Articles by Daphne Colthard
We restaurant critics are not always the best in recommending places to eat on the hoof but for many that is exactly what is required. Last week I was in London and my first port of call was the Brass Rail at Selfridges for a tongue accompanied by a salt beef half sandwich. It’s the best salt [...]
A la Colthard/much sense from Tim Hayward
Tim Hayward is a restaurateur and the food critic of the Financial Times. In yesterday’s weekend edition – instead of reviewing a restaurant – he composed a much-needed piece on the expense of London restaurants, having paid during the week £200 per head at a not especially [...]
A la Colthard/Boccaccio and la Colombe d’Or
The past few days I have visited two of my favourite restaurants: Boccacio in the centre of Nice (rue Masséna) and la Colombe d’or in St. Paul de Vence, a 30 minute drive outside Nice. I walked straight past Boccacio because – as I remembered it – it never had an open air street [...]
A la Colthard: Nice food & drink
We have only visited 2 restaurants so far so I’m going to concentrate here more on the food and drink of Nice. Every morning we send Bob off to his beloved market le Cours Saleya and he returns with an abundance of fruit and vegetables of the highest quality. We have our breakfast of croissants, [...]
A la Colthard: a Spanish Day in London
Yesterday I went with Alice Mansfield to the Royal Academy to see the Spain and Hispanic World collection of Archer M Huntington, the son of a railroad magnate and avid collector around the turn of the twentieth century of Spanish paintings and artefacts. Alice considered Spanish art underrated [...]
A la Colthard/Tutto
The owner of Tutto, Raz Helalat, is one of Brighton’s best restaurateurs. He started with the the Coal Shed, which still serves the best steaks in Brighton, opened the Salt Room in the Hilton Metropole and – more recently – the excellent Burnt Orange. Now he has launched an upmarket [...]
a la Colthard/The Spread Eagle Midhurst
There was something reassuring about this traditional hotel in Midhurst, West Sussex, where my room had a proper key – not a card – the service was friendly but professional and there were floral china cups. Upon arriving last Sunday I ate smoked salmon and egg sandwiches with a glass [...]
A la Colthard/The Black Horse, Binsted
A taxi driver and a Rust colleague who lives locally had both recommended The Black Horse at Binsted near Arundel and after going there yesterday for lunch I can see why. It’s a country pub which has built onto it a dining room/conservatory with fine views over the South Downs. I ordered a [...]
A la Colthard/River Cafe & Ivy Asia
One restaurant that has stood the test of time is the River Cafe, Rainville Road Fulham. It’s not in a particularly convenient nor accessible part of London and not at all cheap but it’s still there, you need to book and it’s always full. It was launched by architect Richard Rogers and his [...]
A la Colthard: London hotels post Covid
I was shocked – when seeking to book a hotel in Mayfair for the first weekend in September – to be quoted over £1,000 a night for Browns in Albemarle Street. I imagine hotels are making up their Covid losses in the summer when occupancy is much higher and Browns is uber posh but [...]