Richard Bagnold

As you would expect from Simon Rogan, he has continued to bring as much of Cumbria with him as he can to his Marylebone-based restaurant, very much as he did when residing over Fera at Claridges. His move from Fera allowed him to concentrate on his own venture of Roganic which has graced him with a new Michelin star for Roganic in the 2019 guide. The style of cooking is unmistakably Rogan with clean, minimalist design and proud use of as many fresh ingredients from Cartmel (in Cumbria) as possible. This was a set menu lunch which ended up being 5 courses for £35 (with no drink) which, is very good value, especially as I was genuinely happy with this lunch. You also get a pleasant going away present as something different.

It wasn’t clear whether Simon Rogan was coming back to London after the closure of his 2-year pop up in Marylebone which started in 2011. The interim saw him maintain his Michelin star at Fera in Claridges and on asking the staff at Roganic what led him to leave Fera, I received slightly evasive answers and a wry smile, so I can only presume it was some fallout with the hotel mixed with a desire to revert to autonomy, but that’s guesswork. But good job he did as his restaurant is now far more accessible immediately off the street in Marylebone Village, one of my favourite areas of London.

It wasn’t clear whether Simon Rogan was coming back to London after the closure of his 2-year pop up in Marylebone which started in 2011. The interim saw him maintain his Michelin star at Fera in Claridges and on asking the staff at Roganic what led him to leave Fera, I received slightly evasive answers and a wry smile, so I can only presume it was some fallout with the hotel mixed with a desire to revert to autonomy, but that’s guesswork. But good job he did as his restaurant is now far more accessible immediately off the street in Marylebone Village, one of my favourite areas of London.

This was one of the more novel starts to any entrance of a restaurant I can remember in that instead of a front of house (which was absent) we were in fact greeted by the sight of an electrician’s backside and tools on the floor as he knelt for completing a task (dealing with something in the cloakroom cupboard). After this cracking episode, we were eventually welcomed and taken to our seats. The feel of the restaurant itself is not what I would describe as cosy, but neither is it stuffy or over the top which was a relief.

The menu is changed throughout the week and month and diners are given no menu and a verbal choice of either a set menu of 3, 6 or 8 courses (the price of these menus needed prompting turns out to be £35, £65 or £85). Owing to time, we opted for the 3 course set menu.

The meal started with an apple and pear gel tart with the tartlet itself made from dehydrated pumpkin. So wafer thin were the tartlet cases that they fell apart in your hand but once scooped off the fingers they were washed down with a pumpkin juice. This was a refreshing start but seemed a little out of place to have so much sweet at the same time and at the beginning of the meal, no matter how much zest this has. Bread came served effectively as a course using homemade sourdough with sour butter with sweet oats on top – both of which were excellent products and a clear sign of skill from the kitchen.

The next course comprised of salt-baked celeriac, whey cream and malt crumbs which were all nicely done to support the plump celeriac. A very nicely designed starter with reasonable flavour. The main of dry aged Cumbrian beef came with parsnip puree, honey and garlic gel on top of the glazed onion and a pleasing pot of ox cheek and potato foam in a side pot. This was a great set main, held together with a viscous and deep sauce. Although the portion sizes will always be less than normal on a set menu (reflected in the cost), the cut of beef was succulent and packed with flavour and this was a good dish.

Dessert was pleasing but not as much of a hit in comparison to the other parts of the meal. Compressed pear in discs overlapped a chamomile cream with caramel, verjus dust and pine layer. All these worked together ok and was a pretty looking dessert but was perhaps a little too creamy and one dimensional in texture overall to be a real hit.

Service I have to say could have done with a lot more polish. Apart from the first impressions of our entrance, staff in the main appeared either stretched or strained in the unease and speed of delivering goods to tables combined with not wanting eye contact with guests which happened quite often. As a result, it was quite difficult getting the attention of our waitress in particular, but the senior staff and floor manager seemed to provide an air of calm that was definitely needed. This is very much a restaurant awarded a Michelin star solely for the food which is its strapline (but can very often appear to not be the case).

As time was getting on, tea and petit four had to be foregone, but on leaving we were greeted by a goodie bag of an earl grey tea bag, mini cake and pot of blackberry jam for afternoon tea which I thought was an especially nice touch. These also proved to be an entirely good call on the wet and cold afternoon that it was. Ultimately, this was a good value for money set lunch had in a humble environment and definitely a very good advert of food to make me want to return and try a lengthier meal on next visit.

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This is Tom Kerridge’s first venture into London outside of Marlow where he is well known for running and owning the first pub in the UK to hold 2 Michelin stars at The Hand and Flowers where I have been several times. Hats off to the vibrant and well-designed room combined with good service and some very satisfying dishes. The meal generally simmered just beneath true Michelin starred level for me with some dishes not delivering as much as they could but also being nicely designed. The main point on the food is sadly how expensive it is for what you are getting, leading me to conclude it is mainly designed for wealthy visitors to London who will not bat an eyelid for a fish and chips dish costing £36.50 which seems to be cashing in on the name a little too much. However, some very nice things – just a shame it is generally overpriced.

The meal started with an absolute Don Giovanni entrance with cheese and onion tartlet canapes at the table – these not only had a wonderfully light and creamy texture for the mousse but were also served on delectably thin tartlets.

The meal started with an absolute Don Giovanni entrance with cheese and onion tartlet canapes at the table – these not only had a wonderfully light and creamy texture for the mousse but were also served on delectably thin tartlets.

On the starters, the coronation chicken terrine with mango, toasted sourdough and celery mayonnaise was ok but sadly had almost no coronation flavour and this was a huge disappointment for a coronation chicken fan such as myself. The salmon came with an apple pancake, Douglas Fir and avruga caviar which was reportedly fine (the Loch Duart salmon being reasonable) and the pastry for the crab vol au vent was very well done with sound supporting aspects of green apple, crab bisque and avocado puree.

Liver parfait is quite a staple of Kerridge who serves this in a lovely, large quenelle at all of his establishments. This duck liver parfait came with apple and rose chutney, honey cider jelly and toasted brioche. The liver parfait was, but the only shame was the layer of honey cider which did not have much of its cider and honey components coming through and therefore came across like a thick piece of transparent gelatine and more for the visual effect than the taste. When the flavour is low in any gelatine it almost comes across as a rubbery texture that does not add much.

On the mains, Venison from Ramsbury Estate came with a chilli kick, ‘Hand and Flowers’ carrot (which is another staple of Tom Kerridge – whole carrot cooked in a vat of butter and water reduction with star anise) was nicely done and had good flavour whilst being nice and tender and calmed with the corriander emulsion. The deep fried halibut came with very light batter and was indeed a very good bit of fish and served with an array of sauces including tartare, pease pudding and matson (an almost curry like dip akin to chips with curry sauce reminding me of University days in Staffordshire and the North of England). The problem here is that it is not sacred 100kg tuna or rare sturgeon but a medium sized piece of halibut with a good batter mix that is deep fried and I’m simply put off by such a sky-rocketed £36.50 price tag.

I did not try the pig’s cheek pie but this was presented in a fun way and the beef rib with bone marrow sauce and gherkin ketchup set the meal back to rights. A very good beef flavour with an equally deep sauce decorating the top of the portion served with customarily good chips. Sides were satisfying including a decent garlic roasted hispi cabbage.

Desserts were attractive to the eye and satisfying. The mandarin souffle was well done all the way through and worked well with the chocolate sorbet; the hazelnut profiterole was pleasing albeit with quite hard pastry and the winner possibly being the apple tart with superb apple flavours running throughout.

The bill came to £774 for four but this is with an opening bottle of Furleigh Estate sparking wine (wonderful English sparkling wine) and wines throughout including two bottles of particularly good dessert wine (Vin de Constance, Klein Constantia 2014), so if you toned this down, you could obviously have a cheaper lunch. The conclusion is that this was a great place, but if every dish was at the top of its game, there wouldn’t have been an afterthought of feeling shortchanged for some elements of the food. Thankfully for this occasion, when you are in the finest company there is at the table, all that fizzles away and it was a great setting to have lunch.

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At last we see! After many years of being one of the only London restaurants to be accessible if you worked at the Gherkin, the building has now opened the doors of its restaurant to the public as of July 2018. Full details of the lunch are contained below at the expansion button as usual, but up front, the view and setting are indeed alluring. In terms of the food, among a la carte and tasting menus, it offers a set lunch at £39 for 2 courses (including one drink) and £45 for three courses (including one drink) which I find reasonable bearing in mind the included drink, the obvious overheads and the mutually reasonable return on the plate (there are Michelin starred restaurants in London that offer 3 courses of a set menu for less, averaging £30 but these are usually not with a drink and not overlooking the city). Staff are accommodating and I was pleasantly surprised by the down to earth approach of the hospitality which, for this type of setting was refreshing to have.

Menu choices vary from the cheaper end of the spectrum outlined above, to an a la carte with 3 courses setting you back to an average of £57 and the 6-course tasting menu costing £75 which can easily be breached on the more expensive a la carte options, so as long as you are not allergic to tasting menus and have some time on your hands, this is worthy of consideration. One of the first impressions I had on the a la carte was relief to see not too many options, page after page or absolutely crammed on to one page as very often this can mean the kitchen is over stretching itself and can’t deliver as well it can when focussing on the few.

Menu choices vary from the cheaper end of the spectrum outlined above, to an a la carte with 3 courses setting you back to an average of £57 and the 6-course tasting menu costing £75 which can easily be breached on the more expensive a la carte options, so as long as you are not allergic to tasting menus and have some time on your hands, this is worthy of consideration. One of the first impressions I had on the a la carte was relief to see not too many options, page after page or absolutely crammed on to one page as very often this can mean the kitchen is over stretching itself and can’t deliver as well it can when focussing on the few.

The restaurant itself has an interesting décor – a lack of any formal table cloths and with chairs that seemed not too out of place for a very high-end futuristic canteen, but I do see that the thinness of the chairs allows more light to come in and helps to declutter viewable space, especially for the view. A champagne trolley was on hand to start the proceedings and the bread was from Paul Rhodes bakery in Greenwich.

My dining companion and myself opted for exactly what took our fancy at the time on the a la carte which kicked off with salmon and beetroot starters. The salmon, fromRoyal Warrant holding John Ross Jr based in Aberdeenshire, was sherry smoked and held a very pleasant sweet smoky flavour as a result. To compliment, the classic addition of acidity from the pickled cucumber to assist the oil content of the salmon and cream from the horseradish was added. This all worked well, albeit not needing all of the cream. The beetroot was baked and held a good texture and whilst I have had beetroots at other locations having more flavour (such as The Whitebrookand Midsummer House), this was a simple and light combination with its accompanying goats cheese and good caper dressing – a minimalist but adequate dish.

For the mains, venison and sea bass were chosen. The Rhug Estate venison came with a large slice of carrot and cep (mushroom), brambles and a bramble jus. The venison loin was succulent and well-cooked and the combinations fine; the only gripe of this dish being the large brambles being a little intrusive for the other elements. A warming dish for the winter. The seabass came from a 1.3kg fish which is actually a relatively small/standard specimen to the £36 tag and portion size on the plate. Thankfully this seabass was cooked perfectly and the lovely jus loaded with cooked Morecombe bay brown shrimps within the stock and served and on top of the fish. A relatively short affair for a main, but enjoyable none the less and the triple cooked chips on the side proved to be useful, especially with the addition of a freshly made sauce béarnaise to dip them in to which the kitchen kindly obliged.

The classic rum baba had to be done as one of the desserts and the lemon tart was another obvious choice (tarts are a staple for the quality of any pastry section of a restaurant). The rum baba had a pleasing level of cognac and rum inside the sponge (not too overpowering) although was a touch dry as one observation (see Alain Ducasse at The Dorchesterfor a classic version, although bear in mind this is a 3 Michelin starred version). The lemon tart held itself up well with its raspberry ripple ice cream and with a sound pastry base. Coffees came from the brand Lavazza.

Overall these were satisfying dishes and whilst they were perhaps visually straight forward, there were some definitely enjoyable aspects. There is good restraint from the kitchen in not trying to overcomplicate each dish and whilst some parts were more successful than others, there was certainly no offense caused in the food. As usual, the overall score is based purely on the food alone. One cannot deny however, that the view and setting here is absolutely stunning. There is far more light in general than say City Socialor even Galvin at Windowswith the huge panels of glass and high ceiling (every single sheet of glass on the building is actually straight except for Iris right at the very top which is curved) and it is definitely worth a trip in general. You’ll need to book in order to gain entry to the building and you’ll need photo ID at the front desk as it is airport-security to get anywhere for your booking so you know (which I am actually a fan of as additional security is only a positive).

One thing I did take away as a miscellaneous was a superb offer currently being done – a four course brunch with Dom Perignon and caviar for £110 per person on Sundays only. Although this is a not a usual price tag for brunch, Dom Perignon 2009 averages at £60 a glass at venues that actually do it by the glass, the caviar will be at least £20 on top of that and a four-course brunch on top of that for the view is actually a bargain to me. Having a glass of DP with caviar at the Iris bar followed by a four-course brunch in Helix for something different is a superb present idea. I do not know when this offer extends to but, I will happily jump on board with that if it continues in 2019.

Press Review conducted on 11 Dec 18

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Kutir is the revitalisation of the same charming Chelsea townhouse that used to be occupied by Vineet Bhatia’s Rasoi (rebranded to being called Vineet Bhatia in its latter months prior to closing). Rohit Ghai is the new owner and has done, frankly, a very nice job with it. The refurbishment is elegant and cosy at the same time. The atrium allows much light in the back area and its name of Kutir, meaning cottage in Sanskrit, seems appropriate being away from the bustle of the town. The food is clearly in an upper realm of Indian restaurants within the UK and I would be much more inclined to return here than several of the existing Michelin starred Indian restaurants based on this meal. I cannot see why this should not join this tier in the next guide, but then again the same question mark exists in my mind for Indian Accent, so you never know what Michelin are up to sometimes. A definite recommendation for Indian food and unlike any of the others in its Chelsea home-like setting.

The menu at Kutir is mainly North Indian cuisine but also showcases signature dishes from around the country. Menu prices are not vast considering the location, but it is easy to get caught up with several attractive options from under £10 which will obviously add up. For this visit, we tried the stone bass squid, scallops aubergine, truffle mushroom khichadi and I could not resist one on my favourite curries of all time, the duck korma.

The menu at Kutir is mainly North Indian cuisine but also showcases signature dishes from around the country. Menu prices are not vast considering the location, but it is easy to get caught up with several attractive options from under £10 which will obviously add up. For this visit, we tried the stone bass squid, scallops aubergine, truffle mushroom khichadi and I could not resist one on my favourite curries of all time, the duck korma.

Nibbles of breads, crackers and popadoms were the obvious nibbles, but crucially, were done well (not too oily at all) and served with very good chutneys especially the mango and pineapple spiced chutney. The tandoori cooked stone bass came with squid ink and crisps and was marinated in yoghurt, cream cheese and spices making it nice and moist. It included two little squid rings which, separately were very nice as well. The scallops were hand dived and served with aubergine frittas and puree which was pleasing, but the actual sweetness of the scallops was one of the gems of the whole meal.

Quail naan (naan bread with diced quail inside) with scrambled egg and truffle on the top was never going to fail as a combination, but it was a little tricky to eat with hands and actually qualified as a dish in itself when I was mainly after a naan to help mop up the korma. This was duly provided in the form of a plain paratha, kulcha and naan and were all fine in texture (great to have the different kinds of breads on one side plate).

The lamb was another highlight in that it almost didn’t need its supporting cumin (but was delicately handled all the same) as the quality of this lamb was super providing excellent flavour. Truffle khichadi (a form of kedgeree using lentils with rice) was rich and satisfying. The duck korma was very good to have albeit with a korma sauce that I was expecting just a little more kick or excitement from. Certainly not a negative though.

Dessert comprised of chilli chocolate banana mousse. This was heavy but pleasant, along with ginger biscuit & dehydrated banana with creme brûlée using a hard & soya chocolate to accompany along with banana fritas on toffee. This was a superb dessert and would rival a mass of desserts in any Michelin starred restaurant you care to mention and was a lovely finish to show that this ex-Jamavar head chef is still very much operating at a consistently high level and I look forward to returning when I can.

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Another restaurant that has come from the big-hitting JKS restaurant group who own Michelin starred Trishna and Gymkhana plus the Sri Lankan and Michelin Bib GourmandHoppers. Brigadiers opened in June 2018 to wide interest. A tad disappointingly, I did not feel as many waves of love for the food as other pundits have been hailing for Brigadiers based on the dishes I had and certainly not in comparison to the likes of say Michelin starred Amaya and Jamavar. Not all doom and gloom as there one or two pleasant offerings and the interior is as Corporation of London as you find with 7 different dining rooms, three of which I saw with their own TVs (although you have to be sat in a good place to actually see properly in the majority of cases) and instead of a traditional waiting area, there is a high rise stool bar area with a pool table and dart board to wait for your table. It is definitely well done in design, but I simply felt the £95 price tag for the snacks and beers we had was driven by the area and not by the quality of the food.

Brigadiers is named after the head chef’s Grandad, who was actually a Brigadier in the Indian Army. This was very pleasant to see as indeed as was my Grandfather a Brigadier in the (British) Army. Generations on, now his Grandson is head chef with his own cooking Brigade and has devised a menu that is split in to three main parts: street food, barbecue, buns and mains. These all start from a very reasonable end but can go up in to the £30s for the mains.

Brigadiers is named after the head chef’s Grandad, who was actually a Brigadier in the Indian Army. This was very pleasant to see as indeed as was my Grandfather a Brigadier in the (British) Army. Generations on, now his Grandson is head chef with his own cooking Brigade and has devised a menu that is split in to three main parts: street food, barbecue, buns and mains. These all start from a very reasonable end but can go up in to the £30s for the mains.

The restaurant is a complex of different dining areas and rooms. There is a main dining room holding approximately 40 covers, a main bar and dining area for roughly 25 and five other smaller rooms for parties anywhere between 6 and 20 people. Therefore, this is obviously been well thought out for the streams of business functions and parties that I saw when on my visit, most of whom having come straight from work in the surrounding city area, still in their suits and work clobber. A definite atmosphere in general, from raucous (almost private) rooms to a slightly more subdued main bar area to a stand up pub-like bar area complete with pool table.

Our meal started with a selection of popadoms with different chutneys: tomato and onion seed cheese, mint and pineapple which were good to have albeit harder than most (less the rice cracker). Nibbles started cheese and onion bhajis which, as you can expect were quite cheesy. I have always loved onion bhajis and these were well done with a balsamic and mint dip but in hindsight I think simple, plain onion bhajis work better.

Pork scratchings with chaat and cod roe were interesting, dusted with paprika and whilst being the perfect and upgraded pub asset to any beer, owing to how stodgy these were, there was only so many you could do before truly wanting to try something else. The Sapper’s egg is a reference to Colonial days in homage to the military personnel who favoured this dish (Sapper is the nick name for Engineer soldiers) and was a very pleasant little dish. Essentially a soft boiled egg inside a light and spiced naan – probably the dish of the meal.

Then for the main bit we favoured keeping it causal with a wagyu Seekh kebab Anda kati roll and Tawa lobster masala lobster & shrimp kati (a form of heated roll) from the ‘bun’ side of the menu and these seemed reasonably priced at £15 and £12.50 respectively – filling and certainly not £39 for the masala beef rib eye steak with Sapper’s egg. Hard to see how much lobster in comparison to shrimp was in the former (my guess on looking was not that much) and the rolls were basically harmless but needed a good amount of condiment being as generally dry as they were for the mouth. The house dahl was nicely spiced but a little watery for my preference.

The meals ended with Kulfis – chocolate with coconut and banana. Both of these were fine (the coconut having the edge on the other two) but it was at this point that feelings sank a little as the desserts seemed as though they were at the level of a regular chained restaurant or service station with some added decoration for the banana. There are times when dining when you know a place has just dropped a peg or two in your mind…and at the conclusion of this meal, this was that moment for me.

Brigadiers is certainly an entertaining place and the staff quite well drilled as it happened so no complaints of any kind there – it does what it was probably designed for very well: giving an upmarket curry occasion for city slickers in a plush environment but no more. Recommended for boozy and group gatherings rather than finesse Indian food – for the latter, I would head to the previously mentioned Indian eateries or, for the absolute gold in Indian food in the UK at the moment, I would head to non-Michelin starred Indian Accent in Mayfair – there you will see a difference.

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Core opened in 2018 and is a rare entry into the 2019 Michelin guide as it went straight in at 2 stars and at the first available time it could appear. It is a beautifully designed restaurant, slick, with good acoustics and enough space for each table and more crucially, with very pleasant food. A brief idea on price, the cheapest menu (a la carte) was £85 for three courses, so this is not a cheap outing. It was not the strongest 2 Michelin star restaurant I have come across in the UK for the food alone, but it is one of the swishest places in general. Book early as the waiting lists here extend to months for even weekday slots. A lovely addition to London and Notting Hill in general and is going to provide polish to many Birthday or romantic celebrations I am sure.

This was a much-anticipated visit and when this restaurant received its 2 Michelin stars (along with Moor Hall), there was almost hysteria to get a table. As you may know, Clare Smyth was the chef Patron of 3 Michelin starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for many years and this is her first solo adventure. It would appear she is ready or has been for quite a while and has Jonny Bond as her head chef whom she has personally recruited.

This was a much-anticipated visit and when this restaurant received its 2 Michelin stars (along with Moor Hall), there was almost hysteria to get a table. As you may know, Clare Smyth was the chef Patron of 3 Michelin starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for many years and this is her first solo adventure. It would appear she is ready or has been for quite a while and has Jonny Bond as her head chef whom she has personally recruited.

A bookshelf with many Michelin guides is nestled in one of the corners of the restaurant where I happen to be placed and made for interesting reading. The meal began with snacks placed on instagramably alluring decorative pieces, including a nori seaweed tart with parsley jelly and eel which was pleasant and subtle; smoked duck wing with orange & coriander spices (beautifully done) and foie gras with Madeira chilli which was a delight and whilst not much kick from chilli, was well done. A cheese gougère was fluffy and pleasant with soft liquid cheese inside. This was a strong start down to the rather wonderful Bordeaux butter and breads using flour from a 5th generation Wessex mill, one of the last mills to produce flour in the country.

A Charlotte potato in dolce seaweed with trout & herring roe, with fermented potato chips, was the first course on my £85 /3-course a la carte choice. This was a humble potato but was seasoned beautifully with the roe, good crunch from the crisps and with a buerre blanc sauce that was utter beauty as a sauce. I’m aware the whole point of this dish was to celebrate the potato, but I simply, I found it too starchy as a dish and thought it would have been better to have the ratio of potato toned down a fraction with a bit of the inside scooped out and replaced with more of the wonderful topping. However, still worthy of a Royal banquet.

The next course was duck leg with honey and thyme with duck ragout tart and very thin slices of red grapes which were a skilful decoration but also great balance to the richness of the fabulous Madeira and duck reduction that it came with. But it was the gorgeously smooth duck meat with well-rendered fat, providing a very nice sweet and salt finish combined with the Timut pepper for the additional kick; Timut is a pepper from Nepal which has a grapefruit finish and is far fresher and less nasily than most would be used to of regular shake-on pepper.

The ragout is worth a mention on its own as it actually had an astonishingly think pastry case with good flavour. The ragout had heart, gizzards and confit leg meat inside with slices of grapes that are brushed with confit fat and thyme as well as parmesan cheese inside pastry to make it easier to hold. A lot of attention to detail in this dish and I could feel it from start to finish.

The Core Apple is a staple at the restaurant with caramelised apple and vanilla mousse with Somerset apple brandy. This was delightfully light, skilful and pleasant. It had just the right amount of creaminess and you know when you are in serious hands when something like this is your pre-dessert. The main dessert was a pear and lemon verbena meringue. This is undeniably well designed. The pear sorbet sits inside an extremely delicate verbena meringue, with verbena cream and pear gel – light and well balanced. There were lovely textures and the flavours combined were simply a marriage. The superlative meringue was the champion here with excellent supporting elements. Finally, the petit fours included a decent Sauternes jelly and chocolate tart which was freshly cooked and runny in the centre; a good finish.

Service throughout was very slick and I was in the hands of an excellent sommelier, advising and a pleasure to talk with throughout the dinner. His choice of a glass of 2014 Montrachet and very good Pinot Noir from Australia made the proceedings all the better. Unfortunately, there was one episode of snootiness when one of the waiters decided to answer back at me on one occasion which actually marred the experience a little, but other than that, it was a professional act.

This is a smart restaurant and aside from the slight cockiness from one waiter on one incident, it was a refined but also down to earth atmosphere. You are certainly paying for this and if you were to put the foot down, you could easily leave here minus £200 per person for the full tasting options. However, I was pleased with the overall results and is a place I see myself going back to do properly.

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The Blackbird is one of only two entries to the 2019 guide that are pubs to receive a Michelin star for this years’ guide (the other one being The White Swan). The food is classic cuisine and there is obviously good cooking here. The venue sits in the pleasant setting of Bagnor and has a traditional English tea feel to the interior. As this is a very small team in the kitchen, there is just the one menu (a la carte), so there is no set lunch menu here. As such, I would come here in the evening owing to the price being exactly the same and I can picture the decor being a lot more appealing being candlelit at night. Competence of classic food here is assured.

To begin, there were no canapes or amuse bouche, just good homemade bread. The first starter was a cheese tart (made with brillat savarin – a triple cream brie) with onions, grapes, walnuts and celery. All these were very good with each other and although the pastry was thicker and more crumbly than is my preference, it was well made. The poached and roasted foie gras came with ventreche (pork belly) which was micro thin and was wrapped around the foie gras, surrounded by a creamy foam made from the cooking juices – this was very good, no question.

To begin, there were no canapes or amuse bouche, just good homemade bread. The first starter was a cheese tart (made with brillat savarin – a triple cream brie) with onions, grapes, walnuts and celery. All these were very good with each other and although the pastry was thicker and more crumbly than is my preference, it was well made. The poached and roasted foie gras came with ventreche (pork belly) which was micro thin and was wrapped around the foie gras, surrounded by a creamy foam made from the cooking juices – this was very good, no question.

The first main was onglet of beef (from the diaphragm) and served with another very good reduction and served en crepinette (pressed like flattened sausages) but with a raclette cheese slice wrapped around holding all together in place. The second main was a very nicely done mushroom and truffle tagliatelle with parmesan and port reduction which was a winning combination and with nicely light pasta. Creamed cavolo nero was the side and although the cream was hard to detect.

Final courses consisted of a selection of cheeses that were fine but with crackers that both at the table didn’t take a shine to. The dessert was bavarois (thickened milk with egg and gelatine) of malted milk, poached pear, hazelnuts and Frangelico. This was as pleasant as it sounds, the pears being good quality and just what the cream and fat needed to balance things nicely.

The service was fine and it was good to discuss things with Exec Chef Dominic Robinson afterwards briefly who is clearly driving everything together himself and leading from the front and has high aspirations. The bill came to £96 for two with no drink, so this is not the cheapest pub lunch you can have, but neither it is an average pub lunch by any stretch, this is far more skilled cooking. There were some appealing dishes on this visit and it appeared to sit very comfortably in the 1 Michelin starred family when all was said and done.

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Oxford kitchen is the only Michelin starred restaurant within the town of Oxford and gained its star in the 2019 guide. Paul Welburn is the head chef and this was a very cosy experience. The restaurant feels like a proper establishment with good and unpretentious service combined. This set lunch was a very welcome addition to the Michelin starred family with quality breads and skilful handling of simple ingredients. It was also a very reasonable 3-course set menu for £28.50. More detail on the food can be found at the expansion button as usual, but this is a quality option in Oxford.

I didn’t have a reservation and chanced a lunch space for this visit and was immediately greeted by a well swept up and professional front of house. The lunch menu options ranged from a la carte, tasting and set menus, all of which are preceded by their rather lovely thyme brioche which was quality and served with a side and herb butter (also very good). Marmite butter is not a favourite flavour of mine but this was done with a gentle twist. Canapes included a pork croquette with sorrel which had lovely consistency and was not too fatty; the gel also worked very nicely with it. A light and airy beetroot macaron with goats cheese and fennel pollen had a great texture with a slightly heavy goats cheese in contrast.

I didn’t have a reservation and chanced a lunch space for this visit and was immediately greeted by a well swept up and professional front of house. The lunch menu options ranged from a la carte, tasting and set menus, all of which are preceded by their rather lovely thyme brioche which was quality and served with a side and herb butter (also very good). Marmite butter is not a favourite flavour of mine but this was done with a gentle twist. Canapes included a pork croquette with sorrel which had lovely consistency and was not too fatty; the gel also worked very nicely with it. A light and airy beetroot macaron with goats cheese and fennel pollen had a great texture with a slightly heavy goats cheese in contrast.

The starter of mackerel came with pickled fennel, treacle yoghurt, oyster leaves, seaweed powder and cress. I found all these to work together nicely and the mackerel itself being allowed to take centre stage. The main of confit lamb with set pea custard, walnuts, shoots, salsa verde, creme fraiche was a satisfying dish. A few more nuts might have been good to boost the contrasting textures as the overall feel of this dish was soft and loose in texture, but the lamb being of good quality and was absolutely melt in the mouth. The plum dessert with lemon verbena jelly and plum compote was a pleasant finish with a more original jelly and good combination.

Service varied from endearing to a little layman (“which one is for you?” is friendly but not as professional as it can be). However, the welcome here is not in question and was, in fact, one of the best lunch environments I have come across in a while. I have no doubt this will be equally pleasant for dinner as well and if I were to choose a place for dinner in Oxford it would definitely be here.

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J G Melon was opened in 1972 and its decor inside is unashamedly proud of looking entirely retro from this period. I liked this quirkiness and having been steered that they do among the greatest burgers in New York, it obviously had to be done. I opted for the classic cheeseburger for $13.25 and a side of bacon for a supplement. A juicy burger made with flank and chuck was served with fresh pickles and onions (no tomato or lettuce) in between two nicely raised and squidgy white bread patties. In the words of Jules Winnfield, “Mmmm-hhmm, this IS a tasty burger” and it was. I don’t have any dog in the fight of where the relish should go (on top of or beneath the patty) but the only thing that felt a little too much was the sheer volume of the patty to get through in relation to the other parts – this was a case of less would have been more I think.

However, although it felt like you needed the mouth of a python to get a bite, it was still a juicy and enjoyable burger. Scoring here is tricky as a burger is a burger and only so many ways it can be done – whilst a little heavy on the protein the ingredients were on the whole ok (my preference is for the bacon to not be so dry) and there was pride in their product which is a good indicator of pride and more often than not therefore, care. Overall, a cool place to try a New York burger and wash down with US lager in amongst a labyrinth of average options.

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I had heard so much of this restaurant prior to coming which, in the past has created let downs in general. But, this former life insurance headquarters overlooking Madison gardens officially became my favourite 3 Michelin starred venue of the 5 that I have visited so far in the Bay Area, Chicago and New York. With its high ceilings and recently renovated interior (2017) adding more room to the bar for dining, there was something most pleasant about the entire feel of this well-known high end restaurant. World class service combines with a fun and non-stuffy approach which I thought hit the sweet-spot. At $312 all in for what turned out to be a seven course tasting menu with two ordered snacks, plus wine, plus tax and service all in, this was actually very good value for money. All notes on the dishes are at the expansion button and whilst not every dish blew socks off (this is quite hard to pull off in any case), I would actively seek a seat here again above all others visited in the US thus far. It is safe to say that the chances of all having a good time here are very high.

Eleven Madison Park has been open since 1998 and was bought by the current owners in 2011, earning 1 Michelin star. The very next year it made headlines by catapulting from one to three stars in 2012 under its Exec chef Daniel Humm and it has maintained being in this precious tier ever since. A long awaited facelift in the kitchen and bar area took place in 2017 and dining is available in both bar and its main hall 7 days a week (lunch at weekends only).

Eleven Madison Park has been open since 1998 and was bought by the current owners in 2011, earning 1 Michelin star. The very next year it made headlines by catapulting from one to three stars in 2012 under its Exec chef Daniel Humm and it has maintained being in this precious tier ever since. A long awaited facelift in the kitchen and bar area took place in 2017 and dining is available in both bar and its main hall 7 days a week (lunch at weekends only).

For my seat (on my own) I had a corner table in the impressive bar overlooking some guests who had come in to the bar for drinks only and one or two either gaining a lucky seat in the bar when all else was full or opting for the lower tasting menu (available in the bar only) deliberately. After deliberation with my very capable waiter, I opted for two of the snacks as they simply sounded too good on top of the shorter tasting menu of five courses (you will need to decide which menu to go for when booking through the online booking tool called Tock). Menus in the dining room can go upwards to $335 per head for up to 10 courses and in the bar, the shorter 5 course menu can be had for $175 per head as a much more reasonable offering.

Prior to my snacks a box arrived on the table, containing and cheese and apple cookie. This was a very pleasant amuse bouche that did its job well and was a good opening welcome. My snacks themselves were beef tartare with foie gras in marrow (served inside the middle of a hollowed out cow’s bone) and black truffle tart with cheddar. Here was the first dichotomy I faced: as silky as the foie gras was, the sheer sight of how much there was to get through, coupled with the size of the truffle tarts would put almost anyone in a state of terror at the amount to have to handle. The steak tartare was pleasant and had a small acidic kick to it but ultimately, with the sheer volume of foie to devour, it was overall too vastly fatty a helping in my eyes. The cheddar cheese and truffle tarts were very good with beautifully thin bases and a well-balanced topping formula, but with both snacks being $30 each, I almost wish I was warned how big they were or perhaps the portion sizes here could be toned down along with their snack prices as a more appropriate pitch which I think would also go down better in both senses with your average diner.

First of the main menu was billed a corn soufflé but was ultimately more like a crème brûlée with bonito (mackerel variant) and caviar and corn. This was absolutely delicate with beautifully constructed mini muffins and a winning dish. It was clever, rich and I did like the sweet ham jelly inside complimenting the lemony hollondaise on top – a thee star dish without question and I believe is also one of their signature staples. The butter for the bread is worthy of a mention alone: cultured butter with Dorset cheese from Vermont and salt from Long Island was nicely done and spread on pastry that was almost a mix between croissant and brioche – a delicate and gorgeous touch.

Next I was invited in to the kitchen for a delightful interlude of a lolly – this was a strawberry syrup and puree base accompanied by their house made vanilla ice cream rolled in lemon snow – a very nice treat. After this pleasant interlude of the strawberry popsicle, the next dish back at the table was foie gras with marinated egg plant (aubergine for UK readers) and mint. The savoury from the egg plant and sweet gel with a hint of mint were pleasant but perhaps the tang being a little dominated by the savoury – there was just too little of the sweet to make much impact I felt. However, a friendly little number all the same.

Butter-poached and charred lobster came with greens and bean ecrasse (crushed). The lobster was plump and had an aniseed-like glaze with fabulous clarity and viscosity without taking away the lobster’s flavour too much. But if that was smoking barrel of sauces, then the onion and blueberry jus for the duck was the atomic bomb of reductions. This was an incredible glaze which I have no problem saying was good enough to drink straight from the flask afterwards for what remained and this complimented a wonderfully cooked duck with perfectly appropriate honey and lavender glaze on top with a delicate cheese and onion tart with blueberries on the side (another long-standing dish). It’s moments like this that make it all utterly clear…

Dessert was a blackberry ice cream and granita with caramelised milk and lemon spheres which was another complete pleasure and sealed the verdict of a very good meal overall. Finally came a petit four and shot. Whilst grappas and in this case home made apple brandy from the restaurant is not my ideal choice as a digestif, it was a nice touch to have offered as its own and with a chocolate pretzel done as well as a chocolate pretzel seemingly can be. The real star at the end though for me was the take away present of home made toasted granola (in a quality logo’d glass jar and going away present bag) to have for breakfast the next morning. I am no problem saying this was 100% the best granola I have ever had in my life and I tried to minimise the amount taken each morning to maximise its life in the kitchen – sadly, that wasn’t going to be very long obviously.

This was a quality experience for all the reasons outlined at the beginning and for some hit moments. The meal itself was skilful and I did not leave bloated, save for a bit of discipline in only having a few bites of the snacks at the beginning to leave space as the only thing to be aware of or order for two perhaps. I thought the service was impeccable here and once again, in spite of hearing numerous things about Eleven Madison Park before going (good and bad), the version I had was an entertaining and fun time which created a pretty happy smile all said and done. I’m not sure what the sceptics are on about here – I would come back in a heart beat to Eleven Madison Park and would be happy to splash a lot more next time in a blow out context with others, now that I know the lay of the land here. It appears to me that a quality time will be had by all.

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