http://www.hardens.com/articles/article_list.php?type=cityam Visit Harden's.com for reviews of the hottest new openings. Hardens.com -- the most authoritative restaurant and venue guides for London and the UK. en-gb Copyright (C): Harden's Ltd http://images.hardens.com/images/HardensLogoRSS.jpg http://www.hardens.com/articles/article_list.php?type=cityam 60 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 18 19 20 21 22 23 Saturday Sunday http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/17-05-13/little-social-w1/ Hidden-away just off Regent Street, Jason Atherton’s second Mayfair restaurant offers a clubby vibe very different from his uncompromising Pollen Street Social, just over the road – for all-round http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/17-05-13/little-social-w1/ Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.14104151.523661 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/13-05-13/beard-to-tail-ec2/ An unadorned Shoreditch purveyor of ‘meat & whiskey’ – it sounds a convivial sort of concept, but we found the reality rather up-and-down. So we find ourselves in a chilly Shoreditch, in sear http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/13-05-13/beard-to-tail-ec2/ Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.08089551.525157 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/08-05-13/ottos-wc1/ Run by the eponymous Otto, a straight-down-the-line Gallic restaurant, offering classic cooking of good quality, in an attractive and characterful Bloomsbury setting. The idea that a restaurant is http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/08-05-13/ottos-wc1/ Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.11415751.522945 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-04-13/coya-w1/ Opposite Green Park, a smart, well-spaced and welcoming Peruvian bar/restaurant offering good standards all-round; for those not too worried about counting the pennies, its clubby charms would make it http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-04-13/coya-w1/ Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.14797551.504473 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/10-04-13/no-11-pimlico-road-sw1/ On the Belgravia/Pimlico fringe, the former Ebury has been relaunched as a good-all-round bar/restaurant, offering food of no particular ambition, but realised with solid consistency. It's “rathe http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/10-04-13/no-11-pimlico-road-sw1/ Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.15127451.490687 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/04-04-13/brasserie-chavot-w1/ A vehicle for a chef of undoubted talent, this ostentatious Mayfair 'brasserie' offers perfectly acceptable food and service but on our early-days visit any sort of excitement was signally lacking. http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/04-04-13/brasserie-chavot-w1/ Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.14231151.511578 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/25-03-13/shepherds-sw1/ [A sad note: we are now informed that this restaurant closed on Friday 22 March - the day upon which this review was originally scheduled to appear. We are sorry for the staff, who were particularly c http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/25-03-13/shepherds-sw1/ Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.12927351.493594 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/12-03-13/zoilo-w1/ A secret stand-by twixt Selfridges and the Wallace Collection, offering a range of high-quality Argentinean small plates (and wines) and prices we thought rather high. Handily hidden-away near Self http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/12-03-13/zoilo-w1/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/07-03-13/scoffs-sw1/ From an operator with some big-name experience behind him, a low-key fast-food chain-prototype, in Victoria, offering standards which – at least in the early days – are impressive. Not a tweet, http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/07-03-13/scoffs-sw1/ Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13868951.496844 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/27-02-13/il-calcio-w1/ Part of a Romanian-based chain, a Mayfair Italian (with a twin in Earl’s Court) offering a generic formula that’s about 20 years out-of-date, and at high prices too; with the food, however, there http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/27-02-13/il-calcio-w1/ Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.15350851.512672 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/12-02-13/newman-street-tavern/ A couple of blocks from Charlotte Street, a corner boozer which gives a convincing British spin on the classic brasserie format; our early-days visit found it one of those rare places where there’s http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/12-02-13/newman-street-tavern/ Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13656651.518878 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/29-01-13/hkk-ec2/ Presided over by the executive chef of the usually good (but always pricey) Hakkasan group, a business-friendly City-fringe restaurant offering prettified, notionally Cantonese dishes – some of very http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/29-01-13/hkk-ec2/ Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.08231051.521664 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/24-01-13/shoryu-ramen-sw1/ Near Piccadilly Circus, a warm, welcoming and slightly chaotic Japanese noodle parlour, serving warming dishes in generous portions – ideal for West End refuelling! Looking for a quick, cheap and http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/24-01-13/shoryu-ramen-sw1/ Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13415151.508490 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/07-01-13/flat-iron-w1/ Just off Carnaby Street, an amiable bistro (on the former site of Benja, RIP), offering a top-value steak/frites formula in a tightly-packed communal setting surprisingly evocative of Old Soho. The http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/07-01-13/flat-iron-w1/ Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13842751.512119 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/03-01-13/wabi-wc2/ On the eastern fringe of Covent Garden, a smart basement Japanese restaurant with a rather corporate atmosphere and quite high prices (especially on the wine front); for business entertainment, though http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/03-01-13/wabi-wc2/ Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.11878551.515924 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/13-12-12/naamya-cafe-/ From Alan Yau/the Busaba Eathai team, a striking prototype, by Angel tube, for a contemporary-style Thai chain; on our early-days visit, we found we could add to the chorus of approval that has greete http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/13-12-12/naamya-cafe-/ Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.10697451.531381 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/05-12-12/mash-steakhouse-w1/ Near Piccadilly Circus a vast but soothing subterranean steakhouse, in Art Deco style, offering high standards of food and service, and an impressive wine ‘offer’ too. This vast Modern American http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/05-12-12/mash-steakhouse-w1/ Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13404351.512193 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-11-12/the-quality-chop-house-ec1/ Farringdon’s famous ‘working class caterer’ rises yet again, offering a direct English menu in a tightly packed 'pew-seating’ dining room – an early days visit found a simple but effective f http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-11-12/the-quality-chop-house-ec1/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.11006051.524814 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/09-11-12/the-perkin-reveller/ Get thee to the Tower! – if you’re looking for a sunny day lunch destination, you could do very much worse than this surprisingly low-kew 'tourist’ lunch spot, by the Thames. The very idea of http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/09-11-12/the-perkin-reveller/ Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.07601451.508602 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/08-11-12/colbert-sw1/ The former Oriel (RIP) site on Sloane Square, relaunched by ‘the Wolseley boys’ as an immediately-successful Gallic brasserie of a high standard; service, though, was decidedly slow, on our visit http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/08-11-12/colbert-sw1/ Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.15638451.492835 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/24-10-12/the-shed-w8/ Near Notting Hill Gate, on the site long known as The Ark (RIP), an unpretentious bistro offering a small-plates formula, and already exerting a wide-ranging appeal. Since 1962, this funny little b http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/24-10-12/the-shed-w8/ Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.19358151.508918 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/03-10-12/chrysan-ec2/ North of Liverpool Street, an understated (to a fault) bar/restaurant offering the cuisine of Kyoto; despite the best efforts of the charming staff, and the beautiful presentation of the dishes, our e http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/03-10-12/chrysan-ec2/ Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.08231051.521664 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/28-09-12/olivocarne-sw1/ The fourth member of Belgravia’s own Italian restaurant group; on our visit, steak and service were highlights of an experience that was otherwise rather lacklustre. Within living memory, Belgrav http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/28-09-12/olivocarne-sw1/ Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.15091251.493486 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/14-09-12/dabbous-w1/ A monumental triumph of hype over experience? – we visit the Fitzrovia restaurant where you can’t generally get a table until 2013… and totally fail to understand the excitement. As we write, http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/14-09-12/dabbous-w1/ Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13515351.519935 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/11-09-12/3-south-place/ The ground-floor dining room of the D&D (‘Conran’) group’s first solo hotel venture, near Liverpool Street; the venture as a whole generally impressed on our early-days visit, but this particula http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/11-09-12/3-south-place/ Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.08651451.519035 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/06-09-12/bubbledogs-w1/ A tiny and crammed Fitzrovia parlour, specialising in hot dogs and champagne; we couldn’t quite rationalise the appeal on our early days visit, but it was certainly already drawing in the punters. http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/06-09-12/bubbledogs-w1/ Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13647451.520406 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/31-08-12/caravan-kings-cross/ In an impressive former granary north of King’s Cross, a (much larger) offshoot of the popular Clerkenwell café/bistro; an impressive all-rounder, it has quickly become surprisingly busy. The cr http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/31-08-12/caravan-kings-cross/ Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.12548151.535383 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/14-08-12/banca-w1/ A smart and understated international-crowd Mayfair Italian, with some similarities to La Petite Maison (with which it shares a co-owner); it’s a high-quality operation all-round but, at least in th http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/14-08-12/banca-w1/ Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.15358851.512835 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/03-08-12/sushisamba-ec2/ Thirty-eight floors above the City, one of the world’s most ambitious indoor/outdoor elevated restaurants; prices are high, but the place was already into an impressive swing on our day-one visit http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/03-08-12/sushisamba-ec2/ Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.08184051.515694 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/23-07-12/garnier-sw5/ In a busy Earl’s Court location, a surprisingly bourgeois French restaurant whose classic style will come as no surprise to those who’ve followed Eric Garnier since his Racine days; quality is goo http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/23-07-12/garnier-sw5/ Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.19072051.489736 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/12-07-12/tapasia-w1/ Despite its downmarket name, this rather tacky heart-of-Soho bar/restaurant offers quite ambitious Asian small plates at equally ambitious prices; we found it difficult to disagree with the seeming ma http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/12-07-12/tapasia-w1/ Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13106851.513386 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/02-07-12/donostia-w1/ Near Marble Arch, a small but bright tapas bar/restaurant which draws its inspiration from San Sebastian, and whose small dishes generally impressed on our early-days visit. We've never been too mu http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/02-07-12/donostia-w1/ Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.16277951.519013 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-06-12/brasserie-zedel-w1/ Near Piccadilly Circus, a vast subterranean space re-created by the owners of the Wolseley as an authentic Gallic brasserie on a huge scale; value is quite reasonable, but we are not convinced the for http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-06-12/brasserie-zedel-w1/ Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13556851.511183 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/20-06-12/briciole-w1/ Near Marylebone station, a bright former boozer that’s now a ‘salumeria’ and restaurant, run by the same people as Latium; some of its dishes are of a very high standard. How long can a men http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/20-06-12/briciole-w1/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.16388151.519201 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/13-06-12/hix-at-the-tramshed-ec2/ Mark Hix returns to his trendy Shoreditch roots to create an – ultimately rather conventional – steak (and chicken) house, in an impressive post-industrial space. Mark Hix made his name at the http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/13-06-12/hix-at-the-tramshed-ec2/ Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.08211551.525617 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/23-05-12/pitt-cue-co-w1/ In a small and perhaps slightly subdued space, just off Carnaby Street, a corner barbecue specialist offering a small range of dishes of very high quality. So much wanted to hate this new corner sp http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/23-05-12/pitt-cue-co-w1/ Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13844751.513396 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/18-05-12/kitchen-joel-antunes-w1/ Joël Antunès is a great chef, so his latest stint – at a bright but slightly tacky Mayfair club dining room – is a bit of a mystery; on our visit (well after opening), we found uneven standards, http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/18-05-12/kitchen-joel-antunes-w1/ Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.14078651.51053 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/27-04-12/mari-vanna-sw1/ A surprisingly charming Russian restaurant, in a kitschly-decorated townhouse; service is exemplary, but the cuisine displays the traditional tendency to heaviness, and prices fully reflect the Knight http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/27-04-12/mari-vanna-sw1/ Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.16243151.502219 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/23-04-12/pizarro-se1/ A convivial Bermondsey bar/restaurant from ex-Brindisa supremo José Pizarro, offering interesting tapas-style dishes; it’s quickly become very popular. A sunny day in Bermondsey. We walk in to f http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/23-04-12/pizarro-se1/ Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.08132351.498851 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/20-04-12/cinnamon-soho-w1/ A handily-located West End offshoot of the Cinnamon Club mini-empire, offering robust Indian-inspired dishes in a somewhat basic contemporary-style bistro setting. The charming Vivek Singh is one o http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/20-04-12/cinnamon-soho-w1/ Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13863551.512320 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-03-12/galvin-demoiselle-sw1/ On a mezzanine overlooking the fruit and veg section of the Knightsbridge department store, an unsurprisingly pricey café/brasserie, where the quality does broadly measure up to the prices. We wou http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/26-03-12/galvin-demoiselle-sw1/ Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.16304151.499593 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/20-03-12/cotidie-w1/ On the former site of Marylebone’s Café Luc (RIP), a chic Italian restaurant of some ambition – on our early-days visit, there was no hint that the ambition was being realised to any extent which http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/20-03-12/cotidie-w1/ Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.15153251.521606 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/19-03-12/ceviche-w1/ In the heart of Soho, a welcoming Peruvian bar/restaurant, specialising in the cured fish speciality of its homeland; though perhaps no bargain, it struck us as a welcoming and innovative all-rounder. http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/19-03-12/ceviche-w1/ Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13131351.513750 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/08-03-12/karpo-nw1/ Top tip for Eurostar travellers, this all-day restaurant tries to be all things to all men… and largely succeeds. We Brits don’t have high expectations of restaurants next to railway stations, http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/08-03-12/karpo-nw1/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.12372151.529806 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/05-03-12/10-greek-street-w1/ A plain and simple – and noisy and tightly-packed – Soho bistro, offering simple and generally decent food, plus cracking wines, at reasonable prices. We happened to have booked for lunch at th http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/05-03-12/10-greek-street-w1/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.13099651.514455 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/31-01-12/australasia-manchester/ In Manchester's nascent trendy restaurant quarter, a large, comfortable and conveniently-located pan-Asian basement bar/restaurant, whose rag-bag charms include striking décor, very good sushi and a http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/31-01-12/australasia-manchester/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-2.24935153.479795 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/31-01-12/soif-sw11/ A basically-furnished Battersea bistro/wine bar offshoot of West End hit Terroirs, offering Gallic bistro fare realised to a solid standard; the daily-changing menu, however, struck as as irritatingly http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/31-01-12/soif-sw11/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.16347851.460762 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/30-01-12/granger-and-co-w11/ Madly successful with the Notting Hill set, this café-outpost of a media friendly Antiopodean chef packs ’em in at all hours; we enjoyed the food on our early-days visit, but how standards will wit http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/30-01-12/granger-and-co-w11/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.19835751.514502 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/28-01-12/leon-de-bruxelles-wc2/ The famous mussels from Brussels pitch up in the heart of Theatreland; the result is a rather formulaic chain outlet, enlivened only by the friendly staff, and the high quality of the star menu item. http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/28-01-12/leon-de-bruxelles-wc2/ Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.12901151.513632 http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/27-01-12/baku-sw1/ On a fashionably-located ‘graveyard’ site, on a first floor in Knighsbridge, the capital’s only Azerbaijani restaurant of any grandeur; our pleasant visit notwithstanding, we have difficulty see http://www.hardens.com/restaurant-reviews/uk-london/27-01-12/baku-sw1/ Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Restaurant review-0.15913251.498633