“J.D., QC is a sophisticate like myself, boasting a detailed knowledge of the finer things that make life bearable. My reputation was at stake. I needed to deliver reliability for quality, but with uplift. There is only one place: Quo Vadis.”
Pick up a handful of restaurant reviews in quick succession and you will see a…
“Ghee-splattered jeans and starched, white cuffs that bear the deep, indelible stains of turmeric-laced mishaps. These are just the temporary scars that the uninhibited curry-lover has to bear.”
You’ll hurt at Hawksmoor. If you don’t then you’ve failed. Aching, distressed, belly-burning protein poisoning. Covetous carnivores in their baggy shirts and lose-fitting trousers have declared Hawksmoor steaks the best in town.
My mood could have been better. It was raining when I arrived at Malmaison in…
“I found Tsuru in its metallic City cave. A steady flow of suited zombies entered and ordered, their lunch neatly boxed in sushi selections and Bentos. We began where all good meals should: with green tea and a Scotch egg.”
Coalescing into a trend at the V&A end of Old Brompton Road is the French brasserie-cum-bistro. There are three notable examples: Henry Harris’ excellent Racine, Marlon Abela’s Cassis and, last but certainly not least, the Brompton Bar & Grill.
“You must have the cheesecake, it’s the house speciality,” said Chi Chi. Cheesecake? Not a light sorbet, not a fresh fruit salad, not even a delicate mousse – no, cheesecake, on top of steak. Was this a cruel joke?
“The tables are dark wood and the banquettes are deep red leather. The zinc bar shines in the warm, carefully conceived light, and there’s a sense we could be in one of those Bonnieux bars in the late 1980s.”
“I was here for one purpose: grouse. I wasn’t exactly going to get the first bird from the Glorious Twelfth season, but no matter; I was told if you want grouse in London, The Grill at the Dorchester was the place to go.”
As a resident of the trendy plains of Shoreditch, I tend not to venture further…
The number 36, in association with the ‘Solar Square’ of ancient Western tradition, stands for ‘sun’ and ‘warmth’. As of September, it’s also the name of Nigel Mendham’s new restaurant at Dukes Hotel.