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The Ledbury - review by Food_Snob

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:49:30 +0000

The Ledbury - review by Food_Snob

Rating: 4.2

Location: 127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7792 9090

Website: http://www.theledbury.com/

Illustrated Critique:

http://foodsnobblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/the-ledbury-london

Text-only Critique:

Eheu! We are in menu limbo - one of those funny times of the year when one season sluggishly becomes the next. Have you updated your menus recently? Do you know when you will be changing them? I am getting tired of asking these questions, though probably less tired than those having to answer them.

I have spoken to a gaggle of receptionists over the last couple of weeks as my list of eligible dining destinations has been whittled down to those already showcasing their new fall menus (do not ask me why this has become important: maybe, what with such a copious choice of restaurants in the city, any additional parameter that helps make selecting one easier, is welcome; or maybe it is just my OCD acting up). One restaurant that fulfils this criterion happens to be one that has also been on my â¬Ülistâ¬" for as long as I have had a â¬Ülistâ¬". It is also one that I have never heard anything but praise for with an exciting chef of tremendously fast-growing reputeâ¬¦

Aussie Brett Graham has impressed all his life. He impressed at age 15 when he began his cooking career scaling fish at a local Newcastle (Australia) restaurant before moving to Sydney to work under the well-travelled Liam Tomlin. He made an impression here too, winning the 1999 Josephine Pignolet Award as Sydneyâ¬"s best young chef at only 19. This was the impetus for his leap across the seas to London, where he landed at the prestigious Square. He spent the next five years studying under Phil Howard, creating enough of a stir to be awarded Young Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association in 2003 and being made sous chef in the same year. In 2005, thanks to his continued loyalty and not inconsiderable skill, Howard and restaurateur Nigel Plattâ¬"s-Martin offered Graham the chance to head their latest venture, The Ledbury. He accepted and has since, of course, continued to impress everyone, becoming the youngest Australian to ever win a Michelin star in 2006. Now leading an ambitious, young team of predominantly Aussie cooks (seven of thirteen kitchen staff), Graham is pumping out accomplished, serious, beautiful dishes. His passion, instinctive understanding of food and imagination has left critics and diners drooling and made The Ledbury, all the way out in W11 in what was once â¬Ücrack squareâ¬", a destination restaurant with a faithful foodie following. Graham, who shuns the spotlight, refusing even to table hop, is also respected by his peers: Howard reckons that his success â¬Scomes as no surpriseâ¬

The Ledbury - review by Food_Snob

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:49:30 +0000

The Ledbury - review by Food_Snob

Rating: 4.2

Location: 127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7792 9090

Website: http://www.theledbury.com/

Tags: lively, good value, french

Illustrated Critique:

http://foodsnobblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/the-ledbury-london

Text-only Critique:

With the serious eating done, it was time for a little frivolity. Sadly, satiation was starting to set in, so when the cheese cart was wheeled out, I passed. Generously though, I was still bidden to have a nibble of one or two, but I had to put my foot down here and insist that deserts were brought out.

Pre-dessert: Terrine of Strawberries with Sour Cream, Hibiscus and Warm Vanilla Doughnuts. A jellied brick of strawberry and orange slices, bathing in Hibiscus consommÃ©, was superimposed with a scoop of sour cream ice cream, itself crowned with a strawberry slice tuile; a vanilla beignet was set along the rim of the plate. The tart terrine was highlighted by orange segments which exploded with refreshing juice; the stunning scarlet consommÃ© had a mild tangy-sharpness; and the high-quality sour ice cream cut through the treatâ¬"s saccharinity. However, a superfluous second sour note was struck by the beignet, which though strongly spiced with vanilla, was a little stodgy. Interestingly and pleasantly, this was a miniature of one of the dessert on the menu

Dessert 1: Raspberry SoufflÃ© with White Chocolate and Elderflower Ice Cream. A very fine rendition of a raspberry soufflÃ© was brought bursting forth from a perfect porcelain ramekin. A cute candy cane pinstripe skirted this little extravaganceâ¬"s edge, propping up a neat, sugar-dusted, tangerine top, which was pierced to allow the addition of a cold quenelle of silky smooth white chocolate and elderflower ice cream. The crisp skin concealed a lovely pink mellow middle that secretly hid hot whole raspberry rubies. The tart-sweetness of the fruit was well-tempered by the delicious ice cream. Very good.

Dessert 2: PavÃ© of Chocolate with Sunflower Seeds and Basil. The final dessert consisted of a black brick of dark chocolate, studied with a basil leaf, alongside a mossy-yellow scoop of basil ice cream atop a pasticcio of powdered elderflower, sunflower seeds and Oreo cookie crumbs; precise spots of pistou peppered the plate. The precious pavÃ© of bitter, velvety dark chocolate was lusciously wicked. Sweet, herby ice cream was a great foil for the rich cocoa. The nutty/seedy/Oreo olio was a simple, but effective textural balance. The pistou - a cold sauce of Provence made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil and olive oil - was unusual, but completely bland. Nevertheless, this was an indulgent pleasure.

The chocolate was a great finish to the mealâ¬¦or so I thought. The serveur approached with what I thought would be the offer of tea or coffee, but instead, he had a far more toothsome choice for me: ice cream - sour milk, cardamom and orange, basil and vanilla - or sorbet - pineapple, strawberry and passion fruit - to finish?

Dessert 3: Selection of Sorbet - Pineapple, Strawberry and Passion Fruit; and Thyme BrÃ»lÃ©e with Honey Ice Cream and Chocolate Madeleine. Having sampled most of their ice creams already, I plumped for the latter. A trio of fruity sorbets, each set upon a platform of their respective fruit chunks and embellished with their personal tuiles, came upon a pretty platter. Together, a lovely, thoughtful gift of thyme brÃ»lÃ©e, honey ice cream and cocoa madeleine was served. The excellent sorbets had distinct and superbly clear flavours with delightful garnishes. The brÃ»lÃ©e, with a firm sugary shell and herby, buttery centre, matched well with the honeyed ice cream. The madeleine was a little dense for my liking.

Petit Fours: Chocolate-Banana Macaroon; Eucalyptus Dark Chocolate; Elderflower Marshmallow; and White Chocolate Truffle. The serveuse arrived with a tray of tempting treats which were subsequently served on a bitter bed of cocoa beans. I picked four: a decent macaroon that boasted strong banana essence overpowering its weaker chocolate filling; a good, smooth dark choc; a mild marshmallow with nice consistency; and a crunchy-coasted, creamy-cored truffle of concentrated white chocolate.

I was impressed with the standard and consistency of the meal; nine courses included only a single dud (the sea bass). The starters of mackerel and grouse, the main of venison and the chocolate dessert were all brilliantly made and scrumptious. What I was particularly struck by was the fact that many of the dishes that I tried and enjoyed were made up with ingredients that would not normally be my first choice; for example, mackerel would always lose out to John Dory, turbot and Dover sole; and raspberry, which I thought I was sick of after a summer season surfeit with its sweets. The dishes were, almost without exception, perfect in execution and displayed strong, bold, startlingly clear savours. I also thought that the lack of sauces in Grahamâ¬"s cooking probably meant a much healthier meal than with more classical French cuisine (but whoâ¬"s counting calories?). Instead, he relies on using the natural juices of the meats and fish to accentuate the flavours already present; Grahamâ¬"s eschewal of heavier, thicker saucing is surprising given that he ran The Squareâ¬"s bourgeois sauce station for some time. Additionally, regarding lâ¬"addition, I must comment on what great value it was; actually being one of the cheapest meals I have had in London in sometime! I believe this relatively low cost stems from the absence of some more luxe produce from the menu, though this is made utterly unnoticeable by the quality and freshness of the raw materials actually used (the menu reads like a list of foods currently at their seasonal peak) and the finesse and talent they are used with.

Service was also irreproachable; Luca and his staff were attentive, warm, polite and efficacious in all that they did. Whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it, there was someone present to provide it; bread was brought over before I even had the chance to request it; never did I thirst for water nor was I ever left twiddling my thumbs awaiting my next course or empty plate to be removed. I was pre-informed that I had the table until a specific time, but when the meal had concluded, we had already overran by almost an hour; however, at no point was I reminded of the time or hurried in anyway. One feels that The Ledbury wants its diners to enjoy themselves and staff will go out their way to ensure this. One memorable moment was when I left my seat to make a phone call and returned to find my napkin and cutlery replaced with a clean set. Another was when I arrived at the restaurant. Whilst my table was readied, I took a seat outside; as I waited, the hostess came out to greet me and struck up a nice little conversation. Itâ¬"s the little touches such as these and many others throughout the meal that make the difference between a good meal and an excellent one.

The Ledbury - review by alexgjohnson

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:29:02 +0000

The Ledbury - review by alexgjohnson

Rating: 4.2

Location: 127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7792 9090

Website: http://www.theledbury.com/

Tags: romantic, british, international, business, expensive

As a Michelin-starred restaurant expect this modern British (whatever that means) restaurant with French influences to be good, and it doesn't disappoint. The room is elegant and the service impeccable. So you might be expecting this to be stuffy but it isn't at all - it is friendly, and the staff polite yet casual. There is not just a good wine list but a good sommelier, and the menu offers sophisticated starters, main courses, and desserts. It might be a little formal for a date - depends on you I guess - but is a great place for a treat, or as a respite from some of the areas other restaurants which are almost all loud and buzzy. It isn't cheap but it isn't overpriced, either.

A Cena - review by wordgirl

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:20:54 +0000

A Cena - review by wordgirl

Rating: 4.7

Location: 418 Richmond Road, TW1 2EB, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8288 0108

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

Tags: italian, delicious, expensive, romantic

Even thinking about writing this review is making me want to go again! It oozes class and elegance, yet it's not overdone, from the decor to the menu. I'm a vegetarian and though the choice isn't always extensive, it's always delicious, with regularly changing dishes making the most of the seasons. As others have said, it's pricey but, hey, for a treat or special dinner or to cheer yourself up, it's perfect. Book in advance, though.

Apollo Cinema - review by cricketer

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:16:36 +0000

Apollo Cinema - review by cricketer

Rating: 4.5

Location: 19 Regent Street, SW1Y 4LR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 0871 223 3444

A very high tech cinema in the heart of the west end. This cinema is easy to access via Car,Tube,and Bus.
The food is very reasonable for a london cinema and also very tasty! Especially the nachos and popcorn.
This cinema has many screens and shows most of the new film releases.
The staff are very helpful and are quick to help with any problems, they quickly removed 3 hooligans who were ruining the film for others!
The screenings of films are very regular and the cinema is open every day.
Overall i would highly recommend this cinema to anyone!

A Cena - review by sue

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:48:54 +0000

A Cena - review by sue

Rating: 4.7

Location: 418 Richmond Road, TW1 2EB, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8288 0108

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

Tags: italian, good wine list, authentic, expensive, friendly, romantic

A return visit to A Cena, after a nine month break made me wonder why I had waited so long - I love this place! Stylish, friendly and serving up authentic Italian cuisine, and best of all just a short walk from home.

We dined with some visiting family and they loved it too. Even on the Aussie Peso they found the (slightly more expensive than average) food great value considering the quality and taste.

To start we shared the following dishes - the Lamb Sweetbreads with balsamic and brown butter; the Roasted red & golden beetroot with parmesan and rocket; and the Scallops with roasted tomatoes and beans. All were equally excellent and the plates were quickly cleaned.

Main course was also very good - we had the Braised Pork Shoulder with Chianti Classico, red wine vinegar, bay and black pepper corns and broadbeans; and the Slow roasted Soave Rabbit on bruschetta with spring greens. I had the pork and so enjoyed it, it was simply presented and let the top quality ingredients shine.

We pushed on to dessert, opting for the Chocolate tartufo with honeycomb; and the Apple Tart with vanilla ice cream. Of course I had the tartufo and loved the crunchy honeycomb accompaniment.

My only complaint from our recent visit was that it was too noisy. Perhaps it was just the table we were sitting at, as I don't remember this problem from previous visits. Anyway, we will definitely be back. Soon.

A Cena - review by moorej

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:56:43 +0000

A Cena - review by moorej

Rating: 4.7

Location: 418 Richmond Road, TW1 2EB, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8288 0108

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

Tags: italian, family & home feel, expensive

So as the sun comes out and people start flocking into Richmond, here's a quick tip for you Italian fans out there. It's called A Cena (literally 'To Supper' I think) and it's on the lhs just over Richmond bridge. Book if you want to go - it's popular among the locals for a VERY good reason.

Great service and a wonderful menu (it's not cheap):

http://www.acena.co.uk/content/food/dinner/

But it IS good. I've been a number of times and it's very consistent (sit in the window seats and you get jealous glances from those in the know who walk past). That's probably gushing enough, but if you want a great Italian meal followed by a scenic walk along the river this is the place for you.

Flat White - review by Goosestep

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:21:33 +0000

Flat White - review by Goosestep

Rating: 4.8

Location: 17 Berwick St, W1F 0PT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 0370

Website: http://www.flat-white.co.uk

Tags: lively, amazing brew, crowded, quick bite

Man I love these guys!

Without doubt they service the best coffee in London!

They say a good cuppa is 85% barista and 15% coffee machine.

These fellas get 100/100.

The Ledbury - review by freddie5540

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:19:13 +0000

The Ledbury - review by freddie5540

Rating: 4.2

Location: 127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7792 9090

Website: http://www.theledbury.com/

Tags: french

The food was good not amazing as was the dining room. I cannot decide if I've just eaten in too many better places than this or is it just not that good.

The room was nice, not too stuffy and the staff were very friendly, even if the waiter had very bad breath.

The food started very well with taramaslata on crisp potato and deepfried quail egg with truffle mayonnaise. The loin of tuna wrapped in basil was very good, light but tasty. The gateau opera at the end was also very accomplished, my kind of dessert. Most of the fod in between was not as good. Each dish missing the mark just a little. The shellfish tortellini with pumklin and ginger should have had just a little less ginger. The venison was a little large.

My main critism of the Ledbury is the speed at which we were made to eat our meal. A six course menu must be eaten over some time or the whole experience is ruined. This is what happened to us. Good cooking sometimes is just not enough.

Flat White - review by Glen_Bailey

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:18:53 +0000

Flat White - review by Glen_Bailey

Rating: 4.8

Location: 17 Berwick St, W1F 0PT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 0370

Website: http://www.flat-white.co.uk

Tags: cultured, amazing brew

Not since I left NZ (with the recent exception of Italy) have I found coffee that comes anywhere near being as good as the Flat White I got from Flat White - which:

A) makes me proud of the coffee in NZ and
B) makes me wonder why I bother to go to chain coffee houses here?

For any NZ'ers in desperate need of a good Flat White, make sure this place is on your list. For any UK'ers who don't know what good coffee is, head over and then make sure this place stays on your list.

Apart from supporting small businesses and not the major chains (who have forgotten, or perhaps never knew what coffee, let alone good coffee, is), there is a pleasant atmos going on - the sort of place you can relax into the comfortable decor and imagine yourself in any coffee house in a far away land, if that's your thing.

I was too stunned by how good my coffee was to eat, but the food I could see looked worthy.

Lastly, and I can say this because I did this for 14 months of my life, a big shout out to the guys for putting that little bit of extra love into their coffees. By this I mean the patterns/squiggles/smudges/whatever you call them that greet you when you look into your latte. It's not hard to do but makes a world of difference.

It's also fun to stare deep and long (well not too long, who wants to drink cold coffee!) into the pattern and see what your brian comes up with. I always find animals. Swans, clams and the odd phoenix so far! Go figure.

Enjoy! Oh, and spread the word!

Taylor St Baristas - review by Oysha

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:31:55 +0000

Taylor St Baristas - review by Oysha

Rating: 4.8

Location: Source, 27d The Quadrant, TW9 1DN, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 07969 798 650

Website: http://www.taylor-st.com/

Tags: amazing brew

Love the coffee not so keen on sitting in the back of a supermarket - a bit soulless. The guys serving groove though so it kinda balances things

Flat White - review by cyrildoussin

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:18:14 +0000

Flat White - review by cyrildoussin

Rating: 4.8

Location: 17 Berwick St, W1F 0PT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 0370

Website: http://www.flat-white.co.uk

Tags: cosy, amazing brew, quiet & relaxed

Best coffee in London. They use Mounmouth beans but their grind and tampering is perfect.
They've also mastered the leafy latte art patterns, which is pretty cool.
Small place, but nicely decorated and pretty cool inside.
4 thumbs up.

Flat White - review by harryp

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:06:36 +0000

Flat White - review by harryp

Rating: 4.8

Location: 17 Berwick St, W1F 0PT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 0370

Website: http://www.flat-white.co.uk

Tags: amazing brew nathan barley

The coffee's good, at least best I found in the surrounding area, and you get pretty patterns in the froth.

Downside is it's really slow, they make you wait for their art, in the summer (when we have them) it gets too hot to sit inside.

If you've the time you can buy fish and chips 2 shops up, order a coffee and sit outside on the bench, eating your F&C and see how long it takes someone to go in and order cod and small chips.

Flat White - review by wandering_star

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:21:56 +0000

Flat White - review by wandering_star

Rating: 4.8

Location: 17 Berwick St, W1F 0PT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 0370

Website: http://www.flat-white.co.uk

Tags: friendly, good brew, crowded

Good coffee, good buzz - support your independent local coffee bar! If only there were a few more seats...

Taylor St Baristas - review by Pasqua

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:20:01 +0000

Taylor St Baristas - review by Pasqua

Rating: 4.8

Location: Source, 27d The Quadrant, TW9 1DN, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 07969 798 650

Website: http://www.taylor-st.com/

Tags: cosy, great mochas, proper food, amazing brew, quiet & relaxed, delicatessen, quick bite

We found this wonderful place after an advert in the local paper. What a godsend.
They do great cappuccinos and I love their mochas. The chocolate is so rich.
It's a real joy to watch any of the baristas making the drinks, and they are all very friendly.
We were so impressed we also visited the Taylor St in Brighton, where the quality was just as good.