MD's Reviews

I always love the transition from entering a restaurant to leaving it with the biggest grin on my face, having experienced food magic somewhere in the middle. Le Gavroche is one door you'll walk in and out of with utter satisfaction. A quick chat with the fantastic Michelle Roux Jnr makes this experience all the more enjoyable, with his passion for good food and even better hospitality evident from the core.

Having heard so much about the kitchen at No. 43 upper Brooke St, we entered with the curious excitement of children on a school trip. The decor struck me as odd and not in keeping with the style Michelle Roux Jnr purveys but that was quickly dismissed away when the real star presented itself; the food. Dishes such as the beautifully cooked fish in red wine sauce, with balsamic salsify and Jerusalem artichoke puree, and venison with dark chocolate sauce stole the show with their decadent presentation, delicious flavours and medley of textures.

As if these did not provide enough comfort, desserts from heaven followed in quick succession with a giant passion fruit souffle with white chocolate ice cream landing on our table with promise that followed through, bite after bite after bite…

Truly a much welcomed assault on all the senses and one you should experience at least once in your lifetime. Le Gavroche has certainly remedied the disappointment of Alain Ducasse.

Every now and then I hold such high expectations based on hype and PR, that it is almost inevitable I will come away disappointed. Dishoom was one such experience. Lesson learnt; this is not, as marketed, a ‘Bombay cafe’ in any sense of the word, as it does not feature any of the key ‘chat’ dishes that are the staple of the Bombay street cafe scene; bhel puri, pani puri, aloo chat…I could go on…

Further disappointing was the lack of imagination evident on the sparse menu, with the same (bland) dill salmon featuring as a salad and tandoor grill option and paneer and mushroom appearing in roll and salad form. Dull.

Service is scatty and the only thing that really captured my attention and made me smile were the 70's style decor and movie posters. It was always asking too much to have the next closest thing to the fingerlickin' good snacks of Chowpatty beach slap bang in the centre of London. Having experienced Dishoom, it almost seems an insult than recogniton. Avoid.

In a word; sublime. Everything, from the moment you drive up to the quaint close and exit your vehicle for it to be valet parked by a flat capped gentleman, to the moment you leave feeling like you've tasted a slice of the ‘high life’, is sublime. Service, atmosphere and most importantly the food all deliver and Diego's men work with precision and panache, not an easy feat when you've a roomful of diners expecting nothing but the best.

The bill at the end does leave you feeling somewhat high and dry but then you very quickly remember the accurate and effortless table theatre, that was the deconstruction of a whole Cornish lobster fresh out of the kitchen and on to a dressed plate in a mere five mins. Or you could cast your mind back to the delicious mango and chocolate dessert that filled your mouth with surprise and your heart with glee. Or it might be the fact that you only have to look up from your table and away from the beautiful vista that is the Thames, and a waiter is at your table in seconds.

If you like Sublime. You've found your perfect meal.

Every now and then I'm lucky enough to experience a meal that leaves me wanting to go back the very next day for more. Kopapa is one of those rare gems that instills such a thought in my head and leaves me salivating for another bite of the delicious morsels I was lucky enough to indulge in the night before.

The food is the star here but that doesn't mean items like decor, drinks list and service are neglected, as I found out from a sip of my St Germaine Royale served with a smile. Our waitress was ever helpful and consistent throughout the night, which is refreshing and although they did forget one dish, we were more than suitably satisfied with our selection of tapas dishes.

The highlights for me were the crunchy deep fried padron peppers, a gorgeous oozing twice baked blue cheese souffle and succulent pan fried hapuka seabass with a zingy beurre blanc. Desserts aren't without inspiration either and both the cheese platter and the sticky banana pudding and peanut butter ice cream left us with a classic Cheshire cat grin. I found myself dreaming of that peanut butter ice cream when I woke up this morning!

One thing worth noting, Kopapa does demand slightly higher prices per dish than your average tapas inspired venue, but then these are not ‘average’ dishes. Worth a visit or two, or three…

Bombay Brasserie played venue to my birthday recently and what a treat it was. From the skilled cocktail in the bar to the succulent and tasty fish main, the venue scored on all fronts for a perfect yet opulent Friday night Indian. The vast and grand dining room really is impressive, as is the service. Staff are agreeably professional yet friendly and great at helping with dilemmas and difficult choices, which with the ample menu, is inevitable. Local or authentic Indian cuisine it isn't, but for those special occasions it is a good choice.

Judging by recent reviews, it seems my two recent visits to Qauglino's in the last two months were very fortunate indeed. Or perhaps I'm looking through a different, untainted set of lenses. For me, I'm less concerned with what Quaglino's was, and more about what is currently offers its diners i.e. me.

On both my visits, I found service to be swift and attentive, food to be of a generally good standard (given we were dining on the piper heidsieck champagne set menu) and the atmosphere to be electric, contemporary and aesthetically pleasing. One of the biggest surprises I was pleased to come across, was value for money. A set menu at Quaglino's thankfully doesn't mean half the portions and second rate service. Secondly it offers variety, with something for everyone, including vegetarian options. And finally, the venue does have a certain wow factor that engages with its diners, from the colourful and exotic cocktails in the bar, the sweeping staircase, the vast dining room with its fluming vase displays and of course, the seafood display.

For me, Quaglino's as a middle range London dining destination scores on all fronts. Admittedly it is more posh pub grub than silver service British dining, and I think herein lies the discord. If its struggling to win the diners over, it is because some are still stuck with perceptions of what it should be based on its glamourous past. Move past that and you will see an altogether different dining experience in front of you.

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An interesting little venue, though I still can't quite understand the concept. It's Indian but it serves chicken pie, its billed as an ‘exciting location’ but in reality shares more in common with a burnt out firework. That said, it functions well as a bar with a quick bite to eat. The wine list is satisfactory, prices are more than reasonable for a city venue and staff are friendly. The food is not bad either, a dish of Goan fish and chips (yes, another of their fusion dishes) worked surprisingly well and the curry dishes lacked the usual display of an oily coating, which was a relief.

All in all an interesting little out of the way venue, lacks any style or atmosphere but good for a catch up and quick drink, where you can actually hear yourself think.

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… More