Food & Drink

Autumn has a way of coaxing us toward comfort with the warmth of a slow roast (I cooked lamb shanks over the weekend), the glow of a fire, and the kind of wines that bring a little light to darker evenings. This month’s selection travels from the Provençal slopes of the Rhône to the limestone valleys of the Loire, pausing in Rioja and Germany’s Pfalz along the way.

Finally Dishoom has arrived in Glasgow; we have been eagerly anticipating this for the longest time. Dishoom have a presence in Edinburgh (the first one in Scotland), however each and every time we have attempted to dine out at the eatery, the queue has been up the street and around the corner, and in the dreary Scottish weather there was zero chance we would be standing in that queue, even us die hard foodies have to draw the line somewhere!

There are tastings, and then there are moments that transcend the glass — where wine becomes a vessel for memory, philosophy, and time itself. Such was the experience at The Dorchester’s Chef’s Table, where a select few were invited to a rare Champagne masterclass led by Alice Paillard, daughter of Bruno Paillard and steward of the maison’s legacy.

When Torabhaig opened its doors in 2017, it became only the second distillery on the Isle of Skye, a place already defined by one formidable neighbour. Yet Torabhaig’s approach from the outset has been confident, a commitment to “well-tempered peat,” where smoke doesn’t assault the palate, but is used in balance with sweetness, fruit and coastal freshness.

I am publishing this article today, as it coincides with the Distillers One of One charity auction, which I recently wrote about. Glen Scotia’s contribution is stunning, and I urge you to make a sizable bid. Not only will you receive 4 wonderful bottles, but 100% of the proceeds go to charity. 

There’s something quietly magnetic about Kahani. Hidden just off Sloane Square, this modern Indian restaurant hums with understated confidence. You descend from street level into a warm, candlelit space where rich woods and jewel tones create a cocoon from the chaos above. There are no windows, yet the high ceilings and clever lighting keep it feeling open and elegant rather than enclosed.

Bladnoch is no stranger to reinvention. Founded in 1817 on the banks of the River Bladnoch in Dumfries and Galloway, the distillery has seen prosperity, closures, sales and revivals across more than two centuries. Today it stands as the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery, often referred to as the Queen of the Lowlands. Under the stewardship of owner David Prior and master distiller Dr Nick Savage, Bladnoch has been brought back into focus, producing single malts that carry both the weight of history and the promise of modernity.

I have been to Lucky Cat at the summit of 22 Bishopsgate, London’s tallest building, a number of times now. It has always been bustling, busy and with a great vibe. Located Sixty floors up, with Tower Bridge and the Gherkin stretched beneath you, Gordon Ramsay has created something unlike anything else in his empire. But within this restaurant/bar, there is a hideaway Chefs Table called Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High. 

I was in Edinburgh earlier this week to taste Glen Scotia’s Four Quarters set that is heading to the Distillers One of One charity auction. It is rare that a single tasting manages to cover history, technique, design and philanthropy with the same clarity. This did. Four single malts from the same month in 1999, each a quarter of a century old, and each showing a different facet of Campbeltown’s character through its choice of cask.

Step inside the newly launched Liverpool Street Chop House & Tavern and you feel a sense of London’s dining history humming through the walls. Part tavern, part chop house, this is both a nod to the City’s 17th-century eating houses and a modern reinvention, where heritage and produce are treated with equal reverence. 

Every extraordinary meal is elevated by the company. On this occasion, I was joined by three luminaries from the worlds of hospitality, design, and gastronomy.