The Times
26 June
Giles Coren is dazzled by chef Bjorn van der Horst's menu at the Greenhouse, London W1
The food is delicately and sexily presented without a hint of fussiness or any compromise of flavour. And the menu achieves that prized and golden rarity of feeling classical and adventurous at the same time: a daily changing "Classic Cuisine" option offered my poulet de Bresse, while the pan-seared foie gras, had I had it, would have come with espresso syrup and amaretto foam, the roasted Perigord duck with spiced dhal, foie-gras foam and a crispy samosa.
(Three courses … la carte, £55; set lunch, £32; seven-course tasting, £75)
The Independent
26 June
Richard Johnson enjoyed the modern French cuisine at Le Cercle
The fris‚e, soft egg, crispy Parmesan was unutterably elegant. Finally, fris‚e made sense to me. They paired it with a port dressing and it changed my world. The white asparagus came from Les Landes, and was served cold - with a beetroot vinaigrette. I've always preferred the more subtle and delicate white spear, protected from the chlorophyll-producing sunlight, to green asparagus.
The Guardian
26 June
Matthew Fort has his faith in New York food restored at Jonathan Waxman's latest, Barbuto in the city's Washington Street
It's Italian in the same way that our own, dear River Caf‚ is Italian, but not so pricey. First courses such as gamberi al salto and insalata di asparagi e prosciutto cotto ran between $8 and $12. Mains, between $14 and $19; fegato alla milanese (grilled Pennsylvania calf's liver with peas, charred onions and marjoram) [was] two healthy slivers of liver about 1.5cm thick branded with the marks of the grill. It was thin enough not to be intimidating but it was thick enough to give variations in texture without becoming dried out and leathery. The peas were just the starchy side of genuine sweetness, but the wonderfully unctuous onion, marjoram, white wine and stock-rich goo that oozed about the plate was just tip-top. (16.5/20)
The Daily Telegraph
26 June
Jan Moir is less than impressed by Michael Caine and Claudio Pulze's new restaurant, Deya, in London, W1
Deya wins the all-time reviewing competition record for first-bite fright. The classic Kashmiri rogan josh - supposedly lamb shanks served with a rich onion and tomato sauce - features a small cross-section of cubes of shank bolstered by, I would venture, other fattier lamb cuts, which results in a dish that is greasy and unappetising. The best thing we have to eat is the restaurant's vegetable of the day, a tiny Indian aubergine - that I had not come across before - which was slightly bitter, but nicely spiced.
(Dinner for two, excluding wine/service, £55)
Timeout
29 June
Roopa Gulati also visited Deya
We loved the amuse-bouche teaser - boiled rice, mixed with fried mustard seeds, curry leaves and yogurt provided a cooling contrast to a tart topping of fresh mint chutney and spiced prawns. Our mixed platter starter had two outstanding bites. The samosas, packed with juicy crab flakes speckled with soft sweet corn kernels were a treat, while the chicken tikka, steeped in a smooth paste of coriander, garlic and mint, was deliciously succulent and surprisingly mellow. Fried lamb patties, made with pounded lentils, spiced lamb, ginger and green chillies, were less appealing, and marred by a dense and somewhat dry texture.
(Meal for two with drinks and service, about £90)