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Welcome back to Insta Stories, a column examining the London restaurant scene through the often-problematic medium of Instagram. This week’s filter is Michelin-worthy.
News of the week
A week in which the Champions League Final coincided with the start of the UK’s first Cricket World Cup for twenty years saw sport trickle into the domain of food Instagram for a fleeting visit. Brits abroad in Madrid, restaurants embracing national teams, restaurant critics and food writers getting involved — the carnival spirit felt genuinely spontaneous, rather than the work of bandwagon-jumping cynics. Could the happy vibes continue all the way up to a first-ever England victory in the cricket final at Lord’s? Oh, maybe not.
Honest caption of the week
Instagram’s reputation as a place for wall-to-wall positivity does have at least one downside: it can sometimes be hard to discern genuine quality in the midst of so much breathless hype. So there’s something noteworthy in an influential figure using a post to call attention to imperfections as well as highlights in a meal: after all, it is only through open and honest communication like this that restaurants can learn and improve. And if, as Danny Meyer has argued, a great restaurant doesn’t distinguish itself by how few mistakes it makes but by how well it handles the ones it does make, then instances like this are also an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism and class. A win-win for Instagram users and the restaurant affected? It’ll never catch on.
Themed week of the week
Props to all involved at Max’s Sandwich Shop: this is how you commit to a bit. Although it is somewhat disappointing not to see the signature products being served on a special edition Jeffrey Goldbloomer.
Pâté en croûte of the week
Learn how to make this and other recipes like it in the forthcoming cookbook Salt, Fat, Acieed, Heat.
Gravity-defying storage solution of the week
F**king magnets, how do they work.
Staycation of the week
Hereby proving it is possible to Reagan not just for 24 hours but a full seven days.
Incongruous geotag of the week
Fans of chef and vermouth enthusiast Anthony Demetre have started to descend on [checks notes] the Sofitel St James, as he revives his much-loved Wild Honey in the hotel’s dining room.
Dish of the week
Elaborate plating: a defence.
Shot of the week
Elaborate plating: a rebuttal.
