Birthdays, anniversaries, breakups, paydays, getting a dream job, quitting a hell job… Sometimes a meal needs to do more than feed, and when that time comes a splurge is needed.
A splurge is a state of mind, not just an act of fiscal negligence: it’s about the release from humdrum quotidian constraints, not purely what it does to one’s bank balance. And, boy, does 2022 feel like a good time to find release from quotidian constraints, as the U.K. continues to take nervous steps out of its metaphorical sitting room and out into the wider world again. Here, then, is a list of place to go to let go — yes for special occasions, but also for occasions made special by the sheer pleasure of being out again, contemplating a menu, deciding one more dish would be overkill, and ordering it anyway.
