Amazing hamtastic visit yesterday at Cinco Jotas in Jabugo. I thought l knew about jamon but Maria’s knowledge and passion took the experience to another level (now l know that l still have a LOT to learn). Thanks again María, Marco and team for taking such great care of us 🐷🫶🐖 #jamon #spain

It starts “I know there’s a magpie in the window” and goes on to explain it’s a rescue and won’t survive in the wild and that if you whistle to it might whistle back. Amongst other things!

The Eversleigh Road magpie is back! (He went missing for a while)

Gentleman’s Relish is toast after its maker axes the pungent anchovy spread Falling sales end production of condiment created in 1828 – but London restaurant Simpson’s keeps it on the menu

Noooo! 😪

www.theguardian.com/food/2026/ap...

Reminder

Yeah went there years ago - 15 of us all had crab and chips 😀

Willy's, Margate I have often come across menus that read better than they deliver - full of interesting ingredients and clever techniques on paper but not l...

New post!

Willy's in Margate, well worth a trip to the seaside. #invite

cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2026/04/will...

The Three Horseshoes Batcombe

New post! The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe. Decent, if unspectacular.

chrispople.substack.com/p/the-three-...

I've just switched to Community Fibre. Seems nice and fast so far (2.5g for £27/month). Use this link to sign up yourself and we both get £50

communityfibre.co.uk/friends?ci=p...

Polanski talks up teacher pay rises, scaling back exams and fighting far right - taxing the rich to pay for it all.

Fair play from the Mail.

I said what I said.

Very clever, Paul McCartney marketing dept. Very clever. maps.app.goo.gl/bjuiYw6DvEpw...

Fiery Flavors Surrey Quays

New post! Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays:

chrispople.substack.com/p/fiery-flav...

#invite

I've started linking to my Substack rather than my old blog - let me know if any of you have issues. I'm still cross-posting on the old blogger account for now.

Dover Street Counter, Mayfair First of all, apologies - to Dover Street Counter and readers of this blog alike - for the atrocious state of the photos in this post. What'...

New post!

Atrocious photos of decent food at Dover Street Counter

cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2026/03/dove...

The thing is, the truth always comes out eventually.

All this stuff about René Redzepi (awful, of course) and Jonathan Downey still walks the earth?

Bistro Sablé, Islington Sablé occupies the handsome 1930s public house that, most recently at least, was home to Neil Rankin's Smokehouse. I spent many happy times ...

New post!

Bistro Sablé isn't great. cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2026/02/bist...

The robotaxis are coming (spotted this morning on the Embankment)

Oh THAT Chris!! Hahaha sorry I completely forgot about that. Say hello!

Pretty sure you don’t mean me because I am a HUGE sherry fan! (Plus I’m in London 😁)

Dorian, Notting Hill This time last year, potential sites for an upcoming work lunch had been whittled down to a choice between Lita in Marylebone, or Dorian in ...

New post! Dorian in Notting Hill is magnificent:

cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2026/01/dori...

Also there's still spots for quick service restaurant decision-makers to sign up for research. We pay £150/head for your time.

forms.gle/6sWLBzk7SXQp...

0018: MARKET RESEARCH INTERVIEWS - QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS Hello! We are arranging some research and wanted to speak to decision makers to get your views and opinions on some new offerings within the Quick Service Restaurant industry. In the next few weeks,...

It's that time again! Calling all owners and managers of quick service restaurants - my company is paying £150 for 1.5 of your time. Here's the signup link - have fun! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Off to Athens. Think I'm pretty sorted for restaurants/bars, but anything cultural, off-beat or quirky you might recommend? Thank you!

Barnacle, Liverpool If it sometimes feels like Liverpool is short on quota of restaurants of sufficient quality befitting a city of its size (something that, fo...

New post! Barnacle in Liverpool, where everything goes right until it doesn't.

cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2026/01/barn...

Which word am I supposed to be stressing in this headline?

The Hart, Marylebone In an ideal world this would be a post about the 'proper' upstairs restaurant at the Hart, a serious (though not by all accounts stuffy) din...

New post! The Hart in Marylebone is the final nail in the coffin to the assumption that London can't do gastropubs.

cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-...

And yet I have a BB in at the moment which is v disappointing - bland and bitter and boring. I’ve had really good ones in the past. Wish I knew how to tell before buying.

This is the 15th year of #DuvetKnowItsChristmas, which is preposterous. Rules: if you find yourself dealing with unusual / claustrophobic / gaudy sleeping arrangements this Christmas Eve, share a picture with the world. Use the hashtag (with capitalisation) and cc me if you can be bothered.

PSV, Waterloo The tradition of exciting, regional SE Asian food appearing above or behind unassuming pubs in London is alive and well. The first time I en...

New post! Got a bit of a blogging backlog to work through, so hot on the heels of yesterday's review this is PSV Cuisine in Waterloo (and it's also brilliant):

cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2025/12/psv-...

Kokin, Stratford Lots of potentially very well-respected global cuisines have an unenviable, constant uphill battle against the enshittification of their bra...

New post! Kokin in Stratford is high-end Japanese food done almost flawlessly.

cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2025/12/koki...