algy

http://www.aubergebasque.com/ not sure their openings would work, but may be worth contacting if you're interested

humble pie

not for some time, surely?

had lunch there a few months ago - pretty good. I would imagine dinner would be more exciting, as I agree with the above that he's a fine "classical" chef but - Browns apart - seems to be unlucky in the surrondings in which he operates.

yes - between Christmas and New Year - superb. (You can also have larger menu too)

Surprised he's got much energy left

precisely - fellow diners of all ages can be objectionable, if their behaviour is insensitive to others.

let's play the game of "If Gregg was a vegetable, what sort of vegetable would he be?" ← I'd rather not actually, because I think there's a line between criticising someone's faults (which I am very happy to do) and personal abuse. Particularly in a public forum. Just my point of view... J ← Why should it be abusive? To a vegetarian (and other non believers) vegetables can be things of beauty.

let's play the game of "If Gregg was a vegetable, what sort of vegetable would he be?"

presupposes that he has a soul to sell. In fact, he's just the sort of mouthy moron that programme makers deem a prerequisite for any topic that benefits from the "common touch" to make it accessible to the "mass market". Patronising beyond belief, of course. PS the moron isn't a "boil on the arse of television", he is television - nose to tail. PPS when it comes to the common touch, he's non pareil

head chef - Cesar Troisgros (with a little - unobtrusive - help from Dad). It's a wonderful location - in Summer - and it will be interesting to see how his style evolves.

the suggestion that a restaurant critic could owe his appointment to nepotism is too ludicrous to contemplate.

Howard, when planning your next solo visit to The Capital, can you make an advance announcement on here? I'll make sure that I'm at the next table.

Ramsay employs a PR? I never knew that.

that type of place, but not necessarily in that order

since when did anyone care about Joe Public?

"down there" surely?

and how - small, but beautifully formed.

must have opened up a whole series of new, if short lived, menu options.

I'm sure you're right: I just hope that it's happening individually rather than collectively.

Yes we walked past it, and maybe another 3-4 MPW restaurants! The guy has quite an empire! Are they all good? ← my advice would be "keep walking".

how true. Nonetheless, there are always enough devotees of various forms of sado masochism to keep these sort of businesses going - just ask Max Mosley, he knows "good form" when he feels it.

Welcome to the UK and its legendary service culture.

I don't tip in 3 stars (or two stars or one stars). Service - normally at 12.5% - is explicitly included in the price and I've never been made to feel that not leaving more on top is ungenerous. I would suspect that other culture's habits are behind some of the generosity.

Angela Hartnetts new place The York and Albany suggests he probably did.... ← so true. I'd missed it in the great man's eloquent tour d'horizon http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2008...d-new-york.html