I’m staying at The Brecon Beacons in Wales this week — snug in a cosy cottage with a lovely fireplace whilst I write this edition. You can leave London, but does it ever leave you? Not in my case.
With care, Leo
Motorino, Fitzrovia: “If my grandmother had wheels, she’d be a bike” — 2.5/5
London is one of the best dining cities in the world for reinterpretation. For some cuisines it’s easier than others. Italian? That can be a tricky one. It’s simple, classic, beloved. So if you want to stand out, you better spend a lot of time perfecting it. At Motorino, it feels like all of the great things in Italian cuisine are substituted for questionable choices.
In case you missed it: London in November
It can be quite easy to dip into seasonal affective depression as we enter six months of dull skies, cold weather and shortened days. But do we need to pathologise something that is a constant in our lives every year? Or can we embrace it and use it as a time for space? Space to cook or read or host candlelit dinners or learn new skills. To burrow and chip away at the things you love to do or have always wanted to try. That was my intention for writing this monthly edition. I hope it serves you well.
The latest additions to The Michelin Guide for October just dropped
Super happy to see The Chalk Freehouse make the list, especially after that horrible take-down by William Sitwell for The Telegraph — which didn’t really sit well with me.
It’s time we have the talk about Dishoom
I haven’t been in quite a while. Too many back-to-back mid meals tend to often inform your subconscious blacklist. But it’s not stopping them in their tracks. Rumours are swirling of a London Borough store opening next year. But cultural irrelevance is on its horizon — you don’t find people looking to that as their go-to Indian of convenience anymore. And venture capital from L Catterton (LVMH) back in August can only exacerbate its public perception of it being a chain, rather than a reliable spot. They’re also expanding into NYC, but honestly I’m not sure that will be enough to save their credibility in this city. Once you’ve put your foot forward to a brand of return than reputation — there’s not much you’re able to come back from.
“Come here if you don’t have a nice Chinese friend to cook for you”
Poon’s | Somerset House, Strand | Open 5 November
The Poon family have a Michelin-restaurant legacy that dates back to the 1970s in London, where you would find the likes of Mick Jagger and Barbara Streisand in its heyday. It’s been a while since Bill & Cecilia Poon hung up their aprons when retiring in 2006, but daughter, Amy, never gave up on the family legacy. She started her own journey in 2018 going from pop-ups, collabs, guest chef events, residencies and even signature sauces that made it to Harvey Nichols and Ocado — all to get to this stage — a ten year lease at Somerset House. In Amy’s words, Poon’s is homely Chinese cooking with elegance.
MOI’s sushi just got sound
MOI Listening Room | Soho | Now open
MOI was a delight when we visited it and gave a 5/5 review. Now, they’ve just finished their final piece of the puzzle. The Listening Room offers a lounge-style setting to your late-night. Open Tuesdays through to Sundays, with live DJs over the weekends. Inspired by the hidden dens of Tokyo and Shinjuku and featuring sexy loudspeakers by Friendly Pressure.
Richmond’s newest riverside bite
Tower House | Richmond | Open for walk-ins only, reservations from December
My gym is in Richmond so I’ve been eyeing this spot up ever since the Pitcher & Piano closed in June. Turns out it’s the team behind Notting Hill’s Gold transforming this sweet riverside spot into Tower House — a Mediterranean restaurant and bar. They’ve also got planning permission to build a conservatory in addition to the spacious indoor and outdoor garden, too. There’s not much more detail.
Mediterranean light in Marylebone calm
Maset | Marylebone | Now open
Chiltern Street continues its quiet run of interesting openings. Maset arrives from the team behind Lurra and Donostia — this time looking south, toward the French coastline and its overlap with Spain and North Africa. Expect bouillabaisse croquettes, preserved-lemon monkfish, and pasta rolled each morning. It feels sun-lit and herb-forward rather than brasserie nostalgia — a soft, coastal mood for a street that prefers understatement to noise.
From Petersham to Florence
Trogolo | Notting Hill | Open 11 November
The Petersham Nurseries lineage takes a new turn in Notting Hill. Trogolo lands on Westbourne Grove, a Florence-leaning trattoria from Lara Boglione and her husband Giovanni Mazzei. Expect sage fritti, truffle-tagliolini, and pollo al burro alongside a serious wine list shaped by Mazzei’s family estate. Think long tables, marble, and that Petersham eye for atmosphere.
A wonton bar by some heavyweights
Wonton Charlie | London Fields | Open 7 November
The team behind Mr Bao and Daddy Bao open Wonton Charlie in London Fields — their first Cantonese project, and one built around wonton soup done properly. Egg noodles, broths, fish skin wontons and bouncy prawn parcels made in-house each morning; 18 seats, no bookings.