Adam's Reviews

(Please ignore first version – had not checked grammar / spelling etc!!)

I love Russell Norman – he is the Keith McNally of London town. From the moment I first stepped in to Polpo, Russell's first gaff on Beak Street that opened last autumn 2009, I knew this man was on to something clever. I want to make it clear that I went to Polpetto on one of the preview nights so I did recieve 50% off the food bill but either way the experience was worth it.

I am not going to lie, I had never really heard of The French House on Dean Street. I have probably walked past it hundreds of times after being to Dean Street Townhouse but perched on the first floor is Polpetto.To be fair, you cant miss the sign hanging above the door – a striking picture of an octupus which of course is what Polpetto translates in to from Italian.

Up a narrow wooden staircase and the setting couldnt be more different from what you just left on Dean Street. Think Pulino's meets Polpo and as Russell says ‘ a jewel box version’, only seating 24 people, I believe. It was nice to see a friendly face from Polpo in the name of Ashleigh, who is now manager of Polpetto. The rest of the crew where typical Polpo – nice, friendly people with no attitude…so refereshing.

The menu has some Polpo favourites with some new exciting dishes. The panzanella salad, a classic Tuscan peasant dish, is full of flavour and would be a definite choice on a warm summers day. The chilli and garlic prawns were epic as was the soft shell battered crab. Unlike Polpo, Polpetto is slightly more refined in the way that the food is served. Although still focusing on the bacaro stlye they bring out the starters first, then fish dishes, then meat dishes.

The pigeon was another classic dish. Not too gamey which this bird can be but just right. The osso boccu was delicious and I think could be eaten as a main for one person as it was served with some lovely sticky white rice. However, the ham hock terrine is the dish that I still crave. And… More

I have been twice now to Koffmann's since it has opened. Once for dinner and once to try their set lunch on Sunday. Unfortunately, on Sunday we never actually got to ordering as we had to leave because the service was just so bizarre.

Every critic under the sun has given this place rave reviews. The food was superb when I came for dinner the week before and the infamous pigs trotter and mustard rabbit was good.

However, this review today is more about the service and bizarre attitude that seems to exist amongst the staff.

Both times I have been, I have been made to wait for my table at the bar, despite the fact that each time we were led to our table, it had been empty for the duration that we were at the bar. It was also the case that both times there were a number of tables that were empty that we could have sat at, but it seems that they want to make people wait for the privilege of sitting at a table.

On our Sunday lunch trip, when we checked in with at the front reception, we were told that as we were ten minutes early our table was not ready. I politely enquired as to whether there were any other tables. We were informed that we could sit on our own on the mezzanine level, no thanks, or we would have to wait for ten minutes for our table, Sitting at the bar, I could see a few tables for two that were vacant and surprise the ohe we were led to 12 minutes later was our table. We were given a menu at the bar which stated 3 courses for £22.50. We were then given different menus at the table that said 3 course for £26.00?? A quick decision to up the prices because we didnt order a drink at the bar?

We were then informed that the chicken from the set menu had sold out. So1 out of the 3 mains from the set menu was not available. Slightly annoying so we asked what they would supplement in its place where we were promptly told that they would not be replacing it with anything.

We decided to leave at this point and on our way out, we were asked by the same member of… More

I decided to take advantage of the Easter mass exodus from London to try the fantastic value set lunch (2 courses £22.50 and 3 courses £27.50) on offer at The Ledbury in Notting Hill. The chef proprietor Bret Graham has been in the foodie press quite a bit recently as The Ledbury received a much coveted second Michelin star at the beginning of the year and his Fulham pub The Harwood Arms was awarded its first Michelin star in the new years gastro honours list.

This restaurant is situated at the bottom of Ledbury Road, in this now much sought after hedge fund neighbourhood. Like many Notting Hill restaurants, the décor at The Ledbury doesn’t quite do it for me. No David Collins or Martin Brudnizki influences here but more a Furniture Village meets Habitat. Nevertheless, we were here to let the food do the talking.

My new restaurant test is to find out whether you can take your own wine and be charged a reasonable corkage and this is exactly the case at The Ledbury where they charge £25 per bottle corkage. It may sound high at first but when you look at the wine list, the cheapest wine is New World plonk at £22 and I brought my own Chablis Premiere Cru and a similar wine on the menu was a stonking £90. To make it even better, I was welcomed with arms wide open when I walked in with a chilled Burgundian under my arms. To be able to walk in with your own booze to a 2 Michelin star restaurant is like Bob Crow offering to drive you to work during a tube strike.

We were promptly seated and offered tap water, another lovely touch in a place like this, and offered both an a la carte and set lunch menu to peruse over. While debating our choices the first non menu freebie arrived, an aubergine meringue with a foie grois butter centre. Superbly soft despite being a meringue and the foie grois started to get the taste buds going for the courses to come.

On the set menu to start was crapaudine beetroot in clay with smoked white balsamic emulsion, goats cheese and dried olives. The… More

Beyond Caring?

In a recent review in the Saturday Times, Giles Coren wrote how he has been trying to find a fault in Richard Caring and Nick Jones’s hospitality empire. Coren found it through over salted dumplings at one of their latest ventures, Dean Street Townhouse. Despite the fact that everywhere I seem to dine out or drink these days is owned by these two doyennes of the hospitality industry, I have still yet to find a downfall. Cecconi’s is no exception!

I have lost count the number of times that I have been to Cecconi’s, but I still have a desire to return over and over. Located behind the Royal Academy of Arts and next to that US clothes store that models half naked door men, Cecconi's been on the Mayfair food circuit for a number of years and was re launched by Nick Jones back in 2005. Despite what many say, Cecconi’s was the first London restaurant to offer the all day dining experience. This classy Italian somehow manages to transform itself from sophisticated breakfast venue in the morning to swanky Mayfair Italian in the evening. Nevertheless, one can walk in at any time of the day or night and take a pew at the large white marble bar and sip away at on the tap prosecco, now seen at every one of Caring / Jones venture, and sample the cichetti on offer.

Breakfast has a boutique hotel atmosphere about it, dominated by the hedge fund amd financial early risers over their power beakfasts who prefer the quieter surroundings than those experienced at The Wolseley but by mid morning it has a scattering of fashionistas sipping on their soya lattes. A full English with an Italian twist, eggs Benedict and porridge can all be chosen from the breakfast menu, which is available until midday on weekdays.

The lunch and dinner menu is where the real Italian fanfare comes in with beef carpaccio, lobster spaghetti, fresh truffle pasta and veal Milanese as just a few of the highlights on the menu. Cichetti is a house special, with the likes of quail eggs, Umbrian sausage… More

Finally finally finally !!! I was so close to giving up the fact that I would never find a decent Sunday roast in the centre of London and would have to resort to cooking one myself. However, after a tip off from a friend, four of us went to The Orange for lunch on Sunday. To be fair, one can find a good Sunday set lunch, especially at the likes of York and Albany and Corrigan's Mayfair, but I am not always up for a three course meal for lunch.

Housed in beautiful Victorian building on the corner of Pimlico Road, opposite Daylesford Organic, the Orange has been beautifully decorate in a vintage French theme but it works well for a pub and gives it a warm feel. On Sunday the place was decked out with young glam families and couples relaxing over a glass of something and the papers.

There is a bar on the ground floor and a small restaurant, with the rest of the dining being done upstairs. We hadn't booked and it was busy. Not a problem, the manager said it would be a 30 minute wait and we could go downstairs to the basement bar to grab a drink and seat. About 10 minutes later we were seated at out table and admiring the menu in the upstairs restaurant.

A vast selection of mediterranean dishes and British dishes. Three of us opted for the rib of roast beef with all the trimmings and the fourth had half a roast chicken. I can honestly say, and so could the other two, that I have never seen a bit of beef so large on a plate. Pink in the middle and fantastically soft, this beef was some of the best I have had for a while. Along with the fact you get a lovely homemade yorkshire pub, roast potatoes and loads of veg, at £18.50 this was a superb value plate of food.

House wine starts at £16.00 a bottle and there is a good limited size wine list. Service was friendly and informal in the way one likes on a Sunday afternoon.

One of the best, if not the best, Sunday lunches I have had for a long time in a restaurant. I am returning for dinner in a few weeks and I only hope it… More

I went for dinner at Roast between Christmas and New Year, which I find is always a funny time of the year to eat out in London as there is normally in an interesting crowd of people dining out and places usually lack atmosphere. Roast was no different. Despite having been to Borough Market a number of times, this was my first trip to Roast. From being greeted at the reception, the four of us knew this might be an interesting dinner. I mean does it really need three people to take the name of the reservation, take our coats and then take us to our table…it just makes the whole first impressions seem sloppy.

Service was slow, despite the fact the restaurant was half empty. We skipped starters as nothing really sounded that appetising. Around 10 minutes after ordering our mains arrived. Dont get me wrong, I am fan of good quick service in restaurants, but with the dishes we had ordered it was clear these had been pre- prepared and left on the side to get cold.

The roast pheasant had clearly had this treatment – luke warm and dry. Two of us ordered a classic dish of Smoked Haddock on a bed of spinach with a poached egg on top. To be fair, this was not bad. The fish flaked apart nicely and the sauce didnt overpower the flavours. However, the poached egg needed to be runnier. I have still not found anywhere who does this dish better than Le Caprice.

I was quite disappointed with Roast and I hope the food and service was a one off, maybe due to the time of year and part time staff? I am happy to give the benefit of the doubt but for an average main to be priced at £17, the quality of both food and service has to be better.

I might try breakfast next time…

A stone's throw from Shoreditch House, is one of Nick Jones's latest ventures, Pizza East. Modelled on Pizza Mozza in LA, it is located in the old tea building on Shoreditch High Street. Easily missed, the modest entrance, which is similar to a fire exit or West End theatre stage door entrance with push bar double doors, fits in well with the surrounding industrial architecture. Uber induastrial decor dominates this huge dining room with original wooden floors, bare brick walls and prep school style tables and chairs. One could be in the meatpacking district in downtownn New York.

The sheer size of Pizza East is amazing – with 200 tables packed on a Tuesday with the trendy set of East London and few suits scattered around.
A simple menu, both in visual terms and the food on it. The menu is nicely split in to anitpasti, wood baked dishes and pizzas. The two of us decided to share the lamb meatballs with parmesan and tomato sauce. 3 good sized meatballs were good but I prefer the similar dish available at Polpo, it is just that bit tastier. And wood baked mussels, again just the right amount. Sometimes starter portions of mussel's can be too large. We both then opted for pizzas, although the other mains were hard to ignore with the likes of pork roasted belly with cavolo nero and borlotti beans, ideal on a cold winters night. For the pizza's we had the anchovies and capers toppings with mozarella and a margherita with San Daniele Ham. Both were well cooked and the pizza base different to the usual Pizza Express and other pizza chains, with a slightly thicker, crunchier base that works well. Other toppings include veal meatballs and goats cheese and artichokes. To round the meal off we shared small doughnuts with chocolate – simple but good.

The wine list has a great selection, epsecially for under £30, with most of them from Italy or the US. Carafes of house wine start from £11. Tumblers serve as wine glasses, which is a concept I like as it feels more rustic. The total… More