The Daily Telegraph, 8 March
Jasper Gerard visits Apicius, Cranbrook, Kent

Apicius was a professional glutton. Compared to this Roman colossus, Pavarotti was a bulimic, Jimmy Five Bellies a lo-carb lightweight, Nicholas Soames a mere enthusiastic amateur. Apicius, who savoured flamingo tongue, famously made a storm-tossed voyage to Libya for giant prawns. Finding them weedy, he ordered his boat home without even putting into port. Tiberius spied a vast red mullet in the market and wagered that Apicius would try to buy it, and sure enough this confirmed trencherman entered a bidding war with Octavius far fiercer than anything Christie's might witness over a mere Van Gogh.
Apicius – Daily Telegraph review review in full >>

The Guardian, 8 March
Matthew Norman visits The Royal Oak, Paley Bridge, Berkshire

No frilly shirts, no side-burns, no Ronnie Hazlehurst with his band, no please-don't-go-on-or-I'll-soil-myself lachrymose chortling at clunking Hollywood anecdotage. No Billy Connolly or Stirling Moss, no winsome flirting with Miss Piggy, no Betty Bacall drawling on and on about life with Bogie. No semi-spiral staircase, for goodness sake. Nothing. Not so much as a faux-vengeful dish involving the roasting, braising or boiling of emu. Whatever it was we expected of the Royal Oak, Sir Michael Parkinson's gastropub on that Wind In The Willows stretch of Thames far more replete with faded TV stars than with water rats and moles, the lack of homage to the career from which he recently retired wasn't it.
The Royal Oak – Guardian review in full >>

The Independent on Sunday, 9 March
Terry Durack visits Le Cassoulet, South Croydon, Surrey

As I walk down Selsdon Road, Croydon, peering in through the windows at families curled up on comfy couches watching television, I ponder the wisdom of opening a grown-up French restaurant in the area. Not because everyone is staying at home and cooking, but because everyone is curled up on comfy couches watching telly in their local Indian takeaway, waiting for their beef vindaloo to be handed over. Malcolm John, chef/patron of the newly opened Le Cassoulet, hopes that Croydon is also waiting for its chance to dress up, drink Minervois and eat foie gras, escargot and 28-day-aged Chateaubriand. It is a long way from Chiswick, where, for the past four years he has run the popular French bistro Le Vacherin, but Croydon could well be the new Chiswick.
Le Cassoulet – the Independent review review in full >>

The Sunday Telegraph, 9 March
Zoe Williams visits Hibiscus, London W1

I just opened the Hibiscus menu at home to describe it to you, and found myself absent-mindedly stroking it, like a rare and beloved pet, maybe a snow-spotted Bengal cat. One has to be careful not to be star-struck in the aftermath of the Michelin awards season, but, dude, I do not even care if I sound uncool. This food was beautiful.
Hibiscus – Sunday Telegraph review in full >>

areyourreadytoorder.co.uk
Jan Moir visits Franco Rossi, Bologna, Italy

Some restaurants close overnight, while others die a long, lingering death over a number of years. Their prognosis might be terminal, the chef might be mad, but you couldn’t beat the life out of them if you tried. Is Franco Rossi one of those restaurants, clinging to the high rise ledge of gastronomy by its manicured fingernails? For many years it has stood on the same corner site in downtown Bologna and it ain’t going anywhere without a fight and a long stemmed rose for the laydee before she leaves. Its entrenched reputation as one of the best restaurants in Bologna precedes it like a tongue of red carpet rolled around the world, ensuring a steady stream of international visitors from the regular trade fairs and conferences held here.
Franco Rossi – areyoureadytoorder.co.uk review in full >>

Caterer Eats Out
Check out the latest dining deals or book a table at 100's of restaurants at Caterer Eats Out here