Famurewa Signs Off. A Hit in Birmingham. Critics & More.
Lots of love for Lolo. Hayward on Ibai. Sunday Times goes vegan. LOTI goes to Greenwich.
Hello everyone, and welcome. I’m glad you’re here. Lots of interesting responses to last weeks item on working habits in London. Most of you reported labouring under some sort of go-to-the-office mandate, typically for 3 days per week, but a few of are expecting tougher mandates to emerge before the holidays. Thanks to everyone who replied.
I’m in Birmingham this weekend (more on that below), and there wasn’t a ton of relevant news this week, plus a lot of the critics were outside of London. So this week’s update is slightly lighter than usual. But let’s dig in anyway. A few items that I hope you’ll find interesting:
Jimi’s Last Dance at the Standard
Only two weeks after announcing that his column would be coming to an end, Jimi Famurewa signed off from the Standard this week with a review of Lolo in Bermondsey. (It’s linked below in the Critics Wrap-Up section.) As part of his farewell, the Standard put together pieces summarising his 15 favourite and least favourite places as well as a summary of best lines from his reviews.
It’s not yet clear to me how the Standard will be treating its restaurant beat in the weeks to come. There has been new content published to its restaurant page since Jimi’s final package ran on Wednesday.
In the days since Eater London closed, with Jimi and David Ellis at the helm, the Standard has filled the gap and been a leading source for London restaurant and food news. I’m sure the end of its print edition will being other changes to its overall approach, but I hope the Standard sees the economic case for continuing to serve the large and engaged audience of London foodies with serious, professional journalism. We’ll see.
I also wonder what it means for restaurant beats at other papers. When veterans like Jay and Grace step aside (or become victim to newsroom cuts), will they be replaced? Is restaurant journalism declining? Again, we’ll see.
Join Me at Akara
Our next Conversation Over Lunch will be at Akara in Borough Market on Thursday, 3 October. I’ve been to Akara three times in the last few months, and it is become a real favourite. Don’t fear the “west African” label. It’s great food worth exploring, and the menu is accessible, not scary. Because Akara’s set lunch menu is so reasonably priced, we’re offering tickets to this lunch at £60, down from the usual £75. We have a couple of places left, so express interest here if you would like to join us.
Hits & Misses
Mini-reviews of places that were either (a) good, but not quite good enough to do a full review and add to the Guide, (b) had a flaw or two, or (c) that I revisited following a prior review.
Hit: Tamatanga
After 16 years living in the UK, I’m ashamed to say that I had really been to Birmingham. But I’m happy to report that I had the chance to spend the weekend to attend the Vitality Blast T20 cricket finals day, and had a great time. Still the country’s second city, its old industrial character has been transformed to a glistening, modern skyline.
But what about the food? Actually, after a full day at the cricket, where the first Pimms was served at 10:35 a.m., there was only one choice: Curry. And with a helpful suggestion from our cab driver and some fast Googling, we wound up at Tamatanga.
Chaat, Bhaji, a couple of Biryani, a curry or two, and we were set.
The vibe was cool: The place was modern. Street food with seating. Service was fast. The kitchen was on it. Curry and cocktails are a winning combination. And the whole experience was great fun, especially when the staff hilariously delivered a birthday cake to the wrong table, much to the shock of the group who were definitely NOT celebrating and to the nearby table of people who definitely WERE.
I’m sure there are more authentic curry spots in Birmingham. Places with more history. Places with fewer locations. But Tamatanga was great. Just what we needed. And I would happily return.
Critics Wrap-Up
✍🏻 indicates a review that you should read for the writing.
🍽️ indicates a place that sounds excellent and is probably worth a try.
✍🏻 For his last review at the Standard, Jimi Famurewa reviews Lolo in Bermondsey, the new place from Jose Pizarro. Spoiler: He loved it. “It was the tapas-adjacent snacks and sides that tractor-beamed us in.” Jimi signs off with this: “Thank you for reading, and please know that I will still be out there. Laughing and raging, delighting at the unexpected presence of crisps, and savouring every last scrap of what this mad, brilliant city still has to offer.” I’m looking forward to that, for sure.
Catherine Hanly (Hot Dinners) also visits Lolo in Bermondsey. “What a gem this new restaurant of Jose's is. It sits neatly between the more casual Jose and the higher-end Pizarro and has already become stupidly popular just a few short weeks after opening.”
Marina O’Loughlin (independent critic) also checked out Lolo. “[Very] much enjoying the increasing Josefication of Bermondsey.”
🍽️ Tim Hayward (FT) went for something different this week and actually wrote a restaurant review. Alas, it’s of Ibai in Farringdon, which makes the 437th review of Ibai to appear in a major newspaper. “Basque ingredients are treated with skill and respect, and the sommelier deserves sainthood for explaining wines poetically and persuasively through noise like an F1 pit lane.”
Jules Pearson (LOTI) checks out High Road Social in Greenwich. “Greenwich is not a part of London known for its restaurants, dominated as it is by big chains and tourist traps. Highroad Social is a very welcome change to all that – a proper restaurant, offering serious modern cooking right in the heart of town.”
“Christina” (LOTI) visits Kanpai Classic, the waygu-focused spot in Soho. “A restaurant specialising in wagyu is always going to come with a punchier price tag than most, but with the a la carte offering you can try something pretty special without totally blowing a hole in your wallet.”
Caitlin Horlock (Chatting Food) tries DF Tacos in Tottenham Court Road. “If you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful date night, a group sharing session, a work dinner, or you just fancy getting into a bit of a food coma, you can’t really go wrong with a visit to DF Tacos”
- revisits six London classics including J Sheeky, Moro, and Won Kei. It’s well worth a read.
Adam Kay (Sunday Times) checks out Plates, the vegan restaurant in Shoreditch where you cannot hope to get a booking. “Plates is a vegan restaurant that could easily win over a committed carnivore. It might not be the best meal you’ll ever have but it’s quite likely to be the best vegan meal — and that’s more than enough reason not to be able to book a table.” Charlotte Ivers was away.
Giles Coren (Times) was mostly in Germany but includes an off-hand review of the new branch of Albert Schloss in Leicester Square. William Sitwell (Telegraph) was in Poole. Grace Dent (Guardian) was in Bristol. Jay Rayner (Observer) was in Leeds. Nick Lander (jancisrobinson.com) had three great vegetarian meals in India. Tom Parker Bowles was off.
Thanks for reading this weeks’s update. This week’s review will be out on Wednesday, and takes us back to Canary Wharf. Please consider subscribing if you haven’t already, and let me know a good place for a Professional Lunch that I should try.