Taste Festivals is an international food and drink event which spans 19 cities around the world and is a must for any self-respecting foodie.

Taste London returns to Regent’s Park from 20th – 23rd June with over 40 chefs including Vivek Singh from the Cinnamon Club, Thomasina Miers who founded Wahaca, TV chef Michel Roux Jr from Le Gavroche, the cutting edge of culinary innovation from Bristol boys Jonray and Peter Sanchez Iglesias from Michelin starred Casamia and lots more. Plus 40 of London’s top restaurants serving special menus which include their signature dishes. There will be masterclasses, demos and cook-offs and a boutique food market with over 200 artisan producers and top brands.

And if that’s whetted your appetite then check out their website for details and tickets.

Taste Festival London

If only all pubs were like this!

I (briefly) visited a new pub/bar in Belsize Park the other evening and was told dogs weren’t allowed. She doesn’t drink, she doesn’t smoke, she doesn’t talk loudly and she doesn’t bore people with stories about herself that don’t go anywhere. It’s not a piece of EU legislation and she’s not in the kitchen so why are all these pub landlords citing some non existent phoney baloney about dogs not being allowed in pubs. They are and if they’re not blame the landlord. Should have gone here – Scolt Head in Islington. And they’ve got a great menu which offers locally sourced meat & fish, good selection of beers and wines and homemade ice-creams, sorbets, jams and chutneys. Dogs Allowed!
Scolt Head
Culford Road
London N1 4HT

Alaska studios in Alaska Street were founded in 1977 by Pat Collier who was the bass player in the Vibrators. We recorded there in 1983 when Pat produced our first few records – ‘Katrina & The Waves’ and ‘Katrina & The Waves 2′ until we were signed by Capitol Records. We used to drive down from Feltwell in Norfolk every day for about a week because that’s all the time it took us to record our first album. Because the studio was under the railway bridge and back then the rooms weren’t very well soundproofed, we had to stop every time a train went across or when the doorbell rang – which you can hear on ‘Don’t Take Her Out of My World’ on our first album. We used to go to ‘La Ronde’ an Italian cafe across the street where I had my first cappuccino and bread and butter pudding and the Wellington on Waterloo Road. At the time there weren’t any shops in Waterloo station just a pub which closed at 11pm and a Wimpy. When we strolled around Waterloo station in the evening there were always more pigeons than people.

Centre Point was one of London’s first skyscrapers and stood empty for five years after it was built in 1967. Nobody liked it when it was built but we all love it now as we love anything that survives London’s aggressive redevelopment. It’s been squatted, featured in cult films and now it’s Grade II listed and getting a complete makeover. But already in at the top is the Paramount Bar on the 32nd floor with 360 degree views over London. Simply stunning and one of London’s best kept secrets.