Andy Lynes

Couldn't make the launch today due to work committments so haven't heard what's in there yet. Hopefully someone will send me a copy (he hinted).

Prices are listed under "Information" at Gordon Ramsay's website. Greenhouse and Tom Aikens are £10 cheaper for a la carte (£60 as opposed to £70).

No news, no rumours, no sightings...damn!

My turn to plead ignorance now - what's an oyster shooter? Certainly not on the copy of the Bentley's menu that I've seen.

That might help! Apologies. Its at 11-15 Swallow Street, London W1. Tel: 020 7734 4756. If your walking along Regent Street from Picacdilly Circus towards Oxford Street, you'll see the sign on your left after about 400 yards. It should be a bit of a Graveyard spot as its tucked away from view and its very unlikely that you would just walk past it, but I understand that the restaurant has been going for well over 30 years and has been fully booked since it re-opened.

If you get there quick, you'll probably find Richard Corrigan himself manning the oyster bar at Bentley's which opened this week. A selection of half a dozen rocks and natives will set you back 12.00, as will the same amount of cherry clams. Fish soup at 6.25 comes with crouton, rouille but definately no cheese and a whole cornish crab (14.00) with homemade mayo. The main dining room upstairs is due to open Monday.

When was your last meal at The Square?

If I ever form another punk band, that's what I'm going to call it.

Unless you happen to open in New York. ← Or Rock in Cornwall. Or Dartmouth in Devon.

Me too, the launch party is on 30 November.

As the guide has gone to press, I don't think its too early to be thinking about this now. Here's my guesses: Aubergine 2 stars Le Poussin at Whitely Ridge 1 star The Ledbury 1 star Ynyshir Hall 1 star Apicius 1 star

Pithivier savoyard - potato gratin wrapped in parma ham and enclosed in pastry - is often on the menu at Chez Bruce. Chocolate pithivier is Simon Hopkinson's version of a Michel Guerard dessert and has, I believe, been on the Bibendum menu since day one (ie 1987).

Don't mean to gang up on you Jay, but my wife would like to know how you sear a scallop with cauliflower puree.

The new edition of the Bridgestone Guide has been dedicated to the memory of Robbie Millar. The Shanks website still says that the restaurant is closed.

You can get back copies of the paper here : Indie backcopies.

With the likes of Rory Bremner bigging up your restaurant, maybe you won't need to resort to pr after all. (The comedian chose Allium as his favourite restaurant in the Independent on Sunday's Compact Traveller section today. "Its a combination of good British and Continential cooking with a friendly atmopshere - they just keep chucking interesting stuff at you," he is quoted as saying.)

Jay Rayner and friends get the scoop on this little known restaurant.

I took my mother-in-law for an 81st birthday celebratory lunch at Ockenden on Friday. A veteran of Gordon Ramsay, Chez Bruce, The Square and Bibendum and, um, Due South in Brighton (the less said about that the better) she has pretty high standards. The glass of champagne met with approval, although she informed us that her starter of pumpkin and truffle soup was not up to Ramsay's standards. Despite claims that her appetite is not what it was and that we should expect her to leave food on her plate, a small extra course of sweetbreads with celeriac puree, spinach and wild mushrooms with maderia jus disappeared at an alarming rate. Main course of smoked haddock, poached egg, leek fondue, chorizo and red wine sauce was also snaffled up. She passed on some excellent chesse (the liverot was particularly outrstanding) but vanilla cream (panacotta) with fresh orange and chocolate sorbet saw her tipping the bowl to get the last drop of melted sorbet. Oyster and smoked salmon beignets with creme friache and rocket was a truly great dish served straight from the deep fryerwith perfectly crisp batter. A pressed tomato terrine may have been a tad unseasonal but the friut had great colour and flavour, enhanced by a quenelle of tapenade and a couple of goats cheese fritters. Lemon tart could have come off the pages of Nico Ladenis's cook book, not surprising as ex-Nico at 90 chef Martin Hadden was on the pastry section that day. Lunch menu was a very reasonable £19.50 for three courses while a lovely bottle of St Veran cost just under £30.00. Coffee was accompanied by some very impresive petit four presented on a plate with "Happy 81st Birthday" written in chocolate around the rim, which thrilled the M-I-L no end. A glass of armagnac did the same for me. Ockenden is now a serious contender for my Birthday celebrations in January where the wife and I might be persauded to do some serious damage to the wine list whilst scoffing down the £60 tasting menu.

Quite a meal by the sounds of it and quite a bill but a perfect way to celebrate your 21st. I assume you were the last to leave at 2.30am. Were you still popular by then

But only because the French hate the British more than they hate the Yanks!

I can see where you are coming from on this now, thanks.

Why is that? ← Can you flesh that statement out a little bit for us Steven? What would you say would be the main differences?

Fans of Le Champignon should buy next weeks Caterer and Hotelkeeper when some bloke called Moby gives us a spin around David Everitt-Matthias's splendid new kitchen.

So how was it then?

Even though many avant garde restaurants hold Michelin stars?