Lutyens
John Walsh, The Independent (Rating: Food 3/5 stars, Ambience 4/5 stars, Service 5/5 stars)
The “cool design and attention to detail” at Conran’s Fleet Street restaurant immediately impresses the critic, as does the “knowledgeable and friendly” service. “The only problem is the menu” which his “granny would have found [...] a tad old-fashioned”. Fortunately “the food was a lot better than the menu” but he believes the chef, David Burke, needs to be given “carte blanche to be creative” before the cuisine can “match the charm of the ambience and the personnel”.
Gallery Mess
Zoe Williams, The Telegraph (Rating: 6/10)
Lunch in the restaurant attached to Chelsea’s Saatchi Gallery is, we are told, like eating in “a great big glorified corridor”, but one with “a very festive atmosphere.” The food is “a long way from terrible”, but the critic comes away feeling “betrayed” – “[t]his is meant to be the final word in London culture” but “[i]t just wasn’t quite there”.
Palm
Lisa Markwell, The Independent on Sunday (Rating: 14/20)
The critic visits the Belgravia outpost of the US steakhouse chain, thinking that “comfortingly familiar dishes and a caricature-laden décor to distract youngsters” will make it the perfect family restaurant. Unfortunately, on her visit, the restaurant is “eerily quiet, and deathly cold” and there is no children’s menu. They do offer “a symphony of American greats”, and she is impressed by the food, particularly the steaks, but the portions are “enormous” and “dear god, the prices”.
Caleya Ibérica
Giles Coren, The Times (Rating: 7/10)
Giles visits the tapas bar and fine dining room of the Spanish operation in Marylebone, and helpfully summarises his experiences: “strange multiconcept concept here, but very Spanish in its way. Some of the best Iberian cooking around, some duds.”
Vanilla Black
Jane Bussmann, The Sunday Times (Rating: 2/5 stars)
This City vegetarian “aims to spoil you” with an “eclectic” menu that, for the critic, has to try “[t]oo hard” in the absence of meat. Though some of the food is “terrific”, some is “bloody awful” and she opines that the restaurant is “a lesson in less is more”. Furthermore, service, whilst “smiley”, is amateur and the décor has all “the cheer of a Victorian public swimming pool.”
Waldo’s at Cliveden, Taplow
The “more interesting” restaurant at this Berkshire hotel has “three menus” that reveal head chef Chris Horridge’s “superlative” cooking. The critic is served “exquisite, thoughtful, brilliantly enjoyable food” by “charming and enthusiastic” staff. Unfortunately, the “distractingly syrupy” piped Muzak and “sober” décor detract from the experience, and he concludes that “the food deserves a more suitable showcase.”
The Rajput, Harrogate
Jay has a disastrous meal in the Harrogate restaurant of the self-proclaimed “Indian Jamie Oliver”. It is “a low-ceilinged space full of heavy-footed, carved wooden furniture” where service is “infuriating”. “Much of the food took an age to turn up”, and when it did it ranged from some “merely mediocre” starters to some “astonishingly horrible” mains.
Summit Cafe, Snowdonia and Castle Cottage, Gywnedd
Jasper Gerard, The Sunday Telegraph (Rating: 0/5, 3/5)
The critic has an arduous journey to the top of Snowdonia, home to Summit, “the world’s only £8 million restaurant to forget the food” – the menu “includes Knorr Cup-a-Soup”. Fortunately, the trip is not wasted as he comes across Castle Cottage, “a delicious rebuke to the monstrosity on the mount.” He is impressed by the approach here: “[fr]om plain cord carpets to freshly made rolls, Castle Cottage is a study in simplicity and a lesson for rural restaurants.”
Follow hardensbites Follow hardensparty
Become a Harden's fan
