food
Chef’s top tables Theo Randall opened his first restaurant, Theo Randall at the InterContinental on London’s Park Lane, in 2006 and has two successful cookbooks to his name
On my wish list…
I’ve always wanted to go to l'auberge du pont de Collonges, Paul Bocuse's restaurant in Collonges-auMont-d'Or, near Lyon. I have many of his cookbooks, and would love to see where it all started.
Core by Clare smyth London corebyclaresmyth.com This restaurant in Notting Hill is in a beautiful building that Clare completely refurbished. As you would expect, the food experience is spectacular in every way. From a simple potato dish to the most perfectly cooked piece of skate and roasted grouse. Her team is extremely professional but also incredibly friendly. The menu is small, balanced and very seasonal. I cannot wait to go back. Favourite dish: Charlotte potato with trout and herring roe. 24 World Traveller
allard Paris
osteria bell'italia Cisternino, Puglia
restaurant-allard.fr This wonderful French gourmet bistro is owned by chef Alain Ducasse. For me, it's the perfect small restaurant. You enter through the kitchen and the tables are close together yet comfortable to sit at. There's a great buzz, but what’s even better is the aroma from the kitchen. On my last visit we had poached turbot on the bone with hollandaise and roasted Bresse pigeon with new potatoes cooked in butter – delicious. Favourite dish: Roasted duck for two with green olives.
osteriabellitalia.it This is a fantastic little restaurant in the back streets of beautiful Cisternino, with outdoor tables set along the narrow, white-walled passageways. It's the place to go to taste the real flavours of Puglia. The delicious Antipasto Bell'Italia is enough for four people, even though the menu says it’s for two, and the pasta is excellent. It's hard to spend more than €100 for two. Favourite dish: The thick spaghetti with wild local mushrooms, tomatoes, cacio (cheese) and capocollo (cold cuts).