Test Drives

Test Driving The Savoy Grill - still a classic after 135 years

Information: 07 November 2024

Gordon Ramsay has been in charge of the Savoy Grill for 21 of its 135 years in action. We wend down for a re-visit to see how the Grill holds up today.

Travel notes: Ballynahinch Castle is the perfect country bolthole on the west coast of Ireland

Information: 07 November 2024

Take a break from the craziness of city life by heading to the country estate of Ballynahinch Castle on the west coast of Ireland. Go wild swimming in the lake, enjoy a pint of Guinness in the pub and try the much-vaunted restaurant by an award-winning Irish chef.

Test Driving Godet, a wine bar/pub that could be the future of London's boozers

Information: 05 November 2024

Islington now has a second boozer turned wine pub to check out. We went to see what Godet on Essex Road has to offer.

Test Driving The Grill at The Hero - is this the best looking pub dining room in London?

Information: 31 October 2024

Everyone loved the pub downstairs at The Hero, but what's the new grill restaurant upstairs like? We went to find out.

Test Driving Sael - Jason Atherton revitalises St James's Market

Information: 29 October 2024

During a very prolific time for the chef, Jason Atherton's new St James restaurant Sael is looking to add a bit of glamour to St James's Market. We went down to see how his first brand new restaurant of 2024 was shaping up.

Test driving Greyhound Inn, a Suffolk pub with a menu which reads like a dream

Information: 26 October 2024

Deep in the heart of Suffolk, you'll find this country pub with a truly excellent and inventive menu. We went to try out the Greyhound Inn.

Test Driving The Unruly Pig - the UK's No 1 gastropub

Information: 24 October 2024

The Unruly Pig in Suffolk is currently the UK's No 1 gastropub (for the second time). We took a trip out of town to find out why it topped the list and see whether it's worth a trip for Londoners.

Test Driving Topa - a buzzing Basque residency inside a Holloway Road deli

Information: 22 October 2024

The arrival of a new Basque-inspired residency by a top chef at Holloway Road deli Provisions meant it was time for a return visit.

Trying out Jugad - a healthy, modern take on Indian food in Camden Market

Information: 17 October 2024

Jugad sees healthy food company Foodhak opening a modern Indian restaurant in Camden Market, bringing in top names for the menu and cocktails. We went down for a look.

Test Driving Nest Farmhouse - a London restaurant group works wonders in the countryside

Information: 17 October 2024

The team behind Nest and Restaurant St Barts have opened their first out-of-London space - we travelled to Norfolk to check out Nest Farmhouse.

Test Driving Fonda - home cooked Mexican food (if your home cook also happens to be a Michelin-starred chef)

Information: 15 October 2024

On top of having one of the World's 50 Best restaurants with Kol, chef Santiago Lastra has branched out with a new more informal offering in Fonda. We nipped over to Heddon Street to check it out.

Test Driving Wildflowers - a fantastic Med-inspired restaurant paired with a great-value wine bar

Information: 10 October 2024

Wildflowers is a beautifully designed space in Belgravia that's part-wine bar and part-restaurant, led by an ex-Elystan Street head chef. We approached it via a hidden courtyard to see what it was all about.

Test Driving the Mr Lyan and Bébé Bob team-up - cocktails, caviar, doughnuts and schnuggets

Information: 08 October 2024

There's a new menu at Bébé Bob where they've brought in Mr Lyan on cocktail duty alongside some very fancy bar snacks. We took a seat at the counter to test them out.

Test Driving Café François - a new Borough Market spot that's perfect for popping by or lingering in

Information: 03 October 2024

The arrival of this new French cafe in the heart of Borough now gives the area a perfect place to pop in for a drink and a dish, or to enjoy a longer more leisurely lunch or dinner.

Test Driving Oh Gee - award-winning Korean fried chicken in Shoreditch

Information: 01 October 2024

Taking over the Hoxton Grill space at the Hoxton in Shoreditch until the end of the year is Korean fried chicken pop-up Oh Gee. We went to try out their award-winning KFC.

Checking into METT Marbella - a luxury new beachfront hangout on the Costa del Sol

Information: 26 September 2024

Right on the beach between Marbella and Estepona, you'll find the METT Marbella - a five-star hotel where everyone is having fun in the sun. We checked in to see if the food and hospitality lived up to the luxe look and feel.

Test Driving Sesta - Pidgin's replacement is an extremely accomplished neighbourhood affair

Information: 24 September 2024

A former Pidgin chef and GM have teamed up to take the old Pidgin space in a new direction. We went down to see what Sesta is all about.

Bar crawl: rainwater martinis and glorious London views at The Emory rooftop bar

Information: 20 September 2024

One of the world's best bars is popping up for a month at The Emory in Knightsbridge. We went to check out Tato Giovannoni's cocktails and bar food at their rooftop bar.

Test Driving Sol's - a cool new wine bar for Bayswater

Information: 19 September 2024

The arrival of Sol's in Bayswater is the latest interesting opening for the area. We went down to see what this deli by day, wine bar by night had to offer.

Test Driving Mary's - Jason Atherton's Pollen Street grill revamp

Information: 17 September 2024

Part of Jason Atherton's very busy 2024 has been replacing Pollen Street Social with Mary's, a much more laid-back grill restaurant. We went down to check out all the changes.

Test Drives

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