MD's Reviews

Ask any local what the most hip and happening eaterie in Edinburgh is and Tigerlily ranks amongst the top. So being in town for a few days, it was a must on my places to eat list. The visit was certainly a good choice and the sparkly and lively ambience was alluring from the start. The interiors are trendily sleek with a touch of sophistication thrown in for good measure. This is not one of those thrown together in a day with MDF establishments, but a restaurant with true style and substance. Most importantly it shows in the food too.

Having joined my fellow diners a little later, I jumped straight into the mains and was enticed by the specials as informed by our helpful waiter. The main, pan friend sea bass served with saffron and chorizo mash and salsa verde, sounded like a dish with enough ingredients to either over-complicate or work sublimely. Luckily for me and my stomach, it was balanced and cooked with skill and each part of the dish worked in unison with the other. A gamble well paid off.

Desserts are also a plenty for those with a sweet tooth and the generously portioned strawberry cheesecake (which came recommended) certainly went down a treat not only with myself but also fellow diners. Service was of a good standard and though lacking at certain times (due to the sheer traffic), managed to sustain a respectable level.

Definitely a must for visitors of the bonnie city, especially those accustomed to the London standard.

The visit to the Terrace Dining Room at Cliveden was indeed a special and nostalgic one, having visited its grounds for many years. It is certainly an experience to enter the grand house having only ever laid eyes upon it from the outside and it is as you would expect it – filled with an air of a life once lived and a grandeur beyond expectation. However once the initial novelty and fascination wear off, you do begin to see some of the cracks (literally in some parts of the dining room) of this once prime property. Silverware is dull and tired, the carpet showing wear and the windows are in need of a lick of paint.

Even with this initial analysis, there were still high hopes amongst myself and my fellow diner for the food and service. We found ourselves a special offer on the table d'hote menu of 3 courses for £25 and the food certainly justified good value. Starters of jerusalem artichoke soup and grilled mackerel were polished with well balanced flavours and attention to detail. Mains of cod with chorizo and puy lentils and chicken chasseur were equally well executed with a good combination of ingredients. However the dessert choice was a bit of a let down and a few slabs of chocolate garnished with some nut brittle and raspberries didn't quite hit the spot for me. For Oenophiles, the wine list is extensive and as you can imagine lends itself heavily to wines from across the channel. Though if you are after wine by the glass expect it to cost you just over a tenner. Service was commendable though we found the waiters kept disappearing just when you needed them.

Certainly one to visit for the experience if you are that way inclined but I can imagine there are more accomplished country hotel kitchens out there if food is what you are all about.

On my recent and second visit to Quilon, I was quickly reminded of why it had taken so long to come back. This is not to say that the experience was a negative one, but neither was it overly positive. Quilon seems to be one of these in between restaurants – the one that is never raved about nor complained about. It does well, with the custom it receives but doesn't seem to push for more. For this reason it is a real puzzle to me as to why or how it received its Michelin star back in 2008. Having visited it last weekend, the dishes, service and atmosphere were still as so-so as they were on my first visit over a year ago.

To briefly explain…service is acceptable but never appears overly friendly, helpful or approachable. Except right at the end where a suited man inquires as a formality, if all was to your liking. Well it may not have been, but there's no point quibbling about it right at the end of the meal. Food is thoughtful, well constructed and covers the south Indian region justifiably with a good selection of veg, fish and meat dishes. But these are not in any way unique to the venue and dishes of similar ilk can be found in Indian restaurants of similar themes all over London. Lastly atmosphere, well there is very little to say about the dull bland and uninspiring interiors which together with the cold air conditioning that froze me and my fellow diners, proves to add very little warmth to the whole experience.

It's a tricky one. I don't dislike Quilon but I don't love it. Nothing about it screams ‘come back for more’ and nothing of the evening remains vividly in your mind the following day. It is at best a find for those seeking quiet business lunch venues and for tourists of the Crowne Plaza to have dinner on their doorstep, unfortunately I'm neither.

Not having visited a Canteen before, I decided it was high time to see whether this latest addition to the Canary Wharf restaurant set was any good. Feeling a distinct need to eat some stodgy food on a cold and grey day, a colleague and I went down to try our luck at this usually busy restaurant. Luckily we were early enough and immediately eyed up the menu as we sat down.

The restaurant is very light and airy but seemingly lacks any atmosphere, it is in its very essence a canteen, so you can't fault it there. The menu is a Brit stodge lover's dream, with all the usual British fare from fish and chips to pie and mash. I opted for the veg pie and mash which came in a huge portion as I had suspected it would. Though edible, it did lack any real seasoning or flavour and towards the end became a bland combination of textures. Not quite the impact I was hoping for.

Friendly service and a healthy wine selection by the glass, make up for the food shortfalls. I can see the appeal of Canteen and the concept certainly works, but it also works better in restaurants such as the S&M Cafe chain and my local pub back home and at much cheaper prices. Good effort but more needed.

Our group visit to the Ledbury was on the bitterly cold Burn's night last month, so we walked in to warming restaurant with relief, as well as high expectations of the night ahead – given that we would be sampling the much revered seven course tasting menu.

The restaurant was already full with waiters buzzing about in a busy yet calm manner. Service here, aims to please with sharp knowledge and professionalism and it makes a big difference when partaking in tasting menu's which require interaction. We opted for the menu with paired wine, which really made a difference with each course and it was pleasing to see that the vegetarian menu has its own wine list rather than just serving up the same wine as the table.

Now to the food, dish after dish we were served with ingredients that had been carefully prepared and skillfully cooked, using advanced techniques that wowed the plate and palette, as well as justifiably explaining the second Michelin star the venue has just been awarded. It was an eye opener to see how the food was cooked, with our waiter informatively displaying the celeriac baked in ash within dough to keep it cool and moist. A risotto of squids (literally rice sized squid pieces) was also perfectly combined with sherry and cauliflower – two ingredients I was sceptically curious to see function together but somehow managed to dazzle. With an army of dishes come and go, I didn't think I'd get to the final but thanks to perfect portions, I managed to sample the scrumptious caramelized banana galette with peanut butter ice cream, in one word, divine!

There are restaurants where the food and atmosphere are both key to the success and then there are restaurants like the Ledbury, where the food is the only star. Here, there is a reason why the walls and furniture fade in to a fog of beige and brown, its because the only thing diners eyes will be focused on is the food on their plate…and my what inspiring and delectable food it is.

Rustic setting, electrically live atmosphere and comforting yet creative dishes, Polpo certainly ticks some interesting boxes when it comes to London dining. The ambiance is frenetic (if you can get through the door that is), with a bulging crowd at the bar almost reminiscent of your morning tube commute. If you are lucky enough to be seated or get near to the bar, there's plenty of choice and even the most discerning oenophile will be pleased (the gavi di gavi was particularly good) despite the unusual mini decanter and small glass duo the wine comes in.

As a typical cicchetti bar, seating at the restaurant is first come first serve and no bookings can be made, this did mean a 1.5 hour wait at the bar. For my group this was not a problem as we were busy catching up with each other but if patience is a virtue you missed out on, perhaps miss the weekend rush and go on a Monday night.

Once we were seated, it was a simple case of getting comfy on the very wooden furniture and using the ample candlelight to decide upon the many delicious sounding dishes. The waitress did a good job of helping with how many dishes we should aim for. Though, we overshot by two dishes we still cleaned all the plates up, with only a few grains of creamy ham risotto rice and succulent fritto misto remaining on the many plates. There's a good range for vegetarians too, with dishes such as Potato & Parmesan crocchetta and tomato & tapenade pizzetta amongst others and some filling and warming sides to accompany. With all of this you'd think there was no room for dessert but as the dishes were of Goldilocks portions (just perfect!), I opted for the orange and almond cake which was both scrumptious and compatible with my friend's rich and creamy chocolate pot.

All in all, an eye opening experience to the world of chicetti and an interesting contrast to the neighbouring Mayfair haunt Cecconi's, which also serves the same concept. Notes for readers: the only gripe is the wait, but once you're over that… More

I ventured down to Del Aziz with my partner Saturday night gone, in full knowledge of the fact that it was going to be about as authentic as a supermarket takeaway. But despite this fact I still expected it to meet all the other elements of a world cuisine restaurant and bar, namely service and atmosphere. As we were heading down for a few drinks I wasn't too concerned as long as they didn't end up tasting like coloured sugar syrup, which thankfully they didn't. In fact the drinks themselves were well made and delightful and so they should be after 10 mins in the making!

Let's start from the beginning the barman (yes all one of him) was a bit on the slow side to say the least, a luxury he can't really afford when he's on his own with a bar full of thirsty drinkers. Despite this though he still felt the need to take his 10 min cigarette break leaving us waiting to pay our bill and several customers waiting to order. Not acceptable. On top of this the waiting service (all one of them) flitted in and out as and when suited her so you were never quite sure whether to wait or give up and go to the bar.

Shall we do the math here: The restaurant = empty. Bar = pretty full with a higher mark up on products and higher chance of repeat customers. The focus should therefore be where??. Its a classic case of a venue with potential but staff with lack of direction. Let's hope they clean up their act soon but I'll give it a good 6 months before I next go back that's for sure.

Lunch at Roka Canary Wharf is certainly an experience. From the moment you enter, the heady scandinavian wood takes over your senses together with ambient lighting and the buzz of tables full to the brim. Food is equally enticing with a menu full of choice dishes. The baby squid was tender and light followed by soft yet firm perfectly grilled asparagus and the black cod with honey was succulent, flavoursome and beatifully balanced. the wine list is equally impressive with high qaulity yet reasonably marked up new world wines and I was also surprised to see a lebanese favourite of mine. As a treat I thought to try a dessert and opted for the green tea and mango cake with mango ice cream, which was delicious and surprisingly light and refreshing. Don't leave without trying it.

Service started off bright and promising and continued which was a feat in itself given the sheer volume of customers in the lunch time rush, I've seen many a restaurant pack em' up high and fail to deliver. All in all a fantastic meal and experience and as someone who rarely opts for Japanese, I'm impressed and will certainly be going back for more. Conversely my fellow diner who can't get enough of the cuisine was equally impressed, so Roka scores high for all diners. One tip you might want to bear in mind, though they don't explain this, sides do come out as and when they are cooked so if you order a particular side to arrive with your main say so.