Restaurant Review

Nestled on the banks of the River Thames, with a commanding view of Tower Bridge, Le Pont de la Tour is a landmark restaurant that intertwines French cuisine with the dynamic backdrop of London's skyline. This culinary destination has been at the forefront of London’s high-end dining scene since opening its doors in 1991. I was offered a job there as a Sommelier around 1996, but declined as I wasn’t ready to move to London. I am not sure if I regret this or not. I think retrospectively I would have thoroughly enjoyed my time there. 

Meandering along the streets of Clerkenwell, I found myself pondering why it had taken me so long to dine at Luca, a stalwart of Italian food with a distinctive British twist. Owned by the Clove Club, this Michelin-starred restaurant disguises its culinary skills behind a façade reminiscent of a local trattoria, with its inviting green exterior and modest double wooden doors.

Donnalucata is a pretty fishing village in the province of Ragusa on the southern west coast of Sicily. Unspoilt by tourism even in the high season. Famous for its long, sandy beach, attractive promenade, ice cream shops and excellent restaurants; one restaurant, in particular, stands out.

Il Consiglio di Sicilia is set in the divine Piazza Francesco Crispi on the Via Casmene with a gorgeous terrace encircled by trees and draped with ivy and vines.

Our last stop on the Audi R8 V10 Tour was the Great Fosters, a Tudor estate just outside Windsor in Surrey. 

Great Fosters is the quintessential historic English Manor estate, offering exquisite dining under new head chef Alex Payne. Plus indulgent pampering with massages, afternoon tea packages and luxury suites frequented by kings and queens set in ornate gardens filled with outstanding and immense topiary (hedges sculpted into a variety of forms).

You can’t pass up the privilege of being cooked for by a veteran Michelin-starred Masterchef and being served by a waitress whose father is China’s top international football goal scorer, scoring 41 times in 107 games. And coming on once as a substitute for Sheffield United in the FA Cup match against Colchester United. It is a unique and wonderful gourmet experience.

The Carthaginians arrived in Ibiza in 654. The Goths and Visigoths, Muslims and Christians followed.  Then came the Chavs. And stag/ bachelor parties, the tattoos, the piercings, the thongs, the “full-on” party animals, the Jagerbombs, Phil’s full English all-day breakfasts, the Thirsty Thursdays and bottomless Gigglewater, the $30 G&Ts, the VIP chill pits, the ebullient non-binary scene, Deep House, Techno, the Ecstasy, the mixology, the re-dubs and the re-masterings.

One of our favourite stops during our Polestar 2 electric car tour was the Victoria Oxshott gastro pub.

This new gastro pub is set on a country road in a tiny village in Surrey. As you walk in there is a comfortable long bar to the right and assorted dining rooms off to the left, furnished in oak, green wood panelling and light brown chesterfield sofas and chairs. Plenty of stoves and open fires add colour and ambience.

The Relais Henley is a stylish new waterside retreat in Henley-on-Thames. There’s just something about riverside hotels that is gloriously appealing, particularly in England. In the old days, you could always find something wrong about a hotel, but a new breed has emerged that just gets everything right from the get-go and the Relais Henley is just such a place.