★★★☆☆ / Modern European / Modernist

Bread Street Kitchen review – food to swear by?

Gordon Ramsay’s casual dining venture goes head-to-head with Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa Despite his fame, I’ve never had much luck at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. I was unimpressed by famed Grosvenor Square stalwart Maze, disappointed by his Versailles venture Trianon and underwhelmed by private dining establishment Sloane Street. Although all of these experiences were admittedly a few … Continue reading

★★★☆☆ / Japanese / Sushi/Sashimi

Satsuma review – currying favour

Stylish surroundings, but is the food any good? Satsuma used to be a by-the-numbers Japanese restaurant that could be depended upon for a tasty bowl of udon noodles but little more. The Soho eatery has now been remodelled and reopened as self-touted katsu curry specialists (long-time Londoners will probably remember the dim sum restaurant that … Continue reading

★★★☆☆ / Spanish / Tapas

Fino review – tapas legend or tapas has-been?

The tapas competition in Fitzrovia is fierce, so Fino has its work cut out. I’ve slowly been working my way through the unusual concentration of tapas restaurants in Fitzrovia. I loved The Salt Yard and had mixed feelings about Barrica, so dining at the long-established Fino will be nothing if not interesting. Fino is known for its … Continue reading

★★☆☆☆ / Burmese / Thai and Lao / Vietnamese

Banana Tree Wardour Street review – lots of plates all in one place

Disclosure: The Picky Glutton was invited to review this restaurant and the second meal in this review was partially prepaid for by the restaurant in the form of an unsolicited £60 voucher. I paid for the first meal myself. Asia is a small word for a massive continent that technically stretches all the way from … Continue reading

★★★☆☆ / Modern European / Modernist

Athenaeum Hotel review – food worth getting out of bed for?

Posh nosh or just a load of complete tosh? It must be a hard and unenviable task running a luxury hotel and restaurant in Knightsbridge and Mayfair. No matter what, you will be compared to the big name competition – The Mandarin Oriental has Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, while The Berkeley has two restaurants, one by Marcus Wareing … Continue reading

★★☆☆☆ / Modern European / Modernist

Notting Hill Brasserie – it’s not a restaurant, it’s punishment

Whatever you do, don’t be late. Update July 2013: this restaurant has now closed. One of my favourite pieces of professional restaurant criticism is written by The Times’ Giles Coren. Now only available to Times subscribers, the entirety of the review is dedicated to an excruciating account of the poor service he received at the … Continue reading