Best Restaurants

It was stage four of the Maserati GranTurismo Tour—a frivolous, fuel-scented pilgrimage through England’s more indulgent corners—when we found ourselves descending upon Guildford. Not the obvious locale for an evening of overt Asian excess, granted, but then again, neither is a V6 Ferrari-derived engine purring through the Surrey Hills in sport mode. And yet here we were: pistons cooled, collars unbuttoned, and a reservation secured at the impossibly opulent Ivy Asia.

For decades, the alpine town of Megève has quietly maintained its position as one of France's most elegant ski resorts. Less ostentatious than Courchevel but no less chic, it's a destination that balances heritage and sophistication, with cobbled streets, horse-drawn carriages, and views that frame Mont Blanc like a painting. While winter remains its high season, Megève is increasingly a year-round destination, with plenty to offer even after the snow begins to melt.

The British have always harboured a faintly masochistic love affair with queuing. We queue for Wimbledon tickets, we queue for airport security, we queue - often with existential regret - for a lukewarm G&T at the theatre bar. And in Marylebone, a particularly dedicated breed of diner queues, rain or shine, for steak frites at Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte.

Villa Mamas is the kind of restaurant that doesn’t need to try too hard. Tucked away on a quiet street off Chelsea Green, it’s small, always busy, and doesn’t rely on gimmicks or overblown fuss. The low lighting, flickering candles, and the warm scent of fresh flatbreads and spices make it instantly inviting. The staff greet you with understated hospitality, a quiet reverence in keeping with the restaurant’s origins. It’s the kind of place where people become regulars after a single visit, as I found after moving nearby last year.

As a food writer, I should write about food. As a wine writer, I should write about wine. But as a human, I must write about people. At Pétrus in Belgravia, the people are at the heart of what makes it extraordinary.  

The drive up to Tewkesbury Park Hotel in the Cotswolds is utterly fabulous, a welcoming gateway that winds half a mile up through the gorgeous greens of the golf course leading to the main building.

There is plenty of parking and electric charge points, not needed this time as we were touring the Jaguar F-Type with its powerful V8 engine. 

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.