Andy Lynes

Probably your best bet I would think. I usually go to the pub next door - I think its called the Wagon and Horses, but you wouldn't call that romantic! The bar at Benares is really nice (no views though) and that is literally around the corner. I've eaten twice at The Square this year and had two really outstanding meals - some of the bet food I've ever had there. I haven't had an issue with the portion sizes.

42 next January but with a mental age of 16.

I'll see your 12 and raise you 4 (plus another 7 of living in sin).

Click here to see inside Gordon Ramsay

Yes, its fully illustrated in colour. The photos are really clear and beautifully shot in natural light.

From Humble Pie, Gordon Ramsay's autobiography published in the UK 2 October 2006: "Thomas Keller, the American chef, has two lots of three stars." The Michelin Guide San Francisco: Bay Area and Wine Country 2007 was published 4 October 2006. A lucky guess by Ramsay?

I second that suggestion and would add that you are also two tube stops and a short walk from The Ledbury in Notting Hill where I recently had an outstanding meal. They have a set menu at lunch as well and a great wine list.

Racine The Thread. Although the last post on this thread was over a year ago, from a recent look at the menu things are still pretty much the same now as they were then. I did note a definate rise in prices but thats to be expected I suppose. Racine used to be a real bargain but it now priced more in accordance with other restaurants at this level. I must go back!

I couldn't disagree more. I think those recipes stand the test of time extremely well. I recently had the privilege to see a copy of one of the first hand-written menu's from Harvey's in 1987 and I wanted to eat everything on it. It seemed so modern that if I hadn't have known its derivation I would have said it was from a current London restaurant.

Be surprised...

Better, worse, or typographical error? ← That should definately read "not unreasonable"! Unfortunately my 24 hour edit window has passed so I can't edit the original text. Thanks for picking up on that.

Just received my copy of David's book. On the basis of a first swift look through and glimpse of Lisa Barber's stunning photographs I would say that it's an important book in the way that White Heat was 20 years ago. It reveals a singular culinary vision. I don't think anyone else thinks about food in quite the same way that David does, no one dresses plates in quite the same way or combines ingredients in the particular manner that David does. I think the book will seal Le Champignon's international reputation and may well have many chefs quaking in their boots. I think David's unstinting dedication to his craft over 20 years makes a comparison to Alain Chapel unreasonable. I don't imagine that I'll be atempting many of the dishes from the book, but I do think that a close reading will inform my cooking and the way I think about food and how I judge restaurant cooking at the highest level. Surely that third star can't be far away?

If you haven't already seen it, Dan's book The Handmade Loaf is outstanding.

I think you've got sub editor Suzanne Bloohn to thank for that.

I know the writer is venting his pent up anger for comic effect, but I think that is going too far. Maybe I've had a humour bypass but I find that to be unnecessarily unpleasant.

Andy...Andyyy......it was a joke, I take it back......OK..... ← OK. I'll keep the sig line for the moment though, there's just something about that form of words that appeals to me.

Restaurant Girl from the Enoteca Barbone review - "This is a great dish because they give you a piece of orange with it." Nice.

Thanks for the clarification, I thought that must have been the case.

John, I can't see any other occupied tables in your photos - was it a quiet service or were you eating unusually late?

Altelier is on the ground floor, Le Cuisine in on the first floor. Being stuck down a road of the main drag hasn't hurt The Ivy, Atelier's near neightbour. Cocoon is still open isn't it? Is it doing bad business?

Try this thread for many more suggestions.

Try www.pied-a-terre.co.uk.

I hope you'll excuse a rather blatant, a possibly unappetitsing bit of self promotion, but I'm very excited to say that my first piece for the magazine will appear in the October edition, a feature on British meat pies.

Got my copy on Monday but not sure when its actually published. Over 400 full colour pages, as up to date as an annual guide could possibly be (full entry for La Noisette for example), every ethnic cuisine covered you could imagine and nice little extras like chef and restaurateur interviews scattered in amongst the reviews. the dozens of contributors include the usual impressive line up of respected experts like Terry Durack, Fushia Dunlop, Roopa Gulati, Jenni Muir, Ian Fenn and of course consultant editor Guy Dimond who is no slouch when it comes to Asian cuisine. Not a bad deal for eleven quid. I haven't had time to give a the whole thing a close look, but on the downside, I found some of the reviews in the hotels and haute cuisine section rather gushing. When your thinking about spending upwards of £100 a head, fairly meaningless cliches like "staff glide around like guardian angels" (The Capital) and a frankly unsupportable claim that "Ever since (1967) Le Gavroche has not just dominated the London restaurant scene, but has drawn food lovers from across the globe." don't really help. I would also guess from the write up that restaurant Gordon Ramsay (which is not allocated a red star which indicates "very good indeed" this time around) was not visited by the guide this year.

Not a specific recommendation, but you'll be close to Spitalfields market which has turned into something of a foodie heaven in recent times. Well worth a look Spitalfields website. I ate by myself at Canteen recently and very much enjoyed it - it's British, that most negelected and derided ethnic cuisine.