London Food & Drink News: 30 August

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 139 months ago
London Food & Drink News: 30 August


Wahaca opens a new branch in Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia this week. The new restaurant distinguishes itself from the chain's other incarnations with a new breakfast menu, an on-site deli and grocery store called Wahacita and the Mezcaleria, a first floor bar dedicated to mezcal, tequila's smokier, louche cousin, which originates (appropriately enough) from the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

Staying on Charlotte Street, the fashion for haute hot dogs (the latest slice of American fast food to be reconstituted for hip London lips) was taken up a notch this week with the opening of Bubbledogs &. If it's unclear from the name, the new restaurant is based around an "unlikely coupling of hot dogs and grower Champagnes" (there's also gin and craft beers for those averse to fizzy wine). It sounds ridiculous, and probably is, but the buzz from the opening night has been positive. Sticking with the posh sausage-in-bun theme, it's also the last weekend to sample the hot dogs at Broadway Market pop-up Superette.

The results of Harden's London 2013 restaurant survey were released on Thursday. We haven't had a chance to browse through it yet, but Bloomberg has a good appraisal. Briefly, Heston Blumenthal's Dinner was voted best meal, while Chez Bruce kept its place at the top of the favourite restaurant list. The book is released 1 September.

Saturday is the final day for Blanch and Shock's four-week residency at The Endurance in Soho (our review). They finish with a dinner menu, concluding their culinary tour of the four compass points with ingredients and techniques from the west, including pig head tacos. Stay tuned to their website for the full menu.

Duck & Waffle, a new bar at the top of the Heron Tower has become the latest rooftop venue to offer a breakfast menu. Ideal for anyone looking for a killer view to accompany their morning chow, although we suspect that a few City boys might mistake the 'Colombian eggs' for a pick-me-up of a different kind.

The Coffeesmith Collective (we're big fans of their Leather Lane cafe Department of Coffee and Social Affairs) hosts a drop-in coffee training barista bar this Saturday, 1 September, at the Liberty of Norton Folgate in the City. All their coffee-making kit will be 20% off the regular price.

Finally, the Metro's long-time restaurant reviewer Marina O'Laughlin has been named as Guardian Weekend magazine's new food critic. She celebrated by inadvertently causing Giles Coren to (briefly) delete his Twitter account.

Last Updated 30 August 2012