7th November 2016

A taste of Smith and Wollensky at the Adelphi Bar

Emily Gibson / Dates, Drink, Eat, Impulse Friendly, Indoors, London, Mums, £££ / central London, cocktails, covent garden, dates, dining, dining out, dinner, drinking, eating, eating out, going out, London, luxury, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, special occasions, steak, Strand, west end / 2 Comments

I’ve never been to New York, but I’ve known of the great American steakhouse Smith & Wollensky ever since I read American Psycho many years ago. As a discerning psychopath, wealthy protagonist Patrick Bateman name-drops hundreds of fancy brands – some real, some not – and S&W is one of them. 

22nd September 2016

G & Tea at Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour

Emily Gibson / Dates, Do, Drink, Eat, Indoors, London, Mates, Mums, £££ / afternoon tea, central London, cocktails, covent garden, drinking, eating, gin, going out, ideas, lunch, quirky, quirky dates, reviews, special occasions, things to do, unusual, west end / 0 Comments

“I bet the blokes who work here get laid a lot,” muttered Carla behind me, as we clambered up the very steep steps of Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour.

11th September 2016

Venison Wellington at 108 Brasserie

Emily Gibson / Dates, Eat, Impulse Friendly, Indoors, London, Mates, Mums, £££ / central London, dates, dining, dining out, dinner, east london, eating, eating out, going out, London, Marylebone, Noho, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, special occasions / 0 Comments

Winter is coming. But first…autumn! 

5th September 2016

Michelin star tapas at Barrafina

Emily Gibson / Dates, Eat, Impulse Friendly, London, Mates, Mums, Uncategorised, £££ / central London, dates, dining, dining out, dinner, eating, eating out, going out, London, Michelin, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, Soho, Spanish, special occasions, tapas, west end / 0 Comments

There’s a lot not to like about Barrafina. For instance: the layout, which sits precisely 29 diners behind a cramped L-shaped counter. Everyone else waits – for up to two hours! – directly behind them, getting in the way of pained-looking hosting staff and audibly wishing the people ahead of them would eat a bit […]

26th August 2016

Octopus doughnuts at Kurobuta

Emily Gibson / Eat, Impulse Friendly, Indoors, London, Mates, Mums, Organised Fun, £££ / Asian, dates, dining, dining out, dinner, eating, eating out, going out, Japanese, Marble Arch, quirky, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, special occasions, west London / 0 Comments

I imagine that Kurobuta, which sits on a quiet, residential road teeming with expensive-looking dogs, has two general managers. One subscribes to Apartment Therapy and plays sommelier at friends’ dinner parties; the other is an ex-car salesman with an obnoxious sense of humour. 

16th August 2016

Small plates from the sea at Chicama

Emily Gibson / Eat, Impulse Friendly, Indoors, London, Mates, Mums, Organised Fun, £££ / Chelsea, luxury, Peruvian, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, seafood, South American, special occasions, Vegetarian, west London / 2 Comments

I had a birthday brunch at Chicama’s sister restaurant, Pachamama, last year, where Mike had demolished the highly decorated Pan Con Chicharrón burger – winner of 2015’s Slider Decider – and James 1 had got so drunk on pisco punch he’d accidentally broken someone’s arm.

24th July 2016

Converting a carnivore at The Gate

Emily Gibson / Dates, Eat, Impulse Friendly, Indoors, London, Mates, Mums, Organised Fun, Vegetarian, £££ / dates, dining, dining out, dinner, eating, eating out, islington, London, north london, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, special occasions, Vegan, Vegetarian / 2 Comments

“Ooh, they do fries,” said Mike, brightening up slightly as a plate of polenta chips went by, before being immediately distracted by a Nigel Farage lookalike at the bar.

3rd June 2016

Sparkling Sundays on the Southbank at Skylon

Carla Juniper / Bookatable, Curious Veggie, Drink, Eat, London, Mates, Organised Fun, £££ / bottomless, brunch, central London, dining, dining out, drinking, eating, eating out, London, luxury, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, south london, special occasions, Vegetarian / 0 Comments

It’s hardly surprising that bottomless brunches have taken London by storm. (If the promise of boundless booze doesn’t excite you then you can stop reading now. And we can’t be friends.) Unlimited alcohol does have its downsides though; I’ve stumbled away from more than one venue bursting with carbs and Bloody Marys, but not Skylon. […]

29th February 2016

Twin tipples at The Westbury’s Polo Bar

Emily Gibson / Dates, Drink, Impulse Friendly, Indoors, Mates, Mums, Organised Fun, £££ / central London, cocktails, dates, London, luxury, mayfair, special occasions / 3 Comments

The Polo Bar at the Westbury Hotel has hit upon an amazing idea. When you order a cocktail, you get two glasses. One full-sized drink for you, and one matching tiddly tipple for your drinking companion. 

22nd February 2016

Pacific plates at Dickie Fitz

Emily Gibson / Dates, Eat, Impulse Friendly, Indoors, London, Mates, Mums, Organised Fun, £££ / central London, dates, dining, dining out, dinner, eating out, FItzrovia, London, Noho, restaurant review, restaurant reviews, restaurants, review, reviews, special occasions / 0 Comments

“It looks quite posh,” said the voice down the phone. “Are you nearly here yet?” It was the usual refrain from Mike and, indeed, anyone else foolish enough to arrive punctually at any sort of social engagement also attended by me. “I’m five minutes away,” I said, from the 55 bus, nine minutes away. “And go on in. […]