Last Updated on September 5, 2026

Jumbo Prawns in London’s newest Sri Lankan restaurant in Canary Wharf.

Isso Prawn Crazy is a Sri Lankan prawn restaurant in Canary Wharf, serving colossal-sized prawns perfect for anyone wanting to try authentic Sri Lankan food.

The restaurant works with local Sri Lankan fishing communities, sourcing the prawns directly from over 150 small-boat artisanal day fishermen across Jaffna and Mannar in North-West Sri Lanka, ensuring that funds go back into coastal communities.

On the night we arrived, the restaurant had teamed up with Zephyr, an award-winning beach bar located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, which brought a Sri Lankan holiday vibe to the restaurant.

I chose a Zephyr Negroni, while my partner Sam opted for the Sri Lankan lager, Lion Beer, an institution within the Sri Lankan community.

Once we’d chosen our drinks, we needed to tackle the menu. The starters offered up a selection of what we call in Sri Lanka “short eats.” These are Sri Lankan snacks that can be bought from street carts, made at home when guests come to visit, or served in restaurants, cafes and snack shops. For me, the test of a good Sri Lankan restaurant is the quality of its mutton roll.

Of course, I chose the mutton roll. It’s a small pancake stuffed with spicy mutton and potato, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. I always say there should be a high ratio of mutton to potato; it should arrive hot to the touch, and the breadcrumb coating should have a brittle, crisp bite. As I bit into my mutton roll, I realised there was no potato, just mince. This was more akin to a Nippon mutton roll, a speciality of the Nippon Hotel in Colombo. This was a good sign, and great to see in this Sri Lankan restaurant in Canary Wharf.

Sam had the cuttlefish fritto: small, tender chunks of cuttlefish coated in a tempura-style batter, tossed in salt and chilli flakes and served with a tangy passionfruit, mango and chilli dip. Our plates were scraped clean.

I wish I had chosen the Isso Vade. A vade is a lentil fritter topped with a fresh prawn and deep-fried. It’s a Sri Lankan classic that I rarely see on menus here in the UK, and now here it is in this Sri Lankan restaurant in Canary Wharf.

Next up was the prawn challenge.

Isso Prawn Crazy is a kind of design-your-own prawn combo place, where you get to choose from four types of prawn: Wild Sea-Caught Black Tiger, Wild Sea-Caught Flower, Giant Freshwater or Colossal Freshwater. Once we’d chosen our prawns, it was a matter of deciding how they were to be cooked and whether we’d have rice or flatbread.

After much deliberation and consultation with the head waiter, I chose the giant freshwater prawn with the Negombo curry. This giant prawn was the size of my plate. I didn’t have to worry about peeling it — that had been done for me, with the prawn curry placed back into the prawn. OK, this may sound weird, but it worked. I got to eat this delicious, spicy, mouthwatering and mouth-tingling curry with a serving of buttery ghee rice.

Sam decided to try the hot butter prawns. The prawns are coated in a batter, then stir-fried in a spicy chilli-butter sauce. The only way to eat this was to scoop up the prawns with a flaky parotta (flatbread).

Had I gone for the colossal freshwater prawn, which was the size of a lobster, I may not have had room for dessert. I recommend saving space for the final course, as you’re in for some Sri Lankan classics.

There are only two desserts on the menu, and of course we had both. Watalappam is an egg and coconut milk custard made with jaggery (unrefined palm sugar). It was dense, rich, and warmed through with cardamom. The jaggery gave it a deep, almost-but-not-quite burnt-sugar quality, a total winner.

Pani pol are Sri Lankan-style crepes, a lot like French-style pancakes, made with coconut milk and folded around a jaggery and coconut filling, topped with kithul treacle. It was sticky, sweet and decadent, filling me up with childish glee. If a gulab jamun could be a pancake, it would be this! We fought over the last morsel.

I know I will have to make another visit; there are a few dishes that are beckoning me back: the Isso Vade and the must-try-once-before-I-die colossal prawn, which can be found in this Sri Lankan restaurant in Canary Wharf.

Isso Prawn Crazy
25 Cabot Sq
Canary Wharf Estate
London E14 4QA

The post Isso Prawn Crazy, Sri Lankan restaurant- Canary Wharf appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on September 4, 2026

Clint Dyer Brings Kinetic Energy to a Newsroom Battle

The newsroom has always struck a chord with storytellers, both on the screen and on the stage, depicting everything from world politics in the 1976 film “All the President’s Men” to comic satire in the 90s TV series “Drop the Dead Donkey”. Drama fuelled by journalistic adrenaline, with its on-the-pulse retelling of events, is undoubtedly addictive, and The Story, written by Tracey Scott Eilson, which has just opened on the Olivier stage at the National Theatre, is no exception.

The Story, set in the US in the early 2000s, focuses on four journalists racing to get the headline after a white teacher, Tim Dunn (Josh Goulding), is killed in a black neighbourhood in front of his wife. In many respects, this play feels remarkably timely, especially in the light of the recent death of Jason Arday. At its heart, The Story asks who gets to tell a story, who controls the narrative, and what happens when ambition, race and institutional power collide.

But since this play was first performed in New York in 2003, much has changed. The rise of social media has given new power to the retelling of stories, making it even more difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

Clint Dyer (Death in England) directs the production with kinetic energy and meticulous precision. Throughout the first act, scenes unfold in parallel, with split staging allowing two separate scenes to be played out simultaneously. It certainly demonstrates the cast’s rapid rapport and clever performances. Still, this theatrical device becomes increasingly frantic and feels overused, making it quite exhausting to watch by the end of the first half.

Anna Fleischle’s set is simple yet dynamic, using the backdrop of a community centre with a gym floor, which stretches the length of the grand Olivier stage. Projections and TV screens pump out new reports, along with desks that swiftly take their place, transforming the space into a newsroom, home, hospital and even a car journey. Natalie Pryce’s costumes fit perfectly, and Paul Anderson’s lighting is highly effective.

The Story is primarily set in the offices of a regional US newspaper (location unspecified). Letitia Wright (of Black Panther fame) astutely plays Yvonne Wilson, an ambitious young Black reporter, with a youthful energy and steely determination. She’s working in the paper’s section, called the ‘Vanguard’, which covers the Black community, but has set her sights on the more prestigious news desk. But she isn’t simply seeking promotion; she wants the power to tell the story herself. Her ambition puts her at odds with those who traditionally control which stories are told, and how they are told.

Yvonne is secretly dating Jeff, convincingly portrayed by Wilf Scolding, a young, white-privileged senior editor on the news desk with family connections, whose position gives him considerable influence over her career. She works for a formidable boss, Pat, brilliantly captured by Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is the New Black), alongside Neil, played with great energy and humour by Ashley Thomas, better known to some as rapper Bashy.

When the story breaks, relationships are tested, each character playing their own game and competing to shape their version of events. Pat wants the story but is acutely aware of the racial politics surrounding it. Neil is driven by ambition; he’s competitive and determined to get the scoop first. Yvonne and Neil clash, as her bold, arrogant demeanour shows she is prepared to walk all over anyone to get what she wants.

The narrative unfolds through repeated retellings and flashbacks. It cuts to a community centre, where we meet a group of girls singing in a high school choir and dancing (great choreography from Lucie Pankhurst), alongside the presence of AOB, a girl gang associated with the murder.

Antonia Bernarth makes for a believable Jessica Dunn, who is pregnant at the time of her husband’s murder. Early scenes see her hounded by the press, but her story is left hanging without being followed through, a thread that feels underdeveloped.

Wilson’s powerful storytelling raises important questions about whether institutions truly protect and support talented people from minority backgrounds. At its heart, The Story is as much about power as it is about journalism: who controls the narrative, whose version of events is believed, and what happens when ambition, race and institutional power collide. Although I was left questioning the play’s conclusion, it’s a compelling story, with great performances and a visually exciting production. Gripping, fast-paced and full of energy, you’re certainly unlikely to be bored.

The Story
Olivier Theatre
National Theatre,
Upper Ground,
South Bank,
London SE1 9PX

3rd September – 24 October 2026

Looking for something different? Check our review of Electra/Persona also showing at the National Theatre.

The post The Story National Theatre appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on September 3, 2026

Learn sushi from the masters

I was first struck by the stark architecture of Mitsu’s building, nestled behind the Great Eastern Road, Mitsu operates out of the basement floor of hotel, Aethos London Shoreditch. The large taupe building looks as if it has been snapped in half, like a pack of spaghetti, the steel bones of the building jutting out from its feature aspect. How could such a building be built and why? Well, I was subsequently informed that this building had been, in a previous life, home to the Nobu London Shoreditch hotel and restaurant. Suddenly the entire offer made sense, and Mitsu, the new resident sushi restaurant stepping into Nobu’s shoes, was a more understandable prospect.

The vaulted and cavernous, expertly crafted Japanese interiors were similarly intimidating, although no doubt, when the space is filled a convivial location. I arrived at 3 pm as most lunch parties were finishing their desserts in order to try out Mitsu’s newest offering, a sushi course, to learn the secrets of their most popular dishes.

Mitsu has gone viral in recent months for their events live butchering an enormous whole tuna fish, ready to be enjoyed, from the cheeks and fillet all the way to the meat scooped out from between the vertebrae, a popular delicacy. From that macro scale, we were travelling down to the micro, the exact and precise method to prepare a single bite of high-quality seafood and rice.

I have mentioned previously the recent trend of restaurants offering cookery experiences, a few of which I have even attended. As such, possibly unwarranted, I saw myself as a little bit of a dab hand at getting to grips with a cuisine with the instruction of a professional team.

Of course, if I ever had struggled, maybe with attempts to chiffonade some shiso leaves, I would have been able to hide my shameful shredded shiso amongst the cleanly cut counterparts prepared by my fellow attendees. No such luck today, as I was alone in attending this lesson; it was one of their first. Meaning any hopes of hiding my inadequate knife skills next to the handiwork of a more adept compatriot were out of the window. It is worth mentioning that this is not the norm and, in fact, booking requires a minimum of two guests.

The station for the lesson had been neatly prepared, facing into the open kitchen busy with activity despite the post-lunch lull. Generous piles of wafer-thin spring onion, pickled ginger and real wasabi brought a tear to the eye. I met Aaj, the head chef of Mitsu since opening and enjoyed a miso soup served, as it should be, piping hot.

My first lesson was in sashimi and nigiri, the simplest in assembly of all sushi, but not necessarily in preparation. It was a logical starting point, as was a very helpful lesson in the methods that are used to achieve the even and delicate slices of fish across the grain that form the basis of so much of the genre. Many tips and tricks were shared, revealing the secrets that enable such wonders, which I would butcher if I were simply to repeat in black and white here.

The headline ethos is of even pressure and considered use of the knife, which, if done correctly, results in a slice that avoids either an uneven and unwieldy slice or one that disintegrates as it is prepared. A scrupulously sharp yanagi ban sashimi knife is also a great help, of course, and luckily one was on hand.

There was two-week Spanish dry-aged tuna, Scottish salmon belly and Japanese Amberjack, which was tender, light and buttery, with notes of lemon zest. It was all plated on a bamboo leaf on top of 3 twisted nests of julienned daikon, fanned out and artfully plated under expert guidance.

Next came nigiri, which literally means fish on seasoned rice in Japanese. Different fillets are in order for nigiri, specifically the belly side, which is softer and fattier. Mitsu uses koshi higari rice, polished to perfection and seasoned with rice vinegar, salt and sugar.

Again, a specific technique is shared explaining how a svelte oblong of fish and rice can be made with a dab of wasabi and two hands. The morsels were then plated from right to left, as in Japanese writing and angled at 11 o’clock to be at the perfect aspect to be collected by a pair of chopsticks.

Now onto the most recognisable style of sushi in the West, thanks partly to the influence of the large Japanese population on the West Coast of the US: Futomaki, large rolls of rice, fish, and vegetables, wrapped in a toasted seaweed coat. This version was fatty tuna, or toro, and then, on the outside, gained an extra layer in a fine single sheet of daikon. Once the rice had been evenly coated across the sheet and the roll tightly wrapped, I learnt how to square off the roll with a maki su bamboo roller. These rolls were mild and sophisticated, aromatic, wrapped in a crisp radish wimple, keeping them cool and crunchy.

Next, we made spicy tuna temaki, crunchy and spicy and unagi cucumber, tender and smoky, hand rolls. These required both the dexterity of nigiri and the precision of the futomaki, offering a satisfying final hurdle to complete on this sushi-making journey.

I was then left to my own devices, along with a few extras to enjoy the fruits of the sea and of my labour. After completing 7 plates of sushi, a waitress popped over to ask if I had enjoyed my meal, clearly based on the small mountain of empty plates I had.

I also enjoyed some delights prepared in the kitchen: seafood dumplings, siu mai, a Cantonese dim sum classic. These were overflowing with roe and swimming in an aromatic Nikiri soy with mirin aged in kombu

Finally, and I had to access my extra dessert stomach for this one: a black sesame burnt Basque cheesecake. While sometimes desserts flavoured with sesame can fall into a claggy palate-clinging mess, this was light and smoky and perfectly set, with even the most imperceptible wobble in its centre.

Mitsu is offering a premium experience for a premium price, £300 for 2 people. Dining out at a similar-level restaurant may end up costing the same, of course, and I fear they have missed a trick. Give a man some sushi, and he will eat for a day; teach a man how to make sushi, and he will eat for a lifetime.

Sushi Masterclass (£150 pp) and Cocktail Masterclass (£65pp)

Mitsu Restaurant

10-50 Willow St, London EC2A 4BH

028 7114 0040

The experience is available Monday to Friday at 3pm, with a minimum of two and maximum of eight guests.

The post Mitsu Sushi Masterclass appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on September 2, 2026

After Sophocles and Ingmar Bergman

Two actors enter in front of the audience and ask someone in the front row to spin a coin. It lands on heads, and Cate Blanchett chooses to act as Clytemnestra, leaving Nina Hoss to play Electra. The actors apply white makeup to their faces; we are transported to ancient Greece and, after Hoss emits a primal scream, the play begins. In any other performance, you might get to see Blanchett play Electra and Hoss Clytemnestra, and many in the audience would love to return to see the roles inverted. Electra/Persona is a new play written by Benedict Andrews after Sophocles and Ingmar Bergman. Running to over two hours, a short pause separates the interpretation of Sophocles’ Electra and a homage to Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 film Persona. It is an interesting juxtaposition as Bergman’s film tells the story of an actress who suffers a breakdown while playing the role of Electra. Many of the themes are interconnected, as might be expected, and the playwright zigzags back and forth, using one psychological drama to inform the other, with lines of dialogue and clothing being transposed across the two halves.

London audiences are absolutely spoilt with the main roles being performed by Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss, most recently seen together on screen in Todd Field’s film, Tár. The women give an acting masterclass and it was riveting to watch them individually as well as in combination, especially as Persona explores the two women as two parts of a whole. At one point they become Janus faces and later their faces are superimposed upon one another as in the Bergman film, a visual representation of the psychological merging that the play explores. This interchangeability is underpinned in the casting where the actors play either role interchangeably.

In the first half Hoss plays a young woman who is stuck in a cycle of grief for her dead father, Agamemnon, who returned from the 10-year-long Trojan War, only to be murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra. She has waited a decade to avenge the death of their daughter Iphigenia, sacrificed by her father to appease the gods and get favourable winds for his fleet. While Clytemnestra is stuck in her own cycle of grief and rage, she is mirrored by her daughter Electra, who fantasises about killing her mother and her lover, Aegisthus. The dead ghosts are brought to life through the use of their clothing, which is poignantly donned by the mourners. The re-enactment of the traumatic murders of Iphigenia and Agamemnon is chilling and felt like an out-of-control family therapy session. The contemporary theme is pursued with references to eating disorders and psychiatric clinics.

The second half is no less psychologically challenging. In Persona, the way in which we all adopt personas and don masks to play our various roles is explored. What happens when the masks slip, and we are confronted with shadow parts of ourselves we find intolerable? Elizabeth is an actress who hides behind her theatrical roles but becomes mute while acting Electra and retreats into a silence so complete that she is hospitalised. There she is cared for by nurse Alma who soon begins to find the silence provokes her own unspoken problems.  The roles begin to invert and soon Elizabeth plays the silent listener, like a psychoanalyst who sits out of sight of the patient. This is powerfully portrayed through the use of a video camera, a staging technique that has become overused in the past few years; nevertheless, it is used to good effect, following every facial nuance of the silent Elizabeth, giving voice and emotional expression to her silence. It enables the audience to access the interior voice of a character who does not utter a word and yet speaks volumes. And it takes a consummate actress such as Hoss – and Blanchett on other nights – to convey it. Blanchett, for her part, is at her most powerful playing the unhinged mother and the apparently happy nurse beneath whose mask there are depths of feelings both conscious and unconscious. Her ability to move from light to dark, apparent ease with her life to psychic despair, is formidable.

A smaller role is played by Ellia Lily Hyland, who takes the part of Chrysathemis, Electra’s younger sister, whose raw emotion is somehow more pure than the manipulative and performative grief of her sister and mother. As the doctor, Anna, in Persona, she speaks mainly from offstage and yet her mellifluous voice provides a calming foil to the psychic disturbance unfolding on stage.

The staging (Magda Willi) is particularly effective. Electra is performed on a pine set of steps resembling the tiered seating of an ancient Greek theatre, as if we are the audience at Epidaurus watching a Sophocles production. In the second half, which is a homage to Bergman’s film, a large screen descends from the ceiling onto which the faces of the actresses are projected in close-up black-and-white images.

The sound design  (Brendan Aanes) is at its most beautiful with a tear-inducing rendition of Purcell’s Dido’s Lament which plays on the radio when Alma tries to bring some comfort to the mute Elizabeth. Although Elizabeth is hidden under a fur coat, underscoring her unreachability, we watch on the big screen as a tear rolls down her face. It felt like the self-invited intrusion for which social media has created a platform, when grief, sadness and mental illness have become content created by sufferers. This performative grief underlies some of the themes of this production.

Electra/Persona is a psychologically engaging production, reaching back to Ancient Greece via Bergman and into the present day. It is performed by a consummate cast on a set as bleak as the emotions uncovered.

Electra/Persona runs at Lyttleton Theatre, National Theatre from 1 September to 10 October 2026

National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX

Looking for something different? We recommend Abigail’s Party, currently showing at the Harold Pinter Theatre

The post Electra/Persona – National Theatre appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on September 1, 2026

La Dolce Vita comes to Whitehall

A great restaurant is not defined by its food alone; the design, location, service, and the scene it creates can also contribute to its success. Restaurants are businesses, and the relentless demands of capitalism can see successful concepts like Langosteria being transplanted within countries and across continents. The French Big Mamma group specialises in ‘fun’ Italian dining and operates in nine separate countries from Europe to Dubai. British group Evolv has spun out its Sartoria brand of Milanese Italian dining across several UK locations. Gordon Ramsey has built a transnational group of restaurants that spin out replicable models such as Bread St Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Steak, and Gordon Ramsay Burger.

But having a strong brand in a local market is no guarantee that recreating the same chemistry elsewhere will work. I’ve never been convinced by Covent Garden stalwart Balthazar, New York restaurateur Keith McNally’s London outpost of his Big Apple take on a traditional French brasserie. It has always felt too Disneyfied for me. However, Balthazar is still packing in the punters. A recent London failure was an upmarket all-day dining brand called Café Lapérouse, situated in the swanky OWO building, inspired by the iconic Parisian restaurant and favourite of Victor Hugo, which opened in 1766 and has outposts in Paris and Saudi Arabia. Its attempt to replicate the clubby feel of the Parisian original never felt right for London.

A more successful transplantation has been the 180-cover La Môme London in the Berkeley Hotel, the new outpost of the eponymous restaurant in Cannes that sits on the swanky Promenade de la Croisette. The interior glitz and glamour of Cannes has been successfully recreated and attracts a stylish expat French crowd; however, a cold, grey, rainy London is a very different proposition to the South of France.

Langosteria London arrived a few weeks ago at the OWO (Old War Office), home to the city’s first Raffles hotel, 85 private residences, nine restaurants and three bars. Langosteria (langoustine meets osteria) is a Milanese Italian seafood restaurant group with three sites in Italy’s fashion capital, plus siblings in Sardinia’s Porto Cervo, Paraggi Bay on the Italian Riviera, Paris, and St Moritz. For those of us more familiar with jetsetting around Neasden or Tulse Hill and simply too busy to visit St Moritz or Milan this is obviously a good thing. Langosteria’s founder Enrico Buonocore grew up on the Amalfi coast, hence the menu’s seafood emphasis; but the restaurants are anything but simple osterias, shipping in the finest ingredients from all around the globe and with a maximalist design aesthetic from Italian architect Carlo Samarati that attracts the beautiful people, and me.

You enter Langosteria through a low-lit bar with its stunning travertine and Italian walnut counter. Verde Alpi marble floors take you from the first dining room with draped crimson curtains, red leather banquettes and red striped cushions, into the Historical Room, originally the Old War Office’s meeting room, where the historic, fireplaces and ceilings sit comfortably juxtaposed with Venini lamps, Medea chairs and Molteni tables, and hand-crafted silk wallcoverings by Misha.

My understanding of interior design is limited, so credit to Wallpaper magazine for doing the heavy lifting on this. What I do know is that if Scandi minimalism is your thing, you might be overwhelmed.

In charge of Langosteria London’s kitchen is Michele Biassoni. He has created a menu attuned to suit the London market that also features signature dishes such as the yellow submarine risotto, a huge plate of saffron rice with langoustines. There is also an Asian influence creeping in from his time at Iyo, Milan’s premier Japanese restaurant.

We started with a couple of glasses of fizz. A glass of Ferrari Perlé Rose from Trentino, made using the traditional method from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, had cheery celebratory raspberry notes. More refined was the Assemblage Il Extra Brut Bellavista Franciacorta, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero grapes with a touch of Pinot Bianco. It had a dry, crisp minerality which helped focus my mind on ordering as the prices at Langosteria are, for obvious reasons such as location, fitting out costs and quality of produce, pretty astronomic.

A Pappa Pomodoro was a luxe riff on the hearty, rustic soup. Unfeasibly sweet tomatoes sat on top of a warm bread suspension in oil, with a few juicy clams thrown in for good measure. It was a message of intent from the kitchen.

Unexpectedly a Jersey rock oyster turned up on a platter. I hadn’t ordered it, but it was super fresh, briny and very welcome.

From the Crudo menu we tried the Gambero Rosso with beetroot and shards of Sardinian Pecorino Gran Nuraghe which added a salty bite. The red prawns were wonderful and the raw beetroot slices added a satisfying crunch.

From the Entrée selection at Langosteria, the charcoal-grilled Tonno Rosso OToro was simply fabulous. The fat in the tuna dissolves when grilled, creating a silky, melting texture that made me swoon with foodie delight.

The Greens section on the menu is there to make you think you are ordering something healthy. Caramelised zucchini were plated with a luscious tuna and mayo-based ‘tonnato’ sauce livened up by piquant little ‘capperi cunzati’, fried capers.

A slab of perfectly cooked wild turbot was served ‘alla Milanese’, topped with a crisp breadcrumb and herb mixture. It sat on a bed of sautéed chard with a puddle of saffron sauce. Perfectly delicious.

A pasta dish of al dente tagliolini was buttery and luxurious, subtly perfumed with Amalfi lemons, with the gentle addition of langoustines enhancing the feeling of well-being. I still can’t work out how the pasta was so light.

A minty dessert of strawberries and Chantilly cream was a simple and refreshing dessert to finish.

If you are wealthy, just go and enjoy Langosteria London. You’ll feel at home; the food is terrific, and the charming staff will make you feel as if they are old friends. If you don’t have the readies available, is it worth saving up for? Yes, Langosteria is definitely worth a splurge, and you’ll get a glimpse into another world. It’s not real, but is anything?

Langosteria London
Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD
 020 4650 0777

Other new openings that have caught our eye this month include:

Romy Gill at The Pem 

Romy Gill MBE, one of Britain’s most celebrated Indian chefs, is taking over The Pem at Conrad London St. James, bringing regional Indian cooking to one of London’s most established luxury hotel dining rooms. Her food moves from the kitchens of Punjab and Bengal to the coastal flavours of Kerala and the spice traditions of Rajasthan and this restaurant will be an important addition to London’s top-end Indian options.
 
Romy Gill at The Pem 
Conrad London St. James 22-28 Broadway, SW1H 0BH
020 3301 8080

Pearl

All-day dining Mediterranean restaurant Pearl is opening at Brown Hart Gardens, one of Mayfair’s best-kept secrets, in an extraordinary location atop a Grade II listed working electricity substation! Alongside the restaurant launch, the historic 950 sq. metre gardens will reopen to the public following an impressive architectural and horticultural redesign by the late renowned landscape architect and horticulturalist Nigel Dunnett.
The menu has been created under the direction of Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Culinary Director at The Beaumont Mayfair. Expect dishes such as Burrata, grilled peppers, artichokes and hazelnuts; Octopus with ‘nduja aioli; Grilled swordfish, preserved lemon and parsley; and Lamb chops with sumac, tzatziki and dill.

Pearl Mayfair
Brown Hart Gardens, London W1K 8UH

020 7499 9499
 
Gordon Ramsay at Sea Containers

Ramsay opens yet another restaurant, this time riverside in the iconic Sea Containers building. Open from breakfast through to dinner, the menu celebrates the very best of British produce, from exceptional seafood and shellfish to Gordon Ramsay classics, all served from a dining room and expansive outdoor terrace overlooking the Thames.

Gordon Ramsay at Sea Containers
20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD

020 3747 1063

Nakimushi

Urchin’s Yuji Shimokawa Kelly and Robin Kosuge of Robin’s Ramen have joined forces with the Dorian team to create NAKIMUSHI, a dual-format Japanese townhouse with a ramen bar on the ground floor and a Japanese restaurant above in Notting Hill Gate.
Signature bowls include Robin’s celebrated Lobster Ramen with Seafood Paitan and Komatsuna, and Charshu Pork Belly Ramen made with Basque Chicken Broth and Ajitama. On the first floor, the menu broadens to explore hot Japanese cooking include line-caught Steamed Turbot with Red Vinegar An; Grilled Ibérico x Duroc Pork Loin with Red Almond Miso; and Grilled Tuna Kama with Padrón Pepper Dashi and Kimizu. Keep an eye out for my review.

Nakimushi
7 Kensington Mall, London, W8 4DY

020 3 924 9246 

The post Langosteria London – Restaurant of the Month appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on August 31, 2026

A London Bridge lunch at Coppa Club looking over the river

I’ll admit that in my enthusiasm to review Coppa Club, I anticipated sitting in the pods by the Tower of London. In fact, Coppa Club boasts two branches overlooking Tower Bridge, and it was my pleasure to review their London Bridge branch, a few steps from London Hay’s Galleria. You get the same view, arguably from a better vantage point.

We were seated at a ground-floor corner table surrounded by tall windows overlooking HMS Belfast. I was joined by a friend who now lives in America, who especially enjoyed dining somewhere with a proper London landscape.

Whilst catching up on some overdue chatter, we picked drinks. My companion had the non-alcoholic rhubarb spritz, and I went for the lightly boozy pear-and-pomegranate Hugo spritz. Drinks were whizzed to the table – service was friendly and efficient throughout – and not overly heavy with the ice that can sometimes make spritz drinks feel a bit of a swizz. My drink was noticeably pear-flavoured alongside elderflower, but you’d be poking around a long time with your straw to discern any pomegranate. That aside, it made a nice change from Aperol. The rhubarb mocktail looked like a Sarti spritz without being alcoholic.

Rather than starter courses, we ordered two appetisers to share. The manner in which courgette fries are presented varies everywhere, so I wasn’t sure what we’d get. We were delighted by the tangle of tempura-fried courgette fritti laces piled in a generous heap. Perfect for picking at whilst you chat, without spoiling your appetite.

There’s something for everyone on the menu at Coppa Club: grills, pizza, pasta, salad. It can be a bit worrying when somewhere is trying to do everything, but all the dishes we tried were well presented and had fresh-tasting ingredients. 

The ‘Nduja-buttered “seeded puff bread” was virtually a pizza in its own right. The size of a small plate with airy crusts studded with pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Theatrically cut with a wheel by a server, this would satisfy carb, salt and spice cravings all in one go. Had I been with my hungry student son, this would have been hoovered up, but as ladies pacing ourselves, I was tempted to ask for a box for the remaining half. 

My companion opted for a smoked salmon lunch bowl. They do around five different lunch bowls, and for a pescatarian, this clean-eating combo with quinoa, beetroot hummus and avocado was just the ticket. She did actually request it come without the edamame beans, although these arrived anyway – ah well, you get the full benefit for the picture. You can also add extra components such as soft-boiled egg, trout or chicken.

I was in the mood for chicken, and this came with a generous mound of red slaw and this time, plenty of pomegranate. I love red slaw and often make my own at home. This version was crunchy, fruity and helped me feel a bit more virtuous, pairing it with sweet potato fries and basil mayo. The chicken itself was a well-bronzed butterfly fillet, easy to eat without battling any bones. It was called grilled “herb” chicken, although herb wasn’t the headline ingredient. Nevertheless, you eat with your eyes and the orange fries, purple slaw, and additional option of green herb mayo were fun to tuck into.

More greenery was on the side with a plate of kale. Bright as a leprechaun, the crinkly leaves were tender and well dressed in citrus buttery vinaigrette that made every mouthful feel a treat rather than a five-a-day obligation. I must nail how to prepare kale this pleasurable at home. Kale and pleasure are not words one expects to find in a sentence together, but life is full of surprises.

Meanwhile, I had a glass of Madame F rosé wine, about which I have little to say other than it seemed more acidic than most rosé; I think this was due to the tartness in my red slaw and kale – with peach and white pepper flavours, it went far better with my pudding.

For dessert, my companion had Eton mess, which was actually arranged fairly artfully rather than the typical splodge. All the components you expect: meringue, cream and berries on a ruby puddle of strawberry syrup. A good choice for a sweet option without being too heavy.

I had the slightly naughtier vanilla panna cotta with roast peaches. It had a gentle wobble and bird’s-egg-effect vanilla pod speckles on top. I’d have liked more than two slices of peach as these were really just garnish to the main event. The eagle-eyed amongst you may note that I enthusiastically started dipping in before I’d photographed it, which is a good indicator of how keen I was to dig into it. 

If you’re after a lunch or dinner venue with a fine London view that doesn’t feel too much of a splurge, Coppa Club is a good place to come. Groups will be accommodated well here; there are two floors offering plenty of space, and pretty much everywhere gets a good view over the river. I had a nose upstairs, and it was fairly similar, with one side overlooking the feature bottle wall above the bar. 

It also would be a good place for family birthday parties when you’re trying to impress non-Londoners, but the party comprises fussy eaters. I’d defy the pickiest person to not find something they liked here, whether they’re after diet-friendly wholesomeness, steak or burgers.

A (hopefully) temporary niggle is Coppa Club’s ringside seat to the tearing down of the old City Hall next door, currently barricaded off behind metal fences. But such is the panorama that the view elsewhere is interesting enough to overlook this. 

Coppa Club London Bridge
2 More London Place
London
SE1 2JP
Tel: 020 8194 1037

Want to stay on the City side of the Thames? Check our review of Coppa Club Tower Bridge

The post Towering Thames Views at Coppa Club appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on August 30, 2026

Alfresco dining at La Terrasse on the Lane, 108 Brasserie

The summer months bring alfresco dining to the fore, with plenty of opportunities to make the most of London’s outdoor terraces. I’m a fan of alfresco eating; the hot weather this summer has made it easier to plan an outside lunch without fear of a rainy day.

108 Brasserie is part of The Marylebone, a luxury hotel, located on chic Marylebone Lane a short distance from Bond Street Underground station. If you use the Marylebone Lane exit from the tube station, you arrive in a few minutes.

La Terrasse on the Lane at 108 Brasserie is celebrating summer with a menu inspired by Provence, showcasing wines from Château La Coste’s organic vineyards. This delightful Mediterranean-themed terrace is a quiet and comfortable venue to take time out and enjoy delicious food and drinks whilst watching the world go by.

We were invited to review La Terrasse for lunch on a warm summer’s day. A spritz was the obvious way to start our meal.

For me, the Cassis Sunset, a mix of Alma Finca, Disaronno, orange bitters, ginger ale, and La Coste de Los Andes chardonnay. It was refreshing, with a smooth, citrusy taste.

My companion opted for the Blush de Provence: Pomelle Aperitif with Bénédictine, Peychaud’s bitters, lemonade, and La Coste non-alcoholic sparkling Rosé. It was light and fresh with orangey undertones; a perfect long spritz.

We couldn’t choose between the two options for the light bites section of the menu, so we decided on both. When they arrived, they were more substantial than we had anticipated.

The warmed house bread selection arrived: a dish of warm, crunchy bread chunks with a dipping bowl of Château La Coste olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. The bread was tasty and fresh; we both loved the olive oil and aged balsamic.

The second of the light bites was a brioche lobster sub roll. A soft and delicious brioche roll packed with succulent lobster, lemon, chives and spring onions, accompanied by a pot of crispy fries. It was a flavoursome starter topped with a dusting of smoked paprika.

Rosé wine is always a good choice in the summertime, so we opted for a bottle of Château de La Coste Rosé d’une Nuit to accompany our main course. It was a pale pink hue with a light and fruity bouquet. Wine from the Château de La Coste is available by the glass, with red or white options if rosé is not your preference.

The 108 seafood platter, a sharing dish, was our choice to follow, a feast of enticing seafood beautifully presented on a platter with lemon wedges, a small pot of mayonnaise, and bread and butter. It could have easily served three people; it was a generous dish.

Slivers of soft smoked salmon, a delightful hot smoked salmon rillette, freshly dressed white crab meat, plump tiger prawns and crispy peppered mackerel with a side bowl containing a delicious prawn cocktail. The crab meat was divine and the mackerel excellent. Every element of the dish was fresh and a treat to savour. We did our best but struggled to finish it.

We certainly didn’t need to carry on to the dessert but couldn’t resist it. The sweet treat on the menu was another French classic: a cherry clafoutis.

A small, shallow dish of smooth, baked custard with Kirsch-soaked cherries, topped with a scoop of Château La Coste olive oil ice cream. We both adored the ice cream’s subtle flavour. It was the perfect end to our leisurely lunch.

Why not transport yourself to the South of France at La Terrasse on the Lane, 108 Brasserie? The summer terrace menu offers excellent rosé wines and great Mediterranean classics, in a stylish setting- a perfect way to spend a summer day.

La Terrasse on the Lane, 108 Brasserie, is open daily for dining from 12.00 pm. Last food orders: 9.45 pm Monday to Saturday, 8.30 pm Sunday.

La Terrasse on the Lane has a short menu; alternative menus at 108 Brasserie are a choice of the set lunch menu or à la carte menu.

La Terrasse on the Lane, 108 Brasserie, 108 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2QE.

Telephone: 0207 969 3900.

To make a reservation at La Terrasse on the Lane, visit 108 Brasserie

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Last Updated on August 30, 2026

Babur, the innovative Indian restaurant in Forest Hill that’s setting its sights on a Michelin star

On every normal suburban high street, there seems to be a normal Indian restaurant where you’d go for your usual Indian restaurant favourites: butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, chickpea masala, perhaps a portion of tarka dhal. Babur in Forest Hill isn’t that kind of restaurant, as I discovered when I went to try their 41st-anniversary tasting menu. What I got was a culinary tour of India without leaving SE23.

Babur’s 41st birthday coincided with the 125th anniversary of the Horniman Museum and Gardens. To mark the occasion, Babur sponsored the museum’s anniversary season and unveiled a limited-edition anniversary menu, ‘Together In Bloom’. The menu featured dishes and cocktails inspired by the herbs, botanicals and sustainable planting found throughout the museum’s celebrated gardens.

Our first job was to decide which cocktail to have. On a baking-hot evening, I was in need of some fizz and opted for the Saffron Bubbles, made with saffron cordial, Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, lemon oil, and prosecco. It was a buttercup-yellow cocktail with a deliciously tart tang. Lavinia, my plus-one for the evening, decided on something more floral: the Botanical Tipple, made with Hapusa Indian craft gin combined with a homemade aromatic spice extract, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, white Cinzano, and rose water. It was lovely to see how Indian spices and flavours were being integrated into modern cocktail culture.

With that done, we could focus on the hard task of working our way through the anniversary tasting menu.

This was a six-course tasting menu that started with a Devonshire crab tartlet, a lightly herbed appetiser. It was a great opener and a sign of what was to come.

The next course was a hung yoghurt kebab coated with crispy filo pastry. We were completely fascinated by this, having never eaten hung yoghurt. The kebab is prepared by straining water from the yoghurt, which becomes soft and creamy. A hung yoghurt kebab is usually coated in chickpea flour before deep-frying. At Babur, they use filo pastry, which makes for an incredibly crispy coating. The kebab was served with a roasted green mango jelly, a delicate sourness pairing beautifully with the creaminess of the yoghurt. We quizzed our waiter about this dish, and he sought out the chef, who told us how hung yoghurt had been on the menu 15 years ago and hadn’t proved popular with the clientele. Since its reappearance on the menu, it has become one of the restaurant’s star dishes. This menu gave the restaurant’s chefs an opportunity to shine while showcasing Indian regional cuisines.

Next up were the mains. There were four to choose from, and we could each have two. After much debate and deliberation, I chose the lamb and beetroot. The beautifully cooked lamb was nestled on top of a blue cheese naan resting on a creamy beetroot raita, a winning combination. Lavinia opted for the pandan chicken. If you’re not familiar with pandan, it’s often called the vanilla of the East and is used in both savoury and sweet cooking.

We needed a small pause before we were presented with our final mains. For me, sea bream with lemon, garlic and cumin was the perfect option after the lamb. Lavinia chose the beetroot and goat’s cheese dumpling. Even though we had tasting-size portions, the combinations of flavours, textures and fragrance ensured we were full and satisfied.

The final treat was the Rajasthani coral cake. The cake had more of a flapjack texture, sitting proudly on top of a cardamom and rose buffalo milk reduction, topped with a boule of hung yoghurt ice cream.

If you’re looking for Indian dishes that are inventive and innovative and, more importantly, delicious, then Babur is your pick. Established in 1985, Babur is one of London’s longest-standing and most celebrated Indian restaurants, with a loyal following. From what I hear, they’ve set their sights on earning a Michelin star, and from what I sampled, I hope they land it. 

Babur
119 Brockley Rise
Forest Hill
London SE23 1JP
020 8291 2400

Looking for something more central? We also recommend Tresind in Mayfair

The post Babur, an award winning Indian restaurant in Forest Hill appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on August 28, 2026

Memorable Mahler at the Proms

As a culturally minded singleton in my 20s, I used to ‘prom’ (queue up on the day for standing tickets) at the BBC’s Proms summer festival at the Royal Albert Hall about twice a week. It’s still, to my mind, the best value ticket in London if you’re willing to put up with a bit of discomfort, and proves that classical music invented the mosh pit decades before more popular genres!

Although some things have changed, the atmosphere remains unique, and I love it. The Prom in question was a reprise of a programme the Met Orchestra and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin premiered in New York a few months back. For those unfamiliar with the Met Orchestra, which is making its Proms debut, it is both the professional orchestra for the Metropolitan Opera and a freestanding orchestra of growing renown. If they have a speciality, it is in music with orchestra and vocalists: something which tonight’s performance demonstrated to very good effect. As well as opera, their USP is an ability-based blind audition process that draws 100s, or even 1000s, of aspiring players to audition for each vacancy. This emphasis on virtuosity was abundantly evident in the concert, their second in two nights.

The programme started with Kaija Saariaho’s ‘Lumière et Pesanteur’ (or ‘Light and Gravity’). The composer wrote that it was “a gift for [the famous conductor and fellow Finn] Esa-Pekka Salonen, inspired by his performance of my ‘La Passion de Simone’ in Los Angeles, January 2009, composed for the French philosopher Simone Weil.”

I confess that I haven’t been much aware of Saariaho’s music, even though a 2019 composers’ poll ranked her as the greatest living composer. The Met has an established relationship with her: their staging of ‘L’Amour de loin’ was only the second opera by a female composer ever presented by the company.

The piece is quite short and drew a shimmering sound quality from the Met, aided by the scoring for delightfully light percussion. To a newcomer, it seemed to me firmly in the tradition of French music; Saariaho lived in France for most of her working life, but also worked extremely well as an introduction to the main body of the concert: two familiar pieces of Mahler. It won’t be the last of her pieces I listen to.

It was followed by the ‘Ruckert’ lieder – one of Mahler’s shortest orchestral song cycles, composed following a near-fatal period of ill health accompanied by relationship tension; the last of the 5 songs was in some ways a peace offering and was added later to the cycle with an orchestration by another composer. The solos were sung by the leading American opera singer and recitalist Joyce DiDonato. The cheer that greeted her arrival on stage was a testament to her outstanding reputation with the Proms audience, and her performance showed this was richly merited. Despite the Albert Hall’s acoustic, often a challenge for singers, DiDonato offered immaculate diction and variety of tone. Orchestra, singer and conductor felt completely and very touchingly in harmony and balance, particularly after the first of the 5 songs.

The second half was given over to Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. This is a less monumental work than, for example, his 2nd or 8th symphonies and had a distinctly mixed reception when first performed. One reviewer called it a ‘great leap forward’ while another criticised a ‘succession of disjointed and heterogeneous atmospheres and expressions mixed with instrumental quirks and affectations.’ The saving grace for many was the unexpected vocal solo in the final movement.

Of course, a mixed first reception is no indicator of a work’s final reputation; there was a riot at the first performance of Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’, and the Fourth Symphony became the most played of the composer’s symphonic works during Mahler’s life. After a period when Mahler’s music fell out of fashion, not to mention being banned by the Nazis, it has deservedly become a core part of the orchestral repertoire.

When the piece was performed by the Met in New York, reviewers described it as ‘a work in progress’ for the conductor. In places it was truly wonderful: the slow movement, for example, reflected an orchestra absolutely at home with maintaining momentum through Wagnerian long, slow passages. The final movement with the sudden appearance of DiDonato singing from the back of the orchestra was also very fine. I agree with the New York reviewer that her voice is perhaps too big for the ‘childlike quality’ specified by Mahler, but it was lovely.

If there is a criticism it would be that the very soloistic quality of the Met, in a piece where there are a lot of short solos for wind and horns, coupled with the Royal Albert Hall’s acoustic meant that at times the balance didn’t feel quite right and as a result some of the transitions felt a bit clunky: this may have been deliberate however, the first theme of the second movement is meant to resemble a “pied piper” type figure.

The encore, Mahler’s ‘Uhrlich’, was quite simply to die for. Overall, this was a concert I will remember for a long time.

The Proms

17 July – 12 September

Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore,
South Kensington,
London SW7 2AP

BBC Proms are available free of charge on BBC Sounds. If you’d like to hear this one for yourself, the link is here

Proms Photo Credit: Pete Scalzitti

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Last Updated on August 27, 2026

Summer in the City

The Galvin brothers, Chris and Jeff Galvin, owners of Galvin La Chapelle, have been synonymous with the London restaurant scene since 2005, when they opened their Bistrot de Luxe on London’s Baker Street. With its sophisticated, intimate and urbane high-quality French bistrot offer, the restaurant changed the London scene, which had been in thrall to the super-brasseries of the 1990s such as Quaglino’s, Mezzo and The Bank.  Successive restaurants were established; Galvin Windows at the Hilton on Park Lane gave us rooftop glamour and Galvin at The Athenaeum took the brothers’ classic dishes into the West End’s hotel scene

The brothers now have two restaurants in London based on one site in Spitalfields. Galvin Bistrot & Bar is fun and informal with a Mediterranean-inspired menu. Their Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Galvin La Chapelle, focuses on fine dining, and we are reviewing their five-course Taste of Summer menu, priced at a very reasonable £49.00 per person, including a complimentary glass of 2025 ‘Symphonie’ Rosé from Château Sainte Marguerite, Côtes de Provence. There’s also a classic wine pairing for £41 or a Sommelier wine pairing for £66. The menu is available until 15 September for lunch and dinner, and similar offers are available at Galvin Bistrot & Bar and Galvin Green Man in Chelmsford.

Galvin La Chapelle is situated in a former Victorian school in the heart of Spitalfields. It has an interior that is an elegant fusion of the contemporary and the antique, with a high vaulted ceiling, wooden beams and marble columns framing the more modern elements.

We opened the proceedings with a glass of the Galvin House Champagne, with its fine mousse, pear, and light brioche notes, whilst we nibbled elegantly on some Sardinian Carasau flatbread that came with a gentle anchovy cream emulsion.

Next up was the light, summer strawberry sparkle of the Rathfinny Rosé Brut from Alfriston in East Sussex, matched with our supplementary bread dish: a fluffy seeded potato bread, a crisp, crusty sourdough, and a pillowy Focaccia, all perfect for dipping in a fruity, peppery Picual extra-virgin olive oil.

Then it was time to delve into the Taste of Summer menu itself, starting with some top-notch snacks. “Memory of a bruschetta” was a reconstructed version of the classic Italian bread and tomato dish. A tomato and basil foam sat on a base of oil and fine breadcrumbs, creating a textural contrast with the original dish. A Carlingford oyster was dressed with a tangy sliver of finger lime and a briny oyster emulsion, and a duck liver parfait with Moroccan spices and a cherry chutney on a sliver of brioche was a brilliant reworking of a classic combination. 

We moved on to a honey-coloured white wine; Avignonesi Da Di is a four-grape blend from the Cortona region in Italy fermented in amphorae, which gives it a luscious tropical character along with some citric freshness. It was a great match with our starters, balancing the acidity of roasted yellow pepper escabeche topped with a fishy tonnato sauce and fresh stringy stracciatella.

A plump, sexy little Dorset crab raviolo came with charred fennel and a beurre blanc where you could taste the vinegar in a good sort of way.

For our fish main dish, we drank an organic and biodynamic 2025 ‘Symphonie’ Château Sainte Marguerite, Côtes de Provence that was light and delicate, full of strawberry, raspberry and wild flower notes. Cornish seabass was seared to perfection plated with a crisp charred baby gem a Caesar dressing and a crunchy Parmesan topping. 

The spicy flavours of a Cheverny blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay from the Loire Valley added value to a deconstructed cassoulet with Dingley Dell pork belly and a deliciously sweet Tropea onion. The pork was a little undercooked, and the beans were too al dente for an authentic cassoulet experience.

With our desserts, we drank a Rastignac Pineau de Charentes, a blend of cognac and sweet wine with a honeyed sweetness and a bit of bite. An exemplary Amalfi lemon tart had excellent pastry, a tart lemon gel. burnt soft meringue, and a dollop of coffee ice cream on the side

Baba au tiramisu, ideal to share, is the signature dessert and a fab piece of table theatre with lots of flames. The baba was doused with rum then topped with coffee, mascarpone and a sprinkle of chocolate to create a genuinely indulgent dessert. 

I don’t think there is a better value tasting menu delivered with Michelin-level finesse and charming service on offer in London at the moment, but the Taste of Summer menu is only available until 15 September.

On Monday 5th October 2026, Galvin La Chapelle will host a one-night-only chef collaboration dinner bringing together two exceptional culinary voices: Tom De Keyser, Head Chef of The Chalk Freehouse in Chelsea, and Arturo Granato, Chef Director of Galvin Restaurants.

Tom De Keyser was Head Chef of the two-Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers in Marlow, the first pub in the world to hold two stars, and the evening will unite De Keyser’s precise, ingredient-driven British cooking with Granato’s elegant, Mediterranean-influenced technique, honed across two decades in some of Europe’s most acclaimed Michelin-starred kitchens. The dinner is priced at £125.00 per person, including a glass of champagne on arrival, with wine pairing priced at £75.00. For this special dinner, book here.

Galvin La Chapelle Taste of Summer Menu

35 Spital Square, London E1 6DY

020 7299 0400

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