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To reprise my Sketch question above: do you mean the brasserie or the inner sanctum? While the former is undeniably a miserable experience, I always considered the latter okay by City standards. I accept, however, that the smell of roasted money and granita souls can be quite distracting in both venues. Can't see Skylon getting anything; the view can only distract you so much from the cooking. Meanwhile, would anticipate Texture (and, if there's any justice, Magdalen) getting rising star statusm but it's probably too early for more. ← Inner Sanctum. I though it was really dreadful and seemed like they didn't care any more. The room was a bit unkempt, bad service, ludicrously overpriced food (£30+ for mains). Stuck in a time-warp, if you're going to serve this type of food for these prices then exeuction better be spot on - it wasn't. To be fair, I haven't eaten at Skylon but I've heard some decent things. Probably the biggest reach of my predictions however. I really hope Magdalen gets one, it is certainly deserving and it'd be nice to see the most important trend in London dining over the past couple of years (the development of Modern British cuisine) recognised with a star. Of course St John deserves some form of "Lifetime Achievement Award" for starting the whole thing but I think Magdalen has taken some of St John's ideas to a different, more Michelin friendly, level and will be recognised.

To be fair, I am basing this on one meal. Just really, really, boring food ad execution was only so so.

Deductions: One Lombard Street (Has Michelin eaten there in the last 5 years? Ugh.) L’Escargot Mirabelle La Noisette (I think Bjorn has left...) Connaught to lost both of its stars? Obviously Hartnett but the Grill Room there also somehow has a star... Promotions: One O One * Rhodes W2 * Texture * Skylon * Wild Honey * (I don't think its worth it but if Arbutus has one...) Theo Randall * Magdalen * Dorchester Grill * Mint * Hibiscus ** (well deserved) The Greenhouse ** (Not sure it quite deserves it, but compared to many of the other 1* in town then probably) Thorntons ** (I heard they've sorted out their front of house) Ducasse (not rated) Quite a few new stars in London there, mostly deserved. Haven't eaten at The Sportsman but it sounds well deserving. Would love to see Ramsay @ RHR lose one but I don't see it happening. Crying shame that St John has never been recognised but probably too late now. Calls for promotions for Tom's Kitchen and La Gavroche seem rather ill-merited to me.

Just cancelled my table too. Will give it a couple of months to settle down before blowing serious bucks. On the plus side, it means I can shop at Selfridges rather than Zara for my winter coat this weekend

He wasn't in Monaco. You're mixing up Canuti and Cerruti. Canuti was the chef at Spoon in Dubai, I must admit I was sceptical as to his ability to transfer from that to head up a kitchen with aspirations of 3*. It seems Alain shared my doubts...

I had heard of his reputation as a saucier, don't think that came through on this occassion - the sauce with the lamb apart. And the orange/pumpkin sauce with the lobster was the low point in the meal.

I stopped off in San Seb for three days this summer as part of a whistlestop (literally, most of it was done on the train) tour around Europe, Russia and China. I had originally decided to focus on pintxos only on this visit (as I was keen to do a lot of surfing) but my inner glutton, envy of a friend's summer long gorgefest (I had just spent a few days in Troisgros and Lyons with him before he moved on to Bras, The French Laundry and Manresa...) and the propsect of two weeks eating Russian train food led me to book one of the multi-starred places on short notice. I ate at Mugaritz last year so was keen to try Arzak but alas I couldn't get a table (admittedly at 2 days notice). I remembered the very good write-ups Zuberoa had got on the internet, gave them a call and they agreed to squeeze me in on a late Saturday night table. Oiartzun is a tiny, fairly unremarkable, village 15 minutes drive from San Seb. Though I did partake of some rather nice cider in a sideria called Aduriz (nitro cider was in short supply so I'm guessing its not Andoni's side of the family...) Huge barrels of 6 different sharp, tangy ciders. Grab a glass and just help yourself. I spent an enjoyable half hour there and they wouldn't take any money off me. Nice guys. The main dining room is in a quite rustic, converted farmhouse with stone walls and exposed beams. there's also a beautiful terrace to the side of the hosue, wonderful on a summer's evening. Atmosphere and general service are more relaxed than you would normally find at the 2* level. For instance, there doesn't appear to be a sommelier as such and the staff (well those that could understand me anyway) were very keen on stopping to chat. To add to the lack of somellier, they have very few wines available by the glass (a major pain for a solo diner) but I got by with a glass of fino, a bottle of Belondrade y Lurton (which worked with most of the courses - and a third of which I sent to the kitchen) and a glass of red I've forgotten. Front of house were extremely friendly, its very much a family affair with the chef's brother running the show. His English was limited (though better than my Catalan) but once I told him that I had eaten at Toisgros earlier in the week he decided to choose my food and they ended up comping me the sherry, the glass of red, coffee and petit fours. I wasn't going to object... Foie gras with Pedro Ximenez and truffle Superb amuse. Very little truffle flavour (a real gripe of mine, summer truffle must be the most worthless ingredient in the world) but the lucious foie and PX combined into a very luxurious, mouth-filling flavour. Great start. Marinated tuna blini, green apple jelly and juniper ice cream They couldn't quite maintain it here. Good quality tuna and the apple worked well but the ice cream jarred for me and the coldness stopped me appreciating the tuna. Crispy Nowegian lobster with orange and pumpkin sauce Another poor dish, the sauce overpowered whatever flavour the lobster might have had (which had been cooked tempura style). Curried seafood vichysoisse with a gelatious stock of its own juices Things got back on track here. Clever techniques with a two layer soup which stayed separate until on your tongue. Very bright, clear flavours. Roast pork belly, with lentils and soy sauce The best pork belly I've tasted. Cooked sous vide and finished on the plancha, the fat just evaporated the second it hit my mouth coating my palate in porky fat. Very, very good. Poached egg, pheasant cream, mushrooms and truffles Every starred restaurant in Spain seems to need to do a slow cooked egg and this was a well executed version with present and correct custardy yolk. The pheasant cream and ceps were very good on their own but might have been a touch strong for the egg. Fillet of red mullet, fennell flavoured squid and summer baked beans Bit of a dip again here, just a bit of a boring dish and, outside of cassoulet, I'm not a great bean lover. Loin of lamb with green salad and smashed potatoes Ultra simple, almost gastronomically minimalist dish. Just a few, extremely rare, sices of a teeny tiny lamb. A sweep of Robuchon style puree and a few dressed leaves. Exceptionally tender meat, complimented by a few spoonfuls of the kind of gravy you wished your Mum used to make. Jellied Marc of herbs, cream cheese and orange ice cream Cocoa and Amaretto crispy with bittersweet citrus fruits Desserts didn't maintain the high levels set by the meat courses. Disappointing. The general view, and one I'd go along with, is that Zuberoa's strength is meat. Most of the fish dishes disappointed and the desserts were a bit perfunctory. Although many of the dishes sound (and look) quite traditional, it is interesting to note that sous vide, pacojets etc. are widely used in the kitchen. I had a good chat with chef Arbelaitz after dinner (through a translator) and he has certainly been very influenced by the modern Spanish movement but, rather than using the modern techniques to to create a new cuisine (a la Adria and Aduriz), he has sought to use them to improve on the existing cuisine. An interesting chat and a nice finish to a very enjoyable night.

I'd second Esarn. I went there for the first time last night and really liked it. Very authentic. Thai must be the most abused cuisine in the UK - so many cheap restaurants/pubs serving watered down stodgy pap and calling it Thai food.

So the second branch of a mid-priced restaurant we all love opens in Zone 1 and there's a collective wetting of pants. Meanwhile, the second branch of a mid-priced restaurant we all love opens in Zone 1 , to universal ambivalence. Is it just my imagination, or is this board getting a bit weird? ← Fair point. GQS is a much more exciting opening IMO. I've already been three times and have posted plenty about it. Just not here...

Well the menu may be much the same but the room is definitely an improvement. Very clubby, wood pannelled space with a few modern touches. Lovely marble topped bar at the front. Much more comfortable than Arbutus, they've done a very nice job. Things seemed to run fairly smoothly for a first night. I saw Demetre pop his head up from the kitchen at one stage lookingly exceptionally hot and bothered but it didn't show in the food. Front of house was ok, quite hard to get attention at times and I was never sure who our waiter was but between them they just about pulled it off. From the menu above we had: Soupe au pistou, Baux de provence olive oil: Good zingy flavours. Braised pigs head, potato puree, caramelised onions: Very good, one of Arbutus' best dishes successfully transplanted to Mayfair. Mackerel tartare, beetroot and horseradish: Mackerel with horseradish seems to be on every menu in London at the moment - not that I'm complaining. A very elegant plate of food with artfully cooked and cut beetroot, a beetroot puree, subtle horseradish cream and the fish (which was a little too subtle for me). Elwy valley lamb, stuffed courgette greek style : Lamb done three ways. Difficult to judge the meat as my companion ordered it medium to well... I didn't like the courgette stuffed with rice, seemed a bit 1980s wedding stylee. Much preferred the Elwy lamb with sweetbreads in Arbutus. Plaice with potato puree, brown butter, capers and brown shrimp sauce and hispi cabbage: Perfectly cooked piece of fish on top of that fantastic rich, yellow puree perfectly set off by a sharp sauce with gorgeous little shrimp. Lovely side dish of cabbage. Wild honey ice cream, crushed honeycomb: Very good. I'd never have ordered this but both the flavour and texture of the ice cream were superb. Scottish raspberries, warm lemon cream: Not so good, decent raspberries but the lemon cream lacked bite or interest. A Wild Honey cocktail (not good, prosecco with some quite nasty "vine peach" puree), a glass of Amontillado, a carafe of Riesling, three starters, two mains and two desserts plus service came to £63. Can't argue with that value and, even at full price, it would have come in under £100 which ain't bad. Not exactly exciting then (given that we've seen it all before at Arbtus) but another good mid priced restaurant in London is always welcome and there can be little doubt that it will do very well.

Just got a call back and have two spaces at the bar for 8.30pm

Not that much more to add. I thought the Guinness bread was really exceptional (and they use Echire butter). The only other starter I tried was the mackerel and smoked eel which I liked but felt the eel could have been more substantial. Starters were good overall (pigeon and langoustine dish apart). Mains included the turbot with chicken jus (first bite excellent but became very heavy and dull), the sea bass (at least I think it was sea bass, memory failing me, the least successful of the night, flabby) the lamb (not good, very bland, I didn't like the orange gremolata) and the duck (I didn't get to taste this but my friend proclaimed it delicious, so good that she waited until it was all eaten before informing the rest of us...). Desserts were a bowl of ice cream and the apple dish (which was disjointed, just didn't seem to come together). It seemed expensive to me but I am a bit out of the Dublin dining scene. London is not blessed with great mid range dining but a visit to Arbutus the week after Locks did not reflect well on the latter. Much less expensive and (although there were flaws and Lock's service and room are far better) the food at Arbutus is on a completely different level.

Just tried to get a table for two this evening (the only night I could make it this week) but they are fully booked

Hmmm, six of us had dinner in Lock's a couple of weeks ago. I got to sample a fair chunk of the menu and it fell a fair way short of brilliant. Lovely room of course and very friendly (if slightly amateurish) service. The food was disappointingly one note, however, and the cooking lacked precision. The starters were generally good (the black pudding and apple tart and the baked sheeps cheese especially) though the greasy langoustine with pigeon biscuit seemed illconceived. Mains were a step down, huge (Oirish) portions and every mouthful the same as the last, lots of reduced meat jus. Dessert didn't redeem matters. Certainly an improvement on the old Locks but I was expecting much better...

An excellent panel it must be said. And they came up with Nobu as the best restaurant in London? Really?!? This just seems completely beyond my comprehension.

Are you suggesting that some egullet members are patronising elitist restaurant snobs? Are you insane pickle? ← In compiling a list of the world's best restaurants, a little bit of elitism would not have gone astray...

I don't see this as a good thing Jon. A sloppily put together and , frankly, disingenuous, list like this getting so much mainstream coverage is not a postive thing. The average punter will read this list like this and accept it as gospel (or at least a well researched attempt at an admittedly subjective target). This annual travesty merely spreads misconceptions and lazily held untruths. Every year year well-informed members of this and other food fora point outs the list's many deficencies (which go rather far beyond subjective differences of opinion...) At this stage, I'd love to just ignore it but thats impossible given the coverage it gets. Egon Ronay's letter in today's Telegraph covers it quite nicely:

I don't follow your logic. Surely 3 rosettes = 1 star, 4 rosettes = 2 star (actually somewhere between 1 and 2 star, there are 26 4 rosette restaurants in GB & Ireland) and 5 rosettes=3 star.

Here's my high end top 10 of the year: 1. The Fat Duck 2. Sushi Yasuda 3. Michel Bras 4. Mugaritz 5. Pierre Gagnaire 6. The Ledbury 7. Suckling pig at St John 8. L'Atelier Robuchon (London) 9. WD50 10. The Greenhouse (under Bjorn) Worst flops: 1.Tom Aikens 2. Amaya 3. La Noisette 4. Foliage 5. Rousillon Special mention on a casual basis to the OA do at Tayyabs, Momofoku, Katz and pinxtos in San Sebastian.

Pierre Gagnaire tasting menus and cartes very different experiences. He admits the same himself - more controlled; set progression by chef etc. In my experience (and I've done tasting at both PG and Sketch Lecture Room the tasting menu dishes more toned down, conventional, less fun. Plus to be honest you probably get as much (if not more) variety of preparations on carte given carte style is to have 3-4 distinct preparations of an ingredient as part of each course - tasting menu dishes are just single dish in trad haute tasting style. Yes I think this debate has been had elsewhere. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who holds this view. ta J ← Thanks John. I'll try and track down those earlier discussions.

Jon, The meals Chuck, Lizzie etc. have posted about Chez Plotz all look like tasting menus to me. And they are Gagnaire vets. Time to support your view

The price limit for a bib is £27 (€38) for three courses at dinner. There's no way Chapter One qualifies! That said, Jacob's Ladder and Bang both got one and neither of them would qualify either. The Irish Bib gourmand section of the guide is very poorly informed.

Damn, I just got a no too.

And here is my take on some of my favourite casual spots in Dublin: Gruel - Deli offshoot of the Mermaid Cafe on Dame Street. The roast in a roll is amazing, roast organic meat with a selection of home made accompaniments served in a great rolls that they bake themselves: Lamb with apricot chutney or mint pesto, beef with red pesto or horseradish, pork with crackling and apple sauce. Also very good soups and brownies. If the sun is out get a takeaway and go sit in the garden behind Dublin Castle (a secret gem, no-one knows about it) across the road. - Elephant & Castle - Very popular, casual American-style spot in Temple Bar. The spicy chicken wings are incredible, burgers and chips are very good. Go for the Elephantburger - curried sour cream, melted cheddar, scallions or the stiton burger. Salads are great too - especially the crispy calamari or the pear, hazelnut and stilton. No bookings. Show up, put your name down and then go for a pint while you're waiting for your table. - Food market in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar on a Saturday - It's a small but perfectly formed market. If the sun is out take your booty to Dublin Castle's garden as above. -Maison des Gourmets - A great French bakery/patisserie with a small restaurant upstairs that serves lunch. Very good tartines, great french onion soup. Its very popular though so get there before 12.30 or after 2pm. -L'Gueilletaume (sp?)- Great french bistro just off Georges Street. Duck hearts on toast mmmm. -Cavistons, Glasthule - Out of town but you can get the Dart (commuter train) out along the coast. Spankingly fresh fish straight from the sea. - Odessa, Dame Court - Best casual brunch spot in town. Huge portions of eggs benedict etc., good orange juice and comfy seats to encourage lingering all afternoon with your bottomless cup of coffee and the Sunday papers. - Burdocks - Famous old Dublin fish and chip shop in Christchurch. Good chips (fried in dripping) but the batter on the fish is very heavy. - Steps of Rome - just off Grafton Street, good, thin slices of Italian pizza. The potato, fontina and rosemary is my favourite.

I thought it was quite a disappointing list actually, certainly the Dublin section covers very similar territory to the Dubliner's 100 Best Restaurants book and, like the Dubliner's book, the reviews are too short to be of any great use. The exclusion of Thorntons is bound to be a talking point, and I agree with Corinna that this was likely done deliberately to get people talking. The Bridgestone Guide used to cause a stir every year by its omission of Patrick Guilbaud. Not including Thorntons in a list of this nature is quite preposterous and devalues the entire endeavour. Doorley posted a very positive review of Thorntons just two months ago - http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/magazine/...5THORNTONS.html You'll need to be a subscriber to read the review but suffice to say that it is very positive (even if it does focus a little too heavily on the cost) - "Thornton's tends to deliver a level of excellence that would cost you much the same in London, New York or even France. It's a place that needs to be approached with high expectations, a moderate appetite and a fat wallet. It was ever thus at this end of the scale." The omission of the Mermaid, however, is possibly an even more glaring error. Here Doorley has no excuses re. cost or austerity. It and its sister restaurant Gruel provide a foodie mecca on Dame Street and they are consistently among my favourite places to eat in Dublin. A real understanding of food, cool atmosphere, no pretensions. What's not to like? One Pico is another head scratching ommission. As are Brownes and the Elephant and Castle. All far superior to some of the places that have been included. Doorley does get plus points however for omitting overpriced mediocrities whic often crop us on lists such as this. Examples incude La Stampa, Seasons, Locks, the Unicorn and Diep Le Shaker. I've cut and pasted below a brief overview I wrote on another forum of Dublin's formal/middle range eateries . Just as a counter to Doorley's list: Dublin is a pretty good city in which to eat these days, certainly compared to 10 years ago. Lots of good restaurants have sprung up and some talented young Irish chefs have emerged. The Celtic Tiger may have driven house prices through the roof and made it impossible to get a cappuccino for under €2.50 but hey, at least its improved the restaurants. And better a decent cappuccino for €2.50 than a lukewarm Nescafe for 50p. Dublin- Formal and Middle Range Eating Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud– Out on its own as my favourite restaurant in Ireland. RPG serves magnificent modern French cuisine with some Irish influences. Chef Guillaume Lebrun has two Michelin stars and is pushing hard for a third. Given the flair, skill and consistency in the food at RPG I would not be surprised if it arrives soon. RPG makes you feel incredibly special and important from the moment you arrive. You’ll be led to an exceptionally comfortable sitting room where drinks and hors d’oeuvres are taken while perusing the menu. Don’t forget to check out the art, RPG and the adjoining Merrion Hotel boast the finest private art collection in the country. Visitors to Ireland keen to see some of William Scott, Louis LeBrocquy and Jack B. Yeats’ finest works can skip a visit to the National Gallery and simply book a meal here. Steps down into the amazing light-filled dining room make a rather theatrical entrance. Menu choices include a very good value €35 lunch option, a la carte (mains are €50+), a tasting menu of dishes based on traditional Irish classics (€130) and a Menu Decouverte of the chef’s newest dishes (€70). My favourite dishes include the lobster ravioli served with coconut scented lobster cream, curry oil and almonds, the oysters with caviar and apple jelly and the tourte of chicken, foie gras, ceps and truffles (served for two). I still dream about their assiette of chocolate… On my last visit, coffees and petit fours (the best macaroons this side of Pierre Herme) were taken on the terrace and accompanied by an opera troupe rehearsing in the garden. Magical. RPG has achieved iconic status in Ireland and deservedly so. A Thorntons – Kevin Thornton, Dublin’s other Michelin 2* chef, takes a slightly more playful approach to that of Guillaume Lebrun at Guilbaud’s. Stand out dishes on my visits here have included a very simple but absolutely terrific starter of white asparagus, hollandaise sauce and white truffles, a superb terrine of pig’s head and an amazing rabbit three ways dish made up of a roast breast, a confit of its leg and its tiny, succulent kidneys. I have a feeling ordering the tasting menu and allowing Thornton to really let rip in the kitchen would be an amazing experience. The excellence of the food is let down slightly by an uninspiring low-ceilinged room which still feels a bit like the hotel dining room it used to be. I preferred their old spot on the canal in Portobello. Lacks the sense of occasion and theatre of Guilbaud’s but comes very close on the food front. B+ The Mermaid – My favourite mid-range restaurant in Dublin. The Mermaid is hip, unpretentious and has a slightly boho edge. It’s a great bright room in the middle of Dublin, the cuisine is “Mid-Atlantic” - modern French meets East coast America, the music is jazz, the portions are big and the service is friendly. Expect to pay €25-€30 for mains such as its famous giant seafood casserole in a prawn bisque or lamb shanks falling off the bone. The pecan pie is as good as you’ll taste this side of the Atlantic. (PS It has a sister deli called Gruel next door, the best place to eat an informal lunch in Dublin. Try the roast in a roll, mmmmm). B+ Mint – Oliver Dunne is one of the most exciting young Irish chefs and his work in Mint promises Michelin stars in years to come. Get in now before the inspectors arrive, it’s the best value food in town. Worth visiting just for the standout starter - a boudin of veal sweetbreads with a truffle jus; rich, gamey and delicious. Mains are slightly less consistent but can hit great heights such as the wonderfully tender shin of beef with foie gras, and an excellent roast pigeon with buttered cabbage. An assiette of chocolate disappointed a little but the blood orange jelly with lavender ice cream was exquisite. The tea soaked prunes with rum and raisin ice cream are also recommended. Service is good in an admittedly poor room and freebies like an amuse of salt cod brandade and mini melting chocolate muffins with your coffee are an unusual treat at this price point (approx. €25 per main course). Watch out for this guy. B L’Ecrivain – Derry Clarke’s hugely popular, Michelin starred, Baggot Street outpost serves a modern Irish cuisine with strong French influences. The superb waiting staff, (especially the female sommelier) and the jovial chef/patron contribute to a buzzy atmosphere, quite informal for a restaurant of this calibre. I can heartily recommend the tasting menu which started with a fantastic amuse of cauliflower soup with truffle oil and took in many of the restaurant’s greatest hits. The foie gras with vanilla sorbet remains the best foie I have ever tasted (sorry Heston) and the confit of belly pork, served with an uncredited slice of foie gras, is memorable. The Assiette of Dublin Bay Prawns done four ways was fantastic on one occasion but the prawns seemed less fresh on a later visit. Mains are about €45, not cheap, but there is good value to be found in the €70 set dinner menu. B One Pico – Chef Eamonn O’Reilly seems to have reined in some of his more creative instincts recently as items such as savoury ice creams, crab crème brulee and foamed sauces have disappeared from his menu. Perhaps the repeated snubs by the Michelin inspectors have brought a change in approach. He remains an exceptional chef with a real flair for presentation, sorbets served as paints on a palette with a chocolate “brush” is one of the most visually pleasing desserts that I have ever seen. One Pico also serves the definitive version of that modern Irish classic - scallops with black pudding (more like a soft boudin noir here). Mains are about €30. B- Eden – Eden has long been one of the coolest places to eat in Dublin. Great double height room with lots of glass and trailing greenery. Open kitchen runs the length of the dining room. The smoked haddock and cheddar “smokie” starter should not be missed, and their scallops are usually excellent. Mains are €20-25, think kassler or lamb shank with mash or roast belly pork with noodles. During the summer the tables outside in Meetinghouse Square are fantastic especially if the outdoor cinema is showing an old movie. Brunch on a Sunday is one of the best in Dublin. B- Browne’s Brasserie – A luxuriously decorated, very comfortable spot right on St. Stephen’s Green. Specialises in meats, particularly game. I’ve eaten here a few times and always had good meals but have never been blown away. A well executed main of roast duck with cherries does stand out in my memory. C+ The Unicorn – Overpriced Italian that has been packing them in for years. Serves good, if standard, Italian food to a mostly corporate crowd. Spaghetti alla vongole was good, osso bucco was disappointing. Escalope of veal was very poor a couple of years ago. Their massive antipasti buffet makes for an enjoyable lunch. If this were a neighbourhood Italian place I’d give it a thumbs up but at these prices (€25+ for mains) I just don’t think it delivers. C- Diep Le Shaker - Diep appears in this list more for its pricing than any pretensions its food may have. Diep serves standard neighbourhood Thai food at quite astronomical price levels. Ok it’s a good room, the cocktails are really nice and there’s usually a buzz at night but I can’t get past the prices. I’m not sure how they are still so poplar now that they’ve opened “Diep Noodle” in Ranelagh, just outside the city centre. Its serves a very similar menu to its big brother at less than half the price. Head to Ranelagh. C- Ernie’s – What my granny would have considered fine dining to be all about. This was probably the best restaurant in Dublin in 1980, unfortunately neither the menu nor the staff seem to have changed since then. A formal atmosphere with ancient tuxedoed waiters and a ludicrously expensive menu. Prices hover around the Michelin star level, the food, sadly, does not. Molecular Gastronomy has yet to visit Donnybrook. The only Fat Duck Ernie’s has heard of is served a l’orange. I’ve had a couple of bad dishes here but on its day it can still deliver the goods as evidenced by a fantastic main course of simple, unmucked about Dover sole. C- La Stampa – Undoubtedly one of the best rooms in Dublin but the food is mediocre and overpriced (though prices do seem to have dropped somewhat recently). It has had quite a high turnover of chefs in recent years and has never really hit a rhythm. Boring menu and a mecca for Dublin’s air kissing, socialite class. Service was quite astonishingly bad on one visit. One to avoid then. D Locks – I visited Locks for dinner last year with some expectations. It has a lovely setting on the canal near Portobello, a reputation as an old Dublin gastronomic institution, a menu of simple dishes comprised of the finest Irish ingredients. What could go wrong? Answer: everything. An amuse of tempura of prawns and oysters was rather spoiled by the fact that the prawns were clearly off. This, fairly undeniable, fact was drawn to the attention of our waitress who, rather remarkably, professed them to be fine. She had, she explained, eaten a plate of these very prawns for dinner and the funny taste I was referring to was brought on by the deep frying of the prawns. Oh, ok, all clear now, sorry about that, obviously I had never tasted a prawn prepared using this remarkably innovative technique known as “deep frying”. Suitably unhappy we moved onto our really poor starters including a dreadfully dry tian of crab and very ordinary smoked haddock. My main course of lamb three ways was tasteless and dull as were the fish mains ordered by my companions. Desserts were quite good but by then I had stopped caring. Dreadful meal and pretty inexcusable at €200 for three people including one bottle of moderately priced wine. Avoid, avoid, avoid. F Some notable Formal and Middle Dublin restaurants at which I have not yet eaten: Shanahans on the Green, Chapter One, The Tea Rooms, Halo, Bijou, Jacob’s Ladder, Seasons.