Andy Warhol, headed paper, date unknown via Letter Heady

Battle Ground flyer, 1978

Labour’s Education Policies Aren’t Working, Lawrence Zeegen, 2007

Terrorist Attack on Sri Lankan Cricketers, Lawrence Zeegen, 2009

The Attorney General’s unfathomable workload, Lawrence Zeegen, 2009

The Roots X John Varvatos, 2011

Kaws Standard installation, NYC 2011

Wren Bicycles

Citroen HY icecream van, by Jan-Loek Siskens, 2004

Help poster, Network Osaka, 2010

Granny Takes a Trip, London 1966

Second, baseball sticker

Civic Stack, Von Tundra, 2009

Mercedes Helnwein, Summer II, work in progress in studio, 2010

Mercedes Helnwein, Summer II, 2010

Mehmet Ali Uysal, Mandalbuyuk, 2010

Shinya Kimura, directed by Henrik Hansen, 2010

Pan Am Poster ‘USA’, Chermayeff & Geismar, 1971

Pogo - Alice, Wonderland, 2008

instagradiate

via

RIP Gille Villeneuve.

Laura Bifano

Heaven’s Gate, China (via hungrymarv)

Craig Redman.

Santtu Mustonen

Ward Roberts.

Pierre Soulages.

Howard Hodgkin, Swimming.

National Train Day. IC4Design.

Ben Wiseman.

Blah Blah Blah

http://bit.ly/ChinatownNoodle

One of the most unprepossessing looking restaurants in the world? Maybe. Terrible lighting, poor decor and average furniture (at best). But who cares when the food is this good. Chop Ribs and Crispy Pork with Vegetables in Hotpot is full of sticky, chewy, flavour-packed goodness. Beef Brisket with Noodle Soup is a cut above the norm: spicy, with a depth of flavour in the stock (think star anise, ginger, five spice, plus a good kick of chilli heat) and tender meat that only comes from long slow cooking. Plus the staff are lovely. I only wish this was my local (sorry Jade Garden).

http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk

Another of the small plate brigade: (generous) starter-size dishes ordered in multiples; a style of eating I love. In a lesser eatery, this demands juggling your order to create a harmonious whole. But at Ottolenghi the only worry is which dishes you don’t order and miss out on. Roasted spicy pumpkin with mixed leaves, fried Manouri (a Greek cheese), oven roasted cherry tomatoes and basil sauce anyone? Yes please. Stuffed courgette flower with lemon-scented Turkish (not Greek) ewe’s cheese and delicious date syrup. Again, yes please. And so on, in a well-judged ‘Mediterranean Basin’ type stylee. Some question its ‘authenticity’: I prefer to just enjoy their inventive and modern approach to regional inspiration. Lovely.

http://bit.ly/95a3LQ

The perfect culinary comfort blanket: a quietly thriving Soho institution, thankfully still doing all that made it successful in the first place. A fantastic wine list that nods to it’s wine bar heritage. A slowly rotating list of house classics (foie gras pate with toasted brioche, or potted shrimp) and spot on comfort food (meatloaf with mash, or confit duck with dauphinois), but always mixed with a few dishes even the most devoted regular won’t have seen on the menu before. Invariably you’d happily order 10 of the 12 dishes, but still end up ordering the meatloaf if it’s on (never a mistake). Fabulous staff who are interesting, and importantly, interested. Who have plenty going on beyond the day (or night) job, but who are sure there’s no better waiting job in London and are happy to be there. As am I. What’s not to like?

http://www.francomanca.co.uk

Franco Manga - NY style line-ups for London pizza, via a classic Italian approach to simplicity; supplying pizza that easily compares with the best that NY has to offer. If you can brave the wait at the weekend - or are able to get down during the week, then you’ll get to see what the fuss is about. What a treat. Chewy, crispy and super tasty bases; check. Simple, clean-tasting tomato sauce; check. Top quality, well sourced toppings, combined and applied with care; absolutely.

Making apparently simple things look easy is a real art; and it’s an art they’ve perfected at Franco Manca. What’s not to like?

http://bit.ly/3IMR9T

A slice of Soho history that manages to enjoy the charm of it’s past without even bothering to think of trading on it. Apparently (according to Mr A. Yentob on his self-commissioned Imagine show) Cat Steven’s brother stood on one of the Formica topped tables and shouted at the assembled ranks of music industry luminaries that “my brother is a musical genius!”. The result was a meeting at EMI that kick-started his career. The Formica tables are unchanged. As is the coffee machine that made this one of London’s original coffee bars. Now, it serves retro avocado and prawn starters for £2.50 (avocados never anything other than perfectly ripe) - and pizzas for less than £7. The food will never win any awards, but I’d still rather eat here than any of London’s chain pizza places, every time. A real gem. As an added bonus, the BYO policy means you can go a little mental on the red wine - and still get out with bargain.

http://bit.ly/4yn4jW

The perfect local. A totally beautiful owner, a great hiring policy - meaning friendly staff - and happy punters. Free range chicken, cooked to the point of perfectly flavour packed skin in jerk form, with still moist meat. Great spicing in the oh so meaty gravy. Rice and peas. Homemade ‘slaw and chili sauce. Outside dining if the weather suits. Just an all round winner. And BYO to boot. What’s not to like?

http://www.sushiyasuda.com

A dedication to detail that lifts sushi into the realms of the truly sublime - in a way that defies belief. So few constituent parts, but all absolutely perfect. And without any of the meticulous attention to detail getting in the way of the perfect culinary experience; of becoming unneccesary or intrusive frippery. The provinance of the salt? Yes, but only if you ask. The beer Mr Yasuda would recommend - again, if you’d like to know.

This attention to detail could, in the wrong hands, sound a little wanky (or writing about it might) - but it’s just pride in serving the very best.

The rice, just warm. The addition of soy and wasabi just so. Size and shape, perfect. Everything - perfect.

‘Some sushi places places think that by charging a lot of money they are making good sushi. Wrong’ - Mr Yasuda.

The prices at the counter aren’t cheap. But they are good value.

Not a sushi pretender. A sushi master.

http://www.dinernyc.com

Beautiful people. Beautiful people who’s whole life seems ahead of them. Beautiful people with tattoos who’s whole life seems to be ahead of them. The staff as much as the clientelle. A hugely welcoming atmosphere. It makes me feel like life is full of possibility, of love and of opportunity. Not like wanting a tattoo. But if ever I was going to want one, it would be after eating at Diner. The food is good. Maybe not great, but as a restaurant, it transcends the need for showy food. It’s a neighborhood place where you think about moving country and moving city, so that this is your neighborhood place. Or mine anyway.

http://www.boccadilupo.com

Everything you want from a restaurant. And a little bit more. Counter seating: check. Flexible dish sizes so you can explore the menu more fully: check. Plenty of good wines by the glass: yes indeed. The chef used to work at Moro prior to getting his name over the door at ‘Mouth of the Wolf’ - and despite the complete shift in the regionality of the food, there are similarities that are harder to put your finger on. The convivial atmosphere that gets generated by the open kitchen / bar / counter seating arrangement that both places share is my theory for what makes Moro and Boca ‘work’ as a restaurant, even before you’ve tasted the food.

As for the food - it’s well thought through and regionally inspired Italian. Not a generic version of Italian, but one which respects the provenance of ingredients, cooking techniques and traditions inherent in each dish. Best seats are at the counter in front of the chefs. Then you’re well placed to add and adapt your ordering to accommodate the dishes that most inspire as they go out. Although I don’t remember having ordered anything less than fantastic in the last three or four visits.

http://www.moro.co.uk

Sat at the bar with a glass and a tapa or two in front of me - this is one place that invariably leaves me feeling that there really is nowhere else in the world I’d rather be (see Diner for a similar ability to instill a perfect sense of bonhomie). The full restaurant experience is great, but for me the bar is the place to be. The best quality, most reasonably priced tapas in London. There are no fillers - just a perfect selection of tapas perfectly produced, every time. Even better - the spot on tortilla can be yours at home every time, for the price of the Moro cookbook. Don’t listen to Delia, with her slow but sure methods. Listen to the professionals - get that pan super hot; and cook with with confidence - brown at the edges but moist in the middle. As it should be.

This is in my top 5 all time favorite places, so I could blather on for ever.
So I won’t: it’s just great.