“Where’s the oldest pub in London?”
A text message from a friend. The query sounds simple enough but the truth is anything but clear unless the pedant’s answer, “London” is enough for you.
Google the phrase and the[…]

Woks. Are they still a big thing? (They are large physically. I still think the basis of the no washing up rule comes from the fact they are too big to fit in basins.) I wondered briefly yesterday since I spent a considerable amount of time seasoning[…]

Chicken Jalf-lazy Clearly a quiet evening for the staff at the Mirage Indian restaurant on the Archway Road. Despite its extensive menu and cosy atmos, last night the Mirage was devoid of diners. Myself, I was only there for a takeaway (delicious,[…]

And so it came to pass that my little corner of London was one which suffered a five day mains water outage which began at the end of last week. I didn’t know what was going on and the impact was softened by the tank of water in our loft. I not[…]

Fragrant Ale in it’s proper old 1500’s stages is something I would really like to try. According to ANDREW BOORDE in a Dietary of Englysshe Helff:
“Ale is made of malte and water; and they the which do put any other thynge to ale th[…]

Brrrrr! Winter has set in and feeling the cold in the pub last night we all pulled out coats tight round ourselves and looked longingly at the fire that had not been lit. How we cowered when a new pubgoer walked through the door, flapping them open a[…]

Pop Quiz Report
Pub: The Rosemary Branch, Shepperton Road, N1. It looks like this is the latest addition to the estate of the Remarkable Restaurant Company because it has the same style and the same beers as The Approach and The Swimmers. Still a goo[…]

There are only two reasons to read the Evening Standard in my opinion. This nastily right wing London newspaper is only edged out by the Daily Mail in offensiveness and because it employs two great regular columnists. On of them is Victor Lewis-Smith[…]

Something Rainy just messaged to me made me look something up, and I realised that this was prefigured on this thread: in other words, yet again an idea I fondly thought I had had all by myself was had earlier (as usual by Alan T). Still: “no-t[…]

Some people gave up on the chips in The Calthorpe Arms when the chicken nuggets ran out and they were plainly cold and soggy. Only mine and Steve’s uniquely British eye for hidden fat noticed tiny spots of congealing dripping for chip dipping. […]