The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureFood & DrinksNews & features

Taste of London 2016 Festive Edition: Pure Christmas spirit at Tobacco Docks

Taste of London 2016 Festive Edition: Pure Christmas spirit at Tobacco Docks
19 November 2016
Daniel Masters
Avatar
Daniel Masters
19 November 2016

Exhibition and art

Daniel Masters

Taste of London 2016: Festive Edition

Dates

17th November 2016 - 20th November 2016

Entry

From £15

Links & directions

TwitterInstagramWebsiteMap

It’s easy to get sick of “the holidays”. Revving up in early November and continuing on for almost two months, the endless barrage of mulled wine, spiced treats and countless interpretations of Turkey dinners seem to flood every aspect of life. In general, many Londoners spend most of the month trying to avoid it all, wishing the tube wasn’t so full of Oxford Street shoppers and sticking to the bars and restaurants that can avoid the temptation to cash in. For some things though, you’ll make an exception.

Taste of London Festive Edition is one of those things. Its infectious charm is hard to resist, and though it’s typically dominated by wintery themes and the spirit of the season, there are the odd pockets of sanity that keep everything in perspective. A fair chunk of the event is just great food without any gimmicks, which makes the whole thing considerably more tolerable; it’s a lot easier to bear the barrage of red and green when you’re walking around with a plate of truffled mac ‘n’ cheese.

As always, Taste has brought an impressive selection of London’s best restaurants together for its event, giving elated punters a chance to sample signature dishes and try restaurants they might not otherwise be able to.The highlight this year is Jose Pizarro’s excellent Presa Iberica. The wonderfully tender pork is served medium rare, its subtle sweetness contrasting perfectly with the smoky char of the grill. A slick of of salvichada offers some much needed acidity to cut through the meat’s richness, although unlike it’s better known sibling Jamon Iberico, this cut is considerably less fatty.

There are plenty of great products on offer too. Drinks by the Dram will be a familiar name for any alcohol enthusiasts and they’re here in full force, offering their fine little bottles of various spirits that are just perfect for sampling new drinks. They do a very grown-up calendar too, with a little nip of something special behind every door. Elsewhere Ozerlat are offering thick turkish coffee, whilst The Datery’s chocolate covered dates are surprisingly delicious. Using a lighter, less syrupy date than the ones commonly found in the UK, they achieve an excellent balance between the Belgian chocolate coating and the sticky fruits within.

The real star of the show though, as ever, is the location. Tobacco dock is a truly wonderful setting for any winter event, its beautiful halls full of atmosphere and long shadows. It lends an odd sense of occasion to the event that the summer edition, with its rows of flappy tents, tends to lack. That one often feels like an exhibition, this feels like an event. There are families out Christmas shopping, friends meeting for coffees, young bloggers awed by the wide range of incredible dishes. It’s enough to melt even the most cynical city-dweller’s heart.

Daniel Masters
Photos: Daniel Masters

Taste of London 2016: Festive Edition is at Tobacco Dock from 17th until 20th November, for further information or to book your tickets visit here.

Related Items

More in Food & Drinks

Delectible drinks that would make the perfect Mother’s Day gift

The editorial unit
Read More

Celebrate International Women’s Day with a Bombay Sapphire Cocktails & Create masterclass

The editorial unit
Read More

Spotlight: Lauren Everet and Soup Kitchen London, striving for food security and social equality

Ezelle Alblas
Read More

Empire Biryani: Gunpowder’s new delivery service brings a celebration of North Indian flavours to your door

Rosamund Kelby
Read More

Five tasty teatime treats to celebrate St David’s Day

The editorial unit
Read More

Celebrate Margarita Day at home with these simple yet sophisticated cocktails

The editorial unit
Read More

From high-altitude service to high-end delivery: Daniel Hulme’s One Fine Dine packs gourmet flavours into a fun and fuss-free experience

Rosamund Kelby
Read More

Go global this pancake day with ten recipes from around the world

Rosamund Kelby
Read More

Last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts for an intimate at-home bar experience

The editorial unit
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Exhibition and art

Daniel Masters

Taste of London 2016: Festive Edition

Dates

17th November 2016 - 20th November 2016

Entry

From £15

Links & directions

TwitterInstagramWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • The Girl and the Spider (Das Mädchen und die Spinne)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Celebrate International Women’s Day with a Bombay Sapphire Cocktails & Create masterclass
    Food & Drinks
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Limbo
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Delectible drinks that would make the perfect Mother’s Day gift
    Food & Drinks
  • Killing Escobar
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • “There really hasn’t been a film that deals with a platonic male-female relationship in this way”: Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass discuss Language Lessons
    Berlinale
  • A Brixton Tale
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Surge
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • The Old Ways
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Berlinale 2021 winners: The full list
    Berlinale
  • WandaVision
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • Coming 2 America
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Dissident
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Tonight with Donny Stixx at The Bunker | Theatre review
The Sherlocks at Kamio | Live review