Reviews, Guides & Maps
What’s coming in September.
More posts on top London destination restaurants this month, including
and lots more posts from our Australian correspondent, covering some interesting venues down under including a couple of the fine dining restaurants in Orange NSW, an area known for its Restaurants, Vineyards and Farmers Markets.
Birthday lunch at Texture – rather over did it, going for champagne cocktails, tasting menu and matching wines, cheese board and more wine. The Food was of a high standard and the Wines were all very, very good. Maybe a little too good as I definitely suffered for my overindulgence later that day. This level of fine dining comes at a cost (physically and financially), next time definitely going for the very reasonable set lunch at £22.00.
The menu we had included a delicious Heritage Tomato (or Heirloom Tomato as they are known in the US) salad, my favorite Texture dish – Anjou Pigeon with, sweetcorn and bacon popcorn, a rather moorish Icelandic Cod dish and a very refreshing Strawberry Textures Moscatel sabayon.
The presentation and menu choices included in the Tasting Menu were not as effective as those on our earlier visit (see Texture – something good from Iceland), but eating at Texture is certainly a pleasure. Looking forward to returning in the not too distant future.
Acontraluz is part of the successful Grupo Tragaluz. It’s situated in a pretty suburban area near Sarria and far enough off the beaten track not to be mistaken for a tourist destination. We have been here several times over the years for lunch.
It’s a pleasant, relaxing venue. You would normally need to book as it is popular with the well healed locals. It’s also not the easiest place to find.
Marks out of 10
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5.4
Update : August 2012 : What have they done with their web site – very weird : – Acontraluz
OK so it is still Summer, but champagne brunch in the Winter Garden at The Landmark Hotel is just too good to resist.
It’s 3 hours of non stop champagne and access to an extensive buffet containing a wide variety of lovely dishes.
You can go for breakfast, perhaps have an omelette from the Omelette station, or go for typical brunch dishes like Eggs Benedict. There was also a lovely fish pie, lots of salmon dishes, and a really good range of sea food and sushi. If you prefer Lunch to Brunch, you also have soups and roasts.
For those of us with a sweet tooth, this place is an absolute delight, as there is no skimping on the dessert selection either. Desserts included a chocolate fountain, sorbets and ice cream, tarlets, fruit and cakes off all sorts. I especially loved the marmalade meringues and the cup cakes.
In fact to really appreciate what’s on offer here, it is best to make this the only meal of the day.
The venue is lovely too.
This has to be one of the best brunch spots in London.
Marks out of 10
Food 7
Service 7
Ambience 7
My last visit to 40|30 Restaurant at the Gherkin was in January, long enough a gap in my view. So it was back again with a group of friends to enjoy a night out in the one of the “COOLest venues of the Noughties“.
So is it still “Cool”? – Absolutely.
This place has substance and style, there is no question that 40|30 is continuing to delivering first class food in a first class venue.
The menu was both interesting and varied, some classic food combinations and some more surprising ones. My main course of Pork belly with Black Pudding doughnuts was just stunning and the cheese cake with celery of all things, was another standout.
For food of this calibre in such a world class location, 2 courses at £39.50 and 3 courses at £47.50 is such a good deal (especially as it includes an amuse bouche and a pre dessert). The wine list is extensive but there are sufficient bottles under £40 to ensure that it is not too daunting.
You could tell by the empty plates at our table just how much we all enjoyed the food.
It was with great anticipation that we headed down to The Public Dining Room at Balmoral beach. The dining room is beautifully located, with views of the Ocean and Balmoral Pier. It’s modern glass fronted look, maximises the ocean views.
To add to our anticipation, the occasion that took us there was a food and wine tasting diner organised by Henshke Wines to promote their Lenswood range of wines. It’s no secret that Henschke are one of my favourite Vineyards, and to this day, I find it extremely difficult to find fault with any wine that they produce.
MENU WITH MATCHING WINES:-
Soup of turnips, champagne, avruga caviar – 2009 Henschke Julius Eden Valley Rielsing
Tortellini of scallop mousse, seared scallop, broad beans and tomatoes, verjuice emulsion – 2009 Henschke Lenswood Littlehampton Innes Pinot Gris
Slow braised, deboned chicken thigh, confit egg yolk, brioche crumbs, chervil – 2007 Henschke Lenswood Croft Chardonnay
Poached hapuka fillet, lentil ragout, parsnip, red wine jus – 2008 Henschke Lenswood Giles Pinot Noir
Golden plains pork belly, parsley puree, roast chestnuts, peas, spiced salt – 2007 Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz
Twelve hour braised veal cheek, creamed polenta blanco, brussel sprout leaves, pine nuts, lemon – 2007 Henschke Lenswood Abbotts Prayer Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Strawberry lamington, coconut sorbet, strawberry salad and soup, basil – Henschke Muscat of Tappa Pas
We arrived a little early, and after checking in at the main desk, we were pointed at a table, and told to take any seat. Once seated, we had a great deal of trouble getting a waiters attention for some aperitifs, which was disappointing! Somehow we expected something much better from this restaurant.
The amuse bouche, a warm soup of Turnips with champagne and topped with Caviar was mouth watering leading us to expect big things to come! Sadly the course that followed seemed to set the precedent for the rest of the evening. The tortellini of scallop was dry, and the four components of the dish appeared to be randomly plonked on the plate. I couldn’t work out what chopped tomatoes, and boiled beans were doing on this plate at all! The verjuice emulsion that should have brought the components of this dish together, seemed sadly evident as only a smudge on the plate. Very disappointing.
The courses that followed, were similarly either dry, or lacking in a sauce or even missing components completely. Lovely moist chicken, accompanied by an over cooked egg, again very dry and lacking a sauce to bring it together. The following courses were notable for over cooked fish, lovely soft pork belly again missing a sauce, and missing the parsley puree completely, even the veal cheek was missing the pine nuts.
Our saving grace was the delicious wines, and good company. The wine did appear to be well matched with the food, but every one I spoke to on the night seemed to concur that the food was generally dry and lacking something. Inconsistent plates, and missing components makes me think that the Public Dining room are attempting to take on too much, and that organising a food and wine matching for 85 people is well beyond the restaurant’s capabilities to cope.
It maybe unfair to judge the restaurant on this evening, however I have no desire to return, a feeling shared by many of my fellow diners.
Marks out of 10
Food 3.9
Service 4.1
Ambience 7.5