Critic finds A Taste of McClements memorable ‘for all the wrong reasons'

Chef-restaurateur John McClements' fine dining restaurant A Taste of McClements is memorable for all the wrong reasons, says Matthew Norman.

The Guardian's food critic calls the interior of the restaurant in Kew, south west London, "hideous" and laments both the service and the food.

"What the menu calls "Gazpachio" deserved not only a sic but a sick," Norman says.

"The combination of desperate oversalting and a curious, vinegary flavour, vaguely suggestive of one of those labradors in the terminal stage of renal disease, was best suited for use as a makeshift emetic."

Meanwhile, the Independent on Sunday's Terry Durack finds continued top quality and real value, just round the corner at the Michelin-starred Glasshouse, also in Kew.

In his final review for the paper, he signs off after eight years and 385 reviews, with a restaurant he says is built to last.

The Observer's Jay Rayner enjoys the food and service, but takes issue with everything else, at Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle; while the Daily Telegraph's Jasper Gerard is charmed by the food at Age & Sons in Ramsgate, Kent.

For these reviews in full and more see What's on the menu? To book a table and view the latest restaurant deals visit Caterer Eats Out. Visit Guide Girl for the latest gossip from the fine dining world.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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