Richard Vines

I had a very good lunch yesterday at the new Shoreditch restaurant of @lima_london. The room @sunstreetlondon is as beautiful as the food, which for some reason I enjoyed even more than at the original Lima in Rathbone Place. Dishes we tried included snacks of PEKING DUCK CROQUETA aji amarillo cream (£10) and BLUEFIN TUNA TARTAR shiso leaf tempura (£14); starters of TRIO DE CEVICHES clásico, mixto, bluefin tuna, with puro, nikkei & rocoto tiger’s milks (£21) and CORNISH CRAB & OCTOPUS CAUSA aji amarillo potato, botija olives, cevichera sauce, avocado (£19); mains of WAGYU BEEF SALTADO wok hei, crispy potatoes, steamed jasmine rice (£37) and LAMB CHOPS ‘AL JOSPER’ pachamanca, corn tamal (£33); and LUCUMA TARTA DE QUESO (£9) for dessert. The service was on point, too, and there is a good selection of South American wines. Thank you to @gabriel_lima_london for inviting us. #rvinesdines Less

Chef @gaggan_anand serves a creative menu at Gaggan at Louis Vuitton in Bangkok. A globe contains three dishes from around the world, including a crispy take on tom yam goong. Then there's a colourful plate that you lick. Even a flat white is a work of art. The @louisvuitton exhibition downstairs features luxury baggage through the ages and a kaleidoscope of colour. #rvinesdines Less

Chefs Thomas & Mathias Sühring hold two Michelin Stars @restaurant_suhring, a modern German restaurant in Bangkok where they seek to elevate childhood memories and family recipes to the level of haute cuisine, combining the essence of traditional dishes with contemporary Central European influences. There are four different dining spaces, from glass house to kitchen, and dishes can be matched with excellent German wines, including a sparkling riesling. @thomas_suhring @mathias_suhring #rvinesdines Less

Pichaya Soontornyanakij @chef.pam has won numerous awards @restaurant.potong, a modern Sino-Thai restaurant in an historic building in Bangkok's Chinawtown where her family lived for four generations over 100 years. The accolades include Asia's Best Female Chef, best restaurant in Bangkok and a Michelin star. She says her food has five elements (salt, acid, spice, texture and Maillard Reaction) to stimulate the five senses. Standout dishes on the tasting menu last night included crab roe/blue crab/brioche; nakhon si thammarat shrimp/pad thai/shrimp shot; and 14-day aged duck. The meal was outstanding. #rvinesdines Less

Really excellent dinner last night @nusarabkk, a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Royal Palace in Bangkok. @cheftonn honours the memory of his grandmother with a modern and refined take on traditional Thai cuisine, with dishes such as Hokkaido Scallop Miang Sauce & Ginger Torch Sorbet; Blue Swimming Crab Curry & crispy rice noodles; Green Curry, Smoked Chicken & Dumpling; Grilled River Prawn Salad; Smoked Short Ribs & Holy Basil Leaf; Pink Guava & Roselle; and Dark Chocolate & Fish Sauce Caramel. The service is exemplary. #rvinesdines Less

I first visited @Kricketlondon in 2016, shortly after it opened in a temporary space in Pop Brixton. I'd invited chef @nunoviajante to lunch on Bloomberg's generous expenses and had hoped he'd pick somewhere fancy. So when I discovered we were to dine in a shipping container, eating inexpensive Indian food cooked by a young British chef @will_bowlby I was a little disappointed. But I loved the food and I have followed Kricket's growth with pleasure. The expansion continues with a new outlet in Canary Wharf. It looks a bit like a diner, fancier than in the old days. The food has evolved, though I'm glad to see the prices are still reasonable. Snacks start at £2.50; small plates range from £8 (Bhel Puri, raw mango, coriander chutney, yoghurt) to £15 (Beef Nihari Seekh Kebab, laccha onion, pickled shiitake); and mains go from £14.50 to £18. My favourite dish was Pandi Pork Neck Curry (tamarind, dried chilli, fried ginger & peanuts (£16). I enjoyed the meal so much, I've booked to go back to Kricket (Soho, ths time) next week #rvinesdines Less

Very enjoyable catch-up with my friend @chertiu yesterday for lunch at the beautiful @claridgeshotel Restaurant. Dishes we tried included Black Truffle Crumpet, Montgomery Cheddar, soubise (£18); Parker House Loaf, Claridge's butter (£4); Lobster Raviolo, girolles, peas, broad beans, bisque, (£34); Seabass-and- Crab Fishcake, tartare sauce, wakame salad (£28); and Roasted Norfolk Chicken, potato fondant, new-season garlic, girolles (£38). Lovely wines, too. Thank you to @wrogers04 and the team.#rvinesdines Less

I must have walked past @fortydeanstreet dozens of times, possibly hundreds, without entering this traditional Italian trattoria. It's informal and friendly, and feels like old Soho, without being old-fashioned in any way other than in offering hearty dishes at reasonable prices. The plates are piled high, and wine starts at £27 a bottle. Dishes that I tried with my god-daughter @danibambi included Crunchy fried squid and zucchini with an aioli and sweet chilli sauce (£13.50); Tempura courgette flower filled with ricotta, truffle paste and a honey drizzle (£12.75); Pappardelle with beef and tomato ragu (£22.50); and Chicken Milanese spaghetti pomodoro, rosemary bread crumbed chicken breast with spaghetti in a tomato and basil sauce (£23). I'm not sure I've ever taken a doggy bag from a restaurant, but it might have been an idea here as the portion sizes caught me a little by surprise. The restaurant is dog-friendly, so who needs a bag? #rvines dines Less

Marceline is a large new restaurant in Canary Wharf. It serves French brasserie dishes with contemporary American influences that reflect chef-consultant @robaikens1's years in New York. Prices are reasonable, which makes sense in what is becoming an increasingly competitive area. (Though a lunch menu might also help.) Dishes we tried included Pâté de Campagne/cornichons, apricot, pickled onion (£12); Ravioli Dauphiné/Comté, crème fraiche, brown butter (£14); Warm Cheese Soufflé/Gruyère cream, truffle (£14); Lobster Frites/Maître d’Hotel butter (half/whole £38/$70); and Mille-Feuille Thank you @marceline.london for the invitation #rvinesdines Less