Iconic French chef Pierre Koffmann’s return to the London restaurant scene was the focus of this weekend’s restaurant reviews and his cooking did not disappoint the critics. The former three-Michein-starred chef launched his new eponymous restaurant at London’s Berkeley hotel last month where he serves a menu of traditional French fare full of gutsy flavours.
Writing in The Times, Giles Coren says the restaurant marks the return of a much missed old master, while the Independent’s Tracey MacLeod says "like a legendary rock star going back on the road for one last triumphant tour, Koffmann has returned to his roots". Meanwhile, in the Independent on Sunday Lisa Markwell is enthused by the charming service as much as the food.
Elsewhere, the Observer’s Jay Rayner discovers a truly authentic Japanese restaurant in Sushi of Shiori, which serves a menu showing of exquisite attention to detail but which is sadly let down by the ever important rice.
"Unfortunately the rice at Shiori just ain't all that: cold, claggy, under-flavoured, underwhelming. It is such a shame, because everything else is so good," he says.
The Sunday Telegraph’s food critic Zoe Williams wants to love vegetarian restaurant Amico Bio but just can’t because despite the charming ambience and service the food is just awful. "It's enough to give vegetarianism a bad name, but anything's enough for that. This is enough to put you off all vegetables," she complains.
For this review in full and more, see What’s on the menu? Visit Guide Girl for the latest gossip from the fine dining world.
Pierre Koffmann is back at the Berkeley >>