Fed-up of what you wear being dictated on by huge corporate brands? Want to forgo fast fashion and the impact it has on our environment? Trying to adopt a more budget conscious approach to your attire? Or are you simply bored of the clothes in your wardrobe and feel that everything you wear has gotten a little humdrum?
Whatever force drove you to this article, with a little time and tons of creativity, you can create a one-of-a kind wardrobe which is exclusive to you, and you alone. Got your attention? Well, whether it’s an old piece or one you’ve just purchased, here are 5 ways to customise your clothes and create a one-of-a-kind wardrobe.
Cut, Alter & Add
It’s time to get scissor happy. Edward, eat your heart out. With a snip here and a chop there, you can transform a benched piece into a whole new outfit. Why not turn an old skirt you don’t like the length of anymore into a midi or mini skirt?
Or create some stylish shorts from an old pair of jeans? Got a top you never wear? Cut the collar to create a sexy off-the-shoulder number or cut off the bottom to create a tank top. Sleeves can be added or removed and hemlines can even been lengthened; the options are limitless.
You could even consider cutting up two items of clothing and sewing the opposing parts together to make a third totally unique item. However, before you make your first cut, learn how to make a proper hemline, unless you’re going for the frayed, rough-around-the-edges look.
If the scissor brandishing scares you, then start slowly, by making some small, more gentle alterations. Indeed, you don’t have to chop everything up to change the look of garment, some simple modifications can switch up the look of an entire item of clothing.
If you have a strapless top, simply add some straps, or if you have a loose fitting dress, sew on some loops to the waist, add a tie and voila, you have slim fitting dress. Creating a collar from a fabric of your choice and adding it to a top is another simple way to repurpose old items without taking to the scissors, which brings us to our next point…
Embellish & Embroider
If you want to add a little flair and flourish to your clothes without too much work, then a little embellishing will be the needle to your thread. High time, then, that you took a trip to your local haberdashery where you’re likely to find a treasure trove of ribbons, buttons, sequins, lace and all sorts of items which you can dress your wardrobe up with. The key here is to think about ways in which you can enhance or contrast a feature of the garment you want to embellish.
One of our favourite ways to add a unique, trendy touch is with embroidery. From plain cami tops, cardigans and denim jackets to white canvas espadrilles, this simple technique can completely transform your clothes. If you’re new to sewing, you could always sew embroidered patches onto your clothes instead.
Design Your Own Prints
If you want to set yourself apart from the crowd, why not go a step further and design your own garments from scratch? With the help of cutting edge technology, creating your own customised clothes has never been easier. Online companies now allow you to add any pattern or design to blank hoodies for printing and other garments via their websites, which are then printed, cut and sewn by expert craftspeople.
You could even create a slogan t-shirt emblazoned with your own personal mantra or a motivational phrase that moves you; a great way to express yourself without saying a word.
Another technique for customising your clothes is screen printing with fabric paint. Though not quite as straightforward as sending off your designs to be made via the web, with some practice it’s pretty simple and rewarding to do at home. All you need is a screen, a squeegee, some ink, a piece of paper and a craft knife, and you’re good to go.
Another technique you can use to customise your clothes is by screen printing with fabric paint. Although not as easy as sending off your designs to be made via the web, with some practice it’s pretty simple and rewarding to do at home; all you need is a screen, a squeegee, some ink, a piece of paper and a craft knife, and you’re good to go.
Dye & Transform Colours
Ready to completely reinvent that faded black dress or give new life to a white shirt you’ve grown tired of? Fabric dyeing is one of the most dramatic yet accessible ways to transform your wardrobe. Whether you’re going for a bold, vibrant hue or a subtle ombre effect, dyeing can make old pieces feel brand new again.
Start with natural fiber fabrics like cotton, linen, or wool, as they take dye much better than synthetic materials. You can use everything from traditional fabric dyes available at craft stores to natural alternatives like tea, coffee, or even avocado pits for unique, earthy tones. Tie-dye isn’t just for hippies anymore – modern techniques can create sophisticated patterns, from subtle shibori-inspired designs to bold geometric shapes.
For the more adventurous, try bleach dyeing to create striking contrast effects on dark garments, or experiment with ice dyeing for unpredictable, organic patterns that look like abstract art. You could even combine multiple techniques – perhaps start with a base dye color, then add tie-dye accents or bleached details for a truly one-of-a-kind piece.
The best part? Even if you’re not thrilled with the initial result, you can always dye over it again with a darker colour, making this technique particularly forgiving for beginners looking to experiment with colour transformation.
Learn How To Sew
Still recoiling with embarrassment from that time you showed up to a wedding wearing the same outfit as your best friend? If you truly want to create a one of a kind wardrobe, then try making your own made-to-measure pieces from scratch. You can sew flattering garments, with exactly the type of neckline, hem length and sleeve shape that you want, from whatever type of fabric you desire. This way, you can rest assured that you’ll be the only belle at the ball wearing your dress.
Don’t let the prospect of learning to sew intimidate you – start small and work your way up to more complex projects. Begin with simple items like tote bags, scarves, or basic skirts before tackling fitted blouses or tailored jackets. YouTube tutorials, online sewing courses, and local community college classes can provide excellent guidance for beginners. Invest in a decent sewing machine (you can often find quality second-hand options), good fabric scissors, measuring tape, and plenty of pins to get started.
Many seasoned sewers recommend practising on thrift store finds or inexpensive fabric before working with pricier materials. Not only will you develop a valuable life skill, but you’ll also save money in the long run – a homemade dress that might cost £20 in materials could easily replace a £100 designer piece, and it will fit you perfectly every time. Doing so will also help you reduce your fashion choice’s impact on the environment. It’s a win-win!
The Bottom Line
Customising your clothes isn’t just about saving money or sidestepping fast fashion’s environmental toll, though it certainly does both. It’s about reclaiming a bit of individuality in a world where everyone’s wearing the same algorithmically suggested outfits. Whether you’re snipping, dyeing, embroidering or designing from scratch, the end result is something no one else will have. And in an age of mass production, that feels like a small act of rebellion.
Ideal for ice cream, sorbet, gelato and sundae lovers in the seaside city.
Brighton beach and ice cream; could there be a more perfect match? Well, apart from rum and raisin, mint and chocolate chip, blueberry and ricotta…but you catch our drift.
We’re here today to talk about the quintessential British experience, of a coast side recline with a cone, but taken up several notches in quality.
Mr. Whippy this ain’t.Instead, it’s some of the finest cold stuff in the country, some elegantly flavoured, some downright dirty. Our pick of the bunch in our favourite place in the world? Here’s where to buy the best ice cream in Brighton & Hove, IDEAL for ice cream, sorbet, gelato and sundae lovers in the seaside city.
Brass Monkey
Tucked away in Brighton’s Lanes just opposite the excellent Flint House, Brass Monkey is one of the newer kids on the ice block, but they’ve already earned acclaim for their organic, vegan friendly offering. Inside it’s a pretty minimalist affair, but you wanted to enjoy your saffron and rose ice cream outside anyway, right?
Yep, you heard that right, saffron and rose, and it’s damn delicious. Other leftfield options which feel so in tune with the setting here in the centre of Brighton include Chai Latte and our favourite, cardamom, which is heady and intoxicating and just brilliant. They also do a mean cake; what’s not to love?
And the good news keeps on coming; the guys at Brass Monkey have set up a small, portable stall where Hove Lawns becomes Kings Esplanade. Visit in the evening to enjoy the sunset and a delicious scoop of that cardamon ice cream we mentioned earlier.
Address: 8 Hanningtons Ln, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1GS
Marrocco’s
Just beyond Hove Lawns and right on the oceanfront along the gorgeous Kingsway promenade is Marrocco’s, a Brighton and Hove institution. It’s pretty old school looking from the front, with Tricolore themed signage and a few al fresco seats. Opened since 1969, it feels as though nothing has changed since, and that’s all part of the charm.
Though the menu includes a Norwegian breakfast, burgers, and fish and chips amongst other globe-trotting delicacies and alongside seafood pasta and pizza, we’re here for the superb, daily changing selection of gelato, which is some of the best in the city. On a recent visit, the blueberry and ricotta ice cream was as good as it gets, only surpassed by the assertively salty (trust us) salted caramel, which was the best of its kind we’ve ever had.
Though the word ‘legendary’ is thrown about on menus a little too liberally these days, their ice cream sundaes are genuinely worthy of the acclaim. The best ice cream in Brighton and Hove? Perhaps. This is proper old school Italian at its best, this, and open every day from 8am to 9pm while lockdown gradually lifts, for all your takeaway ice cream needs.
Though Gelato Gusto’s original is on Gardner Street, in the North Laines, we’re here for their King’s Road Arches outpost (opened in 2021) which comes complete with a sea view and seagulls competing for your cone. Just as it should be, we think.
Here, their reliably gorgeous artisan ice cream comes in a huge variety of flavours (200 and counting since the gelateria’s inception!) with 20 or so on at one time. Gelato Gusto uses local Sussex milk and cream and recipes sourced from the owners training in Bologna. None of this would matter if the product wasn’t great, but we’re pleased to tell you it’s lip smackingly awesome and as creamy as can be; no pockets of ice here, that’s for sure.
Whilst choosing our favourite flavour would be a bit like making us choose our favourite child, we’re going to put our neck on the line and say if Gelato Gusto have Jaffa Cake on offer, then order it. You can thank us later.
Available on Deliveroo to order from 11am to 6pm each day.
With perhaps the finest selection of vegan ice cream options in the city, Boho Gelato finishes our list in style, putting the final flake in our five scoops. Ten years of serving Brighton fantastic ice cream hasn’t dented their enthusiasm; Boho now have four outposts, two in Brighton, and another in Worthing.
For those who are lactose intolerant or on a plant based diet, be sure to check out their strawberry, basil and black pepper number, just lush, or the cookies and cream (containing no cream!) for an indulgent, totally vegan experience.
Brighton foodies should pay attention to their yearly ‘Flavours of Brighton’ celebration, which has special collaborations with several of the city’s favourite restaurants and coffee shops. Mine’s a Small Batch Cold Brew Coffee Sorbet!
They also offer their ice cream for delivery. Time to make room in our freezer.
Though it’s not technically on the coast – that there body of water you see is the Tegus River – Lisbon is one of the continent’s finest destinations for seafood lovers. Prawns the size of your forearm, buckets of clams with enough garlic to keep the vampires at bay for life, salt cod wearing so many guises…it’s all here, it’s all fresh, and we can’t get enough of it. With that in mind, here’s where to eat the best seafood in Lisbon.
Cervejaria Ramiro
We had to start here; to not do so would be dishonest. Because if you’re wondering where to eat the best seafood in Lisbon, Ramiro is the one. This is where locals, tourists and even whole tour buses head in their droves – expect queues with a capital Q – to eat the finest seafood of the region in the organised chaos of the city’s most famous cervejaria. And while the name suggests beer is the headlining act, it’s stuff from the sea which gets top billing.
The enormous tiger prawns are definitely worth ordering, as well as deservedly popular clams in garlic butter, but the absolute standout is the scarlet prawns, each with enough head juice to fill a coffee mug. Though that sounds like an agreeable drink, it’s even better mopped up with a mountain of buttered, toasted bread roll, which comes as standard. Wash down with a bottle of Portugal’s famous vinho verde and finish with a steak sandwich for dessert, because, well, everyone does. And this is one situation when we’re more than happy to swim with the shoal rather than against the tide.
If you really don’t have room for anymore food, their vodka-spiked lemon sorbet provides a light and refreshing end to what will most likely be one of the best meals of your life.
Lisbon’s Time Out Market, or Mercado da Ribeira for those not in thrall to branding, is a mixed bag if ever there was one. Though some of the country’s finest chefs have set up shop here, peddling signature dishes for less than ten euros, at times the vibe is corporate and the atmosphere clinical. Venture out of the central plot though, and to the peripheries, and you’ll find a set of more established, proper restaurants, more intent on dishing up spanking fresh seafood and less on churning out a single dish in a cardboard box en masse.
The pick of the bunch is Marisquiera (meaning seafood eatery) Azul, with around twenty countertop stools and plenty of live crustaceans in tanks to choose from. The banter between staff and customer is boisterous, the beer ice cold and free flowing, and dishes like razor clams with garlic butter lip smackingly delicious. It’s on the more expensive side, but with al fresco seating available in the warmer months, there’s no place we’d rather be on a fine day.
Less touristy than some of the more heaving, heard about joints, Do Lis does the important stuff right and worries about little else in terms of frippery or fuss. The space is cavernous, the room bare and the table cloths paper, but the seafood arrives whole, with all the dirty, delicious head juices and brains in tact ready for sucking, and is as fresh as you’ll find. The garlic prawns and barnacles are particularly good here. It’s also just a three minute walk north of Ramiro, so if you find the queues too much, it’s an awesome reserve option to have up your sleeve. Once seated, roll them up, you’re going to be down, dirty and elbows deep in all the good bits.
O Palacio, in the city’s up-and=coming, hip-as hell-Alcantara district, is another eminently viable alternative. True to the soul of any self respecting cervejaria, it stays open late and gets increasingly raucous as the evening wears on.
Start with a wheel of local cheese and some thinly sliced pata negra before the main event begins. Here, crayfish is excellent, as well as spider crab which is brimming with brown meat lightly seasoned and utterly delicious. Away from the shellfish side of things, monkfish over black rice (arroz de tamboril) is a star dish, comforting and moreish in the extreme. Delicious.
Address: Rua Prior do Crato 142, 1350-263 Lisboa, Portugal
Cervejaria O Palacio
Pateo Do Avillez
Celebrity chef Jose Avillez has made this little corner of Chiado, Lisbon very much his own with the Bairro do Avillez concept; several excellent, dependable restaurants under one roof and banner. We say roof, but the pick of the bunch is Pateo, a large and open outdoor space and a fine purveyor of all things oceanic. Ordering off the grill is reliably excellent; a particularly fine tuna steak served with Algarve salad was fantastic. If it’s a special occasion, don’t miss the blue lobster over coals from the specials; top notch and a real treat.
Address: R. Nova da Trindade 18, 1200-303 Lisboa, Portugal
Housed in a former 13th-century monastery, dining at Trindade is as much about soaking in history as it is about the seafood. The stunning azulejo-tiled walls and vaulted ceilings provide a backdrop quite unlike anywhere else in the city, though regulars hardly notice anymore – they’re too busy tucking into plates of percebes (goose barnacles) and seafood rice swimming in a rich, saffron-tinged broth. The tiny, briny Atlantic prawns here are boiled rather than grilled, bringing a straightforward, squeaky clean saline finish that’s one hell of a match for the house-brewed beer, still made to the original monastery recipe. Do try the caldeirada de peixe, a fisherman’s stew that changes daily based on what the boats bring in. Unlike many of the city’s other revered cervejarias, booking ahead is essential – the tourists may come for a night on the tiles, sure, but they stay for the seafood.
Address: R. Nova da Trindade 20C, 1200-303 Lisboa, Portugal
Gambrinus
Don’t let the wood-panelled walls and suited waiters fool you – this old-school establishment has been serving some of Lisbon’s finest seafood since 1936, and remains steadfastly unstuffy despite its grand appearance. The lobster tank by the entrance has witnessed decades of business deals and political machinations, yet the real power moves happen when someone orders the house speciality – the rich, stacked seafood stew Cataplana Gambrinus, served in a big, sharing copper pan with theatrical flourish. The staff, most of whom seem to have been here since opening day, know exactly when to top up your glass and when to leave you to savour that last spoonful of Bouillabaisse (served only on Wednesdays, and retaining an air of exclusivity as a result). Their take on bacalhau à brás might be the finest in the city, though saying that too loudly around here could start a riot.
Address: R. das Portas de Santo Antão 23, 1150-264 Lisboa, Portugal
Solar dos Presuntos
Though the name suggests this spot’s all about the ham (and yes, the presunto is excellent), it’s the seafood that keeps Lisbon’s culinary cognoscenti coming back for seconds. Opening in 1974, it’s watched the Avenida da Liberdade transform from a shabby thoroughfare to the city’s most glamorous address, all while maintaining its commitment to impeccable ingredients treated with respect.
The scarlet prawns are served ‘au naturel’ simply on ice, allowing their sweet flesh to shine, while the rice with lobster requires 24 hours’ notice – and deserves every minute of the wait. Unlike some of the more tourist-focused spots, you’ll hear more Portuguese than English here, particularly during Sunday lunch when local families pile in for epic feasts that can stretch well into the evening. We’d implore you to leave yours free and allow things to take their natural course in much the same way.
We were once of the school of thought that Valentine’s was a wholly commercial endeavour, invented by card companies to fleece us ol’ romantics of our hard earned cash. We thought that all the chocolate boxes were a trap, ready to leave us lovesick but lonely. That the just-popped bubbly would be corked. That those roses were sure to wilt just days after purchase…
But as we’ve matured like that fine wine you’ll no doubt be sipping on the 14th, we’ve come to realise that it’s worth celebrating just about anything, given half the chance. Life’s short, and isn’t love worth raising a glass to?
That said, it’s common knowledge that going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day can be pretty stressful, especially if you’re making last-minute plans and there’s only a table-for-two by the toilet and a £200 tasting menu left.
Give those a swerve. Swerve, too, the plastic indoor floral displays, Valentine’s Day sets, and cut-price offers on especially acidic Prosecco.
Instead, stick with us: Here’s our pick of the London restaurants that are truly, madly ideal for Valentine’s Day, whatever your style of romance.
Sessions Art Club, Clerkenwell
Ideal for a dinner date in London’s most spectacular dining room…
Sometimes, a space is so special that it makes you fall in love – if not with your date, then certainly with the restaurant itself.
Sessions Arts Club, housed in a former courthouse in Clerkenwell, is that kind of place where the atmosphere emanates romance. Soaring ceilings, huge arched windows, and a palette of lushly faded greens create a grand backdrop for a meal. The stripped-back plaster, sweeping staircases and velvet curtains lend the space a delightfully decadent feel that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. It’s the kind of place where you want to dress up – the candlelight and elegant atmosphere all but demands it.
In such a spectacular setting that there’s a danger the food will be something of an afterthought, but not so here. Chef Abigail Hill’s minimalist, seasonal plates are sophisticated and soul-nourishing in equal measure, with simple, seductive sharers like scallop, chestnut and black truffle light enough to satisfy but not knock you into a food coma straight after your meal.
Whether you’re seated in an gorgeous grey-leather horseshoed booth on the mezzanine or at a quiet corner table, Sessions Arts Club is an absolutely charmer.
Ideal for a date at one of London’s hottest right-now restaurants…
If your idea of romance involves channeling the glamour of 1970s New York, The Dover should be your Valentine’s date destination. This Mayfair masterpiece, one of London’s hottest tickets right now, takes the concept of a relaxed Italian comfort-food retreat and gives it a glamorous Manhattan twist. The reaction has been unanimously positive, with a string of fawning reviews in the nationals.
Inside, you’re transported to another era. The restaurant was inspired by an iconic scene of Sophia Loren eating meatballs with Al Pacino in Brooklyn, and that cinematic mystique permeates everything from the dark wood and flickering candles to the pressed linen tablecloths and chess board flooring.
Images via The Dover
It’s a buzzy, sexy, fun place to dine in where corner booths provide the perfect setting for intimate conversations. On any given evening, you’ll find the restaurant filled with couples inclined towards each other at listening-intently angles, hands meeting across pristine tablecloths, footsie playing beneath.
The menu strikes a perfect balance between comfort and sophistication, with a dependable roll call of classic Italian-American dishes executed with finesse. And while the white tablecloths might get splattered with red sauce from your spaghetti and meatballs, that’s part of the charm. The Dover understands that true romance isn’t about perfection – it’s about creating moments of shared joy.
When it comes to romance, the French wrote the book, and L’Escargot has been following that recipe on Greek Street since 1927. Offering that perfect Parisian framing of romantic idealism, the décor, which has been described by Eater as “Hogarth reimagined by Christian Grey” (50 Shades of Gin Lane?!) sets just the right tone for the evening ahead. The setting is pure theatrical scene-setting – think dimly lit chandeliers, suited waiters, velvet seats and an ambience that makes every dinner feel like a special occasion.
There’s a warmth to the food here that fosters that feeling of amour. While some may wish to give garlic a wide berth on a date, they’d be foolish to do so here – an order of the pert and pretty escargots, drenched in garlic and tasting wonderful, is a must. In the same vein, their baked lobster with garlic butter is a winner. And if you both go garlic crazy, you can luxuriate in the aroma together.
Other fine dishes including an exquisite lobster bisque and a textbook, opulent foie gras terrine with sauternes jelly are guaranteed to set the mood before the main event. Or, for those looking to keep things tight and light, a three-course prix fixe is available until 6.15pm, and offers exceptional value (£35 for three courses) for those looking to start their Valentine’s celebration early. Just be warned; the eponymous snails aren’t part of this set.
If you ask us, romantic spots tend to be those ones that are dimly lit and tightly packed, where you can cosy up with your partner to within whispering distance, and linger over some good food and wine. It’s not much to ask, hey? Enter Quality Wines.
For those who believe that dates should never feel forced, Quality Wines offers the perfect blend of casual sophistication and genuine charm, where you can revel in your romance without things feeling awkward.
With candles gently flickering and the din of conversation providing a more easygoing soundtrack than Elvis or Sinatra ever could, there’s an untroubled feeling in the air, the perfect framing for chef Nick Bramham’s deceptively simple, serene cooking.
His weekly-changing blackboard menu of laid back, carefully sourced Mediterranean-inspired dishes provides plenty of conversation starters, while the carefully curated, regularly changing wine list (with a good two dozen sold by-the-glass) offers opportunities for shared discovery.
What makes Quality Wines particularly special for Valentine’s Day is its ability to make every evening here feel almost instinctive. It’s the ideal date night restaurant for this time of year, having mastered that sense of serendipitous evenings where a quick glass of wine turns into hours of conversation and shared small plates, where you feel as at home wolfing down one of Bramham’s iconic lobster rolls as you do picking over a deep fried pig’s head. That’s romance for you!
If your idea of a passionate evening involves caviar, truffle and champagne, then Bob Bob Ricard was made for your Valentine’s celebration. This glamorous Soho restaurant – open since 2008 but already feeling like an absolute institution – is a larger-than-life palace of indulgence.
The restaurant’s claim to fame is its infamous ‘Press for Champagne’ button at every booth, allowing you to summon service without breaking the mood. This is a luxioriously-upholstered, low-lit space which seems built for intimacy. Those cosy leather banquettes (uniquely, every table is a booth at BBR) are ideal for some light canoodling, while the gold, velvet, mobster’s palace aesthetic creates a mood of delightful excess. Your space can even shielded from prying eyes by heavy velvet curtains that separate each table. Make one of the booths and that button your universe for the evening.
The menu leans into luxurious comfort food with French and Russian-inspired twists, though be warned; if your date doesn’t like truffle, then don’t bring them here for Valentine’s Day (or any other day for that matter). This is because you’ll find truffle in just about everything, from the lobster, scallop and shrimp pelmeni all the way to the truffled potato and mushroom vareniki.
BBR’s signature pies – truffle and champagne humble pie, chicken and champagne pie – add a touch of whimsy to the proceedings and are reputed to be some of the best pies in the capital. However, because sharing means caring, the 28 day aged fillet of Aberdeenshire beef wellington for two should be the centrepiece of your booth. It’s a triumphant dish, with the added extravagance of a glossy truffle jus that feels built for bathing in.
And since it’s Valentine’s Day, a chocolate dessert should be on your checklist, and you won’t find a more impressive one than here. The BBR Signature Chocolate Glory is a spectacularly spectacular showstopper of a dessert. Delivered tableside, a warm chocolate sauce is poured over a golden orb to reveal layers of chocolate, praline coffee mousse, and caramelised hazelnuts. It’s hugely decadent and really hits the spot – foodgasms are sure to follow.
Ideal for unfussy plates and arguably the best wine list in London…
From the moment you spot Noble Rot’s signature burgundy frontage on picturesque Lamb’s Conduit Street, you know you’re in for something special. This converted 18th-century townhouse has created the perfect formula for luuurvvvve: exceptional wine, sophisticated yet unfussy food, and an aura that makes time stand still.
Image via noblerot.co.uk
Stepping through the doors of this charming restaurant feels like escaping the hustle and bustle of central London for a while. The dining room, all dark ceilings, walnut floorboards, and walls adorned with covers from the owners’ wine magazine of the same name, sets the scene for settling into. Candles create the perfect lighting for flirting, while the casual drop-in wine bar up front offers up a more relaxed vibe.
Noble Rot offers a deep dive into great wine pairings, turning each course into an adventure of shared discovery. The cooking is decidedly classical with a gently modern twist – think slip sole with smoked butter; pork, pheasant and pistachio terrine; and Basque cheesecake with Yorkshire rhubarb. For impressing your date with fine food minus the frippery, Noble Rob is your guy.
If you can’t get a table here, they have a Soho sibling set in the former site of the Gay Hussar on Greek St, once notorious as the lair of many left-wing politicians – ideal if politics gets you all hot under the collar. There’s a third restaurant in Mayfair, too. All of them have that same inviting feel, focused on making sure everyone is having a great time.
Think Valentine’s Day is cheesy? Then lean into the cheesiest of impulses at Bloomsbury’s La Fromagerie. Just a raclette’s roll away from Noble Rot on Lamb’s Conduit Street (and the perfect pitch-up for your post-dinner cheese course), this cheese-focused emporium offers one of London’s most unique date-night experiences, with its curved counter, close-packed tables, and mini cheese room.
Images via lafromagerie.co.uk
The menu celebrates cheese in all its glory. Must-try dishes include their legendary Comte d’Estive gougeres with truffle cream, and the twice-baked souffle with Charolais and Parmigiano Reggiano cream. For the ultimate sharing experience, it’s got to be the Fondue Savoyarde which is a terrific combination of Beaufort Chalet D’alpage, Emmental Francais Grand Cru and Comte D’estive. Served with sourdough bread and cornichons, is the kind of interactive experience you might need if you can’t keep your fondue fork to yourself.
It’s not all cheese here. Lots of the menu is devoted to honest bistro(esque) cooking with dishes like escargot, carpaccio, and cod with sauce bordelaise. That said, the careful curation of perfectly ripe cheeses and artisan charcuterie, paired with a thoughtfully selected European wine list, makes this the perfect spot for couples who believe that sharing good cheese is one of life’s most romantic pleasures.
For couples who want to add a playful twist to their Valentine’s celebration, The New York Room at BAO City offers something uniquely special. As one of the few karaoke venues in London that allows just two people in a room together, it’s perfect for couples who want to serenade each other in private or just be a little silly.
The space itself sets a seductive mood with an illuminated ceiling that bathes everything in red light, and it can transition seamlessly between dining and karaoke modes. With no room hire fees (just a minimum spend of £35 per person for a two-hour slot), couples can enjoy both BAO’s reliably excellent food and access to over 300,000 songs. What’s not to love?
The special KTV menu features sharing platters perfect for grazing while you work up the courage to sing your favourite love songs. From mini baos to fried chicken buckets topped with caviar, the food is designed to keep your energy up through multiple encores. It all makes for an infectiously upbeat date. Hey, pencil me in for Careless Whisper, just to level out the mood, if you don’t mind…
For those who believe in the classic charm of a dinner-and-movie date, Electric Diner offers that perfect combination. This slice of Americana on Portobello Road, run by Soho House (but fortunately lacking the snobbery), captures the romance of a classic US diner while giving it a decidedly London twist.
The space is lined with plush red leather banquettes that provide the perfect setting for cosying up, while the menu features faithfully rendered but gently refined versions of American comfort food classics. Currently, the venue is hosting Maya, bringing coastal Baja Mexican food to Notting Hill – perfect for couples looking to spice up their Valentine’s Day.
What makes this place particularly ideal is its connection to the Electric Cinema next door, allowing couples to combine their meal with a romantic film screening in one of London’s most historic and beautiful cinemas.
Hidden behind a jade door in Chinatown, Opium offers one of London’s most atmospheric date night experiences. The journey starts with finding the entrance – a faintly clandestine process that sets the tone for the evening – before ascending the stairs to discover a multi-level cocktail paradise.
Each floor offers a distinct experience. The Attic and Academy bar is a casual lounge and bartender’s table built for watching drink preparation; the Apothecary Bar features creative cocktails served from medicine bottles; and the Peony Bar, hidden behind a red curtain, offers the most romantic setting of all.
Image via @OpiumChinaTown
The combination of innovative cocktails and delicious dim sum (oh yeah, sorry to drop that in; there’s dim sum), served until late, makes this the perfect spot for couples who march to their own temporal drum. Whether you’re shift workers, night owls, or just looking for somewhere special after another engagement, Opium offers something of an escape from the usual rigamarole of Valentine’s Day dinner.
The dim sum here isn’t an after thought either. With a reassuringly short menu of dim sum’s greatest hits, the har gau, with its delicate prawn dumpling and translucent skin, and the crowd pleasing, open-top pork siu mai, are highlights. Or, as we like to call them, the emperor and empress of the dumpling world.
Think sushi is sexy? Samantha from Sex and the City would certainly agree – though you’d definitely get kicked out if you tried to recreate that particular scene here. Thankfully, ROKA offers plenty of other ways to make your evening memorable.
ROKA Charlotte Street has instead mastered the art of creating a sizzling atmosphere through design and cuisine. The restaurant is particularly famous for its overt cherry blossom display nestled downstairs in the underground cocktail bar, Shochu, which feels like a shortcut to an instantly passion-conducive setting.
Back upstairs, the main dining room buzzes with energy, and if you’re lucky enough to snag counter seats, you’ll be treated to the theatrical performance of chefs preparing your dishes right before your eyes. The menu features crowd-pleasing contemporary Japanese dishes, from pristine sushi to their famous black cod, all executed with a certain amount of flair.
This Valentine’s Day, the beloved Lipstick Rose cocktail makes a return at Roka. Inspired by the striking red lipstick of 1940s film stars, this exquisite drink combines rose petal vodka, raspberry, violet and Champagne. Complementing the cocktail, Roka will offer a specially curated dessert platter for two, featuring an exclusive dark chocolate and passionfruit dorayaki with mascarpone ice cream, a limited edition raspberry, lychee and rose pavlova, as well as seasonal fruits and sorbets to share.
Speaking of cocktails, that Shochu lounge we mentioned a couple of paragraphs prior, is perfect for extending your evening with pre- or post-dinner drinks in a sultry setting. You may never want to leave…
In an intimate Georgian townhouse in Belgravia, Muse lives up to its name by providing both culinary and conversational inspiration. With just 23 seats, the restaurant creates an almost communal feel while maintaining the privacy needed for romantic fine-dining.
What makes Muse particularly special for Valentine’s Day is its unique concept: each nuanced dish relates to a memorable moment from Chef Tom Aikens’ life, providing natural conversation starters for couples. The stories behind each plate often lead diners to reflect on their own memories, creating opportunities for deeper connection and shared nostalgia.
Image via @musebytomaikens
Yes, it might be pretentious when the waiters give lengthy speeches about the food, or when the chef himself comes over to describe moments from his childhood, but on Valentine’s Day, a little theatre can truly add to the romance. The fact that the food is bloody delicious certainly does no harm.
Ideal for a steak and seafood date with serious class…
Darby’s brings the romance of a New York City oyster bar to Nine Elms, creating an atmosphere that’s both sophisticated and seductive. The space itself is a masterclass in atmospheric yet relaxed dining – parquet floors, caramel-toned lighting, and plush upholstery in soft teal houses an ambience that manages to be ‘special occasion’ without a hint of stuffiness.
The restaurant’s centerpiece is its glamorous central bar, complete with gleaming glassware and counter seats perfect for the flirtatious to-and-fro of date night conversation. The laid-back live jazz – a key feature of the restaurant – adds to the amorous mood.
The menu lends itself well to a Valentine’s Day date, and let’s face it; few things are more romantic than sharing oysters (nature’s most famous aphrodisiac) followed by a perfectly cooked steak. The kitchen here excels at both, with their Aurox aged beef being a particular highlight. The service strikes that perfect balance between attentive and unobtrusive, letting couples focus on each other while ensuring every need is met.
Ideal for slurping aphrodisiacs in historic surroundings…
When it comes to a vibe that, quite simply, facilitates courtship, few London restaurants can match Bentley’s. Established in 1916, this historic restaurant has hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Charlie Chaplin, all drawn by its reputation for exceptional seafood and sophisticated ambiance.
Just a shell’s throw from Piccadilly Circus, and under the guidance of celebrated chef Richard Corrigan since 2005, Bentley’s has maintained its position as London’s premier oyster destination. They shuck an impressive thousand oysters daily, offering varieties from across British waters – from native Fal River oysters to cultivated rocks from Jersey and Carlingford.
For Valentine’s Day, few foods carry more amorous associations than oysters. Their connection to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, makes them a naturally romantic choice. Even the legendary lover Casanova was known to begin his meals with dozens of oysters – though we might suggest a more modest portion for modern appetites!
Anyway, whether you’re taking a pew at the historic oyster bar or seated in the more formal restaurant, the combination of exceptional seafood and elegant surroundings creates a vibe just right for romance.
Always dreamed of that romantic New York trip for Valentine’s Day, but can’t currently justify the expense of it? Luckily, New York restaurants have been having a moment in London for a while now (we’ve already included two others on our list), helping you have a bite of the Big Apple right here on home tuft. And Grasso just happens to be one of the best NYC-style restaurants in the city dishing up deeply satisfying American Italian fare.
The menu is deliberately concise, allowing couples to focus on each other rather than that bloody paradox of choice. Their signature dishes have already become legendary in Soho – the stretchy mozzarella sticks with nduja and honey are a must-order, while their meatballs, made to a third-generation family recipe, have achieved cult status.
The showstopper for Valentine’s Day is undoubtedly their lobster linguine. It’s a gloriously messy, sauce-splattering affiar that leaves the table littered with lobster claws and pasta sauce. Eat it together and it’s a shared experience that creates the kind of memories couples talk about for years. While you might not recreate the exact Lady and the Tramp spaghetti moment here pasta-strand-to-pasta-strand, mouth-to-mouth, lip-to-lip, kiss-to-kiss (lobster being a bit more unwieldy than meatballs), the spirit of shared joy is exactly the same.
In a stroke of synergistic genius, Stem & Stem combines two Valentine’s Day essentials: fine dining and flowers. Located on historic Bow Lane, opposite the churchyard of St Mary Aldermary, this unique space celebrates the natural connection between food, wine and flowers. The floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light, while the interior, inspired by the neighbouring church, feels timeless. Hey, if the date goes really well, you could even pitch up to the church and tie the knot after (yep, we know that’s not how it works, but still).
Chef Ed Boarland, whose impressive CV includes stints with Gordon Ramsay and the Roux Brothers, creates seasonal menus that celebrate British produce. The wine list focuses on European selections, particularly from France and Italy, all big, easy drinking reds that foster a feeling of a date going well.
What makes this spot particularly special for Valentine’s Day is the ability to coordinate your dinner with a beautiful bouquet of British flowers – call ahead, and they’ll have your flowers ready to take home after your meal.
Ideal for a restaurant designed with romance in mind…
Named after suffragette Emily Wilding Davison’s nickname, The Pem is a British fine dining restaurant led by celebrated chef Sally Abé, with a female-led team to match the name. The pink and red colour scheme might seem designed specifically for Valentine’s Day, but it works year-round to create one of the most romantic settings in London.
For Valentine’s Day 2025, they’re offering a special seven-course menu that showcases Abé’s talent for combining classic British ingredients with innovative techniques. From roasted Cumbrian duck breast with parsley root and lavender to chocolate crémeux with blood orange and Maldon sea salt, each course is designed with both harmony and surprise in mind. Which is, come to think of it, the recipe for a good date, we think…
For those who’ve left their Valentine’s plans to the last minute, this Soho hotspot offers a no-reservation lifeline that might just turn procrastination into passion. At Kiln, couples can cozy up side-by-side at the counter, while watching the theatrical display of chefs working over flames and smouldering coals.
It’s all very sensorily stimulating; the heat from the burning woks, the clatter of clay pots, and the aromatic Thai dishes combining into something deeply sensual. The menu offers plates that are both fiery and refined, with flavours that are layered and nuanced rather than simply hot.
There’s science behind why this might be the perfect Valentine’s spot – spicy foods trigger the release of endorphins and dopamine, creating natural mood enhancers that could add an extra spark to your evening. Research even suggests that a high spice tolerance can make you appear more attractive to others. And that slight tingle on your lips from the chili? Consider it nature’s appetiser for that goodnight kiss. All that, and the food here is just damn delicious.
Ideal for Barcelona-style romance without the plane ticket…
Another sanctuary for the reservation-averse, Barrafina captures the essence of Spanish romance with its high-spirited yet intimate atmosphere. The long marble counter and open kitchen create the perfect setting for couples to sit shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the culinary theatre unfold before them.
The setup here is inherently romantic – sharing tapas naturally encourages intimacy, with plates designed for two to explore together. The warm service and buzzing atmosphere will make your reminsice about that romantic weekend in Barcelona you had when you were first dating or make you question why you don’t go out for ‘date night’ more often.
Floating gracefully on Canary Wharf’s Wood Wharf, this grand-cafe-style French brasserie brings Parisian romance to London’s waterways. Inside globe lamps cast a warm, intimate glow across plump banquettes, while art deco-inspired floors add a touch of vintage sophistication. The restaurant’s design creates an environment that’s both grand and deeply intimate, perfect for memorable evenings.
Accessed only by bridge and surrounded by the glittering lights of Canary Wharf’s skyscrapers, Marceline offers the kind of cinematic setting that romance dreams are made of. It’s a très romantic restaurant and one of the most impressive places to hit London’s Canary Wharf in years.
This gorgeous bistro is absolutely ideal for date night with a menu that reads like a primer of French bistro cooking. For Valentine’s Day 2025, they’re offering a special menu (£70 per person) that embodies French romantic dining traditions. Starting with shared plates like warm cheese soufflé with Gruyère cream and truffle, couples can progress to indulgent mains including steak frites with béarnaise or half grilled lobster with garlic butter. The ‘Mon Amour’ dessert provides a suitably sweet finale with its tempered chocolate and strawberry mousse creation.
The evening is soundtracked by live music, while the elegant interiors provide the perfect backdrop for romance. As you leave, the Thames breeze, the mooonlight and twinkling towers shimmering on the water, create a rom-com worthy moment – perfect for that end-of-evening embrace. Or, at least a selfie…
Sometimes the perfect Valentine’s evening needs more than just dinner – it needs spectacle. The London Cabaret Club, housed in Bloomsbury’s grand Victoria House, delivers exactly that. Their Valentine’s ‘Gatsby With Love’ special has all the cliches dialled up to eleven, in the best possible way of course; all candlelit dining, classic love songs and plenty of roses.
The evening begins with cocktails and canapés while performers work the room. The main event combines a three-course meal with spectacular performances from West End stars, making it ideal for couples who want their Valentine’s celebration to be more than just a meal.
For those who believe that chocolate is the true food of love, Cocomelt in Soho is likely to confirm those suspicions. The sight of huge chocolate fountains in the window sets the tone for what’s inside – a paradise of chocolate-covered treats.
Cocomelt is dedicated to indulging your sweet tooth with a delightful array of decadent chocolate creations. We’re huge fans of the their signature crêpe fettuccine which sees gossamer-thin ribbons of delicate crêpe bathed in your choice of rich milk, intense dark, or creamy white chocolate (or all three).
For a romantic way to say “be my Valentine,” look no further than a shared chocolate fondue. Indeed, nothing whispers romance quite like sharing a chocolate fondue experience. At Cocomelt, the fondue options let couples share in the fun of dipping various treats from fruit to waffles to brownies into velvety melted chocolate. As the two fondue forks dance around each other, it creates a sense of intimacy, there’s no denying.
Closing at 11pm, Cocomelt is ideal for couples who want to start or end their Valentine’s evening on a sweet note. And don’t forget to take home a box of chocolate covered strawberries home for later.
Whether you’re looking for old-school glamour, modern sophistication, or something a little different, London’s restaurant scene has the perfect spot for your Valentine’s celebration. Just remember to book early – these places fill up fast for the most romantic night of the year.
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that dull, downbeat colour schemes have no place in the domestic setting anymore, however much the beige-fluencers will insist otherwise. Life is short, and it’s not to be lived muted. Now, paint that picture in vibrant, vivid shades, to signal a sense of optimism, even in turbulent times.
Fortunately, gone are the days when people were hesitant to apply a shade of orange or green to their living room walls. More and more people are now incorporating these bold colours to break the monotonous look of their living room and liven things up a bit. So, if you’re planning to re-decorate your living room, how can you play around with colours? Here’s some top tips on how to use a bold colour scheme in your living room.
The Psychology Of Colours
Many believe that the mere presence of colour in a room could affect the behaviour of its occupants, or at least, influence their mood. Because of this, the psychology of colour is used in a variety of industries, and it plays an integral role in many interior design decisions.
For example, the colour red is often used by interior designers in the kitchen since it apparently makes you feel hungry. This might be why you’ll find red and its variations present in the design of many restaurants. Meanwhile, orange and yellow are associated with joy and sunshine, which make them great colours for the living room. Then there’s blue, which people generally associate with calmness and tranquillity. As such, people use this colour for their bedrooms.
What’s more, the shade of the colour also affects how it’s perceived. Take orange as an example. Although it’s typically associated with joy and energy, dark orange is deemed as a symbol of deceit and distrust. Dark green can evoke feelings of groundedness while lighter shades of green are commonly used as a symbol of healing and protection. Play with colours carefully, is surely the lesson to be learnt here.
But how to deploy a striking colour scheme with dexterity?
Bold, Not Loud
‘Bold, not loud’ should be your mantra. Although you want to draw from a striking colour palette, you’ll want to avoid anything which could be deemed upfront, aggressive or worse, termed ‘shocking’.
This is where those all-important nuances of shade come in. Should you have your heart set on a particularly bruising colour, consider dialling it down a notch. Shocking pink might look great on Megan Thee Stallion, but perhaps less so on your walls. A feature wall in Baker-Miller pink or a mauve purple, on the other hand, would set the tone for a sense of soothing serenity in your living room’s interior design. It’s all about refinement and distinction here.
Painting Smaller Rooms
If your living room is small, you’ll want to do the exact opposite: paint your walls in a lighter colour, with a white or off white the best option here. This will give the illusion of a bigger, more expansive space.
But such a paint choice can look clinical and monotonous. Solve this by adding a feature wall, beloved of interior designers and articles such as this one. All this means is painting one wall in the room in a striking, often juxtaposing shade. The feature wall doesn’t actually have to be a solid, single colour; you can incorporate a design, such as an ombre effect of a dark to light shade, or even a tropical print, which is particularly popular with tastemakers today. To synergise the aesthetic, add furniture in a colour which accentuates that feature wall.
As professional decorators in London My Builder recommend, if your living room is large and has high ceilings you can opt to paint it in a single bold, dark colour. This gives the illusion of a cosier and more intimate space, pulling together disparate, distant elements perfectly, and serving to fight the feeling of emptiness that often comes with larger spaces. Darker colours give a feeling of intimacy and warmth; we particularly love coffee or viridian as the dominant tone in larger living rooms, both of which soothe as much as your morning mug and strike the right balance between bold and refined.
Mind Your Metallic Moments
Whilst bold colours command attention, the way you introduce metallic accents can make or break your colour scheme. Copper and brass accessories, for instance, can warm up cooler bold tones, whilst chrome and silver-finished pieces tend to suit rooms decorated in jewel colours like emerald or sapphire. The trick is to use these metallic elements sparingly—perhaps a statement mirror frame, a few picture frames, or carefully chosen light fittings. Remember, these metallic touches should complement your bold colour choices rather than compete with them for attention.
Layer Your Lighting
A boldly coloured room demands particularly thoughtful lighting to showcase its personality throughout the day. Natural daylight will reveal your chosen hues in all their glory, but as evening draws in, you’ll want to consider how different types of lighting affect your colour scheme. Layer your lighting with a mix of pendant lights, wall sconces, and strategically placed table lamps. Warm white bulbs tend to enhance warmer bold colours like oranges and reds, whilst cooler LED lighting can make blues and greens appear more vibrant. Don’t forget dimmers—they’re invaluable for adjusting the mood and allowing your bold colour choices to shine at any time of day.
Make Sure Bold Really Is Beautiful
There’s no point painting your living room in a particularly striking shade if the room itself doesn’t match the bold colour scheme’s ambition. Apart from pairing furniture to the walls, as we mentioned, it’s important to make sure the aesthetic of the room as a whole is working in harmony and the disparate elements are complementary.
One way you can pull the look of the room together and make it appear concordant is by choosing artwork which features splashes of the same bold colour palette that you’ve chosen for the walls. Rather than witter on, we’ll redirect you; here’s 8 tips for choosing the IDEAL artwork for your living room. We can’t wait to see what you do with the place!
Britain is a nation of pet lovers, with a whopping 57% of households owning a pet here in the UK in 2023, when records were last updated.
It probably won’t surprise any readers to learn that dogs are the most common pet on these shores; there are an estimated 13 million living in homes across the UK, and we’re second only to Germany in terms of dog ownership in Europe.
That number peaked during the pandemic (the number of dogs in the UK had hovered around 9 million for almost a decade before COVID struck), with households in the throes of lockdown desperate to add intrigue and companionship to those dull, dark days we all endured.
But as the newly-updated saying so sagely suggests, ‘’a dog is for life, not just for lockdown’’, and many first-time dog owners have discovered that the life of canine-companionship isn’t all walkies, playing fetch and snuggles. There’s also a whole lot of admin, cost, worry and stress associated with introducing a new dog to the family, and one of the areas where this is most apparent is in a new dog’s sleeping arrangements.
Since dogs are such keen creatures of habit, they often find it hard to adjust to a new home and those long nights spent in slumber somewhere unfamiliar. This can lead to restless nights both for dog and owner, but fortunately, there are things you can do to help. If your dog is a restless sleeper, here’s how to help them sleep more soundly.
Bedding Down In Comfort
You know the old proverb, that one should ‘’let sleeping dogs lie’’? Well, if your dog isn’t able to lie comfortably, then letting them sleep isn’t exactly going to be a breeze, is it?
And it can’t be overstated just how comfortably dogs love to lie. Whether it’s in a crate, on a specifically designed memory foam mattress or a high quality dog bed with a layer of faux fur for extra comfort, dogs just love to bed down in soft, padded spaces that boast ample room for stretching out, so ensure that you provide this. Sure, that high quality may come at a cost, but there are online dog bed sales regularly happening that will help cushion the blow, physically and metaphorically.
We can’t stress enough the importance of providing your dog with their own dedicated sleep space. Though it may be tempting to snuggle up with your pup in your own bed once in a while, this unpredictability of routine won’t help them sleep well.
Instead, give your dog their own space, as they love a level of ownership and privacy. If it’s feasible, dogs benefit from having a drop down cover on their sleeping area, which protects them from intrusive light and any draughts. Because there’s nothing a dog hates more than a fluctuating temperature. Speaking of which…
The Ideal Room Temperature For A Sleeping Dog
The difference between the ideal sleeping temperature for humans (between 16 and 18°C) and dogs (who prefer things a little warmer, at 23°C or so) presents a problem, as managing the temperature and keeping it consistent for all the household residents can be a fine juggling act.
Of course, that figure depends on the thickness of your dog’s coat, as well as their age and even your dog’s breed, but generally speaking, your dog’s sleeping quarters should be away from open windows and draughty areas of the house. Ideally, you’ll also provide them with a warm blanket, allowing your dog to regulate their temperature without them having to perform some doggy wizardry and reach up for the thermostat.
Some dog owners go further and provide a heated blanket for their pooch to sleep on, with some doggy beds coming with these built in. A raised bed can also help, as having a bed placed directly on the floor can mean the surface can get pretty cold and damp for sleeping dogs, particularly in winter.
Dogs may not be able to tell the time, but they instinctively know when it’s time for bed via that incredible doggy intuition they seem to possess.
And just as Pavlov discovered a way to make dog’s drool in anticipation of food simply by ringing a bell, so too can you help your pup feel more sleepy just by conditioning them to associate certain rituals with bed time.
Make sure that your dog’s bedtime routine follows a similar pattern each day, with their evening meal, pre-bed walk and bathroom break all falling at the same time each night.
Try to say goodnight to your dog in a similar way and at a predictable time each night, too, dimming the lights and not causing unnecessary commotion once you’ve made it clear that it’s bedtime for the both of you. They will soon learn to consistently feel tired and ready for bed by association, producing melatonin and regulating their sleep cycle, much in the same way humans do, in the process. All of this will result in a healthier, happier dog, which is what it’s all about, right?
Consider Their Polyphasic Sleep Cycle
We’re sure you already know this, but dogs follow a polyphasic sleep cycle, enjoying around 14 hours of sleep a day/night in total, in around four phases. It’s essential, then, to make sure your dog is getting enough exercise between those bouts of sleep, so they’re tired enough for a longer evening shift in the sack.
It’s recommended that dogs should be getting as much as two hours of exercise a day, and whilst this might seem a lot for you as much as them, there are ways you can make dog walking more enjoyable for the both of you.
Helping Your Dog Feel Safe & Secure
There are a couple of other minor adjustments you can make to your dog’s sleeping environment to ensure they feel safe and secure when they’re bedding down.
Firstly, consider playing white noise, such as rainfall, birdsong, or television static, or investing in a white noise machine, to soothe your dog. Some studies have even suggested that white noise can help relieve stress in dogs, especially when considering separation anxiety.
Such gentle, predictable noise can also work by masking or muffling other sounds that might be causing your dog distress and disturbing their ability to sleep, such as car alarms, traffic noise, fireworks and storms.
You could also introduce a couple of new toys to your pup’s bedding area, which, over time, they will grow attached to and associate bedtime with. The best toys to bring about safe and secure association are so-called ‘comfort’ toys, such as soft stuffed toys, and even pillowcases, towels and old T-shirts, especially if they smell like you! Which, when you think about it for a moment, is so incredibly, unbelievably sweet.
Planning for the future is something that people have to do at every stage of life. Research published in 2021 revealed that 7 and a half million over-55s plan to modify their homes for later life care and wellbeing needs. For some, however, the idea of waiting until you’re 55 for your attention to turn towards later life and retirement feels somewhat fraught.
Indeed, that research suggested that 20% estimate future-proofers would need in excess of £10,000 to complete the appropriate home modifications to support themselves in later life. The average spend is upwards of £7,600 – representing a significant investment for over-55s and retirees. A case of closing the barn door after the horse has bolted, perhaps?
If you’re renovating your home already, it makes sense to think about the modifications your home may need to support you in later life. Planning ahead and looking at home adaptations while you’re in your younger years can create a more suitable living space, with new technologies opening up new opportunities for comfortable, convenient living, all of which can also help prevent falls and the risk of serious injury.
Should you be looking ahead and concerned about preventing falls when you get there, here are 7 home modifications that may help you in later life.
Smart Lighting & Motion Sensors
One of the most crucial modifications you can make to your home is the installation of smart lighting and motion sensors. Falls often occur when attempting to navigate dimly lit spaces or fumbling for light switches in the dark. Modern smart home systems can be programmed to automatically activate lights when movement is detected, ensuring walkways and staircases are always properly illuminated.
These systems can be configured to provide gentle, non-glaring illumination during night-time hours, making those inevitable trips to the loo significantly safer. What’s more, many smart lighting solutions can be controlled via smartphone or voice commands, eliminating the need to reach for switches altogether. Beyond the practical benefits, smart lighting can also help reduce energy costs by ensuring lights aren’t left on unnecessarily.
Wider Doorways & Corridors
Whilst it might seem a touch drastic whilst you’re still sprightly, widening doorways and corridors is a fundamental modification for future-proofing your home. The standard UK doorway width of 762mm can prove challenging for those using mobility aids or wheelchairs, and having to negotiate tight corners in narrow hallways can be equally problematic.
The recommended width for wheelchair-accessible doorways is at least 900mm, though many opt for 1000mm to provide ample clearance. Whilst this modification requires significant work, incorporating it into planned renovations can be more cost-effective than tackling it as a standalone project later in life. Plus, wider doorways and corridors create an open, flowing feel to your home’s layout – a design feature that’s increasingly sought after in modern properties.
A Stairlift
To consider the concept of ‘Aging in Place’ and making your home more livable for your golden years, it’s essential that domestic mobility is your first consideration.
According to that research from all the way back there in the introduction, nearly 50% expect to install a stair lift to support their mobility at home. Stairs are perhaps the most significant hurdle for people when it comes to staying in their home through later life, unless you live in a bungalow, that is.
However, stairlifts aren’t all that aesthetically pleasing; they are a cumbersome and pretty ugly home adaption. Instead, consider installing a domestic lift. Not only will one help you remain independent in your home later on in life, but they can also look modern, sleek and stylish. Oh, and as Lifton Lifts tell us, they can increase the value of your house, too.
That said, becoming reliant on a stairlift before they’re completely necessary might actually cause joints to degenerate faster. Exercise a little caution here, we think.
The second most common home modification that just over 40% of respondents expect to undertake is a bathroom conversion. This typically includes the removal of a bath and creation of a wetroom to allow for more comfortable and safe showering, as opposed to bathing. Baths tend to be difficult to enter, presenting slip hazards. Walk in tubs or wetrooms provide greater accessibility, as entry and exit doesn’t require a spot of amateur gymnastics to achieve.
You’ll be pleased to hear that with their spa-like looks, wetrooms are becoming increasingly popular here in the UK and can add value to your home. Moreover, there are far fewer surfaces in a wet room, which makes the job of cleaning it a lot easier.
Many home adaptations concern small adjustments to the height of certain everyday items around the home, and one of the most important are those of plugs and switches.
In the average UK home, light switches tend to be too high for those in wheelchairs and plugs tend to be too low for easy access for elderly residents. It’s recommended that sockets and switches in UK new builds should be at a minimum of 450mm and a maximum of 1200mm from floor level, with sockets at the lower end of that spectrum and switches at the higher end.
Many elderly residents who have chosen to age in place opt for both their sockets and switches to be at a height of around 750mm from floor level, as this is considered more accessible.
Install A Downstairs Toilet
Accessibility where the toilet is concerned should also be a priority when considering home modifications and property futureproofing. As such, installing a downstairs toilet is a wise move, not only for accessibility but also as such an addition can significantly raise the value of your home.
Should wheelchair accessibility be a consideration, raising the height of any toilets in your home is important, too. A standard toilet is 430mm high whilst a standard wheelchair sits at 480mm; the required shifting of body weight to negotiate this difference can be tough for some with mobility issues; instead, building regulations experts TopBc recommends having the toilet at the same height as the wheelchair for easier access.
Ramp Installation
Almost 30% also expect to install a ramp to their property. This may be internal or external, providing easier access and movement in and around the home, as well as creating an access route for wheelchair users. Whether this is a permanent feature or one which can be added and removed when necessary is up to the homeowner. Handrails will further enhance accessibility.
It seems like you can’t even wink 40 times in 2025 without another article about the value of sleep. A sterling seven to eight hours between the sheets has been credited as a low mood alleviator, brain cell repairer, pain reliever, blood pressure reducer, clarity giver and just about any other benefit you can dream up. Why, then, when the positives are this obvious, are we still not taking our sleep seriously?
Fortunately, technology is helping to change that, offering education, information and guidance on getting those much-needed, often-elusive zeds. We’ve tested out the best gadgets and gizmos out there for aiding a serene slumber, and with that in a very well rested mind, here are 7 tech solutions to help you sleep more soundly.
Banish Blue Light From The Bedroom
Conversely, in an article about harnessing the power of tech to hack your sleep, we’re going to start here. Perhaps the single most effective path to a better night’s rest is by reducing your phone or laptop use, especially in the immediate one or two hours before you get into bed. Countless studies have shown the link between your screen’s blue light and a difficulty in nodding off, as well as its hand in a disrupted, disruptive sleep pattern. Couple this with the fact that checking emails and social networking late at night will have your brain distracted and not properly prepared for some down time, and it’s clear that something’s got to give.
A few simple steps can make a big difference. Start by imposing a ban on screen time before bed. Most modern smartphones now come with built-in digital wellbeing features that automatically shift to focus mode or wind-down settings in the evening. Both iOS and Android devices offer sophisticated screen time management tools that can be customised to your sleep schedule. It’s also crucial to utilise the night mode feature on all your devices, which automatically tones down that pesky, moreish blue light in favour of something all the more murky and less appealing. Finally, it’s crucial (although yes, a bit difficult) to make your bed a ‘no screen zone’, so your brain begins to dissociate your place of rest with screen-based stimulation.
Temperature Tech
The temperature of your bedroom plays a huge role in the quality of your sleep; the optimum is surprisingly cool, at between 16 and 18°C. Anything significantly warmer will lead to a restless night, with consistency being key if you want an undisturbed slumber. Modern smart climate control systems now offer AI-powered temperature adjustment that learns from your sleep patterns and automatically maintains your optimal sleeping temperature throughout the night. Many of these systems can now integrate with your sleep tracking devices to adjust the temperature based on your sleep stages, ensuring you’re never too hot or too cold.
App Assistance
The world of sleep apps has evolved significantly. While screen time reduction remains important, there are now sophisticated AI-powered sleep coaching apps (more on that a little later) that provide personalised recommendations based on your lifestyle, chronotype, and sleep data. Premium meditation apps like Calm and Headspace have expanded their sleep offerings to include everything from binaural beats to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) programmes.
For those looking to improve their sleep through lifestyle changes, there are now apps that integrate with your smart home devices to create the perfect sleep environment, gradually dimming lights, adjusting temperature, and even releasing calming scents through smart diffusers. Many of these apps can also track your caffeine intake throughout the day and suggest optimal cut-off times based on your personal metabolism and sleep schedule.
Sleep Trackers
Sleep tracking technology has become incredibly sophisticated, moving beyond basic movement monitoring to include advanced biosensors that can track everything from your heart rate variability to your breathing patterns and even your blood oxygen levels during sleep. Modern smart rings and watches now offer detailed sleep architecture analysis, breaking down your sleep cycles and offering actionable insights to improve your sleep quality.
These devices can now detect potential sleep disorders like sleep apnoea and alert you to consult a healthcare provider. They also integrate with your smart home ecosystem to automatically adjust your environment based on your sleep stages and can even wake you up with simulated natural light when you’re in your lightest sleep phase.
There are also a whole host of sleep tracking apps ready to weight in, too, the best of which, to our mind, is Shuteye. How does Shuteye sleep tracker work? Well, it’s through sophisticated algorithms that detect subtle patterns in movement and breathing to identify different sleep phases, including the critical REM stage, and waking you up at the right time accordingly.
S.A.D. Lamps
Blue light before bed is the devil, we’ve already established. But during the day, a controlled version can become a useful tool in the fight against disrupted sleep patterns. Modern light therapy devices have evolved significantly, with some now offering portable options that can be worn as glasses or clips that attach to your regular spectacles. These devices can help regulate your circadian rhythm and boost energy levels during the day, leading to better sleep at night.
Smart Bedding
A revolutionary addition to sleep technology is the emergence of smart bedding and mattress systems. These innovative textiles come with built-in sensors to monitor your sleep environment and adjust accordingly. Some feature phase-change materials that actively regulate your temperature throughout the night, while others incorporate pressure-sensitive zones that can adjust their firmness based on your sleeping position. More humble but no less effective options include humidity-wicking properties and anti-bacterial treatments that help maintain an optimal sleep environment.
AI Sleep Coaching
The latest advancement in sleep technology is the introduction of AI-powered sleep coaching that combines data from multiple sources – your sleep tracker, smart home devices, daily activity patterns, and even your digital calendar – to provide holistic sleep recommendations. These systems can predict potential sleep disruptions based on your upcoming schedule and suggest preventive measures, such as adjusting your bedtime or recommending specific relaxation techniques.
The AI coach can also adapt its recommendations based on your response to different interventions, creating a truly personalised sleep optimisation programme. Some systems even integrate with your work and social calendars to suggest the best times for important meetings or activities based on your predicted energy levels and alertness patterns.
By embracing these technological advances while maintaining a healthy respect for the basics of good sleep hygiene, we can work towards achieving that elusive perfect night’s sleep. After all, in our increasingly connected world, sometimes the smartest choice is knowing when to let technology help us disconnect and drift off into a peaceful slumber, and when to throw our phone into an open fire and bid farewell to ‘tech’ altogether.
Picture this: it’s Friday evening, and you’re getting a round in at your local. Before anyone has even winced at their first sip of a particularly acidic craft beer, you’ve already winced at the price – £7 a pint and climbing.
But behind that wince is a smile, because you know that in your kitchen at home, you’re crafting your own, for less than a pound a pint, with ingredients you can find without having to go full beer-nerd native.
Home brewing has seen a remarkable renaissance in recent years, inspired partly by the explosion of craft breweries showing what’s possible with traditional ingredients and techniques (and then, those breweries selling out, it has to be said). Armed with just six basic ingredients and some patience, you can create beers that would make a master brewer proud.
While commercial breweries invest in industrial-scale equipment and laboratory controls, home brewers have been creating exceptional beers with simple ingredients for centuries. The process takes about four weeks from grain to glass, but most of that time your beer is quietly fermenting while you get on with life. The real magic happens in just a few hours of hands-on brewing.
Understanding the essential home brewing ingredients is your first step toward crafting great beer. Each component plays a crucial role in developing your brew’s character, from the foundation of malted grains to the final mineral adjustments. Without wishing to raise a glass prematurely; cheers to that!
Malted Grains: From Field To Glass
Open a bag of malted barley and you’ll immediately understand why brewers are captivated by this ingredient. The sweet, biscuity aroma promises the flavours to come, while the golden kernels hold the essential sugars that will eventually become your beer. Most brewers start with barley, but wheat, rye, and even ancient grains like spelt can each bring their own character to your brew.
Professional maltsters transform raw grain through a careful process of controlled germination. They steep the grain in water, allow it to sprout just enough to develop the right enzymes and sugars, then halt the process through careful kilning. The temperature and duration of this kilning creates an entire spectrum of malts:
Pale malts: Form your beer’s backbone with subtle honey and fresh bread notes
Crystal malts: Add richness with toffee and caramel flavours
Chocolate malts: Bring smooth cocoa and coffee characteristics
Black malts: Deliver intense, espresso-like depth
Wheat malt: Contributes a soft, fluffy texture perfect for summer ales
Hops: A Revolution In Every Flower
British brewing changed forever when medieval brewers discovered that hops did more than just preserve their beer – they transformed it. These small, cone-shaped flowers bring essential bitterness to balance the malt’s sweetness, but they’re capable of so much more. Modern hop varieties can infuse your beer with anything from the zesty grapefruit notes of American Cascade to the delicate spiciness of Czech Saaz.
Timing is crucial when adding hops to your brew. Master brewers often layer their hop additions throughout the process, building complex flavour profiles that can’t be achieved any other way:
Bittering hops: Added at the start of the boil for clean bitterness
Flavour hops: Mixed in midway for balanced character
Aroma hops: Dropped in at the end for fresh, vibrant notes
Dry hopping: Added after fermentation for intense hop perfume
Popular British varieties like East Kent Goldings and Fuggles bring classic earthy, floral notes, while American hops like Citra and Mosaic offer bold tropical fruit character.
Yeast: The Living Heart Of Beer
Hidden from view but central to your beer’s character, brewing yeast transforms sweet wort into finished beer through the miracle of fermentation. Each strain brings its own personality to the brew. Traditional ale yeasts work their magic at warm temperatures, often contributing subtle fruit notes that complement British beer styles perfectly. Lager yeasts prefer the cool, slowly crafting clean, crisp beers that showcase their malt and hop foundations.
The choice of yeast strain can take your beer in dramatically different directions. The same base recipe fermented with different yeasts might become anything from a classic British bitter to a fruity Belgian ale or a clean German lager. Each type brings its own character:
British Ale Yeast: Creates classic pub ale flavours with subtle fruit notes
American Ale Yeast: Produces clean, crisp character that showcases hops
Belgian Yeast: Develops complex spicy and fruity notes
Lager Yeast: Ferments clean and crisp, letting malt and hops shine
Wheat Beer Yeast: Adds distinctive banana and clove notes
Water: The Foundation Of Regional Styles
The subtle variations in local water supplies have shaped brewing history more than most people realise. Burton-on-Trent became Britain’s brewing capital largely because its mineral-rich water proved perfect for pale ales. Dublin’s hard water helped define the character of Irish stout, while the soft water of Pilsen enabled the creation of the world’s first golden lagers.
Modern home brewers can adjust their water chemistry to match any historic brewing centre, but starting with good-quality filtered tap water will serve most recipes well. Simple additions of brewing salts can then fine-tune your water’s mineral profile to suit your chosen beer style.
Beyond The Basics: Creative Additions
While the traditional ingredients can produce exceptional beer on their own, thoughtful additions can elevate your brew further. A handful of fresh orange peel brightens a wheat beer, while a measure of oats can bring silky smoothness to a stout. Coffee beans, spices, and fruit can all find their place in the right recipe, though it’s worth mastering the basics before exploring these creative possibilities.
The Final Polish: Mineral Balance
Understanding how minerals influence your beer opens up new possibilities for fine-tuning your recipes. Calcium helps proteins coagulate during the boil, creating a clearer beer. Magnesium and zinc support healthy fermentation. Even the balance between chloride and sulphate can shift your beer’s character from malt-forward to hop-forward. These subtle adjustments separate good beers from great ones.
Taking Your First Steps
Starting your brewing journey doesn’t require a huge investment. A large stockpot, a fermentation vessel with an airlock, and some basic measuring equipment will get you going. Begin with a straightforward pale ale recipe – they’re forgiving of minor mistakes and teach you the fundamental processes every brewer needs to master.
Keeping everything scrupulously clean is essential – the only organisms you want in your beer are the ones you’ve chosen to put there. Take notes as you brew, join a local brewing club if you can, and most importantly, be patient. Good beer can’t be rushed.
The real joy of homebrewing lies in the journey of discovery. Each batch teaches you something new, and before long you’ll be crafting beers that rival or surpass commercial examples. Whether you dream of recreating historic styles or developing your own signature recipes, everything starts with understanding these essential ingredients.
The lines between our work and personal lives have become inextricably, irrevocably blurred. With advances in the technology of immediate communication enabling us to be ‘always on’, it’s increasingly challenging to switch off from work and focus on our wellness.
However, striking a balance between the two is essential for maintaining mental health, productivity, and overall happiness. With all that in mind, here are 8 strategies to help you find that equilibrium, complete with practical tools and communities to support your journey.
How Best To Balance Work & Wellness
Prioritise Your Time With Smart Planning
Effective time management is the cornerstone of a balanced life. Start by evaluating how you spend your day, identifying periods dedicated to work and those reserved for relaxation and self-care.
Utilise smart planning tools like Google Calendar or Trello to organise your tasks and commitments. These apps allow you to visualise your day, week, or month at a glance, making it easier to carve out time for both work and wellness activities.
Consider adopting the Pomodoro Technique, using a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Apps like Be Focused can help you implement this technique, ensuring you take regular breaks to recharge.
Embrace A True Digital Detox
The irony’s not lost on us; you’re reading this one a device, no doubt as a digital distraction from the constant barrage of emails, messages, and notifications going on under the hood. This can, of course, be overwhelming and detrimental to your mental health.
Set aside specific times in the day when you disconnect from digital devices. Apps like Offtime or Freedom can assist by blocking distracting apps and websites, helping you focus on being present in the moment, whether that’s during work or leisure time.
Invest In Continuous Learning & Personal Development
Personal growth is a critical component of wellness. Dedicate time to learning new skills or hobbies that enrich your life beyond the workplace. Platforms like Coursera or Skillshare offer a plethora of courses that can help you explore new interests or develop professional skills in a flexible, self-paced environment, whilst skill assessment strategies can help you hone in on exactly what you should be working on.
Joining groups on LinkedIn Learning or Meetup can connect you with professionals and enthusiasts who share your interests. These connections can lead to new insights and opportunities that can enhance both your career and personal satisfaction.
Get Physical For Mental Clarity
Physical activity is a proven stress reliever and mood booster. It’s vital to incorporate regular exercise into your routine, whether it’s a morning jog, a yoga session, or a dance class. Apps like MyFitnessPal can help you track your physical activity and diet, while Headspace offers guided meditation sessions to enhance mental clarity and reduce stress.
For community support, consider joining forums such as Fitness Blender or DailyStrength, where you can share your fitness journey, get tips, and stay motivated.
Nourish Your Body & Mind
A balanced diet is as important for your mental health as it is for your physical well-being. Use apps like Yummly or Mealime to find healthy recipes that cater to your dietary preferences and time constraints. These apps can simplify meal planning and ensure you’re fuelling your body with the right nutrients.
Pushing through illness in the name of productivity is a false economy. When you’re genuinely unwell, working through it not only prolongs recovery but diminishes the quality of everything you produce. The rise of telehealth services has made it easier than ever to get the medical attention you need without the added stress of dragging yourself to a surgery; an online doctor sick note can be obtained from the comfort of your sofa, giving you official sanction to rest and recover properly.
Learning to recognise when your body needs genuine downtime, rather than just a long weekend, is crucial to maintaining long-term balance. Rest isn’t laziness; it’s maintenance.
Master The Art Of Saying ‘No’
One of the most powerful tools in your work-wellness arsenal is the ability to say ‘no’. Overcommitting is a surefire route to stress and burnout. It’s essential to recognise your limits and protect your time. Apps like Todoist can help you manage your tasks and responsibilities, making it easier to see when your plate is full and it’s time to turn down additional requests.
Online communities such as Tiny Buddha offer wisdom on setting boundaries and learning to say ‘no’ with kindness and confidence. Engaging with such forums can provide you with the support and advice needed to make assertive decisions about your time and commitments.
Practice Gratitude & Reflection
Finally, taking time each day to reflect on what you’re grateful for can significantly improve your mental well-being. Gratitude shifts your focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant in your life. The Five Minute Journal app from Intelligent change is a great tool for this practice, providing structured prompts to help you reflect on the positive aspects of your day.
Additionally, online communities like Gratefulness.org offer a platform to share your gratitude with others and read about their experiences, fostering a sense of connection and positivity
The Bottom Line
Striking a balance between work and wellness is a continuous process that requires conscious effort and the right tools. By prioritising your time, embracing digital detoxes, staying active, nourishing your body, and cultivating a supportive environment, you can achieve a healthier, more balanced life.
Remember, it’s not about perfection; it’s about making incremental changes that lead to sustainable habits. With these steps and resources, you’re well on your way to something at least a little more harmonious.
As ingrained in the fabric of East London as pie and mash or Danny Dyer, Brick Lane is testament to London’s multicultural charm.
Originally named after the 15th-century brick and tile production that took place in the area, this world-famous thoroughfare gradually metamorphosed into a vibrant tapestry of trade, culture, and perhaps even more significantly, a definitive, singular kind of cuisine that represents the decades of immigration that have brought vitality to London’s East End.
Jewish immigrants in the late 19th century were some of the first to bring a wave of fresh new culinary influences to Brick Lane, introducing salt beef bagels that became an essential element of the neighbourhood’s food scene.
That culinary baton was then passed on to the enclave’s new arrivals from Bangladesh in the 20th century. Popularly referred to as London’s ‘Curry Capital’, Brick Lane now practically shimmers under a sky seemingly stained with turmeric.
This colourful culinary heritage has survived, thrived, and continues to form the backdrop of hectic food stalls, sit-ins, and family-run curry houses lining the bustling lane, marking Brick Lane today at the crossroads of a vivid, heady and uniquely London experience that needs to be protected at all costs.
Whether you’re longing for a little spice in your life or you’re keen for the comfort of a traditionally baked beigel, we’ve got you covered; from beigels to curry and beyond, here’s where to eat on Brick Lane.
Aladin
We had to start here. No guide to the best food on Brick Lane would be complete without a hearty, sweaty nod to its cherished Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants. Once placed on the BBC’s list of the ‘World’s Best Curry Houses’, Aladin is arguably the go-to for those wanting a taste of spicy food in this part of town.
Though it’s tempting to view Aladin as just your standard curry house (no bad thing, of course) from the outside, its humble red facade revealing little of the madness within, the restaurant has been satisfying spice lovers and blowing heads off the uninitiated for over four decades, and you can taste that pedigree in the ghee-slicked jalfrezi and yoghurt spiked tandoori king prawn delight.
Though it boasts a whole host of awards – even being praised by King (then Prince) Charles – Aladin is perhaps most famous, notorious, even, for its phall. The dish is regularly named London’s hottest curry and has been charged with causing apparitions, delirium and even hospital visits in those who dare consume it.
A cheap vacation or an act of dangerous bravado? You decide…
As with many curry houses on the strip, Aladin is BYOB, with the off licence directly next door offering a 20% discount to customers. Everybody wins!
Another Brick Lane institution that actually has a few years on trading on Aladin, Sheba is one of East London’s finest purveyors of Bangladeshi food. It’s a family-affair here, and has been since its inception in 1974, with the restaurant due to celebrate its half-century next year.
Regardless of what, who or even if you’re celebrating anything yourself when dining here, the lamb shanks are pretty much obligatory. Slow roasted Bengali-style with carrots and saffron, they are incredibly giving, requiring just a nudge of the spoon to pull meat from bone. Other signature dishes include the kebab ke karisma, a selection of succulent kebabs featuring chicken shish, lamb chop, and mince kofta.
The restaurant also offers affordable set menus and a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) policy, making it a popular choice among locals and tourists alike. If you dine between midday and 5pm, you can enjoy a 50% discount on your food bill. This also applies to the entirety of Tuesdays. See you next Tuesday?
Stationed on the corner where Brick Lane meets Princelet Street since 1992, Eastern Eye has witnessed the area’s evolution from a neighbourhood of laundrettes and sari shops to today’s bustling curry destination. This long-standing restaurant, with its distinctive red frontage and corner spot, faithfully brings the flavours of Bangladesh and Northern India to the East End.
The menu draws heavily from India’s north-east frontier province, showcased brilliantly in their Tandoori Platter (a steal at £7.95 per person) – a generous spread of chicken tikka, lamb chops, and minced kebabs that captures the essence of mountain cooking. The Ghost Daicha stands out among their specialities, combining lamb and split lentils in a style characteristic of Bangladesh and Calcutta’s home cooking.
Their Nawabi Raan (lamb shank) demonstrates why the restaurant has endured for three decades – the meat, slow-roasted with aromatic herbs and spices, emerges from the kitchen rich and yielding. Those seeking heat should try the Karachi Korai, where wild lime (shatkora) and green chillies create a dish with real bite.
Like many Brick Lane establishments, it’s BYOB, making it popular with groups and regulars alike. Open daily from noon until midnight, it serves everyone from lunching locals to evening crowds, and it’s that inclusivity that makes Eastern Eye Balti House such an enduring spot.
Gaviscon at the ready, we continue our tour of Brick Lane’s best curry houses over at the grandly named Famous Curry Bazaar. This Indian restaurant, owned by the esteemed Ahmed Brothers JNR, is a must-visit for any hungry punter drawn by Brick Lane’s ‘Curry Mile’ moniker, its bold red frontage an eye-catching beacon amidst the bustling street.
Among the standout dishes here is the inventive mango chicken curry, replete with plump golden raisins and boasting notes of coronation chicken (hey, get King Chaz back here, stat!), and the lamb dansak, a properly fiery affair, bolstered and, in fact, soothed by its accompanying lentils. For something midler, the king prawn pasanda is luscious without being cloying, the thickener here ground almonds rather than lashings of double cream.
Book online for BYO with no corkage from Monday to Wednesday.
One final curry for the road, and this one is going down in the enormous, two floor, 110-cover City Spice. Following a reliably warm welcome from owner and Brick Lane celeb Abdul Ahad, it’s time to take up position in the bowels of the restaurant and get stuck in.
The Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani dishes here are subtly refined and gently modernised, giving City Spice, for many, the edge on its neighbours and rivals. So much so, in fact, that Dish Cult recently declared the restaurant to be ‘Brick Lane’s number one Indian restaurant’.
The marketing team here are certainly doing something right; the City Spice Hottest Curry Challenge, which does exactly what it says on the tin, regularly pulls in the bold, the brave and the reckless.
Oh, and they also have stellar fully vegan curry menu! The curry house have teamed up with Tindle, purveyors of ‘ridiculously good chicken made from plants’, to create a fully plant based ‘meat’ curry meal. It’s really rather good.
From the days when it was mainly a Jewish neighbourhood, Brick Lane is still known for its beigels. And perhaps the most famous of all? The 24-hour, 7-days-a-week institution is Beigel Bake, which not only draws locals but also the jet setters and box tickers in their droves, all aiming to get a taste of the salmon and cream cheese, or the legendary hot salt beef beigels.
The latter, in fact, is an absolute staple for late-night Londoners, and has saved this particular late-night Londoner from a savage hangover or a desperate fridge raid on more occasions than we care to admit.
Before we get onto the other acclaimed Brick Lane beigel shop (prosaically named as such) which sits two doors down from Beigel Bake, let’s stop off for some sweet stuff at Crosstown, which is sandwiched between the two beigel halves rather poetically.
Here it’s all about doughnuts; fluffy, full-to-bursting doughnuts with a variety of seasonal fillings and interesting flavours combinations. Right now, the spiced pumpkin is a big seller, as is the pumpkin dulce de leche (we see a theme developing here), but our favourite has got to be the rum and pecan, which heaves under a mound of caramelised, crystalised nuts and boasts a properly boozy punch.
You can’t visit this most famous of thoroughfares without having at least two beigels, so we’re heading next door to Beigel Shop for a taste of Brick Lane history. Slinging the good stuff since 1855, Beigel Shop is – like its rival – open 24/7, and its hot salt beef with piquant English mustard is comprehensively stacked with slices to the point that it’s hard to get your mouth round it. In the best possible way, of course…
For something a little more laid back, the roast chicken and salad beigel is as comforting a bite as you’ll find anywhere in the city.
Brick Lane is world renowned for its curries, sure, but did you know that it also has a fantastic market located in the Old Truman Brewery, spanning global cuisines and streets in the area? Visit on a Sunday to experience the event in full swing, with wares peddled and bargains to be unearthed. It’s chaotic, bustling and utterly charming.
We’re heading a few yards off Brick Lane now, and to Smokestak, for yet more stacks of meat, but this time in more industrial-chic surrounds.
You’ll catch the restaurant’s enticing wafts of wood smoke and grilled meats the moment you venture off Brick Lane, so just follow your nose and settle in. This is a restaurant that benefits from having a group of you round the table; their sharing beef brisket is the star of the show and could feed six easily. Complete with pickles and a few buns, this is finger food elevated to giddy new heights.
In keeping with the area they also serve up a plate of pastrami and pickles with a mustard and dill sauce – a classic combination that you can’t go wrong with.
After satisfying the savoury – and boy have we done that – you might fancy a sweet treat to finish you off. Enter Dark Sugars, a unique, artisan chocolate shop serving up an array of beautifully crafted, handmade chocolates to the hungry, sweet-toothed folk of Brick Lane.
Run by the unimitable power-couple Paul and Nyanga, the Ghanaian inspired chocolatier combines raw, global ingredients to challenge your chocolate paradigms – give us a box of their rum infused Jamaican white rum truffles and we’d be yours.
That said, Dark Sugars’ hot chocolate, laden with chunks of melting chocolate, is the star of the show here, and something we keep coming back to, time and time again.
Every year, new words enter the dictionary to encapsulate concepts which previously didn’t need defining. ‘Post truth’, for instance, was Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year in 2016 – particularly pertinent in a twelve months which saw Trump, Brexit and Fake News dominate and discombobulate the headlines. 2013 saw ‘selfie’ enter the popular lexicon, with ‘binge watch’ and ‘photobomb’ also being used (and performed) by young and old alike; a surefire sign of the times, we think.
Providing a hyphen is inserted, we wonder if 2026’s’s entry will be ‘digital nomad’. With more and more young people opting (or having their hand forced, depending on how you look at it) to live a transient lifestyle away from the traditional confines of the office walls and clock, it’s only a matter of time before this loose term becomes a genuine job description.
Making money in this marketplace, however, is tough; the economy required often limiting the sense of freedom that you signed up for in the first place. That said, there are certain things you can do to keep costs low and profit margins high, and these are a good place to start; our 8 money saving tips to help make digital nomadism work for you.
Cafe Costs
In a game of such fine margins, where responsibility for earning falls solely on your shoulders, every hidden cost should be calculated and factored into your budget. Let’s start with every digital nomad’s safe space; the coffee shop. Even the most patient barista is going to expect you to buy at least a couple of drinks when you’re bedding in, wires everywhere and laptops sprawled across tablespace. Weigh up how much money you’ll actually make from being there against the cost of all the teas, espressos and snacks you’ll likely be ordering.
Equally, if the cafe is a place of distraction, with weird Ed Sheeran covers and other digimads chatting loudly about anything but work on adjacent tables, consider if the coffee shop is really the place for you at all. Which brings us to…
Choose Your Temporary Home Wisely
Sure, opting for the cheapest possible place to rest your weary head makes sense. Perhaps a dorm room bunk in that cute beach hostel? Or even better, the free offer of a crash on your yoga instructor’s sofa. On paper at least, this is budget savvy behaviour.
But if you’re technically ‘at work’, the cost of such a shoestring choice will soon mount up. If you don’t have desk space and a semblance of WiFi, you’re going to be taking a day off, let’s not kid ourselves. But if your place is a comfortable, pleasant place to spend time in, equipped with office-like amenities and free from distraction, then the extra money you spend on rent will be recouped quickly. This is an investment, digital nomad style.
Of course, choosing your temporary home’s location wisely is crucial too. You want to be in a place where the cost of living is low, but with an infrastructure which will keep you well connected and content. And if you’ve got your heart set on turning this into a career, abandon the illusion that you’ll be seeing new wonders most weeks, always on the move and make. Staying stationary is where it’s at…
Economise Your Movements
Time really is money, and every day spent on the road is one spent not working. After all, you’re not travelling, you’re at work, however fluid or remote it may seem. Island hopping and rarely staying anywhere for more than a night or two will blow your brittle budget in record time, as you’ll be leaving yourself very little time to actually meet any deadlines you may have. When you do have to up sticks, surprisingly, flying internally is often not much more than coach travel, but in a fraction of the time.
Economise your movements at micro level, too. If the nearest coffee shop is a half hour scooter ride away, stay put and get your head down. You could’ve earned some coin in the time it took you to get from A to B. In general, itchy feet are the enemy of earning, make no mistake.
As a digital nomad, you may still be required to pay taxes in your home country. It’s crucial to plan for this expense ahead of time to avoid a hefty tax bill at the end of the year. Consult with a tax professional to understand your obligations and potential deductions. The flip side of filing your own is that you may occasionally overestimate (always a good idea to err on that side, of course), and be due a tax refund.
Plugs Are Power
You’ll be able to identify a digital nomad by observing their behaviour when they enter a cafe. Eyes scanning furtively, perhaps even frantically, for a position close to a plug. Because everything runs on the strength of your battery, seeing it in the red can cause a whole day’s work to come crashing down. Always remember to charge all of your devices overnight, and choose workstations with ample plug provisions. Also, consider investing in a portable laptop battery charger – just remember to keep it charged. Simples.
Public WiFi Precautions
With no home, office, salary or the usual protections gainful employment affords you, keeping everything legit and profitable is a tightrope walk, each and every day. Having your computer’s security compromised could throw you seriously off balance.
Indeed, just because you’re using public wifi more, or the necessity grips you, doesn’t mean all norms of secure browsing should go out of the window. Check your emails, sure, your Facebook too, but leave anything transactional or balance checking based to a safer, password protected, non-shared connection.
Other precautionary measures apply; verify that the website you’re visiting is HTTPS before visiting and consider using a VPN, or even set up your own VPN router, to enable public WiFi connections to made private. Carrying a security audit on your website before travelling to make sure everything is as secure as possible is an extra blanket of safety to look into.
Unlike the salaried masses, your income won’t arrive in neat, predictable instalments on the last Friday of every month. Some weeks you’ll be flush; others, you’ll be refreshing your inbox waiting for that invoice to clear. This feast-or-famine cycle catches out even experienced freelancers, so building a buffer is non-negotiable.
Aim to keep at least two months’ worth of living expenses tucked away in an easily accessible account – three if you’re the cautious type. When a big payment lands, resist the urge to upgrade your accommodation or book that island-hopping trip immediately. Instead, skim a percentage off the top and funnel it straight into your safety net. You’ll thank yourself when a client ghosts on a project or that promised retainer falls through at the last minute.
Give Something Back
Living as a tourist in a place (typically) of lower than average income, earning money and trying to spend as little as possible…well, the ethics are a little questionable.
Bear this in mind in everything you do; treat the country you’re in with huge respect, engage with the culture and the people, learn a little of the language, at the very least. And give back; whether that’s via charity, volunteering or donating your skills to the community. Accept how lucky you are to have this freedom and pay your good fortune forward.
It’s a food critic’s trope as re-worked as a restaurant’s ‘soup of the day’ in its fifth menu iteration; ‘you can tell the quality of a kitchen by its bread’.
But for keen carnivores and the gluten-intolerant too, a more appropriate statement might be this; you can gauge something of a restaurant’s chops by its, erm, chops.
Or, more specifically, its steak.
A hallmark of a great restaurant both casual and classy, if a kitchen can’t respond to your request for blue, rare or, god forbid, well-done, then it’s back to Le Cordon Bleu that the grillardin should head.
Whilst London isn’t as iconic as, say, New York or Buenos Aires when it comes to steakhouses, the city is certainly catching up with those heavy-hitters, with the capital’s residents increasingly well-versed in prized Argentine beef, Grade-A Japanese Wagyu, retired dairy cows, and native breeds sourced from regenerative farming projects.
To put it more plainly, if you’re mad about meat, the city has got you covered; here’s where to find the best steak in London.
Lurra
There’s a lot to like about Lurra. To start, it’s a bright, calming space, refined in design with one glass wall overlooking a gorgeous courtyard dining area. Shortlisted for the Best Restaurant Interior Design Award in 2015, it’s undeniably a gorgeous space to spend time in.
It’s the food, though, that is the main draw. The menu here draws on the Basque region of Spain, meaning that you can expect some seriously robust flavours on your plate.
The signature dish of Lurra is their Rubia Gallega, meaning ‘Galician Blond’; a hefty 800g of beef from a Northern Spanish, 17-year-old cow; the age where the meat is said to have the perfect ratio of marigold-yellow fat and a rich, almost blue cheese-like flavour. Sourced from Mr. Txuleta, the premier supplier of Basque beef in the UK, this sharing dish is guaranteed to impress.
Alongside this fantastic, imposing cut (served on the bone, of course), the restaurant specialises in other beloved Basque staples, including a whole turbot, blistered and burnished from the grill, and to finish, the perennially popular burnt cheesecake. Though this dessert is so often imitated, Lurra’s version certainly couldn’t be called a duplicate; it’s terrific.
Hawksmoor Air Street is arguably a more youthful affair than its more regal six sister restaurants across the capital, its art deco stylings bringing the requisite lightness of touch to counteract that meat coma you’re due after settling the bill.
Doing away with the usual steakhouse decor of basement-level dining room covered in dark wooden trimmings and emerald green leather, Air Street is a (forgive us) more airy affair, with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of natural light. Don’t worry; the restaurant still boasts that signature Hawksmoor service. You won’t feel rushed here as you settle in for an evening of feasting, that’s for sure.
This year named as the World’s Best Steak, the beef offered at Hawksmoor is undoubtedly acclaim-worthy, and you’ll have a selection of massive cuts marbled to perfection, all served by weight. Though you pay by the 100g, realistically the minimum you can order is half a kilo, which is a perfect amount for a very, very greedy punter, or for two to share quite happily.
All the meat is British-reared and sourced from various small farms scattered around the country, grass-fed and dry-aged for 35 days, creating beautifully textured steaks rich in flavour.
Their seafood, which at Air Street shares headliner status with the steaks, comes from Brixham market and is brought in fresh daily. On a previous visit, a whole tail of monkfish, grilled over coals and standing up more than capably to the restaurant’s signature bone marrow gravy, had this carnivore contemplating turning pesci (if it weren’t for that pesky bone marrow, of course).
There are plenty of great places to eat near Covent Garden, and even the most discerning steak eater would have to count wallet-friendly Flat Iron in that SEO-baiting bracket.
The experience of eating at Flat Iron is just as exciting as the steaks themselves. When you order steak here, this London based chain (there are now 11 outposts in the capital) serves their meat on super hot iron slabs that sear your steak right on the table. This creates an enhanced sensory experience, make no mistake, as the sounds and smells of the sizzling meat get that Pavlov-reaction going before a single slice of steak has passed your lips.
For a restaurant that prides itself on being on the cheaper side, the meat is reliably delicious and perfectly tender. Do the simple things well seems to be their motto; there are only three steak options on the menu, with the Flat Iron Steak clocking in at just £13. Sure, it may not be as thick cut as those at Hawksmoor or as rich as the gear at Lurra, but you’re paying a fraction of the price for the privilege of a damn-fine steak. In these tough times and at this position bang in the centre of the city, who are we to argue?
Blacklock is a steakhouse that also offers a vast array cuts of meat from a veritable ranch’s worth of animals, making it a great option if you don’t want to be locked into beef and are keen instead to explore the whole spectrum of your carnal desires without fear of judgement.
In addition to some admittedly beautiful steak, at Blacklock you can also sample some excellent pork belly, succulent lambcutletsor a lamb t-bone, via way of their ‘skinny chops’ offering. For the greedier members of the group, you can have them all, in their signature ‘all in’ dish alongside a freshly grilled stack of flatbread that’s perfect for mopping up all those wonderful meat juices. At £24, it’s a snip.
Anyway, back to the beef; there are six different kinds of bone-in beef on the menu and multiple side dishes and starters that you may not have encountered before (Pig’s head on toast, perhaps?) meaning even the most fickle of diners will find something to satisfy them.
The steakhouse is also great for a cheeky tipple, offering some delicious cocktails that follow their pip to peel philosophy; no fruit is wasted while they create their signature, tangy and sweet Lemon Drop Collins. Cheers!
Mangel 2 is something a little different to the other more dedicated steak places on our list, but the quality of their beef means we simply had to include the restaurant here.
With an esteemed history as one of Dalton’s most popular family-run Turkish grills, times have changed at Mangal 2, with the Dirik family’s two young brothers, restaurant manager Ferhat and chef Sertaç, introducing a menu that is happy to innovate on tradition.
The results are spectacular, whether that’s in the rugged, farmyard-forward hummus, the cult-favourite mushroom manti with fermented tomato, or the restaurant’s wicked way with cull yaw; essentially, aged mutton with heaps (and heaps) of deep, funky-tasting fat.
We’re here for the steak of course, which, admittedly, isn’t always on this regularly-changing menu. But when it is, it’s a must-order, with that old-favourite the dairy cow, here in sirloin form, hauled over hot coals until the exterior is charred and the middle still blushes.
A final word here. Make sure to save room for dessert; Mangal 2’s tahini tart, topped with a halva cream and a seasonal-fruit glaze (blackberry on our last meal here), is as good an encore as you’ll find anywhere in London.
Temper Soho offers a more smokehouse-style menu, using the commendable ethos that no part of the animal should be wasted. This makes Temper a resourceful steakhouse, with the result being that you can get prime cuts of steak that are real showstoppers in addition to smaller pieces that are made into skewers or fillings for tacos.
In addition, Temper offers a rotating menu of unique cuts, including anything from Tajin-doused beef brisket and porterhouse cuts.
Though it does have a reputation as being a great place to dine solo in the capital, all three branches of Temper have a party-like atmosphere any day of the week, which is enhanced if you dine on the weekend, as you’ll be able to pair your beef with bottomless drinks for £45 per person all-in. Just make sure you pack that paracetamol!
Tucked away in the cute, historic Bartholomew Close, Ibai brings Basque country’s obsession with perfectly aged beef to the Square Mile. This intimate City spot might look unassuming from the outside, but step inside and you’ll find yourself transported to a particularly well-heeled corner of San Sebastián, complete with txakoli being poured from height and serious-looking chefs discussing the marbling of their latest delivery.
The star of the show here is their selection of Galician Rubia Gallega – beef from mature dairy cows that’s been dry-aged until the meat develops an almost Roquefort-like intensity. Their signature txuleton (a hefty bone-in rib for sharing) comes with a properly caramelised crust that gives way to a tender, ruby-red centre. Yes, at £130 per kg it’s eye-wateringly expensive, but for beef of this calibre, you’d expect nothing less.
Start with their La Noir de Bigorre ham, served piled high almost comically over crisps with a further mound of smoked piparra peppers – it’s a masterclass in Spanish charcuterie and fun, frivolous theatre. The Croque Ibai, a decadent combination of carabinero prawn, boudin noir and Tomme de Brebis cheese, makes for another worthy prelude to the main event.
Address: 92 Bartholomew Cl, City of London, London EC1A 7BN
Located in the heart of the corporate Tower Bridge area, The Coal Shed stands tall as a chic and charming steakhouse which delivers everything you want from a traditional temple to all things cow. It has a warmth to it, helped by the faint scent of woodsmoke used to cook their selection of steaks and fresh fish.
There’s a great selection of succulent beef here, with the restaurant’s rib-eye arguably the finest thing on the menu, owing to a cholesterol-goating fat-to-meat ratio. That said, the small plates offered here really do steal the show. Your meal could quickly become a grazing experience without actually eating anything sourced from the queen of grazing, as their short-rib croquettes, plump and bouncy scampi, and crispy pork belly, the latter generously glazed with BBQ sauce and fragranced with burnt apple, are all superb.
The restaurant also has a sibling in Brighton, which we’ve included in our rundown of the best places to eat in The Lanes, Brighton. Booking in advance is essential.
With its baroque-style interior lined with grand portraits, Berner’s Tavern leaves a lasting impression even before your first bite of steak. This is a place to dress up for, as you’ll want to match the elegance of the interior and the food.
Berner’s Tavern – overseen by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton – serves sublime British dishes, with their steaks as a centrepiece. Be sure to try the sharing Coute de Bouef (priced at £110 for two) which comes from the Buccleuch Estate, and could well be the finest of its kind in all of London. Yep, Berner’s Tavern oozes old-timely class and is a fantastic, upmarket place to enjoy steak in the capital.
What started as a butcher’s shop with a few evening covers has evolved into one of East London’s most interesting spots for serious steak lovers. By day, Hill & Szrok operates as a traditional butcher’s, complete with sawdust-sprinkled floors and masterful butchery on display. Come evening, the marble counter transforms into a communal dining table, and the shop becomes an intimate restaurant.
The beauty here lies in the simplicity – you’re eating the same exceptional meat they sell during the day, cooked with minimal fuss but maximum skill by one of London’s truly outstanding chefs, William Gleave. Their rotating selection of cuts comes from small-scale British farms, with a focus on rare breeds and traditional farming methods. The only constant is the pinpoint cooking – a recent, perfectly pink wing rib was just about the best piece of beef we’ve had the pleasure of eating in recent times.
Don’t expect the usual steakhouse trimmings (although there are some exceptional fries cooked in beef fat); instead, you’ll find seasonally changing sides that make the most of whatever’s good at the neighbouring Broadway Market and beyond. The wine list, though compact, is chosen specifically to complement the meat, with some interesting natural wines sitting alongside more classical choices.
*January 2025 update: Sadly, Hill and Szrok served its last blushing wing rib last night. They announced on their Instagram that after 11 incredible years, the cook shop side of the business was closing. The butcher’s will remain open. This fine establishment will be well and truly missed!*
Nestled at the foot of Mount Etna, Catania is not only a city steeped in history and baroque beauty but also a culinary gem that offers some truly superb renditions of much revered though often misunderstood Sicilian cuisine.
The city’s vibrant food scene is a testament to its rich cultural tapestry, with influences from the Greeks, Arabs, and Normans. Whether you’re craving fresh seafood, traditional street food served from paper cones, or a fine dining experience, Catania’s restaurants have something to please every member of the squad, whether fickle or foodie. With that in mind, here’s our guide to the best restaurants in Catania.
Sapio, Piazza Gandolfo Antonino
When visiting Catania, one culinary destination stands out for its exceptional fine-dining experience: Sapio. This Michelin-starred restaurant (the only one in Catania, proper) is a testament to the high-quality cooking that can be found on this magnificent island, where ingredients are as hyper-local as they come, and seasonality is a religion rather than a buzzword.
At Sapio, guests are treated to modern dishes that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate, crafted with fresh, local ingredients by the talented chef Alessandro Ingiulla. The restaurant’s atmosphere is curated by Roberta Cozzetto, who ensures a courteous and elegant welcome, making it an ideal spot for a romantic evening or a special occasion. With its commitment to sustainability and inventive Sicilian cuisine, Sapio offers a dining experience that is both traditional and contemporary, reflecting the rich culinary heritage of the region.
Sapio’s menu features standout dishes such as ricotta cardamom risotto, butter lobster, and pecorino truffle raviolo, which are sure to delight any food enthusiast. The restaurant also provides options for those with special dietary needs, including vegetarian and vegan choices, ensuring an inclusive experience. The quality of food, service, and atmosphere have earned high ratings from customers, solidifying Sapio’s reputation as arguably Catania’s foremost dining experience.
A visit to Catania would be incomplete without a meal at Trattoria da Nuccio. This family-run establishment is a favourite among locals and tourists alike, known for its warm hospitality and traditional Sicilian dishes. The menu changes daily, depending on what’s fresh and available, but you can always expect to find classics like pasta alla Norma, made with aubergines and salted ricotta, seasonal caponata, and the catch of the day, grilled simply, whole, and to perfection.
The port of Catania isn’t just a truly wonderful place for a luxury yacht charter; it’s also where you’ll find some of the city’s most down-to-earth eateries, and just a short stroll from both the port and the iconic Piazza del Duomo, Osteria Acqualavica offers a culinary experience steeped in Sicilian tradition.
This charming establishment, which has earned a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide for its good quality and value cooking, is housed in a picturesque old boathouse that now features a wine-tasting cellar. Patrons can indulge in a variety of traditional dishes that showcase the flavours of the Etna region, including an array of seafood options – the most popular being the sarde allinguate (sweet and sour fried sardines), as well as an exemplary redfish carpaccio.
Don’t miss out on the signature bucatini with grated bottarga (salted, cured grey mullet roe that’s grated over the pasta like parmesan) a deceptively simple, utterly indulgent bowel if ever there was one.
In the evenings, the menu expands to include a selection of pizzas.
In Catania’s central Piazza Turi Ferro (formerly Spirito Santo), Me Cumpari Turiddu brings together restaurant, bistro, tea room and delicatessen under one storied roof. The space enchants with its vaulted ceilings, vintage crystal chandeliers, and walls of artfully distressed plaster—a setting that has earned it a Bib Gourmand from Michelin for its excellent value cooking.
The story begins with Roberta Capizzi, who left her law practice in Milan in the early 2000s to return home to Sicily and open Me Cumpari Turiddu. Under the direction of chef Gianluca Leocata, the kitchen crafts dishes using organic ingredients, many grown on Capizzi’s family estate. The kitchen celebrates regional specialties: macco soup with fava larga di Leonforte beans, spaghetti alla Turiddu with Masculina da Magghia anchovies, and their celebrated sweet couscous—a reimagining of a recipe from Agrigento’s Santo Spirito Convent, featuring Bronte pistachios and candied fruits on vanilla cream.
The wine cellar champions small Sicilian producers, focusing on organic and natural wines from the island’s valleys. Their commitment to local artisans extends to the deli counter, where you’ll find Modica chocolate, Donna Angelica IGP oils, and an array of Slow Food-certified products.
The restaurant serves dinner nightly, with weekend lunch services adding a bright, convivial atmosphere to the already charming space. The giant open kitchen and welcoming staff create an atmosphere that’s both sophisticated and deeply personal—much like Sicily itself. Booking ahead is wise, particularly for dinner.
Pizza is a staple all over Italy, sure, but Sicily has its own way with this beloved alchemy between dough, marinara sauce and buffalo mozzarella.
At Catania’s Eat Pizzeria, you’ll find some of the best on the island. This modern pizzeria takes a creative approach to its pies, with toppings that are a nod to traditional Sicilian ingredients. The dough is left to rise for 48 hours, resulting in a light, airy crust. The Pistacchio e Mortadella pizza, with a pistachio (arguably the island’s most famous ingredient) cream base, is a revelation and a clear crowd-pleaser.
You didn’t think we’d spend a significant slice of time eating in Southern Italy and only eat at one pizza place, did you?
Tucked away in a charming alleyway, Al Vicolo Pizza&Vino offers a romantic, patio-based setting for an evening meal and another delicious pizza. The restaurant specialises in gourmet pizzas that are a far cry from your standard takeaway. The ingredients are sourced from local producers, ensuring each dish sings with regional flavours. The wine list is equally impressive, featuring a selection of Sicilian wines that perfectly complement the menu.
A third pizza-friendly place because we’re on a roll now… Set along the scenic coastline, Cutilisci offers diners stunning views of the Ionian Sea. The menu is a contemporary take on Sicilian classics (with a pizza section, too) with an emphasis on sustainability and seasonality.
Owing to its alfresco dining area overlooking the sea, the seafood is, unsurprisingly, the star here. Whether you opt for the grilled octopus, the stuffed sicilian squid or the swordfish involtini, you’re in for a treat. The terrace is the perfect spot for a sunset aperitif, making it an ideal location for a special evening out.
For seafood lovers, Osteria Antica Marina is a must-visit. Located near the bustling fish market, this restaurant offers the freshest seafood in town. The setting is simple and unpretentious, allowing the food to shine. The antipasti platter, brimming with marinated anchovies, octopus salad, and red prawns, is a perfect start. Follow it with their signature spaghetti ai ricci, spaghetti with sea urchins, for a true taste of Sicily’s east coast.
Sicily’s seafood scene is revered and obsessive, sure, but perhaps the island’s most fervent culinary fascination are its sweet treats.
Indeed, the popularity of dolci, or sweets, in Sicily can be traced back to a history steeped in the exchange of ingredients and recipes through centuries of Arab, Norman, and Spanish influences. The Sicilian climate generously supports the growth of almonds, citrus fruits, and grapes, which are fundamental to the island’s confectionery.
Traditional sweets like cannoli, cassata, and marzipan fruits (frutta martorana) are not just food; they are a celebration of seasonal festivals and life’s milestones, embodying the Sicilian penchant for la dolce vita—the sweet life. The art of pastry making is passed down through generations, with each town boasting its own specialty. Fortunately for you, hungry explorer, Catania is home to one of Sicily’s most cherished purveyors of the sweet stuff; Pasticceria Savia.
Dating back to 1897, Pasticceria Savia is a Catania institution, famed for its exquisite pastries and cakes. While not a restaurant in the traditional sense, no culinary tour of Catania would be complete without sampling its delights. The arancini are legendary, and the perfect snack to fuel your explorations of the city. For something sweet, try the cannoli – here, the crisp pastry shells filled with sweet, creamy ricotta are fried in pork lard, just as it should be.
Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab, Piazza Alonzo di Benedetto
For a quick and casual bite, Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab is the place to go. This street food gem serves up calamari and other fried seafood delights out of traditional paper cones. It’s a great option for lunch on the go, allowing you to sample the streetfood of Sicily without breaking stride in your sightseeing.
Catania’s culinary scene is as diverse as it is delicious. From the traditional trattorias and bustling street food vendors to the innovative pizzerias and elegant seafood restaurants, there’s a dish and a dining spot to suit every occasion. When in Catania, indulge in the local cuisine; it’s an integral part of the city’s charm, a deep dive into the island’s complex history, and a feast for all of the senses. Buon appetito!
*Sadly, last night (24th January 2025) was the final service at Hill and Szrok. The restaurant wing of the operation will be closing and chef William Gleave will be moving on to an exciting new venture. Whilst we can’t wait to see what he does next, we’ll truly miss this restaurant; a real standout of the last few years in London. The Hill and Szrok butchers will remain open.*
Attention to detail is everything at butcher-by-day, restaurant-by-night Hill and Szrok. With a space this tight and places this sparse, it needs to be.
Now in its tenth year on Broadway Market, it’s a calm, unpretentious space to sink into, all flickering candlelights and smartly designed surfaces that temper the room’s boisterous chatter, turning it into something of a soothing soundtrack. In the centre of the room, a single, stool-high dining table that in the day doubles as the butcher’s counter reminds you of where you are – if the certainly not unpleasant smell of hanging meat hadn’t already done that. If you’re not the sociable type (or you don’t want to share a single beef fat chip), then book one of the counters that form the circumference of the room.
Wherever you park your carcass, you’re in for a treat. From a taut, tabulated kitchen with just an induction, compact charcoal grill and combi, chef William Gleave, formerly of P. Franco and Bright, coaxes the very best out of close-to-hand, carefully reared, hung and butchered ingredients, with a myopic, masterful vision of just how plates in such a hybrid space should look, taste and, interestingly, cost.
Prices on both sides of the Hill and Szrok operation are incredibly good value. In their own words, “We buy direct from farms by cutting out the middleman so we can provide the very best quality, the very best cuts with clear provenance and still keep prices reasonable.”
This is apparent in huge slabs of premium beef that would cost double – triple, even – a little further into town.
Image via @hillandszrok
They go on; “All our butchers’ staff are run through an apprentice scheme, giving local lads an opportunity to learn the trade, and bring a modern hand to a traditional trade.”
It’s a lovely touch; those butchers also make up some of the waitstaff each evening, furthering that connection between the two sides of the business, and able to talk you through the menu about which cuts, breeds, and preparations are particularly good right now. The twinkle in our waiter’s eye as he described a humble dish of cabbage stuffed with duck gizzards and chestnuts told us us we needed to know that it was an essential order.
Items are crossed off the day-and-dated menu with others scrawled on in replacement. It’s reassuring knowing that the kitchen are simply cooking what’s good on the day, and this cabbage number was a late addition to the line-up.
We were soon grateful for reading too much into that twinkle; that cabbage came wrapped around a tangle of braised offal like a cannellini, its accompanying cream sauce getting richer and deeper once you’d cut through the cabbage and its guts had spilled out. Reminiscent of peppercorn sauce, by the end that sauce was several shades darker, with a rasping heat and back-kick of the farmyard.
Cabbage stuffed with duck gizzardsSoused sardine soldiers
Soused sardine soldiers (just £4 for two), were a refreshing counterpoint. Served hidden under a fridge cold slab of tomato (the chill usually a sin – not so here) and atop a thin slice of warmed treacle soda bread, the interplay between hot and cold, sweet and sour, was so well thought out and satisfying.
With a couple of other appealing small plates on offer, including house beef sobrasada on toast and grilled sweetcorn with spiced honey, you could conceivably come to Hill and Szrok and eat very well without ever venturing into the headlining, heavy-hitting section of the menu, the one where words like ‘collar’, ‘chop’, ‘rib’ and ‘rump’ begin to proliferate.
But to do so would be insanity, because this is quite simply the finest meat cookery in the capital right now.
We went for a Lincoln Red wing rib, keenly priced at £50 for a hulking, heaving 550g piece that could have fed four, each thick and blushing slice blessed with cartoonishly perfect bark, and almost a single steak in itself. We took a couple of slices away – neatly wrapped in butcher’s paper and twine – with the noble intention of having a steak sarnie in the morning. We couldn’t resist wolfing it down on the short train ride home.
Anyway, its bank of fat – dutifully rendered of course – tasted sweet and mellow, with none of that unabating blue-cheesiness that comes with a retired dairy cow’s ubiquity.
Indeed, it was clear this guy hadn’t been excessively hung, with flesh that was perfectly tender, sure, but also fresh and essential tasting, tight and satisfying to chew. All too often, the current restaurant scene’s dedication to extreme ageing results in steak with a loose, wooly mouthfeel that isn’t – quite simply – all that pleasant. Real care had gone into the development of this wing rib’s texture and flavour, and it made eating it all the more enjoyable.
Back to that attention to detail; it was good to have a salt shaker on the table here. The way the meat was cooked and presented meant it did need a flake or two on each slice to bring it to conclusion. And sometimes, you do need that final twist at the table to truly make the steak your own.
It comes dressed in a glossy Madeira jus that you could genuinely do your hair in. It’s an absolute lip-smacker, tasting of concentrated resting juices and just a little sweetness and acidity, but never too much to interrupt the pastoral flavours of the beef itself. A little sun of English mustard brightened up the plate and offered a sense of place.
Just like everyone else, we’re sick of stodgy, dry triple cooked chips, once considered a culinary innovation are now bordering on passé, so the Burger King-adjacent beef fat chips were just the ticket. These beautiful batons were so satisfying to squash into the last remnants of those meat juices and jus with the back of a fork.
A sweet, vegetal side of peas and lettuce, braised until a homogenous unit, and a simple, piquant tomato salad, was all the spread required to see it on its way in surprisingly refreshing fashion. Plus a second order of those chips, of course.
After a meal that felt like a pitch perfect expression of seasonal British steakhouse (is that even a genre?) a chilled rice pudding with mango and jara lime felt like something of an outlier, but god it worked, the kitchen clearly having a little fun and flexing their creativity after such a measured performance with the mains.
Creamy, fragrant and perfumed with cardamom pods, it felt like an inspired take on a mango kheer, that classic scented Indian pudding, with flourishes of classic Thai streetside sweet treats thrown in for good measure. Yep, if kheer and mango sticky rice had a baby, this would be it.
The wine list at Hill and Szrok offers flashes of great value, too, with a handful of largely low intervention wines sold by the glass. That said, we went for a bottle of Azul y Garanza Tres Tinto, an easy drinking organic red with notes of black pepper and cherry. That ‘tres’ in the title refers to the blend, broadly Tempranillo with a splash of Grenache and an unidentifiable third grape – we’ll leave that to the experts.
We were told this guy is made in concrete, and takes on a kind of myopic complexity due to it not having been aged in oak or other vessels that impart flavour, instead letting the quality of the raw material shine through.
Anyway, it was beautiful with that beef. At £37 a bottle, you’d hope it would be, but considering this guy retails at £16, the mark-up feels modest and the value excellent for a semi-central London restaurant.Zooming out, and the whole bill came to ‘just’ £150, of which a third of it was drinks. For a meal of this unvarnished quality, that genuinely didn’t feel too painful on the wallet.
Anyway, before leaving head down to the toilet (must stop just going for the sake of it – my bladder’s fucked), and that sense of place hits you again. There are photos of the butchers sitting amongst carcasses adorning the walls, and on the ground floor, hanging rooms gently buzz, bringing you back once again to where you are, and to the layers of craftsmanship that’s gone into the meal you’ve just enjoyed.
It’s a dining experience that really does feel controlled, confident, beautifully paced and brilliantly managed. London Fields is lucky to have Hill and Szrok.
