restaurants

The line at Holbox during the midweek lunch hour has become a cultural sensation, a queue of locals and visitors trailing past the automatic doors and around the parking lot like devotees angling for the latest iPhone series or limited-release sneakers. Believe the lauds, including ours when we named Holbox as The Times’ 2023 Restaurant of the Year. Gilberto Cetina’s command of mariscos is unmatched in Southern California – his ceviches, aguachiles and tostadas revolutionary in their freshness and jigsaw-intricate flavors. The smoked kanpachi taco alone — clinched with queso Chihuahua and finished with salsa cruda, avocado and drizzles of peanut salsa macha — is one of the most sophisticated things to eat in Los Angeles.

Holbox could be considered for the top ranking on its own strength. But in a year when disasters tore at our city, honoring the power of community feels more urgent than ever. Cetina’s seafood counter doesn’t thrive in a vacuum. Holbox resides inside the Mercado La Paloma in South L.A. The mercado is the economic-development arm of the Esperanza Community Housing Corp., a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that counts affordable housing and equitable healthcare among its core missions. When the mercado was in the incubation stage, Esperanza’s executive director Nancy Ibrahim interviewed would-be restaurateurs about their challenges and hopes in starting a business. Among the candidates was Cetina’s father, Gilberto Sr., who proposed a stall serving his family’s regionally specific dishes from the Yucatán. Their venture, Chichén Itzá, was among the eight startups when the mercado opened in a former garment factory nearly 25 years ago, in February 2001.

Step into the 35,000-square-foot market today, and the smell of corn warms the senses. Fátima Juárez chose masa as her medium when she began working with Cetina at Holbox in 2017. Komal, the venue she opened last year with her husband, Conrado Rivera, is the only molino in L.A. grinding and nixtamalizing heirloom corn varieties daily. Among her deceptively spare menu of mostly quesadillas and tacos, start with the extraordinary quesadilla de flor de calabaza, a creased blue corn tortilla, bound by melted quesillo, arrayed with squash blossoms radiating like sunbeams.

Wander farther, past the communal sea of tiled tables between Holbox and Komal, to find jewels that first-timers or even regular visitors might overlook.

Taqueria Vista Hermosa, run by Raul Morales and his family, is the other remaining original tenant. Order an al pastor taco, or Morales’ specialty of Michoacan-style fish empapelado smothered in vegetables and wrapped in banana leaf. The lush, orange-scented cochinita pibil is the obvious choice next door at still-flourishing Chichén Itzá, but don’t overlook crackling kibi and the brunchy huevos motuleños over ham and black bean puree. The weekends-only tacos de barbacoa de chivo are our favorites at the stand called Oaxacalifornia, though we swing through any time for the piloncillo-sweetened café de olla and a scoop of smoked milk ice cream from its sibling juice and snack bar in the market’s center. Looking for the comfort of noodles? Try the pad see ew at Thai Corner Food Express in the far back.

The everyday and the exquisite; the fast and the formal (just try to score a reservation for Holbox’s twice-a-week tasting menu); a food hall and sanctuary for us all. Mercado La Paloma embodies the Los Angeles we love.

A BUSTLING area in London is set to get a massive £10billion makeover.

The site of a historic events and music venue in West London is set to undergo a £10billion redevelopment.

Work on the 44 acre site, where Earls Court Exhibition Centre used to be, is expected to begin next year, which is more than a decade since the famous venue was first demolished.

Once complete, the development will have 4,000 homes, 232,000sqm of workspace, three cultural venues and 20 acres of public space, including green spaces.

The three cultural venues will play into the site’s history of performance and there will also be a number of fixed and pop-up venues, as well as shops and restaurants.

Earlier reports and plans for the project also included a park with a climbing structure, slides and seating areas.

And a ‘flower amphitheatre’ is part of the designs – though it is unclear whether these features are still included in the plans.

Eventually, there will be over 1,000 trees at the site by 2041.

During the first phase, 1,300 new homes will be built across six buildings, which includes a 42 floor skyscraper.

Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) is leading the project, which has taken four years to plan.

The Earls Court Exhibition Centre used to be a major events venue, which was closed in 2014 and then demolished.

It originally opened in 1937 with an Art Deco design and used to host lots of events like the British International Motor Show and concerts including Pink Floyd and David Bowie.

The development will also be well connected, with three Tube stations and London Overground services nearby, as well as bus routes and pedestrian and cycle paths.

Construction is expected to begin at some point in 2026.

Rob Heasman, chief executive of ECDC, said: “Our plans will restore Earls Court as a global destination, a place for ingenuity, and for the extraordinary.

“Projects of this scale require ambition, partnership and patience to bring forward, and our ambition has been shaped by four years of engagement, listening and working in collaboration with our community.”

Jamie Ritblat, founder and executive chairman of Delancey, said: “It will create 23,500 jobs across the country, a new centre for the UK’s climate innovation sector, c.4,000 new homes and benefit the UK economy by £3 billion per year.

“Three new cultural venues will reinstate Earls Court as a destination people gravitate to for unparalleled performance and experiences, and the social and economic impact will be felt strongly throughout the local economies.”

Earlier this year London was named TripAdvisor’s best destination in the world… so here are our top picks for pubs, bars, hotels and attractions.

And here’s everything you can do at one of London’s most popular attractions before it closes ahead of £240million renovation.

Plus, London’s best family attraction that ‘feels like it was created for kids’ to get huge new nature playground.

A well-known estate agent has listed the best high street across the entire UK, and the lesser-known spot came out on top for its restaurants, shops and houses.

This picture-perfect market town has been crowned as home to the UK’s best high street by estate agents Knight Frank.

The property experts took a look at some of the streets that offer the most charm – and it turns out they found a true gem.

Situated in Buckinghamshire, along the banks of the River Thames, the town of Marlow is bursting with character that draws plenty of people into the area, keen to witness its thriving high street.

Matt Davies, partner at Knight Frank, explained to TimeOut: “We tend to see a slightly younger buyer base in Marlow, driven in large part by its outstanding educational institutions, including grammar schools such as Sir William Borlase’s.

“This often draws buyers towards the west side of town, to be within easy reach of these highly sought-after schools.”

It was described to be both “charming and lively” by the estate agents, two characteristics which have garnered it plenty of attention from home-hunters in an area commutable to the capital.

Over the years, its prettiness has attracted all kinds of famous faces, having had residents such as English novelist Thomas Love Peacock and poet T.S. Eliot, and even author Mary Shelley, who finished writing the masterpiece Frankenstein while living locally.

To buy in the area, according to Rightmove, people can expect to pay roughly £720,850, which was the overall average last year. Although, in that same year, buyers could expect to be paying around £929,115 for detached properties.

Alongside its impressive portfolio of properties, the area is proud to house a number of Michelin-starred restaurants and cosy pubs. One of these eateries even belongs to celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, who is the proud owner of the pub, The Hand of Flowers – the UK’s only public house with two Michelin stars.

The Coach is one of those Michelin star spots that is much-loved by locals and visitors alike. A recent review on TripAdvisor states: “Our first visit to The Coach, Marlow; will hopefully not be our last. The food was delicious, and the service and staff were extraordinary.”

It continued to read: “Helpful to the extreme. Professional, certainly. I would highly recommend this restaurant/pub. If you are near or in the Marlow area, be sure to pay a visit. You will not be disappointed.”

Meanwhile, The Hand & Flowers offers a more “relaxed” pub environment, with five-star delicious dishes. One pleased customer shared: “How refreshing to be able to enjoy this standard of food and service in such a congenial setting without having to put on fancy clothes!

“This was our first visit and, from the outset, the staff were not only super pleasant and helpful, but they also seem to perform as a well-oiled machine. The total makes an experience which feels more relaxed than other Michelin-star places.”

Marlow, being a town that sits along the Thames, also offers tranquil river walks. The town is sandwiched between Reading and Windsor, so there’s plenty to explore nearby and is completely surrounded by the sweeping countryside of the Chiltern Hills.

The Yorkshire town is renowned for its foodie credentials, with independent shops and eateries producing unique and acclaimed products – all sourced locally from the area

Food lovers travel from far and wide to sample the culinary delights of this market town, renowned for its locally sourced produce and skilled artisan makers.

Throughout Malton, you’ll find an abundance of independent shops and eateries crafting distinctive and sometimes award-winning products. Numerous local restaurants and pubs serve up mouth-watering dishes prepared with ingredients sourced from the surrounding area – including seafood from the nearby coast, meat from the moorlands and organic vegetables.

Experience it all at Malton’s Monthly Food Market, where visitors can sample everything from artisan breads to locally crafted beers. Beyond the food, the town also hosts a vibrant marketplace brimming with gifts, homeware, clothing and antiques, ideal for a leisurely browse. The market runs every Saturday from 9am until 4pm, making for a perfect day trip.

The town offers restaurants serving nearly every type of cuisine, from Italian to Indian and classic English pub fare, but topping TripAdvisor’s rankings in Malton is the welcoming pub, The Royal Oak. One recent guest described their visit, saying: “Visited on a very dark, rainy evening and found a lovely, cosy pub with great food and fantastic service.

“The friendly pub atmosphere was made by a great landlord and happy local clientele. Wish we lived closer; would definitely recommend.”

Another highly praised establishment in the town is Forty Six, offering an array of small plates and delectable cocktails. One satisfied diner raved: “This is by far the best place to eat in Malton. The food is great; the staff are first class. I have visited a few times over the last few months and will be visiting again soon.”

For those with an insatiable appetite for culinary exploration, Malton Food Tours provides guided tours allowing you to savour a variety of flavours. You’ll get the chance to meet the passionate individuals behind the food, pop into artisan shops and eateries, and sample the produce firsthand on the second Saturday of every month.

Beyond its beloved gastronomic scene, Malton serves as an ideal base for exploring the breathtaking Yorkshire coastline and the nearby North York Moors National Park. History buffs will also enjoy a trip to the Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum, a former prisoner of war camp that offers a fascinating journey back in time.

Visitors have praised it as “educational” and “interesting”, with one individual describing it as a “brilliant place full of history and knowledge of what happened in the war”. They added: “Another place we visited on our week in Yorkshire and another great place of history of the war.

“Each hut had so much insight into what happened during the war – a place I would highly recommend to visit.” Spanning 33 huts, visitors can gain a sense of life during the Second World War and appreciate its historical significance, all thanks to the family who made the decision to open this site to the public three decades ago.