"Fine dining restaurants can often be your first thought when somebody else is paying. That said, once you get there, you often find yourself suffocated by a room that has the personality and warmth of a traffic warden, given a lecture on the menu by your tutor for the evening, and, as a result, can’t fully enjoy the food. But Core isn’t like this at all. Things here are all about the food and it makes for a fantastic experience. It’s seasonal, so nothing is a mainstay on the menu, but you’ll be sure to enjoy whatever. Especially as there’s no damage on you. Make full use of the ‘show next available’ button on OpenTable because you’re never going to be able to book the specific date you want. Even then it’s a torturous game of playing around with dates until something close enough to what you’ve chosen triggers a hit. And then, take it. Take it even if it’s for 9:45pm in three months' time." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing