Food Snob

The most critical review I have seen so far is Harden's and even that is not too bad... Harden's Corrigan's Review

Actually, after a little more research, I have discovered that in fact there is absolutely no connection between it and the Grosvenor! Corrigan's space, which was indeed part of the hotel before, has now been purchased by Corrigan himself and is an independent restaurant... Sorry about the misinformation.

Yes see my thread from a while ago here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...8382&hl=bethnal Sarah ← Actually I had read that at the time. Was just curious if anything new had been heard. Cheers.

Battleofthebulge's post had me wondering...has anyone heard anything more about what Chef Nuno is doing? I remember reading something about a tea-tasting with him, but nothing else really.

Well, if I had not done my research, I would never have know it had any connection at all. There is a seperate entrance to the restaurant, with hotel guests having to exit the Grosvenor, walk around the corner and enter Corrigans thus. Neither can they add their restaurant bill to their room one. That said, with respect to Grosvenor hotel's restaurants, I have not heard amazing things about its brasserie, Bord'eaux. However, this is actually in the hotel itself. Regarding staff, they were great! Battleofthebulge, I hope you enjoy it. Do let us know how it goes...

Hi All, Corrigan's opened on Thursday 6th November, I went on Friday 7th. I was very pleased. The food is simple, but tasty. Very 'honest' cooking. Lots of fish, lots of games. Ingredients are top quality too. The staff are really, really nice. Come across so genuine and are very helpful. The atmosphere within is good too, with a hunting lodge motif. It's as if the restaurant has been around for ages already... Pick of the dishes: Starter: Salad of Game Birds, Romesco Sauce Fish: Red Mullet, Creme Fraiche, Fennel Meat: Roe Venison Cutlet, Pumpkin, Mashed Potato Pudding: Rhubarb & Custard It is also very reasonably priced (starters ≈ £10; mains ≈ £20; desserts - £7.50), but there is a £1.50 cover charge... My critique: Dinner at Corrigan's Mayfair I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

FYI THE GIACONDA DINING ROOM ANNOUNCEMENT 11th November 2008 While cycling home from work on Halloween night our chef, Paul Merrony, fell off his bike and broke his arm (in about 16 places). Stuff happens. Sadly therefore we will be closed until at least the 25th November when we will be getting back on the bike and reopening with our delicious and interesting new ‘One Armed Chef’ Menu. We will only be opening for Lunches until the end of the year. We’ll reopen on the 5th January with our regular “Two armed Chef” Menu, as before. Please accept our groveling apologies for all inconvenience we have caused you.

Finally, I made it here. And I am pleased I did. I liked the restaurant itself; very comfortable and a serious attempt at authenticity. The staff were all very polite and friendly; the chef, ex-Gavroche is really nice and a real foodie himself. Stand-out dishes: Steak tartare prepared tableside; and Roasted pheasant with truffle risotto (not very 'brasserie', I know, but it was very good nonetheless). My Le Bouchon Breton Lunch Compared with what else is on offer, at its level, around it, this place is worth visiting. P.S. Thanks for the recommendation, Howard

Do not get me wrong, I love game, but for the last month, I have been eating the same meats/birds every meal... As it is so fashionable for restaurants to be seasonal and in their determination to show it, through their menus, I guess this is inevitable. Bonus for us: seasonal means tastier, cheaper and, I suppose, since all chefs are using the same ingredients, it is easier to judge the better, more creative ones. However, by December, I will probably not want to see a grouse, pigeon, partridge or pheasant for another year!

Hi All, Was at l'Autre Pied last week. I was very pleased with what I found; tasty food, interesting combinations, nice presentation, good value... Eaves is clearly talented and showed some real touches of class. It seems like a case of 'does exactly what it says on the tin'. Good food in an informal setting. Stand out dishes: Poached and Roasted Pigeon, Pumpkin and Orange Purée, Blackberry and Star Anise Glaze; and Apple and Blackberry Crumble, Bayleaf Custard, Blackberry Sorbet Voilà: l'Autre Pied

At the end of last week, I went for another meal here. Before that, I had last been in July and came away very impressed. This time was even better. Food was great; full of Le Gavroche staples - think Soufflé Suissesse, Omelette Rothschild - and classic French dishes like La Lièvre à la Royale. New maître d'hôtel, Emmanuel Landré, is simply sensational. Le Garoche report This is, now, firmly my favourite restaurant in London.

Hi, I just wanted to give my vote to Franco Manca I was there in August and had a regular and a calzone; both were excellent.

You are a lucky man. It looks like the only chance I will get to see his cooking again will be on Great British Menu next year (which he, I believe, will be on)...

I would have said , but Aiden Byrne just announced he is leaving in January to run a pub/hotel/restaurant in Cheshire. Maybe, more controversially, Ambassade de l'Ile. Possibly, Hibiscus could get an upgrade. Those are just based on some recent experiences of mine...

Lol...I made the same mistake! As the page opened, I thought, WOW, the presentation has really changed and they have ripped off the Ledbury!! It seems everyone only has nice things to say about MW lately...

I finally went last week to Foliage. I thought I might be able to kill two birds with one stone, trying Norbert Niederkofler's cooking as well as Chis Staines'. I tried the guest chef's tasting menu plus a couple of ALC dishes. I thought NN food decent, clean and flavourful, but I would not say it wowed me. I did like, however, some different techniques and ingredients he brought with him. I only tried one of Chef Chris' creations (plus a dessert) and quite enjoyed it, but I do not feel I can fairly judge Foliage on this visit... Foliage Critique

Coincidence or is someone an anonymous user maybe... David Sexton does Pizza Express

Well, well, well...It looks like we now know exactly when he will be leaving! I just saw this: Caterer Search Article Aiden Byrne will be leaving at the end of Jan 2009 to run his own restaurant/pub/hotel in Cheshire. The Dorchester are apparently 'shooting for stars' to replace him...

Hi Paul, From personal experience, turning up before 6 has meant getting a table without queuing. I reckon from 6.30/7 it starts to fill rather fast, but I am not an authority on this place. Check out this review: Cheese & Biscuits - Mirch Masala The author is/was a serious Tayyabs fan, but says this place could now be his curry house of choice, plus its also cheap and also in Whitechapel, if that helps.

Have you seen Andy Hayler's Review? He is usually a very reliable judge and thought it decent.

I definitely recommend it, but - as you may have seen already - the Sunday menu is quite different to the regular ALC... Just so you know

Hi, Last week I was at the Grill with my brother and we both enjoyed it very much. I had a 7-course tasting menu, whilst he tried the menu du jour. Dealing with this was no problem for the staff, who were great the whole meal. The MdJ was a more classical selection of dishes - watercress soup, roast rib of beef with yorkshire pudding from the trolley - which my brother was very pleased with. My dishes were Aiden Byrne creations. His cooking was bold, ambitious and flavourful. I had visited the River Café days before, where the food was simple, light and straightforward; this was pretty much the opposite. Plates were intricately designed and presented, whilst the food was both simply tasty on one level and thought provoking on another. Byrne, the youngest ever michelin star winner, is clearly a talent (and a nice guy to boot). Enjoy! The Grill at the Dorchester

I have to agree with Harters, I also really enjoyed my dinner at Hibiscus last August. Food was excellent and service was good. The sommelier, which sounds like it must have been Simon Freeman, though not employed by myself, came across very well and has generally been highly praised in the past. Also, I'm surprised to read that the 'sausage roll' was not up-to-scratch - it has always been very popular. On a final note, Bosi does indeed have a bit of a penchant for sweet things.

Hi All, I have posted something in the River Café topic already, but wanted to add something here. Previously, when I have asked where one can eat the best Italian food in the Capital, I was always told Locanda Locatelli, River Café or Zafferano. Finally, having tried each now, I can give a qualified opinion of my own. I have had two meals at LL and Zaff and one at RC. Jjudging on these, Zafferano, unfortunately comes in last place. My first visit to Zafferano went well, dishes were generally good - bad fish course was more than compensated by delicious tiramisu - and service was pleasing. My second trip to Zafferano however, was depressing. The food and the service were pretty dire with an inedible monkfish main the lowlight. My first dinner at Locanda Locatelli was splendid: food was excellent - sardines and panzanella = wow - and service very good. On my second dinner at Locanda Locatelli the food was not as well-executed, but this was more than made up for by great service, My lunch at the River Café started off a little weak with antipasti and pasta decent, but when the dishes using the great big oven they have finally arrived, I was very impressed; amazing Dover Sole was the star. Desserts were also great. Here too, service was excellent and I had a very enjoyable meal. Picking a favourite of the two is difficult: service cancels each other out, starters and pasta I preferred at LL, whilst the mains and sweets at RC. LL is also cheaper, but RC is probably healthier, for what it's worth! Hope this was helpful!!

Hi, I went to The Rive Café this week. It's been closed quite a while due to fire - explaining the long silence on this topic - and only reopened a few weeks ago. The meal started slow, but really picked up, ending on a top note. I enjoyed an excellent Dover Sole and tasty Grouse especially and so strongly recommend any dishes from the oven. There was also a great selection of delicious desserts. Bon appetito! - The River Café Review