The London Lounge

Gents - what's new on the London restaurant scene?

There's a chance I may be through town in mid December and want to arrange a dinner with a close friend. The Square, The Ledbury, and Wiltons are great standbys for me and I'll take any suggestion up market or down from them.

DDM

The Veeraswamy has gone considerably more interesting since I had tried them years ago, as well as being close to SR, etc. Their lunch was especially good.

They're now part of a chain, the low-end offerings of which are also very good and excellent value. 5 or 6 places, one of which is right by Covent Garden.

New or any good there are always new places every week? Where in town?

Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, Maze, is superb.

Culverwood - I'll be in St. James but anywhere in London is great.

Primary interest is the food and the wine.

DDM

I would try if you have not already:
The Greenhouse - 27a Hays Mews
Hix Oyster and Chop House - 36-37 Greenhill Rents
Marcus Wareing at the Berkley Hotel
L'Atelier des Chefs - 19 Wigmore Street
of course Le Gavroche and Le Caprice
La Fromagerie for a snack during the day (but you may have to queue) - 2-6 Moxon Street

A restaurant which is new to me (though I'm not sure how new it actually is) is Ristorante Semplice on Blenheim St (between Oxford St and New Bond St).

It's easily the best restaurant I've been to this year (and that includes Le Gavroche, which my wife booked for my 40th birthday - though don't tell her I said that ). It was also very reasonably priced, though that might change as I understand they received a Michellin star this year.

You might also consider Richard Corrigan's eponymous place in Mayfair, which has been open less than a year, I think, but has won some awards and was very good when we went, and of course Bentley's for lunch. I can second recommendations for Hix as of a year ago, and as of two years ago Petrus was superb. I did not have a particularly wonderful meal at Le Gavroche. Have had afternoon tea twice now at the (Darroze) Connaught and think it noses out Claridge's for best I've had in London. Haven't tried the restaurant there.

I generally dine at clubs with friends when in town - Reform, East India, Savile or O&C. I have not come across an excellent new restaurant in a while. Celebrity chefs' restaurants tend to disappoint, e.g. Marco Pierre White, Novelli, Ramsay. My first choices in town would be Wiltons, Sheekeys and Rules but I must admit to being a traditional conservative.

You have to be speedy to get in at any MPW restaurant these days. His latest, Luciano in St. James's St., has closed after only a year or so. L'Escargot seems to be winding down its operations. What does that leave - just the Criterion and the pizza place with Frankie Dettori? Such is the (not undeserved) fate of the chef who spends too much time advertising stock cubes on tv and not enough in the kitchen.

Novelli is another fine chef but useless restaurant runner. I am not sure that Ramsay cooks anywhere anymore except on TV.

JRLT wrote:You have to be speedy to get in at any MPW restaurant these days. His latest, Luciano in St. James's St., has closed after only a year or so. L'Escargot seems to be winding down its operations. What does that leave - just the Criterion and the pizza place with Frankie Dettori? Such is the (not undeserved) fate of the chef who spends too much time advertising stock cubes on tv and not enough in the kitchen.

The Luciano site has been taken over and another bar restaurant has opened there. The Criterion is awful, both food and service. Does MPW still have the Mirabelle in Curzon Street?

The topic "Restaurants in London" was my concern about a month ago as a tourist who has not seen the city for a very long time. Over there for a long week-end, without too much information and no guide in hands, we've been for diners at Arbutus, Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Amaya and Corrigan's at Mayfair.

Arbutus was OK for casual evening with an interesting mix between british and international inspiration. I do not remember the bill but this seemed to me as a fair price for that quality. Atelier de Joel Robuchon was just fine for me but I am not objective as this is my canteen when I am travelling to Paris. I often read that indian kitchen is always well treated in London and I was expecting to get a good example with Amaya but I guess this was not my kind of place; food was ok but not exceptional. Last but not least, I appreciated Corrigan's even if the diner was very rich with the game season; not cheap for sure but we had a nice evening.

Corrigan's sounds good and my type of place. For game, the East India Club takes a lot of beating, both in terms of quality and price.

I am very fortunate to have a sporting brother-in-law who provides excellent local Perthshire fish and game for my sister to cook. He also has his own smokehouse above the dogs' kennel.

I generally dine at clubs with friends when in town - Reform, East India, Savile or O&C.

Is dining at clubs an experience limited to members...or is it possible to enjoy a clubby experience on an ad hoc basis? Thanks...