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London’s best bars and restaurants for gin lovers

OpenTable October 18, 2019 Leave a Comment

Britain’s best-loved spirit has been around since the 16th century. By 1750, over 11 million gallons were being consumed by Londoners every single year. Luckily, London has remained a mecca for gin lovers. Here’s our list of London’s best bars and restaurants celebrating all things gin.

GinTonica
Situated in the heart of Notting Hill, GinTonica will make you feel like you’ve landed in a bohemian bar in vibrant Barcelona. Tuck into Spanish tapas with a modern British twist and choose from a list of 100 gins from around the world. The building is also home to the Portobello Road gin distillery and if you don’t want your evening to end, you can stay the night in one of their modern guestrooms.

214 Bermondsey
This relaxed underground bar offers more than 100 gins, including local favourites like Little Bird. It’s a friendly, unpretentious spot – ideal for date night or catching up with friends. You can dine upstairs at pasta bar Flour & Grape or nearby at The Garrison or Loyal Tavern.

Holborn Dining Room
Holborn Dining Room is known for its delicious seasonal British cuisine – their pies are an absolute must-try. You’ll feel right at home in this grand brasserie with its red leather banquettes, antique mirrors, and copper-topped Gin Bar. The bar stocks London’s largest gin collection – over 500 in total – so you can try something new every time you visit.

Rivington Grill
They take gin seriously at Rivington Grill in Greenwich – there are more than 250 to choose from! Sit back and enjoy the relaxed yet stylish atmosphere and tuck into classic British dishes like dressed Cornish crab, ribeye steak, or their superb Rivington beef burger. On weekdays, they offer £6 G&Ts made with their gin of the month from 5-7pm – perfect for after-work drinks.

Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour
If you’re up for a little adventure, then look no further than Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour – a quirky West End drinking den with décor that will transport you back to Victorian times. Expand your gin knowledge with their Gin Safari tasting experience or go for G&Tea and enjoy sweet and savoury treats accompanied by gin teapot cocktails.

The City of London Distillery & Bar
Gin fans who are interested in taking their knowledge of their favourite drink to another level should pay the City of London Distillery a visit. The award-winning gin distillery has a speakeasy-style cocktail bar and hosts gin tastings, distillery tours, and Gin Lab experiences where you can distil your own gin. Snack on cheese and charcuterie platters or dine nearby at Madison or Bread Street Kitchen.

108 Brasserie
Fancy a little break from boutique hopping in stylish Marylebone? 108 Brasserie is located just off the busy high street and boasts a collection of over 40 premium gins, including their own 108 Gin which is distilled in-house. We recommend trying their signature 108 Martini before dinner in the elegant brasserie.

Gillray’s Steakhouse
Sometimes a classic steak paired with a good drink is all it takes to turn a restaurant visit into a deliciously memorable experience. That’s exactly what you can expect at Gillray’s, a Southbank steakhouse overlooking the River Thames. An added bonus for gin lovers is the list of over 100 gins and their G&T afternoon tea which includes unlimited gin and tonics!

Chapel Down Gin Works
Location, location, location! Phil and Kirsty would love this gin distillery, bar and restaurant as it occupies a prime spot in King’s Cross overlooking the Regent’s Canal. Pop in for drinks or round up friends or colleagues for a tutored tasting.

Merchant House
Award-winning Merchant House is an absolute must-visit for gin lovers. This handsome bar in the heart of the City is home to one of the largest spirit collections in the world. They also offer tasting flights and gin and whisky masterclasses for those keen to expand their palates.

This is a guest post from freelance journalist Beatrice Clark. She has written for Vogue, Glamour and Vanity Fair, among others, and has spent the past 15 years living in France, England and Scotland. She is currently based in Berlin and is always on the hunt for the perfect Eggs Benedict.

6 ways to celebrate National Curry Week in London

OpenTable October 7, 2019

New openings, lunch for a quid, and a curry party in Canada Water – here’s how to celebrate National Curry Week in London.

Try one of London’s hottest new Indian restaurants

If you can resist the allure of your local curry house, National Curry Week is a great time to check out a new opening. You could treat a friend to dinner at Atul Kochhar’s newest venture, Kanishka, or enjoy a modern take on South Indian cuisine at Ooty on Baker Street. For something a little different, book a table at Lucknow 49 – a restaurant specialising in kebabs, curries and biryanis from the city of Lucknow in northern India.

Grab a curry for a quid in Shoreditch

Miguel Barclay, author of One Pound Meals, is hosting a pop-up this Wednesday offering curry, rice and a soft drink for £1 per head. He’s teamed up with Elmlea to show Brits how easy it is to create delicious dishes using leftovers and kitchen cupboard ingredients. You can enjoy a £1 chicken tikka masala, chicken korma, or veggie Thai green curry from noon until 3pm at 46 Great Eastern Street.

Get tickets for Street Feast’s Curry Curry Bang Bang

Street Feast are bringing 12 stars of the London food scene together for a Curry Week party at Hawker House this Thursday. Spice lovers can look forward to Dishoom’s mutton pepper fry, Lahpet’s Burmese pork and mustard green curry, and a classic katsu curry from Yum Bun. There will be games and DJs, a naan and rice station, and six bars keeping the drinks flowing. Tickets cost £10, which includes a Kingfisher beer.

Brush up on your curry cooking skills

Want to impress your friends with a home-cooked curry? You can take an Indian street food class at the Waitrose Cookery School, explore the flavours of South India with Food at 52, or pick up tips from celeb chefs like Atul Kochhar and Cyrus Todiwala at Leiths School of Food and Wine.

Combine curry + cocktails with a trip to Brick Lane

The London Cocktail Week hub returns to Brick Lane this year with 40 pop-up bars serving £6 cocktails to LCW pass holders. Highlights include a Finnish gin sauna, a tropical rum bar, and an izakaya alley where you can sample Japanese gin, whisky and vodka. If you fancy a curry afterwards, you’re only a stroll away from restaurants like Gunpowder, Muhib, and Sheba Brick Lane.

Give something back with a donation to Curry for Change

Curry for Change is National Curry Week’s official charity partner. The fundraising campaign by Find Your Feet helps to change the lives of rural families in Asia and Africa who suffer from hunger. You can donate via their website or sign up to host a fundraising curry evening at home.

For more inspiration, visit OpenTable to discover more of London’s best Indian restaurants.

Photo Credit: @tomsbigeats for Street Feast.

The Hot List: New London restaurants to try this autumn

OpenTable October 4, 2019

This autumn, Londoners can look forward to globe-trotting tasting menus, the reimagining of a restaurant under the name of a culinary legend, smoked eel pithivier, and London’s most anticipated opening of 2019.

The Betterment

The Biltmore Mayfair is as plush as you like. Now, it’s getting an experienced restaurateur to make sure the food’s up to scratch. Jason Atherton is overseeing the hotel’s restaurant, an elegant space serving wood-fired grill fish, meat and veg. Go… for your own betterment.

Vardo

Caravan, the reliable coffee and brunch chain, has come up with something slightly different for their new project in Chelsea. While some recognisable elements are there – like the wood-fired pizzas – it feels, and is designed to be, a bit more restaurant-y. The food takes its influences from all over the world, from Russia to Northern India.

Allegra

Stratford has a hot new dining destination – a restaurant and bar at The Stratford, a 42-storey skyscraper overlooking the Olympic Park. The kitchen is headed up by ex-Chiltern Firehouse chef Patrick Powell. Highlights include a large outdoor terrace viewpoint, charcuterie cured in-house, and dishes like smoked eel pithivier and sake steamed turbot.

Arabica King’s Cross

Five years after their original Levantine restaurant opened, Arabica goes north of the river, bringing what an ‘entirely new’ menu with them. A lunch to dinner affair, take note of the Belted Galloway beef shish, seven-spice wings, and their ‘super-charged hummus’ with sweet peppers, chilli and garlic.

Journey – Opens: 15th October.

Journey is the latest immersive dining experience from the group that brought London the naked restaurant, The Bunyadi. This one will certainly live up to the name, promising a culinary tour of the world in one sitting. Diners can choose from 4 different menus and try dishes like spiced mussels from Pakistan, blowtorched tilapia from Mexico, and pan-fried potato cakes with ham hock and sauerkraut from Poland.

The Yard at Great Scotland Yard – Opens: October, date TBC.

Making a hotel restaurant appealing is a notoriously tricky thing. But, great scot, if anyone’s going to take a fresh approach, it’s The Dairy’s Robin Gill. Food promises to be modern British, with an in-house butchery, bakery, and a parlour serving afternoon tea.

Wilder – Opens: Mid-October

Things look auspicious over at Boundary’s new basement opening. Wilder will champion seasonal and sustainable British ingredients, including trout and crayfish from Terence Conran’s (the hotel’s co-owner) Berkshire estate. There’s a new chef, too – Richard McLellan (ex-Typing Room and Alyn Williams at the Westbury).

Le Comptoir Robuchon – Opens: 1^st November

After ten successful years, the late Joel Robuchon’s London restaurant closed this year. The closure, however, is the beginning of something else – the traditional French/nouvelle cuisine style made famous by the ‘chef of the century’ is set to live on in Mayfair.

Davies and Brook – Opens: November, date TBC.

Is Davies and Brook London’s restaurant opening of the year? Though it may be too early to say, several details point to a resounding ‘yes’. Chiefly, the Eleven Madison Park – still regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world – quality that will descend on Claridge’s, led by EMP’s Daniel Humm and executive chef Dmitri Magi.

Daffodil Mulligan – Opens: November, date TBC.

Though it was pressing all the right buttons, Irish restaurant Nuala closed last year. Another product of Ireland – Richard Corrigan – is here to have another go at the Old Street site. How will Corrigan’s coastal cuisine translate in Shoreditch? Only one way to find out.

This is a guest post from freelance food journalist Hugh Thomas. He’s contributed to Foodism, Time Out, Great British Chefs, and is part of British Street Food’s small team of vigilant writers. Find him on twitter @hughwrites.

9 London restaurants where kids can eat for free

OpenTable September 23, 2019

Life in London is fun, but also very expensive – especially when it comes to treating the family. But don’t cross family dinners off your activity list just yet – we’ve rounded up nine London restaurants where children can eat for free and you can enjoy sensational dishes, too. Win-win for everyone!

York & Albany
Nestled between Regent’s Park and Camden Town, Gordon Ramsay’s York & Albany restaurant is a must-visit for any foodie. The former 1820s coaching inn makes for the perfect cosy restaurant setting for the whole family. Kids under 12 can eat free from Tilly’s Treats menu, which includes pasta and meatballs, fish and chips, and chocolate brownies for pud.

Dining elsewhere? Kids eat free at other Gordon Ramsay restaurants like Bread Street Kitchen and London House.

HIX Soho
Fancy some delicious British comfort food after a day of exploring the city? Then visit HIX in Soho with the entire family. Children under 10 can choose a complimentary main course between 4-6pm Monday to Friday and 12-6pm on weekends. There are familiar favourites like fish and chips and breaded chicken, plus prawn cocktail and smoked salmon for young seafood fans.

Camino Bankside
Just a short walk from Southbank and the Tate Modern, a visit to Camino Bankside feels like a short trip to Spain itself. Grown-ups can check out the impressive jamón counter where top quality Ibérico ham is carved to order. Little ones can eat for free from Camino’s classic or vegetarian children’s menus. They’ll love the Ibérico meatballs and traditional Spanish tortilla.

Sea Containers
Up for a weekend treat? Whether your kids are fussy eaters or food connoisseurs, at Sea Containers they are bound to find a dish that’ll tickle their fancy. Choose from hummus and crushed avocado with flatbread, mac & cheese, or a mini cheeseburger. Best of all, your little ones can fill their bellies for free from 12pm to 4pm every weekend.

The Real Greek
We’ve always known that our European neighbours were great at treating kids the right way and with free kids’ meals on Sundays, The Real Greek is no exception. Round up the family, share some delicious meze dishes, and feel like you’re in sunny Greece for a little while.

Barbican Kitchen
Barbican Kitchen is a family-friendly restaurant situated on the ground floor of the Barbican Centre and a family trip combining the arts and yummy food are a win-win combination in our eyes. Kids under 12 eat free with an adult ordering a main meal and can choose from mini steak burgers and fish bites with smashed peas. Why not let your little ones check out how real pizza dough is made in the kitchen? The chefs here are super friendly!

Bodean’s BBQ
Love a good barbecue? Then head to Bodean’s, which brings the taste, style and soul of Kansas City barbecue to the British capital. At their Soho restaurant, one child eats free with each adult ordering a main from 12-3pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday. Just watch out for sticky fingers after they’ve got stuck into the ribs and chicken wings! If your kids get bored in a restaurant setting, fear not – there’s plenty of colouring supplies to keep them entertained.

Tom’s Kitchen
Do you love a leisurely weekend breakfast? Leave the cooking to the experts and head to Tom’s Kitchen to try his famous eggs Benedict. From 9.30-11.00am, children up to the age of 10 eat free from the children’s menu and grown-ups can enjoy unlimited tea or coffee. There’s no better way to celebrate the weekend.

Rivington Greenwich
Greenwich is the ideal location for a family day out. After taking the children to see Cutty Sark or the Maritime Museum, stroll over to Rivington Greenwich for comforting dishes like sausage and mash or mini schnitzels with garlic mayo. Kids under 12 eat for free from Monday to Friday and everyone will feel welcome at this stylish yet cosy restaurant offering modern British cuisine.