Seven things in food to stay livid about in 2017
Artisan anything. Raw milk. All that pseudo-science. Just stop it now
Aquavit, London: restaurant review
Polished, self-satisfied and overpriced, Aquavit is a proper Nordic noir thriller but for all the wrong reasons, says Jay Rayner
The Holy Birds, London: restaurant review
A hip new chicken joint opens in Shoreditch. How wrong could it go? Let Jay Rayner count the ways…
Celebrating food and refugee chefs: ‘I’m happy you have come to eat my food!’
Restaurateurs in Strasbourg are throwing open their doors to refugee chefs – and the customers are flooding in too
As a waitress, I work tirelessly for tips – it’s what keeps me out of poverty
Many in my profession cannot make ends meet with our wages alone. We rely on people’s good grace – so missing out on service charge feels like daylight robbery
Buenos Aires city guide: what to see, plus the best bars, restaurants and hotels
With its modern art museums, hidden basement bars, and fast-evolving food scene, Argentina’s capital is the most sophisticated city in Latin America
Veneta, London: restaurant review
Veneta may have been a lacklustre way to round off 2016. But the year has had many highlights. Jay Rayner picks his best
In defence of gruel
An exhibition on life - and meal times - at the Foundling Museum shows the true spirit of Christmas, and provides some surprising discoveries
Monty Don: ‘I like dogs because they are not humans’
The nation’s favourite gardener on his bond with the subject of his current book – his pet dogs – and why he won’t be appearing on TV shows with ‘celebrity’ in the title
The best Christmas fortified wines … and more
Port, marsala, dark rum: some drinks are to good to leave languishing in the cupboard
Joe Trivelli’s Italian Christmas recipes
Traditional escarole pizza pie, fragrant slow-roast duck and boozy coffee sorbet: Italian flavours in a festive setting, from the River Café’s Joe Trivelli
The 20 best food books of 2016
Observer Food Monthly’s choice of recipe collections, reference books and all things food-related. Gift wrap them, or keep them for yourself
Observer Food Monthly’s book of the year 2016: Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
‘I wanted to show the soft beauty of kitchen culture’: Stephanie Danler on how she went from waiting tables in New York to writing a brilliant novel
The best thing I ate in 2016
From a homemade birthday cake to wild pig in the Yucatán, the big names in food, including Nigella Lawson, René Redzepi and Nadiya Hussain, recall their favourite eating experiences of 2016
The great Christmas 2016 taste test
Observer Food Monthly’s cast of Dickensian players feast on the high street’s cakes, cheese and chocolates. Which are the best buys? And did anyone ask for more?