The Times
Jay Rayner paid a visit to what he bills as “the best fancy kosher restaurant in central London” – if only because it is “the only fancy kosher restaurant in central London”. Regardless of the cooking, which Jay found pretty uneven, it was packed on a Tuesday night with a clientele that trusts Tony Page on the basis that he has catered for high-profile kosher events for decades, everywhere from The Dorchester hotel to Blenheim Palace.
The chicken soup is good – “as it damn well should be” – and so is the lemon meringue pie. But a version of Nobu’s black cod is “limp and soft” and arrives drenched in a gummy teriyaki sauce – and it costs even more than the Nobu original.
For Jay – who is Jewish but proclaims himself a “heretic… who has no time for the annoyingly picky eater of a Jewish god” – the worst dishes are those compromised by the need to stick to kosher rules, such as a veal chop served with a risotto “which should contain copious butter and cheese but doesn’t, because of the whole meat-dairy thing… Vegan parmesan is the worst thing in the world, a stinking insult, with all the subtlety of a chemically seasoned Wotsit.”
Jay Rayner - 2025-04-13The Times
Giles Coren kept kosher at a “superposh” and “very expensive” joint which has recently relocated from the Island Grill at the Royal Lancaster hotel, and has a “menu [that] ranges far and wide, themed only by its being kosher”.
There are not many kosher restaurants around, he explained, so here you can eat “pretty much whatever you want… including all the new fancy dishes you’ve heard about”. The food was all pretty good – certainly by comparison with some of the other kosher restaurants Giles has visited.
“Listen, if you’re not kosher, you won’t really have a use for Tony Page, but if you are then I think it’s very special. Good food, lovely room, top vibes and very cool staff.”
Giles Coren - 2025-07-27
