Delighted to say that tickets for my autumn 2026 Nights Out In The kitchen tour, celebrating publication of my new cookbook out next year, are now on sale. You’ll find a link for tickets in the link tree in bio. Join me for a night of serious food chat as I answer the key questions: what’s the best thing to have on toast? How many uses are there for haggis? How do you write about food without overusing words like crispy, moist and succulent? And what’s the best way to survive cooking Christmas dinner? All this and an awful lot more.
And before anyone complains that I’m missing you out by not coming your way, these are the first dates. There will be more to follow.
For this week’s @ft_weekend review I am in Barcelona @colmadowilmot , a terrific place a little way outside the centre where they do the simple things really well. A Colmado is a kind of grocery store, which it pretends to be, and the other half of the name references John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester, an 18th century poet and libertine who lived fast and died young. Let’s start with fried eggs with Sobrasada, squidgy centred tortilla with txistorra, a Basque kind of chorizo, prawns fried with garlic, and some ham etc. FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via the LinkTree in bio. And have my usual Saturday reminder to have a look at the shows page, for links to my uk one man show tour this Autumn marking publication of my new book, and all forthcoming jazz gigs.
Next up from @colmadowilmot in Barcelona, the truly fabulous rib eye, the meatballs Stroganoff and their chips. FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via the LinkTree in bio. And have my usual Saturday reminder to have a look at the shows page, for links to my uk one man show tour this Autumn marking publication of my new book, and all forthcoming jazz gigs.
And finally from @colmadowilmot in Barcelona: dessert. Which is a torrija, in this case a ensaimada, one of those delightful flaky Majorcan pastries, swamped in shiny dulce de leche. (I note comments that it doesn’t look great; it tasted delicious). FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via the LinkTree in bio. And have my usual Saturday reminder to have a look at the shows page, for links to my uk one man show tour this Autumn marking publication of my new book, and all forthcoming jazz gigs.
Last night we gathered at @pizzaexpresslive Dean Street to celebrate its 50th birthday. We had the joy of a very intimate performance by @jamiecullum with the @joe_webb_music trio. Here they are with a new arrangement of I Cover the Waterfront.
It’s a brilliant room to play, and honestly one of the places where I’m happiest doing so. Given the extraordinary lineup of people who have also played Dean Street I’m constantly thrilled by the fact we have the privilege of a monthly residency with them.
Happy Birthday Dean Street and a huge thank you to its founder the late Peter Boizot for taking a punt all those years ago and opening a jazz room in the basement of a pizza parlour.
Some restaurant openings are like big west end shows which every critic must weigh in on and now it’s my turn. For today’s @ft_weekend I am @simpsons1828 the rebirth of Simpsons-in-the-strand by Jeremy King. I had dinner in Romano’s upstairs, so let’s start with the scotch egg, the veal and crayfish Marengo, the oxtail pudding and (beneath that perfect fried egg) a buttery crumpet stacked with cayenne spiked crab meat. And yes it was all very nice indeed. FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via the LinkTree in bio.
Next up from Romano’s @simpsons1828 dessert starting with the@shimmering trolley of eclairs and Bakewell tarts, an (under sauced) sticky toffee pudding, and a lemon meringue coupe. FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via the LinkTree in bio.
And finally from my review of @simpsons1828 - breakfast in the Grand Divan, which alongside the kedgeree for my companion meant the Ten Deadly Sins, the full full English including devilled kidneys, a lamb chop and bubble and squeak. It is breakfast for someone who has no intention of having lunch. And like everything here just so damn civilised. FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via the LinkTree in bio.
As part of this year’s British Library Food Season I’m chairing a great event on June 16 marking what would have been the late Anthony Bourdain’s 70th birthday. I’ll be in conversation with @tealbysallyabe@chefandrewclarke and Zoe Williams, as we investigate his impact and influence, and whether the myth of the kitchen hero is always a force for good. You’ll find a link for tickets in my linktree in bio.
For today’s @ft_weekend I am @sentosa.restaurant on London’s Bermondsey Street specifically for the joys of Singapore Chilli Crab. In which I confess my ability to wear my lunch on my shirt, and wonder whether I ought to wear oilskins to eat it. Anyway it’s great. FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via by the LinkTree in bio.
On Wednesday the JR Sextet is playing as part of the @dorchesterfestival , nr Wallingford in Oxfordshire. We’ll be playing our deep dive in to the chart hits of the 80s with jazz in their bones; songs by Fairground Attraction, Matt Bianco, Working Week and an awful lot more besides. There’s a link on the shows page of my website.
And a few more lovely dishes from @sentosa.restaurant on Bermondsey Street: soft shell crab, green beans with minced beef and spicy belacan, spring rolls and Singapore noodles. FT subscribers will find a link to the review on the journalism page of my website via by the LinkTree in bio.
On Wednesday the JR Sextet is playing as part of the @dorchesterfestival , nr Wallingford in Oxfordshire. We’ll be playing our deep dive in to the chart hits of the 80s with jazz in their bones; songs by Fairground Attraction, Matt Bianco, Working Week and an awful lot more besides. There’s a link on the shows page of my website.
It’s taken me far too long to relative neighbourhood newcomer @sessa.london in Herne Hill, but only because it’s always been full when I was around. Anyway finally today I had a lovely solo Sunday brunchy thing there today. This merguez sausage ragu on toast is a really good idea. Nice people too.
#VeryMiniReview
