There are few cities in England where you can eat and drink as well as you do in London. I make regular pilgrimages to lesser known London eating houses to feast on exotic dishes from Turkey, Spain, China and even far away Georgia!

Last weekend I had an excellent Chinese lunch – heaps of steamed edamame, dumplings, salads and roast duck at the Westminster Ping Pong washed down with Akashi beer, cuttlefish with sweet chilli and tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and truffles with an excellent Fiano and an appassimento Primitivo from Puglia at Passione e Tradizione on West Green Road  and an immensely satisfying Sunday Roast with Dead Pony IPA and a light, fruity Malbec from Argentina at one of favourite London pubs – W. B. Yeats near Finsbury Park.

In between, there was Champagne Pierre-Gimonnet Special Club from the excellent 2008 vintage, Henriot Brut Souverain NV with smoked salmon, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Merlot from South Africa’s Vergelegen and phenomenal coffee!