REALLY, you could make the argument that all of London's restaurants are international. The culinary boundaries are so porous that the hospitality industry is a truly global one. For the purposes of this feature, I'm going to focus on those that showcase the cuisine of a single country (with one notable exception) with reliable aplomb.
Bocca di Lupo W1
Padella, Manteca, Ombra, Artusi... London is exceptionally well served in the pasta stakes these days. But for all-round Italian excellence, it has to be Jacob Kenedy's Bocca di Lupo. The menu describes itself as 'a phrasebook in miniature, containing a taste of the 20 main dialects of Italian cuisine', and each dish is listed with its provenanceso there's Roman fritti, grilled porcini from Lombardy and cream-of-red-prawn risotto from Liguria. The drinks list, likewise, is temptingly comprehensive, with seven different negronis to choose from.
Otto's W1
The Holborn home of one of only two duck presses in London is a glorious Gallic refuge from London life, with its soothing mint walls and chequerboard floor (Otto's lobster press was the first of its kind and there are only four of them left in the whole world). The burgundy flows, the classic French dishes (steak tartare, whole roast Bresse chicken, souffles) are faultlessly executed and very generously portioned. And the canard à la presse? Magnifique; worth every penny. www.ottos-restaurant.com
Rita's Dining W1
Think American food in London and you'd be forgiven for picturing the Hard Rock Café or a purveyor of pointlessly overloaded burgers with a name such as Natural Born Grillers. But Rita's, which opened on Lexington Street last year after a series of pop-ups and a go at sandwich-making, is the best kind of taste of the US-specifically, California, with nods to Mexico and forays into the South.
Esta historia es de la edición October 05, 2022 de Country Life UK.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 05, 2022 de Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
