Avalon grew on me as the night progressed, but a couple of things still spoiled my evening. A packed guest list meant that the venue was too full and made moving around almost impossible. Then there’s the lighting, which baffled me. If your main clientele are the colourful array that Avalon will presumably attract then covering everyone in red lighting, which not only dulls outfits but also conceals the luxurious décor, seems a wrong decision.
Bellevue-designed to a T
It’s not often we spend more time in the office looking at packaging rather than the food within it, but the Bellevue Tea sample pack had designers rushing over from their Macs to coo and drool over this elegant tea’s exterior.
Le Bouchon Breton Celebrates the Launch of its Terrace for 2010 with La Fete Alsacienne
Looking to eat outdoors now the sun has finallly got his hat on? The terrace at Le Bouchon Breton has panoramic views over Old Spitalfields Marketand is also launching La Fete Alsacienne.
Le Garrick, Covent Garden, London
No one’s looking for Michelin Stars at Le Garrick; it exists to serve well-priced., well-cooked food in a cosy, clubby, environment. And it is very well-priced particularly at lunchtime with set menus. They’ve launched the Lunch Club which gives a 10% discount off a lunch bill to all members. Membership is free, so what’s not to like about that?
Tom Aiken turns up at Somerset House
The well-known River Terrace Café at Somerset House has been completely re-designed to become Tom’s Terrace when it opens on 29 April. Underneath a futuristic canopy diners will enjoy protection from the London summer whilst enjoying stunning views of the river Thames.
Great British Food
All of GB’s best and unique ingredients are used here, venison, ham hocks, beetroots, John Dory, rare pork breeds, Somerset cider Cromer crabs – the list goes on and on reading as a roll call of all the things we can be proud to call British. Preferably raising a pint of warm beer into the air as we do so while litter flaps around our ankles in a bracing seaside breeze.
Warm Salad of Chorizo and Cannellini Beans with Oregano
There are some wonderful herbs in our supermarkets right now. Spring brings new tastes and flavours to us and gives me inspiration to experiment with some of my favourite ingredients and create something deliciously moreish.
L’Anima, London
The Italian chef and man of the moment, Francesco Mazzei is cooking up a Calabrian storm at L’Anima, his city restaurant. But as Isobel Cripps 
finds out, sometimes all the PR hype and pre-conceived romanticisms can leave you feeling disenchanted.
Pink Lady® – Baked Apple
If you fancy cooking up a different, yet very tasty type of baked apple why not try your hand at the following recipe?
Chocolate heaven found in Flanders
Oh boy, in a country famed for Beer, TinTin, Magritte, Mussels and Chocolate, we found the finest creator of the latter in fusion chocolatier David Maenhout in Flanders. The creations he turns out here are so utterly fantastic it’s almost a crime to eat them. Well, almost because you could claim ‘crime of passion’. David lets us into his workshop and talks about how he makes his mini-masterpieces, in between sharing out the goodies.