Rest of England
When I was involved with the Wine Circle at Oxford we would frequently have to entertain winemakers or wine-merchants. The best place we could take them was to the …
Italy
Daniel guided us through a bewildering array of back-passages with the promise of serious fishy action at Trattoria Antiche Carampane. We eventually found the right street and were pleased …
Italy
After fighting our way through Venice guided by a woefully inaccurate map we finally found Osteria al Portego, an un-assuming neighbourhood bar and kitchen that provided satisfying and un-pretentious …
Italy
Tonight three of us sallied forth from our place of residence in search of some fishy comestibles; Alle Testiere was a top address for obtaining what we were after. …
Italy
In Venice there are one hell of a lot of tourist trap restaurants whose raison d’etre is to rip off visitors with lunatic pricing of inadequate food. We went …
General
Not being able to eat wheat puts a dampener on enjoying food. All prepared food seems to contain wheat. Supermarkets these days have ‘free from’ aisles, which supposedly have …
Fast food
I’ve never had any other Vietnamese food in London, so I suppose this counts as the best I’ve had. It is certainly an oasis of pleasure in a run-down …
Burgundy
This wine is not only a delight when young, but I’ve had ten-year old bottles that have provided a lot of pleasure. If I like this bottle, I’ll do …
Australia
The basic By Farr Pinot was most impressive, this prestige cuvee is a step ahead. Pinot Noir “Sangreal” 2006 By Farr Lovely, sophisticated fruit on the nose. It has …
Recipes
We were in Oxford at the weekend and my step-father cooked a coq au vin; It rivaled even La Ferme de la Ruchotte’s effort. So I stole the recipe. …