Gordon Ramsay wrong to eject Surbiton’s French Table, says critic

Guardian food critic Matthew Norman believes Gordon Ramsay made a big mistake ejecting Surbiton’s French Table from his quest to find the best local restaurant on Channel 4’s F Word.

Norman declares The French Table in Surbiton, run by Eric and Sarah Guignard, to be a superb local restaurant, despite the tweeness of the décor. 

He suggests that if Channel 4 recommissions the show, it shouldn’t send Ramsay to patronise restaurants like The French Table, but instead send Eric and Sarah to advise him on how to save some of his establishments.

John Walsh of the Independent is full of praise for the Dean Street Townhouse in London W1, the first venture from the new partnership between Richard Caring and Nick Jones.

“The Townhouse is self-consciously old-fashioned in many ways, but its appeal is straight to the stomach and the heart, in that order,” he declares. 

“Caring and Jones have taken the best bits of their respective empires and melded them seamlessly together: vintage class meets modern arty hangout; J Sheekey meets Soho House.”

Despite enjoying excellent food at Chris and Jeff Galvin’s latest venture, Galvin La Chapelle, Observer critic Jay Rayner felt short-changed. Among his complaints were service he found “the sickly side of ingratiating” and prices that includede a côte de boeuf for two at £53.

Meanwhile, AA Gill at the Sunday Times believes he has found perfection at the Kingham Plough in Oxfordshire, where he tucks into the kind of pub food that one always dreams about.  He suggests that anyone thinking of opening a local pub restaurant should visit The Kingham Plough and see the gold standard.

His only concern was  that such a wonderful operation could only be sustained by London folk, and not the locals alone.

For this review in full and more, see What’s on the menu? To book a table, see Caterer Eats Out. Visit Guide Girl for the latest gossip from the fine dining world.

Menuwatch - La Chapelle >>

‘Gorgeous’ Galvin La Chapelle stops critic in her tracks >>

Soho House delivers 19% boost to annual profits >>

By Janet Harmer


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