Spoilt from the second we walked in, to the time we were coat-clad and ready to leave. Not bad considering this was only the 5th day after reopening. Greeted by charming people, we entered a room set out in curved theme, neutral and metallically laden, apart from a wall of rich red. The circular glass wine store was a dramatic focal point around which tables had been very well arranged.

Within this comfortable atmosphere, the pace of service proved excellent. Staff gave the impression that they were happy and relaxed as they went about their duties discreetly, knew exactly what they should be doing, and also managed to appear – as if by telepathy – just at the moment of need.

Two cones of pleasant pop corn, one smoked paprika and the other with notes of lemon and black pepper, made me unsure quite where this culinary journey might lead. I needn’t have pondered. Detailed preparation and presentation were impressive. Most of all so much attention had been allotted to flavour, such as in richly concentrated onion soup, bright watercress soup with a flavour depth to match langoustine tails, and a comforting side dish of thyme scented potato boulangere. Chefs (I think there were at least a dozen) knew how to make the individual flavours sing out harmoniously and with heavenly intensity. For a main course I considered the risk of ordering Lobster with cider? A succulent crustacean sitting very happily on pork belly with claw meat nestling within gem lettuce was the reward, making me realise just how wonderfully versatile this sea creature could be. Gressingham duck ‘billed’ as crisp-skinned was not, but other than that was perfectly cooked to order with a zingy beetroot and ginger accompaniment. Puds, though they sounded enticing, are hardly ever ordered by us and thank goodness we didn’t, as the treats just kept coming one after another.

Staff were pleased to let us step inside the wine store to marvel at the stock, and we were treated to a tour of the basement kitchen, aimed primarily to introduce us to the chef’s table located alongside. This rounded off our lunchtime extravagance rather well before we departed feeling indulged, satiated and with memories of some darn good food.

Ignoring the charming Thames-side location, it is an obviously French-style institution where the complete experience will be practically faultless in luxurious surroundings, and where I have had some deeply enjoyable meals, but no scintillating experiences. For me, relaxing is only made possible after a glass or two enabling one to become accustomed to the formality of the environment. Such a backdrop often goes hand in hand with a regimented service, but here this equals efficiency served quite unobtrusively with a good portion of warmth.
Comment would be incomplete without food description, so……. treats of flawless canapé and amuse bouche featuring raw beef and raw salmon were enjoyed by us both which neither would normally choose (he not for salmon me not for raw beef). Feather-light langoustine soufflé, perfectly pan fried foie gras followed by very good Scottish beef and superb morel stuffed sole (the cited tarragon sadly undetectable to me and other half). French forté is undoubtedly in the patisserie department and although we didn’t sample dessert, the generous petit fours displayed ‘qualité exceptionelle’.
Wine, if carefully selected in consultation with the sommelier, can be most quaffable without breaking the bank, but it might be a good idea to check the bank balance beforehand (£100ish for fabulous Volnay didn’t seem OTT).
It’s the place to come for culinary pampering especially if you’ve had a windfall or if someone else is picking up the bill.

When you make one of those last minute bookings there’s little time to ponder expectations, so the fact that is was a beige encounter didn’t come as a huge disappointment. We found an urban style brasserie alongside a spacious bar area which was bucolically reminiscent of a pleasant barn conversion. The menu which seemingly offered so much promise didn’t quite accomplish. It also stays with you on the table during the meal here, aka a place mat.

A South American wine suited both our choices : A Rib-eye with fries and Cod with chorizo and chickpea broth laced with saffron aioli. This proved a powerful fish dish where chickpeas made a rare appearance – a relatively cheap component out-weighed by an abundance of chorizo – not so good for a fan of the chickpea, like me. Saffron was slightly overpowering too, so some tuning was required here and the fish was just of reasonable quality. A good steak with dressed watercress were joined with anaemic looking French fries which were passable matchsticks surprisingly both texturally and flavour-wise.

Standard was broadly equivalent to a Hotel du Vin. Sunday lunchtime may prove rather enjoyable with live Jazz, otherwise, I wouldn’t mind exploring the slightly less-ambitious sounding breakfast and brunch menus. Oh and service deserves mention turning out to be all it ought to be, and delivered with a smile.

Sin of the month has come in the form of a Beef burger courtesy of GBK Chiswick. Last time I ate a burger was Ramsey style with foie gras, complete with soggy bun which I thought highly over-rated as Boxwood Café signature dish a long time back. Whilst Boxwood meat was superior, I didn’t think GBK fared badly at all. For late afternoon midweek, we dined amongst a table of 12 plus 3 other couples. Considering that this is a ‘fast food’ place, service was as good as it could be, maybe a bit American cheesey pleasey, but really quite faultless. (A few ‘gastro pubs’ and ‘fine dining’ restaurants could learn a thing or two from this branch of GBK.)

Set at a high point in the Chiltern Hills this charming country pub has an inviting exterior with pretty gardens. The olde worlde beamed interior is similarly charming at first glance, where the fine line between characterful and tired is now being breached. However, the artefact connection is worthy of mention both in sculptural and painted form. I would normally describe the food as mediocre plus, but the odd flash of delight does occasionally pop up. One such example was Saturday night : my starter of smoked haddock and cheese soufflé sat proudly in a delicate pool of creamy sauce flecked with spring onion and dotted with delicate pieces of fish – a texturally dreamy experience contrasting with powerful cheese and smoky flavours. Bread, wines and a heavily truffled risotto (it did come with a warning) were also very good. Mains of venison and halibut is where the dip occurred, and maybe the problem lay with over complicating in both cases. Sir CN is busy whenever we go and the menu always reads for wide appeal which probably helps keep ‘bums on seats’.

The Hakkasan experience blew that of Ming Jiang out of the water. It would not matter were the décor and ambience bland (which it obviously isn’t) because the food borders on the magnificent. I have never tasted such wonderful soft shell crab. Singapore noodles were a sensation as was the Welsh Black beef. I fail to discern which my favourite dish was, but were a gun at my head, I think I would not hesitate to elect Jasmine tea smoked chicken. Service was acceptable and fortunately we were saved from our own enthusiasm by an astute waiter who pointed out that we’d ordered enough – he was right as we left totally replete, but already contemplating our next possible date to return.

We keep returning just to check whether lady luck has evaded us on our previous visits. I was led here this time by comments from a regular diner who thinks River Cafe is a place that “always delivers”.
Not having visited since the fire, I never did quite get this place in terms of food standards –v- price/enjoyment, preferring places such as Zafferano and Locanda Locatelli where consistency is pretty much guaranteed.
Together with the riverside setting and buzzy atmosphere, the industrial look to this property has always appealed to me. It reminded me of an aircraft hangar with character and warmth, and still does; little seems to have changed with décor except for the enormous, white, wood burning stove.

Food………
Being wary of previous pasta experiences I concentrated on fish and seafood which was not a difficult choice given the array of offerings for the day. Fabulous huge plate of crabmeat atop seakale, all lifted by finely grated bortaga (price tag justified) – I’d defy anywhere to better this. A shared, delicately gamey ‘primi ‘of papardelle with rabbit, pigeon and pheasant scored high for both of us – it would be so easy to overindulge on such a moreish dish. A superb specimen of dover sole laced with anchovy, served with lentils and greens was very satisfying and ‘king of the sea’ in my opinion. (Meat dishes I was told were good, though uninspiring).

Wine…….
Always good, and should be for the mark-ups.

Service…….
Eager and boastful of the cuisine they are serving.

Nothing fancy here and one can’t object to the rustic style of presentation because all the pleasure is intended to be in the eating, and tonight for me it certainly was. But, one can object to the turnaround times and the unforgivably naff paper table cloths.

Was it worth one more whirl? Most definitely – purity and quality of ingredients almost justify the lofty figures.

Min Jiang along with Nahm and a few others have been on my City Oriental list for some time. An evening table for 12 Jan 10 was reserved and speciality duck dish pre-ordered.

We arrived shivering and early with expectations of both an eye-ball and taste-bud treat. Starting with the most positive, we appreciated the mood set by London lights with the movement of traffic reminiscent of twinkling festive lights, so we didn’t feel too deprived of the daytime park scene. The décor was glossy with Oriental touches; loos were immaculate and equally glossy. With well-placed seating, most diners are able to have reasonable window views, so better planning than Rhodes 24.

Being so cold, I restively waited for my hot sake which arrived cold. The young waiter couldn’t resist saying (softly & wrongly) that I hadn’t requested hot, but as he swiftly scuttled away to rectify his mistake, I saw no need to challenge his ungraciousness.

As the food was served, it was nice to see alongside the usual cucumber and spring onion to go with duck and hoisin pancakes, the more interesting garlic paste, radish and tientsin cabbage accompaniments. Pancakes were the best textured, though I found it a bit odd that they were larger than the plates, and disappointing that not enough duck fat had been rendered down, resulting in barely crispy skin with a thick layer of soft fat beneath. Rice dishes and noodles were pretty good as was the tender chicken in sesame and chilli. This was all helped down by comforting Sake cosily kept in a hot water bath.

Service was a lottery from one very cheerful and helpful soul to the dour, but generally attentive. Overall sufficient positives justify returning, but this could in part be owing to the dearth of good Chinese restaurants on my patch.

Set in the Lambourn valley renowned for its equestrian association, Queen’s Arms is like an up-scale Hotel du Vin in terms of food (on a good day) with a menu similarly styled, whereas the décor is distinctly more classy. From a concise menu we had melt-in-the-mouth rib-eye’s cooked to order and a glass of red helped everything slip down rather well. They have managed to compile a modest number of wines into a pleasing eclectic mix at reasonable prices. Having discovered that it’s a good halfway house for meeting friends we’re heading back soon, and with rooms plus a warm welcome it looks like the ideal bolt-hole to get away from it all.

Needing a spot to get a bite for lunch in the north west, we found Artigiano on this website and cross-checked elsewhere as Squaremeal reviewers were lacking in number. On a Winter’s day, with few punters, it was a little cold (both temperature and décor having lots of glass/light tiled floor and cool tones generally). But when busier, and especially at night, I am sure it turns into something more vibrant with LED’s adding colourful warmth to the atmosphere. Effort in styling achieved by not insignificant investment was evident. Significant effort was also evident from the generously plated fare in what I would describe as freshly prepared, unfrilled, and reasonably priced meals (wines likewise). All served with good spirit, it seemed to be a venue that has the hallmark of a sound neighbourhood eatery.

An under-stated exterior only hinted at the rich history of a building with a grander interior. Interesting architectural features, period furniture and artworks of grand tours gave the house bags of atmosphere aided by a large dining party enjoying mid-week lunch in an adjacent room from where comforting chatter drifted through into the main dining area. This together with a brigade of young and charming staff helped dissipate the slightly stiff ambience. Canape and satisfying warm breads made a promising start to a meal which then swayed above and below mediocrity. Kitchen endeavours were quite ambitious and did result in a few pleasures like deep rich flavours of a duck main course with some rather reasonable accompaniments. (I feel a bit mean scoring 6 for food, so in reality I'd give 6.5.) A memorable country house where I can imagine afternoon teas being quite a hit with some.

Chef Change (Nov 09)
Being a bit of a John Campbell disciple, I was curious to find out how Daniel Galmiche would fit into his shoes. He’d had a month to settle in so lunch was booked. Everything else seemed to be as it was before, décor styles leaving one slightly confused, but somehow mood was good. The new team performed well, and not only they were very accommodating, but the chef was also. A rather precise piece of cooking resulted in ubiquitous belly pork prepped a little differently with delicious accompaniments. An added punch of lime lifted flavours and proved a perfect foil for pork fat. Out of 4 courses, the only let down was the cheese which is rather needless given the fabulous indigenous ones that can easily be sourced. The inherited wine list, weighted towards US west coast on account of the owner having vineyards there, encourages a Californian choice. We asked Sommelier for one in our desired style and he delivered. All cooked courses pleased as a deft effort, I’m guessing heads for one star.

(May 09)
Last night we were in a side room purely for an evening of indulgence with 40 or so others. Each course was matched with Californian wine, some of which I would most certainly not have wanted to miss.

The meal began with a joyously rich and creamy mushroom cup topped with a succulent morel, more powerful than the cauliflower risotto served in a giant glass eye-bath which came next. Sadly, the cauli’ risotto failed to cope with the chunk of acidic jelly on top. Then spiced salmon and lentils, as described by SqM, was so blissful that I wanted to snatch it from the plates of others; the foie gras was highly rateable but each seemed so complete that they could have been two separate courses, especially with a tram-width gap between. I, and others, marvelled at the baby pig terrine which had been artistically crafted and presented in precise fashion with pea shoots and vibrant pickled bits doing an elegant tango on the plate and in the mouth. Toothsome beef cheek was served with mash and trimmings which were all worthy of a notably braised bit of meat. Desserts I found pleasantly fruity in theme but unremarkable as was the cheese – all blue and all foreign. Refined petit-fours helped to perk things up again.

We felt contented enough to be glad we went, but I tend to agree with Jonesey that it’s scarcely avant-garde. As always, service is as one would expect. However, the hotel strives to be a classy joint which somehow can’t quite hack it.

If big bowls, large plates and jolly staff were the benchmark of a good restaurant, then Tom’s Kitchen would be in the top league. Staff seemed to know what they were doing and did it readily, and this is probably the most positive comment I can make. A menu that read nicely unfortunately didn’t translate into well executed dishes. Intrigue got the better of us when we fell for a portion of the incongruous sounding truffle chips with parmesan cheese, soon realising that chips if good (which these were, big and crisp) do not need this kind of embellishment. Costly for a cramped experience with no frills Although virtually a different species from its sibling, Tom Aiken’s does provide better enjoyment factor for your £££, but prior to visit make sure to bolster the wallet, bearing in mind you will find the food there is in another league.

The bill here came to more for fewer diners (evening mark-up granted) than our lunch earlier that day at Zafferano where food, wine and surroundings were far superior. Comparative bill totals including 1 bottle wine :
TK – £140 for 2 persons (1 starter, 2 mains + 3 sides – no prime meat cuts) Z – £125 for 3 persons (3 mains + 1 side ordered specially – 2 prime meat cuts)
I hope they do breakfasts better!

Not just reviewers stirred my interest, but I have a penchant for western Med style food, so Aqua Nueva was on my list of must try’s. Saturday a.m. I read the intro. on this website which got my mouth watering, so with optimism I requested a reservation for the same evening. My luck was in, so hoped it would last. I wish I could say ‘it did’, but instead we found the experience weighted towards style rather than substance. As everyone else has mentioned the extravagant setting, I need not repeat. An army of pretty females to greet and wait upon us were pleasant and efficient enough. One of the few male waiters evidently found both product knowledge and manners a challenge, but fortunately tended our table once only. I enjoyed the lobster starter, but thought it needed another taste dimension such as a squeeze of lemon, however that could be me being picky. The Iberico ham and tomato bread was as good as we’d enjoyed in Barcelona. Oxtail was very good but desperately needed a jus or more than the teaspoon of pumpkin puree that was supposed to be the main accompaniment, a decent portion of which would have emphasised great partnering.
Both being somewhat uninspired by the food, we decided to quit at this point and settled the reasonably priced bill feeling that the venue fascinates more than the food.

I’m not usually a fan of olde worlde, but the simplicity of this enchanting town venue captured my approval as a place offering high quality dining and a lot more as the intro states. Impeccable service, appetising dishes and a choice of reasonably priced wines amongst a large eclectic list facilitated the end of a long day in the best possible style. Plain walls, wicker chairs and spaciously placed tables I found surprisingly stylish against the old backdrop. Crisp table settings added to the finesse, including little touches such as the miniature salt spoon and a receptacle for olive stones and spent cocktail sticks, all indicated that nothing was missed by the attentive and affable staff. Elegance pervaded our experience highlighted by the chef who served a fabulous starter of pheasant boudin and ham hock chunks with a few white beans and a carefully truffled creamy white sauce – the highlight for me and I think my other half too. Needless to say even the more minor components were pleasingly done such as breads, coffees and chocolates. Nothing had been overlooked : the warm tone afforded at time of telephone booking followed by the welcoming personal greetings. All I need now is another excuse to head back south.