S.r.'s Reviews

In summary, this restaurant is secure. It’s solid, stable and consistent. Not bad, but far below my expectations for Heston Blumenthal. The restaurant ambiance is positively charged, a pleasurable atmosphere with the right level of ‘bustle’. The service is attentive, yet not overbearing and the waiting staff are well practiced on their menu knowledge. The starters are highly creative and delivered on every level. The main courses were somewhat of a letdown. One of our diners had the Angus beef and thrice fried chips, I’ve got to say I’ve seen and tasted better at my local pub. The deserts were generally first class if a tad uninspiring, the tipsy cake special is in particular lacklustre. The overall historical British menu theme is charming if a little predictable. In summary, Dinner by Heston is a dependable place to take your parents or favourite Aunt for lunch or dinner. Perhaps one to avoid if you’re in search of something out of the ordinary.

Don't get me wrong, I like Jamie Oliver, I just feel that he's a little scruffy, lacks style and whilst the food he combines is tasty, it’s a little of a hit-and-miss affair. Barbecoa is precisely this. The restaurant setting and atmosphere is good solid US steak house style. The food is generally tasty, but predominantly due to the fact it’s packed with salt. The meat is clearly well sourced, but there is no way this is hung sufficiently and the cooking style was incorrect across all dishes we sampled (Rib-eye, short ribs and lamb chops). Despite an 8:30pm reservation, we had to wait 30 minutes for a table. As we ordered a quality wine, this had to be sourced from the cellar and was served too cold. All in all, an experience I will not repeat. Avoid this one unless you want to be disappointed.

I visited Matsuri 10 years ago and vowed never to go again. When I discovered yesterday evening I was to return, I only hoped things had improved. I'm sorry to say nothing has changed, this still remains one of the worst Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. The food is slightly above average, although the Sashimi certainly was not particulraly fresh, I've seen better in high street supermarkets. The Tepanyaki steak, whilst cooked to perfection, was as tough as a Sumo wrestlers thong. The service, whilst prettily packaged Japanese, lacks any real character and true Japanese quality. The main issue I have with the restaurant is the stench of fatty food which lingers as soon as you enter. They really need to upgrade the extractor fans above the Tepenyaki tables, assuming they turned them on. I've no problem with paying for great Japanese food, but this place is high priced for extremely average food and poor service. One to avoid for the next 10 years.