The Daily Telegraph, 15 October
Belinda Richardson finds that the food outshines the shoddy service at Marco Pierre White's Yew Tree Inn, Highclere, Berkshire
One risotto nero with chilli-fried squid shared between us. Pleasantly peasanty and perfectly al dente, the rice has a good oceanic flavour and, though I cannot detect the slightest nose-tickle of chilli, the squid is good tubular stuff - no arms or tentacles, just pure body, sliced in rings. There are just five desserts, all ludicrously priced at £6.25 each. We decide to head off, satisfied that the food, while not outstanding, was perfectly good in the end and happily far outshone the shoddy service. So get that bar sorted out, Marco, and then we might be talking a truly good old-fashioned tavern here. (Dinner for two excluding drinks and service, £40)
Time Out, 19 October
Guy Dimond finds one of the best wine lists he's seen, at London's Vinoteca
Chef Carol Craddock used to work at Bibendum when the much-lauded Simon Hopkinson was still the chef, but Vinoteca's menu is not fine dining, it's bar food. With equally bare-boned and seasonally-adjusted St John restaurant just across the road, comparisons must be made. Welsh rarebit with soft boiled egg, grilled smoked bacon and watercress was a dish of good ingredients, simply but well prepared. The terrine of pork, prune and sage is made on the premises and had flavours as bold as any of the wines we tried, which were helpfully matched to the dishes on the menu. (Rating 4/6. Meal for two with wine and service, about £50)
The Observer, 16 October
Jay Rayner savours an epic journey to the food that Chinatown forgot at Red Chilli in Manchester
The menu at Red Chilli, in Manchester's Chinatown, is so unusual, so packed full of weirdy-sounding treasures, it demanded to be properly explored. Red Chilli specialises in the food of Sichuan and Beijing, where heat reigns supreme. Some of the dishes have names so mellifluous and alluring they could be arranged as a work of found poetry: there's Hot Wok Trotter or Husband and Wife lung slices; Sichuan Mrs Spotty's bean curd or Blessed the Whole Family; Poet Dung-bo roast pork or lucky prawn cakes; silver fungus and winter melon soup. Pricing is absurd for the volume and the quality. No dish we ordered cost more than £10, most were £7.50. That said, they're clearly making money, because they've just opened a second branch in Leeds. (Meal for two, £40)
The Sunday Times, 16 October
Kate Spicer finds out that Origin in London is all about the sourcing of ingredients
When we ordered, the waiter explained the sourcing concept as well as the concept that you eat several smaller courses (another fashionable dining trend). Despite all these concepts, he managed not to sound completely pretentious. You can have anything on the menu in starter size, and some of it as main courses. Origin would infuriate any male over the age of 40, particularly as there is no cheeseboard. The short, elegant wine list is designed to pair easily with the different foods you will be putting in your mouth.
The place gets away with this smorgasbord of concepts thanks to warm, relaxed service and, I almost forgot to add, by serving wonderful food. Adam Byatt is a talented chef, with instincts and skills way beyond the ordinary. (Rating 4/5)
The Scotsman, 15 October
Gillian Glover finds food fit for manly appetites at the Forth Floor restaurant at Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh
What I have always liked about the Forth Floor Restaurant is that it does not serve the sort of food one might instantly associate with high fashion: the sashimi, and a lettuce leaf, waist-clinching denial of appetite. Rather it has aimed at a sort of cuisine grande-mère gutsiness, with big flavours and traditional ingredients, however stylish the presentation. I'm pleased to report that the new chef has not tampered with this ethic. I opted for a soigné slice of grilled halibut with roasted salsify, artichokes and caramelized baby turnip. This was a really substantial amount of food: nothing girly here. Just briny fresh fish, surrounded by the smoky opulence of sweet roasted vegetables. (Lunch for three, £97.25 excluding drinks)