Down in London’s Covent Garden, a curtain swish from the grand theatres of Drury Lane, lies a shy canoodling couple up for a bit of exhibitionism. Champagne and fromage are being served together in a little shop-cum-bistro, and they’re unashamed of their curious pairing.

Ancient and wonderful behind the facade that the cruise day-trippers never see, Malta is much more than an island Benidorm. A place physically and metaphorically between Italy and the Middle East, yet always very much itself and totally comfortable with it.

Frustrated by just looking at his barbeque and not actually using it, Alan Kingsbury reviews some of the wines that will be accompanying all the summer fun when it finally arrives.

The Unearthed range is perfect for gatherings, all you mostly need to do is unwrap and serve. BIg green Kalamata olives flavoured with orange, an excellent pork rillete pate, mixed olives, slicedmeats were all served up in profusion before Tim’s big dish, Finocchi on a salami wrapped around a loin of lamb served with Bombay potatoes and a very zingy fennel and orange salad.

The romantic city of Prague is almost the perfect short break destination, but its uninspiring food scene has always let it down, until now. Sophie Morris investigates the city’s much improved eating, including an unmissable traditional restaurant with a new Michelin star.

Nice isn’t just a tasty biscuit, according to small bakery brand Mrs. Crimble’s. It’s also, surprisingly, a characteristic attributed to the Great British public. A tenner on the lottery might come in handy when your round comes around, but a whopping 90% surveyed reckoned they’d rather experience an act of kindness from their fellow man- sharing the last Rolo, perhaps? Culinary karma- the perfect digestive.

John Oates tries an array of brand-new summer ales which are the product of collaboration between Nicholson’s – the nationwide chain of which the Walrus and Carpenter is a member – and eight UK breweries. The resulting ales, all light and fresh for summer drinking, are available only in Nicholson’s. They proved to be well worth seeking out.

Look there’s Francesco Mazzei, Giancarlo Caldesi and even, rather surreally,Ken Hom, what are they doing in a Spaghetti House of all places? The answer is that this is a party for ‘the’ Spaghetti House, the original in Goodge Street and founded 55 years ago by Simone Lavarini and Lorenzo Fraquelli, immigrants from Italy who missed their food and were shocked by spaghetti in tins and on toast.

Goodness gracious me! Nina Wadia’s kitchen skills are under intense scrutiny from Cyrus Todiwala. She’s getting quite a drubbing over her onion chopping. Luckily, it’s all in jest- the two friends make an engaging double act as they cook up a mini-feast showcasing Cafe Spice Namaste’s menu in aid of charity Find Your Feet’s Curry For Change campaign.

‘Frinton for the incontinent, Harwich for the continent,” says the hotel manager while taking us […]