We’ve had a lot of coffee makers in the office this year and not all have been interns. Some we have plugged into the electricity socket to see what would happen. In the case of the interns it was a lawsuit, but the machines weren’t so fussy. The last one we tried this year was the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Piccolo. If the Nespresso is the George Clooney of coffee machines, this is his younger, racier, brother.
Bloom Gin & Sin – a great Christmas cocktail, fruity, tangy, with a hint of sweetness and great length on the palate using Bloom gin
If you are looking for a stylish cocktail to impress your guests with this Christmas, you might like to try Bloom’s Gin & Sin. It couldn’t be easier to make, so you don’t have to be a bartender to put it together.
The Giraffe Family Cookbook, well presented recipes for the whole family to use.
Against my expectations, I really liked the Giraffe Family Cookbook. It’s unfussy, well-presented and has a lot of interesting recipes. It would make an excellent addition to the family bookshelves, although there really is something here for everybody.
White truffle menu at Refettorio London
With white truffle selling for around 10,200 euro per kilogram – actually a low price relatively speaking as the harvest is good this year – you don’t want to be shaving your slices on any old dish. Only the best will do and at Refettorio they know exactly how to bring out every nuance of the ultimate luxury ingredient with a special truffle menu available while the season and supplies last.
Eating up north at Bar 166 & Bistro and Voda
I found myself returning to my motherland of Yorkshire to eat at two eateries owned by Matthew Jones, a local lad who makes encouraging noises about fresh food and local produce in all the marketing material. Voda, promoted as a bar & grill, is a stone’s throw from Huddersfield railway station, while Bar 166 is a bistro in Horsforth, a town north west of Leeds.
Tracklements Onion Marmalade: Great in sauces, casseroles, sandwiches and tarts
When winter comes and the nights start to draw in there’s nothing quite like hearty comfort food. Sausages are a guaranteed winter time pleaser and Tracklements Onion Marmalade is the perfect accompaniment.
Michel Roux Jr at Parliament Square, London
The room, as many have already rather sniffily remarked, is a bit odd. It’s reminiscent of attempts to recreate a Georgian sitting room in a Barrett’s home. Of course the fireplaces here are the real thing, not made of plastic, and yet the impression lingers. It’s not unpleasant, far from it, but it does strike a slightly wrong note. Thankfully the food is good enough to distract you from the décor.
Made in Camden, Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH
Made in Camden sits neatly between west London me and several north London friends and I will be steering them swiftly into it. A very short walk from Chalk Farm tube station, it’s the new bar and dining room at The Roundhouse. No, it doesn’t have that sterile, safe, tacked-on-to-something-corporate feel so typical of in-theatre restaurants and bars.
Juniper Dining, 100 Highbury Park, London, N5 2XE
Yorkshire-born chef Rob Wilkinson has set up his restaurant Juniper in Highbury to please his Arsenal-loving wife. Having worked through a clutch of Manchester restaurants before a stint at Boisdale Bishopsgate, Wilkinson now heads Juniper’s kitchen while his father-in-law does the accounts – a true family-run restaurant.
Gourmet dinner for charity at Sofitel The Grand Amsterdam
The final Sofitel Stars, Food and Art is the biggest and best yet. Six 2 Starred Michelin chefs cook one course each at Sofitel The Grand Amsterdam and the result is culinary perfection. Nick Harman packs his clogs and black tie and joins the lucky diners.