Andy Lynes

The Telegraph is a Conservative broadsheet and it's readers would certainly be amongst those who could afford to go, I just have a feeling that not many of them will. In fact, I can't imagine who will be willing to pay those sort of prices with anything like sufficient regularity to keep the place open. Bet there's a re-think within 6 months. It'll be turned into a function room or a private cinema or something.

A review for people with no intention of eating there, just something to read on the train. Or the toilet.

Matthew, great effort in getting the menu onto the site. Now all we need is the instruction manual that goes with.

I went shortly after the refurb in January this year. £55.00 for 8 courses sounds like good value to me compared to their al a carte prices. I think Shane Osbourne is a talented cook and some of the things I ate were really superb, especially the canapes. If they manage to maintain that standard through your meal, it will be outstanding.

I am going to The Merchant House tomorrow and was just looking at the wine list which you can see here. It does seem to be incredibly well priced especially compared to London prices. At the lower end, he is selling Isabel Estate Sauv Blac for £17.50 which will cost you £34.00 at Chez Bruce. It retails at around £11.00 at my local wine shop. I'm not sure about the higher end of the list, but mark up do generally seem to be less than greedy.

Tony, be very interested to know Chez Max goes. We took the kids there when it was Parisienne Chophouse after an afternoon at the Science Museum and was disappointed to be at one of only two occupied tables. I had hoped to give the kids a taste of what dinning out in London is like. Food was very indenti-kit Marco, although well executed. I didn't like the basement room very much but I'm sure it's a different space when it's busy.

Well, that's cured my addiction to pork scratchings then. Thanks Thom. I think.

Your also quite handy for the newly refurbed Fifth Floor and dare I suggest it Racine on the Old Brompton Road.

Bistro 190 got a drubbing in Hardens (not that it's the bible or anything) and I haven't heard anything positive about the place recently. Anyone been? I went a very long time ago when AWT still owned it and hated it. But that's hardly relevent now I suppose. Just thought I'd tell you.

Yes, It's Zaika at 1 Kensington High Street http://www.zaika-restaurant.co.uk

You could also consider The Tenth restaurant at The Royal Garden Hotel which is not that well known but got all 2's in last years Harden's guide and is considered a hidden gem. More details here : http://www.royalgardenhotel.co.uk .

The crucial point has got to be is it any good. We're not going to get the chance to find out now, at least for a while. As this is the second UK venture that has fallen through for Trotter, I wonder whether he has his own misgivings about expanding outside of Chicago?

I think they've spread the risk by having a brasserie and a bar which won't depend too much on Gagnaire's name and reputation. But who in their right minds will pay the reported £100 a head food cost only to eat in the "fine dining" room, even if they do know who Gagnaire is? I would love to give the place a go, but I really cannot justify that sort of money. Perhaps I'll pop in for an overpriced bottle of Becks and a nose around the place one day.

Hands up who's got reservations for Sketch.

The exact lettering I saw when this was first launched was hospi+al, I assume the idea being a red cross takes the place of the "t". Dead clever eh? I'm disapointed that it won't now happen, although I am not 100% happy with the idea of expensive restaurants cloning themselves around the globe as I've said elsewhere on this site. But it was going to be CT's right hand man heading up the kitchen which counts for something.

Bad news I'm afraid http://www.caterer.com/news/articledetail....articleID=45836

I would like to see him continue to knock out the classics, but at a price I can afford. I ate at both La Tante Claire locations and had excellent meals both times, although service was better first time around. The restaurant pretty much doubled in size with the move and that maybe something PK never got to grips with after so long in a smaller place (that is total guesswork though). As Tony has said, it's more about the uptight ambiance than the food, although Matthew's recent experience and PK's comments in the press would seem to reflect the fact that he can't wait to get out of the place. He has afterall been effectively sacked by the hotel to be replaced by a younger man. I would assume he is not feeling at his most motivated under those cirumstances.

I would certainly like to see that happen, and will be first in the queue if it does. He's done three star independent restaurant (which is no longer a viable option as I think has already been discussed), he's done "we're in a hotel but pretend we're not really", why not chef/parton of a medium sized/low overheads/minimal or no investors required/ I'll take all the profits thank you very much cash cow to see him to retirement? In the right location at the right price point, I'm sure he could make it work without having to worry if people know his name or not.

Stein's continued success has a lot to do with his celebrity status via is numerous BBC TV programmes. The Schwabs don't have that advantage.

Yes. Morel and sweetbread cornish pasties.

The Capital does have a hotel full of US businessmen and tourists to keep it going, it is part of a group so can swop customers with The Greenhouse and Peoples Palace to a certain extent. Chavot has appeared on tele once or twice but didn't appear too comfortable with it I'd have to say. I think the future for PK is away from the Michelin star circuit. He should do basic, unadorned South West cooking at reasonable prices somewhere outside the West End where set up costs will be less alarming and coin it in before he retires.

"The Individual Restaurant Company - trying to have our cake and eat it".

That's the best example of doublethink I've seen recently. Hilarious.

Yes, when it was owned by Max Rezland, who is taking over the space that is currently the Parisienne Chophouse very soon BTW. Classic French cooking really, wasn't overly impressed, but it did get a Michelin star.

It strikes me as an odd list, but obviously a reflection of where Harden's contributors have been eating out. Has anyone eaten at Restaurant One - 0 - One? I've never been tempted I have to say, odd location and very open, like eating in a goldfish bowl I would have thought (you can view the interior here http://www.toptable.co.uk/Details.cfm?rcode=OOSH#).