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Written by Jonathan Swain

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Gorse

by Jonathan Swain

Lovely to stop by the Stables Bar at The Milestone

Lovely to stop by the Stables Bar at The Milestone in Kensington again, this time trying Angelo’s delicately-balanced Truffle Negroni. Note the wonderful glassware and clear ice. An underrated gem of a bar
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#negroni #glassware #clearice #vermouth #campari #trufflecocktail #cocktailbar #cocktailhour #toplondonbars #kensington #instadrink #cincin #easter #weekend #cocktailgram #mixology #ginstagram #gintastic #bar #hotelbar #londonbylondoners #wheretodrink #latenightbar #londongram #stablesbar #milestonehotel

Back to Muse at the Royal Society of Arts. What a

Back to Muse at the Royal Society of Arts. What a bar. Reviewed it last month (link in bio) but had to return. As well as their own house drinks which prize sustainability, they also make the classics very well. Here is a Tuxedo No. 2 made by bartender Felix (with a slight twist, using elusive green Chartreuse instead of an absinthe rinse). Also loved the truffle martini, which bar manager Kevin stirs with a thermometer to ensure it’s cold enough. Lovely glassware too. Very excited about this bar’s proximity to Simpson’s in the Strand when it re-opens
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#muse #thestrand #charingcross #tuxedo #toplondonbars #hiddengem #bartender #humpday #imbibe #cocktail #cocktailbar #cocktailsofinstagram #glassware #instadrink #londonbar #stirrednotshaken #londonguide #aperitif #cocktailhour #barfly #marbletop #martini #mixology #cocktailgram #wheretodrink #palatecleanser

A deliciously French weekend at Josette in Clerken

A deliciously French weekend at Josette in Clerkenwell and Authentique Epicerie in Tufnell Park (which just celebrated its 7th anniversary).

Pictures 1-5 at Josette: champagne, escargots, comforting chicken with vin jaune sauce, morels and pomme purée, fromage and a chocolate soufflé. Reviewed this in our February edition and just had to return. It’s a lovely, lovely place.

Pictures 6 and 7: the steak au poivre and incredible Époisses croquettes at Authentique.
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#frenchfood #wheretoeat #weekend #authentique #comfortfood #escargots #steakaupoivre #epoisses #fromage #cheese #foodie #londonfoodscene #cuisinefrançaise #hospitality #bourgogne #londonfoodspots #foodgram #bonvivant #delicious #foodstagram #soufflé #goodtimes #toplondoneats #gourmand #moreismore

Covent Garden al fresco aperitivo time at Baudry G

Covent Garden al fresco aperitivo time at Baudry Greene after a busy old week. Slightly obsessed with their Rouge Clair Negroni and now order one on every visit: a bridge between a Negroni and a martini and absolutely delicious. Cin cin
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#baudrygreene #coventgarden #alfresco #spring #pavementcafe #cafelife #martini #negroni #aperitif #aperitivo #cincin #instadrink #imbibe #friyay #cocktailhour #cocktail #bar #londongram #londontips #apero #wheretodrink #hospitality #endellstreet

There must and shall be cheese. A fromagian select

There must and shall be cheese. A fromagian selection at The Midland Grand, now with Victor Garvey as chef patron. The cheese option isn’t immediately obvious from the menu but there’s nothing to worry about: a cheese trolley trundles its way to the rescue (and there’s a champagne trolley to boot). Blimey is it good. (And so is the rest of the menu, somewhat fancier, and pricier, than the restaurant’s previous iterations.) The Oregon blue cheese was a revelation.

No long-form review for this exciting new chapter of The Midland Grand (indeed, the one we published in 2023 is already out of date!) but for other April articles and reviews head to palatemag.co.uk or the link in the bio
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#cheese #fromage #formaggio #cheeseplate #cheeseboard #cheesetrolley #käse #comte #camembert #cheesedreams #themidlandgrand #stpancrashotel #stpancras #kingscross #londonfood #londonfoodscene #londonfoodguide #foodie #cheesecourse #foodwriter #foodphoto #wheretoeat #londongram #londonrestaurants #moreismore #gourmand

From Rio to Rioja, we have a quite a different ran

From Rio to Rioja, we have a quite a different range of new content on the main site this month (sorry to disappoint, no April Fools). But first to Pontcanna and a review of Gorse by @the_plate_licked_clean - an “impressively assured debut” and deserving of its recently-awarded Michelin star (Cardiff’s first and also our first Wales review in quite a while). Head to palatemag.co.uk for the full review or link in bio

“This is immediately evocative stuff: you can almost feel the wind in your hair and the salt on your lips as you walk along Pembrokeshire beaches… Gorse already feels fully realised, its love of Wales obvious and deep-seated without ever being strident…”

Swipe through to see some of the dishes:

Breconshire fallow deer, beetroot and pickled elderberry;
Trout tartlet, turnip and fig leaf;
Monkfish, preserved elderflower and morel;
Pembrokeshire mackerel, wild mussels, lovage and spruce vinegar;
Rhubarb, toasted hay cream, lavender and egg yolk.

Photos and review by @the_plate_licked_clean
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#gorse #cardiff #pontcanna #wales #walesfoodscene #tomwaters #restaurantreview #foodwriter #eat #diningout #welshcuisine #venison #pembrokeshire #artofplating #delicious #exploreuk #foodgram #foodstagram #restaurantreviewer #foodreview #britishfood #foodie #wheninwales #moreismore #foodheaven #cardifffoodguide

Back to London and to London Shell Co in Highgate

Back to London and to London Shell Co in Highgate (which celebrated its second birthday at its Swain’s Lane site this week - can’t believe it’s been two years already). Lovely plaice with a parsley salad and lyonnaise potatoes, red mullet with stracciatella and a refreshing glass of splishy-splashy. Perfect on a spring day after walking up to Parliament Hill
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#plaice #swainslane #highgate #parliamenthill #fishmonger #fish #spring #wineshop #redmullet #poisson #lunchmeanslunch #weekend #lunchgoals #delicious #londongram #londonbylondoners #londonshellco #bistro #goodfood #bonvivant #hospitality #wheretoeat #eat #casualdining #londonfoodguide #londonfoodspots #londonfoodscene #hampsteadheath

Finally posting this true highlight from the littl

Finally posting this true highlight from the little Yorkshire tour: an epic return to The Angel at Hetton. Been longing to come back here since first reviewing it in 2021 and indeed being impressed by Michael Wignall’s cooking back in his Gidleigh Park days. This return visit did not disappoint; in fact it was even better. Truly stellar service throughout, starting with a martini in the bar (with local gin - very local in fact as it’s their own gin) and then going through to the refurbished dining room and its minimalist Scandi design (somewhat different to how it appeared on The Trip). Too many wonderful dishes to mention but the stars were (in rough order pictured here):

A5 Hyogo Wagyu with confit yolk, braised swede, lovage and roasted onion dashi;

Yorkshire Roe deer, farrow spelt, artichoke and maitake (with a little venison ragu on the side);

Cornish lemon sole, oyster cream, agretti and kelp;

48 month old parmesan, tomato XO, braised ox and truffle;

Yorkshire rhubarb, stem ginger, custard, aerated and caramelised white chocolate;

And an array of canapés and amuse bouches.

Rounding it all off with a Campari Shakerato was the icing on the cake. What a magical place, worth a special trip.
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#theangelathetton #hetton #skipton #michaelwignall #finedining #destinationdining #exploreuk #travel #wheretoeat #topbritishrestaurants #moreismore #artofplating #yorkshire #yorkshirefood #restaurantreview #foodtrip #foodgram #martini #venison #wagyu #lefooding #gourmand #gourmetparadise #carpediem #delicious #goodtimes #foodmemory #foodheaven #yorkshirerhubarb

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