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Bill Granger's London

Bill Granger. Image copyright Mikkel Vang

Bill Granger is a chef and food writer from Melbourne, Australia who's recently moved to London. He's written several best-selling cookbooks, fronted his own cookery show and has restaurants in Australia and Japan.

Bill is currently working on his first London restaurant and has a new book, Bill's Basics, a cheat's guide to 100 classic recipes. Bill Granger lives with his wife Natalie and three daughters.

We caught up with him to find out how London life is treating him.

Interview: September 2010

Update November 2011: Bill Granger's Notting Hill restaurant Granger & Co is now open!

Q: You've recently moved to London. Where do you live?

A: Notting Hill. I love it, especially being able to walk everywhere.

Q: Where did you last eat out in London?

A: I just had lunch at Polpetto in Soho.

Q: Where do you think serves the best London breakfast?

A: My house at 7.30am on a weekday morning! I also go down the road to Ottolenghi for pastries.

Q: What's your favourite London restaurant?

A: I have two: Dinings, a tiny Japanese restaurant in Marylebone and the River Café for Sunday lunch – it's a great dining experience and is so London.

Q: What's your favourite London icon?

A: Hyde Park. It's incredibly beautiful. English parks seem so wild. It's in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world – it's really the lungs of the city.

Q: Where do you think's the most romantic place in London?

A: Natalie and I snuck out for some oysters and champagne in J Sheekey recently. It felt very sophisticated and grown up!

Q: What's your favourite hidden gem in London?

A: Petersham Nurseries in Richmond. I love that there's an Aussie chef [Skye Gyngell] in the most English location! And Richmond Park is very very beautiful.

Q: If you could take one piece from a London museum or gallery, what would it be?

A: An Anish Kapoor sculpture from the exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. It was awe-inspiring to see contemporary art on such a large scale. It shows there's so much available to you in London.

Q: What are your children's favourite London attractions?

A: The Thames Clipper – it's a bit like a Sydney ferry and reminds you that London is a water city. And the canals in Little Venice. Also, they love the London Dungeon. Go late and the queue is shorter.

Q: What are your top tips for visitors with children?

A: I think London's a very child-friendly city. There's so much going on, it's a visual feast for kids. We buy Time Out for Kids and there are lots of other good guides too. Treat yourself to a cab – they're so useful when you have a pram.

Q: You've only recently moved to London – what are the top three things you'd like to do?

A: I haven't been to the V&A yet which is crazy, I've got to go. I haven't been on the London Eye and I'd like to go to get a better view of London. I want to take the girls for tea at Claridge's for an afternoon and dress up!