Rather than being a month of holiday-making, London seems to be gearing up for another busy month of restaurant openings and happenings. The last few weeks has seen us open Outcrop, which has been so positively received that the run's already been extended until the end of September. We also welcomed Naz Hassan as new Head Chef at Pidgin, and dinner there last week saw two separate journalists claim his cod dish was 'the best thing I've eaten all year'. And Luca's Ferragosto menu is what we'll be feasting on over the next few weeks, lucky us. Quality abounds in this brilliant foodie city all year round, and we have a few autumn openings up our sleeves which we think will delight too.
Latest news
London Cocktail Week returns this October
The world's biggest cocktail festival is back for 2023, and we're thrilled to be working with the London Cocktail Week team to celebrate the city's world leading bar scene. With a renewed focus on excellence, new for this year will be a Connoisseur's Collection of unique events at London's most prestigious bars. The Curated Cocktail Tours will also make an illustrious return, with the much-loved £8 Signature Cocktails available at the city's best drinking spots. Read more here.
Pidgin announces new head chef Naz Hassan
We're so pleased to be working with Pidgin, the beloved Hackney restaurant from Sam Herlihy and James Ramsden, which has just welcomed Naz Hassan as Head Chef. With 15 years experience at the likes of BiBi and The Cut at 45 Park Lane, Bangladesh-born Naz's purposeful but weekly-changing menu melds European cooking with East and South Asian accents - think utterly delicious brown shrimp kakiage with chive mayo. Read more here.
Hackney Bridge to host British Street Food Awards
From 18th to 20th August, east London's hottest new venue Hackney Bridge will host the world's biggest street food competition. The grand final will see 15 traders compete for the prize, in front of judges Sophie Ellis-Bextor and a collection of Michelin-starred chefs. The best part? Visitors can indulge in dishes from the UK's top traders, including LJ Hugs' Cajun chicken, and Char siu pork and tiger prawn rolls from the Isle of Wight’s Smoking Lobster. Read more here.
What's on this month
Channeling an Italian summer escape from 1st-26th August, Luca's Ferragosto menu offers a feast inspired by the country's coast and mountain regions. Peter Sanchez-Iglesias's Casa has launched a Menu Del Giorno (three courses for just £30) on its waterside terrace. On 13th August, Edinburgh's The Palmerston will welcome Manteca's Chris Leach for ‘A Very Pig Lunch’, a nose-to-tail feast using all parts of a pig. Throughout August, restaurant and arts space Outcrop will host DJs who have created music journeys inspired by the natural world, all to be played through its audiophile sound system. Football fans should head to Hackney Bridge this month, where they'll be showing all the Women's World Cup matches on its giant screens. Is it coming home? Fingers crossed.
The Auld Reekie Report
Tonic's restaurant picks for the Edinburgh Fringe
Heading up to the Scottish capital for the world's biggest arts, comedy and culture festival? You'll need to ensure a full stomach if you want to keep those belly laughs going, so take a look at our pick of the best places to eat in the city this month.
Chef spotlight: John Chantarasak
This summer, you’ll find John Chantarasak cooking his celebrated food at Outcrop, the restaurant and arts residency from the team behind Luca, at 180 The Strand.
Together with his wife, wine expert Desiree Chantarasak, John is one half of AngloThai, a restaurant concept that melds British ingredients with Thai flavours. In recent years, AngloThai has run residencies across London, collaborating with the likes of Brad Carter, Lee Westcott and James Cochran.
Brought up in the Wye Valley in Wales, John is of British and Thai heritage, his father hailing from Bangkok. His food embraces native British ingredients (as well as UK-grown ginger, chillies and lemongrass) with Thai cooking techniques. On his menu at Outcrop, you’ll find the likes of Carlingford Oyster, Sea Buckthorn, Fermented Chilli, and Thai Tea Burnt Cream and Newlands Farm Strawberries.
John trained at the Cordon Bleu in Bangkok, before going on to work under at David Thompson's globally acclaimed Nahm, and helping to set up acclaimed east London Thai restaurant som saa. John's appeared on BBC’s Great British Chefs, shortlisted as ‘Chef to Watch’ at the National Restaurant Awards in 2022, and has twice been shortlisted as ‘Chef of the Year’ by the Young British Foodie Awards.
Outcrop is open until late September (having had its run extended already). You can book to try John's food here.
