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Rhubarb Ramos

While in Gloucestershire, a return to Le Champigno

While in Gloucestershire, a return to Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham was simply mandatory. Owned and run by the same husband and wife team since 1987 (David in the kitchen, Helen front of house), and still retaining a Michelin star to this day, it’s one of those quietly consistent restaurants that’s well-worth a stop when in the Cotswolds. On this visit (after canapés and an amuse bouche), roasted Orkney scallop glazed with miso, fennel purée, radish and lemongrass sauce, then loin of Brecon venison with fig, parsnip, Williams pear cream and their own homemade venison sausage, then a delightful mascarpone and Sudachi panna cotta with lemon verbena and yoghurt sorbet in 3D

#lechampignonsauvage #cheltenham #foodgram #diningout #toprestaurants

Also in Stroud, the quirky Holy Water, a bar that

Also in Stroud, the quirky Holy Water, a bar that wasn’t originally intended to be a bar. A real gem of a place, making great cocktails and even bottling or canning them for you if you have a train to catch. Oh and that poster of Anthony Bourdain doing a middle finger salute between the record player and beautifully-stocked fridge. No doubt he’d approve of this watering hole. Also a handy option for aperitifs before Juliet. Link in bio for the review or head to the Palate Cleanser section of the main site (where our bar reviews sit)

#stroud #bargram #cocktailbar #cocktails #imbibe

Juliet in Stroud, where all your memories of holid

Juliet in Stroud, where all your memories of holidays in France and Italy are rolled into one. There may not be anything that inventive here, or any loyalty to a particular region (defying the apparent trend of hyper-regionality) but it’s supremely comforting and restorative. A hop and a skip from the station too. Link in bio for the full review along with our other new content for April.

Pictured here: the panisses with Parmesan, the generously-sliced Morteau sausage with crunchy celeriac remoulade, a large Dairylea-esque triangle of smoked ricotta on a bed of peperonata, frankly unimprovable steak frites, ambrosial Campari and orange sorbet, served by friendly staff in white jackets (not the medical kind but more the St John kind). Lovely place

#juliet #cotswolds #comfortfood #delicious #foodgram

April is here and we have new reviews from London,

April is here and we have new reviews from London, Stroud and Edinburgh on the main site now online. Starting with Labombe by Trivet in Mayfair, a “fabulous sequel” by Jonny Lake and Isa Bal, slightly more casual than the Trivet mothership but with well-executed crowd-pleasing food and an intriguing wine list (divided into an A and B list, like a record). Also, excellent martinis made to order. Pictured here are the lamb sweetbread and purple garlic skewers (so unctuous your teeth can take the day off) and bottarga toasts, the incredible sea bass crudo, Spanish wagyu cecina, Iberico pork chop and sirloin (up there with Ibai or Quality Chop in Farringdon) and an intriguing take on a cherry clafoutis. No difficult second album or sophomore slump here. Delicious times and great service too.

Link in bio for the full review or head to palatemag.co.uk in your browser

#labombebytrivet #trivet #restaurantreview #londonfood #foodgram

Happy World Hanky Panky Day! So glad this wonderfu

Happy World Hanky Panky Day! So glad this wonderful cocktail now gets its own celebration on 25th March, not just to raise awareness of it but its creator, Ada Coleman, who was the first female bar manager at The Savoy. She created it for Sir Charles Hawtrey (not to be confused with the ‘Carry On’ actor of the same name) and it has remained a somewhat obscure classic since. For the uninitiated, it’s essentially a Martinez-adjacent drink comprising gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet Branca. To honour this drink here’s a little roundup of six bars from the last year that served excellent versions (and still do, all highly recommended):

Upstairs at Rules (naturally, and close to The Savoy of course);

Amaro in Kensington (a consistently excellent bar anyway; also try their vintage 1980s version, it’s delicious);

The American Bar at The Stafford for timeless elegance;

Under The Stairs in Brussels (for a slightly unusual version - see the full review in the Palate Cleanser section of our main site);

The Prince on Old Street which opened last autumn - love this bar and their subtle touches like refreshing your glass with a new one from the freezer;

Kwãnt in Mayfair, where they can make any classic to order.

“By Jove, this is the real hanky panky!” - Sir Charles Hawtrey (circa 1921)

#hankypanky #worldhankypankyday #cocktails #cocktailbar #imbibe

Back to Café Deco in Bloomsbury, which is consist

Back to Café Deco in Bloomsbury, which is consistently lovely (and always remarkable as the menu changes every week). On this visit: pork rillettes and pickled pear on toast with aperitifs; a smoked haddock, bacon, mustard leaf and egg salad; roast chicken with wild garlic mash (beautifully cooked chicken and that mash - wow); and a sublime Seville orange tart with a healthy dollop of crème fraîche. Never had a bad meal here since it opened in 2020. Wonderful place
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#cafedeco #bloomsbury #londonfood #londondining #foodgram

Another restaurant that has stood the test of time

Another restaurant that has stood the test of time: L’Aventure in St John’s Wood, which opened in 1979 (when Tom Baker was travelling through space and time with K9, a pint of lager cost 40p and the original Alien burst into cinemas).

Behold the handwritten menu - a technique emulated in many places like The Devonshire and its ilk but this is the real deal, as it is at Andrew Edmunds.

OK, so this French restaurant may be a little stuck in aspic (not unlike nearby Oslo Court); the nearest nod to modern trends is a reluctant attempt at splitting a sauce with oil (see the salmon pancakes picture above) but tucked away on Blenheim Terrace near Abbey Road, all candlelit with cushions and cosy corners, it has a charming, relaxing ambience. The service is old school: you’re greeted in French on arrival; a Kir Royale is offered as an aperitif. The food may not be perfect (indeed, the decorative blueberries with the apple tart were both rock hard and pointless), but there’s something so lovely about it. It was also full on this visit which, for a residential street in St John’s Wood, and for a restaurant without a website, is pleasing to see - though a reminder to support local, independent places when there’s a perfect economic storm approaching for hospitality (again!) this April, not helped by the worst VAT rate in Europe. Use them or lose them, ragazzi

#stjohnswood #oldschool #neighbourhoodrestaurant #frenchfood #londondining

Keeping with the theme of London institutions, an

Keeping with the theme of London institutions, an overdue return to Wiltons on Jermyn Street. Any meal here must and shall begin with the twice baked Stilton soufflé. Heaven.

Also one of the few restaurants that still serves bread and butter gratis (though just as well as it isn’t exactly cheap).

#wiltons #jermynstreet #oldschool #londondining #foodgram

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