1. Did becoming a chef naturally foster an interest in wine or did that develop independently? I'd say parallel or in tandem. Cooking gave me access but I think the love of wine started separately. 2. Did you have a formative wine tasting experience that suddenly piqued your interest? Latour 62, drunk in about 1984. […]

It is hard to believe that 5 years have already elapsed since Le Café Anglais first opened, in the Whitley’s building in Bayswater, bringing some welcome Parisian brasserie bravado and cool art deco influences to the metropolitan dining scene. Uncompromising chef-patron and FT food writer Rowley Leigh is a keen oenophile, as well as a […]

A couple of years ago over a long and languorous lunch at Le Café Anglais, with chef-patron (and FT food guru) Rowley Leigh, I was lamenting the fact that while the cuisine of Provence is justifiably celebrated its best wines are regrettably overlooked. Rowley is a man of action who requires little encouragement and before […]

I'm not sure if it was my idea or Rowley's. A bit of both probably. It was certainly hatched over a fine lunch with some good bottles open for inspiration. The concept was pretty simple really - to host a Provençal feast partnering classic dishes with local wines. Obviously, this was to be a summer […]