Bloomberg, 31 August
Richard Vines at Roka

Whenever I hear the words contemporary Japanese cuisine, I shudder at the thought of another Nobu wannabe serving sushi for beginners. That's why it has taken me three years to get around to trying Roka, the trendy London restaurant that is the younger sister of the even-more-fashionable Zuma. A menu of popular Japanese dishes with a sprinkling of Chinese and Korean favourites thrown in is more likely to make my blood boil than my pulse race.
Roka - Bloomberg review in full >>

Time Out, 22 August
Jenni Muir at The Bald Faced Stag

Over almost 300 years, The Bald-Faced Stag has been a rough sports bar, live music venue and a private house where travellers were illegally served beer and ale. Most recently it attracted young ruffians and, when Realpubs took over the property, they threw out 'four pool tables, 12 televisions, a video jukebox, carpets, microwave oven and crime'. They've added a large dining room and landscaped the outdoor space which, despite its proximity to the A1000, is quite pleasant with its stone slabs and parasols.

Evening Standard, 3 September
Mark Bolland at Theo Randall at the InterContinental 

River Café is the Fulham restaurant whose name has become synonymous with excellent food and success. It spawned Jamie Oliver, sells cookbooks by the thousand, and its former head chef (of 15 years) is Theo Randall, who has just opened his own eatery deep in the bowels of the InterContinental Hotel in Park Lane. As you can imagine, when I arrived at the hotel my expectations were higher than Victoria Beckham's hemline.
Theo Randall - Evening Standard review in full >>