The Observer - 27 July
Harriet Lane has lunch at Marcus Wareing's new "bistro" Fleur, London SW1
Remembering the shock and awe inspired by P‚trus, it's almost disappointing to report that there is nothing at Fleur to scare the horses; no, not even the bill, which seemed, in the context of St James's, almost reasonable. But that glass of pink Champagne, the only item chosen without checking the price, cost the same as my sea bass. Cheeky. Just as well we refused the wine list.
(Lunch for two £100)
The Sunday Times - 27 July
Giles Coren at Fleur, London SW1
The wine list has been downscaled from the P‚trus days - nothing more expensive than a small car. The service is less fussy - falling napkins sometimes touch the floor before the SWAT team arrives. It's great. Not a bum mouthful in the place. It will do well. Whether or not St James is the place to achieve Caprice-level must-havvery about reservations, I don't know.
(Rating 7/10. Lunch for two about £100)
TimeOut - 30 July
Guy Dimond, also at Fleur, London SW1
We loved the cooking here: pricey, perhaps, but worth it for those special occasions. It helps that Fleur has a menu where the dishes described are exactly what arrives on the plate - how rare is that? Lamb's sweetbreads were delicate and perfectly saut‚d, the other flavours (lardons of bacon, tarragon velout‚) complementing the delicate pancreatic tissue perfectly. Dish presentation was stunning - a terrine of vegetables was a mosiac of bright colours and drizzles. Luxury ingredients include lobster - the most expensive main course at £18 - which is served with braised cabbage, al dente ravioli and a lobster and port jus, the flavours intense and well-judged.
The Independent - 26 July
Tracey MacLeod visits Garry Hollihead's restaurant with rooms Inn on the Green, Cookham Dean, Berkshire
A cairn of spun tagliatelle, topped with a single scallop, rose from a tomato-bisque sauce. When toppled, the pasta tower disgorged chunks of sweet lobster meat. "I think the sauce might be quite rich," Harry bleated, loosening first his belt, then his shoelaces, as pasta and cream expanded to fill the space available. So that's why they call it Sauce Americaine: because it makes you feel fat and disagreeable.
(Dinner for two £140-£180)
The Daily Telegraph - 26 July
Jan Moir thinks the head chef of the Abbey restaurant, Penzance, Cornwall, is "fantastic"
I love the summer simplicity of scallops just toastily seared and served with a salsa cruda and peppery rocket, and the care that goes into preparing a home-made lemon and chive mayonnaise. Everything is done brilliantly well, from the split-second timing of the fish to the cool cucumber chutney served with a richly flavoured smoked haddock souffl‚. And how incredibly refreshing to find a talented chef who is prepared to buy the best, let it speak for itself where necessary, and put together a simple but skilful modern menu aimed at pleasing the crowds and giving value for money, instead of gratifying the kitchen worthies and generally showing off. Great stuff.
(Dinner for two, excluding drinks and service, costs £56)