Dishoom named best UK restaurant by Yelp users for second year running: Bombay-style cafe Dishoom has been named best restaurant in the UK by users of business review website Yelp for the second year running. The company, which has four sites in London and has lined up its first venue outside the capital in Edinburgh, was picked for its ambience as well as its food. For breakfast, Yelp users raved about the bacon naan roll, which one called a “tasty treat” that goes down nicely with a cup of spicy house chai. Diners choosing from the all-day menu opted for the “chicken ruby”, a chicken curry with a “makhani” sauce, and the “house black daal”, a lentil-based dish popular with vegetarians. They were also impressed with the restaurant’s crispy “okra fries” and “gunpowder potatoes” – potatoes with their skin left on that are smoke-grilled and broken up, mixed with butter, herbs, and seeds. They added the cheese naan, with melted cheddar cheese “oozing on the inside”, was great for mopping up whatever’s left on the plate. Users also liked the ambience, which was “as much a part of the dining experience as the food”, reports Business Insider. Cousins Shamil and Kavi Thakrar opened the Dishoom restaurant in Covent Garden in 2010, along with the business’ two other founders, Adarsh and Amar Radia. It now also has sites in Shoreditch, King’s Cross and Kingly Street.

Merlin Entertainments launches UK’s first loop-the-loop rollercoaster restaurant at Alton Towers: Merlin Entertainments has launched the UK’s first loop-the-loop rollercoaster restaurant at Alton Towers. The 150-cover restaurant is on the site of the former Air shop in Forbidden Valley and is set below a rollercoaster track, where diners see their orders take on two loops and drop eight metres down a tornado spiral to one of 13 tables. All the food arrives in metal pots that are kept secure with straps. A spokesman said: “The new rollercoaster restaurant will offer guests a unique dining experience that they can’t find anywhere else in the UK. The intricate network of loops and spiralling tracks is an incredible spectacle and we feel that the new restaurant is an attraction in itself. We believe that the new restaurant will be a top attraction for theme park guests and those staying with us as part of a short break.” Last month, Alton Towers pleaded guilty to breaking health and safety laws following a crash involving The Smiler rollercoaster last June that left five people seriously injured and is facing a multimillion-pound fine.

Carluccio’s submits plans for second York site: Carluccio’s has submitted plans to open its second site in York. The company has applied to the city council to convert the former TSB bank and neighbouring Swarovski shop in St Helen’s Square into a restaurant. The two properties would house a 148-seater, three-storey restaurant and a delicatessen, creating 40 jobs, as well as additional retail and office space. Carluccio’s has “agreed a deal in principal” for the two buildings, which have been marketed together since December and, according to agents, attracted interest from about 15 restaurant groups. The application outlines plans for a restaurant and delicatessen on the 16,000 square foot site, as well as retail and office space, which would be sub-let, reports York Press. Carluccio’s would use the front part of the Swarovski shop, which was formerly home to Terry’s chocolate shop, as a delicatessen, with the restaurant area, kitchen and back of house areas to the rear. The first floor would provide additional restaurant seating and a staffroom, while the second floor would become a private dining area. The proposal then seeks to convert the former bank building into a multi-occupational building consisting of retail and office use, and part of the Carluccio’s restaurant. The application stated the company had been “looking for some time” to open a second site in York as its 100-seater concession in the Coppergate Centre’s Fenwick department store closes at 6pm. Carluccio’s has nearly 100 restaurants across the UK.

Budweiser Budvar sells record number of pints at New World Trading Company site, first Tankové Pivo venue outside London: Budweiser Budvar UK said it sold a record number of pints in launch week at its first site to sell Tankové Pivo – “tank beer” – outside London. The Czech brewer said it sold 5,700 pints at The New World Trading Company-owned The Oast House in Spinningfields, Manchester, the most successful Tankové Pivo launch to date. Tankové Pivo allows customers to drink unpasteurised beer, which is pumped into pressurised tanks at the brewery, speeding transportation and maintaining freshness. Budweiser Budvar UK sales director Simon George said: “Manchester is a hotbed at the moment with a surge of stunning local craft brewers and, as such, consumers there recognise in Budweiser Budvar timeless craftsmanship.” New World Trading Company managing director Chris Hill said: “Our team is dedicated to bringing a diverse selection of the world’s best beers to our customers. To be the first venue outside London to house Budvar Tankové Pivo is a real accolade for us.” The first Budweiser Budvar Tankové Pivo site launched in November 2014 at Zigfrid von Underbelly in Hoxton Square, with a second installation at MeatLiquor N1 in Upper Street, north London.

Intu reveals plans for Nickelodeon theme park at Lakeside shopping centre as part of leisure extension: Intu has revealed plans for a 50,000 square foot Nickelodeon theme park at its Lakeside shopping centre in Thurrock, Essex. The park is due to open in 2018 and will form part of the company’s £95m, 225,000 square foot leisure extension. It will be Nickelodeon’s first shopping centre destination in the UK and is the result of a partnership between Intu and Spanish leisure park operator Parques Reunidos. The park is planned to be highly interactive with a variety of “adventure zones”, character meet-and-greets and a dedicated food and beverage area and Nickelodeon retail space. Intu development director Martin Breeden told Property Week: “It is our goal to create innovative and compelling experiences for all our visitors. By working with Parques Reunidos and Nickelodeon we will be able to offer a new and exciting experience at one of the busiest and most successful centres in the UK. We think it’s going to be a great part of the leisure extension and it’s something completely new for a shopping centre in the UK. We think people will travel there from further away and stay for longer. People will also go there and then go to the restaurants in the centre and then probably at least one member of the group will want to look at the shops.” Parques Reunidos chief executive Fernando Eiroa added: “Shopping centres have evolved into spaces where families spend time together and Parques Reunidos shares Intu’s vision of transforming the experiences lived in these centres to make them into wonderful memories.” 

CAU set to open first Yorkshire site, in £10m Harrogate complex: Argentinian-inspired restaurant brand CAU, which is owned by Gaucho, will open its restaurant in Harrogate on Monday, 30 May. The new restaurant is CAU’s first in Yorkshire and 18th in the UK. The 100-cover restaurant in the redeveloped Beales department store in Albert Street will include a separate bar area and an additional 30-cover space outdoors. The seasonally changing all-day menu will feature beef cooked on a wood-fired grill, with options including individual small plates and sharing platters. There will also be an express menu for diners short on time. The bar will feature CAU’s own-brand wines, chosen to complement steak, as well as a range of cocktails and clericots – an Argentinian drink made from regional wine and fruit for sharing. The new restaurant will open from 10am, Monday to Friday, and 9am at the weekends. Other restaurants at the complex include Azzurri Group-owned ASK Italian and YO! Sushi. A five-screen, three-storey cinema will open in September. CAU also has a restaurant in Amsterdam.

Muffin Break sales rise 28% following launch of Muffin Lab: Bakery Muffin Break said sales have risen 28% since the introduction of its Muffin Lab concept on 12 January. Each month, the Muffin Lab produces a new muffin with “exciting and sometimes unexpected flavour combinations”. The fifth limited edition Muffin Lab creation – The Maple Bacon Muffin, topped with cream cheese icing and a slice of chocolate-covered bacon – has been launched and will be available in-store until Monday, 13 June. Customers are also encouraged to share suggestions for future creations, with the most successful added to the Muffin Lab Hall of Fame. Muffin Break marketing manager Gemma Sandells said: “Our limited edition flavour offerings keep our customers engaged and excited to discover our next recipes in the Muffin Lab range.” Originating in Australia, Muffin Break has about 250 locations worldwide, with more than 60 stores in the UK. Each site is locally owned and operated.

Hawkshead completes investment to increase capacity by 40%: Lake District-based brewery Hawkshead has completed an expansion project to allow a 40% increase in capacity, from 10,000 to 14,000 hectolitres per year, and a doubling of pre-tax profits, under a two-year plan. The brewery at Staveley, near Kendal, which was opened in 2006, has been reorganised, at a cost of £175,000, to boost efficiency, QA and output.  A new cold-conditioning room has been built, the fermentation room extended, and new fermentation vessels purchased from Moeschle UK.  Hawkshead’s owner and founder Alex Brodie said he was happy to put more investment into the brewery and it was a sensible business decision because “the demand from both the traditional and modern craft markets for head brewer Matt Clarke’s innovative and full-flavoured beers continues to outstrip our ability to supply”. “This expansion is not just about brewing more beer,” said Brodie. “It is about brewing more styles of beer, and giving us more flexibility to experiment and add to the already crazily wide range of beers we turn out.” Hawkshead Brewery sells, by choice, mostly to independents. Last year it was brewing at full capacity and is expected to report sales for the year of £2.5m and an Ebitda of 11% of turnover. The two-year plan will build on that. From its relatively remote base in Cumbria, Hawkshead sells by direct delivery throughout the north of England and selectively via specialist wholesalers elsewhere. Its iconic summer beer festival has drawn beer lovers to The Lakes for the past ten years.  This year’s tenth anniversary festival – Northern Craft – in July, showcases the craft brewery scene in the north of Britain.

Nando’s to launch new spring menu: Nando’s will launch its new spring menu on Tuesday (17 May). It features a new sharing platter for two, with a whole flame-grilled spatchcock peri peri chicken served with a range of sides, including sweet potato wedges, fino coleslaw, a supergrain side, chargrilled vegetables and peri-buttered corn. There is also a new supergrain salad consisting of a fresh mix of grains, greens and beans, including wheat berry, freekah, edamame, cannellini, quinoa, green beans, barley and kale, with avocado chunks and an avocado buttermilk dressing. The two new desserts on the menu are the peri peri salted caramel, and chocolate brownies, served with a touch of  peri peri African Birds Eye chilli. There is also a range of vinho spritzers – Nando’s take on sangria in a carafe. They come in three options – Cara Viva white wine spritzed with lemonade, freshly sliced lemon, lime and a sprig of cool mint; summer fruit Cara Viva rose wine, spritzed with lemonade, raspberries, sliced lime and cool mint leaves; and Cara Viva red wine spritzed with lemonade, fresh raspberries, orange slices and a cinnamon stick.

Modern Italian restaurant concept Osteria 60 launches in Kensington: Entrepreneurs Kanav Puri and Suraj Mehra have launched modern Italian restaurant concept Osteria 60 in Kensington, west London. The restaurant in Hyde Park Gate, next to the Baglioni hotel, has been inspired by traditional Milanese trattorias of the 1950s and seats 88 with 15 more at the bar, Hot Dinners reports. There is also a 30-seat terrace facing Kensington Gardens. Head chef Ivan Simeoli, who has worked with Oliver Peyton at his restaurants, has united British ingredients with Italian staples. The menu includes carpaccio of wild sea bass with sea urchins, lamb chop with Sicilian aubergine and caponata, and tiramisu croccante. There is a separate bar menu serving pizzette, arancini, bruschetta and seasonal pasta dishes. The drinks menu includes modern and classic cocktails and a wine list of 140 bins.

Adam Handling plans bar opening: Award-winning chef Adam Handling, backed by Toucan Ventures, is to open The Frog in Ely’s Yard in Spitalfields, London, on Wednesday, 8 June. He said: “This will be the first of a number of restaurants to be opened under my new restaurant and bar brand over the next five years, with three openings over comings months including a new location for my signature Restaurant Adam Handling. (At the Frog) will be offering dishes that people associate with the finesse of my cooking style, but served in a more informal and relaxed atmosphere so that we appeal to the wide tourist, business and residential audiences in the area.” Small a la carte dishes will be priced at about £10 each, and there will be a daily-changing five-course tasting menu chalked up at £40 per head (excluding drinks). The venue will have seating for 60, and will be furnished with an eclectic combination of wooden tables, artisan crockery, sofas and cushions. There will be a private dining room for up to 15, which is situated on a mezzanine floor, overlooking the kitchen. There will be an exclusive The Frog gin curated by Portobello Gin, and BrewDog will be supplying beers and other drinks from its portfolio. Ely’s Yard is situated next to the Old Truman Brewery in east London. Handling will be leaving Adam Handling at Caxton, at the St Ermin’s Hotel, Westminster, where he gained three AA rosettes in its first year under his name, as well as winning Best Newcomer of the Year 2015 in the Food and Travel Magazine awards. He has won Young Scottish Chef and Scottish Chef of the Year, and the British Culinary Association Chef of the Year 2014. Handling was a MasterChef – The Professionals finalist in 2013.