Yep, we know the score, and we’ve been there too. We’ve stood firmly in your shoes (or more likely flip flops) and felt the same feeling of abandon, freedom and frivolity that travelling brings. The story the world over is the same; being abroad and on holiday is a time to let your hair, and your guard, down.
And just as technology has made travel so much easier, it’s also made cyber security when you’re on the go a very real concern. With this in mind, here are 12 essential cyber security tips for travellers.
Be Cautious With Digital ATMs & Card Readers
When traveling, you’ll likely need to withdraw cash or make card payments at unfamiliar locations. Criminals often target tourist areas with card skimming devices and fake ATM fronts. Before using any ATM, inspect it carefully for any suspicious attachments, loose card readers, or unusual keypads.
If possible, use ATMs inside banks rather than standalone machines on the street. When making payments at restaurants or shops, try to keep your card in sight and consider using contactless payments where available. It’s also wise to regularly monitor your bank statements while travelling and set up banking alerts for unusual transactions. This way, you can quickly detect and report any suspicious activity on your accounts.
Exercising Caution With Qr Code Menus In Restaurants
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of QR codes in various industries, including the hospitality sector. Many restaurants now embrace contactless menus powered by QR codes. These codes can help streamline a restaurant’s operations somewhat, but also pose risks.
However, cybercriminals have taken advantage of this trend by creating malicious QR codes that redirect users to phishing websites or download malware onto their devices. To safeguard against such threats, it’s first essential to learn how to safely scan QR codes. Travellers should only scan QR codes provided by reputable establishments and verify the URL before proceeding. Additionally, using a reliable QR code scanner app with built-in security features can help detect and block malicious links.
Public WiFi Precautions
Without the energy or desire to invest in a SIM card, plus a whole lot of time spent on the move, a certain reliance on public wifi becomes the norm when travelling. But just because you’re on it more, or the necessity grips you, doesn’t mean all norms of secure browsing should go out of the window. Indeed, you should be extremely cautious about using public wifi with reckless abandon. Check your emails, sure, your Insta too, but leave anything transactional, balance checking, or online banking-based to a safer, password-protected, non-shared connection.
Other precautionary measures apply; verify that the website you’re visiting is HTTPS before visiting (look for the padlock icon that indicates a valid SSL certificate) and consider using a VPN to enable public WIFI connections to be made private. If you run a business online and are working abroad, consider carrying out a security audit on your website before travelling to make sure everything is as secure as possible.
Disable Bluetooth & Autoconnect
Following on from the above, it might also be wise for those on the move to disable Bluetooth and WiFi auto-connect. Plenty of much-loved holiday destinations have places aplenty offering public WiFi, which doesn’t require a password, so if you’re not careful, your device will constantly be connecting to new spots as you stroll. Understanding what a VPN is used for is crucial here – it encrypts your internet traffic and masks your online identity, protecting your data from potential eavesdroppers on these unsecured networks. Again, as caution is the watchword, it’s important to disable Bluetooth too, as it’s also susceptible to spying, remote access and malware.
Never Charge Your Phone Via USB Publicly
Sure, you might need to give your phone enough juice to make an important call to the guy you met at the full moon party the previous night, but if you’re not near your hotel, it might be wise to simply let your device lay dormant. Charging via U.S.B in a public place is extremely risky. Hotels which aren’t your own, coffee shops and bars could all have malware lurking on their computers which can make access to your device really quite simple. Just say no and protect yourself online.
Avoid Constant Location Updates
Sure, it might be great to keep all of your friends, family, and followers posted on your every movement; where you ate, stayed, drank and stuff….but oversharing – apart from simply being really bloody annoying – can give unscrupulous individuals all the information they need to get access to your things, both physically and online.
Of course, this applies to not letting the world know that you’re travelling and your home is unoccupied (and an easy target). But more than that, any information on where you’ve spent money recently can help a criminal validate their identity when posing as you.
So, in the name of social media cyber security, no more ‘’just had a great meal at Pizza Napoli’’, no ‘’trainers are sooo cheap in Bangkok’’, and certainly no photos of bills, receipts and the rest.
Consider Making Your Number Private
When travelling internationally, you may need to make calls or send messages to local contacts, hotels, or tour operators. While giving out your number is often necessary, there are situations where you might prefer to keep it private – particularly when calling unfamiliar businesses, booking services through third-party platforms, or dealing with street vendors or touts who ask for your contact details.
Before travelling, learn how to make your number private when making calls by using your phone’s caller ID blocking features. On most smartphones, you can hide your number by prefixing calls with #31# or 141, depending on your carrier and location. Alternatively, consider using internet-based calling apps like WhatsApp, Skype, or FaceTime, which allow you to communicate without revealing your actual phone number.
For added privacy, you might also look into purchasing a local SIM card or using a travel eSIM with a temporary number specifically for your trip. This way, you can keep your primary number separate and simply dispose of the temporary number once you return home.
Set Up Google Find My Device
A lost or stolen phone could put your trip in serious jeopardy. Google’s Find My Device is a crucial tool for travellers, providing peace of mind and security for their smartphones. This service allows users to locate their device on a map, displaying its current or last known location.
If the phone is nearby, the ring feature can play a loud sound for 5 minutes, even if it’s set to silent or vibrate. In case of theft or loss, the lock feature enables users to secure their device with a PIN or password, while the erase function can remotely delete all data stored on the device. By utilising Find My Device, travellers can safeguard their personal information and minimise the negative impacts of a lost or stolen phone, such as identity theft or fraudulent activities.
Regularly Back Up Data
As reported by USA Today, 29 million phones vanish each year and “only 50 percent of people back up the data on their devices, and 28 percent of users said if they lost their gadget they would never be able to recover the data on it”.
Don’t be one of those people.
In case a device is lost, stolen, or compromised, having a recent backup of essential data can save travellers from significant stress and inconvenience. Travellers should regularly back up their data to a secure cloud storage service or an external hard drive, especially essential travel documents, including copies of passports, flight tickets and visas.
The best software for backing up travel documents is cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft One Drive or Apple iCloud. These platforms provide secure, easily accessible storage for files, allowing you to access and share documents from any device with internet connectivity, ensuring peace of mind during your travels.
Password Protect Diligently
Naturally, when you’re on the move and getting loose as you go, stuff is going to get lost. That’s normal and an accepted part of the process. What’s not normal is leaving your various items of technology – smartphones, laptops, tablets – without proper password protection.
Getting unfiltered, unfettered access to your device is a criminal’s dream; your itinerary, personal information, and sometimes even credit card details can all be found there. Your password should be super strong and unique for maximum security.
For an added layer of security, consider investing in firewall software which is designed to prevent unauthorised access to your computer and ensure strong network security. Serving as a virtual fence, firewalls can stop those pesky cyber criminals from gaining access to your personal information.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to online accounts by requiring users to verify their identity through a secondary method, such as a text message or fingerprint scan. Enabling 2FA on essential accounts, such as email and banking, can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access.
When traveling, this additional security layer becomes even more crucial as you’re likely accessing accounts from unfamiliar networks and locations. Consider using authentication apps like Google Authenticator or Authy instead of SMS-based 2FA, as these are more secure and don’t rely on cellular service, which might be limited abroad. Before your trip, make sure to save backup codes for your important accounts in a secure location, as these can be lifesavers if you lose access to your authentication device while traveling.
Keep Software & Apps Updated
Outdated software and apps can contain security vulnerabilities that cybercriminals exploit to gain unauthorised access to devices. Travellers should ensure that their operating systems, antivirus software, and apps are up-to-date to minimise potential risks.
It’s particularly important to check for updates before embarking on your journey, as you may not always have reliable internet access to download and install updates while travelling. Pay special attention to your device’s security features, VPN software, and banking apps, as these are critical for maintaining your digital security abroad.
Consider enabling automatic updates when connected to trusted networks to ensure you’re always protected with the latest security patches. Additionally, it’s wise to remove any unnecessary apps from your devices before travelling, as this reduces potential security vulnerabilities and saves storage space for your travel photos and documents.
And with that, we’re off to search for our passport. Our flight leaves in a couple of hours!
Marylebone. Though we’ve read it hundreds of times, we’ve still got no idea how to pronounce the name of this well-heeled West End district. What we do know, however, is just where to eat in Le Bone. Or, should we call it Mary for short? How about Boney M? Who cares? We were always taught not to speak with our mouths full anyway…
From Michelin-starred Mexican to traditional British pub classics given a twist or two, there is something for everyone in this food lover’s paradise. With that in mind, here are the best restaurants in Marylebone, London.
St. John Marylebone, Marylebone Lane
Ideal for nose-to-tail dining and a bloody brilliant British culinary experience…
The newest addition to the burgeoning family has arrived, bringing with it a fresh and vibrant approach that is both unmistakably St. John and uniquely tailored to the sensibilities of its chic London neighbourhood It’s already one of Marylebone’s very best places to eat.
Its instantly recognisable, clinical bright white interiors tell anyone who’s previously dined at a Fergus Henderson restaurant that you’re going to get fed very well indeed, and St. John Marylebone delivers on that promise.
The menu here is tighter – daintier, even – than at both the mothership and Bread & Wine, but there’s still some famous flourishes to be found. Here, the iconic Welsh rarebit appears in croquette form and is a gorgeously funky piece of work. Those ”nose to tail” leanings are all present and correct, too, with a recent dish of gently pink lamb’s liver and horseradish a bracing, bruising but utterly memorable affair.
A little earlier in the year, a plate of lamb sweetbreads, wilted young lettuce leaves and the sprightly lift of tarragon have lived in the memory even longer.
With plenty of wine being poured with a flourish by the glass, these smaller plates just feel right as you take your place at a window stool, watch the passing foot traffic of Marybelone Lane and ponder just how far we’ve sunk. It’s obligatory to order a plate of madelines (£8 for a small one, but you know you want the larger batch for £16) for the road.
Make sure to check the daily menu to see what’s ripe, ready and in store; it goes online – posted as a snap of the restaurant’s blackboard – at 11.30am for lunch and 5.30pm for supper.
It’s by no means our first time at Hoppers. In fact it’s become a bit of a favourite. We know what to expect – the bustling vibe, the punchy aroma of spices and coconut, those lacy baskets (hoppers) just right for scooping up a deep, rich curry.
But the true test of a great restaurant is getting it right every time. No-one wants to be raving about a place to your mates only for them to be underwhelmed. So we’re pleased to say that Hoppers still absolutely delivers. Early evening it’s packed – after workers winding down over Arrack cocktails, locals breaking their Ramadan fast with the Buriani Banquet special. There’s an upbeat energy to it all, and the food comes in hot and fast.
We went for the set menu. Starters set the tone. Mutton rolls are crisp and deeply spiced – perfect dipped in the fiery ketchup. A seafood allergy means one of us has to swerve the hot butter squid but substitutes from the veggie menu are cheerfully offered. The chilli garlic broccoli is well worth the detour, leaving the allergy-free to polish off all the squid with lip smacking enthusiasm. And, of course, there’s the bone marrow varuval: two imposing leg bones from which marrow is spooned out onto flaky roti. It’s a signature dish, and rightly so.
As the night moves on, the feeling changes. The post-work crowd disperses, the noise softens and the spicing on the main courses becomes a little gentler. Chicken and lamb karis arrive with an array of chutneys and sambols, a soothing dhal and a cooling raita. The dosas are even better than the eponymous hoppers for mopping up every last slick of sauce. Do we have room for desserts? Hardly, but it seems a shame not to, so the traditional Sri Lankan custard pudding watalappam brings up the rear.
So are we coming back again? You betcha, and we’ll be telling all our friends.
Ideal for a poetic coming together of British ingredients and Thai cooking sensibilities…
AngloThai has spent six years as London’s most promising pop-up, which is about five years too many. Now, finally settled into The Gate’s old spot on Seymour Place and already with a shiny Michelin star above the door (metaphorically speaking – it’s actually to the side of the door), John and Desiree Chantarasak’s first permanent restaurant does something fresh, as you may have guessed from its rather prosaic name: it takes Thai cooking and strips it of everything that isn’t grown in Britain. The results are always interesting and quite often spectacularly delicious.
This means no rice (replaced brilliantly by pearled naked oats), holy basil from Suffolk rather than Bangkok, and Devon-caught monkfish in place of sea bass from the Andaman. It’s the same philosophy that earned KOL its Michelin star (the two share the same umbrella restaurant group, MJMK), though here the execution feels more personal – John’s half-Thai, half-British heritage informing every plate and Desiree’s pinpoint knowledge of sometimes esoteric grapes writing the winelist. Indeed, it’s so personal that we’re on first name terms with the owners after only two paragraphs…
The dining room sets the tone: white-panelled walls, tables made from Chamchuri wood shipped from Chiang Mai, and lighting that somehow makes every diner look like they’ve just come back from a fortnight in Samui. In the open kitchen, proper turbojet wok burners (a rare sight in London) whoosh, creating that coveted breath-of-the-wok essence in dishes like long aubergine with sweet basil and a soy-cured egg yolk – a plate that arrives looking demure but punches hard with smoke and umami.
A crab and caviar number is served on a coal-black coconut ash cracker made with the same brass mould used to create kanom dok jok (otherwise known as lotos blossom cookies) in the Kingdom. It could easily feel precious, but there’s proper cooking muscle behind the theatrics, justifying the £35 price tag with a heady salty-sweet interplay.
The lion’s mane mushroom with sunflower seed satay (£20) arrives as pretty-as-a-picture, but in the eating boasts that characteristic Thai balance of both nuance and intensity. It’s perhaps the highlight of the whole meal here.
The kitchen really hits its stride with the larger plates. Hebridean hogget (from Desiree’s family farm, no less) comes in a massaman curry that’s gentle with its spicing but shows proper depth. Though if you’re after heat, the jungle curry with monkfish delivers it in undulating waves rather than all at once. Both are brilliant; dishes from a kitchen with a finely tuned grasp of correct Thai seasoning, but with enough flair and flourish to reemphasise the restaurant’s mission, rather than be stifled by it.
The meal ends, as with basically any Thai fine dining joint, with a riff on mango sticky rice, only this one is centred on reduced carrot juice and sea buckthorn. File in the ‘trust us on this one’ compartment.
Desiree’s wine list leans heavily on biodynamism and Austria, including their own house wines made with Nibiru in Kamptal. It’s exactly what you want with this kind of food – teeing up that complex spicing rather than extinguishing it.
Yes, it’s expensive, and some bores might chunter on about how you can get a plate of noodles in the Thai capital for a hundredth of the price of the tasting menu (an actually pretty reasonable £75). But AngloThai isn’t trying to recreate Bangkok. It’s doing its own, idiosyncratic thing, and, after only nine months of being open, is clearly doing it very well, owing to the breakneck speed of that star. It’s well deserved, we think.
Ideal for refined Cantonese dining with a side of theatre…
The jewel in the Royal China crown sits rather demurely on Baker Street, its elegant dining room a canvas for some of London’s finest Cantonese cooking. Award-winning chef Billy Wong’s menu reads like a greatest hits of Chinese gastronomy, though it’s the dim sum offering that really sings.
Those familiar with the group’s other outposts might experience a touch of sticker shock here – steamer baskets hover around the £10 mark, with the prawn and bamboo shoot dumplings (har gau) at £10.80 and the Shanghai-style xiaolongbao with crab meat at £9.80. Still, the cooking justifies the prices. The dumplings arrive gossamer-thin and gloriously translucent, while the xiaolongbao, inevitably compared to those at Din Tai Fung down the road, more than hold their own, their delicate wrappers containing a generous splash of hot soup alongside minced pork and crab meat.
Evening brings dishes of serious ambition. Emperor king prawns (£33.80 each) can be prepared in myriad ways (we’re partial to the ‘crispy with garlic & chilli’ preparation) while more innovative plates like pan-fried dory fish with foie gras sauce showcase the kitchen’s creative, opulent side. A plate of Iberico pork with cordycep flower – that phallic-looking fungi – feels almost restrained in comparison. It’s equally good, though.
The generous dining room, recently refurbished, manages to feel special without being stuffy, its white tablecloths occasionally splattered with XO sauce as enthusiastic diners get stuck in. Service strikes that sweet spot between efficiency and warmth that characterises the best Chinese restaurants in the capital.
An early evening meal here, watching the sun set through those huge windows while dipping into a procession of perfectly executed classics, is one of Marylebone’s great pleasures. The kitchen runs a full service from noon until late (10:30pm most nights, extending to 11pm on weekends), though you’ll want to book ahead – this place fills up fast.
Ideal for Michelin-starred coastal Indian cuisine…
For those seeking a focused, flavour-forward dining experience, Trishna is a must-visit. This Michelin-starred restaurant specialises in coastal Indian cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh British seafood cooked with spice and verve, which sounds like all of the ingredients for a great meal in Marylebone, don’t you think?
Sitting rather ironically on Blandford Street, there’s nothing bland (sorry) about chef Sajeev Nair’s contemporary interpretation of the food of his homeland. Having grown up in Palakkad, Kerala, Nair understands the ins and outs of Indian coastal cuisine intimately, and the signature of funky, rich Dorset brown crab with butter, pepper, and garlic, all mashed and spoonable, has to be one of London’s most satisfying shellfish dishes.
Another Trishna crab classic is the nandu varuval – crispy soft shell crab, green chilli, a rocher of white crab meat, and a smooth tomato chutney all pull in the same direction to great effect. Just delicious.
The lunch and early evening menu, running from midday to 14:15pm and 5pm to 6:15pm, is a snip at £55 for four courses.
Ideal for live fire cooking and low intervention wines in a charming neighbourhood joint…
After its June relaunch, Fire and Wine has successfully shed its Boxcar skin to emerge as something altogether more refined, yet no less welcoming. Sitting on New Quebec Street, just far enough from the chaos of Bond Street and Marble Arch to feel like an agreeable escape, the atmosphere here hums with the easy conviviality of a neighbourhood gem that’s actually rather surpassed the original brief of being another cooking-over-flame restaurant.
The live fire concept is certainly there, but it doesn’t feel overwrought or burdensome. Charred edges punctuate some plates, of course, but there’s balance and intent, too, the kind that makes you sit up and pay attention rather than get choked by all that smoke.
Start with the stilton gougères – a gloriously airy, cheese-loaded puff that arrives with a cute little dot of apple, the fruit’s sweetness cutting through the pungent blue in exactly the way you’d hope. The pork belly that follows is a study in richness and umami; unctuous meat, a salty little rocher of pecorino puree, and a cured egg yolk that’s delightfully dusty and spreadable rather than runny. It’s indulgent stuff, but doesn’t end up being cloying.
The raw bream offers a delicate interlude, with miso lending umami depth and sea buckthorn providing that characteristic sharp, citrusy lift. It’s pretty, and the fish arrives pleasingly thick cut and clearly handled with care. Then comes the anchovy and tomato concasse on grilled bread, which sounds almost pedestrian until it arrives and you realise this is pan con tomate’s more sophisticated older sibling. The anchovies are high-grade Cantabrian, the tomatoes sweet and concentrated, the bread properly charred with the kind of smoky backbone of a slice that’s been left in the toaster for a little too long.
Mains continue the theme. Thick slices of monkfish tail come with green beans and a peppery jus that has some proper vim about it. The fish is cooked with precision – firm yet yielding, with an agreeable mi-cuit hint-of-pink and just a little bounce. The Iberico pork presa with beetroot and cherries is perhaps the highlight; the pork served thoughtfully rare and tender, the beetroot earthy and sweet, the cherries adding both acidity and a touch of je ne sais quoi. It’s a plate that feels thoughtfully composed rather than thrown together, each element pulling its weight.
Don’t skip the side of agria potatoes – parboiled and crisped up in what we’re told is a German style, skin-on and deeply golden. They work brilliantly as a vehicle for mopping up those rich sauces, and have enough character to stand alone if you’re so inclined. What kind of maniac comes into a restaurant and just orders a side of potatoes though?
Dessert arrives in the form of a grilled croissant tiramisu, because apparently everything must pass through the flames here, and you know what? It works. The croissant adds a buttery, flaky dimension to the classic Italian pud, while retaining all those coffee-soaked, mascarpone-rich qualities you’d expect. It’s clever and actually rather delicious.
The cocktails deserve their own paragraph. The No Politics – gin, Campari, wild strawberry – is a vibrant, bittersweet number that has become a house staple, we’re told, while the Mona Lisa’s vital trio of mezcal, marmalade, jalapeño offers smoky, sweet, and spicy notes in equal measure. Both are expertly balanced and pair brilliantly with the bold, fire-forward cooking.
The dining room retains some of that Manhattan speakeasy-meets-British-pub aesthetic from the Boxcar days, all soothing wood tones and floating foliage. Service strikes that sweet spot between attentive and relaxed, and there’s a warmth to proceedings that suggests many diners are regulars on first-name terms with the team. It makes you want to linger over another glass, another bite, another round of those excellent cocktails.
Four months in, Fire & Wine feels like it’s hit its stride. The concept is clear, the execution confident, and the vibe just right. It’s not trying to be the flashiest restaurant in Marylebone – there’s plenty of competition for that title – but it might just be one of the most satisfying.
Ideal for meticulously crafted Mediterranean plates at admittedly premium prices…
‘A modern Mediterranean bistro with open fire cooking in the heart of London’. We could be describing the vast majority of recent restaurant openings in the city, to be honest…
…but Lita isn’t your everyday place, let’s be clear. Short for ‘abuelita’, which means ‘granny’ in Spanish, Lita isn’t really your grandma’s homecooking kind of place, either.
Unless your grandma is a young protege with time spent at Michelin-starred The Clove Club, its acclaimed sister restaurant Luca, and as head chef at Corrigan’s Mayfair, all before they turned 30.
This is damn convoluted, but we’re describing the career trajectory of Lita head chef Luke Ahearne, who boasts an impressive culinary pedigree. He’s continued that trajectory in some style. In its first couple of months of trading, it fast garnered several fawning national reviews, with Jay Rayner ‘in heavenly raptures’ and Jimi Famurewa breathtaken. Christ, that’s a scene we don’t want to play out in our mind every again.
It’s easy to see why they loved it, though; the food here is genuinely magnificent, with an admirable attention to detail paid to the most seemingly simple of dishes. Two smoked basque sardines, meticulously pin boned before being – at least, visually – bonded back together, arrive over a gorgeously smooth ajo blanco and piquant cherries. It’s a case in point of the kind of cooking Lita has already mastered, boasting a depth of flavour that knocks you back.
Don’t let it disarm you too much; you’ll want to regain focus for the briny, brilliant Dorset clams with artichokes done in the Roman style. That is, braised until giving in a mix of white wine and olive oil. It’s excellent, and you’d hope so too for £28.
Okay, the hulking Galician dairy cow in the room; Lita is expensive. Yes, we know it’s somewhat uncouth to mention prices quite so explicitly, but fuck me; there are snacks in the mid twenties, starters topping £30 and several mains over a hundred.
No pan con tomate in the world should cost £17, even one draped with Cantabrian anchovies, but this is admittedly a very good one. There are few bottles of wine available at Lita below £60. Desserts are stubbornly in the mid-teens.
Yep, this is most certainly a special occasion place, but what a place to sink into. The interior showcases a warm, earthy palette with reclaimed terracotta tiles, a timber-clad bar with a deep red, veined marble top, blood-orange banquettes, and restored antique tables, all reminiscent of a grand chateau kitchen that your nan might have helmed a half a century back. She’ll have balked at the prices here, sure, but she wouldn’t half have been proud to send out some of these dishes.
Ideal for refined French elegance bathed in natural light…
Orrery, named after a mechanical model of the solar system, is an elegant French restaurant located on the first floor of a converted stable block. The abundance of natural light hits you the moment you walk in, the restaurant’s huge arched windows and skylights letting in so much that sunglasses are genuinely needed on London’s brighter summer days. The reflective quality of the starched white table cloths only serve to pronounce this.
The refined menu, designed by Chef Igor Tymchyshyn, features classic French dishes with a modern twist. Though menu descriptions verge on the prosaic (Salmon, polenta, asparagus, veloute, or seabass and chive sabayaon, for instance), presentation is anything but, with artistic flourishes of dots and scrapes occasionally reminiscent of a Masterchef several seasons back. There’s no denying the clarity of flavour here, though.
Though you might tend to prefer a smoke at the end of your meal, the chicken parfait cigar here is the ideal way to start it. Close, instead, with a summery elderflower and strawberry pannacotta, adorned with a big puck of champagne jelly. Boom!
With its stunning rooftop terrace (start with Orrery’s signature Old Fashioned up here) and views of St. Marylebone Church, Orrery is perfect for a special occasion or a leisurely lunch, and stakes a fair claim to being one of Marylebones top restaurants.
Ideal for trying one of the world’s most celebrated, proudly Neapolitan pizzas…
Dubbed ‘The Best Pizza in the World’ and iconised in the film ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, L’antica is a superb, eminently affordable place for a swift, sprightly lunch or dinner.
Forget the unfortunate dispute that disrupted the opening of the first London site in Stoke Newington, the second branch in Baker Street is still proudly serving Neapolitan pizzas of the highest quality. If you’re looking for something that’s full of toppings, this isn’t the place. Here, less is more and the classics are done right.
One thing that perhaps isn’t traditional is their ‘Marita’ pizza a half’n’half (margherita and marinara) that’s one of their bestsellers. It does bloody work, though.
There are now outposts in Soho and Manchester, too, for those not keen to make the trek to Marylebone.
Ideal for schnitzel, spätzle and plenty of sweet treats…
Design by IDEAL image via Fischer’s Instagram
Another of our favourite restaurants in Marylebone, Fischer’s is a Viennese-inspired brasserie that transports diners to early 20th-century Austria. With its dark wood panelling, period artwork, and traditional uniforms worn by the staff, this cosy eatery exudes old-world charm. The menu features Austrian classics such as wiener schnitzel and spätzle, whilst the desserts and cakes are, unsurprisingly, the highlight.
Open all morning through night without a break in sight, Fischer’s is perhaps at its very best when dropping in for elevenses. An Austrian classic, the ‘Franz Joseph Kaiserschmarrn’, feels appropriate at this time; a chopped pancake with cherry compote satiates all kinds of cravings. For something more savoury but still within the realms of ‘brunch’, the Holstein Schnitzel with anchovy, capers and egg is ace, too.
When it comes to the sweet side of the menu, we’re huge fans of the ‘Coupe Liegeois’ made with vanilla and chocolate ice creams, whipped cream and bitter chocolate sauce. Alternatively, go for the rich, indulgent sacher torte with the obligatory mountain of whipped cream, here balanced out smoothly with the addition of layers of apricot jam. Either way, order an espresso to round things all off.
Or, come for a proper feast in the evening; the restaurant boasts a fine selection of Austrian wines and beers and plenty of hearty, meat-heavy dishes to go alongside.
Ideal for a light and invigorating Mexican spread in swanky surroundings…
Can’t get a reservation at Kol? Cavita is another beautifully designed Mexican restaurant whose ‘see and be seen’ backdrop fortunately never detracts from the excellent food on offer here. Be sure to try the divine pig’s head tamal and split the whole grilled octopus if you’re dining with a group, both full of textural intrigue and bursts of piquancy, the celebrated chef Adriana Cavita having a commendable lightness of touch and a wicked way with protein. It’s the perfect combination.
Ideal for pitch perfect fusion food, anchored in the Indian subcontinent…
Design by IDEAL image via Jikoni Instagram
Jikoni, simply meaning ‘kitchen’ in Swahili, is a cosy and colourful restaurant that celebrates the diverse culinary heritage of its owner, chef Ravinder Bhogal. The menu is inspired by her Indian, Kenyan, and British roots, resulting in a delightful fusion of flavours, and a mentality of ‘’cooking without borders’’.
Standout dishes include the iconic prawn toast scotch egg – as good as it sounds and then some – and a pressed, crisped shoulder of lamb with a house ras el hanout, served with flatbread. Oh, and the banana cake with miso butterscotch and Ovaltine kulfi is the one.
Jikoni’s Weekend Brunch, running from 11am to 3pm is a hoot; booking in advance for this one is very much recommended.
Idealfor handsome, honest British pub classics, enjoyed on a sunny terrace when the weather’s right…
Marylebone may not be especially known for its pubs, but The Grazing Goat is an exception. You know you’re in good hands when you see Coombeshead Farm bread and butter opening the festivities, and those hands also make a mean Scotch egg, its anchovy mayonnaise so salty it’s almost spicy, but in the best possible way. It’s giving devilled eggs, but with a difference.
Don’t stray from the snack section, where most of the best cooking is found; a plate of crispy lamb and black cabbage salsa – lightly fermented, sauerkraut-style – is the perfect accompaniment to another round of pints.
If you’ve come hungry, the pub does a mean pie, too. Currently, it’s an excellent chicken and bacon (well, guanciale) affair, the familiar gravy here substituted for a pungent Montgomery cheddar sauce. At £23, it’s a pretty premium pie, but it can comfortably feed two. The Sunday roast is also worth writing home about, but we’re writing online rather than to our folks, so for now we’ll leave it here…
With an outdoor terrace for sunny days, The Grazing Goat is perfect for post-work or pre-dinner drinks and bites when the weather warms up again. Mine’s a Doombar, please.
Ideal for a predictably idiosyncratic and delicious take on a Taiwanese dumpling house…
Another branch of BAO, another knockout restaurant that gets all the finer details just right. At this point, it’s tempting to ask; do these guys ever miss?
As has become the way with new BAO openings, there are points of difference and specialities here that set this outpost apart from the others across the city, from Battersea Power Station to Shoreditch and beyond. The Marylebone rendition of the all-conquering Taiwanese street food group, open ‘all day’ from 10am to midnight, focuses first and foremost on dumplings.
Unsurprisingly for a restaurant so dexterous with dough, they’re superb, with the mutton dumplings in chilli oil particularly pleasing, the body-odour hum of cumin anchoring everything in a pleasing mustiness. And if you don’t find that pleasing, we feel sorry for you…
…Also much trailed and most pleasing are the pan-fried beef dumplings, served as a set of five but arriving as a kind of homogenous single unit, its surface caramelised and its shredded beef interior hotter than the actual sun if you tuck in too soon. Allow them to cool a little and get stuck in, there are fewer things more texturally satisfying on the planet.
Of course, the eponymous headliners are all present and correct at BAO Mary, the classic version perhaps heavier on the peanut powder than normal, but as satisfying as ever nonetheless.
Ideal for Argentinian-influenced pizza that hits different…
From the team behind modern Argentinian grill Zoilo comes this intimate pizzeria that manages to feel both thoroughly modern and charmingly old school. Chef Diego Jacquet might be known for his Argentinian cooking at Zoilo, but Florencio represents a different passion – one born from his global travels and the Italian immigrant influences of his homeland, plus time spent in New York’s vibrant pizza scene.
The pizzas here start with a 48-hour fermented dough that yields a crust with proper integrity – chewy yet crisp, and robust enough to handle some weighty toppings. We didn’t know we needed Argentinian pizza in our life but the Pituca (at £16.90, it’s admittedly weighty on the wallet) changed our mind; earthy mushrooms and sharp parmesan sit atop a white base that allows both ingredients to really sing.
Meanwhile, the Stracciatella (£16.90), smattered with pools of creamy cheese over a fragrant marinara sauce, makes a strong case for simplicity. The Negroni (£9.90) here is a gold standard version, and is an excellent aperitivo obvs, while the wine list offers plenty of good options by the glass.
Evening sees the tiny space transformed by some seriously flattering lighting (your phone camera will definitely switch to night mode), making it an ideal spot for those seeking both sustenance and atmosphere. They operate Tuesday through Saturday, noon till 10pm – perfect for a leisurely lunch or dinner – but plan ahead for Sunday roast alternatives in the area as they’re closed Sundays and Mondays.
Try to snag a corner table and settle in until closing time, especially if you’re planning on getting the excellent banana split for dessert – a gloriously retro affair complete with chocolate chips and dulce de leche.
The wine list, curated by general manager Sebastien Guilleminault, focuses primarily on Italian and French bottles, though guests can also dip into Zoilo’s impressive Argentine cellar next door if they’re feeling curious. Either way, there’s plenty worth drinking, whether you’re after something by the glass or settling in for the full bottle experience. Either way, the hospitality is genuinely warm, and the pizzas are among the most interesting in the neighbourhood.
Ideal for New York-style pies that are worth the wait…
If the queue snaking (‘prowling’? Nah) down Paddington Street is anything to go by, Alley Cats has already established itself as one of Marylebone’s hottest tickets. This walk-in only spot channels pure NYC energy, from its exposed brick walls and chequered tablecloths to episodes of The Sopranos projected onto the wall.
The 14-inch pies here are properly thin and crispy – the kind you can fold into a perfect triangular pocket without the structure giving way. A classic marinara crowned with ice-cold – as it should be – stracciatella (£17) shows they can nail the basics with a keen eye on the finer details, while the vodka sauce option (also £17) offers a more indulgent, increasingly ubiquitous path. The latter, rich and creamy with just the right hit of booze and chilli heat, might have purists clutching their pearls, but it works gloriously well. If you’re feeling thirsty, canned Moth margaritas at £12 each make for a fitting, though bloody expensive, accompaniment.
Those crusts, chewy and characterful, deserve to be dipped in something – the scotch bonnet sauce provides a proper kick, while the ranch offers cooling relief. Actually, order both; you’ll want to alternate between them as you work your way around the circumference of your pie.
The room might be industrial in aesthetic, but there’s genuine warmth to the service, and the buzz of happy diners (when you can hear them over the general hubbub – it’s fucking loud in here) suggests this place is here for the long haul. Getting a table might require a bit of patience, but hey – good things come to those who wait. The good news is they’re open daily from noon to 11pm, so you can get your fix whether it’s a lazy weekend lunch or late-night slice you’re after.
The best restaurants in York prove there’s more to this historic city than medieval walls and Gothic spires…
There’s an old Yorkshire saying: “Hear all, see all, say nowt; eat all, sup all, pay nowt”, and while Yorkshire folk may be famously careful with their money, the dining scene in York proves that some things are worth loosening the purse strings for.
Behind the medieval walls and Gothic spires, this historic city has quietly transformed into one of Britain’s most exciting food destinations, where talented chefs are writing new chapters in York’s two-thousand-year story through their menus.
The city’s culinary landscape stretches far beyond the traditional tearoom offerings that once defined it. Today, you’ll find everything from refined tasting menus showcasing Yorkshire’s exceptional produce to bustling wine bars, neighbourhood bistros pushing creative boundaries, and even AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizzerias.
In the narrow Snickelways and along the cobbled streets, ancient timber-framed buildings now house restaurants that wouldn’t look out of place in London or Copenhagen. Yet there’s something distinctly Yorkshire about it all – a refreshing lack of pretence that keeps the focus squarely on what matters: the food.
But in a city where every alleyway seems to hide another promising restaurant, and where new openings appear as regularly as tourists at the Minster, the challenge isn’t finding somewhere good to eat – it’s choosing between them. We’re here to help with that; here are the best restaurants in York.
Roots
Ideal for farm-to-fork fine dining that doesn’t take itself too seriously…
The second act of chef Tommy Banks, this Michelin-starred venture doesn’t just serve food – it serves a sense of time and place. Housed in a Victorian pub where patterned rugs soften wooden floors and natural light pours through tall windows, Roots presents the Banks family farm (over in Oldstead, where the mothership Black Swan sits) in edible form.
It all reads a bit pretentious when we write it down, but what a pleasure it is to eat this expression of Northern British seasonality. Head Chef Will Lockwood and team work with ingredients that tell stories: vegetables that spent months in the ground at Oldstead, wild foods foraged from hedgerows, preserves that capture seasons past and gluts enjoyed in jars and bottles.
The Core Menu (£95) serves as your introduction to this philosophy, while the Signature Menu (£145-165) goes deeper and longer, both featuring ingredients that have been coaxed into new forms through months of preservation. A palm-sized scallop is served halved and anointed with brown butter sabayon. It sits on a tamari sauce made, not from soybeans but rather, fermented black squash.
The headlining hogget is the star of the show, a study in whole-animal cookery, featuring both roasted saddle and belly. The saddle, bathed in garlic butter and thyme, shares the plate with its transformed belly counterpart – a testament to time and fire, braised and barbecued before being glazed with a compelling black garlic vinegar caramel. Morels, butter-roasted and cleverly stuffed with lamb faggot mix, bring an earthen depth alongside twin purees of sheep’s yogurt and green onions that have been kissed by fermented onion juice. The dish speaks to both tradition and innovation, crowned with a rich hogget sauce that makes the most of every part of the animal, from bones to trim, all enriched with herbs and lamb fat. Christ it’s good.
Desserts are particularly intriguing, a marriage of both savoury and sweet, and last year and this. A recent sweet course of roasted chicory root turned crumble and ice cream, was paired with Charlotte potato custard foam and sea salt caramel. It was as intoxicating as it sounds.
The drink pairings show similar thoughtfulness. The Experimental & Adventurous might pair your course with a Polish Solaris or South African Cabernet Franc, while Grand & Classic stays closer to fine dining traditions. The non-alcoholic Soft & Inventive pairings prove zero-proof can be just as compelling as their spirited counterparts. At Roots, it’s the most enjoyable drinks pairing we’ve had – nuanced and complex, drawing on the restaurant’s library of preserved ingredients.
The yacht rock soundtrack reminds you that even Michelin-starred food doesn’t require hushed tones. Was that Steely Dan we heard meandering across the dining room? We like this place even more…
The kitchen hums Wednesday through Saturday, with dinner service nightly and lunch adding another layer of possibility on Fridays and Saturdays. Getting a table here requires the same patience needed for their slow-food philosophy – but like their aged beef and preserved vegetables, good things come to those who wait.
Ideal for sustainable seafood that tastes like it was caught just moments ago…
It takes confidence to open a sitdown seafood restaurant 40 miles inland. After nomadic stints at Spark: York and the Gillygate pub, chef Stephen Andrews has found Grape Lane’s brick and timber the perfect backdrop for his ambitious vision. The Michelin Guide’s nod for sustainable gastronomy suggests that geography is no barrier to exceptional fish cookery. And let’s be honest; 40 miles isn’t really that far. We just needed something to say…
The weekly-changing chalkboard menu isn’t just practical – it’s a manifesto for the freedom of flexibility. One week might bring rich pulled mallard ragu with a tangy Yorkshire relish, the next could feature bream kissed by a Japanese Konro grill, accompanied by pickled mussels and samphire. Classical technique meets contemporary thinking, sure, but it’s in the latter where the kitchen really shines – witness their pan fried king scallops, with XO sauce made from dehydrated scallop roe, which packed an umami wallop and is the best thing we’ve eaten here by some margin.
While seafood and game lead the menu, vegetable dishes receive equal attention, proving that the restaurant’s sustainability chops extend beyond just fish. Earthy and humble, a recent carrot dish saw this root vegetable used in multiple ways, from smoky purée to crunch offcut crips, all centred around a perfectly roasted carrot, and crunchy crisps made from the offcuts. It was paired with mallard breast, vibrant carrot top salsa verde, and a rich mallard jus gras – a plate that was as delicious as it was sustainable, and the most carrot-y dish you’ll ever taste, even with a load of blushing wild duck on the plate.
They nail the sweet stuff, too. To finish, you might find a rich chocolate delice served with coffee cream, white chocolate mousse, and a crunchy salted almond brittle – layers of texture and flavour in every bite.
Front of house manager Yohan Barthelemy brings genuine enthusiasm rather than rehearsed service, matching dishes to wines from a list that prizes character over predictability. This is the type of bistro every neighbourhood should have.
Wednesday through Saturday service (noon to 9pm). Friday and Saturday evenings require forward planning. With a reputation as one of the best restaurants in York, tables here are increasingly coveted.
Ideal for creative small plates that will surprise and delight…
Watching Neil Bentinck’s kitchen at work feels like witnessing culinary jazz – precise yet improvisational, technical yet soulful. Skosh really is something.
The recent expansion of this Grade II listed space beyond Micklegate Bar has added a proper bar, private dining room, and more counter seats, but hasn’t diluted the electric atmosphere that made the original so magnetic.
The name Skosh – Japanese for ‘a small amount’ – understates what’s happening here. Each plate may be small, but the ideas are expansive. Take their hen’s egg – a £4.50 masterpiece where Dale End cheddar, PX sherry and mushroom create something that lingers on diners’ palates all evening, such is the hit of umami at its core.
The kitchen moves effortlessly between culinary cultures without breaking stride: Whitby crab finds itself on tostadas brightened with clementine, while luscious, wobbly pork belly transforms into a vindaloo that would make both Yorkshire and Indian grandmothers proud. Their apple crumble soft serve – a playful collision of salted caramel and blackcurrant – proves that kitchens of real poise and focus can still have a sense of fun.
The staff navigate the menu’s global wanderings with the confidence of seasoned travellers (or, you know, experienced hospitality workers), helping you plot a course through both dishes and a wine list that favours character over convention.
Grab a counter seat to watch the kitchen’s choreography, or settle into the dining room for a more languid experience. They serve Wednesday through Saturday, both lunch and dinner. Even with the expansion, reservations remain as sought-after as summer sunshine in Yorkshire, and booking a week or two ahead is pretty much essential.
Ideal for North African flavours that will transport you straight to the Yorkshire souks…
What began as Tarik Abdeladim’s market stall in 2015 has grown into something that defies easy categorisation. Still, we’ll do our best…
Behind the warm yellow walls on Grape Lane, traditional North African and Levantine dishes aren’t just reproduced – they’re reimagined through a Yorkshire lens that proves authenticity and evolution aren’t mutually exclusive.
The kitchen’s dedication reveals itself in quiet details: lemons preserved in-house, merguez sausages made daily (served with minty cacik and urfa pepper flakes, and keenly priced at £9), local ingredients transformed through ancient techniques.
The Algerian cassoulet is the headliner, and exemplifies this approach – giant butter beans and house-made merguez create a foundation for Thirkleby duck leg confit, while urfa-spiced whipped feta adds unexpected depth. Whilst £26 is a premium price in this part of town (or rather, in this part of the UK), it’s a massive, bottomless piece of work – Northern portions, indeed.
This commitment to locality runs deep – meat from the Yorkshire Dales, halloumi from Huddersfield, even their house beer comes from Brew York. Whether it’s dry-aged local lamb rump singing with ras el hanout and celeriac, or baked hake, landed off the coast in Whitby, finding harmony with coconut dahl, each dish reflects both its origins and its current home. The wine list travels further, sure, but still has a keen sense of place, featuring Lebanese bottles alongside European classics.
For those seeking Los Moros’ roots, their original street food stall still trades in Shambles Market, serving some of York’s most compelling lunch options. Open Tuesday through Saturday (12-2pm lunch, from 6pm dinner – earlier on Fridays). The restaurant’s popularity makes booking ahead wise.
Ideal for special occasion dining that’s stood the test of time…
Some restaurants survive for thirty years. Melton’s, open since 1990, has done something rarer – it’s evolved. In this intimate Scarcroft Road space, Michael and Lucy Hjort created more than just a restaurant; they arguably laid the foundations for York’s current dining renaissance. Now, with Head Chef Calvin Miller at the helm after 12 years alongside Michael, Melton’s proves that longevity and a forward-thinking mentality aren’t mutually exclusive.
The kitchen marries classical technique with contemporary vision. A cep and kombu custard arrives with barbecued maitake and beer vinegar, honouring the fundamentals of classical cookery whilst introducing more global elements. Even familiar dishes reveal new depths – halibut gains complexity from a truffle and hazelnut crust, while a recent, hugely satisfying blackberry and meadowsweet dessert shows a kitchen willing to play with de rigueur ingredients without detriment to pure pleasure.
Lucy’s presence in the dining room turns first-time visitors into regulars through genuine warmth rather than rehearsed hospitality. Her wine list (all personally chosen) deserves particular attention – not just for its depth, but for markups that suggest they’d rather you explore than play it safe. There’s even a wine from Yorkshire in there- a white from Lauren Vines in Driffield, priced at an eminently reasonable £26.60.
Choose between the tasting menu (£96) or à la carte, both equally accomplished. The dining room itself, with its distinctive murals and considered lighting, feels both special and comfortable – much like the restaurant as a whole. Tuesday through Saturday service (dinner only Tuesdays, lunch and dinner otherwise) still draws crowds after three decades.
Ideal for special occasion dining in spectacular settings…
Andrew Pern has mastered the art of creating restaurants that feel inevitable – as if they’ve always been part of Yorkshire’s fabric. His Star Inn The City – sibling to the Michelin-starred Star Inn 20 miles north in Harome – transforms a former engine house into all-day riverside dining that makes you wonder how the building was ever used for anything else.
The Star Inn’s terrace captures that rare alchemy of setting and sustenance. Inside, red velvet banquettes and white tablecloths create an atmosphere that welcomes both special occasions and impromptu, booze-fuelled lunches.
The kitchen celebrates Yorkshire with honest confidence – a baked Tunworth arrives generous with salted hazelnuts and onion chutney (£12), while the Sunday roast sirloin (£24) delivers everything you hope for, including duck fat roasties that could start arguments over who gets the last one in lesser establishments. A proudly Yorkshire establishment of course delivers on a particularly proud Yorkshire pudding; this one is fucking massive!
Or, go in a different direction with their eight-hour braised ox cheek with winter truffle potato purée, which shows similar dedication to getting the basics exactly right whilst sprinkling a little stardust (or simply grating a shed load of truffle) along the way.
The wine list spans from accessible to ambitious (yes, that Ornellaia 2008 really is £815), while the cocktail programme adds theatrical touches – their smoked Old Fashioned arrives wreathed in woodchip smoke and tasting of it, too. You can, of course, just have a pint – the Star Inn The City is one of the only Pilsner Urquell Tankovna tank beer sites in the North of England.
Open from 11am weekdays (9:30am weekends), it’s equally suited to morning coffee or midnight digestifs. The dress code stays relaxed, but the cooking never does.
Ideal for authentic Neapolitan pizza that makes you forget you’re in Yorkshire…
Pizza certifications might seem like bureaucratic overkill, but the AVPN (Association Verace Pizza Napoletana) badge that Cresci earned isn’t just paperwork – it’s proof of Armando Imparato and Berardo Caggiano’s obsession with getting things right – nothing more, nothing less. Since 2020, their Piccadilly restaurant has been quietly showing York that Neapolitan pizza is both science and poetry.
The bare bones space tells you everything about their priorities: wooden tables, walls lined with Italian products, and an open kitchen where the wood-fired oven commands attention like a theatre’s main stage. Each pizza base emerges with that distinctive Neapolitan character – a crust that’s both chewy and tender, soft centre maintaining its integrity. Their Margherita (judiciously priced at £9.50) demonstrates why simplicity requires perfection: San Marzano DOP tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, basil, and olive oil, each element given space to be heard. The Calabrese (a little more at £13, but still not that much) adds ‘nduja and sautéed red onions without losing that essential balance.
Even the starters show this attention to detail – their frittatina di pasta comes in both classic and cacio e pepe variations, while the Sicilian cannolo filled with goat’s ricotta and 70% Callebaut chocolate makes a compelling argument for saving room for something sweet.
Open daily from noon until 10pm without reservations – though the queue at peak times suggests that sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.
Ideal for relaxed evenings where the wine list is as compelling as the food…
Cricket and fine dining rarely intersect, but 22 Yards – named for both a cricket pitch’s length and their dining room’s dimensions – proves that unexpected combinations often yield the most interesting results. Housed in a Georgian building facing York Minster, it’s created something increasingly omnipresent down in that there London but less so up north: a wine bar that takes its food as seriously as its cellar.
The menu walks a delicate line between sophistication and comfort. Orkney scallops with brown butter and truffle showcase the kind of technical precision that premium ingredients demand, while their slow-braised ox cheek with pecorino and herb polenta satisfies more base, carnal cravings.
The kitchen shows particular flair with game – their venison goulash with sauerkraut and crispy onions is a winner – a bowl you can get truly lost in until your partner actively becomes concerned. But it’s their charcuterie and cheese programme that truly puts the 22 flag in the ground. The 22 Yards Deli Board (£32) reads like a roll call of Yorkshire’s finest artisans: Wildman’s cured meats, Courtyard Dairy cheeses, house-made focaccia… Gorgeous stuff.
Their wine programme – over 150 bottles for retail and 70+ by the glass – reflects the same thoughtful curation as the food. The sommeliers bring knowledge without pretence, whether you’re exploring house wines priced in their mid-twenties or serious Burgundies that reach triple digits. Their pre-theatre offer (deli board and two glasses of English sparkling for £48) might be York’s smartest value supper.
Open from noon (5pm Mondays and Tuesdays), though weekend evenings require advance planning – word has spread.
Ideal for brunch that’s worth getting out of bed for…
Some spaces defy easy categorisation. In a neo-Victorian building on Micklegate, Partisan blends café, gallery, and restaurant into something uniquely York. Owner Florencia Clifford, who refined her approach as a cook in Buddhist retreats, brings mindful attention to everything from their North Yorkshire farm’s herbs to the curated artwork on the walls.
The globally-influenced menu peaks at brunch. Huevos Vaqueros reimagines eggs in chipotle-spiced tomato sauce with black beans, while Persian Eggs marry slow scrambling with Medjoul dates and almond dukkha. Their Full English comes in three thoughtful variations (all £16), each built around house-made smokey beans and M+K herb sausages. The signature dish, though, is the scallop and bacon bun, which has earned (deserved) legendary status in York.
There’s a counter of delicious bakes, too, including ever-present sweet and savoury scones that change change daily according to the seasons. Elsewhere on the counter, you’ll find inventive bakes like crème brûlèe apple and cardamom cruffins, and sticky baklava buns. It’s all very nourishing indeed, if not for the waistline then definitely for the soul.
Beyond perfectly executed Monmouth coffee, their drink selection shows similar care – from creative spritzes to single-origin hot chocolates featuring bars from Venezuela to Madagascar (£3.50). The recent addition of their evening concept Brancusi suggests an operation still evolving.
Open daily 9am to 3pm, the consistent queue of locals and visitors suggests they’ve found a winning formula. Every piece of art and furniture tells its own story – and yes, it’s all for sale.
Ideal for imaginative British cooking that celebrates Yorkshire’s larder…
Some homecomings take the scenic route. After 15 years of refining their modern British cuisine in Sydney, Adam and Lovaine chose York’s Old Coach House on Peasholme Green to continue their story. The result is a restaurant that combines technical precision with the kind of warm hospitality that can’t be taught.
Their kitchen menu (from £85) reveals ambition tempered by experience. Venison tartare finds unexpected but totally right companions in smoked eel cream and beetroot, while a mushroom dumpling with garlic purée and confit carrot shows similar imagination anchored in an understanding of what works together.
But it’s their cheese trolley – a tradition carried from their Sydney days – that’s become legendary. Working with Yorkshire’s Andy Swinscoe, each morning begins with a debate about perfect ripeness and ideal combinations, turning cheese service into performance art. Or, if you’re after something sweeter, the ‘A Little Bit of Yorkshire’ dessert, featuring local strawberries and Yorkshire Tea marshmallows, captures the kitchen’s ethos: serious cooking that remembers to smile.
The wine list (200+ bins) mirrors this attention to detail, ranging from accessible to esoteric. Their Little Arras bakery nearby suggests an operation unwilling to compromise – the sourdough alone justifies the detour.
Open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, with their kitchen menu showing the team at their most expressive.
The city of Brighton, both quintessentially British and proudly progressive, hosts a collection of Sunday roasts that are, well, also fitting of those two descriptors.
Here in the so-called London-by-the-Sea, you’ll find traditional meat-and-a-few-veg roast dinners, sure. But you’ll also find full-on vegetarian Sunday lunch menus, as well as those inspired by the USA’s deep south and some cooked entirely over coals.
With such an idiosyncratic range of roasts, you’ll need a trusted guide to take your hand and show you a good time if you’re to satisfy your own specific cravings when it comes to a Sunday lunch in the city. We are that guide – at least, digitally speaking. With that in mind, here are the best Sunday roasts in Brighton.
The Chimney House
Ideal for a traditional, affordable Sunday roast with a side order of community spirit…
We start our exploration of Brighton’s best roasts with a growling stomach and a desire for something both traditional and tasty af. The natural place to land, then, is in Preston Park’s Chimney House, an old school boozer with beer mats on the wall, Harvey’s in the taps, the satisfying click-clack of wooden floorboards under foot, and an exemplary Sunday roast on the dinner table.
This charming pub sits at a prominent corner with elevations to both Upper Hamilton Road and Exeter Street. The building, a two-storey red brick public house adorned with pitched tile roofs, hanging sash windows and decorative plasterwork, is as quintessentially ‘neighbourhood local’ as it comes, the blue signage and actual three chimneys visible for several hundred metres on the approach.
The Chimney House has retained its architectural integrity and continues to serve the community, contributing significantly to the character of this largely residential area. Inside, the vibes are immaculate and the scene set for a fine Sunday lunch.
You’re nursing a hangover – we know you are – so start with a glass of Bloody Ben’s Bloody Mary (£9.50), served with a double shot of vodka as standard. It’s straight on to the main event next – it’s easily generous enough and, besides, there are no starters on the Chimney House’s Sunday menu. Not that we’re complaining; there’s the big four meats available here, with the lamb rump (£19), flavoured enthusiastically with garlic and mint and cooked to a perfect pink, the pick of the bunch.
Showing that the vegetarian and vegan diners of Brighton (of which there are many) are no afterthought, there are not one but two plant-based roast options – a Mediterranean vegetable tart, and a butternut squash and feta wellington no less. We’re told the latter was excellent.
Alongside it all, a serious set of sides – roast potatoes, seasonal greens, a lovely carrot and swede puree, spiced red cabbage, roasted parsnips, homemade Yorkies and a proper meat gravy. A vegan gravy is also available.
Interestingly, the menu proudly states that the gravies are gluten-free, meaning no flour has been used to thicken the sauce. Instead, it’s rich and viscous from its homemade stock base and a diligent effort at skimming and reducing. It’s banging, and you’ll chase it across the plate with your finger. For an extra fiver, there’s also cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets. Yes, we agree with you; this is a pub that takes real pride in serving a proper roast dinner, just as God intended it.
And with that, we collapse into our sticky toffee pudding with a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream (£10), thankful that it’s downhill all the way back into Brighton town, because we’re getting rolled all the way down.
When: The Sunday Roast at the Chimney House runs from midday until 6pm, with the roast beef and trimmings (the most expensive of the roasts here) priced at £20.
Ideal for a Sunday feast with theatrical, fire-led flair…
The Coal Shed’s recent move to its expansive new home in Clarence House seems to have dialled in to what made it so special first time around – that irresistible combination of fire-cooking expertise and suave-as-silk hospitality, now served with an extra dash of drama.
Inhabiting one of Brighton’s most striking Georgian buildings on North Street, the restaurant has evolved into a 142-seat city-centre destination that blends industrial chic with period grandeur – the perfect environs for a big ol’ lunch, we think. The Sunday offering revolves around their 35-day salt-aged rump cap of beef (keenly priced at £25, we think), a masterclass in careful ageing and precise cooking that arrives at the table with a dark, flavourful crust giving way to tender pink meat within. There’s a smokiness to it all, sure, but one that gently envelops rather than brutalises with the scent of lighter fluid.
The kitchen team, led by executive chef Lee Murdoch, the kind of muscular, tatted chap who always seems to be typecast for this role, lets the quality of their ingredients shine through. Heritage carrots are brightened with burnt orange notes, the roast potatoes take on a golden hue from garlic and thyme, while buttered garden greens provide welcome freshness. The Yorkshire puddings rise proud and true, and the pan jus brings everything together with deep, clear flavours built from the restaurant’s hallmark fire-cooking methods. Always a crowd-pleasing addition any Sunday roast, an order of the cauliflower cheese is a must. With a garlic crumb and tangy fondue cheese, this next level cauli arrives bubbly and golden – just like your good self after a spell on the pebbles with a bottle of Prosecco.
For those seeking alternatives to beef, the fore shoulder of salt marsh lamb makes a compelling case for itself, as does the Sussex herb-fed chicken – the latter arriving fragrant with young sage and Meyer lemon. Plant-based diners aren’t forgotten; the Sussex celeriac roast has been lavishly basted in a mixture of rosemary, Manuka honey and umami-rich kombu until glazed and giving. You know what? It might be the best thing on the menu.
The dining room itself, with its expert blend of industrial-chic and Georgian grandeur, adds to the sense of occasion. Curved booths and intelligent spacing mean conversations stay private despite the bustle. The standalone bar, staffed by a skilled cocktail team, makes an ideal spot for a pre-lunch Dill Pickle Martini (£11.50) or perhaps something from their impressive wine list – maybe a glass of Initial de Desmirail Margaux (£18) or, if you’re feeling celebratory, the Château Mouton Rothschild 2006 from their carefully curated Library Vintages selection.
When: Sunday roasts are served from midday until 9pm, with individual roasts starting from £28 and the sharing option for two at £32.50 per person.
Ideal for a roast dinner that’s big on flavour and low on frippery…
We’re heading into Hove next, down Denmark Villas, towards the sea and into The Ginger Pig, one of East Sussex’s most acclaimed gastropubs and just the place for another stellar Sunday roast.
The pub is one of four venues from the prolific restaurant group behind the Ginger Man, Ginger Fox and the Flint House, and if you’ve ever dined at one of those places before, you’ll know that the Ginger way of cooking is big on flavour and low on frippery.
Originally owned by Tamplin’s brewery from 1916 until 1963, the two-storry, early 20th century inn with its distinctive three gable ends has housed the Ginger Pig (not to be confused with the acclaimed London butchers of the same name) since 2011, with the gastropub recognised in the Michelin Guide just months after opening. It’s still in the little red book, 13 years later.
Stylish and comfortable, it’s a wonderful place to sink into of an afternoon (really, the teal dining chairs are very sinkable indeed), order a Gingerman house lager or even a lovely little glass of local Sussex fizz in the from the excellent Ridgeview wine estate, chase it down with half a dozen oysters with shallot vinegar (£21), and simply luxuriate in the experience.
There are capable starters on the Sunday menu if you’re keen to luxuriate for as long as possible, with the chicken liver parfait and quince jelly a winner. That said, the roast alone will see you right, even if you’ve come with quite the appetite.
Alongside the usual roast sirloin of beef, there are a couple of more interesting options; the pork showing here comes in the form of a perfect round of roast porchetta, its crackled border blissfully bubbled. The lamb option is slow roasted shoulder. Served almost collapsing, its healthy covering of fat has fully melted into the meat, basting it naturally and leading to a tender finish. Gorgeous stuff. For the veggies, a nut roast does the trick. All of these come with all the usual trimmings, plus both Yorkies and cauliflower cheese as standard.
As if the paradox of choice wasn’t already weighing too heavy, there’s even a grilled whole plaice on the Sunday menu, served not with roasties but with Jersey royals. A caper and parsley butter will be your gravy. It’s a light, bright change for those who don’t actively enjoy the cool, clammy embrace of a meat coma.
For those that do, the Ginger Pig has rooms.
When: The Sunday Roast at the Ginger Pig runs from 12:30pm until 8pm, with the roast beef and trimmings (the most expensive of the roasts here) priced at £23.
Only a year into clouding Brighton’s famous Lanes with a thick miasma of woodfire smoke, and Embers are already making waves by the coast, with an inclusion in the Michelin Guide and a regularly heaving dining room reward for a clear concept delivered with both panache and precision.
The work of two well known faces on the Brighton culinary scene, Dave Marrow (ex Terre à Terre head chef ) and Isaac Bartlett-Copeland (former chef-patron of now sadly closed Isaac At), here everything is cooked on a specially designed multi-rack grill that sits pretty in the centre of the dining room, bringing a touch of theatre to proceedings as its glowing embers crackle and flare up as fat and glaze drip invitingly.
On the day of rest, you’ll be pleased to hear that Embers doesn’t suddenly extinguish the flames, fire up the combi oven and phone in their roast dinners. Nope, just as it is for every other service here, everything is cooked on the grill, the resulting Sunday roast thoroughly seasoned by wood, smoke and fire, whether you go for the ember roasted Sussex beef rump horseradish, the smoked chicken with bread sauce, or the ember baked onion, which has been stuffed with roasted beetroot and pumpkin seed.
Either way, it all comes with skillet roasted potatoes, cauliflower cheese purée and wood-fired summer vegetables, as well as a protein-appropriate jus. Order a few of the restaurant’s seasonal small plates alongside if you know what’s good for you; the cured sea treat with creme fraiche is especially gorgeous.
And just in case the theme hadn’t been hammered home quite enough yet, then even Ember’s cocktails are also a smoke-laden affair. The Cadillac Joe Margarita, already blessed with the inherent smokiness of mezcal, is infused with an extra lick of flames just before being served. Cheers!
When: The Sunday roast at Embers runs from midday until 7pm, with the wood fired sharing platters of either pork, beef or chicken, plus all the trimmings, priced in the mid twenties. There’s also a ‘four beast feast’ for £33.
As any vegetarian or vegan will tell you, Sunday lunch can sometimes be a dreary affair, reduced to pushing a couple of roasties around a dry plate whilst fellow diners gorge on several rounds of meat.
Not so here. A community-driven pub offering an excellent, eclectic plant-based menu, The Roundhill is the perfect spot for those seeking a hearty Sunday roast that’s 100% vegan.
It’s easy to see why the Roundhill’s roast dinner is so acclaimed; there are spreads here to satisfy both the ‘missing meat’ crowd and those who simply love their vegetables. For the former, the seitain roast ‘beef’ comes with two thick slabs of wheat meat alongside an appealing swipe of coarse, vibrant beetroot puree, confit potatoes, Yorkies and a red wine gravy. There’s also the more predictable but no less delicious squash, sage and cashew nut roast, and an expertly conceived beetroot and mushroom wellington.
That’s your Sunday savouries covered, but what about dessert? You’ll be in capable hands with The Roundhill’s sweet stuff too, which are, again, 100% vegan and 0% afterthought. Go for the rhubarb crumble with immaculate soy custard if you know what’s good for you. Seeing as you’re vegan, you probably do…
Finally, on to the booze. The Roundhill has seven craft tabs with two that change weekly to celebrate local breweries and their most exciting vegan ranges. There are also some great sustainable wines here from the team at Sustainable Wine Solutions whose bottles are returned, cleaned and reused to create a zero waste network.
For those who enjoy their Sunday lunch with a side order of sea breeze, the Roundhill has a charming little outdoor space, ideal for alfresco afternoons that nourish both body and soul. It’s all very Brighton, and it’s all very delicious.
When: The all vegan Sunday roasts at The Roundhill run from midday until 7pm, and are priced between £15.50 and £16.50 for the main event and all the trimmings.
The Cricketers is a place every visitor to Brighton has likely passed on their way from the Lanes down to the beach, its terrace seating out front always heaving with revellers, but the promise of the ocean on the horizon sometimes meaning the pub, Brighton’s oldest, is passed by in favour of the pebbles.
On a Sunday, why not step inside instead, for a great Sunday roast with a side order of history – the pub dates back to 1547. With a diverse selection of Sunday roasts at some of the most affordable prices in town, this historic pub caters to all, including vegetarians, who can get stuck into a squash, walnut and mushroom wellington.
For the carnivores, the beef and lamb are sourced from farms on the South Downs, whilst the pork comes from Dingley Dell over in Suffolk. This commitment to quality is reflected in a gold-standard traditional Sunday lunch, which is given an extra dose of seasoning by the Cricketers’ old school interior, all red velvet seating, quirky ornaments, and a nostalgic smell of stale beer.
Whichever way you play it, make sure to add a side of their pork and apricot stuffing balls, which are a textural delight. Prepare to be wowed, too, by the crisp roasties and gravity-defying Yorkies, the latter of which sits atop its meaty throne like a crown. That’s a bit of a weird sentence, but we’re sticking with it.
When: The Sunday roasts at The Cricketers run from midday to 5pm, with the roast beef and trimmings (the most expensive of the single meat roasts here) clocking in at £18.95. You can also get a four meat roast option for £25.95.
Petit Pois is arguably the number one purveyor of traditional French fare in the city, and one of Brighton’s best restaurants, period.
Whilst the weekdays are more broadly defined by snails and bouillabaisse, on Sundays the Petit Pois ‘Sunday roast a la Française’ comes into play alongside the usual menu, with a Gaelic take on a Great British tradition served up on this most narrow of Brighton streets.
In all honesty, the only nod to the influence of our cousins across the Channel is the serving of red wine jus instead of thick (sometimes lump) gravy, and a few superfluous pea shoots scattered across the plate.
Aside from that, the Sunday roast at Petit Pois errs on the more traditional side, with expert meat cookery and hearty, homely sides. Still, it’s refreshing to see the sometimes neglected cut of lamb breast making a welcome appearance. Here, it’s been rolled and braised for hours until tender and wobbly in all the right places, whilst still holding its shape in a pleasing puck. It’s gorgeous.
Alongside, duck fat roasties, honey roasted carrots, swede mash, mixed greens, a light-as-you-like Yorkshire pudding, and that glossy, viscous jus. Hmmm, we hate to admit it, but the French might just have this whole Sunday roast thing nailed.
Another thing Petit Pois has nailed is their desserts. Could there be anything better than sinking into an expertly made tarte tatin a Sunday evening, knowing that the only thing that follows is a good lie down? We certainly haven’t found it!
When: The Sunday roast ‘a la Française’ at Petit Pois is from midday until it sells out, which is often by 4pm (regulars often call in advance and reserve theirs if they’re planning to dine in the evening). Prices hovering around the £20 mark for whichever meat takes your fancy. There is an option to have pork, lamb and beef all on one plate.
Hey you! Yes, you there, squinting into the screen and searching for meaning. Since you’re here, may we pay you a compliment? Ok, here goes; like a fine wine, you just seem to get better with age. But what if that compliment could, well, pay you?
In recent years, discussion of fine wine has moved from the mouths of sommeliers, claret connoisseurs and part time plonkers and into the vernacular of the serious investor, regardless of the latter’s grasp of bouquet, grape and noble rot.
Though you may be conservant in the terminology, the process of investing in fine wine can be complex. Whilst not everyone has a nose for quality wine, if you’re able to sniff out a good deal, then this could be for you.
The scarcity and quality of fine wine will appreciate as time passes, and so will its value. As such, it is possible to purchase wine bottles, store them, and then sell them for a higher price in the future. Of course, it’s not that simple, but if you’re wondering whether fine wine is a worthwhile investment, then here are 5 beginner’s tips.
Types Of Fine Wine Investment
Fine wine investment isn’t restricted to simply buying a few more expensive bottles, stashing them in the back of a cupboard and hoping for the best a few years down the line. In fact, that would be one of the more limiting approaches in this increasingly lucrative field.
There are several fine wine investment opportunities available, depending on your budget, level of commitment, and knowledge of both wine and, perhaps more importantly, investing. For example, investors can choose from wine-specific investment funds, stock exchanges, storage solutions for aging bottles, and more, all in the name of generating a pretty profit.
Beyond wine itself, the broader spirits investment market has also gained significant traction in recent years. Whisky, in particular, has emerged as a high-performing alternative asset, with rare bottles showing returns of up to 322% over the past decade.
Some investors are even exploring cask investment services, which allow them to purchase entire casks of maturing whisky directly from distilleries, offering the potential for substantial appreciation as the spirit ages. There are also plenty of options when it comes to buying and selling assets. The most popular for more small-time, hobbyist investors is the gradual building of an investment portfolio of fine wines which are most likely to accrue value over time and are, also, the least risky to store over the necessary, extended period of time without depreciating in quality and value.
If all of that sounds a little complicated and you’re purely in this thing for the money, then there is a simpler solution, too. A person can rely on a wine investment company for purchasing the wine and storing it on their behalf. This helps individuals invest in wine without having to deal with the headaches and hangovers related to constructing a wine cellar.
Storage Smarts
Storing fine wine correctly, in the hope of it appreciating value over time, is one of the key elements of successful fine wine investment. In some situations, a person does not even have to possess the bottle of wine purchased to gain its accrued value. Instead, they can have them stored in specialist facilities for as long as they need, for a price, of course. This ensures the wines remain safe and in pristine condition until a profit can be made. Alternatively, if someone is not interested in collecting and storing wine, they can consider making an investment in blue-chip wine stocks and funds, which is another viable market.
But on the more hobbyist side of things, investing in proper wine storage is absolutely essential to ensure the value of bottles appreciates rather than depreciates, and is integral to any fine wine investment actually being financially viable. Fortunately, we’ve got just the article to help you with that; check out these 5 IDEAL tips for storing your wine to guarantee longevity.
Benefits Of Wine Investment
Making moves into the world of fine wine can be a profitable investment option, whether it’s a simple, singular transaction or a way of further diversifying a large, varied portfolio.
When considering the benefits of investing in wine, it should be noted that fine wine has a low correlation with a stock market currently performing somewhat lethargically.
Reports show that the fine wine market has outperformed most exchange-traded funds and global equities in these increasingly volatile times. Indeed, the Liv-ex Fine Wine index, which tracks the daily price movement of the most heavily traded commodities in the fine wine market, consistenly shows wine seriously outperforming more traditional forms of investment, showing that luxury consumables are resistant to the broader volatile markets’’. Food, or rather, drink for thought, indeed.
It’s this sense of stability which should appeal to new investors, particularly when gold and real estate are currently so unpredictable. In fact, at the end of last year, the Telegraph reported that fine wine had surged 200% in the last decade, with its price particularly resistant to the market swings of a global pandemic and Brexit.
…& The Risks
So, why wouldn’t you invest? Well, as with any investment in a perishable product, there are some pretty big risks here. Perhaps the largest concerns the risk of fraud, which is rife in the upper echelons of the fine wine world.
A particularly high profile case involving the relabelling of basic bottles with highly sought after vintages garnered widespread media attention in 2016; there’s even been a Netflix documentary, Sour Grapes (reviewed strongly on Rotten Tomatoes, the parallel names amusing us), about the protagonist Rudy Kurniawan, who amassed a fortune, selling $24.7 million worth of wine at a single auction in 2006. Though this is an extreme example, scams of a similar nature aren’t particularly rare in the fine wine investment game, and do represent a risk.
It should also be noted that short term gains are very rare. Anyone hoping to make profit from fine wine investment needs to be playing the long game. Since wine doesn’t actually produce any returns whilst it’s in storage (and storing and insuring your bottles will cost you), you’ll only see financial gains when you sell your bottle. As such, you need a fair amount of capital and patience to make this thing a success.
Understanding Investment Grade Wine
Several key criteria determine whether a wine qualifies as investment grade. First and foremost is aging potential; the wine must be capable of improving in the bottle for decades, not just years. Production volume matters too – wines must be scarce enough to be desirable but produced in sufficient quantities to create a liquid market for trading. Provenance is paramount; bottles must have impeccable storage history and documentation to command top prices. Finally, consistent critical acclaim and a proven track record of price appreciation are essential indicators that a wine will continue to perform well as an investment.
The Classics: French Dominance
This category is dominated by classic French wines, especially 1855 classification Bordeaux reds, Grand Cru Burgundy, and Rhône Valley wines. The 1855 Bordeaux classification, created for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, remains the gold standard of investment grade wine nearly 170 years later. This ranking system classified the region’s châteaux into five tiers, with First Growths (Premiers Crus) representing the pinnacle of collectability.
The ‘Big Five’ First Growths – Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Mouton Rothschild (elevated to First Growth status in 1973) – consistently command the highest prices and offer the most stable returns. Particular vintages, such as 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2015, are especially sought after by collectors and investors alike.
In Burgundy, the Grand Cru vineyards represent less than 2% of the region’s production, making them inherently scarce and valuable. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) produces some of the world’s most expensive wines, with bottles regularly fetching five and six-figure sums at auction. Other notable Burgundy producers include Domaine Leroy, Domaine Armand Rousseau, and Domaine Leflaive.
The Rhône Valley’s contribution to investment grade wine centres largely on Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, with producers like Domaine Jean-Louis Chave and Maison Guigal commanding serious premiums for their top bottlings.
Beyond France
Italy’s ‘Super Tuscan’ wines – so called because they initially defied traditional Italian wine laws by blending international grape varieties – have carved out their own investment niche. Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Masseto regularly feature in investment portfolios, with certain vintages appreciating significantly over time.
California’s Napa Valley has produced genuine investment grade wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon from cult producers. Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, and Opus One have all demonstrated strong secondary market performance, though they remain somewhat more volatile than their European counterparts.
Emerging Markets
Whilst traditional European regions still dominate, savvy investors are keeping a close eye on emerging investment grade wines. Champagne, particularly prestige cuvées from houses like Dom Pérignon, Krug, and Cristal, has shown impressive appreciation in recent years. Spain’s Vega Sicilia Único and Pingus have also gained traction in investment circles.
Perhaps most intriguingly, certain producers from Australia (Penfolds Grange), Chile (Almaviva), and even England’s sparkling wines are beginning to demonstrate the consistency and secondary market liquidity that could see them classified as investment grade in the coming years. However, these remain speculative plays compared to the established French classics, and should constitute a smaller portion of any serious wine investment portfolio.
Building A Balanced Wine Portfolio
Much like traditional investment portfolios, a well-constructed wine collection requires thoughtful diversification to maximise returns whilst mitigating risk. The temptation for newcomers is often to chase the most prestigious names or the latest ‘hot’ vintage, but a strategic approach will serve you far better in the long run.
Investment advisors typically recommend that 60-70% of your wine portfolio should consist of ‘core holdings’ – established, blue-chip wines with proven track records. This means First Growth Bordeaux from strong vintages, top-tier Burgundy Grand Crus, and other classics that have demonstrated consistent appreciation over decades. The remaining 30-40% can be allocated to ‘growth wines’ – slightly more speculative investments like Second Growth Bordeaux, cult California Cabernets, or highly rated wines from emerging regions.
Avoid concentrating too heavily in any single region or vintage, regardless of how promising it seems. A balanced portfolio might allocate 40% to Bordeaux, 25% to Burgundy, 15% to Italian wines, 10% to Champagne, and 10% to other regions. Similarly, mix highly rated vintages with ‘good’ vintages from top producers, which often represent better value.
Where possible, invest in full cases rather than individual bottles – they command premiums at auction and are far easier to sell. However, keep some smaller lots for flexibility when you need to liquidate portions of your portfolio. Not all wines should have the same investment timeline either; stagger your holdings so some are suitable for selling within 5-7 years whilst others should be held for 15-20 years to realise their full potential.
Market conditions matter, too. Pay attention to significant anniversaries – milestone vintages often see price spikes as collectors seek out birth-year bottles or wines from historically important years. Similarly, critical re-ratings or the passing of a renowned winemaker can trigger sudden increases in demand and value.
Avoid selling during summer or winter months when possible, as adverse weather conditions increase the risk of damage during shipping, potentially affecting both the sale price and the wine’s condition upon arrival. The spring and autumn months typically offer more stable conditions for wine transport.
Finally, keep a close eye on your wine’s drinking window. Once a wine passes its peak, values can drop precipitously. Better to sell a year early than a year too late – in the wine investment game, timing truly is everything.
The Bottom Line
Once the preserve of wealthy elites, fine wine investment now represents a savvy, stable financial move in a market so volatile and unpredictable. Cheers to that!
Perhaps you’ll be starting your investment journey in the famous French wine region of Champagne? Check out our guide on taking a luxury holiday in the region here, and make sure you pack some Gaviscon!
If you’re living in the Big Smoke and keen for an escape, even if it’s just for a day, then rest assured that there’s huge variety just a short train ride or drive away. The beauty of living in London is having such diverse destinations within easy reach.
Fancy fresh oysters by the sea? A wander through ancient university cloisters? Perhaps a proper countryside ramble with deer and wild ponies? Each of these spots has its own distinct character, and all are perfectly accessible for a spontaneous day out or a carefully planned weekend escape.
From beachside breaks to strolls deep in the countryside, here are 8 autumn day trip ideas 2 hours from London.
Whitstable, Canterbury
Whitstable could be the quintessential British seaside town, full of quirky art, independent shopping opportunities, beach huts in pastel shades and most importantly, fish!
Yep, oysters, in particular, are big business here, and you’ll find the freshest, plumpest ones at The Whitstable Oyster Company, Wheeler’s Oyster Bar and The Forge, to name but a few great places. Or, head to the source; Whitstable Fish Market, on the East Quay, looks over trawlers bringing in the bacon (not real bacon) each and every day. It’s been closed for the past year due to a fire, but it’s slated to reopen in the first quarter of 2026 – we can’t wait. Wash it all down with a pint and some chips at The Old Neptune, which sits right on the pebbles.
End your day with a hyper-seasonal, ridiculously reasonable Michelin-starred meal at The Sportsman, just an hour’s walk along the beach front away. This place is a favourite of chefs from across the globe and relies firmly on the land and sea surrounding the pub, and the bounty available here, from the Thames estuary, salt marshes and of course, the ocean, is of pristine quality and freshness. Most of the ingredients are actually visible from the pub itself; you can’t argue with that for quality.
How long will it take? About an hour and a quarter by train and just over two hours from Central London by car.
Oxford, Oxfordshire
The historic town of Oxford needs little in the way of introduction. From the famous dictionary to celebrated colleges made even more iconic by Harry Potter, Oxford is a household name around the globe.
It’s a visually arresting city, with golden stone buildings, majestic spires, Gothic Revival museums and a fair few cobbled stone backstreets to stumble along. When on a trip to Oxford, don’t forget to visit Christ Church College, which Hogwarts was largely based on, and the Bodleian Library, one of the world’s oldest and most iconic libraries, housing over 12 million items and supplying the knowledge and inspiration which gave us the internet, the Hobbit and the unification of quantum theory and general relativity.
A pint in one of the world’s most iconic pubs, the Turf Tavern, is a must, where everyone from Stephen Hawking to CS Lewis has imbibed. In fact, it’s here that in 1963 the future Australian PM set a World Record, downing a yard of ale in just 11 seconds.
How long will it take? Just 45 minute on the train from Paddington and around an hour and 45 minutes drive from Central London.
New Forest, Hampshire
If you’re looking to pull on your wellies, perhaps even don some tweed and enjoy a seriously restoring country walk, then the New Forest National Park will see you right. There are seven train stations to aim for, but for unadulterated, untouched rural beauty, we’d recommend Brockenhurst, the largest village in the New Forest and also one of the most convenient from London. That, or you could rent one of London’s thousands of Zip cars – temporary car insurance for just a few hours or a day can be more economical than a full-year policy, making it perfect for spontaneous trips like this.
From Brockenhurst, you can stroll through gorgeous forests and over streams to Lyndhurst, and onto the Lyndhurst Parish Circular Walk, which is a total of ten miles and takes in views of deer, horses, ponies and more; so far removed from London you’ll forget the rat race for the day, of that we can gurantee.
How long will it take? Around a two hour drive from Central London or an hour and a half’s train ride to Brockenhurst (one of seven train stations within the New Forest).
Stonehenge & Salisbury, Wiltshire
For a small city, Salisbury packs one hell of a punch culturally. There’s Salisbury Cathedral, which boasts the tallest church spire in the UK and the second tallest in Europe, and the gorgeous surrounding grounds, which author Bill Bryson called ‘the most beautiful space’ in England. What’s more, inside the cathedral you’ll find the best preserved copy (there are just four) of the groundbreaking document Magna Carta, which has sat in the cathedral’s Chapter House since 1215.
Perhaps the highlight here is Stone Henge, just 9 miles away – a fifteen minute drive or 20 minute bus ride from just outside the train station. Head there to ponder the mysteries surrounding the prehistoric monument in person, and follow it with lunch at the superb, Michelin starred gastropub the Red Lion Freehouse, which is just another 15 minute drive north of the world famous site.
How long will it take? Around two hours by car. Or, you can catch the train from Clapham Junction which will take an hour and fifteen minutes, and then take a short bus ride to Stonehenge from Salisbury station.
The cathedral city of Winchester can be reached in under an hour from London, and the centre retains a laid back, unspoilt charm just perfect for a spot of strolling and shopping. At the weekend, the narrow streets are alive with shoppers, markets and street performers, and if the crowds get too much, the world famous medieval cathedral is just off the high street. The longest Gothic cathedral in the world and one of the largest cathedrals, full stop, in Europe, it’s open daily from 10am from 4pm, and well worth a look. The sizeable grounds are also a peaceful place to catch your breath and soak up some autumn sun away from the high street’s ever present throng.
If you’re keen on further deep dives into the past, then Winchester’s Great Hall is just around the corner, the last surviving part of Winchester Castle and now a museum. Amazingly, King Arthur’s round table, where the King and his knights congregated, is reported to have been hosted here. You’ll find an imitation in the Great Hall to this day.
How long will it take? Under an hour on the train from Waterloo or around an hour and 45 minute drive from Central London.
Because every Londoner is already conversant in Brighton day trips, right? Well, neighbouring Hove has something different to offer, away from the Pier, Teddy Pickers, Rock and the rest. Here, the vibe is more laid back, with some superb cafes, eateries, and a gorgeous seafront promenade and lawns.
Before heading to the pebble beach, pick up some fish’n’chips at Bankers on Western Road, one of the South’s most celebrated chippies. Or, if you’re looking for a proper sit down meal, cutlery, crockery and all, the Little Fish Market on Upper Market Street is one of the country’s best fish-only fine dining experiences. It’s tiny, so booking is highly recommended.
Hove has a fantastic, independent cafe culture, too. Look out for Small Batch Coffee, a local chain who do superb, house-roasted coffee with a few outposts dotted around Hove. For something a little stronger, Bison Beer on Church Road or The Urchin on Belfast Street are both craft beer connoisseurs with great food to match.
Visit late autumn and you’ll also see mesmerising murmurations of starlings. These birds visit from further north in the continent, seeking out the relative warmth we offer. Huge flocks gather along Brighton and Hove’s seafront to roost on the pier, and it’s a sight to behold. The best time to see catch them swirling in the skies is just before sunset.
How long will it take? Just over an hour on the train from Victoria or a two and drive from Central London.
Deal, Kent
Hey, perhaps we’re biased (add an ‘I’ and you have our favourite word of all), but Deal is beginning to eclipse its more famous neighbour Margate as every Londoner’s favourite seaside escape.
Here’s the deal with Deal; the pebble beach is pretty as a picture, there’s a brilliantly preserved castle (built by Henry VIII), a buzzing art scene and best of all, fresh seafood everywhere you look.
Should you be heading here at the weekend, then the Deal Saturday Market is great fun, with pop-up wine shops, local charcuterie and cheese and loads of vintage goodies to unearth. You’re blessed with some fancier options for dinner, too. To our mind, it has to be Frog & Scot; unfussy yet refined fare celebrating the region’s produce, just a short stroll from the station. Oh, and it’s run by a former chef of The Sportsman, from a couple of paragraphs earlier!
How long will it take? About an hour and a half by train from St Pancras or a two and a half hour drive from Central London.
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Oxford’s historic rival, Cambridge offers its own brand of architectural splendour and academic prestige, all wrapped up in a more intimate, navigable package. The city’s honey-coloured colleges line the River Cam, where punting remains a quintessentially Cambridge experience, particularly atmospheric during autumn when the trees along the Backs turn golden.
King’s College Chapel is the jewel in the crown here, with its fan-vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows creating one of England’s most breathtaking interiors. The college grounds are open to visitors, and wandering through the courtyards feels like stepping back several centuries. For a different perspective, climb the tower of Great St Mary’s Church for panoramic views across the city’s famous skyline of spires and turrets.
Cambridge’s food scene has evolved considerably in recent years. Midsummer House, a two Michelin-starred restaurant set in a Victorian villa overlooking the Cam, offers tasting menus that showcase British ingredients at their finest. For something more casual, the historic Eagle pub is where Watson and Crick announced their discovery of DNA’s structure, and it serves excellent gastropub fare alongside its famous history.
Don’t miss the Fitzwilliam Museum, one of Britain’s finest regional museums, housing everything from Egyptian antiquities to Impressionist paintings, all with free admission. The surrounding Botanic Garden is particularly stunning in autumn, with 40 acres of plantings showing off their seasonal colours.
How long will it take? Just under an hour by train from King’s Cross or around an hour and a half drive from Central London.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re drawn to coastal charm, historical intrigue or peaceful countryside, these autumn escapes prove you don’t need to venture far from London to find something special. Each destination offers its own rewards, from Michelin-starred meals to medieval marvels, and with journey times under two hours, they’re all perfectly feasible for a spontaneous day out. Pack a jacket, check the train times, and rediscover just how much variety sits right on London’s doorstep.
You’ve seen it all over Instagram. Celebrities swear by it. Your friend who’s suddenly got incredible posture won’t stop banging on about it. But what actually is reformer Pilates, and more importantly, can you do it without joining an eye-wateringly expensive studio?
If you’ve ever walked past a Pilates studio and glimpsed what looks like medieval torture devices through the window, you’ve seen a reformer. These peculiar contraptions seem to belong somewhere between a working gym and a Victorian sanatorium, yet they’re having a serious moment in the wellness world. The question is whether all the hype is justified, or if this is just another fitness trend that’ll be forgotten once the next thing comes along.
Let’s cut through the wellness jargon and get to the good stuff.
So What’s the Deal With Reformer Pilates?
Right, let’s properly explain this. A reformer is a piece of exercise equipment invented nearly a century ago by Joseph Pilates (yes, that’s actually his surname). Picture a wooden or metal frame about the size and shape of a single bed. Inside this frame sits a padded platform called a carriage that slides back and forth on wheels, a bit like a rowing machine but horizontal.
Here’s where it gets interesting: attached to one end are a set of springs – usually between two and five of them – that create resistance when you push or pull the carriage. There’s a footbar at the same end (which you can push against with your feet or hands), and at the other end, there are straps with handles that you can hold or put your feet into. Some reformers also have shoulder blocks to stop you sliding off, and a headrest for comfort.
The genius of the design is that unlike mat Pilates where you’re working against gravity and your own body weight, the reformer adds variable resistance that you can adjust to suit your fitness level. Want more of a challenge? Add more springs. Need to ease off? Remove a spring or two.
The beauty of it? You’re in total control. Those springs can make exercises easier or harder, depending on how you set them up. One minute you’re doing what feels like an elegant leg press, the next you’re trying not to look like Bambi on ice whilst balancing on one foot.
It’s low-impact, which means it’s kind to your joints, but don’t let that fool you. A proper reformer session will have your muscles shaking in ways you didn’t think possible. Your core, legs, arms, and back all get a thorough workout, and because you’re moving in multiple planes of motion, you’re building functional strength that actually translates to real life. You know, like being able to pick up heavy shopping bags without looking like you’re training for the Olympics.
Forget the wellness buzzwords for a second. Here’s what reformer Pilates genuinely does for you:
It sorts out your posture. If you spend your days hunched over a laptop (who doesn’t?), reformer work strengthens the muscles that keep you upright and counteracts all that slouching. Your back will thank you.
It builds strength without bulk. You’re working with resistance, but in a way that creates long, lean muscle tone rather than making you look like you’ve been hitting the weights hard. It’s about functional strength and control, not just size.
Flexibility comes as standard. Many exercises take you through a full range of motion, so you’re getting stronger and more flexible at the same time. It’s like getting two workouts in one, which sounds far too efficient for something this enjoyable.
Your balance improves. The instability of the moving carriage forces your stabilising muscles to work overtime. Before you know it, you’re standing on one leg without wobbling like a toddler.
Can You Really Do It At Home?
Here’s where it gets interesting. Yes, you absolutely can set up a reformer practice in your home gym, but let’s be realistic about what that involves.
First, the elephant in the room: reformers aren’t small. They’re about the size of a single bed, so you’ll need dedicated space. If you’re in a shoebox flat, this might be a dealbreaker. But if you’ve got a spare room, garage, or even just a corner of your bedroom that you’re willing to sacrifice, it’s entirely doable.
The investment isn’t small either. A decent home reformer starts at around £500 and can go up to several thousand for studio-quality equipment. But before you close this tab in horror, consider that a single studio class can cost £25-40. If you’re planning to practise regularly, that reformer pays for itself surprisingly quickly.
Once you’ve got the reformer itself sorted, the real game-changer comes from adding reformer Pilates accessories for personalised workouts. These additions transform your practice from basic to brilliant, letting you customise your sessions to target exactly what your body needs on any given day. Think of them as the supporting cast that makes your reformer the star of the show.
Kitting Out Your Home Practice
Once you’ve got your reformer sorted, it’s worth investing in a few key accessories that’ll take your practice from “I’m just mucking about” to “I actually know what I’m doing.”
A proper reformer mat isn’t just about comfort (though that’s lovely). It provides grip, hygiene, and just enough cushioning to keep you focused on your form rather than the hard surface beneath you. Trust us, your knees will appreciate it during kneeling exercises.
Roll-up poles are brilliant for adding an extra challenge to your balance work. They create instability that forces your core and smaller stabilising muscles to work harder. Think of them as the bit of chaos that makes your workout more effective.
A jumpboard is where things get properly fun. It converts your reformer into a low-impact cardio machine, letting you add jumping movements that get your heart rate up without the joint-jarring impact of actual jumping. It’s surprisingly addictive once you get the rhythm down.
Building A Routine That Actually Works
The mistake most people make when designing their home workouts is thinking they need to recreate an entire studio class every time. You don’t. Twenty minutes of focused, intentional movement beats an hour of going through the motions any day.
Start with the basics. Get comfortable with footwork, leg circles, and basic arm exercises. Master your breathing pattern (exhale on effort, always). Once these feel natural, start layering in more complex movements.
The secret to balancing strength and flexibility? Do them in the same session. Begin with resistance-based exercises when your muscles are fresh, then move into deeper stretches whilst everything’s warm. Your body responds better to flexibility work when it’s already engaged, and you’ll notice the difference in your range of motion.
Listen to your body, but also don’t coddle it. If something feels too easy, adjust the springs. If you’re wobbling all over the place, that’s actually good – it means you’re challenging your stability. The reformer is remarkably good at giving you instant feedback about where you need to focus.
Making It Sustainable
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about home workouts: the biggest challenge isn’t the exercise itself, it’s showing up consistently when Netflix is right there.
Set yourself up for success. Keep your reformer somewhere visible, not hidden away in a cupboard that requires a Tetris championship to access. Schedule your sessions like proper appointments. Lay out your kit the night before if you’re planning a morning workout.
And here’s a revolutionary idea: your sessions don’t all need to be intense. Sometimes a 15-minute stretch session focused purely on flexibility is exactly what you need. Other days, you’ll want to challenge yourself with jump work and heavy resistance. Both are valid. Both are valuable.
The beauty of having your reformer at home is that you can hop on for ten minutes between meetings if that’s all you’ve got. You can practise in your pyjamas at 6am or 11pm without judgement. You can repeat the same exercise 47 times until you finally nail it, without feeling like you’re holding up a class.
The Bottom Line
Reformer Pilates isn’t some mystical wellness trend that only works if you’re doing it in a pristine studio whilst wearing £90 leggings. It’s an effective, adaptable form of exercise that absolutely can be done at home if you’ve got the space and inclination.
Will it transform your body overnight? No, because nothing does (sorry). But practise consistently for a few months and you’ll notice genuine changes in your strength, flexibility, posture, and how your body moves through everyday life. You’ll develop that elusive core strength that makes everything else easier.
Is it for everyone? Probably not if you hate controlled, precise movement and prefer your workouts chaotic and sweaty. But if you want to build functional strength whilst improving your flexibility and body awareness, it’s genuinely brilliant.
The home setup requires investment – both financially and in terms of space – but it gives you the freedom to practise on your own terms, at your own pace, without the pressure of keeping up with anyone else.
And honestly? Once you’ve had that moment where you finally nail an exercise you’ve been struggling with for weeks, you’ll understand why people get so evangelical about it. Just try not to become that friend who won’t stop banging on about it.
Perhaps no city on the planet has more often been named the street food capital of the world than Bangkok. Indeed, it feels as if the Thai capital would exist in a kind of liminal space between meals, were it not for the incredible range of sticks, skewers and sweet treats aimed at distracting appetites until dinner.
This is a city that’s always eating, and though it boasts an ever growing roster of groundbreaking, gravity defying high end restaurants, the main focus of the culinary culture in Bangkok is of course found on the street.
One for the pedants before we begin; defining exactly what ‘street food’ is in Bangkok has become an increasingly difficult endeavour, particularly as some vendors have been moved off the streets and indoors, often to the basement or top floor level of enormous, glitzy shopping malls that are just about as far from the street as is physically possible.
Street food, in the case of this roundup, is about the dishes and the cooks, rather than whether or not there’s a roof over your head or you can see blue sky as you eat. Often, the distinction between street food and shophouse is sometimes blurred only by a shutter.
What connects them is harder to define. Often, but certainly not always, people are thinking of one bowl wonders when they talk about street food. Generally considered ‘cheap eats’, these are family recipes, dishes, a sense of hospitality and a system of serving (and often queuing!) that has been refined over generations.
Anyway, you’re here for Bangkok’s most iconic, legendary, downright delicious street food dishes rather than a discussion in semantics, right? With that here, here’s a selection of the best places to eat street food in Bangkok.
Khao Gaeng Jek Pui, Yaorowat (Chinatown)
Ideal for homestyle Thai curry and a game of musical chairs…
Sure, some of the best curries in Bangkok are found in the city’s fancier restaurants, all perfectly balanced flavour profiles, chunks of meat braised until tender and near surrender, and an adornment of makrut lime leaf julienne so fine it passes for green baby hair.
And then, there is Jek Pui. A traditional Bangkok-style raan khao gaeng (rice and curry) restaurant, the whole orchestra is conducted on the street, with several huge pots of enticing curries lined up out the front of a Chinatown shophouse, their surfaces dappled with separated coconut milk, all cooled down to Bangkok room temperature – the perfect ambience for curry in the capital.
Pull up a red plastic stool in the chaotic but calm street level dining space (nicknamed ‘music chairs curry’ for the procession of diners it receives and quick turnaround it delivers), and order a yellow curry of pork, the Jek Pui signature, with some deep fried slivers of Chinese sausage as an extra garnish. It’s sweet, it’s salty and it’s pure perfection.
When is Jek Pui Curry open? Jek Pui is open daily, from 2pm to 7:30pm.
How long should I expect to queue? You’ll be able to find a stool fairly quickly, even at peak times (it’s usually busiest straight after opening).
How much should I expect to pay? The yellow curry with a couple of sides and a bottle of water won’t be more than 100 THB (just over £2).
Closest BTS/MRT: Wat Mangkon MRT (a 5 minute walk from there)
Ideal for arguably the world’s most iconic street food destination…
We couldn’t really go much further into an article about the best streetfood in Bangkok without mentioning the universally acknowledged queen of the scene; Jay Fai.
What is there left to be said that hasn’t already been covered? Yes, you’ll have to wait for several hours to eat the begoggled septuagenarian’s wok work. Sure, you might have to share a table with other hungry food tourists. Nope, these aren’t ‘normal’ streetfood prices, with most dishes in the 1000 THB region (around £25), but you’re paying for some seriously premium ingredients here.
Get over those hurdles and the massive wait, and get ready for a crab omlette the size of a newborn baby, properly filled with huge chunks of white meat. Chase it down with an expertly seasoned tom yum soup, replete with huge river prawns, properly spicy and tangy af, and forget that you waited so long.
Simply put your name down and note your number – it’s your call if you hang around with a beer in the adjacent cafe or risk losing your place in the queue by heading off for a couple of hours. You’ll see the last number on a sign out front – if it’s beyond your number, you’ve missed your slot and these guys do not make exceptions and allow for retrospective queue jumping. Your loss.
Bangkok’s Chinatown and, more precisely, its defining thoroughfare Yaowarat Road, is full of eye-catching, attention-grabbing seafood spots, with tanks of live fish and shellfish in their skimpiest swimsuits bobbing about in fish tanks for all to see, and huge clusters of plastic stools at motorbike exhaust fume level competing for passing custom.
To our mind, the best of the bunch is T&K Seafood, where the catch is plump and the nahm jim seafood deliciously piquant and punchy. Here, some of the dishes beyond the basic boiled or grilled seafood really hit the spot, too. We’re big fans of clams stir fried in chilli jam, the bivalves here big, briny beauties and the drifts of fresh Thai basil a welcome note of complexity. Even better, is the squid in a viscous, rich salted duck egg yolk sauce, which is punctuated by Chinese celery to lighten everything up.
Order a couple of big sharing beers and a pitcher of ice, get chatting to a neighbouring table, and you’ve got yourself a wonderful night out.
When is T&K Seafood open? From 4pm to midnight, daily.
How long should I expect to queue? You can usually find a table pretty swiftly, though at peak times (around 7pm), you may have to wait ten minutes or so. Turnaround here is fast, though, so don’t worry.
How much should I expect to pay? A generous spread of fresh seafood and a couple of cold ones is going to cost around 1000 THB (£22) for two.
Closest BTS/MRT: Wat Mangkon MRT (a 3 minute walk from there)
Ideal for peaceful, familial Chinatown shophouse style dining…
Still in Chinatown, though off the main artery and into the tangle of side streets, Tai Heng is essentially a couple of massive marble tables in the ground floor garage of a family home where they have pretty much perfected two dishes you don’t often see sharing a menu let alone a table; khao man gai (poached chicken over rice seasoned with chicken fat) and Thai suki hang.
The latter is a stir-fried noodle dish that, at its best, forms a kind of homogenous tangle of sticky, charred noodles, egg and seafood that sings with wok hei. Its distinctive, shocking pink (from red bean curd) dipping sauce – sharp, rich and energetic – seals the deal.
And so it is here, where both dishes have pretty much been perfected, the khao man gai’s chicken an off-pink tender that would be in danger of scaring off the tourists if only they could find the place, but is expertly poached and just so good. The sukiyaki stir fry (do order it ‘hang’, as in dry) is equally as exemplary.
Chase both down with an iced tea, breathe in the surprising serenity of Yaorowat’s backstreets, and get ready to launch yourself back into one of Bangkok’s busiest, buzziest areas.
Ideal for charred noodles and grilled seafood on the road…
For arguably Bangkok’s best version of sukiyaki, head next to Elvis Suki (the one on Soi Yotse, rather than the pretenders across the city piggybacking on the name), who have mastered the dish so comprehensively that the restaurant is now named after it. And, of course, named after Elvis Presley – the owner is a big fan and they are the self-proclaimed ‘king’ of the dish. It’s a damn good version, with a seriously smoky kiss from the coal stove over which it’s stir fried.
That said, it’s not the only thing you want to order here. The scallops – plump and fresh – grilled in their shell with a dressing of minced pork fried in sweet garlic butter are a revelation, blessed with that same charcoal smokiness as the sukiyaki, and bubbling and spitting on arrival to the table. In the best possible way of course…
Open until 9:30pm nightly, and popular with the after-work crowd, there’s both air conditioning seating across the road and sociable, street side seating infront of the woks. The beers flow here, naturally.
When is Elvis Suki open? From midday until 9:30pm, daily.
How long should I expect to queue? You should usually get a seat pretty swiftly after arriving.
How much should I expect to pay? Single dishes, including the famous sukiyaki, are priced at around 100 THB each (£2.20).
Closest BTS/MRT: Wat Mangkon MRT (a 15 minute walk – best to get a taxi).
Ideal for the city’s most historic mango sticky rice…
Time for a sweet treat, we think, and it has to be Thailand’s most iconic, beloved dessert; mango sticky rice. In a city where you’ll see Nam Dok Mai mangoes being peeled, sliced and served over rice on just about every street corner, it’s wise to seek out the best, to separate the coconut milk’s head from the tail, as it were.
Doing the good stuff for almost a century, Kor Panich is one of Bangkok’s most revered purveyors of mango sticky rice, their historic shophouse a mecca for lovers of this truly gorgeous dessert.
What more is there to say? The mangoes are only picked and peeled when at their most honey-sweet. The coconut cream is hand pressed daily – none of that UHT, soapy stuff here. It’s seasoned just right – salty, sweet but not overpowering, allowing the inherent coconut flavour to still sparkle. Even the toasted mung beans have been taken to just the right shade of dark brown and crispy.
Where once there was only a modest amount of seating within the shop, and most choose to takeaway from Kor Panich, owing to its success and Michelin recognition, there’s now ample seating in the cafe opposite. They do a refreshing mango smoothie for you to enjoy while you wait. The shophouse is open from 7am to 6pm daily, though be warned; they often sell out by mid afternoon.
When is Kor Panich open? Kor Panich is open daily, from 7am to 6pm.
How long should I expect to queue? Primarily a takeaway operation, you should be served swiftly here.
How much should I expect to pay? The classic dessert is on the more expensive side here, at around 130 THB (£3). You’re paying for some serious quality, though.
Closest BTS/MRT: Sam Yot MRT (a 15 minute walk – best to get a taxi).
Ideal for bowls and bowls of exemplary boat noodles…
The streets and canals surrounding Victory Monument BTS Station are famous for their boat noodles, a popular street food in Thailand that originated from the canals (or ‘khlongs’) of Central Thailand. The dish is named after the vendors who traditionally sold these noodles from boats that navigated the country’s vast network of waterways.
Boat noodles are a flavorful and aromatic noodle soup dish characterised by its rich, dark broth, which is commonly made from a mixture of pork and beef, as well as spices and herbs. The broth is often thickened with pig’s or cow’s blood, which gives it a distinctive taste and a deep colour. However, some places may serve it without blood for those who prefer it.
Though you could alight at Victory Monument and head straight for ‘boat noodle alley’, where a stretch of shophouses serve up the good stuff, you’ll find an even better bowl if you exit the station at the opposite side to that alley. Around a ten minute walk away, the guys at Doy Kuay Teow Reau are doing some truly ‘best in Bangkok’ bowls of boat noodles, rich and thick from blood and with a peppery back kick. We say bowls in the plural, as it’s expected you knock back several at any and all boat noodle shops. Well, it would be rude not to…
When is Doy Kuay Teow Reua open? Daily, from 8am to 6pm.
How long should I expect to queue? A sprawling, alfresco dining room, you’ll always find a table.
How much should I expect to pay? A bowl of boat noodles here is around 20 THB (50p), but expect to eat several, as is tradition.
Closest BTS/MRT: Victory Monument BTS (a ten minute walk from there).
Ideal for premium pork purveyors in Bangkok’s buzziest neighbourhood…
Just one BTS stop further along, in Ari, you’ll find one of Bangkok’s most cherished – legendary, even – pork purveyors. Thanee Khao Moo Daeng are famous for two things; their moo krob (crispy pork) and their moo daeng (stewed red pork), and both are superb, the latter in particular boasting a fluorescent, viscous gravy whose sheen needs to be seen to be believed. It tastes bloody wonderful.
The shop, as with so many on a lunchtime in bustling, residential Ari, is popular with office workers during their break. Ideally arrive a little before, at 11am or so, or after lunch, from 2pm onwards.
Another Bangkok institution that’s always packed with office workers during the lunchtime slot, is Som Tam Jay So, the so-called ‘Queen of Som Tam’.
She has well and truly earned her culinary crown, with intensely spicy, funky, fiery som tams made out front in a huge pestle and mortar by the cheeky, safety glasses-wearing host. Sure, she might chastise you for your less than perfect Thai when ordering, and tease you for the weight you’ve put on since your last visit, but it comes from a place of love.
And boy has love gone into the salads here, the ‘jungle’ version of papaya salad here (tam pa) an absolutely doozy of fermented fish sauce and heaps of both dried and fresh chillis. It will wake you up from even the darkest of hangovers. Hell, it could bring someone back from the dead, we think.
Pair it with some grilled pork neck – fatty as you like, its sugary marinade having caught on the grill to an inviting char – and some fresh sticky rice, and luxuriate in one of Bangkok’s finest street food experiences.
Oh, those safety glasses are for protection against errant chillies when pounding the salads, by the way…
When is Som Tam Jay So open? Closed on Sundays, Som Tam Jay So is open every other day from 11am to 5:30pm.
How long should I expect to queue? You will likely have to wait for a table (though there has recently been some spillover seating set up in the parking lot next door) unless you arrive after around 2pm.
How much should I expect to pay? Som tam salads here start at around 70 THB (£1.50), as does the grilled pork.
Closest BTS/MRT: Sala Daeng BTS (a 7 minute walk from there)
Ideal for steamed ‘claypot’ crab made by a legend…
Now in its third decade of steamed crab slinging, Somsak Pu Ob is one of Bangkok’s true streetfood institutions, a culinary tour-de-force that’s busy from the moment the woks are fired up at 5pm every night (except Mondays, when they’re closed) until Mr. Somsak downs tools for the evening just four hours later.
It’s no surprise that service hours are short and exclusive here; the owner – and only the owner – works the four stoves for the entirety of that service, exacting precision timings on some seriously high quality seafood.
The pu ob woonsen is the must order, no doubt, a dish of crab and glass noodles simultaneously fried and steamed in pork fat in a dedicated skillet, simply seasoned with plenty of black pepper, the sliced greens of spring onion, and both soy sauce and oyster sauce. Those noodles are sticky and giving, and have caught a little on the bottom of the pan, creating a caramelised crust that’s just beautiful. Roll up your sleeves and crack open the crab claws, here having taken on the sweet richness of the pork fat, and have yourself a merry old time. The small accompanying bowl of nahm jim seafood may feel superfluous (you can’t improve on perfection, and all that), but the bright, tart sauce lightens and lifts the whole thing.
There are now several branches of Somsak Pu Ob across the city, but if you want the main man to cook your dinner (you do), then it’s to the original, across the Chao Phraya and into Thonburi district, that you should head.
When is Somsak Pu Ob open? Open daily from 5pm to 9pm, except on Mondays, when it’s closed.
How long should I expect to queue? Arrive at opening time and you may get lucky and nab a table. Otherwise, expect a wait. Fortunately, there’s a ticketing system.
How much should I expect to pay? The signature dish is 310 THB (£.6.75).
Closest BTS/MRT: Wongwin Yai (a 7 minute walk from there)
Though the fortifying rice noodle broth of guay jub is the headlining dish in this famous Charoenkrung shophouse, pretty much everyone is here for one thing; Mr Joe’s famous crispy pork.
You won’t want to miss the guay jub, though, which boasts a pork broth spiked with inordinate amounts of pepper, that familiar rasping heat the perfect foil to all kinds of offal bobbing about in the bowl. It’s gorgeous, but really is a warm-up for what has to be some of the best (see: crispiest) pork in the city.Hitting the table already sliced into bite sized pieces, its fatty layers clearly distinguishable, its skin puffed and bubbled and gloriously golden, it’s impossible not to order a second round of the stuff. And a third. And a fourth…
So tender it only requires a little ketchup manis for dipping, Mr Joe is open from 7:30am to 4:30pm, though often closes earlier if they sell out.
When is Guay Jub Mr. Joe open? Open daily from 7:30am to 4:30pm.
How long should I expect to queue? A large, multiroom shophouse, you won’t have to wait for a table, even at peak times.
How much should I expect to pay? The noodle soup is 75 THB (£1.60), a plate of the crispy pork is also 75 THB.
Closest BTS/MRT: Saphan Taksin BTS (a 20 minute walk – taxi recommended!)
You can’t come to Bangkok and not eat the classic chicken and green papaya salad combo. Soi Polo Chicken is reputedly one of the city’s finest at this dream team, which, when paired with sticky rice, is known affectionately as ‘the holy trinity’.
Their birds are fried to a crispy skinned finish, seasoned generously and served with three dipping (another holy trinity) sauces to complement. The best of their papaya salads comes with salted, dried baby shrimps and crabs given a similar treatment. The meal-deal is completed with a much needed ice-cold lager. It’s a cracking option if you’re on budget, and a place we’ve been back to more times than we’re proud to mention.
When is Soi Polo Fried Chicken open? Open daily from 7am to 8:30pm.
How long should I expect to queue? You’ll likely endure a short wait for a table. Beers are served to those milling around, though.
How much should I expect to pay? The holy trinity for sharing plus a couple of beers will set you back a little over 500 THB (£11).
Closest BTS/MRT: Lumphini MRT (a pleasant 20 minute walk through Lumphini Park).
An absolute Bangkok institution beloved of chefs, strays, late night workers and early morning risers (and Dua Lipa), Issan alfresco operation Laab Ubon is open from until 4am nightly, and only really gets going post midnight.
Serving a decent som tam, properly juicy salt-crusted tilapia and a never ending supply of grilled chicken, strangely for the eponymous nature of things, the laab exactly isn’t our favourite version here. Not to worry; really, you’re at Laab Ubon for the cold, icey beer, the live footy being shown in the middle of the night (coinciding with British and European kickoff times perfectly) and the everpresent good natured vibes of the place.
When is Laab Ubon open? Laab Ubon is open daily from 5pm to 4am.
How long should I expect to queue? The dining space is expansive – you won’t have to wait.
How much should I expect to pay? This one really depends on how many beers you end up sinking, but prices are reasonable.
Closest BTS/MRT: SurasakBTS (a 2 minute walk, though do remember that the BTS shuts at midnight!).
Ideal for the most generous of crab fried rice dishes…
Here Hai simply wouldn’t survive a day in the UK, owing to the food costs involved in serving plates of crab fried rice with this much white crab meat. What, in this economy? Huge, mighty chunks of the stuff literally spill off the sides of your plate in this tightly packed dining room, the woks working overtime to service the never-ending stream of orders for the famous fried rice, only made more in demand by the restaurant’s recent floating on GrabFood.
It’s worth the massive wait, with the crab sourced directly from seafood-mecca Surat Thani daily. You’d be foolish to only order the crab fried rice. The fried mantis, showered in buttery sweet fried garlic, is superb, too, as are the giant river prawns, splayed open to reveal gooey, egg-yolk colour head juices. Perhaps best of all though is a riff on everyone’s favourite Thai go-to lunch; pad grapao. Here, it’s done with genuinely a dozen or more queen scallops, smoky but tender, and showered in rafts of holy basil. Yep, not content with their seafood generosity, these guys aren’t shy with the fresh herbs either!
When is Here Hai open? Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, Here Hai is open from 10am to 5:30pm on Wednesdays to Sundays, closing for an hour between 3pm and 4pm.
How long should I expect to queue? Anytime of day, expect to queue for at least an hour, even prior to Here Hai opening. You can put your name down and risk going for a wander, though.
How much should I expect to pay? The signature crab fried rice comes in a variety of sizes with different price points, from 440 THB (£9.60) to 1550 THB (£33.75) for a portion that will feed 4 to 6.
Closest BTS/MRT: Ekkamai BTS (a 15 minute walk in a straight line)
Ideal for every Bangkokian’s favourite comfort food…
No list of Bangkok’s best street food would be complete without mentioning a dedicated pad grapao peddler, such is the popularity of this most comforting of Thai dishes in the city and beyond.
Our favourite in the city (whilst we certainly haven’t eaten all of them, we’re making a pretty good go of it!) is found at Ung Jia Huad, just a five minute walk from the infamous red light district Soi Cowboy. Here, the minced pork arrives freshly stirfried, crisp but tender (the version with larger slices of pork is actually even better, we think). The fried egg boasts frilly edges and a richly coloured, runny yolk. The holy basil is scattered generously and wilted just right. The rice is freshly steamed and on point.
Opposite the restaurant, there’s one of those beer pubs which is blessing drinkers with a fresh, constant application of mist, if you’re up for a cold one after your lunch.
Really, what more could you ask for?
When is Ung Jia Huad open? From 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
How long should I expect to queue? You can usually cruise straight on in.
How much should I expect to pay? A classic pad grapao of pork is around 60 THB (£1.30).
Closest BTS/MRT: Sukhumvit MRT or Asok BTS (a 10 minute walk).
Without wishing to repeat ourselves, no list of Bangkok’s best street food would be complete without mentioning a dedicated pad Thai seller, either, and the best we’ve tried in the city is at Pad Thai Narok Taek, nicknamed ‘Mad Man Pad Thai’ for the owner’s idiosyncratic, occasionally chaotic stir frying style.
It’s an amazing version of this sometimes maligned dish – charred and grungy, and a little tart rather than cloyingly sweet, all to be enjoyed on the street right next to Plurksawet’s cart. Get the fully loaded version with all of the sweet and crunchy gubbins for the ultimate hellfire experience. With no version of pad Thai here clocking in at more than 100 THB, it’s also an absolute bargain.
When is Pad Thai Narok Saek open? Open every day except Mondays, from 4pm to 10pm.
How long should I expect to queue? You may have to wait a few minutes for a seat, but turnaround is fast here.
How much should I expect to pay? No version of the dish exceeds 100 THB (£2.20).
Closest BTS/MRT: Wongwian Yai BTS or Khlong San BTS (a 15 minute walk from either)
Ideal for comforting, nourishing five-spice braised pork knuckle…
With a prime spot just off the intersection where Charoen Krung Road and Silom Road meet, the recipe for Charoen Saeng Silom’s delectable stewed pork leg has been in the family for several generations, and you can taste that deep sense of history in every bite.
Located down a nondescript alley away from the traffic, and with street level seating that catches the sun just right during lunchtime, Charoen Saeng Silom draws the crowds, make no mistake, and often sells out long before closing time. They’re all here for the same dish; that pork leg that’s been braised in warming, medicinal Chinese spices until its liquor is gelatinous and sweet. Served over rice and with a homemade spicy sauce that’s heavy on the raw garlic, it’s seriously good value at around 150 THB (£3) a portion.
And this is one huge portion. Fortunately, the grandma here will be more than happy to (or, perhaps judging you that you weren’t able to finish a portion) bag it up for you.
When is Charoen Saeng Silom open? Open from 7am to 1pm, daily.
How long should I expect to queue? From around 11am onwards, expect to wait for 10 minutes or so for a seat.
How much should I expect to pay? Expect to pay around 150 THB (£3.30) for a serving of whole pork leg, but this could easily feed two.
Closest BTS/MRT: Saphan Taksin BTS (a 10 minute walk from there).
Though tourists and guidebooks eulogise Jay Jia Yentafo as the city’s best version of yen ta fo noodle soup, we’re even more enamoured with a peaceful shophouse found just off Sukhumvit Road, somewhere between Asok and Phrom Phong BTS stops.
At Soong Chai Yentafo, the noodles are slippery and sticky, the fish balls just the right side of fragrant, and the broth refreshing. Like, really refreshing. We’d argue that no Bangkok bowl is as refreshing as this.
Yen ta fo is a popular Thai noodle soup known for its distinctive pink broth, which gets its colour from fermented soybean paste. The dish typically includes a variety of ingredients such as fish balls, squid, morning glory, and sometimes pork or seafood. It is often garnished with fried garlic and served with a side of chilli sauce and vinegar to enhance its flavour.
When is Soong Chai Yentafo open? Open daily from 6am to 6pm.
How long should I expect to queue? Due to its location away from the main tourist areas of Sukhumvit, you won’t have to wait for a table here.
How much should I expect to pay? Expect to pay around 50 THB (£1) a bowl, though you might want to order two.
Closest BTS/MRT: Phrom Phong BTS (a 10 minute walk from there).
Ideal for Bangkok’s most Instagrammable street food dish, and so much more besides…
Alongside Jay Fai, Jay Oh might be the Bangkok street food scene’s most recognisable aunty. At Jay Oh Chula, you’ll also find one of the city’s most iconic dishes, one with such a cult following that it’s been given homage in one of London’s most exciting recent restaurant openings.
Yep, we’re talking about the tom yum mama noodles, of course, an absurdly stacked bowl of instant ramen noodles, tom yam seasoned broth that’s been thickened with evaporated milk, and all manner of other treats, including crispy pork, curls of braised squid, shell-on prawns and so much more. It’s all finished with an egg yolk because, well, why not?
It’s an indulgent, delicious sharing dish, but it’s certainly not the only thing Jay Oh excels at. In fact, the more simply adorned tom yum here is one of our favourite versions in the city, its broth rust dappled from chilli jam and clinging to the sides of the bowl as it tends to in the best renditions. The squid stir-fried in chilli jam and Thai basil are wonderfully fragrant, too. You’ll also see an almost comical number of crisp pork bellies hanging to the right hand side of the dining room, a near constant procession of plates moving across the floor. Flag a waiter down and have yourself a plate of that crispy pork before it’s gone.
Though Jay Oh gets properly rowdy later in the evening (it closes around midnight), the only way to avoid the huge queues that accumulate out front here each and every night is to arrive bang on the restaurant opens, at 5:30pm. We’ve managed to swan in at this time without a wait. By the time we’d finished eating around an hour later, queues were already snaking around the block.
When is Jay Oh open? Jay Oh is open every day, from 5:30pm to midnight.
How long should I expect to queue? Expect to queue for ages.
How much should I expect to pay? The full tom yum mama with all the fixings is currently 300 THB (£6.50). It’s built for sharing.
Closest BTS/MRT: Hua Lamphong MRT or National Stadium BTS (a hot and sweaty 15 minute walk from either.)
Ideal for a seriously luxurious curry over rice experience…
Hiso Curry Rice isn’t your standard raan khao gaeng stall. Here, there’s an emphasis on serious luxury in their curry dishes, whether it’s in the fist-sized lumps of white crab meat used in their curry powder spiked stir fry, or the huge river prawns deployed in a sweet and sticky glaze. In fact, the whole restaurant, run by chef/owner Auntie Aew, prides itself on that sense of luxury – the phrase ‘hiso’ is Thai slang for ‘high society’.
Though there’s not really any streetside seating to speak of at Hiso Curry Rice, you’re only a minute’s walk from Rommaninat Park, making this the most luxurious takeaway/picnic you’ll ever have. Do be aware that not much English is spoken here, but the enticing curries are all laid out in a row on the street, making pointing, nodding and smiling just about acceptable. Or, you know, you could just learn how to order in Thai.
When is Hiso Curry Rice open? Hiso Curry Rice is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and open from 11:30am to 5:30pm for the remaining days of the week.
How long should I expect to queue? As Hiso Curry Rice is a takeaway joint, you won’t have to wait long to make your order.
How much should I expect to pay? For a substantial feast of curry and rice for two, expect to pay no more than 200 THB (£4.35).
Closest BTS/MRT: Sam Yot MRT (a 5 minute walk from there)
At Rung Rueang Pork Noodle, just seconds from Phrom Phong BTS, you’ll find a straightforwardly satisfying bowl of clear, tom yum flavoured soup with minced pork and your choice of noodle (go for the egg) for less than a couple of quid. Also in the bowl, thick slices of liver, fish balls and thinly sliced fish cake make this a generous affair. Order, too, a side of crispy fish skin.
It’s a relentless lunchtime operation here, with a fast-moving queue on the street expected during peak hours. Arrive a little after that rush, at around 3pm, and you’ll be seated quickly.
When is Rung Rueang Pork Noodle open? Rung Rueang Pork Noodle is open every day, from 8am to 5pm.
How long should I expect to queue? Expect to queue for at least 15 minutes during the lunch rush.
How much should I expect to pay? A small bowl is 60 THB (£1.30), a medium 70 THB (£1.50) and a large 80 THB (£1.75).
Closest BTS/MRT: Phrom Phong BTS (a 5 minute walk from there).
Ideal for satisfying your sweet tooth one last time…
We end once again satisfying our sweet tooth, at a temple to all things mango; Mae Varee Mango Sticky Rice. You’ll see the sunflower-yellow piles of perfectly ripe mangos lined up outside the shop, and you’ll notice the throngs of hungry dessert lovers curled around the corner and onto Sukhumvit Road proper, and you’ll know you’ve reached sweet-tooth nirvana.
Portions are only takeaway, and are enormous. There are other sweet treats and classic Thai confection sold here, too. Result!
When is Mae Varee Mango Sticky Rice open? 6am to 10pm.
How long should I expect to queue? A takeaway only operation, the wait for your dose will only be brief during mid-morning and mid-afternoon. During the lunch and post-work rushes, expect to wait significantly longer.
How much should I expect to pay? A premium price for a premium product, this one is 150 THB (£3.25), but portions are massive.
Closest BTS/MRT: Thonglor BTS (a 2 minute walk from there)
*A word of warning! Be aware that many of the restaurants on this list close intermittently for holidays, both personal and national. The majority also don’t start serving immediately after opening. Many also sell out well in advance of their listed closing time. Always have a back up (or two).*
We’re heading north next, to Chiang Mai, in search of the city’s best khao soi. Care to join us?
HR is nolonger just about hiring and payroll – it’s about nurturing culture, streamlining systems, and helping teams thrive. In today’s hybrid and high-pressure work environments, there are a host of platforms, apps and tools that play a pivotal role in ensuring employees stay productive and fulfilled.
In today’s hybrid and high-pressure work environments, HR solutions in Cambridge, Peterborough, or wherever you may work, play a pivotal role in ensuring employees stay productive and fulfilled. If your organisation is looking to invest in tools that support both performance and wellbeing, this guide covers some of the most effective HR platforms and how they help people – not just processes – flourish.
Performance Management Platforms
Performance reviews don’t have to be dreaded. Modern HR software makes continuous performance tracking intuitive and transparent.
Tools like:
Lattice: Helps managers set goals and provide ongoing feedback.
15Five: Focuses on weekly check-ins and employee sentiment.
Clear Review: A UK-based platform designed for real-time conversations.
These platforms remove the awkwardness of annual appraisals and replace it with a culture of ongoing professional development. Employees feel heard, and managers get clearer insights into who needs support – and who’s ready to level up.
Employee Engagement Tools
Disengaged employees aren’t just unproductive – they’re often on their way out the door. Engagement tools help measure morale, increased output and build better connections.
Top platforms include:
Officevibe: Anonymous pulse surveys to understand how your team really feels.
Peakon: Tracks engagement trends and recommends management actions.
Culture Amp: Combines feedback, development and diversity insights.
Used regularly, these tools empower HR teams to address problems early and keep morale high – particularly during change or restructuring.
Wellbeing & Mental Health Apps
Wellbeing is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s a business essential. Companies using mental health support tools see improvements in focus, loyalty, and even reduced absenteeism.
Consider integrating:
Headspace for Work: Meditation and mindfulness for teams
BambooHR: Known for user-friendly design and integrations.
CharlieHR: Built for small UK businesses, offering holiday tracking and policy storage.
HiBob: A newer player with a focus on culture and growth metrics.
Having everything in one place reduces admin and ensures consistency across the employee lifecycle.
Learning & Development Platforms
When employees feel they’re growing, they’re more likely to stay. L&D tools make learning accessible, fun and relevant.
Top platforms include:
Udemy for Business: A vast catalogue of online courses
Learnerbly: A UK-based learning marketplace tailored to employee preferences
LinkedIn Learning: Integrated with LinkedIn profiles and career paths
Providing access to learning signals that a company is invested in its people – not just their output.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Tools
DEI shouldn’t be an afterthought. Specialist tools can help track representation, ensure inclusive hiring, and surface hidden biases.
Examples include:
Equally.ai: Accessibility and inclusion auditing
Included: Uses AI to remove bias from decision-making
Diversio: Analytics-based tool focused on measurable DEI outcomes
Recognition & Reward Systems
Acknowledging a job well done boosts morale and encourages high performance.
Consider platforms like:
Bonusly: Peer-to-peer recognition with points and rewards
ThanksBox: A UK-based system for public shout-outs and team culture
Perkbox: Offers rewards, discounts and wellbeing content
Regular recognition helps people feel valued, especially in remote or dispersed teams.
Automation & Workflow Tools
Streamlining repetitive tasks frees up HR teams to focus on strategic work.
Tools like:
Zapier: Connects apps to automate onboarding, surveys, and more
Workato: A more advanced integration platform for larger companies
Trello or Asana: Great for workflow tracking and HR project planning
Automation reduces manual error and gives your team breathing space to focus on people, not paperwork.
Making HR Tech Work for Your Team
It’s not about having every tool on the market – it’s about choosing what fits your culture and goals, and helps strengthen overall HR strategy. Here’s how to make the right decisions:
Ask your team what support they want
Prioritise tools with UK compliance built in
Trial before you buy – most platforms offer demos or pilots
When your HR tools reflect your values, employees feel it. They work better, stay longer, and contribute more.
The Bottom Line
Great HR solutions aren’t just about ticking boxes – they’re about building a workplace where people want to be. Whether it’s managing performance, encouraging wellbeing or recognising great work, the right tools can transform how your business functions.
*This article is intended for general information only and does not constitute legal or HR advice. For support tailored to your organisation, consult a qualified HR or legal professional.*
Look up the difference in definition between ‘house’ and ‘home’ in the dictionary, and the divergence in description is telling. The former is defined, simply, as ‘a building for human habitation’. It’s functional and formal, and let’s face it, doesn’t sound particularly welcoming. But ‘home’ is described as ‘the place where one lives permanently, especially as the member of a family’. That sense of stability and love just leaps off the page, don’t you think?
Have you recently moved into a new house that doesn’t yet feel like a home? That shift from functional to familial doesn’t happen without work, let’s make that clear. Though time and memories, of course, play a part, you need to take an active role in shaping the decor and ambience of your place before it becomes more than just walls, a door and a roof.
Whether it’s Birmingham, Bradford or Bristol conveyancing solicitors, the advice remains reassuringly resolute. With that in mind, here’s how to make your new house feel like a home in 7 simple steps.
Personalise Your Property
First things first, your new property is never truly going to feel like it’s your home until you add some personal touches. This means putting your own stamp on it and making it look and feel like a place that resembles your unique personality.
Start personalising your property by surrounding yourself with trinkets that you’ve collected on your travels. Hang paintings from your favourite artist. Throws, pillows and rugs always give a homey feeling as do shelves full of books, so carefully curate a bookcase with your favourite reads – the sooner the books are on the shelves, the quicker you can settle in with a good read and a glass of wine.
Recreate The Feel Of Your Childhood Home
Another way to personalise your property is to recreate the feel of your childhood home. No matter where you live in your adult life, your childhood home will always feel like your true home. There’s no place like it, after all.
This is the place where your first memories were formed, and if those memories are positive ones, then introduce some elements of your family home to evoke nostalgia and that warm sense of belonging in your new house. You can achieve this by displaying items that you remember from your childhood. This could be a teddy bear, old photographs, or even a dated piece of furniture which your parents have let you adopt.
Now, if someone could just bottle that smell of your childhood home, we might just make a fortune selling it back to you.
Aromatherapy
Speaking of which, every house has its own distinctive smell; some inviting, some not so. To evoke a welcoming, peaceful vibe in your new home, make sure you channel the energy of aromatherapy.
Smell should also play a big part in any home sanctuary setting. Amping up aromatherapy and optimising your olfactory sense can help you gain that inner calm. Chamomille and lavender scents are particularly evocative of a peaceful space, but it’s important you find an aroma which reflects your sense of individuality, whether that’s incense, the smell of freshly baked bread or even of freshly done laundry, which you can now buy in diffuser form.
Focus On The Heart Of The Home
There’s one narrative thread with runs through so many of the best homes; that the kitchen is the hub of the house and the heart of the home. This is where bread is baked and broken, where families draw their faces away from screens for a short while and actually make eye contact. Relationships are nurtured and souls are nourished in the kitchen, so it’s a good idea to focus your initial efforts here after moving in.
The good news is that it’s also one of the easiest rooms to get right, simply by adding a few accessories which even a dictatorial (aren’t they all?) landlord couldn’t object to. This could be as basic as putting in a hanging rack for utensils, or having your spice collection on display, to using brightly colour crockery to add a new, confident colour scheme to the overall aesthetic of your home.
The sooner you get your kitchen sorted, the sooner you can have friends and family around and start creating the first memories in your new house.
Adopt A Pet
Ok, we know this seems like a big step, but adopting a pet can be a great thing to do if you’re struggling to settle into your new home. Though, of course, a pet isn’t just for Christmas, taking one into your house which needs shelter and love can imbue a real sense of family into your new gaff, helping you nurture a loving atmosphere within.
Not only will this help mark a new era for you in your life, but it’ll also inject your home with a much-needed sense of warmth. That furry companion waiting at the door for you each day? That’s domestic, comforting and homely.
Increase The Flow Of Natural Light
As SAD sufferers will reliably attest, natural light can lift your mood immeasurably. It can increase the level of warm energy running through your home, give you a nice dose of vitamin D and a much-needed boost of serotonin. And we all need a legally permitted dose of that right now.
You’ll never settle into your new home if your living space feels moody and dreary. In fact, natural light has consistently been found to lift the mood and improve a sense of wellbeing. If you want to start feeling comfortable in your new house, make sure you do your utmost to increase the natural light within it. You can achieve this by:
Investing in more mirrors and objects that reflect natural light
Opting to paint and decidorate your home in a lighter colour palette
After investing so much of your hard earned money into your property, you want to start feeling comfortable within it as soon as you possibly can. If you put the above advice into practice, your new house will start feeling home in no time.
Get It Clean From The Get Go
Even if end-of-tenancy cleaners were employed to clean the property before you’ve just moved into, there’s nothing quite like giving it a good scrub from top-to-bottom yourself to make it feel like your own. There’s something symbolic about washing away the residue of previous tenants with your own hands, allowing you to start fresh in your new space and create your own home.
*This article is for general guidance and inspiration only. For legal advice during the property purchase process, consult a qualified solicitor or conveyancer.*
Divorce can hit you like a ton of bricks. It can bring up all sorts of emotions, from anger and sadness to confusion and uncertainty. Even if you were the one who instigated the divorce, it’s all too easy to get swept up in dealing with a divorce lawyer and making dramatic changes to arrangements in your life that were once familiar. Doing so can mean you don’t give yourself the time to process this major change properly.
Being a spouse can feel like an integral part of your identity, as one half of a team that made decisions together, enjoyed the good times and perhaps even raised children together. And when you suddenly find yourself on your own, you may question who you are outside of your marriage and not know how to navigate this new territory.
While solicitors in Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, or wherever you may live, often support people through some of life’s hardest transitions, the legal side of separation is only part of the picture. For many, the emotional toll is just as heavy, if not heavier. That said, divorce offers an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, and while it won’t all be rainbows and unicorns, it can still be an exciting, enjoyable and incredibly liberating experience.
With that in mind and with eyes firmly looking on the bright side, here’s how to embrace (and maybe even enjoy) life after divorce.
You Don’t Need To Reinvent Yourself
Most of us know someone who went through a breakup and completely transformed themselves. They might have channelled their loss into getting fit at the gym or completely changed their hairstyle.
Why do we do this? When a relationship ends, it’s easy to feel a total lack of control, so changing your appearance is a way to claim authority over what’s happened. It might also be a way to express your newfound freedom or disassociate yourself from the person you were when you were in the relationship.
But you don’t need to get out the hair dye or buy a gym membership to reinvent yourself after divorce. Instead, spend some time getting to know you. Marriage is all about compromise, but a divorce gives you the freedom to do what you want. That hobby you took part in because your spouse loved it, even though you secretly hated it? You don’t need to do that anymore!
Think about what you enjoy, and embrace it with vigour. Create a perfect date night for yourself. Go out and see a movie on your own. Take yourself to that new restaurant you wanted to go to but couldn’t because your spouse didn’t like seafood. Or simply stay in and binge the TV series that’s caught your eye while enjoying your favourite takeaway. These are days for a little indulgence. And when combined with that gym membership…well, you know what they say about variety being the spice of life?
Wreck Your Wedding Dress (Yes, Really!)
Dress wrecking is an empowering act that began as a post-wedding photography trend, where newlyweds would pose for photos while splattering their wedding attire in paint. But now, divorcees are destroying their wedding dresses to celebrate the start of a new journey, too.
Much like screaming or destruction therapy, wedding dress wrecking can be cathartic. Last year, Anna O’Neill, a mum from Kent, enlisted her friends to help ruin her £1,200 designer wedding dress. How? By filling 12 water guns with paint and coloured flares!
About her decision to host a paint fight, she said: “I wanted to do it for other parents going through divorce, which can be tough, and who are holding the fort together.’
‘The most important message is that things get better, and we can turn it around.”
Many women who choose to turn heartbreak into something beautiful find it a therapeutic and liberating experience. Whether you decide to get out the paint, grab a pair of scissors or set your dress on fire, wrecking your wedding attire can be a powerful way to embrace your new future.
Just remember to dispose of the debris responsibly at the end of the process. Or, frame it!
After divorce, you may feel like the odd one out amongst your happily married friends. If you were married for a long time, a lot of your friends might also be friends of your spouse, which can be an awkward proposition at social gatherings.
Making new friends who are yours and yours alone will help you move on instead of being reminded of the past. Going to a class or trying out a new hobby is a great way to meet new people, whether you want to try your hand at yoga, go on a cooking course or express yourself at an art or craft club. And even if you don’t click with anyone, you’ll have learned a new skill or discovered a new favourite pastime!
Know That It Won’t Be Forever
Being told “as one door closes, another opens” doesn’t provide much comfort on a lonely night. You might even feel that things will never be the same again. The truth is, things will be different, at least for a while, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Being on your own can be scary at first, but time does heal, and it won’t be long before you find yourself enjoying your new freedom once again. You might find love again (even if dating is the furthest thing from your mind right now), or you might come to genuinely love being single and find yourself fiercely protective of your independence.
Going through a divorce and coming out the other side is the hardest step. You’ll still have days where painful memories resurface, and that’s okay — allow yourself to feel. It may be a cliche, but that doesn’t make it any less true: with each day, things will get a little bit better.
*This article offers general wellbeing guidance and does not constitute legal advice. For matters relating to divorce and legal rights, consult a qualified solicitor.*
Wondering what to do with a glut of onions or shallots? You’d only need to have a passable interest in cooking to have experienced a vegetable drawer so stocked, stacked and burgeoning with alliums that decisive action is required. Fortunately, both onions and shallots lend themselves incredibly well to preserving, in doing so saving them from the compost heap and turning them into a superb and versatile condiment. Here’s our favourites; our 5 delicious things to do with leftover onions and shallots.
Pickled
Pickling is a diverse tool to have in your cooking arsenal, whether you’re quick pickling, going for a longer pickle, brining or sousing. Then, there’s all the flavours you can add to the pickle, usually in the form of dried spices and their seeds, but also determined by your choice of vinegar, and the addition of fresh herbs and supplementary vegetables. It’s that diversity which makes this such a great preserving method, and onions and shallots are some of the greatest beneficiaries of the age-old technique.
Perennially popular, particularly on home turf in Britain, is to pickle onions whole; peeled, pickling (sometimes called pearl or baby) onions or round shallots are salted overnight in a colander, ensuring crunch in the final product. A mix of malt vinegar and sugar (or honey) at a ratio of 3:1, with added coriander and mustard seeds, is then warmed until thoroughly dissolved, and poured over the onions, which have been packed in a sterilised jar. The finished pickled onions are ready in around a month. Once they’ve been opened, keep them in the fridge. These are absolutely delicious with cheese, particularly as part of a Ploughman’s lunch, or with fish and chips.
Alternatively, you can quick pickle sliced onions or shallots in a Vietnamese style. Here, you should simply combined vinegar and sugar in a bowl (the ratio is up to your personal preference of sharp against sweet) and then add your sliced onions and perhaps some thinly sliced chilli. Mix thoroughly and let sit for around 15 minutes. These are enjoyed straight away; perfect in a chicken salad or as part of the intricate flavour and texture building of a fine banh mi sandwich.
Lacto-Fermented
Lacto fermenting is a complex and diverse term, but here we’re talking about preserving onions in a salt brine solution, in an anaerobic environment, in order to add crispness to their texture, a delicate, delicious sour flavour, and to unleash the onion’s probiotic potential in the process.
This method is particularly rewarding if you’ve been growing your own onion plants and find yourself with more than you can use fresh, as they last for several months when properly fermented and stored in the fridge. Simply pack sliced onions or shallots into a sterilised Kilner jar, add water to cover and then weigh the jar. Calculate 2% of that weight, and convert that amount into salt. Say your Kilner jar, water and onions weighed 1000g, then that’s 20g of salt.
Mix everything together in a scrupulously clean bowl, then add back to the Kilner jar. Fill a ziplock bag with water, making sure there’s no air inside, and use it to weigh down the brine and onion mix, to keep the vegetables submerged, and close the lid. With the hard work done, you simply leave the fermentation to occur, opening the lid each day and removing the weight to ‘burp’ the mixture. After roughly a week, you’ll have a complex and versatile condiment which is superb on burgers or in hot dogs, as well as added to salads.
Deep Fried & Crispy
Crispy shallots are a hugely popular addition to a vast array of curries, salads and dips in South East Asia, though they’re so moreish we could well eat them on their own as a snack, or even a meal. Ok, maybe not a meal, that would be weird.
Anyway, slice your shallots against the grain thinly, though not quite gossamer style, and dry them thoroughly on paper towel. Starting in cold oil, add your shallots and bring the pan up to medium heat. Stir regularly in a clockwise motion (perhaps it’s an old wive’s tale, or maybe it does indeed elimate the pockets of colder and hotter oil, but it works for us) noticing the delicate change in colour.
Once the shallots are golden, but a shade down from what you’re hoping the finished product to look like, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon onto more kitchen towel. Be warned that this is a delicate business and the residual heat will take the shallots through to the perfect colour once they’re out of the oil; take your eye off the ball and in a blink, they’ll be overdone and bitter. Store the crispy shallots in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, preferably with a silica gel bag added to soak up any excess moisture, for up to five days.
These are amazing as a garnish for Thai coconut based curries, as a topping for traditional Danish hotdogs or baked potato, and added to various Vietnamese soups, salads and dumplings.
Chutney
No cheese board would be complete without it, right? Needing little in the way of introduction, an onion chutney is indispensable alongside goat’s cheese particularly, as well as with cold cuts of meat or even on a pizza.
Simply slice or dice (depending on the texture you’re looking for) a good couple of kilos of red onions thinly and fry gently, with a bayleaf added, for at least half an hour, but preferably even longer, until sticky and caramelised but not burnt.
Add 500 grams of muscovado sugar, and 250ml of balsamic and 500ml of red wine vinegar, as well as a generous pinch of salt, and simmer on a low heat, letting it bubble gently for an hour or so, until thickened and jammy. If in doubt, run a spoon through the middle of the pan; a good few seconds should pass before the mixture meets again.
Once you’re satisfied with the consistency, spoon into sterilised jars and allow to cool. This guy will keep in the fridge pretty much indefinitely.
Onion Soup
Use up a glut of white onions in style by making a big batch of this French bistro classic, and keeping what you resist eating the first time round in the freezer. Whilst we’d love to sit around talking about onions, we’ll let the don Raymond Blanc play us out on this one. Check out his recipe for a classic French onion soup over here. And with that, happy cooking!
This year has brought an exciting evolution in wedding fashion, with men’s trends bringing about bold, innovative tailoring and fresh colours that allow grooms to express their individuality like never before. From earthy tones that celebrate nature to luxurious textures that demand attention, 2025’s wedding suit trends offer something for every style-conscious groom ready to make his mark on the aisle.
The Rise Of Earth Tones & Nature-Inspired Hues
This year is definitively the year of earthy tones and pastels. Bright shades like sage green, and richer ones like chocolate brown, are taking centre stage. These nature-inspired hues work beautifully for outdoor celebrations, creating a harmonious connection with natural settings whilst maintaining sophisticated appeal.
Green suits are perfect for rustic, outdoor weddings. This versatile shade is ideal for country barn weddings, matching seamlessly with nature’s landscape. Deep emerald and burgundy are particularly striking choices for autumn ceremonies, offering richness and depth that photographs beautifully against changing foliage.
For spring and summer celebrations, soft, gentle pastels with pops of bright colours synonymous with warmer months have gained significant traction. These lighter tones bring a fresh, contemporary feel to traditional wedding attire whilst remaining elegant enough for formal venues.
The Timeless Appeal Of Black Tie
Whilst bold colours and relaxed styles dominate many trends, the classic black tuxedo remains an undisputed champion of wedding elegance. Tuxedos never go out of fashion, so it’s no surprise they remain a go-to choice for grooms and groomsmen this year.
There’s been a surge in popularity in black tie weddings, and there’s no escaping the timeless appeal of a monochrome wedding party, perhaps enhanced with pops of vivid colours and accessories.
Double-Breasted: The Vintage Revival
Double-breasted suits have made a major comeback, appearing everywhere from the runways to weddings this year. Modern versions of this style feature slimmer cuts that flatter all body types, making it a versatile option for contemporary grooms.
The double-breasted silhouette works particularly well for grooms seeking a distinguished, authoritative presence. It’s an excellent choice for formal church ceremonies or grand ballroom receptions where traditional elegance is paramount. After years of slimmer, single-breasted cuts dominating wedding attire, the double-breasted jacket has made a triumphant return.
Texture Takes Centre Stage
Velvet and mohair are amongst the fabrics making waves this year. Grooms are experimenting with rich textures like velvet, tweed, and jacquard to add depth to their look. Velvet suits, in particular, are perfect for winter weddings, offering luxurious appeal in deep jewel tones like midnight blue or emerald green.
For those planning cooler weather ceremonies, tweed brings a sophisticated country elegance that pairs beautifully with traditional venues. Meanwhile, jacquard fabrics offer intricate patterns woven directly into the material, creating visual interest without overwhelming boldness.
This year, texture has taken centre stage, adding depth and dimension to the groom’s attire. Velvet and tweed have made a stylish return for fall and winter weddings, offering a luxurious and cosy feel.
The Sustainable Groom
Eco-friendly suits are no longer a niche choice; they’ve become incredibly desirable. Wedding suits made of sustainably-sourced wool, cotton, and even bamboo fabrics are hugely popular this year and this trend continues to grow.
Eco-friendly suits feature modern, high-quality designs and craftsmanship that rivals traditional bespoke tailoring. Designers are using organic cotton, recycled materials, and innovative fabrics derived from renewable sources, proving that conscious choices can be incredibly stylish.
Statement Accessories & Personal Touches
Accessories have become the primary way for grooms to inject personality into their wedding look without compromising overall elegance. There’s been a notable shift toward statement accessories, particularly jewellery, this year, but unique bow ties, exaggerated sizing, and vintage timepieces are all also leading the charge.
Popular choices include swapping the traditional boutonnière for a bold brooch that reflects personal heritage or style. Vintage pocket watches add a nostalgic twist perfect for timeless elegance, whilst colourful or patterned socks provide a pop of personality. Custom cufflinks featuring initials, wedding dates, or sentimental symbols are particularly popular, offering a subtle way to commemorate the special day whilst adding refined detail.
Three-piece wedding suits continue to captivate grooms who favour a more traditional look. These suits offer a level of versatility and formality that’s hard to match, allowing the wearer to transition smoothly from the ceremony to the reception by simply shedding a layer or two.
The waistcoat adds structured sophistication whilst providing practical versatility throughout the day. There is an unspoken rule that you should only wear a waistcoat if the month has an ‘r’ in it. However, if you’ve got your heart set on a waistcoat for a summer celebration, lighter fabrics will ensure comfort without sacrificing the polished three-piece aesthetic.
Relaxed Elegance For Modern Ceremonies
Grooms have increasingly embraced a more relaxed approach to formalwear this year, especially for outdoor or destination weddings. Unstructured blazers, softer fabrics, and more casual cuts that maintain sophistication without the stiffness of traditional wedding suits have become increasingly popular.
For destination and outdoor weddings, linen and lightweight wool suits are in high demand. Unstructured blazers paired with tailored trousers offer a stylish yet comfortable look, perfect for a laid-back celebration.
Monochrome Mastery
Whether driven by the rise in popularity of minimalism or contemporary aesthetic preferences, monochrome-clad grooms are having a moment. This trend offers sophisticated simplicity, allowing grooms to create striking visual impact through tonal variations rather than contrasting colours.
Monochrome looks offer a clean, uncluttered, and understated kind of elegance, appealing to those who prefer simplicity and refinement.
Large Lapels & Statement Details
Modern grooms are embracing bold design elements to elevate traditional looks. From bold contrasting colours to intr
icate embroidery and unconventional shapes, statement lapels are redefining the modern groom’s look. These details ensure grooms stand out whilst maintaining refined sophistication.
The Year Of Individual Expression
Wedding suits aren’t just clothing — they’re part of the celebration. And whether you choose a breezy two-piece for a summer garden ceremony or a sleek black tuxedo for a glamorousevening affair, what matters most is that it feels like you.
The trends that have emerged this year reflect this balance perfectly, offering grooms the opportunity to express individuality whilst respecting wedding tradition. This shift represents a fundamental change in how grooms approach their wedding day attire.
Today’s groom understands that his wedding day is an opportunity to showcase not just love for his partner, but his own sense of style and sophistication. With these trends as inspiration, this year has become one where grooms step confidently into the spotlight, looking every bit as spectacular as the love they’re celebrating.
They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but when making judgements on the quality of a house, that facade you see from the kerb really does matter.
In fact, a survey of over 2,000 UK adults by the HomeOwners Alliance, conducted by YouGov, revealed that 68% of homebuyers consider kerb appeal to be important when purchasing a property. The research found that the most significant features were well-maintained windows and a roof in good condition, followed by a well-maintained front garden, pathways and fences.
Indeed, how your home looks from the outside can create a great first impression or, equally, turn homebuyers off. With that in mind, here are 9 excellent ways to attract viewers and add value by boosting your property’s kerb appeal.
Revamp Your Front Door
Your front door is the entrance to your home and what homebuyers will see when arriving for a viewing. How your front door looks can say a lot about your property as a whole.
This means it may be time to revamp it. You want viewers to feel welcomed from the beginning, and improving your front door is essential in creating a good first impression.
If you don’t have the money to replace your front door, a fresh coating of paint can work just as well. According to Country Life, blue and green are the best front door colours for selling a house; just make sure any colour you do choose complements the overall aesthetic of your home’s facade.
Go further and get rid of any dirty spots or rust, which is easily done with metal polish and a little elbow grease. You want your front door to add character to your home, so make sure you think about this before viewings commence.
Go even further, and consider a wall-mounted mailbox, which can offer a sleek, modern touch or a classic, traditional look depending on the style you choose. A stylish wall-mount mailbox not only serves a practical purpose but also acts as an accessory to your home’s exterior. Select a mailbox that matches the finish of your door hardware or lighting fixtures to create a cohesive look. Because that sense of cohesion is what it’s all about, don’t you think?
When it comes to boosting your home’s kerb appeal in a way that attracts viewers and adds value, you shouldn’t neglect your garden in the process. As you show prospective home buyers around your outdoor space, they’ll want to envisage themselves making the most of it, and a chaotic garden full of debris will likely present an obstacle, both tangible and metaphorically, to viewers picturing themselves living in your property.
There are lots of things you can do to your garden to make it more visually appealing, such as maintaining trees and shrubs, adding decking, or even installing a patio.
Many homeowners install verandas in their gardens, too, in order to add aesthetic appeal. These structures can protect you from the sun, extend your outdoor living space, and make your garden look more pleasing to the eye.
Add a Glass Roof Pergola
A glass roof pergola can be a game-changer when it comes to elevating your property’s kerb appeal and overall value. Unlike traditional pergolas with slatted roofs, glass-roofed versions offer a sleek, contemporary aesthetic that catches the eye immediately. They create a sophisticated focal point in your garden whilst providing practical shelter from the elements.
The beauty of a glass roof pergola lies in its ability to blend indoor comfort with outdoor living. Natural light floods through the transparent canopy, creating a bright, airy space that potential buyers can easily imagine themselves enjoying year-round. Whether used as an outdoor dining area, a relaxation spot, or simply as an architectural feature, a well-positioned glass roof pergola demonstrates that your property offers more than just four walls—it provides a lifestyle.
When selecting a glass roof pergola, consider how it complements your home’s existing architecture. Modern properties benefit from clean lines and frameless glass options, whilst more traditional homes might suit pergolas with decorative support posts. The investment not only adds visual appeal but also extends your usable outdoor space, which is increasingly valuable to today’s homebuyers.
Install New Windows
There is a whole host of reasons why you should consider installing new windows before viewings get started. This project will not only increase your kerb appeal, but it can also reduce noise from the outside, lower utility costs, and contribute to your home being more energy-efficient. If your windows are looking a little dated, homebuyers will take note of this, make no mistake.
Many homebuyers like to move into a property that’s close to perfect, meaning they don’t have to tackle major projects. Therefore, if your windows are old and don’t align with how the rest of your home looks, installing new ones could well benefit your property in terms of added value and ease of sale.
One of the quickest and most straightforward ways to boost your home’s kerb appeal is by making sure your driveway is clean and pristine. A simple power wash can work magic on the route to your front door by getting rid of stains and dirt. If there are any pesky weeds growing, make sure you remove them before homebuyers rock up.
Creating easy access from the street to the entrance of your home is particularly crucial. Cracked paving stones not only look unsightly; they’re a health hazard too, so ensure they’re replaced. There’s no quicker way to torpedo a house sale than by a prospective buyer tripping up and injuring themselves in your drive. Just sayin’.
As well as getting your driveway in good order, you need to maintain your front garden, too. When buyers pull up, a well-maintained exterior can fill them with excitement and anticipation about what’s behind the front door. However, if your front garden is overgrown, this won’t create that same impression.
Firstly, trim back shrubbery and weed diligently, mulch flower beds, prune, and make sure the whole area is ready for some finessing. Then, you can set about introducing hanging baskets, window boxes, and planting new flower beds. Copper window boxes are a great option here. Not only do they look fantastic, but they’re also easy to maintain and can last for years with minimal care. They add instant charm and character to any home, no matter what the style.
If you have a lawn, make sure you’re watering it deeply but infrequently to guarantee a verdant green, preferably early morning or late evening to reduce the opportunity for evaporation. Mow regularly but not so obsessively that your lawn looks like it’s balding. Once a year, make the effort to dethatch your lawn, using a specialist rake. Experts suggest early Spring as the best time to do so, aerating the grass and leaving it a clean run at growing healthily.
Invest In A Quality Carport
Whilst many homeowners focus on gardens and front doors, the area where you park your vehicle deserves equal attention. A well-designed carport can significantly boost your property’s kerb appeal whilst adding genuine practical value. Unlike enclosed garages, which can appear bulky and dominating, carports maintain an open, welcoming aesthetic whilst still protecting vehicles from harsh weather.
A carport demonstrates to potential buyers that you’ve thought about the practicalities of modern living. It shows your property can accommodate vehicles safely without compromising on style. If you’re looking for quality options that blend functionality with design, a carport from Tuinmaximaal offers solutions that cater to various architectural styles, from sleek contemporary designs to more traditional structures.
When installing a carport, positioning is key. It should integrate naturally with your driveway and not obstruct views of your home’s facade. Choose materials and colours that complement your property: matching the carport’s finish to your window frames or roofing can create a cohesive, well-planned appearance. A thoughtfully installed carport signals to buyers that your property has been carefully maintained and improved, potentially adding thousands to your home’s value.
Hide Your Bins
Something as simple as keeping your bins out of sight can do wonders for creating a good first impression. No one wants to arrive for a property viewing to find bins overflowing with rubbish. Not only does it not look appealing, but there may also be all kinds of foul odours that won’t set the right tone.
If you can, it’s wise to place your bins at the side of your home. If you don’t have any space to do this, buying a bin shed is a wise move. Other ideas you can look into to hide your bins include using slatted style fence panels. If you cannot hide your bins before a viewing, just ensure that they’re not full to the brim with rubbish.
Check Your Gutters
Checking your gutters for any wear and tear is essential before opening your home up to viewers. Over time your gutters can get filled with leaves and debris, resulting in water retention, which in turn can lead to structural damage. You don’t want something as basic as clogged gutters to be the reason homebuyers look elsewhere, so now may be the time to clear them.
The Bottom Line
When homebuyers arrive at your property, you’ll want to greet them and see smiling faces, rather than trepidation. How your home looks on the outside can say a lot about what’s behind the front door, and this means you need to pay close attention to your home’s kerb appeal. Transforming your outdoor space can boost value, impress buyers, and get your property off the market quicker.
Some Londoners are guilty of thinking of Walthamstow purely as that place at the end of the Victoria Line, the one with the marauding market or where you go to see bands at The Bell. They’re missing the point. Around the historic village green near St Mary’s Church, an impressive dining scene has been bubbling under these last few years, one that locals guard jealously and food writers are only just beginning to cover with the requisite diligence.
The Victorian terraces that web out from the ancient village green hide award-winning restaurants that have made national food guides, family-run establishments serving some of London’s most regional cuisines, and newer arrivals bringing serious cooking to an area that still remembers when its only dining option was the local pub. It’s this mix of old and new, community spirit and culinary ambition, that makes Walthamstow Village worth the journey to Zone 3 for your tea.
We’ve spent the last few months eating our way around the area (someone had to) to bring you this selection of the best restaurants within walking distance of Walthamstow Central and Wood Street stations. Here are the places that make Walthamstow Village a culinary destination.
Hiba Taboun, Wood Street
Ideal for freshly baked Palestinian flatbreads and mezze worth crossing zones for…
This compact Palestinian café on Wood Street has built its reputation on gorgeous kamaj (soft, airy Palestinian pitas) that emerges from the ovens throughout the day, still warm enough to steam when torn open. Part of a small family restaurant group that includes Hiba Express in Holborn, the Walthamstow branch focuses on turning those daily-baked bread into sandwiches and flatbreads that have locals returning multiple times a week, as well as regulars drawn from further afield by the come-hither wafts of the bread oven.
The manakeesh comes topped with za’atar and olive oil or spiced lamb mince (£7.75), the base given a sourdough treatment that adds complexity to the traditional flatbread. Their falafel sandwich layers the freshly fried chickpea fritters with roasted cauliflower, aubergine, and a sharp salad of cucumber and tomato bound with tahini and lemon. It’s superb; so invigorating and, giving you change from a ten spot, an absolute steal. For bigger groups or, indeed, appetites, the day’s platter brings together four different mezze alongside falafel and grilled meats – enough variety to work through slowly over conversation.
Palestinian coffee arrives with gentle warnings from staff about its intensity – the small cup carries cardamom, cinnamon and other spices, served without sugar in the traditional style. Not everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee), perhaps, but it’s excellent. Alternatively, the milky, fragrant mouhallabieh pudding provides a gentler finish to the meal.
The space is divided between Hiba Taboun and Mini Hiba, both simple rooms where the focus stays firmly on the food. Staff show obvious, merited pride in what they’re serving – the kind of place where servers check in through the window to ensure you’re enjoying your meal, which inevitably you are.
At £35 for the full Palestinian brunch of a dozen plates and breads to match, or under £8 for a substantial sandwich, it’s priced for regular visits rather than special occasions. For both the quality of the food and the value, we’ve become one of those regulars. Takeaway is also available.
Ideal for generous Turkish grills and all-day dining from breakfast through late dinner…
Inside 17&Central shopping centre on Selborne Road, Gökyüzü occupies a two-level space that buzzes with families tucking into platters of grilled meat from morning until midnight (9am to 11pm actually, but who’s counting?). Part of a burgeoning London chain with roots in Kahramanmaras, the Walthamstow branch has become something of a local institution since opening in the early 2000s, winning the best Middle Eastern restaurant at the Deliveroo Awards earlier this year.
The wood-fired oven near the entrance sets expectations immediately, producing a warm glow and warm bread that arrives at your table unbidden, alongside garlic yoghurt and ajvar. The Turkish breakfast spreads across the table in small plates – free-range eggs, feta, Turkish beef sausage, muska böreği, halloumi, fresh vegetables, simit, honey and jam – substantial enough to carry you through to dinner.
Come evening, the charcoal grills take centre stage. The Adana kebab showcases their skill with seasoning, the lamb mince enthusiastically but deftly salted. The mixed grill platters hit the table bearing enough lamb shish, chicken shish, ribs and chops to feed a small gathering. For something a little more personal, the Icli Kofte – stuffed bulgur with spiced minced lamb blended with spices – is a real winner.
Vegetarians gravitate towards the Sarma Beyti, which regulars describe in reverent tones. To finish, the künefe is a properly indulgent conclusion – honey-drenched wheat and cheese that arrives hot from the kitchen.
The atmosphere lands somewhere between casual and special occasion, with latticed screens and teal accents throughout creating pockets of intimacy. After 9pm the lights dim slightly, the crowd gets livelier, but families with children remain welcome. At lower mid-range prices – expect around £30 per person for a feast – it delivers value too.
Ideal for award-winning vegetable-forward dining in London’s most unlikely location…
Slowburn has become one of London’s most talked-about restaurants despite (or, indeed, because of) its position inside a working denim factory on Blackhorse Lane. The 2025 Good Food Guide named it among the UK’s Top 100 Best Local restaurants, a recognition that seems almost surreal given you need to walk through an active jeans workshop to reach your table.
The dining room occupies one corner of the factory floor, separated from the industrial sewing machines by nothing more than some strategically placed plants and the confidence of chef-owners who understand that great food speaks louder than grand interiors. The menu changes with obsessive seasonality, focusing on vegetables grown within a few miles of East London, treated with techniques that turn humble ingredients into something truly memorable.
Recent highlights have included heritage carrots with brown butter and hazelnuts, fermented turnip with aged goat’s cheese, and a beetroot tart that converts even the most committed carnivores. When meat does appear, it’s used sparingly – perhaps cured duck breast with pickled plums, or slow-cooked lamb shoulder for sharing with a whole host of seasonal sides and sauces that are, in truth, the main event.
The natural wine list reflects the same commitment to small producers and sustainable practices, while service maintains the kind of knowledgeable enthusiasm that comes from a team who genuinely believe in what they’re doing. Booking essential, particularly since the Good Food Guide recognition has brought food pilgrims from across London.
Ideal for Anatolian platters and charcoal-grilled kebabs in marble-clad surroundings…
The bar at Güneş, backlit in blue with what appears to be a vast slab of mineral-veined stone, sets the tone immediately – this is a restaurant that’s committed to creating a scene. Neon strip lighting, marble everywhere, velvet seating, a conservatory done up with faux-jungle styling…
But look past the decor and you’ll find a restaurant doing genuinely excellent things with meat over charcoal, the kind of place where locals return for ebullient hospitality and cooking that doesn’t cut corners.
The Anatolian and Mediterranean menu centres on what emerges from the charcoal grill. Adana kebab skewers arrive sizzling, the minced lamb seasoned with pepper and thyme. Lamb and chicken döner gets carved from the rotisserie throughout service, chicken shish is grilled until nicely charred. The Family Platter for 3-4 people brings together lamb and chicken döner, both shish varieties, chicken beyti, Adana kebab, chicken wings, and lamb ribs at £72.90, all served with rice, bulgur, salad, and bread for mopping.
The Iskender kebab – sliced döner layered over torn bread with tomato sauce and yoghurt, then finished with butter and herbs – is the sort of dish that keeps people coming back. Choose lamb or chicken for £21.90. Portions defeat most appetites, which seems to be the standard here. Hot and cold mezze run from hummus and cacık through to sigara böreği (feta and halloumi in Turkish pastry) and grilled halloumi, providing routes in for those pacing themselves.
Service operates with typical Turkish generosity – complimentary rice pudding arrives at the end of your meal, the kind of gesture that turns first-time visitors into regulars. The drinks list accommodates both the after-work Efes crowd and birthday parties ordering strawberry daiquiris and Sex on the Beach cocktails by the round. Chef Drew Snaith of SESTA in Hackney singled out Güneş when sharing his Walthamstow favourites, specifically recommending the Iskender kebab.
The restaurant handles everything from solo diners to large groups celebrating special occasions, remaining welcoming throughout. At mid-range prices, it delivers consistent cooking and portions that ensure nobody leaves hungry.
Ideal for Middle Eastern-inspired dishes in a unique grocery-restaurant hybrid…
Within Eat17’s expanded premium grocery store, The Good Egg operates as an independent restaurant serving Middle Eastern-inspired breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. This unusual setup – dining alongside shoppers browsing award-winning local products and artisan goods – creates an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in London.
The Good Egg’s menu focuses on vibrant, spice-forward dishes that wake up your palate. The shakshuka comes with perfectly runny eggs nestled in rich tomato sauce scattered with fresh herbs, while the babka French toast offers an indulgent take on weekend brunch. The za’atar fried chicken has quickly developed as something of a signature, and the rotating specials often feature lesser-known Middle Eastern dishes that showcase the kitchen’s ambition.
Operating from 8am-4pm for breakfast and lunch, then 5pm-9pm for dinner, The Good Egg accepts walk-ins for small groups or email reservations for parties of six or more. The casual approach suits the relaxed vibe – you might find yourself sharing a table with someone who just popped in to buy Eat17’s famous bacon jam and decided to stay for lunch.
The combination works surprisingly well. You can stock up on premium groceries, local produce, and specialty items while enjoying a proper meal, making this a true neighborhood destination rather than just another restaurant.
Ideal for discovering Uyghur cuisine at one of London’s pioneering regional restaurants…
One of London’s first Uyghur restaurants, Etles has been serving the distinctive cuisine of Xinjiang province since before we (most of us) could locate the region on a map (we’re still not sure we can). The family-run restaurant occupies a modest corner site on Hoe Street, its dining room decorated with traditional textiles and the sounds of Mandarin and Uyghur floating from the open kitchen.
Uyghur food sits somewhere between Chinese and Central Asian, a gorgeous blend of influences, with dried spices featuring prominently and noodles – hand-pulled until slack – taking centre stage. Those noodles get made to order, each strand stretched with practiced confidence to achieve the perfect texture – chewy but tender, robust enough to hold up to rich, aromatic broths. The Large Plate Chicken (Da Pan Ji) lives up to its name, a generous serving of chicken, potatoes, and peppers in a sauce that builds heat gradually through layers of cumin, coriander, and chilli.
The lamb dumplings flaunt the kitchen’s skill with dough and seasoning – each dumpling perfectly pleated and filled with spiced lamb that’s been cooked until it falls apart at the suggestion of a lurking utensil. It’s heady, brilliant stuff, and has earned a glowing national review from Jay Rayner at a time when he felt particularly threatened by Eater and Vittles for not venturing out of Central, it should be said.
Cash only, BYOB with no corkage, and expect to share tables during busy periods when local Uyghur families arrive for weekend meals that stretch across multiple courses and several hours.
Ideal for sourdough pizza and natural wines in an intimate neighborhood setting…
Sodo Pizza occupies a converted industrial unit on a quiet mews off Hoe Street that’s been transformed into one of Walthamstow’s most charming dining rooms. The exposed brick walls, wooden tables, and open kitchen create something intimate, worlds apart from the business of this corner of North London, while the flickering wood-fired oven (imported from Italy, naturally) brings a gentle touch of theatre.
The sourdough pizza bases represent years of obsessive experimentation – slow-fermented for 48 hours to develop complex flavors and a texture that’s simultaneously crispy and chewy. Toppings focus on quality produce first and foremost, with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and carefully sourced charcuterie. The nduja pizza with chilli honey and rocket is bang on trend to the point of ubiquity, but still works and is our go-to order. We love the anchovy, capers and olives number too, but simply can’t bring ourselves to order it, the Jon Bon Chovy moniker too cringe to say out loud.
The natural wine list leans into interesting bottles – Joan Meyer’s Liquid Skin, an orange Chenin Blanc from South Africa with cardamom and honey notes clocks in at a keen £36. There’s Heinrich’s Austrian pet-nat with mandarin and quince for £43, too. It’s a lot for a drop with your pizza, but it’s great wine nonetheless.
Claw back some of that money on their particularly sharp lunch deal, which runs Tuesday to Friday: £10 gets you either a 7-inch pizza with salad or a full-size pizza, plus a soft. Cheers to that.
The intimate size means booking is essential, particularly at weekends when the 30-cover dining room fills with locals who’ve discovered this hidden gem.
Rather than the promised yard, there’s a roof and stuff, with the converted glass factory providing an industrial backdrop to your pie, all high ceilings, exposed beams, and an outdoor terrace – call it a ‘yard’ if you want – that comes into its own during warmer months.
The sourdough bases use a mother culture refined over years, resulting in pizza that’s substantial and, in turn, digestible. The Holy Pepperoni holds cult status among London pizza obsessives, with pepperoni that cups and chars at the edges. The Full House combines pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, olive and peppers, but somehow doesn’t end up feeling like a Pizza Hut. That’s some sleight of hand, that.
Local beers are what you want to wash it down, with several options from Gipsy Hill Brewery on the menu. That means the beer travels just twenty miles from grain to glass. Our favourite is Yard Sale’s house lager, the Pyramid Scheme. The name baffles us, but there’s plenty of clarity in the can.
