Restaurant Appoints Four-Legged Brandy Sommelier — and More News

There’s a new four-legged brandy sommelier at M Restaurants

Last week, Eater London asked, “What next?” off the back of a story about an avocado restaurant opening in Covent Garden, which itself came the day after a story about a company that wanted to replace avocado toast with “smashed pumpkin” on toast. Well, here it is: a dog, called “Hudson the Brandy Doodle” — nay, “M Restaurant’s popular Labradoodle mascot” — will “personally deliver” to any parties who order (to be clear, for thousands of pounds) a bottle of either Hennessy Paradis Imperial or Louis XIII. The dog “service” is available at all three M Restaurant sites, but must be pre-booked.

Dalston’s A Little Of What You Fancy Returns for two months

Fans of A Little Of What You Fancy, the fashiony Kingsland Road local until the neighbourhood got so fashionable that rents shot up, will rejoice at the news that Elaine Chalmers and Peter Le Faucheur are popping up at Borough Wines & Beers Brewery Below on Essex Road, doing Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch from 2 November until 22 December. The interior has been designed by Louise Gray. Seasonal menus start at £25; the Christmas menu, £40, will involve rabbit and chestnut terrine, confit turkey and kohlrabi salad, candied satsumas and La Grotta ice cream. Buy tickets for Elaine and Pete’s Dining Room here.

Brewdog brewery and bar operator acquires 400-capacity venue

The independent Scottish brewer has acquired an 8,500 sq ft space at the corner of Great Tower Street and Mark Lane in the City. Unlike BrewDog’s 30 existing UK sites, (six are in London) the BrewPub (and on-site microbrewery) “will create small-batch, seasonal beers that will be exclusive to the new 400-person capacity venue.” Acquisitions manager Andrew Statham said: “Our mission and ethos is to make the world as passionate about great craft beer as we are, so we are delighted to be launching our first ever BrewPub in the UK, and our first venue in the City of London.”

Otto’s does Bresse chicken

Otto Tepasse, at his eponymous Clerkenwell restaurant, is the master of canard a la presse — an operator who belongs to a bygone age, and who behaves as if small plates never happened. In an era when every day there’s breaking vegan news, it’s refreshing to see a menu — posted on Twitter by Oisín Rogers — as old-school and decadent as the one which Otto will be offering, centred around poulet de Bresse, from now until 25 November.

Vivek Singh collaborates with Adam Handling

Vivek Singh, pioneer of modern Indian cuisine in London, is joining young supernova Adam Handling to prepare a five-course collaborative dinner at The Frog E1 in Spitalfelds on Tuesday 7 November. The menu will feature spice-crusted hake with bitter melon relish; halibut and crab hollandaise; and a dish of tawa-cooked grouse and partridge breast with peanut and dried mango. This is the pair’s second joint effort this year, following a two-hander at the Cinnamon Club in June. For reservations, email here.