Features – Restaurants

'Waiter, waiter, there’s a fly in my soup…' How to complain in restaurants

Most other nationalities put us Brits to shame in the complaints stakes; stick us behind a white tablecloth and suddenly it’s all strained smiles and pleasantries. Restaurateurs all agree: they’d much rather a customer complained than didn’t, in order to give staff a chance to make up for their mistakes. So what is the appropriate etiquette for making a complaint in a restaurant? And how can taking action help you to get what you want? Knowing when it’s time to complain isn’t always easy, so we asked the experts’ advice.

Restaur-rant: what’s the point of foraging?

Vegetables? Good. Weeds? Bad. Guest columnist Marina O’Loughlin has had enough of restaurants raiding the hedgerows and serving up piles of unidentifiable green sludge.

Brits rule at The Northall

Garry Hollihead is backing British ingredients all the way from his new position as executive chef at The Northall. Square Meal went with him to meet some of the restaurant’s key producers.

RestauRANT

Tired of shouting at your dining companion or afraid to utter a word in an echoey, church-like restaurant? Carl Wilkinson isn’t afraid to speak up

Booking lines open for Barbecoa

COMING SOON (October 2010)... After being delayed by two days, Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang’s much-anticipated, flame-fired barbecue restaurant Barbecoa is set to open on – rather appropriately – Bonfire Night, 5 November. If you want to guarantee a seat at the meat-centric, City-based site that following week, we suggest getting on the phone asap, as booking lines (020 3005 8555) are now open. To get your teeth into an interview with Oliver and Perry Lang on the new restaurant, taken from our autumn magazine, read on.

An Evergreen Act - 20 Years of the Ivy

With its famously long waiting list, legendary service and star-studded clientele, The Ivy is an icon of London’s dining scene. As the restaurant marks the 20th year since its major overhaul, Jennifer Sharp analyses its sustained success

RestauRANT

Sick of reading cliché-ridden twaddle about the writer and his actress dining companion as they enjoy the first service in a newly opened gastropub? Joe Warwick launches his campaign for better restaurant writing

London Gets The Blues

Has the recession turned Londoners into miserable stay-at-homes? Far from it. The city’s better bars are as upbeat as ever, & ‘the blues’ is making a comeback, judging by the rash of music lounges that have sprung up around town recently. Even non-aficionados will be familiar with names-to-drop such as the world-famous Ronnie Scott's or Blues at the 100 Club, but strike out from Soho for some equally sexy saloons. Whether your tastes run to Big Mama Thornton & Sonny Boy Williamson or Charlie Parker & Billie Holiday, our musical pick is aimed at those who want to go Wang Dang Doodle – as the late Koko Taylor sang it.

Designs On Your Dining: Restaurant Designers

Great looks are a key aspect of any self-respecting restaurant, yet we know strangely little about the talented people who design our top dining spots. Bethan Ryder goes behind the scenes to profile London’s leading designers

The Hit List UK - The Top 50 restaurants outside London

What with all the sunny weather we've been having, isn't it time we all got out of the smoggy old capital and started eating further afield? If you're a keen foodie looking to dine out of town, but don't know where to start, never fear: Square Meal has trawled the length and breadth of the land in search of Britain’s 50 top regional restaurants – and here is our pick, kicking off with Whatley Manor, the winner of our award for the best out-of-London eatery.

It will never last - Pop up Restaurants

If you like it you can’t go back – and if you hate it there’s no point complaining. Zoe Williams ponders the strange phenomenon of London’s pop-up restaurants

I’m a celebrity, can I take your order?

From De Niro to J-Lo, today’s A-listers are itching to open their own restaurant. Yet as many stars find to their cost, it takes more than glamour, fame and money to ensure culinary success. Ashley Pearson investigates the fickle world of the celebrity restaurateur

The Select Few - How to find top Thai restaurants

With a growing music scene, vibrant nightlife and international sporting events, there’s more to Malta than meets the eye. Square Meal checks out the action

The Tapas Trail

Eating is a way of life in Spain, with a tempting array of tapas available in just about any bar. Now you can sample some of Iberia’s finest dishes in a growing number of eateries closer to home. Patricia Langton takes a look at some of the capital’s newest Spanish restaurants

Hidden Gems

There are plenty of foodie havens that turn out great food with consistency and without fanfare. These are London's hidden gems. Unsung heroes that get neither the column inches nor the accolades. Here Square Meal selects some of its favourites and to make the journey doubly worthwhile we have negotiated some special deals on some of their signature dishes in October and November. There’s never been a better time to try them.