Liam Collens

Home
Notes
Chat
Periodicals
Restaurants
Travel
Writing
Italy
Dubai
About

Restaurant Reviews

Kraken, Dubai restaurant review: "There is Real Skill Beneath the Theatre".
Pull back the maximalism to discover Kraken’s familiar tricks, but it does not want for ambition. Dive deeper and, perhaps, the best is yet to come.
 • Liam Collens
Middle Child, Dubai restaurant review: “Calm Cooking, Loud Opinions and a Bistro Caught in the Noise.”
The food is good. Sometimes very good, but the noise around Middle Child is hard to swallow.
 • Liam Collens
Hashmi Barbeque, Dubai restaurant review. "Where nyama choma meets the tandoor."
Uninvited Opinion. Elbows-on-the-table casual and finger-suckingly good. You’ll need to be rolled out the door.
 • Liam Collens
Osip, Bruton: restaurant review. “The food is lost-for-words good.”
Osip steps into its better self with confidence and aplomb, going from local-produce champion to a world-class restaurant in waiting, but one thing…
 • Liam Collens
Amused Bouche 02
Bite-sized if not biting commentary. In this issue, disappointment and delight in Dubai and the UK, and one of the best meals to ever pass these lips.
 • Liam Collens
Restaurant Fiz, Singapore: restaurant review. "It makes me want to walk the Earth."
Chef Hafizzul's refined plating of Nusantaran dining thoughtfully presents this region's heritage plate by plate.
 • Liam Collens
Lolla, Singapore. “It’s a deliciously good time.”
Uninvited Opinion. Lolla’s easy-going spirit and capable, crowd-pleasing dishes just delighted me. It is a neighbourhood restaurant for which I had to…
 • Liam Collens
Al Muntaha, Dubai. Restaurant review.
Sharper cooking, gentler décor, lunch is the move here.
 • Liam Collens
Calicut Paragon, Dubai: restaurant review
You must respect a restaurant operating for nearly 100 years, but Calicut plays it safe, appeals to the masses and lacks South Indian cuisine’s flair.
 • Liam Collens
La Bottiglieria del Ruché: restaurant review
La Bottiglieria del Ruché kindles the makings of an idyllic Italian enoteca with affordable wine and eclectic decor, but then we had the food.
 • Liam Collens
The Lighthouse, Dubai Hills: restaurant review.
An all day diner that comes alive at night but, overall, The Lighthouse flickers instead of beams.
 • Liam Collens
Eat Like a Local in Cairo: The Best Street Food, Cafes and Restaurants As Recommended by Locals
Forget the guides, this is where locals in Cairo really go to eat. Discover Cairo’s best street food and more, from shawerma buns to koshary, with…
 • Liam Collens
© 2026 Liam Collens · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture