Copita London

Copita, its name derives from the Spanish for a type of sherry glass, is from the mothership of Barrica in Goodge Street and has berthed further south in Darblay Street, Soho. Its sober frontage doesn’t exactly holler for attention but thankfully neither does it go for the faux craphole look which is now getting very boring.

Hyderabad hokum at Namaaste Kitchen

For some, February is the real cruellest month, what with its Valentine hyperbole, morbid imaginings and Arctic weather. But for others such as Namaaste Kitchen in Camden, February is about celebrating regional Indian cuisine, in this case, that from Hyderabad. And eating is a great antidote for early-year blues.

Fish and Grill and all that jazz

The bar is so new you can still smell freshly-sawn wood but its intimate and cosy. At the far end, two almost horizontally laid-back old blues player are showing how it’s done. ‘I don’t want the music down here to be drowning out conversation, but be behind it,’ Malcolm adds while trying one of his own mini puddings of slow-braised ox cheek.

The Artichoke in Amersham

Most people would consider throwing in the towel if their dream restaurant went up in flames. There’s not many who would rebuild, expand and then win a succession of awards. Laurie and Jacqueline Gear are doing sterling work with The Artichoke

Mary Berry cod steaks with anchovy and fennel

Simple and quick enough to join your repertoire for easy midweek after work suppers, the fennel adds an element of chic for the image-conscious, though it is just as suitably wholesome for families. Perfectly judged in every respect, each flavour is detectable – the anchovies adds a salty note to the sweetness of the fennel and onion, a hint of dark earthiness comes from the parsley – but none overwhelms the other. A slightly crunchy brownish topping above the glistening white fish, all moist and flakingly just-cooked, gives it a variety of texture.

Mary Berry Complete Cookbook

With the current trend for quirky cookery books offering an esoteric range of recipes from celebrity chefs, restaurateurs and bloggers, Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook plays the role of wise mother to their naughty children. It won’t set you up as a here today, gone tomorrow pop-up or supper club host but it will make your repertoire much more varied – and your life a lot easier, as Joanna Biddolph discovered.

Champagne Pommery Wintertime

From the depths of winter and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I thought we could have another rummage around the Foodepedia Champagne cellar for something a bit special to share. Right now, I can’t think of anything more appropriate than ‘Wintertime’ a Champagne from the historic house of Pommery based in Reims.