Restaurant Reviews - a
Adagio, Soho, London
A proper pizza is all about its base. Forget the telephone takeaways with their emphasis on ‘fill you up’ bottoms, which have more in common with old mattresses than they do with a real pizza. And as for gimmicks like stuffing the crust, what on earth is all that about?
Afternoon Tea at Dean Street Townhouse
At Dean Street Townhouse, you will find the afternoon crowd lunching alfresco, slowly 
displaced by more mature guests inside the restaurant as evening approaches; all well heeled of course.
Alloro Ristorante & Baretto
Despite Alloro’s illustrious peers in the A-Z group - Aubergine, Ken Lo’s Memories of China, L’Oranger and Zafferano - it never before blipped my belly’s radar. However, beyond a mild title glints a tesoro nascosto....
Apsleys- a Heinz Beck Restaurant
We left Heinz Beck’s after paying £610 for four people - far too much even for food this good. Outside the door was a Ferrari Enzo costing about $670,000. It could just have been a Russian oligarch’s, but I think perhaps it was just Heinz’s.
Aqua Kyoto, Argyll Street, London
When I first heard of Aqua I thought it was an odd combination, bringing together two quite different cuisines, Japanese and Spanish, in one restaurant and of course anyone else would be forgiven for thinking the same. Aqua Kyoto is an excellent restaurant, the surroundings are plush, bordering on opulent and service there is second to none. We had a brilliant evening there.
Artichoke, Amersham
When Raymond Blanc declares that he’s taken a bit of a ‘shine’ to a restaurant, you figure it’s worth investigating. Artichoke, occupying a Grade-II listed 16th century building, reopened last December after a devastating fire. Lois London finds a warm welcome.
Aubaine, London
Invited to inspect a row of bottles on a shelf right behind me I couldn’t do it, not without imitating Lynda Blair in The Exorcist and doing a full 360 with my head. So the wife picked one. It’s a novel idea, but I think I still prefer seeing a wine list.
Aubrey, South Kensington, London
Aubrey has a nice atmosphere for a hotel restaurant, cosy, intimate, leathery and old time. American tourists must love it. It seems a shame that it may only attract hotel guests because the food while not aiming to be an artistic statement is certainly what I like to eat on a regular basis.
Awana
You walk through the entrance to Awana and you are immediately aware that you have stepped into a stylish, well designed space. Deep honey coloured wood is the main decorative feature, from the cladding to the walls, the tables, chairs and even the flooring
‘40:30’
Expecting ‘Pea’ and mint soup, my father looked startled when he received almost bare crockery (albeit by Thomas Keller). He soon relaxed when this was flooded at table with chilled, softly textured liquid that captured the verdant spirit of an English garden. It came with a crusted tuille of polenta and fresh, yielding Parmesan custard, served separately. Inspired and invigorating
