Eating & Drinking In...Kensington

Here's my latest piece for Flavour London magazine, an area guide to eating & drinking in Kensington.





Home to the UK’s most expensive streets, Europe’s priciest flats and many of the world’s most elite boutiques and eateries, it’s good to know you don’t need to be one of life’s super-rich or a member of the Made In Chelsea cast to eat out in Kensington. With museums, Harrods and Hyde Park on your doorstep, it’s just a matter of telling the top runners from the tourist traps.  Flavour knows the places that give some bang for your buck...

South Kensington
The heart of the borough’s dining scene, South Kensington is the gateway to a world of cuisines. Head across the road from the tube and sample the Scandi lifestyle at Madsen (www.madsenrestaurant.com), the restaurant which flew the Nordic flag way before Noma made it notoriously trendy. Norwegian style meatballs and a bottle of Danish craft ale is as hearty as it gets, whilst gravlax on rye bread is far more virtuous. Add a shot of fiery akavit or two if you feel like channeling your inner Viking. 

If Scandinavia leaves you feeling cold, there’s no shortage of Spanish sunshine down the street, with fine dining Cambio de Tercio, tapas bar Tendido Cero and sherry bar Capote Y Toros taking proud ownership of Old Brompton Road (www.cambiodetercio.co.uk). Whilst the first is a local institution and you can expect to queue for a table most nights, the latter is even more of a star, serving no fewer than one hundred different sherries alongside some of the best ham you’ll find this side of the Med.

Head back past the area appropriate Lambourghini shop for another slice of Europe in the form of laid back brasserie Racine (www.racine-restaurant.com), where chef-patron Henry Harris has built up an indisputable reputation for some of the best cooked, most reliably brilliant and good value food in the capital. Très bon.

Eating & Drinking In...Waterloo

Here's my latest piece for Flavour London magazine, an area guide to eating & drinking in Waterloo.





Waterloo is no shrinking violet. Acting as London’s gateway to the Southbank, the namesake station is the busiest in the UK boasting over 1,500 trains in and out daily. It’s also the local stop for the country’s most popular tourist attracting, helping 3 million a year onto the London Eye.  What far too few of the area’s visitors realise is that Waterloo is also fast becoming a foodie hub for the capital. A hub for those who find Borough too busy and the centre too chaotic. It’s a place solely for those in the know. Let Flavour fill you in...

Lower Marsh

Tap out and turn right as you leave Waterloo Tube station to find Lower Marsh, an ancient market street that overflows with charm and character.  Head here on a weekday and you’ll find the narrow road lined with food-to-go stalls and an occasional veg seller.

If you’ve shopping to do, you’ll have to avoid being lured into brightly coloured Cubana (www.cubana.co.uk) which sits on the street’s corner. This modest Cuban restaurant churns out plate after plate of delicious and underpriced delights. They make their money instead on the Mojitos and other suppable cocktails which whizz off the bar of an evening. Catch their happy hour from 5-6.30 and join the party.

One of the first stalls you’ll see as you head down Lower Marsh is Buen Provecho, which has widely been hailed as one of the best places to eat Mexican in London. Try owner Arturo Ortega Rodriguez ‘s legendary pork pibli tacos or indulge in a toasty cheese quesadilla. Just make sure you add a dollop of roasted tomato and chipotle salsa – it will make your tongue sing.