There surely must be other benefits, but few things immortalise the discovery of fire than the advent of steak cookery. From the arguments of how best to cook it flaring up like sultry drips of rendering fat into open flames, to suppliers more coveted than those of a snobbish raver, steak goes beyond satisfying our primal urges.
The fact that steaks can elicit such intense opinion is illustrative of how cherished they truly are; they say something about us. Frasier and Niles Crane exclusively opted for fillet, aware of the social currency it held in their world, while their father Marty preferred the masculine inference of a T-bone with all the fixin’s.
As prices have increased, restaurants have looked for more cost-effective cuts that still satisfy both canine teeth and bank balance, with the bavette having become the cut of choice for many, often approximating the classic steak frite of France. The problem is, whether you know how to cook a steak or not, one thing is certain: you know just how you like it, which can be difficiult in a world where steak is often an expression of purism.
However, steak carries a familiarity that offers a sense of predictability — on some level, you know what you’re getting. Blue, rare, medium or well done (an ironic descriptor), are universal.
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Regardless, consumers are also shifting toward a wider trend of prioritising a desire for provenance and quality over any machismo for quantity. An ever-informed public evolving alongside an ever-adaptable restaurant industry has led to wider choice that’s equally nuanced. And so, thanks to a 15-or-so-year boom in steak restaurants across the capital, most now know what a good steak looks and tastes like at its best: charred and crusty on the outside, ruby red within, and with a minerally, mouth-filling flavour that delivers wave after wave of primal pleasure. Producers to look out for might include Bristol’s Ruby and White, London’s HG Walter, Swaledale, Harley’s, Ginger Pig, Meat Jon and the famed Philip Warren of Cornwall.
From British grill rooms to sky-high Kobe beef, glitzy imports to good-value homegrown chains, and whether you want it served up with chips, chimichurri or just a green salad, here we’ve selected our favourite steak restaurants in London, listed in no particular order. Got beef? Keep reading.
Liverpool Street Chop House
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This recent opening from the Evolv showed the group’s intention under new CEO Martin Williams, and away from the D&D of old (its former name). In what was once a warehouse from 1768 is an elegant, muscular room, serving a old school menu that promises deliciousness: bone marrow crumpets, Welsh rarebit fries, of steaks and lamb chops, suet puddings and whole pig heads. Stick to the formula: martinis with oysters, a couple of starters, steak and some big boy Burgundies. Steak here is offered on a trolley, and sourced from the Ethical butcher. The choice is simple: rump, fillet or sirloin individually, chateaubriand to share, or ribe-eye on the bone to share. Simple, but deadly effective: execution is superb, and these are some of the best steaks available in town, as per the Standard’s review last year.
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The Dorchester
The dining room at The Dorchester’s 45 Park Lane hotel officially comes courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, a chef so famous in the US that he’s appeared in an episode of The Simpsons and catered for the Oscars, but the man making it all happen is the true star, culinary director Elliott Grover. Grover, with help from the hotel’s general manager Lee Kelly — as personable as he is capable — has propelled this restaurant forward astonishing lengths since he took over in 2022. Once upon a time this was purely a pen for the international super-rich, but things have changed. True, there is still a champagne trolley and lashings of caviar available, but there is also some bloody good cooking going on. While the American influence runs deep, the best of the beef is British. The “Irish wagyu” sirloin is the sort of steak one dreams of; the wish is that every steak might taste like this, though none ever do. On the outside it is deeply charred; inside the fat runs through it like liquid. It is truly a beauty. Afterwards, pop over to the Vesper Bar in the Dorchester for a nightcap; those in the know will ask for a De La Louisiane. That said, upstairs in 45, they make one hell of a Vieux Carré.
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd
The UK’s love of Basque Country cooking has led to an importing of the experience that goes beyond pintxos and burnt cheesecake. Institutions like Casa Julián and a myriad of pintxo bars are famed for txuleta — hulking cuts of typically ex-dairy cows with fat the colour of caramelised custard, seasoned only with a sleet of rock salt, a singed mahogany bark that gives way to deeply rouged, sanguine flesh. Meaning “river” in Basque, which are fundamental to the region’s culture, Ibai is a deliberate nod to provenance itself.
Ibai use the likes of Miguel Vergara black Angus, Galician Blond or Japanese Black — or Wagyu as you might know it — and it’s the real deal, from full-blood, 10-year-old Wagyu cattle sourced in Suffolk then butchered in Kilburn. Not only this, but Ibai have full control over the herd itself, enabling them to do the rare beast justice, as they see fit. But be warned, they only have two cows a month.
That said, Ibai are continuously on the lookout for beef that makes their exacting cut, such as a 12-year-old ox from Baixa Limia, characterised by an orange fat derived from their diet of carotene-rich grass.
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Ibai emphasis on older beasts is indicative of their wider approach — that good things come to those who wait and, just as a life well-lived develops character, this is also true when talking about the meat itself. If you want a sincere taste of the Basque Country without having to compete with reams of your sun-stroked, txakoli-sodden countrymen spilling out of their Airbnb’s, Ibai’s the answer.
Ashley Palmer-Watts
If you can make your way past the swarms of Soho’s youth emitting a vape cloud as if signalling their peers to the Lost Mary war, then the Devonshire will reward the carnivorous. It’s the joint vision of Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll and Ashley Palmer-Watts.
Although famed for its nigh on absurd volumes of Guinness pulled through each week, the food hardly plays second fiddle. A recent addition to their menu is a grass-fed Wagyu hybrid from New Zealand, personally sourced by Charlie Carroll — the originator of the famous Flat Iron. The Standard’s David Ellis has waxed-lyrical ever since trying it two weeks ago, which is no small feat, given his sceptical approach to steak in restaurants. At £49, the meat is a steal for its quality; where some wagyu is almost damp with fat, this comes with its muscular, brawny meat still there.
For those fancy slightly less marbling than the Venus de Milo, there’s also a skirt steak with duck fat chips and Bearnaise as part of the set menu (two courses £25, three for £29). However, if you’ve got a little more time on your hands, then invest in their à la carte menu, which groans with more heavyweight cuts of beef. Flintstone-grade T-bone steaks of beef chops (£11.50 per 100g); supple chunks of 9oz fillet or 12oz slabs of ribeye, with Bearnaise of course, but also peppercorn, Hollandaise or green sauce, if salt and pepper alone isn’t for you. At the risk of stating the obvious and assuming you’re not entirely keto, the duck fat chips or mashed potato are a must.
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Mike Daw
Spanish for “fat”, it’s clear that Manteca prioritises flavour with owners Chris Leach (Petersham Nurseries and Pitt Cue) and David Carter (founder of Smokestak) being of good stock when it comes to meat. Every Friday, Manteca takes delivery of whole animals, which are then butchered on-site as part of the restaurant’s nose-to-tail approach. All are broken down to prime cuts and charcuterie, made in their own dry-ageing room. In terms of steaks, Longhorn beef is currently on their menu and, while this can change based on whatever is the best available, 250g fillets and 500g ribe-eye come in at £30 and £60 respectively.
Dorian
The brainchild of Notting Hill native Chris D’Sylva, Dorian is predicated on being decidedly “anti-Notting Hill”, running counter to the area’s stereotype of old money, dogs-in-handbags, don’t-you-know-who-I-ams. Instead it offers something more modern and vital. What could encapsulate this more than a wood fire grill, ablaze with the tallow of premium cuts, wreathing them in delicious smoke? Dorian’s emphasis on quality extends to the hands preparing the food, with an elite team comprised of Max Coen (Ikoyi, Kitchen Table, Frantzén), Kai Menneken, former sous chef to Phil Howard (Elystan Street) and George Williams (River Cafe). Even the bar is headed up by Ale Villa (Core by Clare Smyth) who’s also collaborated with suppliers London legend Noble Rot for the wine list. Blushing cuts come perfectly pink from edge to edge without the use of sous vide shortcuts, just the product of the doting quality meat deserves. Look up D’Sylva’s sushi bar, Eel, too.
Macellaio RC Exmouth Market
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“Macellaio” is the Italian word for “butcher”, which gives a clue as to the hands-on approach espoused by owner Robert Costa, the titular “RC”. This five-strong Italian steak chain originally opened in South Kensington but this second restaurant in Exmouth Market is the nicest. The feel is French bistro (bentwood chairs, stripped wood floors and tabletops) crossed with an abattoir, with sides of cow dangling from hooks in the window and ageing gracefully for 50 days; squeamish diners, or anyone toying with the idea of turning vegan, would be advised to walk on by. Steak, priced by the 100g and butchered to order, includes costata (aka entrecôte) made from Piedmont’s famed fassone cattle, Irish tomahawk and Lake District Farmers T-bone and rib-eye, all seasoned to perfection with Ligurian olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Elsewhere on the menu is beef carpaccio, tartare, heart, cheeks, liver and, in case, you’ve forgotten you’re in an Italian restaurant, pan-fried chuck steak in a pizzaiola sauce of capers, anchovies, olives and tomato. As for vegetarians…. there’s trofie with Genovese pesto if the beef chin ravioli doesn’t take your fancy. All branches are dog-friendly, too.
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It’s a measure of the all-conquering success of this British steak and cocktail chain that New Yorkers welcomed the Manhattan outpost with rave reviews, which must be the food equivalent of carrying coals to Newcastle, then burning the place down. It is a further measure of Hawksmoor’s success that the Big Apple outpost feels as American as the UK restaurants feel British, for each branch has remained reassuringly individual. This Spitalfields original, just up from Nicholas Hawksmoor’s Christ Church, is where it all began in 2006, and though the formula remains largely unchanged, it rarely feels formulaic. British beef from regenerative farms is grilled just long enough for the outside to turn crusty while the inside stays pink and served alongside side orders that would make a meal in themselves: fatty bone marrow, thick-cut maple bacon and creamy sauces for dunking beef-dripping French fries. Starters and puddings — scallops with white port and garlic, sticky toffee sundae — are every bit as good and, though prices are steep, huge portions makes three courses unlikely. There are other branches across the capital, this is simply our pick of the bunch. The new-ish one in Canary Wharf, which floats and has a spectacular bar, is definitely one to try, though, and lately the one in Covent Garden has been on blistering form too.
Andrew Montgomery
Chophouses are the English forerunner of the more American steakhouse and came to prominence as 17th-century dens of intrigue, though it was Victorian London when they really proved their chops as affordable eating places. The Quality Chop House dates from 1869 and, though affordable is a fairly flexible term in the 21st century, it’s easy to imagine intrigue being woven in its Grade II-listed wooden booths. There’s still always at least one chop on the daily changing menu but also Aberdeen Angus sirloin (on or off the bone) and Hereford chateaubriand and rib, served with up-to-date accompaniments such as purple sprouting broccoli with ajo blanco, brown butter and almonds that the Victorians would have displayed in the Crystal Palace as the height of exoticism. If you like what you eat and drink, take something home from the butcher and wine shop next door.
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“Old cow” is rarely a compliment but when applied to Galician beef it delivers some of the most richly flavoured meat on the planet. Spanish import Sagardi specialises in txuletón, beef cut from cattle of at least six years old, which is liberally seasoned with rock salt before being grilled over burning oak. The meltingly tender steak is bounded by a girdle of buttery fat and, like wagyu, the densely intense meat may not be to all tastes — or budgets: the butch dining room of bench-like tables and glass-fronted cabinets, gleaming with bottles of big-name Iberian wine, feels tailor-made for City boys out on the razz in Shoreditch. Elsewhere on the menu is a greatest hits of Spanish cooking (ham croquettes, pan con tomate) as well as the more recherché likes of braised suckling lamb trotter in Biscay sauce, plus a polite request that “for vegetarian dishes, ask our chef”. Do let us know what he says.
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Beak Street is the original location for this now 15-strong chain of steak restaurants in London alone, but Shoreditch is the first stop for the premium cuts of picanha, sirloin and rib-rye, cooked over a 15ft wood-ember hearth. However, it’s the namesake flat-iron steak which made the place famous and, even if it is no longer the bargain £10 it was when Flat Iron launched in Soho in 2012, £15 for steak is still one of the capital’s most appealing cheap eats — as well as one of the best quality, with the meat sourced from the restaurant’s own herd in North Yorkshire. Expect to pay extra for everything else, though with beef dripping chips for £4, Béarnaise and peppercorn sauce for another £1.50 and soft-serve ice cream on the house, it’s still great value for £20.50. Flat iron, by the way, is the American name for what the Brits call feather blade, a small cut taken from the shoulder and best served rare or medium-rare so it doesn’t have time to toughen.
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With branches in Mayfair, the City and Canary Wharf, there’s no mistaking the target market for this upmarket steak mini-chain decked out in dark wood and brown leather, but even if you don’t go to work dressed as Kendall or Shiv Roy, Goodman is a name to know. Beef is aged on site before being cooked in a charcoal grill and allowed to rest; there’s Scottish grass-fed fillet and USDA Angus sirloin and rib-eye and, should the prices make you wince, take a small dollop of comfort from the fact that sauce is included. If you have serious money to burn, speciality cuts are chalked up on a blackboard while the wine list is burnished with the most famous chateaux of Bordeaux and domaines of Burgundy. It sounds like a nightmare of corporate diners on expense accounts but friendly staff mean that the reality is rather more welcoming.
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But for a couple of errant vowels, Ranald Macdonald may have found himself the mascot of a more global chain; instead, the heir apparent to the chief of Clan Macdonald of Clanranald is the founder and face of this group of tartan-clad restaurants so ostentatiously Scottish, a kilt should be part of the dress code. Yet Boisdale is much more than an Angus Steakhouse for posh people; nightly live jazz, walk-in humidors for cigars on the terrace and an excellent selection of (Scotch) whisky place the emphasis on fun rather than fine dining, while beef is one of several prime ingredients from north of the border which also include Dunkeld smoked salmon, pickled Orkney herrings and Dumfriesshire haggis. The steak comes as fillet, rib-eye, côte de boeuf and châteaubriand, and prepare to do your most convincing Sean Connery-style roll of your ‘r’s when you order the thrice-cooked chips.
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While all Kobe beef is wagyu beef, not all wagyu qualifies as Kobe. This ultra-exclusive variety of wagyu can only come from a breed of cattle called Tajima, bred under strict rules in Hyōgo prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital. What’s more, to sell Kobe beef, restaurants must be certified by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and only a handful of London restaurants have the necessary paperwork (including M, Hot Stone and Kai). None, however, has as spectacular a view as Sushisamba on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower, where City boys and girls can blow their bonus on Kobe beef served two ways: ishiyaki-style on a hot stone (£143) or as rib-eye from the robata grill (£163). If you’d rather slather your steak in sauce, there’s T-bone with chimichurri for a marginally (!) more affordable £97.
Flights will leave Oman tonight and this weekend (Picture: Reuters)
The first government-chartered flight to evacuate UK citizens from Oman is believed to have taken off this evening as the war in Iran continues to escalate.
Around 7pm UK time, the flight was scheduled to leave Muscat, in addition to eight commercial flights leaving the United Arab Emirates this evening.
Metro has contacted the Foreign Office to confirm that the flight is en route.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said two further Government-chartered flights will take off from the capital of Oman, Muscat, to London Heathrow on Friday and Saturday.
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The first Government rescue flight and British Airways commercial flight from Muscat depart on Wednesday night.
More than 1,000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates as of Tuesday.
Eight more UK flights are scheduled to depart the UAE today. Still, there is not expected to be a widespread evacuation of the 130,000 British nationals who have registered in the Middle East.
Some commercial flights are operating from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, but most are cancelled because of airspace restrictions caused by the conflict between Iran and the US.
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Violence in the Middle East has spilled over into neighbouring countries (Picture: AFP)
British Airways, which does not usually serve Muscat, said it remains unable to operate its scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.
Muscat has emerged as a key location for people to leave the Middle East, given the Foreign Office hasn’t advised against travel into the Oman airport – unlike the current advice for airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
Muscat can be reached by road from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi with journeys of about 300 miles.
The Foreign Office said: ‘There are a limited number of commercial options available, including by air from the UAE and from Oman.
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‘If your presence in the UAE is not essential, you may wish to consider departing – if you judge you can access these options safely.’
The Oman waterfront has seen debris from strikes wash up (Picture: Reuters)
Oman Air has continued to operate its two daily return flights between Muscat and Heathrow despite the war.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said Muscat has ‘become a popular alternative for flying out of the region’ but warned that almost all scheduled flights from Muscat are fully booked.’
It added that private jets are being chartered to evacuate those who can afford it.
About half a million passengers per day usually use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are vital hubs for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia.
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Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers.
Hollywood star Michelle Pfeiffer was a guest on the BBC show on Wednesday (March 4)
BBC viewers were stunned by Michelle Pfeiffer’s youthful looks as she appeared on The One Show.
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The actress was on the sofa on the BBC programme on Wednesday (March 4) to discuss her new TV series The Madison, which sees her sharing the screen with Kurt Russell.
But as she chatted to hosts Alex Jones and Clara Amfo, viewers were distracted by her ageless beauty. Many posted messages on X, formerly Twitter, saying that they could not believe how young the 67-year-old star looked.
One person commented: “Dang Michelle Pfeiffer is still hot even at almost 70.”
“Michelle is unreal I mean look at her,” said someone else, as another fan remarked: “I’m amazed how beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer looks on The One Show tonight x.”
“How does Michelle still look so amazing,” asked one fan, as someone else shared: “Michelle Pfeiffer in Grease 2 was my first crush oof!”
“Michelle Pfeiffer is so great and beautiful!” exclaimed another admirer, as one person said the star “still looks great”.
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Another fan posted: “Michelle Pfeiffer looks amazing. She looks so at ease on the sofa and interviews really well. I bet she’s great to work with. A seasoned professional.”
New series The Madison follows the Clyburn family, who move from New York to Montana after a tragedy in the family.
Speaking on The One Show, Hollywood star Michelle said: “I play Stacy Clyburn, and I am the matriarch of the family based in New York, and a tragedy fractures the family, and then actually pulls it back together in ways that were unexpected.”
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She went on: “”And, you know, it’s a story about, you know, it’s tender and visceral and actually unexpectedly funny at times, and it is a story about self-discovery and the messy and profound work to rebuild everything that you knew that has fallen apart.”
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website
The 20-year-old was forced off in the 70th minute of City’s 1-0 win away to Leeds United last Saturday.
In his pre-match press conference, Guardiola claimed that O’Reilly was in contention to play against Forest with a final assessment to be made after Tuesday’s training session.
But speaking before kick-off on Wednesday night when O’Reilly was not named in City’s matchday squad, Guardiola claimed the 20-year-old had not fully recovered from his ankle issue.
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Asked for a timeframe on O’Reilly’s return, Guardiola said: ‘Yesterday we had a training session, he then felt uncomfortable from the knock he got against Leeds.
‘Hopefully he can come back but at the same time it’s happened, in this part of the season everybody is massively important for our experience in the periods where we fight for competitions, everyone is massively important.’
After Wednesday’s game against Forest, City are away to Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Saturday.
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The father and step-daughter were reunited on the BBC soap in sad circumstances
EastEnders fans are saying that they’ve ‘worked out’ Nigel Bates’ fate after Clare Bates’ ‘heartbreaking’ return to the BBC soap.
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It was announced last month that actress Gemma Bissix was stepping back into the role of the daughter of Debbie Bates, and the stepdaughter of Nigel by marriage. Nigel received full custody of Clare after her mother Debbie died in a car crash in the summer of 1995.
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Gemma was last seen in EastEnders back in 2008 when she made the decision to leave following the breakdown of her relationship with the late Bradley Branning, and has not returned since.
At the time of her exit, Clare claimed that she and Nigel became estranged because he wasn’t a fan of her wild behaviour in her younger years. However, in scenes aired on Wednesday night (March 4), it turned out that this wasn’t true.
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After receiving a voicemail from Julie in the episode prior, Clare was stunned to learn that Nigel is living in dementia, with his condition deteriorating in recent months. Clare was furious that not only did she not know this, but that he was in a care home.
Julie pointed out that Clare ignored her calls for help locating him when he disappeared from their family home in Scotland after his initial diagnosis. Over at the hospital, Phil Mitchell and Julie wanted to see how Nigel was doing before bringing Clare in.
Fed up with waiting, Clare burst into the room only for Nigel not to recognise her. To make matters worse, Nigel, who is in hospital after nearly drowning in the bath, thought Phil’s grandchild Lexi Pearse was his stepdaughter.
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A confused Nigel asked Phil to bring him to the Queen Vic to have a pint with Barry Evans, in spite of the character having died over 20 years ago.
It turns out that Nigel and Clare fell out after she sold her mum Debbie’s wedding ring to a pawn shop. Nigel was planning to give the jewellery to Clare’s daughter Bella and had to pay a lot of money to get it back.
Noticing that Clare was upset, Lexi played her a message her mum Lola recorded for her prior to her death. The pair formed a bond over losing their mums at a young age.
The episode ended with a stunning cliffhanger, with Julie and Phil discovering that Nigel was missing. Putting the blame on Clare and Lexi, it remains to be seen just what happens next.
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Following the episode, EastEnders fans took to X, previously known as Twitter, to have their say on Clare’s return and explain where they think the storyline is going next.
@RyanSoapKing25 said: “The Clare & Nigel reunion scene in tonight’s #EastEnders was heartbreaking. I hope Nigel remembers Clare before he dies and they make amends especially as they didn’t leave things on the best terms first time around. Nigel thinking that Lexi is Clare was devastating.”
@jones_emma54777 wrote: “This scene with Lexi and Clare is very moving #EastEnders.” @B73Shell stated: “I know it will be a slow burner, but I do wonder if Phil & Julie will end up together? They are very suited, especially for their love over Nigel #eastenders.”
@Unhappy_Dig_8575 commented on Reddit: “I called this months ago… Julie & Phil are gonna grief get [sic] together aren’t they they have really softened towards each other especially Julie in today’s ep. It will likely happen after the funeral and then Julie will decide to fulfil Nige’s dream by going to India travelling leaving Walford behind for good.”
The Google Pixel 10a has the same 48-megapixel main camera, 13-megapixel ultra-wide and 13-megapixel front camera as the Pixel 9a. Such a lack of progress isn’t overly concerning, given that the Pixel 9a took fine photos for the money.
Camera hardware is never the main focus in a Pixel phone. Google’s image processing does a lot of the heavy lifting here, resulting in shots with an almost uncanny level of clarity and contrast, even at night.
Images taken with the Pixel 10a’s main camera are generally pin-sharp and well exposed, pulling detail out of shadow while taming brighter areas. The ultrawide is the weak link, producing grainier and less natural-looking snaps.
Google’s 13-megapixel front camera might not be the star component as found in the Pixel 10 Pro, but it does capture natural selfies with rich skin tones. Portrait shots make the subject pop, though some edge detail is lost.
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There is no dedicated telephoto camera, so you’re best advised to stop at the 2x zoom mark. These cropped-in shots still look decent, but zooming in any further will see the detail level dropping off dramatically.
No one handles AI-powered image editing better than Google. In the Pixel 10a, as with other Pixel phones, you can fire off a quick snap and be pulling off major edits within a couple of taps, all without ever having to leave the camera app. Some of the AI-powered tools found in Google’s Pixel Studio suite can carry your image into uncanny territory, allowing you to fundamentally transform it using simple language, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
New to the A-series is ‘Camera Coach’, which talks you through improving the framing of your shot in real time. ‘Auto Best Take’, meanwhile, blends similar photos to produce group shots where everyone looks their best.
The Google Pixel 10a is reasonably well equipped for a sub-£500 phone, but we’ve seen it all before. The specifications are almost identical to the Google Pixel 9a which, at the time of writing, Google is still selling as new at a steep discount.
The study, led by a University of York researcher, revealed an “unprecedented” variety of plants in human diets thousands of years ago.
People living in Britain and Europe as long ago as the sixth millennium BC used a wide range of plant, animal and seafood products to create “elaborate” meals, the researchers said.
The study was led by Dr Lara González Carretero, from the University of York, and also involved researchers from Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia and Spain.
Researchers examined organic remains found in 58 pieces of pottery uncovered at 13 archaeological sites across northern and eastern Europe dating between the sixth and third millennium BC.
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Experimental cooking with modern replica pottery vessels to recreate prehistoric recipes. Experts have found Stone Age families enjoyed a ‘surprisingly complex’ range of cuisine (Image: Lara González Carretero/SWNS)
They recovered tissue samples of a wide variety of plants – including grasses, berries, leaves, and seeds.
A common technique for interpreting the diets of ancient cultures involves analysing fatty residues in ancient pottery.
But Dr Carretero said that method is limited as it mostly provides insights only into animal remains.
For the new study, published in the journal PLOS One, the research team instead combined multiple techniques, including microscopic examination and chemical analysis, to identify the remains of plants that were eaten by ancient European hunter-gatherers.
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Dr Carretero said: “In many cases, plant remains were found alongside those of animals, most often fish and other seafood.
“The exact mixtures and ingredients varied from region to region, most likely reflecting which resources were locally available as well as local cultural practices.
“These findings emphasise the important role of plants and aquatic foods in the diets of early Europeans.
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“These results also support the idea that these communities regularly used pottery technology for food preparation and that each culture had their own complex culinary traditions.
“This study also demonstrates that combining multiple analytical techniques can yield detailed insights that are overlooked by traditional methods, particularly when it comes to the plants that ancient peoples were eating.”
Dr Carretero added: “While conventional chemical analysis tends to highlight the animal-based components of ancient meals, our combined microscopic approach has brought these prehistoric recipes back into focus.
“We found that hunter-gatherer-fishers were not living on fish alone. They were actively processing and consuming a wide variety of plants.
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“This research underscores that to truly understand ancient diets, we need to take a closer look at these food crusts, quite literally.”
The United States may have launched strikes on Iran this week, but Donald Trump also found time for a war of words.
This time, it was with the prime ministers of the UK and Spain – after they refused to allow America access to their airbases ahead of the attack.
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Sir Keir Starmer and Pedro Sanchez have responded with some tough words of their own – so why are they and other European leaders finally standing up to the US president?
Niall is joined by Sky’s military analyst Michael Clarke.
Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show – why@sky.uk
TOKYO (AP) — It’s officially named the World Baseball Classic. But for the Group C games in Japan, simply call it the world according to Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani’s life-size image is all over the Tokyo Dome, and racks of Ohtani jerseys — about $125 each — dominate the adjacent merchandise center. Japan begins play on Friday against Taiwan with South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic also in the group.
Ohtani skipped batting practice on Wednesday, surely disappointing several hundred fans who were in the stadium expecting a show. He’s just saving himself and is 0-for-5 since arriving in Japan and playing in exhibition games against Japanese league teams.
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“Every time I join (the Japanese team) there are younger and younger players — younger players are increasing,” Ohtani said, speaking in Japanese at a brief new conference.
Japan is not only a favorite to advance, it’s also possible it will again meet the United States in the final in Miami. Three years ago, Japan defeated the Americans 3-2 when Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to end a dramatic game that gave the WBC a huge popularity boost.
Ohtani is expected to only bat for Japan, not pitch as the Los Angeles Dodgers want to save him for the season. But he left the door slightly ajar before leaving spring training in Arizona.
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Asked if he might attempt to pitch, he replied: “It’s hard to say. But if (Mike) Trout shows up, it’s tempting,” he said, speaking through interpreter Will Ireton.
Trout will not be playing this time for the United States because of insurance issues, which have kept several players on the sidelines.
Travis Bazzana will be the second baseman for Australia. He was selected by the Cleveland Guardians as the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, the first from his country to occupy that spot.
Ohtani is his role model, as he is for many other younger players.
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“I personally believe he is the greatest of all time,” Bazzana said. “He epitomizes the work ethic and mastering his craft in baseball. That is someone I look up to, but when it comes to that game in a couple of days — you can’t focus on who’s across the field.”
Japan has a powerful batting lineup led by Ohtani and other MLB big hitters: Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto and Seiya Suzuki. The pitching staff has lost some stars from 2023 including with Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Yu Darvish.
The pitching anchor will be World Series MVP and Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“It’s a chance to go up against the best team in the world and it’s a special event going against Ohtani,” said Australian manager Dave Nilsson, a former all-star catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers.
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“It’s going to be a big moment for the fans and for Japan,” Nilsson added. “We’re not going to get caught up in the sideshow.”
In a candid interview ahead of his album release, Harry Styles reflects on Liam Payne’s death (Picture: Matt Baron/BEI/REX/Shutterstock)
Harry Styles has reflected for the first time on the death of Liam Payne, sharing how it is especially ‘difficult to lose a friend who is so like you’.
Harry has now shared that he still ‘struggles’ to talk about Payne, who he first met on X Factor when the singers were just 16 years old.
‘Full transparency, it’s like something that I, even the idea of talking about it, I struggle with that a little bit even,’ he confessed on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show podcast.
The music artist spoke about the grieving process (Picture: Apple Music / The Zane Lowe Show)
Harry explained how he wasn’t able to ‘acknowledge how strange it is to have people kind of own part of your grief in a way’.
While he had lost a friend, the world had lost a star and fans very publicly grieved Payne alongside those who knew him in real life.
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There was also intense pressure on the former group to speak out and to share insight into their own emotions as they paid tribute to him.
Harry continued: ‘I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away. And then suddenly being aware there’s maybe like a desire from other people of you to convey that in some way, or it means you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something, you know?’
Reflecting on Payne’s death for the first time in an interview, he told Zane: ‘It’s so difficult to lose a friend. It’s difficult to lose any friend, but it’s so difficult to lose a friend who is so like you in so many ways.
The Grammy-winning singer was present at his late bandmate’s funeral (Picture: Getty)
‘It’s like, I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great.’
The shock death left Harry wondering what he wanted to ‘do with his life’ and whether he was living how he really wanted to.
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His discussion about Payne came after Zane asked about artistry and music, ahead of new album, Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally.
The Aperture singer shared that he loves when he can hear an artist ‘discover themselves’ and are being ‘vulnerable’.
‘Choosing the song that is meant just for me to work through something, I think it becomes something important when you choose to let people look at that,’ Harry mused.
Speaking with Zane Lowe, he discussed what he thinks makes music connect with fans (Picture: Getty)
‘I think the thing that makes someone like an artist is letting [fans] watch you be an ordinary person,’ he continued. ‘It’s not about being, “I am this mystic thing”.
‘I think the difference is we’re all ordinary people and there’s some people who let other people watch you be an ordinary person. And I think that is kind of the key in a lot of ways for me, anyway.’
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Zane replied that he thought of Payne as Harry spoke and others who ‘ struggled to get out of extraordinary situations’.
The As It Was singer called Payne a ‘super special person’, adding the loss was ‘really sad’.
‘I think the greatest way you can honour your friends who pass away is by living your life to the fullest,’ he added.
Harry Styles Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally review
Metro’s music reporter Danni Scott gives her verdict on Harry Styles’ new album.
He has tried to ‘live his life to the fullest’ in honour of those who are no longer here (Picture: Getty)
This came in the form of travel for Harry, with the star embarking on a year of travel and side quests around Europe.
He told Zane how he just said yes to a lot (and no to some things) and made a group of new friends with the whole experience giving him a fresh outlook on life.
‘It just has changed the way that I’m experiencing life,’ Harry said. ‘This album is such a wonderful byproduct of that because I was recording while all this was happening, and I was exploring all that.
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‘I think also just being in a place in my life where I’m like, if I put this album out and everyone decided they hated it. Would I be sensitive about it? Yes, I would. Would it make me doubt who I know myself to be as a person? No, it wouldn’t.’
Harry Styles’ new album Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally is out on March 6.His full interview on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show is out now.
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