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 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.
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.
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.
I was recently invited by the team at Findwine to a tasting where they were showcasing their wines from the Wendouree vineyard. I understand that purchasing wines from this vineyard is extremely difficult; their wines are normally sold only to private purchasers in small amounts. Take a look at the Findwine site, it’s worth exploring, you might find some little treasures as you do.
Barceló Imperial Rum is an excellent sipping rum and would make a great Christmas gift for any rum drinker, but it would appeal to anyone who enjoys warm caressing after dinner drinks. So, you might just want to buy an extra bottle to have in the drinks cabinet to offer guests as an alternative to the usual brandies, Armagnacs and liqueurs this Christmas.
Buying Christmas gifts for food lovers can be a minefield, especially when you enter the realm of kitchen gadgetry. This year get them something they’ll really use that’s not destined to build up cobwebs in the cupboard under the stairs. Here are our Top 5 gadgets to give this Christmas.
The Basement is one of those places where you want to hover in the kitchen and taste everything that hits the pass. As you clock every dish heading for nearby tables it is easy to dither and even harder not to trawl the other tables asking for a forkful as it all looks so good.
While their outlets are in London, the main one in Piccadilly, there are also concessions in Harrods and Selfridges, La Maison Du Chocolat products can also be ordered on line with guaranteed next day delivery anywhere in the country. These top quality chocolates would make excellent gifts at Christmas time or for any special occasion really.
The cat’s out of the bag. Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally engaged and speculation reigns about the forthcoming nuptials. While we all love a good royal knees-up, here at Foodepedia HQ we’re not really interested in where it will take place, who will design the dress, or whether Carole will kickstart the conga – all we want to know is what will be on the menu!
