Blog

Excellent new chef at Sonnys in Barnes, top Indian food at Haandi and a sneak visit to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

Read about my visit to Ledbury. My review on Sabras in Willesden and also some important information about the Good Food Guide forcing councils to publish hygiene inspections of restaurants.

3 star Can Fabes near Barcelona is very good though less so than previous visits. The Michelin Guide to California comes out, and I have both a fine Indian meal at Haandi and a dismal one at Green Chilli.

The 2007 Good Food Guide hits the bookshelves. Roussillon delivers an excellent meal. Chiswick gets a new gastropub, and a decent one it is.

Atelier Robuchon hits London. It is good food, but the price is high. Mehek betrays no reason whatever for its recent award at the British Curry Awards.

Deya produces a fine meal, while the British Curry Awards is bewildering despite the glamour. Zafferano excels itself.

Pied a Terre produces a very fine meal. Yauatcha and Zafferano also show why they have Michelin stars.

The Brackenbury shows how to do local bistro when so many others disappoint. The Thai Bistro is simple but pleasant.

Sumosan is pleasant, but why not just go to Zuma? Ootapura is a different and good addition to the King Street array of Indian places.

The Square purrs along, though it lacks real excitement. Jeevan in Wembley is not worth the trip.

Eight Over Eight in Chelsea is identical in appearance to E&O, and fortunately the food is almost as good as well. Bentleys shows why you should never go to a fish restaurant on a Monday.

Cocoon is like an Austin Powers set, but the food is surprisingly good. Zafferano produces a fine wild sea bass dish.

Pied a Terre shines after its reopening. Zuma shows why it is so popular, and Patara is the best Thai restaurant in London. High Road House opens in Chsiwcik, and the luvvies love it.

Noisette is pleasant but expensive, and Bjorn van der Horst shows the dining room his extensive English vocabulary. Galvins Bistro is fine, but I cannot really see what the fuss is about. Excellent Indian cooking at Rasa Maricham and the Brilliant in Southall, and the usual at Zafferano.

Mark Jankels is a fine chef, and the Notting Hill Brasserie an excellent spot. Bellamys in Mayfair was rather dull, but I have enjoyable meals at Trompette, Rasa Maricham and the Thai Bistro. Le Talbooth in Essex is a tragi-comic meal: beautiful setting, shame about the truly awful food.

The Brilliant and Deya show the traditional and modern faces of Indian cooking, and both succeed very well. Zafferano is as good as ever in its newly expanded setting.

Galvin at Windows is solid, but not cheap, while its wine list has some larcenous mark-ups. Trompette in Chiswick is consistent as usual, while Yauatcha has superb dim sum.

Gilgamesh is the most ambitious opening in London since, well, a very long time. Despite its risky Camden market location it is already filling up with diners.

Arbutus seems perfectly pleasant to me, but I am surprised at the acclaim it is getting. Rasa Maricham serves up some tasty Keralan food, while Carluccio in W4 is downright poor.