39 Albemarle St, Westminster, W1S 4JQ Babbo is old-school in the best sense of the word. Family photos line the walls of this Mayfair-based Italian and the service is friendly and unobtrusive. Head chef Carlo Scotto, who trained under Angela Hartnett, cooks with ambition and flair. He’s scoured…
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Unit 5, off Cowross Street, Farringdon, EC1 With barbecue sauce dripping down our wrist, we realised Lazy Bones is not the place for a date or meeting. Do not come here to show off your demure side. You need to get stuck in to enjoy the food: two-day marinated chicken wings with a choice of sauces…
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11 Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common, SW17 7EG “Ooh it’s a bit Sean Connery-era James Bond in here,” remarked our friend when we arrived at this upmarket Chinese restaurant. There’s a pleasingly retro feel to the interiors, with fixtures of polished mahogany and a heavy wooden door guarding…
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To celebrate the London Underground’s 150th anniversary, Penguin asked 12 people, including comic John O’Farrell and Kids Company’s Camila Batmanghelidjh to share their experiences of London, each inspired by a Tube line. The result is a set of proud, personal accounts of the Big Smoke. Pick…
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225 Ladbroke Grove Notting Hill, W10 6HQ Portobello House Bistro treads just the right line between cosy and chic. The deep chairs and huge blackboards are reassuringly pub-like but the fairy lights, vintage-style wallpaper and vases of wildflowers give the place a slight boudoir edge. The…
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