I’ve booked and cancelled Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse in Henley on more than one occasion, simultaneously attracted by his stated pedigree and put off by pictures of somewhat overwrought food. It’s quite fussy plating, the like of which will generally have me running for the hills, unless I know that they know what they are doing. But […]
Category Archives: ★★☆☆☆
April
25
Lima Floral. Confusion in Covent Garden.
posted by Nicky Richmond
I was meant to be meeting a lawyer I had got to know on the other side of a messy, drawn-out transaction but she had suffered palpitations and had had to cancel at short notice. No, it was nothing to do with my being on the other side, before you ask.
January
11
C London. Mugged in Mayfair.
posted by Nicky Richmond
I have thought about taking C to C London, dragging him out of his Oxfordshire hermitage, just so that I can say I’ve taken C to C London, but it’s an expensive trip, just for the sake of a pun. I’ve been a few times myself, so I know what I’m in for. Colleague J has […]
August
24
Signor Sassi. Dinosaur spotted in Knightsbridge.
posted by Nicky Richmond
It is Friday morning at 10 am. I text my client, G, as we are meant to be meeting for lunch on the Monday and nothing has been booked yet. Where are we eating and are you booking something? I am worried that we are leaving it too late. I am married to the wrong woman, he says, […]
August
02
Kurobuta. It’s all a matter of taste.
posted by Nicky Richmond
I tend not to read reviews before I eat somewhere new – I find that I’m swayed. I do want a vague sense of whether it might be snog/marry/avoid, but nothing more.
May
24
Chain reaction : Spaghetti House, Bryanston Street.
posted by Nicky Richmond
It must have been twenty years since I’d been to a Spaghetti House. The one on Duke Street was my regular hangout, in the days when I was a lowly Articled Clerk. Pre-fax, pre-email, we still had carbon copies. for those of you who are not ancient, that’s what cc actually means. As my firm […]
The House of Ho. Ho ho, so so .
posted by Nicky Richmond
House of Ho. In Soho. Ho ho ho. Even the taxi driver laughed. This is the brainchild of Bobby Chinn, restaurateur, who already has two restaurants in Vietnam. According to his website, Bobby’s restaurant mixes French technique, Californian sensibility, a pinch of Middle Eastern spices and a touch of South East Asia’s flavours. It says […]
January
02
Kai Mayfair. Cry, wallet.
posted by Nicky Richmond
It’s got lots of awards, has Kai. Not only a Michelin star, but, according to its website, it was the highest ranked Chinese restaurant in the Sunday Times Food List 2012, Best Chinese restaurant in London in the Hardens Guide, Best Chinese restaurant in something called “Zagat survey” though it doesn’t say when, or what […]
Not smokin’ at Smokehouse.
posted by Nicky Richmond
I had heard lots of great things about this, before I actually found out where it was. And when I did, I was a little surprised. I had imagined that it was going to be in the more gritty, happening part of Islington. I used to know its predecessor very well. It was at the end of a […]
Zafferano. Z-lister.
posted by Nicky Richmond
I’d been here in a former life. When this was a great restaurant. When Giorgio Locatelli used to be the chef. When they had a special truffle menu and even the dessert had truffles in it. I remember it well. I will remember very little of this meal, other than that it was overpriced and […]
The Food Judge 