Had a brilliant dinner at Brat last night. It was my first time, and it was one of the meals of the year. Our theme was Loire, and we brought…
Gezellig: a new London restaurant with a strong wine focus
Popped into new restaurant Gezellig yesterday. I’d heard a bit about it before, and it was pointed out to me by a few that this was an omission on my…
A day in Portland, eating and drinking well
Portland is one of the USA’s most interesting cities. Famous for its coffee (I’ve had the best coffee in my life here), hipsters, the thriving restaurant scene and craft breweries,…
London for wine lovers: the best places to drink good wine
I keep getting asked by people about places to drink in London, so here, off the top of my head, is a list of places that I can heartily recommend….
Why are most wine lists so bad? Can anything be done?
Most restaurant wine lists aren’t fit for purpose. They drive me to despair. Look, I’m a wine professional. I know a bit. But in most restaurants, faced with their list…
Dinner at Neolokal, Istanbul
Neolokal is a stunning restaurant. Last night I dined there and had a great experience. It considers itself to be a ‘bridge between the past and the future’, modernising traditions in…
Nagano region, Japan, day 1
I’ve returned to the Nagano wine region, which I visited last March. It’s in the middle of Japan, which is quite a long, thin country stretching from 26 degrees south…
In Porto (5) dinner at Esplanada Marisqueira
The next night it was back to Matosinhos, the Port area of Porto, where the seafood restaurants are congregated. We went to Esplanada Marisqueira, a rather grand establishment, with Vitor…
In Porto (4) Dinner at O Gaveto
Gaveto has had a refit since I was here last. It was a memorable meal last time, so it was good to be back. Hosting us were Vitor and Teresa…