Yauatcha, 15 Broadwick Street, London

Awarded a Michelin star in 2005 and retaining one ever since, Alan Yau now has two top draw restaurants in his portfolio in Hakkasan and Yauatcha.  Yauatcha delivers a stylish update to the oriental tea house serving classic and contemporary dim sum right throughout the day.

Located in the backwaters of Soho, Yauatcha isn't the easiest place to find, but there's no mistaking its sleek blue glass exterior once you arrive. From the outside, you're offered a tantalising glimpse of beautifully crafted single desserts laid out in orderly rows, already signalling a departure from the traditional dim sum experience.

Yauatcha's dim sum is edgy and original with a contemporary twist applied to old classics with some surprising results. Given the sophisticated surroundings, this is dim sum for the discerning diner. During the daytime, Yauatcha draws crowds of London's young trendy urbanites taking a break from the nearby Oxford Street shopping. Evening time gives way to small groups and couples it seems, revelling in the buzzy atmosphere. Make sure you book a table downstairs to make the most of the moody underground bar/club feeling.

Playing a classy riff on the traditional dim sum experience, Yauatcha lands firmly on the must-try list for those who enjoy high quality Chinese cuisine in an equally sophisticated setting.

0871 971 3443

Buen Arye, 50 Broadway Market, London

Broadway Market’s Argentinian steakhouse sticks to the formula that has kept it jam-packed from day one. Trying to snag a table without a reservation is close to pointless it seems, being sat close to the doorway a minimum of 15 walk-ins were turned away.

Its USP is meant to be its asado (barbecue), where Irish-Argentinian owner John Rattagan tends to the coals & the grass-fed, dictionary-thick, pampas-reared steaks. The parilladas (tabletop braziers) for two are carnivorous heaven, particularly the top end version loaded with good sized pieces of rib-eye, rump, provolone cheese, superlative black pudding and spicy Argentinian style sausages.

The whole operation is patriotic through and through, from the Maradona photo on the wall to the Quilmes beer. The wine list in particular is one to commend as a lot of meaty establishments still over cater for the white wine lovers of the world. At Buen Arye, it's clear to see that they see big, bold and bulky reds fit to be served alongside the dishes they produce.

Not everyone is in love with it, however. Complaints about ‘sloppy’, disinterested service, high prices (chips at £4.50), inconsistency & the single unisex toilet come through periodically.

020 7275 9900

Great Queen Street, 32 Great Queen Street, London

If you need a good, quick, wholesome bite to eat then this is place for you. Like it's older brother The Anchor & Hope, the eatery prides itself on the hearty food that it offers. The kitchen pays proper attention to bringing the best out of prime ingredients. Try a textbook version of Arbroath smokie with cream & chives or a steak and kidney pie for two to share.

Simple menu descriptions and stripped-down, maroon-walled decor make it accessible to everyone and anyone who loves food. The wine list is not very extensive but it doesn't need to be, having the option of a carafe is something that a lot of the larger the restaurants now offer and works well for both the customer and the restaurant.


The service is young and personable, and there’s generally a very happy buzz about the place. The one thing that draws me to like this establishment is it's Sunday lunch session, where diners sit and are all served together.

Bread - just keeps coming - make sure to leave room for the main!
Staff - unfussy and down to earth
Overall - booking is recommended - it's better than it's sister restaurant (The Anchor & Hope, Waterloo)
020 7242 0622

Sketch, The Lecture Room, 9 Conduit St, London

It’s almost impossible to arrive at Sketch without some preconceptions - tales of £70 starters have run rife since Pierre Gagnaire’s London venture first opened its doors. These days the prices have come down to earth a little but this extraordinary venue continues to open up opinions.

Given its unique film set chic, the clientele who were dining with us were surprisingly formal; businessman and post work goers were all present. The service is slick, typically European and compliments the environment you’re in brilliantly.

The food is traditionally French and oozes Gagnaire’s style, but avoids the charge of being stuck in the past that can be leveled at many other by-the-book Gallic establishments. Familiar dishes are given a modern twist with hip, international ingredients; surprising flavours sit alongside simpler tastes (for example chocolate with fillet steak) and while it may not be to everyone’s taste, Sketch Gallery certainly puts your taste buds through their paces, and in thoroughly enjoyable fashion.

Neither as expensive nor as exclusive as some would have you believe, this is event -dining of the highest order. Get your boss on side, sweet-talk the in-laws or drop in for a special date: just go, just once and be proud London can boast somewhere this chic.

Bread – numerous types to choose from and stylishly served
Staff – professional and hold themselves well, good sommelier
Overall - inimitably cool, impeccably turned out and perfectly prepared
0872 261 0019

Umu, 14-16 Bruton Place, Mayfair, London

The highest form of kaiseki hails from the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto, so I was very excited about Umu, the UK's first Kyoto-style restaurant. It was opened by the big spending Marc group that are clearly having fun trying to play restaurant monopoly.

After hearing stories of how the Japanese vegetables and wild fish are being flown from Japan, and that the chef insists on cooking with specially imported Japanese water because London water is too harsh, I had been expecting a meal of breathtaking perfection. Instead, my breath was taken away by yawning.

Umu is a very strange restaurant, in part luxurious and stimulating, and in part boring and somewhat difficult. The vast wine list seems inappropriate to the food served. Some of the staff were charming and helpful, others seemed almost out of their depth.

If Japanese cuisine is what you like though the restaurant is worth a visit but you cannot help but think that you’re spending money unwillingly when round the corner is The Square offering a lot more of an all round dining style.

Bread – nowhere to be seen
Staff – uncomfortable and act as if they haven’t been briefed properly
Overall – technically prepared cuisine served in nervy surroundings
020 7499 8881

The Ledbury, 127 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London

Gramercy Tavern, 42 E. 20th Street, New York

With it's Pottery Barn-style decor, lively but unobtrusive atmosphere and immensely knowledgable front of house staff, Gramercy Tavern has to be one of Danny Meyer's archetypal eateries.

Judging from other people's opinions and experiences this restaurant doesn't seem to dissapoint on a regular basis. New York is blessed with a huge number of great restaurants and restaurateurs but this is the place where everyone talks about.


The chef, Michael Anthony seems to be conducting his very own show on the big-city stage with the right reasons in mind. The combination of simple produce cooked in straight forward, yet effective means results in a lavish and throughly enjoyable feast. Anthony is an expert in the delicate arts of poaching and braising. These two methods of cooking are well recognised current trends but what differentiates chefs that use these methods beyond practice is what produce they use.



The menu, filled with subtle, slightly rustic creations is unlike no other I've encountered. The one thing that's obvious is that Danny Meyer has instilled the importantance of staying with the American approach to cooking, the appointment of Anthony portrays that. There was nothing fancy about the food but it was presented in brilliant fashion. What you read from the menu is what you got but every dish felt like it had been thought about fanatically in terms of the balance of flavours, what aromas complemented others and what textures could be used to mostconfuse your senses (within reason of course).

The entire experience was pleasurable as the staff seemed to provide the service so effortlessly. You can see why New Yorkers continue to dine at this restaurant. Even though it holds a worldwide reputation, it somehow manages to keep it's local feel. If you visit the Big Apple, visit Gramercy Tavern.

Bread - numerous styles, served and explained brilliantly, enough said
Staff - brilliant
Overall - be sure to book in advance (Opentable is your best bet), is up there with The Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge.
(212) 477-0777

Assaggi, 39 Chepstow Place, London

No restaurant frontage, no signs, no website and no brand identity. If the owners of Assaggi wanted to hide this establishment away from the public eye, they couldn't have been more successful, but this is what makes it brilliant. Tucked away down an alley and sat on top a separately run pub is one of London's finest Italian secrets.


The decor is typically Sardinian and at times, you really do expect an old Italian woman to come out and shout at her employees! What you come here for is the food and the service. Letting the decor standards slip in comparison to that of the food and the service in a restaurant can sometimes be suicide but if the food's that good, you can get away with it.

The 35-bin list of Italian wines may be small, but it reflects the remarkable diversity of the country’s wine production very effectively. There are rich wines from Sicily & fragrant classics from the north, with every area in-between getting a look-in. It's one of the most comprehensively put together lists from a particular area I've seen.

Bread - the best place in London for crusty white/brown, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Staff - family run, efficient and very hospitable
Overall - if you can find the place, you're in for a winner
020 7792 9033

Hakkasan, 8 Hanway Place, London

Hakkasan can be confident of its place among London’s elite restaurants. The kitchen has a Michelin star making the punters flock here for an exquisite ‘modern authentic’ Cantonese style of cuisine. As much about fashion as gastronomy, the glamorous subterranean dining room is imbued with a sultry vibe that’s enhanced by moody indigo lighting and is best suited to night time or lunch on dark winter days.

It is hard not to be enamoured by the sultry enclave of chinoiserie that is this underground restaurant, where sleek staff glide out of the shadows carrying all manner of elegantly presented modern Chinese fare.

La Trompette, 5-7 Devonshire Rd, Chiswick

All you have to do nowadays is to know what the London dining public want, then give it to them and charge shedloads of money. La Trompette have clearly figured out what the affluent Chiswick crowd out but have forgotten to charge the shedload of cash?



Little has changed at La Trompette since it opened: something worth celebrating when so much here is so right. The food is the big draw. A starter of quail stuffed with ham and mushrooms, inside a glazed pastry case, was a humbling delight on a sweet and sticky Madeira sauce; large ravioli, plump with crab and scallop, were light and fresh. A duck breast and richer leg confit with foie gras were balanced with grilled chicory and sharp tasting cherries. The menu is priced so that three courses are only slightly more expensive than two, which makes the puddings seem a bargain. There's a notably strong wine list too with a the most helpful of sommeliers to guide you.

The Spotted Pig, 314 W. 11th Street, New York

Being a gastro-pub, The Spotted Pig strives to serve simple yet upscale food. This upscale food though is perhaps some of the best in New York.

Whoever adds Roquefort to a burger and serves shoestring chips alongside is gonna make the headlines - especially if it's actually a good one - and in my opinion it's a fantastic dish.

The Spotted Pig is an oddity of a restaurant featuring a deliberately distressed look: three small floors, totally vertical. It’s dark, cramped, and has stools instead of chairs which, allows for a little more flexibility when customers have to fill the gaps during busy times. The vibe that gives out the impression of being a warm, comfortable establishment works and is backed up with the British comfort food and well thought of wine list.



I had one of my most memorable meals here when I visited New York and after some research have just found out that April Bloomfield, the Chef, has created a new restaurant called The John Dory!



Bread - Went extremely well with the beer - hearty!
Staff - All you needed was at hand at this gastropub.
Overall - You have to visit it if your in NY.
(212) 620-0393

Hereford Road, 3 Hereford Road, London

If this restaurant is not already earning itself a place in London’s culinary arsenal then I'll go and eat at fast food joints from now on. The restaurant’s chef, Tom Pemberton, former head chef at St John Bread and Wine, has a fantastic, unequivocal approach to cooking: keep it simple. Brilliantly simple.

Having eaten there three times now it's a pleasure to see almost completely different menus everytime within the period of no longer than a month. This is a restaurant suited for adventurous eaters that offers British delights. My girlfriend had calves liver with mash, sage and bacon and I can honestly say that it was the best calves liver I've had since visiting The Spotted Pig in New York this time last year.

The restaurant itself is minimalism meets Manhattan featuring red-leather booths for parties and intimate tables for two overlooking the animated open plan kitchen.

It's a great little neighbourhood eatery but it does resemble St John's style. Who can blame Tom Pemberton for replicating what he has learnt and transferring it into his own concept - it's going to be successful so all the best to him!

Bread - Winter warming, brown with good butter.

Staff - Eager to please, simple but effective style of service.

Overall - If you live in or around Notting Hill Gate make it your local.

020 7727 1144

Michelin - The Star

At the time of writing, Michelin are preparing themselves to experience a sudden demand for their guide books. The Great Britain and Ireland Michelin Guide 2009 will be the most up to date and comprehensive source of reliable information when it comes to reviewing restaurants.

Inspectors make regular and anonymous visits to restaurants chosen entirely of their own accord throughout the year to gauge the quality of products and services offered to an ordinary customer. They will settle their own bill and ask for more information about the establishment but do not necessarily have to disclose their presence.

All of the restaurants that consider themselves to be near of meeting the standards required to meet the inspector's rigourous methods of reviewing are after one thing only -



The Star.

Pied à Terre, 34 Charlotte Street, London

For me, Pied à Terre seemed a little understated. It holds two stars but didn't flaunt them until the food came out. The food is contemporary French and was beautifully presented using some some fine produce, textures and a variety of flavour combinations.



The interior compared well to the food and the service was attentive. I'd go back with my girlfriend for definite. Shane Osborne has produced a fantastic little restaurant here.

Bread - Very Good, Guinness and Star Anis...yes!
Staff - Attentive and very welcoming.
Overall - It enters my top ten dining experience chart.
020 76361178

St John, 26 St John Street, London

There are more things to eat between the nose and the tail of a pig than are dreamt of in St John's philosophy. I ventured to Smithfield to expand my culinary vocabulary. Pig time.

Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver opened St. JOHN in October 1994. The former smokehouse, situated around the corner from London's Smithfield Market had fallen in to serious disrepair since ham and bacon smoking ceased in 1967.




Critical acclaim for Fergus's brand of simple, paired down cooking set in an architecturally though simple setting followed and St. John has won more that it's fair share of awards and high rankings in national and international listings.

Fergus is now a published chef: Nose to Tail Eating - A Kind of British Cooking, first published in 1999 and re-published both in the UK and the U.S. (as The Whole Beast) gained much acclaim and won the Andre Simon award for food writing.


When dining here, we ended up having four courses. The Roasted Bone Marrow, Caper and Parsley Salad is worldclass. The staff are proud of what they offer and, like Bread and Wine, showcase what can be done to create old fashioned recipes.

Bread - Good, solid and wholesome.
Staff - Passionate, proud and hold plenty of personality.
Overall - Great experience - like no other in London.
St John - 020 7553 9842

Good Restaurant?

Successful restaurants offer a seamless dining experience.

For me, part of the fun in eating out is the fact that it’s an unhurried social experience, with plenty of time to interact with your dining companions. There’s something truly brilliant about a restaurant setting that encourages relaxed conversation and enjoyment of food and wine. This doesn't seem like a lot to ask but it can be hard to find at times. More than a few ingredients have to be visible to enable a pleasurable culinary experience.

Restaurants

"Tell the cook of this restaurant with my compliments that these are the very worst sandwiches in the whole world, and that when I ask for a watercress sandwich I do not mean a loaf with a field in the middle of it."

— Oscar Wilde

The beauty of restaurants. Restaurants are businesses that rely upon the consistency of their products. If the product is a good one then you may have yourself the right formula, balance and concept but if not, you will certainly find out about it the hard way.