Test Drives

Test of time - we return to Angela Hartnett's Murano to check out its new look, menu and head chef

Information: 03 October 2023

To celebrate its 15th birthday Angela Hartnett's Murano has had a makeover and brought in a new head chef. We went to check it out.

Test Driving Brunswick House - a restaurant where the food and vibe are pitch perfect

Information: 28 September 2023

Jackson Boxer's Vauxhall restaurant not only looks like a beautiful film set, but the food is Oscar-worthy too.

Test Driving Forza Wine - an instant smash hit overlooking the Thames

Information: 21 September 2023

Forza Wine have made an impressive jump from Peckham to the South Bank. We head out to their terrace to see how they've settled into the National Theatre.

Test Driving Goodman City - a steakhouse at the top of its game

Information: 19 September 2023

This New York inspired steakhouse is knocking it out of the park - we booked in to see how they've kept the City crowd happy for more than a decade.

Magenta, the modern Italian restaurant in King's Cross that you need to know about

Information: 14 September 2023

Magenta in King's Cross is turning out a menu of excellent modern Italian cuisine - we went down to try it for ourselves.

Test Driving Hiden - the Japanese curry lab expands its size and menu in Finsbury Park

Information: 12 September 2023

Japanese curry specialists Hiden have expanded to Finsbury Park and the menu's grown too. We went along to pay them a visit.

Test Driving Llama Inn - the Brooklyn Peruvian hit makes its way to London from New York

Information: 07 September 2023

A bona fide hit in Brooklyn, the popular Peruvian restaurant Llama Inn has now opened in London. From NYC to Shoreditch we see how it's faring this side of the pond.

Test Driving The Good Front Room - high-end Caribbean cuisine at The Langham

Information: 05 September 2023

Chef Dom Taylor became the first winner of Five Star Chef on Channel 4 and his prize was launching The Good Front Room at The Langham. We went down to take a look.

Test Driving Tendril - the "almost vegan" restaurant feels at home in its permanent Mayfair space

Information: 24 August 2023

Rishim Sachdeva's Tendril has found a permanent home in Mayfair, so we thought it was time to see what this "almost vegan" kitchen is all about.

Test Driving Fazenda London - the rodizio grill comes to the City

Information: 22 August 2023

They're big up North and now the South American rodizio grill has arrived in London. We went to the City to see just how much meat we could eat...

Test Driving Outcrop - a nature focused popup grabbing attention at 180 Strand

Information: 16 August 2023

With so much talent involved in the Outcrop popup at 180 Strand it's not so surprising to find that the net result is wonderful.

Test Driving Leo's - this classic caff's modern London makeover is a winner

Information: 15 August 2023

Once an Italian cafe and ice-cream factory, it's full circle for this Chatsworth Road spot which is now the Italian-accented Leo's. We headed east to check it out.

Test Driving 64 Goodge Street - a boutique French bistro in Fitzrovia

Information: 10 August 2023

The group behind Clipstone and Portland have opened another restaurant in Fitzrovia with 64 Goodge Street. This time it's all very French indeed. We head down to take a look.

Test Driving The Portrait Restaurant - Richard Corrigan's rooftop blockbuster

Information: 08 August 2023

Boasting great views over central London, the arrival of Richard Corrigan to run this rooftop restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery proves to be a real draw.

Test Driving Dovetale - chef Tom Sellers goes big in Mayfair

Information: 03 August 2023

Tom Sellers' second restaurant opening of 2023 sees him opening a grand restaurant in Mayfair's hippest new hotel. We head down to see what the Michelin-starred chef has cooked up.

Test Driving Counter 71 - creative East London fine dining

Information: 01 August 2023

Tucked away on a side street off Old Street roundabout, an old boozer has been given a new lease of life in this chef's table restaurant with its own subterranean cocktail bar.

A taste of Cornwall at One Aldwych - bringing the south west to the heart of London

Information: 27 July 2023

If you haven't got a trip to the south west booked anytime soon, you can now take an epicurean tour of Cornwall without leaving central London, thanks to a new tasting menu experience at One Aldwych.

Test Driving Mountain - the Brat team's sequel is an unqualified hit

Information: 19 July 2023

Tomos Parry's follow up to his Brat restaurants, Mountain, is a Soho love letter to Spain by way of Wales.

Test Driving Pavyllon - top French chef Yannick Alléno takes on London

Information: 17 July 2023

Yannick Alléno is a hugely influential chef in France with multiple Michelin stars to his name. Pavyllon sees him bringing his cooking to London - we went down to try it out.

Test Driving Studio Gauthier - the French chef takes his vegan food to a new audience

Information: 11 July 2023

Studio Gauthier sees chef Alexis Gauthier bring some of the extremely accomplished (and Michelin-starred) cooking from his Soho restaurant to a more casual affair in Fitzrovia. We went down for a look.

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