You Dirty Ratatouille: The Betrayer’s Banquet, London

If you think revenge is a dish best served cold, then you haven’t tasted some of the entrées at this latest gastronomic exercise in immorality. Two members of a criminal gang have just been arrested and put into prison, in solitary confinement. The police have got the men bang to rights on one charge, but want to…
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Gill Tea Pleasures: The Angler Restaurant, London

A City fish restaurant that specialises in honest food, clear-headed surroundings and transparent prices? It’ll never catch on!! I thang yew… I haven’t seen Wolf of Wall Street. I might get round to it, but don’t hold your breath. I’ve read the glowing reviews of Martin Scorsese’s three-hour love letter to Mamon. I’ve absorbed the…
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Art-Time Lover – The Perrier-Jouët Annual Arts Prize

For a brief, brilliant time between 1890 and 1910, Art Nouveau was a shimmering presence in European and North American urban centres; a philosophy and style of art inspired by the beauty of nature. The movement had one goal: to ‘transform the mundane of everyday life into something truly beautiful’, a sentiment that has inspired…
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Tasting Notes: House of Krug and the Philharmonia Orchestra Exhibition

Thought you knew how to enjoy champagne? Unless you appreciate the years of work that went into creating that chilled glass of Krug Grande Cuvée, you probably don’t. For one week only, the House of Krug and the Philharmonia Orchestra are holding an experiential exhibition celebrating the annual recreation of Krug Grande Cuvee, in the…
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Truffle In Paradise: Sniffing out the real black gold in Tuscany

“There’s truffles under that tree,” says the hunter, pointing into a coppice. At least, we assume that’s what he’s said; we’re still awaiting clarification from our translator. In any case something’s happening as he’s dropped to the ground brandishing a short metal spade. There’s a flurry of digging on hands and knees. We watch the…
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Any Given Sunday (As Long as it’s This One)

With an average price of $4,042, the Super Bowl XLVIII tickets are the most expensive they’ve been for six years. It’s shaping up to be a good one. Will Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning destroy the formidable Seahawks defence? Will New Jersey shut down George Washington Bridge in a fit of ‘what exit’ rage? Will it SNOW?…
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John Graves: Any Port in a Storm

It was with great interest, excitement, and some trepidation, that I headed out to Porto. The great writer Robert Graves had told me in “Goodbye to All That” that the Portuguese are the dirtiest people in Europe and not in a good way. I went there in search of new wine and found an old wine…
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Party Like It’s 2014

There are certain things we can all do to avoid the heinous post-holiday comedown. One is book a one-way trip to the Bahamas. The other is to adopt the little-known mantra ‘New Year, New Booze’, and stock up the drinks cupboard. Alright. We made it up ourselves. Balblair 1983 Whiskey First Release £200 Balblair is…
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