What We’re Reading

Scandi-Scot hotels, sparkling seafood and world-class whisky: where to eat, drink and stay on Scotland’s North Coast 500

The North Coast 500, Scotland’s answer to Route 66, celebrates it 10th anniversary this year. Doing it The Good Food Guide way involves Shetland scallop tacos, cullen skink, fish and chips, and haggis pies. The Good Food Guide

How Google Maps quietly allocates survival across London’s restaurants – and I built a dashboard to see through it

Google – it’s worse than we thought. Social data scientist Lauren Leek unpacks the data and it’s not pretty: “Once you start looking at London’s restaurant scene through data, you stop seeing all those cute independents and hot new openings. You start seeing an algorithmic market – one where visibility compounds, demand snowballs, and who gets to survive is increasingly decided by code.” Lauren Leek’s Data Substack

What’s trending in restaurants in 2025?

A panel of experts, chosen from among the winners of CODE’s CODE’s Women of the Year, CODE’s Happiest Places to Work and CODE’s 30 Under 30 share their insights into what’s trending in the hospitality industry, from Cosmos – the drink of 1998 and now 2026, apparently – to banana splits. CODE

David Ellis reviews Martino’s: With apologies to The Ritz, I’ve found my new favourite restaurant

Does it come as any surprise that David Ellis loves Martino’s? No! That he gives it five stars? Also no! Nevertheless, his latest review is a worthy attempt to parse what makes a perfect restaurant. The Standard