Food and Drink
Review: Romulo
Romulo Café & Restaurant is one of Kensington’s best kept secrets, offering authentic Filipino cuisine and delicious well thought out cocktails. And don’t let the name fool you – Romulo Cafe is not really a cafe but a proper restaurant.
On entering we were greeted by a smile from the lovely owner Rowena Romulo, who is the granddaughter of the Filipino diplomat, statesman, soldier, journalist and author Carlos P. Romulo whom the restaurant is named after. Her ambition is to make the restaurant the number one destination for Filipino food through heirloom recipes and dishes handed down from generations past. The space itself is bright and...
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Club64 - Salon by day, private members club by night
But what you may not be aware of is how it’s planning on ringing in its second anniversary… by opening CLUB64; the hottest new private members club in the city. I was lucky enough to be invited and I wasn’t disappointed.
Review of Zuaya - The True Taste of Latin American in the heart of...
Nestled just off Kensington High Street, today’s restaurant of choice is Zuaya, a vibrant Latin American restaurant and bar offering the perfect combination of mouth-watering tapas, imaginative cocktails and exceptional service in a uniquely chic, exotic and lively ambience. Whether you are looking to relax and indulge over cocktails in the snazzy bar or wish to be taken on an exciting culinary journey of Latin America, Zuaya offers a wonderful culinary experience with tempting, exotic and inventive Latin American (Brazilian, Peruvian, Mexican) & Spanish dishes.
Chef Series - Alessandro Cozzolino of Belmond Villa San...
Originally from Caserta in southern Italy, Alessandro has trained internationally with Michelin-starred chefs, also spending time in Hong Kong, and his food is a combination of daring modern twists and unique ingredient combinations. The Sybarite speaks to Alessandro to learn more about this young chef’s passions, work and his very bright future.
Review of Harry’s Dolce Vita - Italian Vintage Glamour in...
The restaurant is perfectly placed behind Harrods in Knightsbridge, where the spiritless Café Rouge used to sit. It is owned by Richard Caring’s Caprice Holdings, owner of J Sheekey, as well as The Ivy and Scott’s. Knowing this, you won’t be surprised to hear that the décor at Harry’s screams elegance and luxury, with mirrored ceilings, russet-hued leather furniture and a long, sexy bar perfect for a tipple or two. Harry’s Dolce Vita is a nod to Harry’s Bar in Mayfair, an exclusive members club, as well as to the iconic Venice original. The tunes in Harry’s Dolce Vita live up to its name too, with plenty of Italian crooning going on, a perfect accompaniment to all the retro-glamorous photography.
Duval-Leroy - a vineyard perfectly balanced between...
But most exceptional of all is the brand’s commitment to involving the consumer in the production of the Champagne. Their philosophy is “It is with you that we make the best Champagnes”, and this is evident from everything that the vineyard offers. Driving this commitment to the consumer is the Duval-Leroy family themselves, who have remained an integral part of the Duval-Leroy vineyard and the Duval-Leroy champagne making process. Although educating people about Champagne is a great passion of the CEO of Duval-Leroy, Carol Duval-Leroy, where her true passion lies is sharing the creation of champagne with the masses.
The Chef Series - Jeremy Chan from Ikoyi
Young and ambitious, 33 year old Jeremy Chan opened and became Head Chef of Ikoyi by the age of 30, with the restaurant gaining its first Michelin star within a year. Together with his close friend and co-owner Iré Hassan-Odukale, Ikoyi seems to be going from one strength to the next. And most importantly, the food is fantastic.
An Icon of Italian Culinary Arts - Exclusive Interview...
The ‘Food for Soul’ project focuses on the vulnerable in the community by providing them sustenance, nourishment and encouragement.
The Baroque Baron of Notting Hill gets a lockdown...
An exception to such an unfortunate demise is Beach Blanket Babylon in Notting Hill, a British institution in every manner of the expression. The floors of this unique mansion have been graced by everyone from Kate Moss to Prince Harry to Selena Gomez, and the exclusive gatherings hosted in private party rooms are ones we all wish we were a fly on the (rococo style) wall at. Beach Blanket Babylon has not fallen under the weight of its 1990’s hot spot reputation, but has instead gone in full lockdown makeover mode, while maintaining the character of those times. The first floor ‘ballroom’ has been described as ‘part ancient Rome, part Versailles’, and has maintained its lavish integrity, working perfectly for a private restriction-abiding raucous dinner party.
Review of Yauatchas Delectable Mooncakes
We were anticipating Yauatcha’s mooncake this Mid-Autumn Festival in London and were delighted to be able to get our hands on not only one but two of their mooncake versions - custard-filled and snowskin filled with a sweet pandan and salted egg center. Both versions are worth ordering as they offer a semi-traditional and non-traditional style of mooncake, and of course they tasted wonderful.
Review of Peninsula’s Legendary Mooncakes
As one of the major celebrations in Chinese culture, the legendary mooncake which is originally made with sweet lotus paste and salted egg yolk, is eaten during this festivity. However the original mooncake recipe is not everyone’s favourite simply because it’s much too sweet and very dense in flavour. Enter the Peninsula Hotel, the original inventor of the highly reputed and most sought after custard-filled mooncakes, raising the bar for this classic confectionary. First launched in 1986, The Peninsula Hong Kong still carries the tradition by releasing these delicacies each year for a limited time only. As they are so coveted and sell out within a matter of weeks, few can disagree that there isn’t anything quite comparable to Peninsula’s version.
Review of Sticky Mango - South East Asian Cuisine Under One Roof
The cuisine is South East Asian which, as it is one of my favourites, meant it is the first restaurant I have gone back to consistently to post-lockdown, once restaurants began reopening. I was super happy to see the number of nightly covers quadrupling since my first visit back, with the restaurant benefitting substantially from the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, something that Peter has continued for September. Opened in 2016 and tucked away just a short walk from the bustling South Bank and Waterloo Station, Sticky Mango is one of London’s best-kept secrets. The restaurant is spread over three floors of an historic building on Stamford Street which was previously home to RSJ Restaurant.
Review of Manuka Kitchen - Modern European Cuisine At Its Finest
A true neighbourhood restaurant must be familiar, comforting, and satisfying. In an intimate spot on Fulham Road sits Manuka Kitchen, a neighbourhood bistro that serves up modern European fare to its loyal clientele. Not everyone can say that their local is listed in the Michelin Guide or was a favourite of renowned food critic AA Gill.
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