Among the famous inventions of Cipriani at Harry’s Bar in Venice is, of course, the Bellini, a heady mix of pink Italian peach purée mixed with prosecco. But Harry’s Bar Florence has at times laid claim to being home of the Bellini. The Florence bar is set on the great River Arno that cuts the…
Author: Joss Bassett
Joss is the Editor of London Lamppost, with a special interest in food, drink and Travel. He's also one of those rare creatures that was born and raised in London.
Food Crimes - Bananas
In this, the second in the series, of food crimes, banana dishes of the 1950s take centre stage. The first article on jelly and jelly set salads is here. So back in the 1950/60s my grandfather was a pilot for BOAC (BA these days). As was then typical by nature of the job, he’d go…
How not to Piss off Londoners on the Tube
The London underground is the worlds oldest subterranean transportation system moving some 4.8million people through its lines daily. Without it, London would grind to a halt; but it only manages to do its job thanks to the unwritten rules that have developed among Londoners. Suffice to say, if you break just one of these rules…
Harry’s Bar Venice
Of all the cocktail bar names out there, ‘Harry’s’ has to be among the most popular, conjuring up images of high quality cocktails served with immaculate style and service, thanks to the standards set by the Ciprianis. Harry’s Bar in Venice came into existence when Giuseppe Cipriani opened the bar in 1931. The circumstance around…
Classic French Onion Soup
When you have a left over rib of beef bone, obviously you either give it to the dog or, as I did, make beef stock from it. Simply boil the bone in 600ml of water, with a bouquet garni, half an onion, a few cloves of garlic, half a carrot and a few inches of…
Quo Vadis
If Quo Vadis is one thing, it is the Grand Dame of Soho. Marked out on Dean Street by a giant art deco neon sign down the side of the building, it was founded in 1926 in its current venue, which had served as a brothel and the home of Karl Marx where he began…