What to make of Roti Chai? Identity crisis could be one answer. Now read on…. We opted for what Roti Chai calls its ‘street kitchen,’ a more informal setting based at street level. At 12.15 on arrival, it was pleasant, with a certain buzz. An hour later, it was hell…
Les 110 de Taillevent: It’s a respect thing
Dining at Les 110 is an experience for grown-ups. The London sibling of the two Michelin-starred Paris original is housed in a fine yet somewhat austere Georgian building on Cavendish Square. The venue imbues a sense of expectation, but also one of reverence. Full marks for the food and its pricing; less praise for the service and overall ambience…
Pachamama: Well-trodden path
A trip to Peru was one of the most memorable holidays I ever undertook. On returning, I lamented for many years how there was a dearth of Peruvian dining options in London. In the last five, however, the city has gone mad for all things culinary from South America. While thoroughly enjoyable, a recent visit to Pachamama yielded nothing new in terms of discovery...
Delamina: Winning formula
For a mid-market restaurant looking to tick all the right boxes, look no further than Delamina. Like many of the eateries of Tel Aviv from where the team behind this venture hail, the atmosphere is distinctly informal, but buzzing with life. Food-wise, the emphasis is on healthy and nutritious, combining the freshness of produce from the Mediterranean with the spiciness and cooking techniques (especially grilling and roasting) of the Middle East. If the Palomar and the Barbary led the way in this respect, then Delamina represents a natural evolution...
The Harcourt: Mixed messages
It’s a puzzle trying to decide how to describe the Harcourt. Maybe as a first stab, it is a traditional English pub with Scandinavian influences offering food from the region with a modern European twist. The venue’s website (un)helpfully has the catchy moniker, “old, but new.” Confused? So were my comrade and I when we dined at the Harcourt on a recent weekday evening. There was a great atmosphere, but the food was not sufficiently impressive to justify the prices charged
Hoppers St Christopher’s Place: Dream food, but menu nightmare
Do you know your hopper from your dosa; your kothu from you kari, or your chutney from your sambol? What’s the correct number of all/any of these dishes to order? And should you combine these with some ‘short eats’ or maybe a ‘rice and roast?’ By now, readers have probably got the story: Hoppers has one of the least comprehensible and potentially most unwelcoming menus in London. That said, once you do eventually get to the food, it’s pretty damn good.
Locanda Locatelli: Still on top form (February 2017)
In the debate about what may be the best formal Italian restaurant in London, I have consistently made the case for Locanda Locatelli. It was therefore highly pleasing to revisit it for the first time in three years (during which time the décor has received a minor makeover) and find that the very high standards for which Locanda is duly renowned are showing no signs of slipping.
Jikoni: Pushing at the boundaries (November 2016)
The appetite for the new and the slightly different seems almost insatiable when it comes to restaurant openings. And so onto the scene comes Jikoni, which could arguably claim to be London’s first restaurant that is Swahili-influenced. Indeed, the restaurant takes its name from the local word used in the Great Lakes area of Africa for ‘kitchen.’
Blandford Comptoir: Heading in the right direction (June 2016)
The Portman: Not a recipe for success (December 2015)
Zoilo: More than meats the eye (July 2015)
Think of Argentine cuisine and the typical response is steak. Zoilo, a small and intimate restaurant on the northern edge of Mayfair, proves this claim wrong. The food my comrade and I sampled on a recent weekday lunchtime certainly impressed, as did the ambience, even if the service was something of a let-down.
Trishna: Best posh Indian for quite some time (March 2015)
Chiltern Firehouse: Impressed (October 2014)
Fischers: Homage to the Austrians (August 2014)
Locanda Locatelli: Almost excellent (February 2014)
Iberica Marylebone (July 2013)
Roti Chai Dining Room (December 2012)
2 Veneti (December 2012)
Maroush V (November 2012)
Go here for the food, not the atmosphere. Maroush (and indeed many of its peers) on the Edgware Road work superbly well not just because of the food but also because of the atmosphere. I (and I would imagine many other ‘western’ diners) go here because of its authenticity: the clientele is predominantly Middle Eastern, the conversation lively, the pace frenetic and the whole experience somewhat akin to being thrust into a much more local environ.