London Restaurant Week: 16th-30th of March, 2009

Now for something a little different... Below is the small diary I kept during the fortnight-long slightly mis-named London Restaurant Week. I've been on holiday recently, so apologies for only just uploading!

Since it’s “that time of year”, I’ve taken it upon myself to use any free evening I can over the coming period to sample some of the appetising £25-per-head set menus that various restaurants are offering for dinner around London. It so happens that at this time I have various other commitments on, and luckily these mostly involve eating too. So this is what Jonnie did during London Restaurant Week…

Monday 16th of March: Pizza Express, Richmond

It’s funny how one can underestimate a chain restaurant. It seemed a strangely fitting start to Restaurant Week to dine at one of modern Britain’s most popular eating franchises. If you want to seat a party of 12 with no reservation (comprised mainly of rowdy yet friendly drunks) at 9pm on a Monday night, you could do a lot worse than Pizza Express. A stunning array of easy comfort food, all done well. Plates of plump, warm dough balls with balanced garlic butter. A few Pollo ad Astra pizzas, some salads, decent bread, spicy pizzas that make you sweat but not burn. Easy to eat (but not bad) fudge cakes, cheesecakes and birthday cakes to finish, washed down with a tad too much Peroni. Throw a few 2-for-1 vouchers in there and it was £20 per person (which included picking up the birthday boy’s bill.) Now that is some excellent friendly eating.

Tuesday 17th of March: Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse at Lanes, Liverpool Street

Whenever you see a celebrity (and this being perhaps the ultimate) chef’s name on a restaurant, it raises expectations in a way that can often hinder the meal itself. I’d eaten at Lanes once before and enjoyed it, but this was the first time since Mr. White’s franchise took it over. The initial disappointment was that there was no braised beef left on the set menu. Being a steakhouse, I’d been keen to try it. We were compensated with some brilliantly cooked chicken with carrots and creamed potato. The dish was unspectacular but went down well, aside the carrots being too sweet. Cottage pie with buttered peas is about as modern and fashionable trad Brit as it gets, but it was slightly too salty, despite the mash being wonderful: buttery, creamy, fluffy and crisp.

The desserts let us down too – no crème brulee left either, so we had a rather average Eton Mess and chocolate mousse. Fortunately the starters pulled the whole meal up. A glorious and searing celeriac veloute and some incredibly vibrant kipper pate started things off at a level that was not quite matched thereafter. A decent experience; a nice if unexciting meal; a pleasant evening… Just not quite as good as I’d hoped.

Wednesday 18th of March: Grieg’s Restaurant, Mayfair

Over the past few days, the weather had been glorious. Beautiful early spring sunshine, crisp cool evenings, and it was beginning to stay light later in the day too. Wandering through Mayfair finding Grieg’s put me in such a good mood. It was a beautiful day, and Bruton Place is a remarkably pretty little side street, housing a restaurant which looks like an exclusive club. I was happy and ready to eat…

The restaurant had made a slight error in our booking, but that was rectified swiftly and without incident (the service throughout the evening was prompt and friendly.) So, we were seated, made our choices and went for it. Smoked trout was presentable but should’ve been hot. I’m not sure horseradish should be served with light river fish either. A leek and potato soup suffered from being exactly what it is: a bland bowlful that is hard to make exceptional. Bangers ‘n Mash with gravy was nothing to write home about; although the peas that came with it were the freshest I’ve eaten. A rare sirloin steak was by far one of the toughest I’ve had. The choice of serving each main with buttered mushrooms and a stuffing-coated tomato was daring but ultimately ineffective. Desserts of an overly gelatinous, far too sharp crème caramel and a fairly comfortable fruit crumble only served to fill us up past comfort levels. Apologies to Grieg’s, who seemed like a lovely bunch, but the food did not deliver.

Thursday 19th of March: Ciao Bella, Bloomsbury (with Tom)

I’d eaten at Ciao Bella once previously on Tom’s recommendation, and it was with him that I returned. It was a late Thursday evening and the place was packed, which certainly leads me to think they’re doing something right. Last time, we’d eaten pasta that let me down tremendously, so this time we ate pizzas. They were definitely better. Inexpensive, yet filling and rich to boot. The pepperoni was spicy and full of greasy goodness. The bases were thin and crisp. The pizzas weren’t overly heavy or cheesy. The anchovies were salty and bitter. However (and it kills me to type this), I still preferred the meal at Pizza Express… Desserts were average at best. A fair cheesecake was upset by a pippy and underdeveloped raspberry sauce, while the panna cotta was chalky and heavy. As much as dining at Ciao Bella is an enjoyable experience, it looks to me like it’s beginning to coast on its reputation

Friday 20th of March: A Chinese Restaurant, Soho

Now, I will begin by apologising here, since this one was an unscheduled, technically not even Friday, and not initially done with any sort of reviewing in mind. However, at some point around 4am on Saturday of the first half of restaurant week, I realised that this was my fifth meal out in five days, and therefore it had to be reviewed! (Strange logic was coursing through my head at this time…)

There is something about finding the ‘right’ restaurant in Chinatown, since you can get a fair bit of rubbish down there, but whatever restaurant this was called (I am truly sorry for not knowing) was indeed the right kind of restaurant. We split some shredded pork noodles, mixed meat noodles and some roast duck between four of us. Maybe it was the time in the morning or the haze over my eyes, but my goodness it was good. The duck was genuinely excellent, and I would describe it as being melt-in-the-mouth even though it was served cold. (That is well-cooked duck, people.) Noodles were standard, simple, and just about what you want and expect for £8 per head. Lovely stuff.


So, with the first half of restaurant week done, I unexpectedly found that the two meals I’d enjoyed most were the ones that followed a night out with friends. (And that has nothing to do with drunkenness, since I don’t drink.) Perhaps it really is more about the company? Maybe a larger group does make for a better, more memorable meal… The only thing I would say for the two places I had sampled which had come with some pedigree is that they were both hampered by serving set menus. Still, the evidence is always on the plate. (Or is it..?)


Monday 23rd of March: A night off, Waterloo

I needed a break somewhere! My stomach and wallet thanked me for not eating out tonight. Instead I saw The Watchmen at the I-Max. Lots of fun.

Tuesday 24th of March: Roast, Borough

I was really looking forward to this. (Always a bad sign…) I’d heard good things from friends, reviews and write-ups. I love Borough Market, I love good English food, and I was really hungry. I was naturally wary that I could be in for a terrible meal. After the struggle in finding the entrance (some steps ‘round the back), I was initially overcome by the appearance of the place. A lot of restaurants I’ve eaten at recently have tried to create a rustic, authentic feel whilst actually looking tacky and overdone. Too many places nowadays are too dimly lit. Roast seems to be what they are all aspiring to. It’s chic, it’s light, it’s authentic (it’s on top of a hall in Borough Market, for crying out loud!), it’s rustic (the line into Charing Cross runs past the windows), it’s spectacular (St. Paul’s on one side, Borough Market the other) and it’s cosy. By this point, I was so sure the food was going to be a disappointment my appetite was waning. And then…

We were presented with starters that made you sit upright and take notice. Some light and strong herring with beetroot and horseradish dressing was crisp, light and refreshing. In the summer, I’d say this would be a perfect starter. The chicken liver and bacon I was served was speechlessly good. Tender, soft livers with slightly crisp bacon, well-seasoned with parsley… I could probably go on and on about this, but you might get jealous. The bread was perfect too – ever so slightly crisp, but not toasted hard at all. Main courses were equally attention-grabbing. Fish stew, perfectly cooked and textured, in a salty, thick sauce was a dish for just about any occasion (as long as you like fish), and the stuffed pork belly with mash and apple sauce was superb. The varieties in texture and taste they came up with from one piece of meat were awesome. Crispy, soft, light, dark and intensely flavoursome, all to be rewarded with some light herb stuffing in the centre. Big portions too – I couldn’t clear my plate.

< The pork belly

Dessert necessitates a special mention. I am a dessert –lover without question, and desserts can often make or break a meal in my eyes. Having had two exceptional courses so far, I was not so worried about dessert ruining the meal, but what we were presented with blew me away. A rich chocolate mousse with vanilla thins was inventive and well-concocted. This was real chocolate mousse – the kind that makes your teeth worry. The rhubarb crumble with custard however, was simply the best crumble I’ve eaten. I could not and cannot find fault with it. Chunky, sweet topping with second-perfectly stewed rhubarb… You will (almost certainly) never get better than this.

This was the best meal I’ve eaten in 2009. In a climate where restaurants are trying to achieve quality trad Brit cuisine and uncomplicated modern dining, Roast has gone and blown a lot of the competition out of the water. I look forward to trying to find a better meal than this over the next few months.

Wednesday 25th of March: Noel, Teddington

Eating with the family is always interesting. (The 25th is my Mother’s birthday.) I often observe meals with my family as if they are short plays. And it always makes me remember how unique and crazy every family really is. Teddington still counts as London (it’s inside the M25 and in the travelcard zones), so a-reviewin’ I went… The meal was okay. Foie gras with quail egg to start was nearly ruined with a bed of puy lentils, but the quality was passable. Shame it was so small. I had heard from two people that the best steak they’d eaten was at Noel, and that led me to think that these people have never eaten good steak. It was average; a little tough, but comfortable. The hand-cut chips on the side were underdone though. Boef Bourguignon was fatty yet acceptable, rabbit leg was adventurous and exciting, and the passion fruit cheesecake for dessert was refreshing, sharp and sweet. Noel is clearly trying to elevate the fairly safe standards of eating in Teddington (where frequently the best meals you can get are in gastropubs), and with some work it might yet get there.

Thursday 26th of March: Homage Grand Salon at the Waldorf Hilton, Aldwych

When I booked this, I didn’t realise it was part of the huge Hilton that sits right on Aldwych, which is one of my eerily favourite parts of town. I was pretty happy to be going there. This feeling lessened slightly when the friend I was scheduled to be dining with pulled out through illness. Desperately throughout Thursday I tried to find someone to eat dinner with me, and everyone was busy or not interested. Most people might have just cancelled the reservation at this point, but not your humble reviewer…

I have to say the service at Homage was excellent. The staff were totally understanding that I was dining alone (though I suppose in a hotel restaurant it’s not so peculiar), and gave me a lovely little table to the side of the room. The room itself was ever-so-Aldwych: grandiose, elegant and moderately intimidating. Beautiful bar in the centre too.

The meal itself was good; a measure of how enjoyable the salmon gravadlax was is that it came encrusted with Dill and I still ate and enjoyed it. Creamy potato salad on the side and some garnish: job done. Slightly minimal but riotously tasty was some lamb with truffled gravy and minted mash. The meat was good, but the freshly seasoned and silky smooth potato side was a cut above. Again, the dessert stole the show, and like the starter, a measure of how good it tasted was the cinnamon ice cream on the side. (See my food gripes for my problems with over-complication of desserts.) However, the pear and chocolate tart that came with said ice cream was bloody gorgeous. It was thick and stodgy exactly where needed, and the soft zing of the pears cut through the sweet thickness exceptionally well.

So hats off to Homage: tonight, you made a lonely young man feel welcome and fed him well to boot. It seems restaurant reviewing can be a lonely business, but when you have as good a meal as this on your own, it doesn’t really matter.

Friday 27th of March: Langtry’s restaurant, Sloane Square (with Mike & Tom)

Finally, on the last evening of restaurant week proper, the three of us got together for our first group meal in some time. Langtry’s looked excellent from the outside: a magnificent Sloane Square house, pillars, big doors and all. The interior had an almost burlesque familiarity, with red velvet, white furniture and warm lighting. Having been most graciously seated, the first thing we noticed was how darned reasonable the pricing was. We each chose a different-priced menu, and none of us was disappointed. Three courses for £20, three courses for £25 (I think this may have been connected to a Restaurant Week offer), and £35 for three courses with unlimited wine.

This was indeed a fitting end to the week: lightly battered, smooth fishcakes, an excellent pumpkin and butternut squash soup (slightly marred by the burnt pumpkin-seed toast it was served with) and an out-of-this-world woodpigeon Wellington. For a meat that is relatively unknown in mainstream dining, woodpigeon is underused and generally underappreciated. This was one belting starter, which combined the fleshy redness of the pigeon perfectly with the creamed mushrooms on the side. Main courses didn’t disappoint, with some well-cooked lamb on a bed of couscous and a decent rare steak ‘n chips (you have to go for the simpler dishes to see if they can do them) impressing enough. However, the show was near stolen by a sumptuous piece of rabbit cooked with bacon and a fruity tomato sauce and home-made chips. The only gripe about this and the steak was the chips being slightly underdone. Desserts were impressive: a sensationally imaginative olive oil and pistachio sponge with cherry sorbet that tantalised and comforted simultaneously, and a classic chocolate tart with sharp strawberry ice cream. The cheese board was unspectacular but good enough.

We all really enjoyed our meal at Langtry’s. It was unpretentious, affordable, tasty, and (as we have come to be talking about a lot lately) a great overall experience with friends. Perhaps a large group booking there would be difficult, as the spacing and furniture of the place seems to accommodate no more than fours. I suppose that could speak volumes of the presentation and veneer of it all: you’d feel guilty upsetting the balance in such beautiful surroundings. Even so; Sloane Square (and London in general) could benefit from more of this sort of place. Restaurants like Langtry’s could be a very important element in bringing a better class of affordable eating to everyone. Bravo.


Restaurant week (or two weeks) proved very interesting. A variety of meals (with most places seeming to focus on traditional English cookery) that did plenty to both impress and disappoint. You’ve seen what I have to say about all the meals, so here are some fun awards:

- Lived up to Expectations Award: Roast. When the stakes are so high and food hits you like that, they’ve done a fantastic job
- Best Value Award: Langtry’s. Menus to cater for everyone
- Biggest Surprise Award: Pizza Express. How can such uncomplicated chain food hit the spot so well?

I think it’s more fun to focus on the good aspects, rather than rag on any more places. One thing I would say after this fortnight is my wallet is happy to take a break from eating out for a little while!