Flying Foodie's Reviews

Apsleys looks fabulous after its refurb, with three enormous chandeliers hanging from the central glass atrium and plush seating all around. Tables are well spaced and discreet, whilst the raised outer parts of the restaurant provide good people watching.

I was disappointed by the rather plain menu, but then Italian ones often are. I felt the surroundings justified a more creative Michelin-style extravagent menu. As it happened my desired dishes were on their remarkably good value £24 three course dinner menu. We both plumped for that and loved it. My starter of poached egg and parmesan over an asparagus salad was delicious, although my main of gnocchi was a little plain. This was more than made up for by an excellent chocolate mousse with coffee sorbet.

Service was superb throughout and the staff looked great in their rather cool uniforms. The only clanger was the ultimate sin-of-sins…..My credit card was brought to me to sign, which seemed odd in these days of PINs. The reason being that they were leaving a prominent space for me to insert a tip, after been charged a full 15% already. Naughty boys.

After years of thinking I knew the London dining scene I had never heard of Clos Maggiore, but was drawn to it for a post theatre dinner by its two Square Meal stars. I was not disappointed. The decor was fabulous, warm and inviting, a labyrinth of cosy nooks and secluded well spaced tables. It looks a lot better in reality than in photographs.
Service was excellent throughout and the staff equal any seen in a Michelin star establishment. They really could not have tried harder or been nicer to me and my guests throughout the meal.
In keeping with the restaurant name, the menu has a French and Italian theme running through it. Pricing is very reasonable at £8 for starter and sub £20 for most mains. I had a delightful terrine of quail, foie gras and ham hock, followed by a perfectly cooked monkfish on butter beans with tomato.
Overall – This place is undoubtedly one of the most romantic places in London and the staff and food are verging on Michelin standards but at very reasonable prices. This may well become a firm favourite of mine.

We dropped into the First Floor late one Friday night and were delighted to get a table in its elegant boho chic dining room. Service was fantastic throughout, really friendly, and felt as if you were being welcomed into the family.

The food was really superb and good value. For £14 I had an excellent chicken breast on celeriac mousse with honey roasted carrots. They seemed to be using some secret sauce as it was great. My companion was similarly delighted by her sea bass.

My one minor gripe was the large central chandelier which cast a rather cold white light over the room and washed out the candles, and with them the atmosphere. Turn that down a bit and the place would be a perfect romantic retreat.

Overall- A great casual diner with really well made food and great service. I’ll be back.

Corrigans provided me with an excellent experience one recent lunchtime. Food was delicious, from a long and creative menu with a meaty, earthy focus as you would expect from Richard Corrigan. Pricing was expensive but probably fair for this quality.

Service was spot on but it was an empty Monday lunchtime so no big surprise. It was decor that was weird. What were they thinking? It’s quite hard to describe, a sort or retro 60’s, non-descript blobby look. What a wasted opportunity. If they had made it stylish I would be here regularly, but as it does not impress on the looks front I will be an infrequent visitor.

Overall – Worth checking out as a solid addition to the fine dining scene

Rotunda is a smart addition to the limited Kings Cross restaurant scene. Its smart design and outlook over the canal, coupled with the sleek bulk of the Kings Place arts centre make it an attractive destination.

Service while we were there was excellent, very attentive and generous. Food had a British slant and seemed hearty on the menu but quite small when it arrived. My lamb was very good and a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream to finish delicious.

Food was well priced but wine seemed expensive. Being offered it two wine glass sizes, plus 500ml carafes was a nice touch.

My one real gripe is the lighting. They have made a classic mistake of trying to light a restaurant entirely from the ceiling. This never works and only low, soft localised lighting makes a place feel cosy. The cold lighting from the ceiling coupled with the blue upholstery gives a rather austere feeling at night. I recommend a few candles to sort that out.

Overall a nice place and worth checking out – Can be casual or used to impress.

I had an excellent business lunch at Avista. The restaurant was quite quiet on a Monday and this coupled with its well spaced tables ensured discretion. The décor is quite simple, but modern and fashionable. It’s not particularly memorable but you would have no objections to it and doesn’t look too hotel.

The real star here is the food. It’s a long menu, covering three pages of A4 not including desserts so everyone is catered for. I ordered quite simply, with Bresola, goats cheese and walnuts to start, followed by Chicken Milanese with tomato and rockets salad. They were both the best things I had eaten in weeks, bursting with flavour and a real feeling of freshness. This feels like a restaurant where the chef knows how to do things well and to really focus on well-loved flavours without over-complicating things.

Service was friendly and fast. We were out rather promptly which was ideal for a business lunch. Its not that cheap and we escaped for £130 for three people with two glasses of wines, two courses and coffees.

Overall, definitely worth a trip and a good spot for business lunches. I really look forward to my next visit.

This is a well executed fine dining establishment, but lacks wow factor. The decor is refined but quite plain, service generally good, but with a few flaws, such as never topping up the water, possibly because it was from the tap. The individuals were lovely though and apart from this minor gripe and a generally slow pace we were well looked after.
Presentation is what they excel at and all dishes looked great, particularly my Carpaccio of Pollock. Desserts were also strong, with my warm chocolate fondant excellent and topped by a rather powerful basil ice cream. It was interesting and novel, but perhaps too much. My wife’s artichoke flavoured dessert was even weirder but she enjoyed it.
The pre-dessert of chestnut foam, celeriac gel and apple was the best dish of the night. Absolutely delicious.
I do feel quite strongly that at this price point the tales should be farther apart along the one wall with a banquette. I was glad the people next to me didn’t speak English, but the atmosphere was changed as soon as they plonked down beside us.
All in all, foodies should check it out, but I won’t be becoming a regular and there are other places at similar prices that deliver so much more.

PS – I didn't think anything was salty so I suspect the other reviewer was just unlucky.

Providores is one of the most inventive restaurants in London. I guarantee that you will never see another menu which covers such a variety of ingredients and combinations. Influences are New Zealand, Asian and European.
I’ve never had a bad meal there and they always deliver. Upstairs is great for business lunches and dinners, but probably a bit pricey for its positioning. Downstairs is more tapas style and great to drop by unannounced, but can be rammed with people at peak times.