather, it is distinctly cramped and bereft of decoration, but the food is so supremely good that it is well worth a visit…

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Zuma: Living the dream

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Zuma has become almost an institution on the London dining scene. Even more than 10 years on from opening it can still be hard to get a table here. It would be easy for a restaurant in such a position to dine out on its success, but standards have stayed consistently high. A recent lunchtime visit demonstrated that the food remains as good as ever. The atmosphere, however, left quite a lot to be desired.

Southam Street: Style over substance (December 2017)

Southam Street: Style over substance (December 2017)

Southam Street sees the transformation of a formerly grotty pub at the non-fashionable end of Notting Hill into a destination venue offering cocktails, food and a members’ club. Based on a recent visit, the owners are definitely doing something right. My comrade and I liked the vibe, but were perhaps less impressed with the food. In the end, this may not matter – the angle Southam Street seems to be going for is perhaps more style than substance...

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Roka Mayfair: Doesn’t rock for me (October 2017)

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I first reviewed this branch of Roka not long after it opened in summer 2014. Since then, I have been back probably half-a-dozen times both for lunch and dinner, but on each occasion – and despite being willing to give the place the benefit of the doubt (again) – I have been disappointed. A recent weekday lunch did nothing to change my impression.

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Chotto Mate: Classy – but, wait a minute, check the prices (October 2016)

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Chotto Mate ticks many boxes – it is cool, serves excellent food and wines and has enthusiastic and engaging staff. The catch, however, is the cost. The menu is somewhat bewildering in its complexity, the dishes are small and the bill can therefore rack up quickly.

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Sushisamba: Dancing to the beat (February 2014)

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It’s a fairly well-trodden path that you need to take if you want to try and succeed at present on the London restaurant scene – a menu comprising sharing dishes that draw their culinary influences from around the world, especially Asia and South America.