Villiers Street, which leads up from the Embankment to the Strand, has always been famous in my mind for Gordon’s Wine Bar which I have visited many times. It’s said to be the oldest wine bar in London, established in 1890 and it’s been family-owned since it opened. Clearly family businesses abound in Covent Garden…who’d […]
Restaurants in London
A heavenly piece of France at PAUL in Covent Garden
Tonight I’m back in Covent Garden trying out a brand new bistro. I seem to keep discovering romantic stories of family businesses that have been going forever. PAUL is another one of them. The company was started in 1889 when Charlemagne Mayot and his wife opened a small bakery in Croix near Lille. It was his […]
Tapas at El Pirata in Mayfair
Welcome to Mayfair, a rather exclusive part of London town. The area gets its name from the 15-day fair that James II established there in the 1680s, which was mainly for cattle trading. The gentrification of the area in the mid-18th century killed off the festival, which led to local architect and developer Edward Shepherd […]
Radio rooftop bar in Covent Garden
Another great discovery on the southern tip of Covent Garden, sitting on the corner of Aldwych Street. It’s where the popular Gaiety Theatre which suffered bomb damage during the Second World War sat. That building was torn down and turned into an office block in the 60s. Now it’s a stunning, contemporary hotel that sparkles […]
Discovering a delightful new Indian restaurant: Salaam Namaste
My summer exploring London continues with a visit to Bloomsbury. Close to Covent Garden (only two stops on the tube), the area was developed by the Russell family in the 17th and 18th century into a fashionable residential area. It gave its name to the influential Bloomsbury Group who met in private homes here in the early […]
A Korean feast at Koba
So tonight we started our evening off in a part of London I’m not that familiar with – Warren Street. It’s close to Charlotte Street, one of my very favourite London streets and it’s very conveniently on the Victoria Line, one of the best tube lines in town. We were meeting our friends Neil and Jakki there as […]