Since winning the BMW Square Meal Restaurant of the Year Award in 2008, Scott’s has become an avidly endorsed favourite with readers, with hardly a duff note among the symphony of approval. ‘Wow –
even if that wasn’t Gene Hackman behind me, I was impressed’, exclaims one admirer. This star-spangled destination dazzles at every turn, from the eye-popping displays of icy crustacea to the
fabulously swish oak-panelled dining room hung with notable Brit art. Scott’s fruits de mer are among the very best, oysters work their briny magic on the glitzed-up crowd, & the kitchen also
turns heads with its cooking – anything from smoked eel with chunky, tangy horseradish to lobster thermidor, sautéed cod’s tongues with bordelaise sauce or John Dory with ceps & hedgerow
garlic. Meat eaters get satisfaction from wild rabbit on toast or fillet of venison with sprout tops. For pudding, Bramley apple pie has blown away at least one grateful recipient. Staff are ‘as
delicious as the food’, tending to every whim with consummate poise.
Wine List: A concise & thoughtfully selected list, particularly strong on fresh mineral whites to accompany a plate of molluscs. Europe forms the bulk of the collection, but the choice
of producer is first class throughout. With 25 options by the glass & carafe, there’s scope to match the wine with a range of dishes. Best Buy White 2007 Bourgogne Aligoté, Jean
Yves-Devevey, Burgundy, France, £31. Best Buy Red 2005 Rosso Conero, Le Terrazze, Marche, Italy, £40.
Chef: Tim Hughes
Having stepped into Mark Hix's shoes as chef director of Caprice Holdings, Tim Hughes is now responsible for the company's nine sites, most notably Le Caprice, Scott's & The Ivy. Hughes began his career in hotel kitchens, before moving on to restaurant cuisine. He worked at both The Oak Room & Harvey's under Marco Pierre White, & took on his first head chef role at the age of 24 at Mortons House Hotel in Dorset, before becoming sous chef at Le Caprice under Mark Hix. After opening the Canteen in Chelsea Harbour he returned to Le Caprice as head chef. He later launched Bank in Aldwych, & subsequently reopened J Sheekey for Caprice Holdings, before taking up his current post.
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