Bar Boulud
Fay Maschler, Evening Standard (Rating: 4/5 stars)
“A Big Step Forward.” High praise for the new Knightsbridge outpost of one of New York’s most famous chefs, where the brasserie-style menu “invite[s] flexibility and remove[s] any unspoken obligation to go down the three-course route.” Charcuterie is “fabulous”, with dishes such as Tagine d’agneau “gloriously vindicated.” Main courses of Coq au Vin, and “The Frenchie” burger, which “came close to ultimate satisfaction”, attract particular praise. The booking process, though, is “tedious”.
JW Steakhouse
A review of a Mayfair steakhouse “[i]n a cavernous, atmosphere-less space populated by the sort of punter who has ‘conference visitor’ stamped on their forehead.” While the US-imported steak is “flawlessly cooked”, the critic finds the hamburger “impossible to bite into”, and sides are “so rich they verge on the inedible”. And all at “eye-watering” prices.
Angels & Gypsies
Praise for this Camberwell tapas restaurant in the “funky” Church Street Hotel, where “brick walls, Spanish tiles and stained glass add up to somewhere that wouldn’t look out of place in Seville.” Classic tapas dishes are “well-executed”, and more “intriguing” dishes, such as mackerel with chermoula and saffron potatoes also deliver.
Viajante
Time Out (Rating: 5/5 stars)
A glowing review of Nuno Mendes' latest restaurant project in Bethnal Green, where dishes from a “poetic” menu are all “balanced in flavour, allowing the ingredients to sing for themselves.” Highlights include a “chequerboard” of squid tartare served with “pickled radish and other little flavour bombs”, and “exemplary” chocolate fondant. Prices are high, though, with “steep mark-ups” on the wine list, but “a meal here's a fun ride that's worth the price.”
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