Restaurants

Best for London
The World in 202 Meals
We didn’t need Ken to tell us that London is a wonderfully diverse city – the food here says it all. This ambitious project, headed by seven food lovers, aims to prove that you really can eat around the world without ever leaving the capital.
Log on and enjoy following the project’s exploration of international cuisines. Restaurant suggestions, for where to find a Kyrgyzstan or Tuvalu meal for example, are also welcome.
They say ‘We hope our shamelessly tokenistic search provides amusement, restaurant tips and lessons about London and beyond.’
www.theworldin202meals.com

www.thepassionatecook.com

The Passionate Cook
London-based Austrian blogger Johanna is a dab hand in the kitchen (and with a camera, it would seem). The archive of stunning dishes accompanied by useful anecdotes and sharp photography is every home cook’s dream. Recent recipes  include scallop ceviche with avocado and mango, and a gorgeous chimichurri sauce.
Log on if you’re bored with making pasta every night.
She says ‘There is no dish that has been more of a constant in our married life than fillet steak…’
www.thepassionatecook.com Feature continues

London Eater
A relatively new food blogger, Kang, and he doesn’t do things by halves. Reviews are detailed to the max, with a good mix of high-end restaurants and hole-in-the-wall caffs. From the evocative yet unpretentious writing to razor-sharp photography, it’s a regular fixture in our browsers.
Log on  to the ‘quickie guide to wine’ – a great resource for vino virgins.
He says ‘[It reminded] me of the last time I ate a Cornish pasty – with a knife and fork – in Pembroke with two blokes from Darlington; Ivan did say he will never understand us southern fairies.’
www.londoneater.com

Coco & Me
The blog of a thirtysomething stallholder at Broadway Market,  the charismatic Tamami Haga. Chocolate truffles, tarts and cakes are her forte; luckily for us, she shares her recipes for them, too. To the delight of her regulars, after a six-month hiatus from the market, she’s back at the stall; expect more tales from the frontlines.
Log on for the detailed discussion: ‘Would Voldemort prefer rich tea [biscuits] or custard creams?’
She says ‘I love Broadway Market. I love the locals, I love the type of customers it attracts and I love my fellow stallholders. Being back is great.’
www.cocoandme.com

foodsnobblog.wordpress.com

Food Snob
Fine dining extraordinaire, the anonymous (and allegedly stunningly handsome, say fellow bloggers) Food Snob eats his way through the capital’s swankiest restaurants. His write-ups are so detailed, readers feel like they’ve been there themselves.
Log on and live vicariously through the Snob’s culinary adventures.
He says ‘The food had none of us on bended knee, kissing houndstooth hems – I certainly remained perpendicular (or on my bottom) the whole time…’
foodsnobblog.wordpress.com

Randomness Guide to London
Want to find Finnish food near music shops? Or if there’s a Chinese supermarket within a 500m radius of a cabaret joint? The RGL is a brilliant review site-cum-wiki for interesting places (with a bias towards good pubs).
Log on to add reviews of your own.
They say ‘This is not, and never will be, a commercial guide. It’s a grassroots thing, set up for the benefit of its contributors.’
london.randomness.org.uk

londonreviewofbreakfasts.blogspot.com

London Review of Breakfasts
That pun-tastic, simile-ridden goldmine of a blog, celebrating all that is breakfast. Created by ‘Malcolm Eggs’ in 2005, it now boasts over 300  witty reviews from contributors such as Stephen Fry-Up, AA Grill and Yolko Ono.
Log on  if you’ve had en’oeuf (their words, not ours) of bad breakfasts in the capital.
They say ‘Only the imposing mound of chips could save the dish, yet its resistance was broken by an incoming tide of tepid bean juice. With the various potato products facing a two-pronged yolk and bean sauce attack, a vegetarian bloodbath ensued.’
londonreviewofbreakfasts.blogspot.com

World Foodie Guide
While WFG is a self-proclaimed ‘traveleating’ blog, it has its feet firmly planted in London. Mixing local and international restaurant reviews with recipes and guides, Helen Yuet Ling Pang has created a site that is as resourceful as it is enjoyable to read.
Log on to great posts such as ‘Where to eat in Soho’ and ‘How to dine out on a budget in London’.
She says ‘Based in London. Born in England to Hong Kong parents. Grew up in Germany. Lived in Beijing and New York. Married to a vegetarian but lives as a carnivore.’
www.worldfoodieguide.com

www.eatlikeagirl.com

Eat Like a Girl
Inspiring recipes from London-based Irish blogger Niamh. There are a few restaurant reviews, but we come for the home cooking – the majority of the recipes are Niamh’s own. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out the post on Israeli couscous with onion squash, haricot beans and pumpkin seeds.
Log on because we’re not the only ones who rate it – ELAG was voted as one of the best food blogs in the world by the Times Online site.
She says ‘If you want me to do anything, bribe me with pork belly.’
www.eatlikeagirl.com

Scrambling Eggs
Ramblings about coffee, breakfasts and acute observations of life in London as a new café-owner makes for a quirky blog. The Lantana café in Fitzrovia is Australian Shelagh Ryan’s creation, and the blog documents encounters with regular customers, news and inspiring recipes (the fruits of which can be enjoyed in the café, if you’re lucky).
Log on to experience, in pixels, the life and characters of  Charlotte Place.
She says ‘This week there is to be no blagging, barely any blogging, just a bit of baking: a less offensive use of hot air.’
scramblingeggs.blogspot.com

Best of the rest
More great food websites, a tad less London-focused

BBC Food
With an  extensive database, tips on seasonality, excellent ‘Food Matters’ features section and a great ‘Get Cooking’ console with video recipes. 
www.bbc.co.uk/food

UKTV Food
Includes a great local food directory,  more than 11,210 recipes and a brilliant ‘Market Kitchen’ podcast.
www.uktv.co.uk/food

Videojug: Food and Drink
This is a bit like the ultimate how-to handbook-meets-YouTube. Videojug’s food section provides a wealth of clips with useful tips; learn how to serve and drink saké, make naan bread or even just how to chop an onion.
www.videojug.com/tag/food-and-drink

Tastespotting
A pot luck of eye-candy, in the form of food photography contributed by food lovers everywhere. Don’t visit on an empty stomach.
www.tastespotting.com

www.nordljus.co.uk

Nordljus
By Japanese food photographer Keiko Oikawa. A recent post on Ottolenghi in Islington was photographic perfection.
www.nordljus.co.uk

Still Life With...
A food photography blog that hits the right mixture between showcasing examples of great images and tips on how to improve your own.
www.stilllifewith.com

Serious Eats
This New York-based site boasts plenty of interesting food titbits.
www.seriouseats.com

Chowhound
The UK/Ireland boards offer a wealth of information from savvy gourmands.
www.chowhound.com

Well-done Fillet
With razor-sharp wit and the requisite self-deprecating humour, Manuel  uncovers the hard-knock life of a restaurant waiter in Belfast.
welldonefillet.blogspot.com

Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef
Hailing from Hackney and now reporting from Spain, 21-year-old Brooks – former catering student – chronicles his life as a budding chef. 
aidanbrooks.blogspot.com

Abel & Cole
At Keith Abel’s organic fruit and veg box delivery service (there’s also meat, fish and everyday store cupboard items), you can exclude any items you don’t fancy, the delivery is free and there are weekly recipes to boot.
www.abelandcole.co.uk

Hope & Greenwood
A virtual Willy Wonka factory of sweet treats; log on to find nostalgic confectioneries from yesteryear.
www.hopeandgreenwood.co.uk

Paganum
A friendly ‘online farmers’ market’ selling high-quality meat and produce from family-owned farms and artisanal firms in the Yorkshire Dales. We’re hooked on the flavoursome lamb chops and bargainous pork belly.
www.paganum.co.uk

Riverford Organic Vegetables
Whether you’re cooking for one or have a family to feed, the range of mini to large vegetable or meat boxes will see you through. Free delivery.
www.riverford.co.uk

Wing Yip
The motto is ‘all the Chinese you need to know’. If you can’t get to the excellent Wing Yip superstores in Croydon and Cricklewood, you’ll find all the oriental ingredients you need here.
www.wingyipstores.co.uk