Royal Academy restaurant 'far from a work of art'

AA Gill finds the Royal Academy restaurant, operated by Peyton Byrne, is far from a work of art and the menu is making promises the kitchen isn't up to keeping.

The Sunday Times food critic says while the restaurant looks good and the menus starts off well, things go horribly wrong with the main courses.

He says: "My main course of lemon sole with beetroot salad and a citrus dressing was not a nice thing. The fish was little fillets rolled into earplugs and poached until they turned into wads of nose-blown tissue paper, covered in a tasteless white cream. The citrus beetroot hadn't been introduced to the fish and apparently disliked it as much as I did."

Meanwhile, the Guardian's John Lanchester says Stevie Parle's food at the Dock Kitchen is good but inconsistent. "Whoever cooked that can cook. Overall, though, I was disappointed by the Dock Kitchen, which I suspect was having an off day," he complains.

The Independent's Lisa Markwell says Dinner by Heston Blumenthal lives up to the hype, while writing in the Observer, Jay Rayner says that although it may stand in the shadow of Dinner, Chabrot holds its own with classic French cooking.

Finally, the Daily Telegraph's Matthew Norman gives two cheers for the burgermeisters of buzz after visiting Les Deux Salons, while writing for the Times, Giles Coren reviews the Grazing Goat where he finds nice food but rather steep prices.

For these reviews in full and more, see What's on the menu? Visit Guide Girl for the latest gossip from the fine dining world.

By Kerstin Kühn

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