London Evening Standard, 10 May
Fay Maschler thinks that Tamesa @ Oxo might buck the trend of failed restaurants on the London site
David Schofield's menu successfully summarises the sort of dishes that please most of the people most of the time. We went to dinner last week on the second day of trading and so had no difficulty in obtaining a table by the window. "My dear," said my friend Ian, "this is just as exciting as sitting in a palazzo by the Grand Canal in Venice." The same description perhaps could not be made of the seafood soup with saffron, but it was a powerful anise-flavoured, nubbly, rust-coloured broth served as it should be, with croutons, grated Gruyère and rouille. Chilled sweet pea soup with lemon olive oil had a minty freshness without being reminiscent of toothpaste. (Rating: three stars out of five. Meal for two £80)
The Independent, 12 May
Thomas Sutcliffe heads off to Vennell's in Masham to see if the Yorkshire restaurant matches up to its Bib Gourmand billing
There isn't a dud dish there - even if some of our party hanker after something a little more daring than fish pie or roast beef. Starters are particularly good. A cream of celeriac soup makes good use of the delicious aroma of truffle oil, and a risotto of peas and smoked haddock with a Parmesan foam is precisely cooked - not gritty, as can be the case when chefs try to make a show of their authenticity, but each grain retaining a faint bite - and the green sweetness of the peas nicely counterpointing the salty flakes of haddock. But the winner here is the potted duck, shreds of meat fragrant with orange zest and served with large petals of beetroot drizzled with lemon oil. (Food rating: four stars out of five. Three courses £24.90)
The Daily Telegraph, 13 May
Jan Moir applauds the home-grown produce at Percy's Country Hotel and Restaurant in Devon
Both our starters, a mushroom and chicken liver parfait and an avocado, bacon, thyme and butter bean salad, come with a shower of glorious and unusual herbs and leaves, such as peppery Greek cress, grown just outside the retaurant's front door. The standout main course is home-reared organic loin of lamb from Percy's flock of sheep, which are a mainly Texel-Jacobs cross. The lamb has a swoonsome, deep flavour with a gamey undercurrent that comes straight from the scrappy little Jacob; a sheep that is too small for many farms to bother with, but which makes up for its paucity of size with a punchy taste. (Dinner for two, £80, excluding drinks and service)
The Observer, 14 May
Jay Rayner finds at least one thing worth going back to Stow-on-the-Wold for: the food at the Butcher's Arms
I am always going to like a kitchen that has the enthusiasm to put a salad of grilled ox heart and roquette on the menu. After all the hard work the organ has done in life, it is only right that, in death, it gets a bit of respect, which is what it receives here. The restaurant's own duck and pork rillette, while a little loose, had a serious depth of flavour and came with thick-cut toast, cornichons, white-skinned onions and a smear of Dijon mustard. The cooking of monkfish was also spot on. A panna cotta [had a] smooth, light texture beyond reproach. It was dressed with a thimbleful of grappa and the sudden, musky kick of alcohol was a thoroughly efficient foil to the richness of the set cream. (Meal for two £75, including wine and service)
The Independent on Sunday, 14 May
Terry Durack discovers some satisfying cooking at new gastrobpub, the Ambassador, in London's Exmouth Market
Chef Tobias Jilsmark's is a fiercely seasonal, produce-driven menu full of big, ballsy flavours. I start with a little bar plate of ham hock ballotine served as two meaty, carrot-studded rounds and a splodge of jammy, caramelised onion. It tastes lighter and fresher than it looks, and is a perfect kick-start to the meal. Then comes greatness in the shape of a thick, room-temperature slab of foie gras and chicken terrine. A pinkish, wobbly top of lush foie gras melts into a bottom layer of well-seasoned, juicy chicken bits pressed together like a compacted car body. The combination is thrilling; rich without being overwhelming and full of natural, undiluted flavours that haven't been chilled into submission. (Rating: 16 out of 20. Meal for two £75, including wine and service)