The Guardian, 1 March
Matthew Norman visits The Red Sea, London W12
In one of the more striking instances of "Be careful what you wish for" since Paul first gazed upon Heather and muttered, "What wouldn't I give to have her stood beside me in a wedding gown?" (a rhetorical question at the time, of course), we finally have a genuine neighbourhood restaurant. After 10 years' incessant moaning about the lack of anywhere decent within easy walking distance - a calculation made, in this case, in feet and preferably inches - it has happened. A few months ago, the launderette at the end of our street, which never recovered from being hit during a 2004 drive-by shooting, vanished. In its place, by way of a biblical miracle, appeared The Red Sea, a restaurant offering cuisines from the various countries surrounding that richly saline body of water, with the understandable exception of Israel.
The Red Sea – review in full >>
The Times, 1 March
Giles Coren visits Tom Ilic, London SW8
There is a feeling in some quarters that a dose of recession might be just what the London restaurant scene needs. The gastro-economy has become bloated with vulgar cash it has done nothing to deserve, goes the argument, and is in need of a purge. Those hungering for the apocalypse see restaurant prices going up without any corresponding rise in the standard of cooking and service, and they blame it on undiscerning punters for whom money is easily earned and easily spent: these hedge-bank fundament people about whom one hears so much, football players and their WOGs, other non-descript orange people vaguely familiar from the party pages of the weekend supplements, Russian minigarchs…
Tom Ilic - review in full >>
The Independent on Sunday, 1 March
Terry Durack visits Quilon, London SW1
So far, I don't like it. Admittedly I have only just arrived, but it seems fairly certain I am not going to enjoy Quilon. I'm only here because it recently got a Michelin star, and I am forever curious as to what Michelin sees in London's Indian restaurants. So far, Benares, Tamarind, Vineet Bhatia's Rasoi, Amaya and now Quilon each have stars, making Indian cuisine more one-starry than Japanese, Chinese and Italian.
Quilon – review in full >>
The Sunday Telegraph, 1 March
Zoe Williams visits Texture, London W1
I think the room of Texture is rather gorgeous - angular and high-ceilinged and beige, a place so confident of its own luxuriousness that it doesn't feel the need to be all that comfortable. J thinks it would feel austere if it weren't so full, but I don't think that problem is imminent. The Icelandic chef, Agnar Sverrisson, was formerly head chef at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. He met his sommelier when they were both at Le Manoir, and, whatever else they learnt, they came away with the ability to inspire awe.
Texture – review in full >>
areyourreadytoorder.co.uk
Jan Moir visits The Mercer, London EC2
Is it wise to name something after another thing you admire or covet? I’d quite like to call S ‘George Clooney’, but I doubt that any of the latter’s suave good looks or plutonium grade charm would rub off on my terrine-chomping idiot boy. Equally, calling our rattling rust bucket of a car ‘the Porsche’ is hardly likely to make it wheeze round to the shops any quicker. Surely the same principle must apply to restaurants? This has not stopped the folks who own The Mercer putting their faith in naming their new City establishment after the hip hotel of the same name in downtown Manhattan. Why should they do such a thing? If it is in a bid to transport some of that cool, downtown NYC vibe to uptight Threadneedle Street, well then they have had some success.
The Mercer – areyoureadytoorder.co.uk review in full >>