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Review: Sake Seafood Sensations at The Grand Duchess
Sake, Restaurant Reviews, Wine Restaurants Sophia Longhi Sake, Restaurant Reviews, Wine Restaurants Sophia Longhi

Review: Sake Seafood Sensations at The Grand Duchess

During the months of October and November, a bevy of restaurants across London have been participating in the Sake Seafood Sensations campaign, which is continuing until the 20th of November. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to discover the breadth of saké and also how it pairs with different cuisines.

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Review: The Bottle Store Restaurant at Squerryes Winery

Review: The Bottle Store Restaurant at Squerryes Winery

In the summer, on one of the hottest days of the year, I sat by the stream at the Squerryes Winery’s Kent estate and feasted on a picnic, looking out onto the lush vines. It was a pleasure to be invited to return at the weekend, on a misty afternoon, to visit the new Bottle Store restaurant.

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Local Sicilian produce and wines at Casanova & Daughters
Italy, Wine bars, Wine Restaurants Sophia Longhi Italy, Wine bars, Wine Restaurants Sophia Longhi

Local Sicilian produce and wines at Casanova & Daughters

Cedric Casanova – half-French, half-Sicilian – had an illustrious career as an acrobat in Cirque du Soleil, but the time had come for him to hang up his tightrope. He returned to Sicily and spent a few months thinking about what he was going to do, feasting on the olives that his family grew in the small village of Salaparuta, and eating the bread, cheese and fish from the other local farmers. These delicacies tasted so incredible that he had the idea to sell them in Paris, and so he opened a grocery. With his skills as a showman, he very quickly became friends with the big chefs of the city, like Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Pierre Herme, and he ended up supplying all of them with produce for their restaurants. One grocery store became two, then one in London and a restaurant in Paris called La Tete dans L’Olive, meaning ‘head in the olives’.

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Harvest Supper with Simpsons Wines at The Pig at Bridge Place
UK, Wine Travel, Wine Restaurants, Hotel Stays Sophia Longhi UK, Wine Travel, Wine Restaurants, Hotel Stays Sophia Longhi

Harvest Supper with Simpsons Wines at The Pig at Bridge Place

The Pig Hotel at Bridge Place in Canterbury is a sight for sore eyes in the late afternoon sun in October. The period country house stands proudly in the beautifully manicured grounds – not too manicured, mind; there is a working kitchen garden that is tended to daily, the fruits of which are used on the menu from dawn ‘til dusk in dishes, teas and cocktails. The heady herbal aromas of the garden even lend a hand in the treatment huts, helping guests to unwind and find their inner zen.

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