Why anyone would want to traipse out to East London to eat pompous self-indulgent food when Robuchon is in town is beyond me. At L’Atelier the balance of creativity with common sense and clear cooking skills is perfect, the room delightful and the staff, even when wielding fire extinguishers, cool and solicitous.
Dishoom
Inside Dishoom it’s as false as any other themed place in London. Packed with patina that you pay for and then install in great swathes. So what though? The pictures are actually rather interesting, the interior clean and bright and I am not eating the décor, even if some critics appear to be chewing the carpet.
Spaghetti House, Sicilian Avenue, London
Whilst we were eating we saw several people queuing for tables, given that this was a Wednesday evening, this is a popular restaurant indeed. I imagine this is for two reasons, the food is very good and it is very reasonably priced.
Wartenberger Mühle: Schlossberg
Scharff, who wears a chef’s jacket embroidered with as many logos of professional bodies as a racing car driver sports adverts, is patron of ‘Wartenberger Mühle’, Pfaltz, a restaurant, brasserie, boutique hotel and substantial, sweet smelling, stepped herb garden…
Namo
How many restaurants can lay claim to a Banksy on their wall? The answer is probably not many. But Namo, a modern Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of leafy Victoria Park, can boast one. Well, almost one as it’s been partially painted over and graffitied on since it’s inception.
Rubens Afternoon Tea – afternoon delight
One of the better places to take Tea and something different to the norm with its attractive big windows and interesting view The Rubens takes great care in its afternoon tea offering and the price reflects the fact that Mr Kipling does not make an appearance on the cake stand.
Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
Rick Stein may have come under fire from locals and critics but Emily Farley finds that there’s a lot to like about his Seafood Restaurant down in Padstow.
Le Bouchon Breton
With plush red seating and a well stocked high bar, it was the epitome of retro French glamour. Outside, little oases of botany separated deck furniture and a live band played gently in the background, all a part of the Breton’s August jazz nights.
Polpo, Soho
I like Polpo a lot better now it’s got over the initial trendy phase and settled down to simply feeding people. This is the sort of place that only Soho can support, a postcode where dodgy expenses are still signed off and the locals more mature and less fickle than out East. You need eight arms to tackle all the dishes as they pile onto your small table though.
Benito’s Hat Mexican Kitchen, Covent Garden
Operation Burrito: A visit to the new Benito’s Hat Mexican Kitchen. It’s already got plenty of foodie fans but what’s all the fuss about and are the Burritos really that good? Read on to find out!