Latest reviews for Restaurants in West End, London, United Kingdom

Wild Honey - Lovely little spot by Sami

Sami — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:39:15 +0000

Review by Sami

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7758 9160

Website: http://www.wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk/

Went here last night with my flatmate and parents who were visiting from overseas - my parents are serious foodies and I wanted to find somewhere that would both appeal to myself and flatmate, and my parents.

The food was exceptional and I couldn't believe how well it was priced; it was cheap, considering how good our meals were. I had a beef tartare and a steak and the tarte tatin for dessert - unfortunately I don't remember what everyone else had as I was too busy eating my own dinner... but they were extremely pleased with their choices. My parents kept saying how much they liked it, which is always a good indication...

Lastly, the service was excellent; I find that service in this country can be lacking too often but our waiter was accommodating, helpful, and always available - even though the restaurant was packed.

Definitely, definitely recommended.Went here last night with my flatmate and parents who were visiting from overseas - my parents are serious foodies and I wanted to find somewhere that would both appeal to myself and flatmate, and my parents.

The food was exceptional and I couldn't believe how well it was priced; it was cheap, considering how good our meals were. I had a beef tartare and a steak and the tarte tatin for dessert - unfortunately I don't remember what everyone else had as I was too busy eating my own dinner... but they were extremely pleased with their choices. My parents kept saying how much they liked it, which is always a good indication...

Lastly, the service was excellent; I find that service in this country can be lacking too often but our waiter was accommodating, helpful, and always available - even though the restaurant was packed.

Definitely, definitely recommended.

Jerk City - I'll be back by ASMG

ASMG — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:37:44 +0000

Review by ASMG

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7287 2878

Tags: cheap eat, african & caribbean, quick bite

Relaxed Carribean cafÃ© within friendly staff and good food. Very good value.

The mutton roti was spicy and tender, just as it should be.Relaxed Carribean cafÃ© within friendly staff and good food. Very good value.

The mutton roti was spicy and tender, just as it should be.

Pierre Koffmann - Restaurant on the Roof - On top of his game by chrisp

chrisp — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:59:01 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7318 7778

Website: http://www.selfridges.com/index.cfm?page=1316&arti

Tags: french, expensive, pretentious

I'm not normally one to dash to restaurants in their first weeks of opening, but if you want a meal at the Restaurant on the Roof you don't really have much of a choice. Pierre Koffman is cooking here for just less than a month, and the news of his return to the stove after so many years away was greeted with feverish delight and the swift snapping-up of tables by London foodies. But no 'bedding-in' period, no settling down of service, no soft-opening - just 3 Michelin Star food, at Â£75 a head, from day one. From a temporary kitchen, and with a temporary front-of-house team. Ambitious doesn't even begin to describe it. Could it even be done?

For a time, it seemed my fears were well-founded. Reports from guests in the first week complained of indifferent service, hour-long waits between courses, and uninteresting food. One particular sticking point seemed to be the production or otherwise of the petits fours - the fury unleashed on Twitter when it became apparent some people had received them with their coffees and some hadn't was terrible to behold. But forewarned is forearmed, and I made my way past the statuesque blonde guarding the special Pierre Koffman lift (opposite the Chanel perfumes) vowing to make damn sure I got my petits fours.

Whichever design team is behind the Restaurant on the Roof (and one eagle-eyed member of our party spotted the same antler chandelier used at the Reindeer popup a year or two ago) certainly know how to impress. Down a long, softly-lit corridor lined with white chiffon you go, into a large reception area populated by a mysterious porcelain statue, up some stairs into a baroque-themed bar/waiting area and finally the restaurant itself, a vast white marquee with walls gently shimmering against the late evening London breeze. We were greeted by none other than Claire Koffman, partner of chef, who confessed to being baffled by the "huge number" of young people she'd seen sporting oversized cameras. How times have changed since La Tante Claire....

And so to the food. An amuse of pig's head and celeriac was a dreamy combination of glistening, salty pork and creamy vegetable, perfectly seasoned and bursting with fresh flavours. If this was a sign of things to come, we were in for a treat.

My starter was a special made by Bruno Loubet, Koffman's aide in the kitchens that day. A langoustine bisque, swirled with cream and topped with fresh herbs it definitely looked the part, and brought a heavenly seafood aroma to the table. It also tasted superb, with a silky smooth texture and lovely deep prawniness. Other starters were equally fantastic, such as an earthy bone marrow and snail and a semi-ironic lobster and avocado cocktail.

I have to admit to my heart sinking slightly when my main course of duck arrived. Could they not have found a better way of presenting this dish? It all looked a bit thrown together, with a confusion of sauces and haphazard scattering of weirdly-cut vegetables. Fortunately it tasted a lot better than it looked, the meat being cooked perfectly medium-rare and with an impressive crispy skin. Best of the other main courses on our table wasn't (shock horror!) the Famous Pig's Trotter (though I did try some and you can see what all the fuss is about) but instead a hare cooked three ways - braised shoulder, pan-fried breast and what was presumably the 'other bits of hare' pressed into a terrine. It reminded me, with its bold game-yness, of the Rules grouse. And there can be no higher praise than that.

I think I must have been so bowled over by my dessert of Pain Perdu that I forgot to take a picture of it, so you'll have to take my word that it was perfectly well presented. But the taste was extraordinary - gorgeous flaky pastry and impossibly light eggy filling, and served with a scoop of perfect coconut ice cream. I almost couldn't believe how good this deceptively simple dessert was. Beautiful. Most desserts around the table were equally stunning, particularly a pistachio soufflÃ©, but I was unimpressed that none of the cheeses on the cheese course (Â£5 supplement) were British, and they had gone with a rather prosaic selection of Roquefort, Epoisses, Camembert and the like. Fine, but not really worth the supplement, and the Epoisses looked like it could have done with being a bit more room temperature.

And that was that, a thoroughly accomplished and enjoyable meal and a rather magical evening. We experienced none of the service issues that seemed to have plagued others, and yes, we even received a pretty tray of petits fours in a timely fashion. This doesn't, sadly, appear to be the experience of everyone in the room that evening, more of which I'm sure you'll hear about in the usual places. But I can only report on what happened on our table (the presence of a Guardian journalist perhaps swinging events in our favour), and we honestly had no complaints. If you're lucky enough to have bagged a spot at the Restaurant on the Roof then you should be looking forward to your meal enormously. Just make sure you get your petits fours.I'm not normally one to dash to restaurants in their first weeks of opening, but if you want a meal at the Restaurant on the Roof you don't really have much of a choice. Pierre Koffman is cooking here for just less than a month, and the news of his return to the stove after so many years away was greeted with feverish delight and the swift snapping-up of tables by London foodies. But no 'bedding-in' period, no settling down of service, no soft-opening - just 3 Michelin Star food, at Â£75 a head, from day one. From a temporary kitchen, and with a temporary front-of-house team. Ambitious doesn't even begin to describe it. Could it even be done?

For a time, it seemed my fears were well-founded. Reports from guests in the first week complained of indifferent service, hour-long waits between courses, and uninteresting food. One particular sticking point seemed to be the production or otherwise of the petits fours - the fury unleashed on Twitter when it became apparent some people had received them with their coffees and some hadn't was terrible to behold. But forewarned is forearmed, and I made my way past the statuesque blonde guarding the special Pierre Koffman lift (opposite the Chanel perfumes) vowing to make damn sure I got my petits fours.

Whichever design team is behind the Restaurant on the Roof (and one eagle-eyed member of our party spotted the same antler chandelier used at the Reindeer popup a year or two ago) certainly know how to impress. Down a long, softly-lit corridor lined with white chiffon you go, into a large reception area populated by a mysterious porcelain statue, up some stairs into a baroque-themed bar/waiting area and finally the restaurant itself, a vast white marquee with walls gently shimmering against the late evening London breeze. We were greeted by none other than Claire Koffman, partner of chef, who confessed to being baffled by the "huge number" of young people she'd seen sporting oversized cameras. How times have changed since La Tante Claire....

And so to the food. An amuse of pig's head and celeriac was a dreamy combination of glistening, salty pork and creamy vegetable, perfectly seasoned and bursting with fresh flavours. If this was a sign of things to come, we were in for a treat.

My starter was a special made by Bruno Loubet, Koffman's aide in the kitchens that day. A langoustine bisque, swirled with cream and topped with fresh herbs it definitely looked the part, and brought a heavenly seafood aroma to the table. It also tasted superb, with a silky smooth texture and lovely deep prawniness. Other starters were equally fantastic, such as an earthy bone marrow and snail and a semi-ironic lobster and avocado cocktail.

I have to admit to my heart sinking slightly when my main course of duck arrived. Could they not have found a better way of presenting this dish? It all looked a bit thrown together, with a confusion of sauces and haphazard scattering of weirdly-cut vegetables. Fortunately it tasted a lot better than it looked, the meat being cooked perfectly medium-rare and with an impressive crispy skin. Best of the other main courses on our table wasn't (shock horror!) the Famous Pig's Trotter (though I did try some and you can see what all the fuss is about) but instead a hare cooked three ways - braised shoulder, pan-fried breast and what was presumably the 'other bits of hare' pressed into a terrine. It reminded me, with its bold game-yness, of the Rules grouse. And there can be no higher praise than that.

I think I must have been so bowled over by my dessert of Pain Perdu that I forgot to take a picture of it, so you'll have to take my word that it was perfectly well presented. But the taste was extraordinary - gorgeous flaky pastry and impossibly light eggy filling, and served with a scoop of perfect coconut ice cream. I almost couldn't believe how good this deceptively simple dessert was. Beautiful. Most desserts around the table were equally stunning, particularly a pistachio soufflÃ©, but I was unimpressed that none of the cheeses on the cheese course (Â£5 supplement) were British, and they had gone with a rather prosaic selection of Roquefort, Epoisses, Camembert and the like. Fine, but not really worth the supplement, and the Epoisses looked like it could have done with being a bit more room temperature.

And that was that, a thoroughly accomplished and enjoyable meal and a rather magical evening. We experienced none of the service issues that seemed to have plagued others, and yes, we even received a pretty tray of petits fours in a timely fashion. This doesn't, sadly, appear to be the experience of everyone in the room that evening, more of which I'm sure you'll hear about in the usual places. But I can only report on what happened on our table (the presence of a Guardian journalist perhaps swinging events in our favour), and we honestly had no complaints. If you're lucky enough to have bagged a spot at the Restaurant on the Roof then you should be looking forward to your meal enormously. Just make sure you get your petits fours.

Wiltons Restaurant - Terrible choice by nycthing

nycthing — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Review by nycthing

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7629 9955

Website: http://www.wiltons.co.uk

Tags: british, expensive, pretentious

Old and stuffy and simply not very good. So many better choices without going very far. Food was mediocre and service was terrible. Just avoid this place and enjoy the other wonderful places nearby.Old and stuffy and simply not very good. So many better choices without going very far. Food was mediocre and service was terrible. Just avoid this place and enjoy the other wonderful places nearby.

Sketch Lecture Room & Library - sketch Lecture Room & Library � Gastronomic Theatr by laissezfare

laissezfare — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:22:26 +0000

Review by laissezfare

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 0870 777 4488

Website: http://www.sketch.uk.com

Tags: french, romantic, bar

[Non-Photo Review]

For full post (with pictures) see: http://wp.me/pwXBH-qk

Opening: Be transported into a surreal and magical world that is sealed off from the mundane trappings of the everyday world. You have ascended to the upper echelons of sketch, and you are here to be looked after. Let the food dazzle and delight; permit the grand surroundings mesmerize; allow your whims be catered for; and, most of all, enjoy every minute...because it donâ¬"t come cheap!

No ordinary townhouse

Let me preface this review by saying that I have been to sketch once before, so it wasnâ¬"t a complete shock to me when I walked in this time. One of our friends had somehow managed to secure one of the bars for her birthday drinks and Mrs. LF and I were introduced to the decadent, avant-garde madness that lies beyond this Georgian townhouseâ¬"s rather ordinary looking white facade. If youâ¬"ve never been and are planning to go, whichever part of sketch you decide to visit, do insist on visiting the bathrooms on the ground floor that lie through The Gallery dining room as they are certainly worth seeing.

Yes, sketch. A London institution that has somehow managed to retain its en vogue status since opening its doors six years ago, which is no mean feat given the constantly sprouting up competition. But we were not there to celebrity spot; we were there to eat some good food. And that meant stepping into the upper echelons of this mysterious and quirky little world. We were there for The Lecture Room and Library, the 1-starred Michelin dining room that is run under the close control of Pierre Gagnaire (who is apparently present every 4-6 weeks for a number of days), the acclaimed French chef whose iconoclastic modern fusion style of cooking seems rather well suited toward the raison dâ¬"Ãªtre of sketch.

No ordinary greeting

When we â¬Üchecked inâ¬" at the little reception desk, David, the tall and charmingly flamboyant Irish man who seemed to be in charge, became very animated when he learned we would be dining upstairs. He offered us a tour of the premises, to be carried out by his rather fetching assistant, but we opted to postpone this until the end of the evening. We also declined the offer of a cocktail in one of the downstairs bars as we had already had that pleasure at our friendâ¬"s birthday celebration. I should say that the cocktails at sketch are imaginative, fun and excellent â¬ but they are also probably the most expensive drinks Iâ¬"ve ever bought in a London bar. Mrs. LF told our host that weâ¬"d rather just go upstairs. He then informed us that, as we were the first guests to arrive, we could have the upstairs parlour to ourselves. Now that sounded like a plan.

While attempting to ascertain our knowledge of chef Gagnaire, he opened the roped-off stairs for us and with a grand gesture and bid us to follow him up the stairs. As we ascended, he informed us about all of the chefâ¬"s restaurants around the globe and gave us a potted biography of Mr. Gagnaire in his very pleasant but thoroughly OTT fashion. We noticed some of the intriguing artwork on the way up to our destination, and were indeed being made to feel like we were quite special guests at this most hoity-toity of establishments. But of course that felt very good.

When you reach the top of the stairs, there is a large doorway which remains sealed. Then, in his special way, our leader opened the vault, revealing what is probably the most striking dining room Iâ¬"ve ever had the pleasure of stepping foot into. Our photos, most other photos Iâ¬"ve seen, and even the professional video cameras from the recent episode of Masterchef: The Professionals simply donâ¬"t do the place justice. It is something to be seen in person, thatâ¬"s for sure. You really feel like youâ¬"ve entered an extremely exclusive and luxurious place that is sealed off from the rest of the world.

While Mrs. LF made her way back downstairs to powder her nose, I had the good fortune to meet the chef, Jean-Denis Le Bras, who recently took over the upstairs kitchen. He was very pleasant and clearly enthusiastic about his food. Upon her return, Mrs. LF and I walked through the main dining room (which I presumed to be the â¬ÜLecture Roomâ¬"), and the smaller ante-chamber (which I assumed to be the â¬ÜLibraryâ¬"), which led into a very beautiful little parlour area, replete with rich reds, fireplace and Moroccan style window hangings and light fixtures.

After downing my favorite sketch cocktail, whose name now escapes me but I think has something to do with Barry White, we were offered an array of canapÃ©s, which we decided to have in the parlour as it was so cosy and we were having such a nice time there.

Without going into laborious detail, it is suffice to say that this was a magnificent opening to our meal. Each element on the tray tasted every bit as good as it looked â¬ which is saying something â¬with the goatâ¬"s cheese tarts and yogurt with tandoori biscuits being our favourites. We already felt spoiled receiving an entire tray of canapÃ©s, and not just the usual little dainty plate with one or two morsels that you normally find in such high-end restaurants. 9/10.

After asking a lot of questions about the dishes on the main menu, and receiving very detailed answers from our waiter, we finally arrived at our decisions and it was time to finally make our way to the Lecture Room.

No ordinary meal

Our table in the main room was against one of the side walls and afforded us a great view of all the action. The first thing we noted was just how comfortable the well-cushioned chairs were. Once seated, they were quick in offering to place Mrs. LFâ¬"s bag on a little stool near our table so that it didnâ¬"t stoop to retire on the god-knows-how-much-this-costs-per-square-foot carpet.

Of the breads, we tasted the mini-baguettes, the white rolls and the brown chestnut rolls, all of which were very good, with the mini-baguettes standing out as the best with their crispy crusts and lovely chewiness. The butters were beautifully presented (see above), and we both loved the one with seaweed in particular given its slightly salty and rich umami flavor. 8/10.

Amuse bouche: Raw White Tuna, Cauliflower and Dried Bonito Cream & Salmon roe

The amuse bouche of tuna tartare was a very clever, refreshing and flavorsome dish, with all of the ingredients working together in concert. The clean taste of the raw fish was accentuated by salty salmon roe which was then toned down and rounded out by the bonito flakes which again possessed a lush umami flavor. The little chewy and crunchy pieces of cauliflower provided some much needed solid texture to offset the smoothness of the other ingredients. I really enjoyed this first â¬Üproperâ¬" course. 8/10.

Starter 1: Perfume of the Earth / Inspired by one of Pierre Gagnaireâ¬"s Favourite Perfumes 'Terre dâ¬"HermÃ¨s' (Â£39)

- Cocotte of Vegetables, Smoked Myrtle and Bay Laurel / Foie Gras Soup with Sarawak Pepper
- Chicory Fondue with Sake / Girolles Poached in Pig Jus / Culatello and Iberian Ham
- Almond Tart / White Beetroot PurÃ©e with Redcurrant / Red Beetroot Syrup / Purslane Salad
- FlambÃ© Reblochon with GÃ©nÃ©pi / Toast â¬STerre de Sienneâ¬ / Caramelised Black Olives (Mrs. LF substituted the Reblochon for Brillat-Savarin)

Mrs. LF said her cocotte of vegetables was light and delicious, apart from one vegetable, which could have been a turnip (but sheâ¬"s not sure), that didnâ¬"t have the sweetness of the other vegetables. 7/10.

Of the chicory fondue, she described it as a meaty and flavorsome dish with all the ingredients interacting beautifully together. 7/10.

The almond tart was â¬SInteresting in the way it looked and the way it tasted also. It tasted more like a dessert because of the white marzipan-tasting layer that enveloped the dish (not my favourite, but very different and unique for sure).â¬ 6/10.

The flambÃ© of Brillat-Savarin with gÃ©nÃ©pi was amazingly tasty as all of the ingredients used here came through somehowâ¬¦even the GÃ©nÃ©pi in a very subtle way. We were also so surprised and pleased to see gÃ©nÃ©pi on the menu as we love drinking in the alps at night after a hard day of skiing and had never seen it outside of the little region we normally go skiing in. 9/10.

Starter 2: Langoustines, Addressed in Five Ways (Â£44)

- Roasted in Chickpea Flour / Carrot Syrup and Chorizo
- Tartare / Hitcho Vodka Jelly / Sardinian Lemon Paste
- Spicy Jelly / Cockle MariniÃ¨re / Macco Artichoke Ice Cream
- Mousseline with Noilly Prat / Basmati Rice / Matcha Green Tea and Almond Paste Butter
- A la Plancha with Epine-Vinette and Lardo di Colonnata / Toast of Agria Potato

The most â¬Ünormalâ¬" of the langoustine quintuplets was arguably the best. It had been roasted beautifully and was still moist and succulent. It was resting on top of a deeply flavoured sauce, of which the strongest element was the chorizo (there were also chunks of the meat scattered around). The sausage made a surprisingly good companion to the langoustine and did not overpower the delicate, sweet flavor as I thought it might have. It was well seasoned, and I liked the addition of the thinly sliced chives on top. 9/10.

The tartare was probably my second-favorite dish and simply showed off the freshness of the crustacea. I donâ¬"t remember the vodka jelly, but I do remember the divine lemon paste, which was a perfect foil for the raw langoustine, and the crunchy slivers of cucumber also worked well. 8/10.

Although I did like all five of these mini-creations, my least favorite was probably the third one, which included a cockle mariniÃ¨re, although I did rather enjoy the artichoke ice cream. 6/10.

We were back on track with the little moussiline, which definitely had a subtle hint of vermouth, and went exceedingly well with the Japanese green tea soup, with the rice providing the necessary grip and bite. A mellow and subtle dish which I appreciated. 8/10.

Last up was a little sandwich of langoustine with some clever toast of extremely thin fried potato. The inherent sweetness of the langoustine was here matched with the quite sharp flavor of European barberries and the unctuousness of the little dabs of lard. 8/10.

What I loved about this starter was the sheer variety of ingredients â¬ both in terms of geography (from Italy to Japan) and typicity (alcohols to rarely used berries) â¬ and how they unearthed a variety of pleasing flavor duos (and trios) with the simple luxury of sweet langoustine. It was highly inventive, technically well cooked and thoroughly enjoyable.

Main Course 1: Pig (Â£32)

- Spanish Pork Fillet Marinated with Juniper
- Black Pudding and Rhubarb Ravioli
- Blackcurrant Sauce Diable / Thinly Sliced Turnips in Dark Beer

Of her trio of pork dishes, Mrs. LF reflected that the Spanish pork fillet had been perfectly cooked, and tasted exquisite. She felt that â¬SIt didnâ¬"t taste obviously porky, perhaps as it was accompanied with a reddish sauce and also marinated in juniper. Usually I have pork more with a white wine or white sauce. Anyway, the marinade gave an unusual twist to the pork, which I really liked.â¬ 8/10.

She said that the black pudding dish was â¬SQuite rich for my own personal taste, and I therefore appreciated the small portion as I couldnâ¬"t have stomached more than that. Having said that, if you are a black pudding lover, it is a perfect dish. The black pudding tasted great and suited its well-textured ravioli wrapping perfectly.â¬ 8/10.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of time that has elapsed since our visit and this review (and our lack of sufficient notes), neither of us can sufficiently recall the last dish (blackcurrant sauce diable and turnips) and therefore can provide no description/rating (shame on us!).

Main Course 2: Scallops & John Dory (Â£49)

- John Dory Fillet Poached in Citrus Butter / Paimpol Coco Bean VeloutÃ©
- John Dory Gravlax / Scallop Tartare with Gingerbread
- Oyster Hummus / Liebig Cucumber

I had opted for seafood again in my main course, which this time came on a trio of plates. The principal dish was my favorite. The fish had been skilfully poached and the butter flavor came through nicely. There was diced vegetal crunchiness and the unusual flavor of the white bean veloutÃ© was yet again another example of a rare ingredient (at least for me) providing a new flavor combination that worked well with the core element of the dish, the delicate and mildly flavored John Dory. 9/10.

I thought the prettiest plate by far was that of the raw fish. It didnâ¬"t pack that much of a flavor punch, although there was again evidence of Gagnaireâ¬"s hand in the use of three thin slices of crisp gingerbread underneath the fish and scallops, which I thought was a little stroke of genius. 7/10.

I must say that I am not an oyster person, having only had one or two in my life, and was sort of nervous about the last little dish. I went along with the waiterâ¬"s suggestion of swallowing it all in one go, and was actually pleasantly surprised. I think this was because the most dominant flavor by far was that of hummus. It was the familiar rich chickpea and a hint of cucumber that I could taste, and it was the slimy texture of the chewy oyster I could feel, so I managed to get through without too much pain. I would certainly like to learn to appreciate oysters, but as of now I am a total novice and just donâ¬"t get the fascination. 6/10.

Dessert: Nonette

- Saffron nonette with citrus and limoncello marmalade
- Traditional crÃ¨me caramel
- Confit grapefruit melon and watermelon

We were quite torn between a few of the dessert on the menu, but as we were feeling quite full by this point, we opted to split one of the lighter-sounding sweets. The nonette cake itself was the main component of the dessert. Although we were informed it was a traditional dessert from the Alsace region in France, it certainly did have its Middle Eastern influences with the main flavor elements being orange and saffron. The pain dâ¬"Ã©pice based cake was dense, sticky and packed with that sharp and sweet flavor of orange marmalade (here, more sweet than sharp), along with a subtle hint of saffron which was well infused throughout. It was okay, but didnâ¬"t knock our socks off. My favorite part of the dessert was actually the crÃ¨me caramel, which was excellent. It had the perfect consistency and very good depth of flavor. The citrus hit of the last pot was very refreshing and nice way to finish our last course. Overall, this was probably the weakest part of the meal, although we did shy away from some of the more ambitious sounding desserts and, given the renown of Gagnaireâ¬"s â¬ and his kitchenâ¬"s â¬ pastry skills (i.e. they make the good pastries at Fortnum & Mason), I am sure his Grand Dessert (at Â£27!) or his GÃ¢teau au Chocolat (Â£10) would have been mind-blowing. But our bellies were already blown and we just couldnâ¬"t stomach it. 6/10 for our little trio.

Petit Fours

- Dark chocolate with lemon syrup
- Blackcurrant and marzipan
- Turkish Delight with ginger

Saying that, thereâ¬"s always room for (some more) dessert. The little petit fours were all very nice and were given to us even though we didnâ¬"t order tea or coffee. The little chocolate discs and the dark chocolate with lemon syrup filling stand out as the best of the bunch in my memory.

No ordinary blue loo

I finally had my chance to nip off to the batrooms, and was eager to see what I might find inside (okay, that didnâ¬"t sound quite right). But given the insaneness of the sketchâ¬"s other toilets, I didnâ¬"t know what to expect. These were much more â¬Ünormalâ¬", except for the fact that they were black and neon blue, and that pretty[Non-Photo Review]

For full post (with pictures) see: http://wp.me/pwXBH-qk

Opening: Be transported into a surreal and magical world that is sealed off from the mundane trappings of the everyday world. You have ascended to the upper echelons of sketch, and you are here to be looked after. Let the food dazzle and delight; permit the grand surroundings mesmerize; allow your whims be catered for; and, most of all, enjoy every minute...because it donâ¬"t come cheap!

No ordinary townhouse

Let me preface this review by saying that I have been to sketch once before, so it wasnâ¬"t a complete shock to me when I walked in this time. One of our friends had somehow managed to secure one of the bars for her birthday drinks and Mrs. LF and I were introduced to the decadent, avant-garde madness that lies beyond this Georgian townhouseâ¬"s rather ordinary looking white facade. If youâ¬"ve never been and are planning to go, whichever part of sketch you decide to visit, do insist on visiting the bathrooms on the ground floor that lie through The Gallery dining room as they are certainly worth seeing.

Yes, sketch. A London institution that has somehow managed to retain its en vogue status since opening its doors six years ago, which is no mean feat given the constantly sprouting up competition. But we were not there to celebrity spot; we were there to eat some good food. And that meant stepping into the upper echelons of this mysterious and quirky little world. We were there for The Lecture Room and Library, the 1-starred Michelin dining room that is run under the close control of Pierre Gagnaire (who is apparently present every 4-6 weeks for a number of days), the acclaimed French chef whose iconoclastic modern fusion style of cooking seems rather well suited toward the raison dâ¬"Ãªtre of sketch.

No ordinary greeting

When we â¬Üchecked inâ¬" at the little reception desk, David, the tall and charmingly flamboyant Irish man who seemed to be in charge, became very animated when he learned we would be dining upstairs. He offered us a tour of the premises, to be carried out by his rather fetching assistant, but we opted to postpone this until the end of the evening. We also declined the offer of a cocktail in one of the downstairs bars as we had already had that pleasure at our friendâ¬"s birthday celebration. I should say that the cocktails at sketch are imaginative, fun and excellent â¬ but they are also probably the most expensive drinks Iâ¬"ve ever bought in a London bar. Mrs. LF told our host that weâ¬"d rather just go upstairs. He then informed us that, as we were the first guests to arrive, we could have the upstairs parlour to ourselves. Now that sounded like a plan.

While attempting to ascertain our knowledge of chef Gagnaire, he opened the roped-off stairs for us and with a grand gesture and bid us to follow him up the stairs. As we ascended, he informed us about all of the chefâ¬"s restaurants around the globe and gave us a potted biography of Mr. Gagnaire in his very pleasant but thoroughly OTT fashion. We noticed some of the intriguing artwork on the way up to our destination, and were indeed being made to feel like we were quite special guests at this most hoity-toity of establishments. But of course that felt very good.

When you reach the top of the stairs, there is a large doorway which remains sealed. Then, in his special way, our leader opened the vault, revealing what is probably the most striking dining room Iâ¬"ve ever had the pleasure of stepping foot into. Our photos, most other photos Iâ¬"ve seen, and even the professional video cameras from the recent episode of Masterchef: The Professionals simply donâ¬"t do the place justice. It is something to be seen in person, thatâ¬"s for sure. You really feel like youâ¬"ve entered an extremely exclusive and luxurious place that is sealed off from the rest of the world.

While Mrs. LF made her way back downstairs to powder her nose, I had the good fortune to meet the chef, Jean-Denis Le Bras, who recently took over the upstairs kitchen. He was very pleasant and clearly enthusiastic about his food. Upon her return, Mrs. LF and I walked through the main dining room (which I presumed to be the â¬ÜLecture Roomâ¬"), and the smaller ante-chamber (which I assumed to be the â¬ÜLibraryâ¬"), which led into a very beautiful little parlour area, replete with rich reds, fireplace and Moroccan style window hangings and light fixtures.

After downing my favorite sketch cocktail, whose name now escapes me but I think has something to do with Barry White, we were offered an array of canapÃ©s, which we decided to have in the parlour as it was so cosy and we were having such a nice time there.

Without going into laborious detail, it is suffice to say that this was a magnificent opening to our meal. Each element on the tray tasted every bit as good as it looked â¬ which is saying something â¬with the goatâ¬"s cheese tarts and yogurt with tandoori biscuits being our favourites. We already felt spoiled receiving an entire tray of canapÃ©s, and not just the usual little dainty plate with one or two morsels that you normally find in such high-end restaurants. 9/10.

After asking a lot of questions about the dishes on the main menu, and receiving very detailed answers from our waiter, we finally arrived at our decisions and it was time to finally make our way to the Lecture Room.

No ordinary meal

Our table in the main room was against one of the side walls and afforded us a great view of all the action. The first thing we noted was just how comfortable the well-cushioned chairs were. Once seated, they were quick in offering to place Mrs. LFâ¬"s bag on a little stool near our table so that it didnâ¬"t stoop to retire on the god-knows-how-much-this-costs-per-square-foot carpet.

Of the breads, we tasted the mini-baguettes, the white rolls and the brown chestnut rolls, all of which were very good, with the mini-baguettes standing out as the best with their crispy crusts and lovely chewiness. The butters were beautifully presented (see above), and we both loved the one with seaweed in particular given its slightly salty and rich umami flavor. 8/10.

Amuse bouche: Raw White Tuna, Cauliflower and Dried Bonito Cream & Salmon roe

The amuse bouche of tuna tartare was a very clever, refreshing and flavorsome dish, with all of the ingredients working together in concert. The clean taste of the raw fish was accentuated by salty salmon roe which was then toned down and rounded out by the bonito flakes which again possessed a lush umami flavor. The little chewy and crunchy pieces of cauliflower provided some much needed solid texture to offset the smoothness of the other ingredients. I really enjoyed this first â¬Üproperâ¬" course. 8/10.

Starter 1: Perfume of the Earth / Inspired by one of Pierre Gagnaireâ¬"s Favourite Perfumes 'Terre dâ¬"HermÃ¨s' (Â£39)

- Cocotte of Vegetables, Smoked Myrtle and Bay Laurel / Foie Gras Soup with Sarawak Pepper
- Chicory Fondue with Sake / Girolles Poached in Pig Jus / Culatello and Iberian Ham
- Almond Tart / White Beetroot PurÃ©e with Redcurrant / Red Beetroot Syrup / Purslane Salad
- FlambÃ© Reblochon with GÃ©nÃ©pi / Toast â¬STerre de Sienneâ¬ / Caramelised Black Olives (Mrs. LF substituted the Reblochon for Brillat-Savarin)

Mrs. LF said her cocotte of vegetables was light and delicious, apart from one vegetable, which could have been a turnip (but sheâ¬"s not sure), that didnâ¬"t have the sweetness of the other vegetables. 7/10.

Of the chicory fondue, she described it as a meaty and flavorsome dish with all the ingredients interacting beautifully together. 7/10.

The almond tart was â¬SInteresting in the way it looked and the way it tasted also. It tasted more like a dessert because of the white marzipan-tasting layer that enveloped the dish (not my favourite, but very different and unique for sure).â¬ 6/10.

The flambÃ© of Brillat-Savarin with gÃ©nÃ©pi was amazingly tasty as all of the ingredients used here came through somehowâ¬¦even the GÃ©nÃ©pi in a very subtle way. We were also so surprised and pleased to see gÃ©nÃ©pi on the menu as we love drinking in the alps at night after a hard day of skiing and had never seen it outside of the little region we normally go skiing in. 9/10.

Starter 2: Langoustines, Addressed in Five Ways (Â£44)

- Roasted in Chickpea Flour / Carrot Syrup and Chorizo
- Tartare / Hitcho Vodka Jelly / Sardinian Lemon Paste
- Spicy Jelly / Cockle MariniÃ¨re / Macco Artichoke Ice Cream
- Mousseline with Noilly Prat / Basmati Rice / Matcha Green Tea and Almond Paste Butter
- A la Plancha with Epine-Vinette and Lardo di Colonnata / Toast of Agria Potato

The most â¬Ünormalâ¬" of the langoustine quintuplets was arguably the best. It had been roasted beautifully and was still moist and succulent. It was resting on top of a deeply flavoured sauce, of which the strongest element was the chorizo (there were also chunks of the meat scattered around). The sausage made a surprisingly good companion to the langoustine and did not overpower the delicate, sweet flavor as I thought it might have. It was well seasoned, and I liked the addition of the thinly sliced chives on top. 9/10.

The tartare was probably my second-favorite dish and simply showed off the freshness of the crustacea. I donâ¬"t remember the vodka jelly, but I do remember the divine lemon paste, which was a perfect foil for the raw langoustine, and the crunchy slivers of cucumber also worked well. 8/10.

Although I did like all five of these mini-creations, my least favorite was probably the third one, which included a cockle mariniÃ¨re, although I did rather enjoy the artichoke ice cream. 6/10.

We were back on track with the little moussiline, which definitely had a subtle hint of vermouth, and went exceedingly well with the Japanese green tea soup, with the rice providing the necessary grip and bite. A mellow and subtle dish which I appreciated. 8/10.

Last up was a little sandwich of langoustine with some clever toast of extremely thin fried potato. The inherent sweetness of the langoustine was here matched with the quite sharp flavor of European barberries and the unctuousness of the little dabs of lard. 8/10.

What I loved about this starter was the sheer variety of ingredients â¬ both in terms of geography (from Italy to Japan) and typicity (alcohols to rarely used berries) â¬ and how they unearthed a variety of pleasing flavor duos (and trios) with the simple luxury of sweet langoustine. It was highly inventive, technically well cooked and thoroughly enjoyable.

Main Course 1: Pig (Â£32)

- Spanish Pork Fillet Marinated with Juniper
- Black Pudding and Rhubarb Ravioli
- Blackcurrant Sauce Diable / Thinly Sliced Turnips in Dark Beer

Of her trio of pork dishes, Mrs. LF reflected that the Spanish pork fillet had been perfectly cooked, and tasted exquisite. She felt that â¬SIt didnâ¬"t taste obviously porky, perhaps as it was accompanied with a reddish sauce and also marinated in juniper. Usually I have pork more with a white wine or white sauce. Anyway, the marinade gave an unusual twist to the pork, which I really liked.â¬ 8/10.

She said that the black pudding dish was â¬SQuite rich for my own personal taste, and I therefore appreciated the small portion as I couldnâ¬"t have stomached more than that. Having said that, if you are a black pudding lover, it is a perfect dish. The black pudding tasted great and suited its well-textured ravioli wrapping perfectly.â¬ 8/10.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of time that has elapsed since our visit and this review (and our lack of sufficient notes), neither of us can sufficiently recall the last dish (blackcurrant sauce diable and turnips) and therefore can provide no description/rating (shame on us!).

Main Course 2: Scallops & John Dory (Â£49)

- John Dory Fillet Poached in Citrus Butter / Paimpol Coco Bean VeloutÃ©
- John Dory Gravlax / Scallop Tartare with Gingerbread
- Oyster Hummus / Liebig Cucumber

I had opted for seafood again in my main course, which this time came on a trio of plates. The principal dish was my favorite. The fish had been skilfully poached and the butter flavor came through nicely. There was diced vegetal crunchiness and the unusual flavor of the white bean veloutÃ© was yet again another example of a rare ingredient (at least for me) providing a new flavor combination that worked well with the core element of the dish, the delicate and mildly flavored John Dory. 9/10.

I thought the prettiest plate by far was that of the raw fish. It didnâ¬"t pack that much of a flavor punch, although there was again evidence of Gagnaireâ¬"s hand in the use of three thin slices of crisp gingerbread underneath the fish and scallops, which I thought was a little stroke of genius. 7/10.

I must say that I am not an oyster person, having only had one or two in my life, and was sort of nervous about the last little dish. I went along with the waiterâ¬"s suggestion of swallowing it all in one go, and was actually pleasantly surprised. I think this was because the most dominant flavor by far was that of hummus. It was the familiar rich chickpea and a hint of cucumber that I could taste, and it was the slimy texture of the chewy oyster I could feel, so I managed to get through without too much pain. I would certainly like to learn to appreciate oysters, but as of now I am a total novice and just donâ¬"t get the fascination. 6/10.

Dessert: Nonette

- Saffron nonette with citrus and limoncello marmalade
- Traditional crÃ¨me caramel
- Confit grapefruit melon and watermelon

We were quite torn between a few of the dessert on the menu, but as we were feeling quite full by this point, we opted to split one of the lighter-sounding sweets. The nonette cake itself was the main component of the dessert. Although we were informed it was a traditional dessert from the Alsace region in France, it certainly did have its Middle Eastern influences with the main flavor elements being orange and saffron. The pain dâ¬"Ã©pice based cake was dense, sticky and packed with that sharp and sweet flavor of orange marmalade (here, more sweet than sharp), along with a subtle hint of saffron which was well infused throughout. It was okay, but didnâ¬"t knock our socks off. My favorite part of the dessert was actually the crÃ¨me caramel, which was excellent. It had the perfect consistency and very good depth of flavor. The citrus hit of the last pot was very refreshing and nice way to finish our last course. Overall, this was probably the weakest part of the meal, although we did shy away from some of the more ambitious sounding desserts and, given the renown of Gagnaireâ¬"s â¬ and his kitchenâ¬"s â¬ pastry skills (i.e. they make the good pastries at Fortnum & Mason), I am sure his Grand Dessert (at Â£27!) or his GÃ¢teau au Chocolat (Â£10) would have been mind-blowing. But our bellies were already blown and we just couldnâ¬"t stomach it. 6/10 for our little trio.

Petit Fours

- Dark chocolate with lemon syrup
- Blackcurrant and marzipan
- Turkish Delight with ginger

Saying that, thereâ¬"s always room for (some more) dessert. The little petit fours were all very nice and were given to us even though we didnâ¬"t order tea or coffee. The little chocolate discs and the dark chocolate with lemon syrup filling stand out as the best of the bunch in my memory.

No ordinary blue loo

I finally had my chance to nip off to the bathrooms, and was eager to see what I might find inside (okay, that didnâ¬"t sound quite right). But given the insaneness of the sketchâ¬"s other toilets, I didnâ¬"t know what to expect. These were much more â¬Ünormalâ¬", except for the fact that they were black and neon blue, and that pretty

Rasa - Something a little different by foxie

foxie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:06:29 +0000

Review by foxie

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7629 1346

Website: http://www.rasarestaurants.com

Tags: indian, good value, different

We had never eaten this particular kind of Indian food and so relied very heavily on our waiter for advice and suggestions, which turned out to be just the thing. The four of us ended up with a range of dishes to share - one fish, one chicken, one lentil and one lamb - which were all full of flavour and with a good kick of spice. Not so much you start to sweat, but enough that it knocks your tastebuds into high gear. Vegetarians are very well catered for, with almost an entire menu to themselves. We weren't quite hungry enough for their feasts, but next time we may go for it.We had never eaten this particular kind of Indian food and so relied very heavily on our waiter for advice and suggestions, which turned out to be just the thing. The four of us ended up with a range of dishes to share - one fish, one chicken, one lentil and one lamb - which were all full of flavour and with a good kick of spice. Not so much you start to sweat, but enough that it knocks your tastebuds into high gear. Vegetarians are very well catered for, with almost an entire menu to themselves. We weren't quite hungry enough for their feasts, but next time we may go for it.

Abracadabra Restaurant & Bar - HeyJo Nightclub by Rebella

Rebella — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:52:28 +0000

Review by Rebella

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7930 3111

Website: http://www.abracadabra-online.co.uk

Tags: lively, romantic, good value

OMG!! They also have this cool club downstairs. You need to check this out!OMG!! They also have this cool club downstairs. You need to check this out!

The Square - The Square: Generous, Rich, Golden by laissezfare

laissezfare — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:14:29 +0000

Review by laissezfare

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7495 7100

Tags: french, expensive, business

[Non-Photo Review]

For full review go to: http://wp.me/pwXBH-nE

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The Square: Generous, Rich, Golden

Meeting the older sister

Having had a pleasant (though not perfect) time at The Sqaureâ¬"s little sister in Westbourne Grove a few months ago â¬ for full review of that dinner see here â¬ we were very excited to try out what is one of the most established stalwarts on the London fine dining scene. From what I know about The Square, it is undoubtedly one of the most consistently well regarded high-end restaurants in London, both by mainstream media food critics and food bloggers alike.

Chef Philip Howard has certainly garnered a lot of respect and praise from his fellow chefs and food commentators of all sorts. This would appear to be partly because he is to some extent self-taught (though according to their website he did have a stint in the Dordogne, a year with Roux Restaurants Ltd. and a year at the now (in)famous Harveys where he had the opportunity to work with Marco Pierre White and no doubt learned that â¬Smother nature is the true artistâ¬ â¬ that chefâ¬"s favorite modern day refrain â¬ in-between having frying pans thrown at him), and partly because he is one of the few head chefs performing at this level to actually be present and cooking in his own kitchen pretty much day in and day out. As a short aside, I recently saw quite an interesting video interview with him on Caterersearch, but generally speaking he eschews the media and tries to keep to himself to the extent possible.

So, an interesting character in the driving seat and certainly a serious contender for a very promising meal. My taste buds were certainly on high alert.

Business or pleasure?

Occupying the ground floor of a Mayfair office block, the entrance to The Square is rather nondescript, with a subtle sign somewhat camouflaged in the slightly curved burnt orange wall to the left of the front door. The line of windows facing the street is frosted to just above eye level, so you have to jump up to see into the restaurant, unless youâ¬"re really tall. Once inside, this is an effective shield to the outside world, as when you are seated you can mainly see from the first floor upward of the buildings across the street, and not the street and pedestrian traffic.

We were efficiently welcomed and shown to our table, which was at the back left corner of theâ¬¦ wellâ¬¦square room, right next to where all of the food was being brought out from the kitchen. Not usually the best spot as it can be quite busy, but it turned out to be fine and afforded us a commanding view of the room and also enabled us to overhear the chit-chat of the staff.

Compared to The Ledbury, whose interior Mrs. LF and I both found really appealing, The Squareâ¬"s ambience was a bit of a letdown. The tables are very well spread out, which provides you with good privacy and it isnâ¬"t too noisy. But it is quite a plain room that for me lacks an engaging identity or design theme. It seems much more a business lunch on the companyâ¬"s expense place than somewhere youâ¬"d want to come for a romantic evening or a celebratory gathering.

At first impression, the waiting staff were also all business. There seemed to be a small army of them coming and going from our little corner. They all conveyed a very professional air but, at the same time, they all felt quite distant and reserved in their interactions with us. It wasnâ¬"t really a warm, inviting beginning. Not that this is a disaster, but quite the opposite of what we had experienced at The Ledbury.

These factors were compounded by the fact that, as we were perusing the menu and trying to make our choices, our first amuse bouche was brought out. Then, shortly thereafter, a second round of amuses (of which there were three elements) followed. The Squareâ¬"s menu is quite a large affair, and it was rather awkward to find a place for them amongst all the little nibbles and bread which looked so appetizing. I got a bit flustered by the whole episode, and would have much rather preferred having them take our orders first and then properly beginning the meal. It just meant that we felt rushed and werenâ¬"t able to concentrate on the food as much as we would have wanted to. While this is a small thing, and I probably wouldnâ¬"t comment on it if the restaurant did not hold two heavy Michelin stars, it wasnâ¬"t an impressive start. Since there was no time limitation on the table that I was aware of, I just didnâ¬"t get why they were in such a hurry.

Are you gonna finish that?

But enough of my quibbles and onto the food. And boy was there a lot of it.

Even though we had opted for the standard Ã la carte 3-course menu, we quickly found out that it was to be more of a 7-course evening when taking into account all of the little extras that The Square very generously includes in all of its dinners. It also turned out that the portions at The Square are much larger than you get at any other restaurant of a similar ilk (at least the ones Iâ¬"ve been to) and that the food was in general extremely rich. In this way, it was truly an old school approach that was full-on right through the end. This was again something neither of us was quite prepared for, and was barely able to stomach in the end. However, with 20/20 hindsight, I would know that when coming to The Square for dinner, or lunch for that matter, to show up with an empty stomach and to be in the mood for some rich and decadent food. With these conditions, I am certain I would enjoy the hell out of a meal at here.

You can find a blow-by-blow account of the meal below.

Amuse Bouche: GelÃ©e of Girolles & Roast Chicken ConsommÃ© with Corn Smoke Foam and Cheese Frazzle

It came in a little glass cup which clearly displayed the distinct layers of colors and textures, with the cheese frazzle stuck into the glass vertically like a flagpole sans flag. It was very rich and the deep mushroom flavor came through clearly, curbed nicely by the layer of sweetcorn foam (which took up nearly half the glass), with notes of roasted fowl hovering in the background. It was pretty heavenly dipping the cheese stick all the way into the concoction and eating it all together. 8/10.
I almost forgot to mention the bread, which was good. It is all baked on-site and the best of the bunch was the white mini-baguette (crispy at the tips, crunchy crust and soft inside), followed closely by the walnut and raisin roll (lots of deep, almost sour nutty flavor balanced by the sweetness of sultanas). The brown rolls were okay. 7/10.

Further Amusement for our Bouches

First up in the second course of amuses was a cornet of foie gras mousse, which was stuck into the center of a little brown wooden square. It was really rich and scrumptious and had a lovely smooth and silky texture. The anchovy ice cream cone offered some saltiness, and the combination definitely provided my palate with some serious amusement. (8/10). The black ink puff pastry, which had a salty core, was interesting and left a sharp, intriguing and pleasant taste in my mouth. Points for inventiveness, but Iâ¬"m not sure it was a completely finished pastry conceptually. (6/10). The prawn crackers were nothing that special in and of themselves, but were crispy and flaky. They were enlivened a bit by the mild curry dipping sauce, which again had a great creamy consistency and a little hint of spice. (7/10).

Starter 1: Potted Grouse with Terrine of Foie Gras, Pink Gooseberry Chutney and Sour Dough Toast" (Sorry - No Photo)

Given that we were in the full swing of grouse season at the time of our meal, I really wanted to try some as we hadnâ¬"t yet had any this year. I didnâ¬"t have to work too hard in persuading Mrs. LF to order the grouse starter special for the evening, which did sound very appetizing.
It is a shame that this dish managed to pretty much kill both of our appetites for the rest of the evening. The potted grouse came in a large old fashioned self-sealing glass jar with a metal hinge (the kind you find homemade country jam in), and was full up to the brim of grouse paste. I unfortunately forgot to snap a photo (possibly due to shock), but it was a huge-bordering-on-ginormous portion for a main course, let alone a starter! It had a pretty singular flavor and didnâ¬"t really do that much for me personally. Even though it wasnâ¬"t my dish, Mrs. LF couldnâ¬"t even eat half of it, so I was brought in to dust it off, which I couldnâ¬"t do given the richness of my own starter (see below). The foie gras terrine itself was very good and I loved the gooseberry chutney with it. 6/10.

Starter 2: Lasagne of Dorset Crab with a Cappuccino of Shellfish and Champagne Foam

This dish was very beautifully presented, and was not exactly what I had expected when I thought of â¬Ülasagneâ¬", which I typically associate with square or rectangular alternately stacked layers of pasta and sauce. The dainty little circular tower of crab lasagne was bathing in a luxurious bath of cream that was topped off with champagne bubbles. You could just tell this was going to be a satisfying plate of food. The lasagne itself was excellent, and the sweetness of the crab really shone through. The plentiful sauce was extremely rich and unctuous (lots of butter, lots of cream) and married well with crab, with the â¬Ülasagneâ¬" layers providing some good chewy texture in order to ground the dish. The layer of shellfish cream on top lent different and slightly more sharp notes from the sea and again proved a worthy and subtle partner. It is a testament to the quality of the execution that I finished this starter, which was again huge and insanely rich, but I did wonder how well I would digest that sauce. 8/10.

Main Course 1: Slow Cooked Turbot with a Warm Potato Salad, Leek Hearts, Vichyssoise and Smoked Eel

Mrs. LF ordered the turbot for her main course. She said that it was a refined and light dish which she thoroughly enjoyed. The turbot itself had a great texture and the vichyssoise was clever because although it looked like a heavy, cream-based sauce, in reality it was mainly made up of purÃ©ed leeks, potatoes, onions and stock (with what seemed to be just a little bit of cream) and therefore had more of a vegetable essence. It worked beautifully with the delicateness of the turbot. The pretty black hive of caviar nestled on top of the fish gave it that little punch of salt needed to elevate the dish to something just more than a well prepared fish and sauce. 8/10.

Main Course 2: Roast Calves Sweetbreads with Beurre Noisette, Sweetcorn, Girolles and Almonds

I had heard that The Squareâ¬"s sweetbreads ranked right up there with the best of them, so in my mind I had ordered this main as my â¬Ürich courseâ¬", thinking that the earlier starter of crab lasagne would be a rather â¬Üsmall and lightâ¬" start to the meal â¬ well, we all know what happens when we assume.

There was a massive amount of sweetbreads on this plate, certainly more than Iâ¬"ve ever seen before, even for a main course. They had all been huddled together in the middle, and in the back of my mind I thought they sort of formed the shape of a little brainâ¬¦fancy that. They were served on a base of perfectly made beurre noisette and were surrounded by a plate of crisps, which I thought was novel, and they actually worked very well as instruments to dip into that lovely butter sauce. The sliced almonds on top worked a treat with the sweetbreads, as did the sweet accent of corn and the earthy and woody flavors of the girolles. The various bits of meat themselves were exactly the right texture for me, having been well seared and firm (they held their shape well) yet with just enough softness and bounce. It was a very good dish, but I felt that again there was just an enormous amount of everything. 8/10.

Pre-Dessert: Peach & Vanilla Yogurt Topped with a Beignet

This little pre-dessert was a welcome respite to the carnage that had preceded it. The peach was refreshing and was of course a perfect foil for the vanilla yogurt. The beignet was crisp but I didnâ¬"t think it sat naturally on top of what was essentially a posh pot of yogurt. Maybe this is just an oddity of mine, or of this pair of restaurants, as I recall a similar thing happened at The Ledbury with churros and a strawberry gariguette and I had a similar reaction. 6/10.

Dessert 1: Peach Melba SoufflÃ©

Mrs. LF had the soufflÃ© for her dessert. It was, in our experience, as good a soufflÃ© as weâ¬"ve had, and was certainly a notch higher than the pistachio soufflÃ© we had at Le Manoir Aux Quatâ¬"Saisons earlier this year. The textures were spot on, with the exterior of the crown being nicely hardened and the insides being soft, light and fluffy. The peach flavor came through very strongly â¬ so much so that Mrs. LF felt that it may have been a bit too strong, to the extent it almost smacked of artificial flavouring (though it was certainly genuine peach flavor). A scoop of ice cream was plopped into the center, where it sunk to its gooey death, and a bit of raspberry coulis was then poured into the crevasse it had created, which gave some good freshness and bite to the dessert. While we agreed it was the best weâ¬"ve had, I think we also came to the realization that sweet soufflÃ©s just really arenâ¬"t our favorite desserts; for some reason they just never seem to wholly satisfy either of us. 8/10.

Dessert 2: Mousseline of Raspberry with Lemon Verbena Jelly, Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream and Nectarines

I loved, loved, loved this dessert. Thereâ¬"s not all that much more to say about it. The three little parcels of raspberry mousse had been neatly wrapped with a â¬Üskinâ¬" of raspberry which was slightly more sharp than the sweet creaminess of the mousse (although it did also have a nice pang of tartness). The nectarines were ripe and if memory serves me right they were a little syrupy too, and I really enjoyed the little kick up the butt that the lemon verbena jelly gave to any forkful you happened to include it with. In some sense, the raspberry ripple ice cream almost stole the show; it was just perfect in every way. It was such a nice ending to the meal, but of course, it wasnâ¬"t really the ending was itâ¬¦.9/10.

Petit Fours

The petit fours were arranged in what I assume to be The Squareâ¬"s classic presentation of â¬Ülollipopsâ¬" sticking out of a semi-circular shaped brown wooden block. It looked very pretty, and most of them were good. Memory fails me now, so I canâ¬"t tell you which ones I loved and which ones I could have done without.

Just to make sure that they had filled and coated every inch of our greatly expanded stomachs, there was also a bowl of around eight or nine truffles for the two of us! I absolutely adored them, but could only eat a couple at this point.

Because we liked them so much, we asked if we could have a little box to place the remaining truffles in to take them home with us. In a baffling and logic-defying move, one of the waiters decided that they should instead give us a full box of â¬Ünewâ¬" truffles from the kitchen and insisted that we leave the â¬Üoldâ¬" ones on the table, which defeated the whole point of not wanting to waste such good sweets. Maybe it is just not the done thing in such fine dining establishments? I really donâ¬"t know, but was sort of mystified by it all. Whatever the case, we did take home the box of truffles and scoffed them down pretty quickly the next evening

Yquemical bonding

I have thus far neglected to mention the wines for the evening. As I was the only ne drinking, I ordered a half-bottle of the Condrieu that they had available from their very extensive and interesting wine list. It was a 2005 Christophe Pichon (RhÃ´ne Valley, France) that came in at Â£33/half bottle, and unfortunately it was a real let down after my sublim[Non-Photo Review]

For full review go to: http://wp.me/pwXBH-nE

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The Square: Generous, Rich, Golden

Meeting the older sister

Having had a pleasant (though not perfect) time at The Sqaureâ¬"s little sister in Westbourne Grove a few months ago â¬ for full review of that dinner see here â¬ we were very excited to try out what is one of the most established stalwarts on the London fine dining scene. From what I know about The Square, it is undoubtedly one of the most consistently well regarded high-end restaurants in London, both by mainstream media food critics and food bloggers alike.

Chef Philip Howard has certainly garnered a lot of respect and praise from his fellow chefs and food commentators of all sorts. This would appear to be partly because he is to some extent self-taught (though according to their website he did have a stint in the Dordogne, a year with Roux Restaurants Ltd. and a year at the now (in)famous Harveys where he had the opportunity to work with Marco Pierre White and no doubt learned that â¬Smother nature is the true artistâ¬ â¬ that chefâ¬"s favorite modern day refrain â¬ in-between having frying pans thrown at him), and partly because he is one of the few head chefs performing at this level to actually be present and cooking in his own kitchen pretty much day in and day out. As a short aside, I recently saw quite an interesting video interview with him on Caterersearch, but generally speaking he eschews the media and tries to keep to himself to the extent possible.

So, an interesting character in the driving seat and certainly a serious contender for a very promising meal. My taste buds were certainly on high alert.

Business or pleasure?

Occupying the ground floor of a Mayfair office block, the entrance to The Square is rather nondescript, with a subtle sign somewhat camouflaged in the slightly curved burnt orange wall to the left of the front door. The line of windows facing the street is frosted to just above eye level, so you have to jump up to see into the restaurant, unless youâ¬"re really tall. Once inside, this is an effective shield to the outside world, as when you are seated you can mainly see from the first floor upward of the buildings across the street, and not the street and pedestrian traffic.

We were efficiently welcomed and shown to our table, which was at the back left corner of theâ¬¦ wellâ¬¦square room, right next to where all of the food was being brought out from the kitchen. Not usually the best spot as it can be quite busy, but it turned out to be fine and afforded us a commanding view of the room and also enabled us to overhear the chit-chat of the staff.

Compared to The Ledbury, whose interior Mrs. LF and I both found really appealing, The Squareâ¬"s ambience was a bit of a letdown. The tables are very well spread out, which provides you with good privacy and it isnâ¬"t too noisy. But it is quite a plain room that for me lacks an engaging identity or design theme. It seems much more a business lunch on the companyâ¬"s expense place than somewhere youâ¬"d want to come for a romantic evening or a celebratory gathering.

At first impression, the waiting staff were also all business. There seemed to be a small army of them coming and going from our little corner. They all conveyed a very professional air but, at the same time, they all felt quite distant and reserved in their interactions with us. It wasnâ¬"t really a warm, inviting beginning. Not that this is a disaster, but quite the opposite of what we had experienced at The Ledbury.

These factors were compounded by the fact that, as we were perusing the menu and trying to make our choices, our first amuse bouche was brought out. Then, shortly thereafter, a second round of amuses (of which there were three elements) followed. The Squareâ¬"s menu is quite a large affair, and it was rather awkward to find a place for them amongst all the little nibbles and bread which looked so appetizing. I got a bit flustered by the whole episode, and would have much rather preferred having them take our orders first and then properly beginning the meal. It just meant that we felt rushed and werenâ¬"t able to concentrate on the food as much as we would have wanted to. While this is a small thing, and I probably wouldnâ¬"t comment on it if the restaurant did not hold two heavy Michelin stars, it wasnâ¬"t an impressive start. Since there was no time limitation on the table that I was aware of, I just didnâ¬"t get why they were in such a hurry.

Are you gonna finish that?

But enough of my quibbles and onto the food. And boy was there a lot of it.

Even though we had opted for the standard Ã la carte 3-course menu, we quickly found out that it was to be more of a 7-course evening when taking into account all of the little extras that The Square very generously includes in all of its dinners. It also turned out that the portions at The Square are much larger than you get at any other restaurant of a similar ilk (at least the ones Iâ¬"ve been to) and that the food was in general extremely rich. In this way, it was truly an old school approach that was full-on right through the end. This was again something neither of us was quite prepared for, and was barely able to stomach in the end. However, with 20/20 hindsight, I would know that when coming to The Square for dinner, or lunch for that matter, to show up with an empty stomach and to be in the mood for some rich and decadent food. With these conditions, I am certain I would enjoy the hell out of a meal at here.

You can find a blow-by-blow account of the meal below.

Amuse Bouche: GelÃ©e of Girolles & Roast Chicken ConsommÃ© with Corn Smoke Foam and Cheese Frazzle

It came in a little glass cup which clearly displayed the distinct layers of colors and textures, with the cheese frazzle stuck into the glass vertically like a flagpole sans flag. It was very rich and the deep mushroom flavor came through clearly, curbed nicely by the layer of sweetcorn foam (which took up nearly half the glass), with notes of roasted fowl hovering in the background. It was pretty heavenly dipping the cheese stick all the way into the concoction and eating it all together. 8/10.
I almost forgot to mention the bread, which was good. It is all baked on-site and the best of the bunch was the white mini-baguette (crispy at the tips, crunchy crust and soft inside), followed closely by the walnut and raisin roll (lots of deep, almost sour nutty flavor balanced by the sweetness of sultanas). The brown rolls were okay. 7/10.

Further Amusement for our Bouches

First up in the second course of amuses was a cornet of foie gras mousse, which was stuck into the center of a little brown wooden square. It was really rich and scrumptious and had a lovely smooth and silky texture. The anchovy ice cream cone offered some saltiness, and the combination definitely provided my palate with some serious amusement. (8/10). The black ink puff pastry, which had a salty core, was interesting and left a sharp, intriguing and pleasant taste in my mouth. Points for inventiveness, but Iâ¬"m not sure it was a completely finished pastry conceptually. (6/10). The prawn crackers were nothing that special in and of themselves, but were crispy and flaky. They were enlivened a bit by the mild curry dipping sauce, which again had a great creamy consistency and a little hint of spice. (7/10).

Starter 1: Potted Grouse with Terrine of Foie Gras, Pink Gooseberry Chutney and Sour Dough Toast" (Sorry - No Photo)

Given that we were in the full swing of grouse season at the time of our meal, I really wanted to try some as we hadnâ¬"t yet had any this year. I didnâ¬"t have to work too hard in persuading Mrs. LF to order the grouse starter special for the evening, which did sound very appetizing.
It is a shame that this dish managed to pretty much kill both of our appetites for the rest of the evening. The potted grouse came in a large old fashioned self-sealing glass jar with a metal hinge (the kind you find homemade country jam in), and was full up to the brim of grouse paste. I unfortunately forgot to snap a photo (possibly due to shock), but it was a huge-bordering-on-ginormous portion for a main course, let alone a starter! It had a pretty singular flavor and didnâ¬"t really do that much for me personally. Even though it wasnâ¬"t my dish, Mrs. LF couldnâ¬"t even eat half of it, so I was brought in to dust it off, which I couldnâ¬"t do given the richness of my own starter (see below). The foie gras terrine itself was very good and I loved the gooseberry chutney with it. 6/10.

Starter 2: Lasagne of Dorset Crab with a Cappuccino of Shellfish and Champagne Foam

This dish was very beautifully presented, and was not exactly what I had expected when I thought of â¬Ülasagneâ¬", which I typically associate with square or rectangular alternately stacked layers of pasta and sauce. The dainty little circular tower of crab lasagne was bathing in a luxurious bath of cream that was topped off with champagne bubbles. You could just tell this was going to be a satisfying plate of food. The lasagne itself was excellent, and the sweetness of the crab really shone through. The plentiful sauce was extremely rich and unctuous (lots of butter, lots of cream) and married well with crab, with the â¬Ülasagneâ¬" layers providing some good chewy texture in order to ground the dish. The layer of shellfish cream on top lent different and slightly more sharp notes from the sea and again proved a worthy and subtle partner. It is a testament to the quality of the execution that I finished this starter, which was again huge and insanely rich, but I did wonder how well I would digest that sauce. 8/10.

Main Course 1: Slow Cooked Turbot with a Warm Potato Salad, Leek Hearts, Vichyssoise and Smoked Eel

Mrs. LF ordered the turbot for her main course. She said that it was a refined and light dish which she thoroughly enjoyed. The turbot itself had a great texture and the vichyssoise was clever because although it looked like a heavy, cream-based sauce, in reality it was mainly made up of purÃ©ed leeks, potatoes, onions and stock (with what seemed to be just a little bit of cream) and therefore had more of a vegetable essence. It worked beautifully with the delicateness of the turbot. The pretty black hive of caviar nestled on top of the fish gave it that little punch of salt needed to elevate the dish to something just more than a well prepared fish and sauce. 8/10.

Main Course 2: Roast Calves Sweetbreads with Beurre Noisette, Sweetcorn, Girolles and Almonds

I had heard that The Squareâ¬"s sweetbreads ranked right up there with the best of them, so in my mind I had ordered this main as my â¬Ürich courseâ¬", thinking that the earlier starter of crab lasagne would be a rather â¬Üsmall and lightâ¬" start to the meal â¬ well, we all know what happens when we assume.

There was a massive amount of sweetbreads on this plate, certainly more than Iâ¬"ve ever seen before, even for a main course. They had all been huddled together in the middle, and in the back of my mind I thought they sort of formed the shape of a little brainâ¬¦fancy that. They were served on a base of perfectly made beurre noisette and were surrounded by a plate of crisps, which I thought was novel, and they actually worked very well as instruments to dip into that lovely butter sauce. The sliced almonds on top worked a treat with the sweetbreads, as did the sweet accent of corn and the earthy and woody flavors of the girolles. The various bits of meat themselves were exactly the right texture for me, having been well seared and firm (they held their shape well) yet with just enough softness and bounce. It was a very good dish, but I felt that again there was just an enormous amount of everything. 8/10.

Pre-Dessert: Peach & Vanilla Yogurt Topped with a Beignet

This little pre-dessert was a welcome respite to the carnage that had preceded it. The peach was refreshing and was of course a perfect foil for the vanilla yogurt. The beignet was crisp but I didnâ¬"t think it sat naturally on top of what was essentially a posh pot of yogurt. Maybe this is just an oddity of mine, or of this pair of restaurants, as I recall a similar thing happened at The Ledbury with churros and a strawberry gariguette and I had a similar reaction. 6/10.

Dessert 1: Peach Melba SoufflÃ©

Mrs. LF had the soufflÃ© for her dessert. It was, in our experience, as good a soufflÃ© as weâ¬"ve had, and was certainly a notch higher than the pistachio soufflÃ© we had at Le Manoir Aux Quatâ¬"Saisons earlier this year. The textures were spot on, with the exterior of the crown being nicely hardened and the insides being soft, light and fluffy. The peach flavor came through very strongly â¬ so much so that Mrs. LF felt that it may have been a bit too strong, to the extent it almost smacked of artificial flavouring (though it was certainly genuine peach flavor). A scoop of ice cream was plopped into the center, where it sunk to its gooey death, and a bit of raspberry coulis was then poured into the crevasse it had created, which gave some good freshness and bite to the dessert. While we agreed it was the best weâ¬"ve had, I think we also came to the realization that sweet soufflÃ©s just really arenâ¬"t our favorite desserts; for some reason they just never seem to wholly satisfy either of us. 8/10.

Dessert 2: Mousseline of Raspberry with Lemon Verbena Jelly, Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream and Nectarines

I loved, loved, loved this dessert. Thereâ¬"s not all that much more to say about it. The three little parcels of raspberry mousse had been neatly wrapped with a â¬Üskinâ¬" of raspberry which was slightly more sharp than the sweet creaminess of the mousse (although it did also have a nice pang of tartness). The nectarines were ripe and if memory serves me right they were a little syrupy too, and I really enjoyed the little kick up the butt that the lemon verbena jelly gave to any forkful you happened to include it with. In some sense, the raspberry ripple ice cream almost stole the show; it was just perfect in every way. It was such a nice ending to the meal, but of course, it wasnâ¬"t really the ending was itâ¬¦.9/10.

Petit Fours

The petit fours were arranged in what I assume to be The Squareâ¬"s classic presentation of â¬Ülollipopsâ¬" sticking out of a semi-circular shaped brown wooden block. It looked very pretty, and most of them were good. Memory fails me now, so I canâ¬"t tell you which ones I loved and which ones I could have done without.

Just to make sure that they had filled and coated every inch of our greatly expanded stomachs, there was also a bowl of around eight or nine truffles for the two of us! I absolutely adored them, but could only eat a couple at this point.

Because we liked them so much, we asked if we could have a little box to place the remaining truffles in to take them home with us. In a baffling and logic-defying move, one of the waiters decided that they should instead give us a full box of â¬Ünewâ¬" truffles from the kitchen and insisted that we leave the â¬Üoldâ¬" ones on the table, which defeated the whole point of not wanting to waste such good sweets. Maybe it is just not the done thing in such fine dining establishments? I really donâ¬"t know, but was sort of mystified by it all. Whatever the case, we did take home the box of truffles and scoffed them down pretty quickly the next evening

Yquemical bonding

I have thus far neglected to mention the wines for the evening. As I was the only one drinking, I ordered a half-bottle of the Condrieu that they had available from their very extensive and interesting wine list. It was a 2005 Christophe Pichon (RhÃ´ne Valley, France) that came in at Â£33/half bottle, and unfortunately it was a real let down after my sublim

Tossed Salad Bar - Disorganised mess by emmanx

emmanx — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:13:24 +0000

Review by emmanx

Rating: 3.00

Tags: crowded, business, cheap eat

Just started working in the area a couple of weeks ago and already had two very dissapointing visits to Tossed on St. Martin's lane. The first time I happened to be helped by someone who had just started so I decided to be forgiving and give the place a second go. Mistake.

The salad bar staff have no specific work area so they just run around getting in each other's way. My server gave me lip because I asked for a wrap but didn't have a base salad in my hands. Apparently, a wrap without a tonne of lettuce is weird. After he put the ingredients in a bowl he passed it on to someone else who had no idea what they were doing - the process was about 15 minutes, bit much for someone on their lunchbreak run

I got bored of watching her so I walked over to the till waiting for my food. I got harrassed to pay before I received it, which I refused. Result? Dirty look.

After she finally managed to finish my wrap, she handed it over to someone else, who gave it to another customer who was waiting for another wrap. By the time I caught on, she walked off with it. At that point, I left and I will NEVER go back. Boo hiss.

AfterJust started working in the area a couple of weeks ago and already had two very dissapointing visits to Tossed on St. Martin's lane. The first time I happened to be helped by someone who had just started so I decided to be forgiving and give the place a second go. Mistake.

The salad bar staff have no specific work area so they just run around getting in each other's way. My server gave me lip because I asked for a wrap but didn't have a base salad in my hands. Apparently, a wrap without a tonne of lettuce is weird. After he put the ingredients in a bowl he passed it on to someone else who had no idea what they were doing - the process was about 15 minutes, bit much for someone on their lunchbreak run

I got bored of watching her so I walked over to the till waiting for my food. I got harrassed to pay before I received it, which I refused. Result? Dirty look.

After she finally managed to finish my wrap, she handed it over to someone else, who gave it to another customer who was waiting for another wrap. By the time I caught on, she walked off with it. At that point, I left and I will NEVER go back. Boo hiss.

After

H.K Diner Restaurant - by liangliang

liangliang — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:47:33 +0000

Review by liangliang

Rating: 5.00

Tags: lively, malaysian, vegetarian

have gone thee twice , excellenthave gone thee twice , excellent

Ping Pong Dim Sum - Dim Sum when you want it by chrisp

chrisp — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:46:40 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7851 6969

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: chinese, lively, crowded

Before we go any further, Full Disclosure. I didn't pay for this meal. I was invited by the PR lady to try their new Autumn menu after I made some (unprompted) positive comments about it on Twitter, and of course I was happy to accept. But believe me or not, I have always had a soft spot for Ping Pong. Whether or not the traditionalists like it, dim sum lends itself extraordinarily well to post-pub dining, and although Yauatcha was probably the first place to promote the peculiar idea of serving food when the customers might want to eat it rather than when the restaurant decides is convenient for them, the raft of mini-chains that have followed in its wake (including Dim T) have proved that it's not that peculiar an idea after all.

When you think about it, it's obvious. A group of friends, some more hungry than others, some more drunk than others, some leaving early, some arriving late. Imagine trying to make a booking at a restaurant in Soho last-minute - "Yeah, between two and twenty of us, some not eating, some not drinking either. We'll be there any time in the next four hours." Not going to happen is it. But here stands Ping Pong: vast, reasonably priced and welcoming. Sure, you'll have to queue in busy periods, and it can get quite boisterous later in the evening, but for a reliably fun place to share food, sip fruity cocktails and not completely drain that month's budget, I can hardly think of anywhere more suitable.

We started small, with nibbles of Sichuan pork cracklings (not very Sichuan-y - in fact they tasted just like your average pub pork scratchings, albeit served with a really lovely chilli oil) and tamarind prawn crackers (the tamarind sauce was lovely and sharp, and the crackers themselves looked pleasingly rustic) while we supped on our largely successful house cocktails (my lychee martini was pretty good, although the Earl Grey julep was odd).

Seafood puff was a little low on filling, but what was there was tasty. The mooli and spring onion puff is described on the menu as containing 'a hint of garlic' but was so overwhelmingly garlicky it almost drowned any other flavours. Slices of smoked duck were a bit flabby but full of smoky flavour, and one of the new dishes, 'Beggar's Chicken' looked the part and tasted great with its sharp hoi sin dressing.

I won't detail everything we ate - you've probably had enough of the blow-by-blow style after El Bulli and the Sportsman - but some highlights were the char sui buns, usually a good measure of a dim sum restaurant and which passed that test perfectly, being light and gooey and with a great tasting sweet pork filling. The seafood dumplings also tasted as good as they looked, folded into a cute tortellini shape and stuffed full of sweet prawns and scallops. Unfortunately I didn't think much of the honey-glazed spare ribs, which looked a bit over-marinated and bedraggled, and although the crispy prawn balls looked spectacular in their nest of deep-fried egg pastry, there was simply too much grease for me to wade through to find the prawns.

Desserts, so often an afterthought in Chinese restaurants, were surprisingly good. Admittedly had I been paying I probably would never had ordered them, but the mango pudding was lovely and fresh tasting - straightforward but deliberately so - and the "Ping Pong Delights" (which I'm told are also known as mochi) were great fun, with a spongy pastry coating three radically different flavours of ice cream. We particularly enjoyed the vanilla and mango with a quite unexpected chilli heat. Only the chocolate and wasabi mousse was a bit of a let-down, the fiery horseradish sitting very uneasily with the sweet chocolate.

If you've ever been out in Soho or Oxford Circus and been looking for somewhere to eat, chances are you've already found Ping Pong and none of this is news to you. And in fact they seem to have struck a chord with Londoners at large, judging by the alarming growth rate of what was once a mini-chain - there are now twelve branches. Ping Pong is a fine example of the way London can enthusiastically adopt a cuisine from another country and twist it just subtly enough to meet its own local needs. No, it's not strictly "traditional" to eat dim sum in the evening, but this is after all London, not Hong Kong. We do things differently here.Before we go any further, Full Disclosure. I didn't pay for this meal. I was invited by the PR lady to try their new Autumn menu after I made some (unprompted) positive comments about it on Twitter, and of course I was happy to accept. But believe me or not, I have always had a soft spot for Ping Pong. Whether or not the traditionalists like it, dim sum lends itself extraordinarily well to post-pub dining, and although Yauatcha was probably the first place to promote the peculiar idea of serving food when the customers might want to eat it rather than when the restaurant decides is convenient for them, the raft of mini-chains that have followed in its wake (including Dim T) have proved that it's not that peculiar an idea after all.

When you think about it, it's obvious. A group of friends, some more hungry than others, some more drunk than others, some leaving early, some arriving late. Imagine trying to make a booking at a restaurant in Soho last-minute - "Yeah, between two and twenty of us, some not eating, some not drinking either. We'll be there any time in the next four hours." Not going to happen is it. But here stands Ping Pong: vast, reasonably priced and welcoming. Sure, you'll have to queue in busy periods, and it can get quite boisterous later in the evening, but for a reliably fun place to share food, sip fruity cocktails and not completely drain that month's budget, I can hardly think of anywhere more suitable.

We started small, with nibbles of Sichuan pork cracklings (not very Sichuan-y - in fact they tasted just like your average pub pork scratchings, albeit served with a really lovely chilli oil) and tamarind prawn crackers (the tamarind sauce was lovely and sharp, and the crackers themselves looked pleasingly rustic) while we supped on our largely successful house cocktails (my lychee martini was pretty good, although the Earl Grey julep was odd).

Seafood puff was a little low on filling, but what was there was tasty. The mooli and spring onion puff is described on the menu as containing 'a hint of garlic' but was so overwhelmingly garlicky it almost drowned any other flavours. Slices of smoked duck were a bit flabby but full of smoky flavour, and one of the new dishes, 'Beggar's Chicken' looked the part and tasted great with its sharp hoi sin dressing.

I won't detail everything we ate - you've probably had enough of the blow-by-blow style after El Bulli and the Sportsman - but some highlights were the char sui buns, usually a good measure of a dim sum restaurant and which passed that test perfectly, being light and gooey and with a great tasting sweet pork filling. The seafood dumplings also tasted as good as they looked, folded into a cute tortellini shape and stuffed full of sweet prawns and scallops. Unfortunately I didn't think much of the honey-glazed spare ribs, which looked a bit over-marinated and bedraggled, and although the crispy prawn balls looked spectacular in their nest of deep-fried egg pastry, there was simply too much grease for me to wade through to find the prawns.

Desserts, so often an afterthought in Chinese restaurants, were surprisingly good. Admittedly had I been paying I probably would never had ordered them, but the mango pudding was lovely and fresh tasting - straightforward but deliberately so - and the "Ping Pong Delights" (which I'm told are also known as mochi) were great fun, with a spongy pastry coating three radically different flavours of ice cream. We particularly enjoyed the vanilla and mango with a quite unexpected chilli heat. Only the chocolate and wasabi mousse was a bit of a let-down, the fiery horseradish sitting very uneasily with the sweet chocolate.

If you've ever been out in Soho or Oxford Circus and been looking for somewhere to eat, chances are you've already found Ping Pong and none of this is news to you. And in fact they seem to have struck a chord with Londoners at large, judging by the alarming growth rate of what was once a mini-chain - there are now twelve branches. Ping Pong is a fine example of the way London can enthusiastically adopt a cuisine from another country and twist it just subtly enough to meet its own local needs. No, it's not strictly "traditional" to eat dim sum in the evening, but this is after all London, not Hong Kong. We do things differently here.

Ruby Lo - Thank you Ruby Lo! by caroline2009

caroline2009 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:43:36 +0000

Review by caroline2009

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 0207 486 3671

Website: http://www.ruby.uk.com/lo/index.htm

Tags: lively, british

My friends and I try and get to Ruby Lo twice a month, we love it! The music is always great for a friday night and the drinks are SO SO good! We like to feel like sex and the city girls when we order our first round of cocktails!!

We happen to be a group who have worked in bars so little things mean more to us...for example our drinks were not put on napkins at the bar and I had to ask for a straw!! Really small details but it's be nice to see them happen!

Other than this we still love visiting Ruby Lo and will probably be back on Friday!!My friends and I try and get to Ruby Lo twice a month, we love it! The music is always great for a friday night and the drinks are SO SO good! We like to feel like sex and the city girls when we order our first round of cocktails!!

We happen to be a group who have worked in bars so little things mean more to us...for example our drinks were not put on napkins at the bar and I had to ask for a straw!! Really small details but it's be nice to see them happen!

Other than this we still love visiting Ruby Lo and will probably be back on Friday!!

Ten Ten Tei - A cosy place for authentic Japanese by m1esk

m1esk — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:18:32 +0000

Review by m1esk

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7287 1738

Tags: japanese, good value, crowded

The style is authentic and the price is right. The soba is recommended and also the tempura is excellent. The teriyaki beef was a little disappointing: the meat wasn't tender enough although the sauce was good. Sushi/nigiri is not a strong point here: the rice is sometimes too hard.

Served by Japanese waitress: helpful and with typical Japanese smile.

Larger tables are available in the basement that can accommodate a party of eight. The decors are down-to-earth Japanese which appears warm and cosy.The style is authentic and the price is right. The soba is recommended and also the tempura is excellent. The teriyaki beef was a little disappointing: the meat wasn't tender enough although the sauce was good. Sushi/nigiri is not a strong point here: the rice is sometimes too hard.

Served by Japanese waitress: helpful and with typical Japanese smile.

Larger tables are available in the basement that can accommodate a party of eight. The decors are down-to-earth Japanese which appears warm and cosy.

Zebrano - Great Night by stargirl09

stargirl09 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:07:26 +0000

Review by stargirl09

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7287 5267

Website: http://www.zebrano-bar-london.com/

Tags: lively, good value, international

Great place! Only went for one drink after work (cocktails are delicious and great value in happy hour) and ended up not getting home until 3 in the morning! The music kept me on the dance floor all night.Great place! Only went for one drink after work (cocktails are delicious and great value in happy hour) and ended up not getting home until 3 in the morning! The music kept me on the dance floor all night.

Bodean's BBQ - Real American BBQ by ragados

ragados — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:14:47 +0000

Review by ragados

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7267 6623

Website: http://www.bodeansbbq.com

Tags: american, lively, crowded

Unlike so many Barbaque places in the UK that rely on sugary sauces to provide a barbaque flavour, Bodean's slow roasts their meat on a Hickory fire to give a full flavored, tender meat that is to die for. NOT a place for the Veggies.Unlike so many Barbaque places in the UK that rely on sugary sauces to provide a barbaque flavour, Bodean's slow roasts their meat on a Hickory fire to give a full flavored, tender meat that is to die for. NOT a place for the Veggies.

Mermaids Tail - Navy Boys chasing the Mermaids Tail by Boys_in_Blue

Boys_in_Blue — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:54:49 +0000

Review by Boys_in_Blue

Rating: 5.00

Tags: lively, good value, british

We had been to the Angus Steak House in Leicester Square the day before and had an amazing steak but today we only had a couple of hours so we decided to eat at another of their restaurants. We only wanted dessert and we werenâ¬"t disappointed. There were eight of us and some restaurants dont like such a big group of boys, but they were more than happy to seat us. They immediately put a group of tables together outside on the terrace and were more than happy to serve us. We had such a funny waiter who had us in stitches. There was a premier being set up right in front of us â¬ and we spotted a couple of comedians Sean Lock and Jason Manford from 8 out of 10 cats. Couldnâ¬"t get much better, sitting in the sunshine being served more and more desserts.
What a lovely restaurant â¬ inside was fantastic with massive murals on the walls and traditional fish and chip restaurant decor. The fish and chips looked great â¬ massive portions (shame we had our dinner on the ship)
We asked for them to make platters of desserts so we could all have some of each â¬ it was a fight among the boys to get to the Apple Pie and Custard but by the end we could hardly move. We went through, cheesecake, chocolate fudge cake, treacle sponge, strawberries and ice cream and we even had deep fried mars bar (and it was great). They were the best desserts Iâ¬"ve ever had (just wish they delivered to the ship).
Iâ¬"m just glad we stopped when we did, our buttons were ready to pop as we made our way back to the ship. We had such good meals in Angus and Mermaids Tail it really made our trip to London and we are already looking forward to returning (definitely be having the fish and chips next time).

We had been to the Angus Steak House in Leicester Square the day before and had an amazing steak but today we only had a couple of hours so we decided to eat at another of their restaurants. We only wanted dessert and we werenâ¬"t disappointed. There were eight of us and some restaurants dont like such a big group of boys, but they were more than happy to seat us. They immediately put a group of tables together outside on the terrace and were more than happy to serve us. We had such a funny waiter who had us in stitches. There was a premier being set up right in front of us â¬ and we spotted a couple of comedians Sean Lock and Jason Manford from 8 out of 10 cats. Couldnâ¬"t get much better, sitting in the sunshine being served more and more desserts.
What a lovely restaurant â¬ inside was fantastic with massive murals on the walls and traditional fish and chip restaurant decor. The fish and chips looked great â¬ massive portions (shame we had our dinner on the ship)
We asked for them to make platters of desserts so we could all have some of each â¬ it was a fight among the boys to get to the Apple Pie and Custard but by the end we could hardly move. We went through, cheesecake, chocolate fudge cake, treacle sponge, strawberries and ice cream and we even had deep fried mars bar (and it was great). They were the best desserts Iâ¬"ve ever had (just wish they delivered to the ship).
Iâ¬"m just glad we stopped when we did, our buttons were ready to pop as we made our way back to the ship. We had such good meals in Angus and Mermaids Tail it really made our trip to London and we are already looking forward to returning (definitely be having the fish and chips next time).

Dong San - by FoodLover123

FoodLover123 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:37:46 +0000

Review by FoodLover123

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7287 0997

Tags: korean, lively, japanese

Excellent FOOD at this traditional Korean Restaurant. Highly recommended, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED !!Excellent FOOD at this traditional Korean Restaurant. Highly recommended, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED !!

Cheers - by ViajeraNina

ViajeraNina — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:20 +0000

Review by ViajeraNina

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7494 3322

Tags: american, delivery, cigarettes & tobacco

Well, I've only been there twice, that's why I can't say much about the food. But on the weekend it's very VERY touristic and everybody is very drunk and all the men start chatting you up in a strange manner...
But ther bar looks very nice and service is very fast.
It's a good place to stay for some hours before going to a club as it's very close to Piccadilly Circus and the Piccadilly Hostel...Well, I've only been there twice, that's why I can't say much about the food. But on the weekend it's very VERY touristic and everybody is very drunk and all the men start chatting you up in a strange manner...
But ther bar looks very nice and service is very fast.
It's a good place to stay for some hours before going to a club as it's very close to Piccadilly Circus and the Piccadilly Hostel...

Dover Street Restaurant & Bar - Great late night club with live music by oogywawa

oogywawa — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:48:49 +0000

Review by oogywawa

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7629 9813

Website: http://www.DoverSt.co.uk

Tags: live music, lively, bar

It's a bit misleading the "late" bit because this joint is open until the early hours (3am) and ensures that you leave both happy, knackered and probably two sheets to the wind on the sparkling stuff.

On the night we went, there was a great soul band playing out classics to the hedonistic masses and ensuring the knackered bit fitted into the proceedings somewhere along the way. We were lucky enough to get into the part that came with table service which was lucky because like all too many establishments they were light on the bar staff which caused much frustration amongst the massing crowd and a good 20 minute wait to get served.

That aside, the discerning door policy ensured that no idiots got in and the atmosphere was lively but relaxed and there was none of the edge that comes with some late night clubs.

Dover Street seems to have encapsulated all the right ingredients to ensure a great end to a night out.It's a bit misleading the "late" bit because this joint is open until the early hours (3am) and ensures that you leave both happy, knackered and probably two sheets to the wind on the sparkling stuff.

On the night we went, there was a great soul band playing out classics to the hedonistic masses and ensuring the knackered bit fitted into the proceedings somewhere along the way. We were lucky enough to get into the part that came with table service which was lucky because like all too many establishments they were light on the bar staff which caused much frustration amongst the massing crowd and a good 20 minute wait to get served.

That aside, the discerning door policy ensured that no idiots got in and the atmosphere was lively but relaxed and there was none of the edge that comes with some late night clubs.

Dover Street seems to have encapsulated all the right ingredients to ensure a great end to a night out.

Langan's Brasserie - Good fun, lively atmosphere... by oogywawa

oogywawa — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:04:11 +0000

Review by oogywawa

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7491 8822

Website: http://www.langansrestaurants.co.uk

Tags: lively, british, expensive

I've known few restaurants more able to polarise opinion than Langans. Just recently the reviewing deity that is AA Gill gave it a savaging of such severity in The Sunday Times that is is a wonder that it is still open. Maybe it is testament to the lack of critics real inflence or the eternal pulling power of Langans that it was as full and buzzing as ever last week when I visited for lunch.

As with any review there are always parts that ring true and parts with which you either wholeheartedly concur or disagree with. Adrian Gill mentioned the service as having a "servile dismissiveness" and being "perfunctory". We experienced both during our visit. We ordered then asked the waiter if he could hold off on our "Mains" as we had just been called by a friend who was running late. The "Mains" duly arrived without any warning and were sent away along with the haughty waiter. The manager duly arrived and apologised and the service magically switched to efficient and friendly - maybe they're learning.

The food was good without being special, the Fish and Chips were not in the same league as The Fat Duck, but virtually nowhere is to be fair and the Sea Bass was a touch over-cooked. Everything comes at a price and for this meal in this establishment you don't expect much change and you get none.

I don't know what atmosphere AA Gill was wanting but his ostentatious sniping snobbery doesn't become him - yes there were the usual "middle management drones" but also some very agreeable company as well that made it go swingingly. Some of the old magic is there, if none of the celebrity stardust, but it's still a good destination on any lunchtime to while away a couple of hours with friends.I've known few restaurants more able to polarise opinion than Langans. Just recently the reviewing deity that is AA Gill gave it a savaging of such severity in The Sunday Times that is is a wonder that it is still open. Maybe it is testament to the lack of critics real inflence or the eternal pulling power of Langans that it was as full and buzzing as ever last week when I visited for lunch.

As with any review there are always parts that ring true and parts with which you either wholeheartedly concur or disagree with. Adrian Gill mentioned the service as having a "servile dismissiveness" and being "perfunctory". We experienced both during our visit. We ordered then asked the waiter if he could hold off on our "Mains" as we had just been called by a friend who was running late. The "Mains" duly arrived without any warning and were sent away along with the haughty waiter. The manager duly arrived and apologised and the service magically switched to efficient and friendly - maybe they're learning.

The food was good without being special, the Fish and Chips were not in the same league as The Fat Duck, but virtually nowhere is to be fair and the Sea Bass was a touch over-cooked. Everything comes at a price and for this meal in this establishment you don't expect much change and you get none.

I don't know what atmosphere AA Gill was wanting but his ostentatious sniping snobbery doesn't become him - yes there were the usual "middle management drones" but also some very agreeable company as well that made it go swingingly. Some of the old magic is there, if none of the celebrity stardust, but it's still a good destination on any lunchtime to while away a couple of hours with friends.