MD's review of Scott's

Leaving a place like Scotts, is almost like stepping out of a roller coaster ride, the initial euphoria fills you with infinite pleasure which slowly dissipates, leaving you with the reality that it was all one big illusion. Dining at Scotts for the first time is a treat to the senses and you are left in your seat in awe of the calibre of people around you; the rich, the famous, politicians and London socialites fill the plentiful tables and you can't help but watch.

Staff are busy bustling around with poise and precision and the whole operation runs seamlessly from door to bill. The restaurant itself is expansive yet filled with tables (some may say, rather too closely), eccentric and uncoordinated art and a sense of pride that bounces from oak panelled wall to wall. The menu is an equally diverse array of items of a fishy nature, from the traditional to contemporary options. At first you want to eat everything but when sense prevails you nervously make your choice because this meal has to be perfect. This meal is at Scotts.

Plates arrived and left with very few remains of john dory, gurnard and mussels in saffron broth, and herb crusted monkfish and scallions with plum tomatoes. Both dishes were succulent, flavoursome and balanced, without a whisper of over or undercooked fish – as one would expect. At the time I was chuffed with the selection and its delivery. Thinking back, now that the veil of awe is firmly off, the dishes were really just satisfactory and nothing more.

Herein lies the problem. There is mark up and then there is unjustified mark up. if the prize here is the fact that you are sitting in Scotts then it can be handled once or twice I suppose, but if its the quality of the food, then I'm not sure it is the only restaurant to claim fish that has pretty much swum out of the sea and straight on to the plate.

Scotts is and for me always will be a destination dining venue for the odd special occasion but for quality, innovation and real wow factor worth paying for, there are other contenders in London worthy of more frequent visits.