Who made the naughty list in the wine world in 2025? December 23, 2025 This was another fascinating year in the world of wine, with some great initiatives and events celebrating the people who make this vital and brilliant industry tick. But there were also some things on my naughty list… read on to find out who made the cut. Nice List – Aldi Aldi’s wine department is fantastic, [...]
A matter of loaf and death: How to bake the perfect sourdough December 23, 2025 Standing in silence here at Bread Ahead in Borough Market, awaiting our instructions, you could have heard a pin drop. I am here taking a sourdough masterclass and attempting to breathe life into my creation, not to mention keeping my mother – the flour-and-water starter used to make sourdough – alive. Thankfully, the air here [...]
The history of Christmas dinner, from steamed sheep’s head to traditional turkey December 22, 2025 For me, Christmas is always about indulging, with a slap-up dinner at the heart of things. When most people think Christmas dinner, they think turkey, roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts, parsnips, pigs in blankets, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. For many, turkey is the centrepiece. December’s favourite dish has come a long way from humble origins [...]
What I have learned from eight years of sober Christmas December 22, 2025 The last time I had alcohol on Christmas Day was 2017, at the age of 40. This year will mark—excuse me while I count on my fingers—my eighth sober Christmas, enough to make a statistically valid sample. So I thought I would distill any wisdom I’ve gathered from the two slopes of the mountain into [...]
Eating Dave’s Hot Chicken Reaper Tenders – the best of 2025 December 19, 2025 As Dave’s Hot Chicken opens its second branch in Croydon, we revisit this feature in which magazine editor Steve Dinneen attempts to break a UK record for eating the world’s hottest chicken tenders… It did not end well. I feel lightheaded, short of breath and the room has started to spin. Intense waves of heat radiate [...]
Last minute gift guide: Top presents from tech to games and books December 18, 2025 Whoever you’re buying for, we have the perfect present ideas in our guide to the best Christmas gifts 2025. Whether you want cutting edge tech for the nerd in your life or fancy socks to keep dad happy until Boxing day, we have you covered. Christmas gifts 2025: Books Always Remember the Boy, the Mole, [...]
Find new restaurant openings in London with our new website December 18, 2025 London’s restaurant scene is unlike anywhere else in the country, with a constant ebb and flow of business opening and closing. Keeping up with the newest restaurants can feel like a full time job even for those who work in the business. So we at CityAM have developed a new website, NewOpenings.London, that aims [...]
Where chefs eat: the best meals we had in 2025 December 17, 2025 Despite economic headwinds so strong you could forgive most chefs for simply packing up their kitchens and going home, 2025 has been another vintage year for London restaurants. But which ones have made the biggest impression? We asked some of the best chefs in the land which meal they enjoyed the most. Stevie Parle, chef-founder [...]
Why Sartoria Launceston Place is THE restaurant this Christmas December 11, 2025 The recent budget added over £3bn of further costs to the restaurant sector each year. Meanwhile, Jamie Oliver announced a return to the London restaurant scene with his ‘Italian’ brand – it’s been a challenging couple of weeks… More positively, the majority of London restaurants are full this week and my Evolv Collection of venues [...]
Woodford Reserve teams up with fashion house Markarian for 2025 holiday bottle December 9, 2025 Kentucky Bourbon brand Woodford Reserve has launched a limited edition 2025 holiday bottle, created in collaboration with New York fashion designer Alexandra O’Neill. Best known as the founder of luxury label Markarian, O’Neill’s design features a classy take on traditional sprigs of mistletoe and festive stars. The palette – with a backdrop of sage green [...]