MissSushi's Reviews

I think when diners feel that they 'don't get' the Fat Duck, it is because they expect to have a proper meal here rather than a culinary experience, which in my opinion this restaurant offers. The previous reviewer tries to compare her diner experience at the Fat Duck with eating at Gastro-pubs, Indian and English restaurants – that's just silly! Some might enter a famous restaurant already having established that it's all a joke without having even tasted anything yet. One will not find generous portions of their favourite pasta or meat dish here, but neither should one expect that. This is a place for a rare treat, it's like culinary theatre. It's for the curious adventurous palates who seek amazement from simple things such as bread and butter, or outrageously weird things such as hot & iced tea (in the same glass). You just have to leave your preconceptions about food behind and try to go with the flow, because nothing tastes as it should and nothing seems what it is. During one single meal I was stunned, shocked, disgusted, amazed, delighted, surprised, outraged and completely won over. This restaurant is for the type of diner who has seen and eaten a lot and is curious to see and eat even more. I might not have liked every single course, but I certainly admire Blumenthals courage and I respect his creativity and talent. It takes real balls to serve diners carrot air! The fact that he is different amongst hundreds of thousand of restaurants around the world and he stands out, makes me want to give him highest marks. But some people will always judge something they do not understand, because of the fact that they don't understand it. If you're judging it by the standard of your local neighbourhood restaurant, please remain in your neighbourhood, you philistines.

What I remember most from my meal (at someone's birthday) was the airy, moussy chocolate cake – it was light in texture, dark in colour and scrumptilicious in taste. I also remember: a beautiful action packed open kitchen, a dining room full of middle aged, pink-sock-wearing Hughes and Charleses, hit and miss service, very decent seasonal mains that are large enough for two, and good but somewhat boring starters. Good wine list but overall a little bit of a disappointing experience.

Delicious seasonal authentic cooking. In the winter I have home made taleggio and truffle gnocchi (and then nothing for 2 days) in the summer they always have light seafood and fish dishes.
Also for the guys: Monza serves, in my opinion, the best Milanese in London – because it's huge, and covered in Grissini crumbs instead of bread crumbs.
Can be loud.

I have a suspicion that the previous reviews are fake. Only a person who had been incarcerated in solitary confinement for 40 years would give this ‘restaurant’ a 9 or 10 for atmosphere!
The entire dining room (table cloths, drapes, curtains, napkins) is swimming in a sickening colour of salmon-peach-pink. During the day (I once nearly had lunch there) the place looks as if it hadn't been properly cleaned in 20 years and during the night one is surrounded by admittedly happy octagenarians, swallowing chewfree overcooked ‘food’ which is drowning in mayonnaise/cheese rich sauces from a bottle, that contain more E-numbers than real ingredients.
There is a good reason why old fashioned belly busters such as Cordon Bleu, Steak Diane and prawn cocktail have nearly become extinct. Having these dishes swim in half a litre of pink gunk will not make them taste any better – it often just masks expired and poor quality ingredients.
When I was unfortunate enough to be invited for an evening meal there it all started with a plate of dried out discoloured cruditee' and a mayonnaise dip (from a bottle) at the bar. I was left completely unimpressed and we haven't even been seated yet. Then the horror followed: mass produced white breadrolls that one can buy frozen were brought to us, followed by our starters: an enormous seafood salad covered in a sea of bright pink thousand island dressing. The seafood itself had been either bought in already cooked or it had been pre cooked – it was like touching rubber – I did not even taste it, so revolted was I!
I had ordered baby scallops which came covered in a brownish sauce and tasted also pre cooked and not freshly prepared. Then I had a steak (nature) which was utterly average and a mountain of bland, boiled tasteless vegetables and my dinner companion had something that wasn't visible because it was on the bottom of the plate covered by yet again another disgusting sauce, this time light brownish in colour and apparently a favourite of Oslo… More

This place is perfect for a hungover brunch. The burgers are very nice and so are the onion rings, but what you really want to try here are the pancakes (fluffy & great to share) and the huevos rancheros with their very very good guacamole. Everything tastes homemade and authentic and it's a fun place for kids too. You can't book a table and might be forced to share a booth but the buttermilk pancakes are worth it.

Last time I visited L'Etranger was years ago and I now I can't understand why. I went back and have to admit that the food is outstanding. I had forgotten how deliciously fusion the not-so-french menu was. Unlike so many other London restaurants that try the fusion-thing half heartedly, here you can tell that combination of unlikely flavours is well thought through. We had the menu degustation which included delicious tuna tartare (well seasoned), a tender and succulent Black Cod, Wagyu Beef and an aromatic yuzu (a tangy japanese citrus fruit) ice cream – which was a touch too sweet and creamy for me.
For next time my eye is on the following which I spotted at the next table: crispy Squid and scallops with shiso (that green spikey leaf you find under your sashimi) and shitake mushrooms. Not french at all – I like it a lot.

This restaurant is just lovely: great location, informal yet luxuriously cosy surroundings, attentive service and great food. The cooking isn't strictly regional french, it is more an amalgamation of northern italian, classic french and southern french mediterrenean dishes, served in tapas-style for everybody to share. Many people might be confused by this style of eating in this type of restaurant, but I think it works here. We were a large group so we had the chance to try many dishes, some of the tastiest were: baby squid, scallop carpaccio, crab & lobster salad and courgette flowers for starters and gnocchi, monkfish, shellfish stew and poulet de bresse for main. The creme brulee' was delicious too but I could only force myself to taste a tiny bit as I was too full. The wine list is good and we chose an easy Sancerre to wash down a fresh, simple yet superbly prepared dinner.