Apsleys, the new restaurant at London’s Lanesborough hotel, has been panned as “spectacularly ghastly” by the London Metro’s food critic Marina O’Loughlin.

Comparing Apsleys to Italian fine dining restaurant Locanda Locatelli, she said it's “nothing but an expensive poor relation” with its “lack of insouciant glamour, strained staff and overwrought, underpowered food”.  

Meanwhile, London vegan restaurant Saf didn’t go down well with the Evening Standard’s food critic Fay Maschler, who said the meat-free menu at the Shoreditch eatery lacks excitement.

The famously acerbic critic said that while Saf’s interiors are “strikingly attractive” and the drinks list of organic and biodynamic wines is a “strong suit”, gastronomically speaking Saf is “boring”. 

For the reviews in full and more see What’s on the Menu? >> 

Food critics split over Lanesborough’s new restaurant >> 

Saf opening reaffirms veggie trend >> 

By Kerstin Kühn

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