The best things we ate and drank in January 2025

Daffodil Mulligan (Old Street) - Veal and anchovy lasagna

This month saw a return visit to Richard Corrigan's Old Street restaurant where Corrigan stalwart Fiona Hannon (previously Bentley's) is now in the kitchen. New dishes are on the menu, including this perhaps unusual combo for a lasagna, but one which just works perfectly in the finished article. It was pleasingly huge too.  

Prince Arthur (Belgravia) - Devilled egg and caviar

Longtime followers of Hot Dinners will know just how partial we are to a devilled egg and this version, at new Belgravia gastropub Prince Arthur was a brilliant example. We were particularly impressed by the presentation - usually the egg is split lengthways before being scooped out and refilled. Here the egg is kept intact and hollowed out - very clever. 

Jupiter Burger (London Fields) - The Jupiter Burger

Braving the January cold we headed to new street food spot Jupiter Burger to try out their tight menu of smash burgers. The titular Jupiter burger is the one to go for, in our humble opinion, featuring a shaved onion patty made with amazing beef from Hill & Szrok down the road.

Dove (Notting Hill) - Deep fried Taleggio & Wiltshire truffle lasagna

London is having a bit of a lasagna love-in at the moment and we are very much here for it. At Jackson’s Boxer’s new Notting Hill restaurant deep squares of squidgy, truffly lasagna are deep fried and then covered in cheese - snack heaven.

Oma (Borough Market) - Ostra regal oysters, beluga caviar, smoked bergamot

Having pronounced it best new restaurant in our 2024 awards it felt only fitting to return to Oma for our last meal of the year on New Year's Eve. This bouji oyster special for the festivities was a perfect example of why everyone's still talking about this fantastic Borough restaurant.

Panadera (Marylebone) - Egg Sando

Our sadness at learning that Panadera were closing their OG bakery in Kentish Town was tempered with the knowledge that we can always get their amazing sandos at their newer bakery just off Oxford Street. This egg sando in in their toasted panadesal bread completely revived us after a fruitless trawl through the January sales. 

Santo Remedio (Marylebone) - Cornish Venison quesabirria, crispy corn tortilla, melted cheese & shredded venison

These quesabirria at Santo Remedio’s newest opening in Marylebone were a perfect illustration of how good the Mexican food scene in London is right now. Using slow-cooked Cornish venison instead of the more traditional beef and served with a bowl of broth for dipping they were enough to ward off any winter chills.

Sushi Kyu (Soho) - Lightly seared otoro with soft fried onions

Top tier omakase for just over £50 is cause for celebration in London and one of the highlights from a procession of great nigiri at this Brewer Street counter spot included this otoro sushi, given a quick kiss of the blow torch before being topped with sweet onions.

Los Mochis (City of London) - Crispy Rice: Spicy Tuna, Avocado Crema, Spring Onion

The Tenrei tuna extravaganza at City spot Los Mochis features the fish in a series of dishes from sashimi to tempura maki, but we have a fond spot for crispy rice which was topped here with a good and spicy tuna tartare.

Breadstall (Soho) - Vodka sauce pizza

The latest hot opening in Soho was the arrival of Battersea’s pizza by the slice folk Breadstall. It’s easy to grab and go, but we took advantage of a booth inside to work our way through most of the slices, deciding that the amazing vodka tomato sauce one (top left in the photo above) was our particular favourite.

Helene Darroze at The Connaught (Mayfair) - Galette des Rois

After a five-year hiatus, Helene Darroze's Galette Des Rois party was back with a bang at The Connaught. We didn't win anything (this time) - although Kol's Santiago Lastra did - but we did enjoy seeing how many Michelin-starred chefs you could fit into one room.