Fischer's

We were in Marylebone High St, and are great fans of the Delaunay, so thought we would give its "little sister" a try. We were quite disappointed. We didn't find the food or the service up to nearly the same standards.

We had brunch here yesterday (which I have always preferred to the lunch and evening menus), but something was different this time. I had my "usual" - crispy bacon and fried egg roll and my husband had the rosti, black pudding and poached egg (with a side of bacon). Now considering it very clearly states "crispy" bacon, you would expect that but for some reason half of the bacon in the roll was crispy and the rest was barely cooked, same for the side of bacon that my husband ordered. Also, the rosti was so overcooked it was just one large crisp which shattered into pieces upon impact with a fork. Disappointing as I have always loved their breakfasts. Also service was pretty slow and we had to ask 3 times for a jug of tap water, despite the restaurant being half empty. We walked away not convinced that we would return. I think the new Ivy restaurant at the end of the high street has stolen a few customers and for now, I can see why, they need to up their game.

We are going for the second time taking our good friends. Love the place.

We stumbled on this restaurant quite by chance. 5 minutes late for breakfast, the haughty welcome girl gave us the cold "you're not really our type of guest" look - water off a duck's back! The waitress was extremely nice and friendly though - east european so fitted in marvellously. The ambience is very Prussian, wood panelling, loads of photos everywhere. Very fin de siecle. The herring was to die for and the bread was fantastic, sausages and sauerkraut was really authentic as was the potato salad and the desserts were really fab. We had hazelnut and chocolate pudding washed down with great beer on tap. Not sure about the big clock there, nor the snooty attitude, but if you want to spend some serious money for an old world Austrian experience, this place will do it for you.

Those of romantic nature may now leap back a hundred years and spend an hour or two in Schnitzler's Vienna. Corbin & King, who have brought us The Wolseley, The Delaunay and others have now opened Fischer's in Marylebone High Street and, although the interiors are totally new they are convincingly Viennese. Dress up or at least dress eccentrically as the punters, even on a Friday lunchtime, seemed keen to be part of the atmosphere. As with its sister restaurants, it is in the high quality of the ingredients in which Fischer's excels The hake was straight out of the sea and beautifully seasoned. The broccoli was perfectly cooked and full of flavour. Unlike some of its kin (one thinks of Cafe Colbert in Sloane Square), service is efficient but not rushed. It is, in fact, impeccable. We had lunch with coffee in under an hour. Desserts are, of course, derived from old Vienna. These are less successful. The Sacher torte was a rich chocolate cake that was only vaguely reminiscent of the original. The Esterhazy lacks flavour and is nothing more than a mass produced custard millefeuille with an extra layer or two. The chocolate and Grand Marnier Dobos was far more inspired but again was rather lacking in flavour. The coffee was watery and far from robust. FIscher's may evoke gentle days of gracious hostesses thanked with bread-and-butter notes, but please note that you should avoid the bread and butter. The bread is a bland brown affair with the taste of old cardboard. The butter is a whipped concoction with paprika that was truly foul. It reminded me of the nasty and lardy sandwich fillings we used to be given when attending children's parties given by careless parents. I strongly recommend that Fischer's repents quickly from this terrible error of judgement and moves on. This is a very pleasant restaurant with a charming atmosphere, excellent service and delicious main courses. It has minor flaws that are easily corrected. Oddly, they arise in the areas in which Vienna greatly excels: pastries, coffee and bread and butter. If Fischer's manages to correct these Danubian staples, which should be easy enough, it will merit even greater applause from its already full house.

Corbin and King's empire is firing on all cylinders at Fischer's. On the quieter top, Regent's Park end of Marylebone High Street, Fischer's seems closely related to the Delaunay from the same stable of restaurants. For those who know the Delaunay, Fischers is quite similar in its menu architecture which remains silightly complex, but a much more intimate space slighly more serious and slighly less glamourous space. However, the food is extremely reliable and there is a nice buzz, especially at dinner. During the daytime the dark woods and green marble deco can be a bit gloomy but there is more natural light than is apparent form the street as the space has a large skylight at the rear.

Most regular London restaurant goers would probably not include central European food in either their list of favourite or trendy cuisines. Yet, there is a quiet revolution going on, and one that is potentially only going to get louder with the recent opening of Fischer’s. One of my two dining comrades on this visit had also accompanied me to Boopshi’s last year, and while we enjoyed this experience, Fischer’s is in a different league. Indeed, after their success with the perennially popular Wolseley, one would expect Meseers Corbin and King to have thought carefully before deciding to embark on their opening of this project. Siting the restaurant at the northern end of Marylebone High Street may have been a masterstroke, a busy enough location to attract footfall from both local office workers and well-heeled shoppers as well as being not too inconvenient for the older European burghers resident in nearby north London, for whom such a restaurant should logically appeal, On the lunchtime when our group of three visited, the place seemed lively and populated by a diverse crowd of diners. Service was friendly and efficient and the atmosphere considerably better than in the over-rated Cotide which formerly occupied these premises. Fischer’s is explicitly modelled on a Viennese café and the attention to detail is faultless, with wood panelling, pictures and lighting all reminiscent of such a location. The large clock which dominates the central dining area is, however, a somewhat unnecessary addition: when I go to a restaurant, I don’t want to be constantly reminded of the time; quite the opposite, if it is a good one. A small quibble though, and tables towards the front are not so affected. Onto the food, and in true Austrian format, there is a range of dishes through from savoury snacks to indulgent puddings via hearty mains. Our group sampled a broad selection. My smoked herring starter was simple yet effective, and presented beautifully. The sausage option (diners can choose any two from a list of six) was enhanced by juicy sauerkraut and some of the best caramelised onion I have sampled anywhere. One of my comrades also highly rated his much healthier grilled sea trout main, praising its lightness, freshness and intensity of flavour. The wine also pleased, an Austrian Riesling chosen from a well thought-through list of mainly central European options. The other bonus, all this is available at keen prices: the sausage selection (with potato salad and sauerkraut) comes in at just £11, mains are mostly less than £20 and puddings average at about £6. Come here, sit back, relax and enjoy, be it either for food or for coffee and cake (the latter looked mouth-watering, but was not sampled on this occasion). Just don’t look at the large clock…

I am never the first through the door at the trendiest new opening so I was delighted when someone in the know suggested taking me to lunch at Fischers. It turns out this isn't exactly “trendy”, being aimed instead at the well-heeled grandpa market. Sadly, this Colbert & King incarnation, with its low ceilings and small dining room, lacks the grandeur of their other venues and takes the Austrian konditorei theme too far: yes it feels like an old Viennese restaurant (complete with dubious oil paintings etc) but one that could really do with an update. First thing on the skip: the ridiculous oversized clock that looks like it was picked up at vast expense from an architectural salvage yard and intended for another space but which now hangs gloomily here over the snowy heads of those who could really do without being reminded of the inexorable passing of time. The menu harks back to another era, but one which, like the name Noah, now seems to be back in fashion: it's all sausages and strudel. I rather like it because it is hearty without being yet another burger. My starter of goats cheese was creamy and intense (although could have been more mousse-like light) but well balanced by sharp beetroot; my enormous wiener schnitzel was tender and flavoursome but could have done without the strange sticky sauce and the jammy berry dollop on the side; my unpronounceable dessert was a piece of calvados infused heaven which looked like a hardened horror but tasted meltingly delicious. Personally I am a big fan of sweet wine so the Austro-German focus suited me but wouldn't be to everyone's tastes (unless you developed yours during the infamous Blue Nun heyday). Service is old school with the maitre d' greeting each customer like an old friend (in both senses of that adjective) and whilst I didn't get to see the bill I guess it would have costs a bob or six. Its opening, and certain survival, is testament to the power of the grey pound.