A flamboyant dresser — patterned shirts were de rigueur, brightly-coloured kurtas were not unusual — Vines was regarded as the embodiment of a bon viveur, and made for excellent company at parties and long lunches alike. His retirement bash, hosted at M Restaurant by close friend Martin Williams, was attended by a diverse array of the city’s highest profile chefs, including Asma Khan, Fergus and Margot Henderson, Russell Norman, Nieves Barragán Mohacho, Pascal Aussignac and Vivek Singh. Similarly, his 60th birthday saw chefs including Angela Hartnett, Francesco Mazzei, Brett Graham and Simon Rogan raise a toast to him.
Richard Vines, celebrated restaurant critic, dies aged 71
