Welcome to Bon Vivant’s summary of the critics’ restaurant reviews. Enjoy!

Marina O’Loughlin, The Metro

Marina visits Tinello, ‘a sensibly priced Italian’ in Pimlico ‘which has some luscious dishes on offer’.

The gnudi was ‘absolutely luscious’, ‘superlatively light clouds of ricotta and spinach in a punchy, rich tomato sauce’, ‘a dish of pearly, fresh brill in a clam and borlotti broth’ was ‘one of the best uses of the humble legume I’ve come across in ages’, paccheri were ‘served thrillingly al dente’, ‘soppressata di testa’ was ‘good, silky, porky meat, funked up with shallots, parsley and capers’, and puddings were ‘assured’. 4 stars out of 5.

Andrew Neather, The Evening Standard

Andrew visits The Ledbury in Notting Hill, which ‘is cool, almost austere’, with ‘bold and complex’ food, where ‘the service is faultless: friendly and relaxed yet razor sharp’.

Ceviche of scallops with seaweed was ‘delicate, sort-of Japanese and yet something else’, flame-grilled mackerel with cucumber, celtic mustard and shiso was ‘an intense burst of flavour with clear Japanese influences’, heritage tomato salad was ‘a picture on the plate, awash with the intense flavours of some impeccably sourced tomatoes’, celeriac baked in ash with wood sorrel was ‘intense’, ‘wonderfully fresh sea bass came with shavings of English truffle’, a square of suckling pig was ‘a striking combination of textures’ and a brown sugar tart with stem-ginger ice cream and muscat grapes ‘offered a richly satisfying end to the meal’. 4 stars out of 5.

Giles Coren, The Times

Giles visits Trullo in Islington, which is ‘small, perfectly formed’, ‘cosy and intimate’, with ‘impeccable’ food that is ‘priced like somebody has no interest in getting rich’.

The bottarga and Gem salad was ‘spellbinding’, the bruschetta was ‘nicely charred’, deep-fried squash and taleggio were ‘beautifully clean and dry’, the home-made pasta was ‘some of the best’ ‘you’ll find anywhere’, roasted halibut with razor clams and chard was ‘just perfect’ and a fig and almond tart was ‘great’. 9 out of 10.

Zoe Williams, The Telegraph

Zoe visits The Waterdine in Shropshire, which ‘is all charm, a dinky, squat little country pub’, where ‘the prices are steep’ but there is ‘excellence on this menu’.

The ham hock, hyssop and parsley terrine ‘tasted so right it was as if the pig had been born in terrine form’, the fennel soup ‘was good and bad: the fennel was powerful’ ‘but very well handled’ but ‘in texture, though, it was a bit fibrous’, the saddle of local lamb resulted in ‘moments when I wanted to leap up in awe, and moments when it tasted like the reject table off Junior Masterchef’, the duck breast with cassis sauce was ‘better’, and the gooseberry fool was ‘great in conjunction with some poached gooseberries’. 6 out of 10.

Matthew Norman, The Telegraph

Matthew visits The Crooked Billet, ‘hidden away in picturesque rural Oxfordshire’, with a ‘gutsy, determinedly unpretentious menu’.

A foie gras and chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche and onion marmalade was ‘marvellous’, crispy duck with cucumber, spring onion and pickled ginger was ‘as fine a version as I’ve had, the duck skin perfectly crunchy, and the meat juicy and sweet, the soy-and-sesame dressing faultless’, slices of venison ‘were as alluringly red as the walls’, a ‘vast’ veal chop with a ‘glorious, tarragon-infused fricassee of wild mushrooms and grilled asparagus’ was ‘delicious’, and the Eton Mess was ‘impeccable’. 9 out of 10.

John Lanchester, The Guardian

John visits The Fish Shed in Devon, which ‘has this simple and wonderful policy: it sells only fish caught that day and landed in Lyme Bay’.

Dover sole was ‘beautiful, filleted and grilled simply’, fried haddock was ‘as good as it gets, the flesh moist and dense, the batter satisfyingly thick but also crunchy and light’, battered sausages were ‘awesome’ and the chips were ‘top-notch, and proper British chips, too, thick and potatoey, as well as crunchy to the bite, irregular in cut and full of flavour’. No rating given.

Christopher Hirst, The Independent

Christopher visits La Lanterna in Scarborough, where ‘the menu’ ‘is your first indication that’ the restaurant ‘is exceptional’.

Pears baked in red wine ‘protruded phallically from a warm sauce of gorgonzola and mascarpone’ and ‘tasted as sexy as it looked’, roasted peppers in a bagna cauda sauce on deep-fried polenta was ‘an intense combination of pungency and sweetness, emollience and crunch’, battered langoustines were ‘six gigantic, butterflied crustaceans of scarcely conceivable sweetness and tenderness’, risotto cooked with orange and Raschera cheese was ‘a masterly rendition’, and ox cheek cooked in red wine for seven hours was ‘tender, rich and flaking’. 4 stars out of 5 for the food and service; 3 stars out of 5 for the ambience.

AA Gill, The Sunday Times

AA Gill visits Pizza East, ‘a cleverly made room, spun and thrown with dexterity’ in Shoreditch, where the menu is ‘very cleverly and carefully manipulated’.

Home-made cereal was ‘good, but the sort of thing you resent going out to eat’, calamari was ‘a bit like the by-product of some other dish we didn’t get’, and a pizza with sweet ham and ricotta was ‘claggy and thick-tongued’. 2 stars out of 5.

Jay Rayner, The Observer

Jay visits Redhook in Clerkenwell, which ‘looks right, in a solid Manhattan Meatpacking District sort of way’, where ‘the cooking’ ‘is a blurred approximation of the real thing’ and the service is ‘sweet, enthusiastic’ and ‘without fault’.

Giant grilled prawns ‘had been split down the back to remove the gut, but the job was unfinished’, scallops ‘had not been seared properly, though the cubes of pork belly were certainly crisp enough’, the ribeye was ‘a nice enough piece of meat but cut far too thin’, the New York strip was ‘just a small, flat sirloin’, and desserts were ‘actively awful’. No rating given.

Katy Guest, The Independent on Sunday

Katy visits The Red Fort in Soho, where ‘what comes out of their kitchen truly is exceptional’.

The monkfish tikka was ‘subtle, fresh and with just enough chilli kick’, the Hyderabadi bhuna gosht (Herdwick lamb with ginger, garlic, black pepper and coriander) was ‘dark and complexly tasty’, the nalli rogan josh (lamb shank with nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaves) tasted ‘pleasingly of lamb, complemented by spices’, and a panchrangi dal was ‘more exciting than lentils have any right to be’. 6 out of 10.

To make a reservation, please contact Bon Vivant on 0207 278 0642 or please visit http://www.bonvivant.co.uk

Welcome to Bon Vivant’s summary of the critics’ restaurant reviews. Enjoy!

Marina O’Loughlin, The Metro

Marina visits Shaka Zulu in Camden, which is ‘reputed to have cost a terrifying £5.5million’, and which ‘makes Gilgamesh look like it was designed by Kelly Hoppen’, where the food is ‘as bland and underwhelming as our surroundings are bananas’.

Peri-peri prawn kebabs and fries looked ‘the part but’ tasted ‘of nothing’, the kudu fillet was ‘rosy, lean and tender but’ had ‘no flavour whatsoever, not even from its barbecue grilling’, free-range Dorper lamb, spit-roasted for seven hours, tasted ‘of very little’, and ‘the best dish’ was doro wat, ‘an Ethiopian chicken and egg stew, rich in spices and deep in smoky flavour’.  2 stars out of 5.

David Sexton, The Evening Standard

David visits 101 Pimlico Road, where ‘the service seems strangely amateur’, but ‘the food, nonetheless, is polished’.

Wood pigeon salad ‘proved simple and good’, diver scallops, truffled potato, raisin purée, tomato and basil was ‘ornate in appearance’, roast cod, Colston Bassett gnocchi, braised kale, black pudding, chilli and parsley was ‘more successful than its stretched-out description might suggest’, poached brill, white onion and tomato risotto, cockles and girolle mushrooms ‘didn’t work so well’, and the blueberry parfait was ‘sharp and refreshing’. 3 stars out of 5.

Matthew Norman, The Telegraph

Matthew visits Nahm, which was not ‘less than excellent’, but ‘what disappointed was the perfunctory way it was served’.

Canapés were ‘glorious’, a starter of curried crab-filled coconut cupcakes was ‘good, if slightly bland’, the soup ‘was a rarefied beef tea of such regal delicacy’, grilled beef salad was ‘a mingling of succulent meat with chilli, mint, coriander and other herbs and spices’, quail red curry ‘somehow allowed the sweet and subtle tang of that weeny bird to glide intact through the potent spicing’, and ‘most intriguing was the harnessing of pork crackling to trout served inside lemon grass stalks, flawlessly rendered, beautifully presented and perfectly balanced’. 7 out of 10.

Zoe Williams, The Telegraph

Zoe visits Redhook in Clerkenwell. The steak tartare was ‘delicious’, the walnut and gorgonzola tortellini was ‘a beautiful plate’ and ‘the pasta had plenty of bite’, from the west London fruits de mer, the lobster was ‘an intensely savoury, almost meaningful experience’, the prawns ‘were good, the razor clams were delicious, the oysters were great’ but ‘there was just so much of it’, and the pan-fried pollack fillet was ‘perfect – crisp skin, the flesh cooked just past the point of translucence’. 8 out of 10.

Luke Leitch, The Times

Luke visits the ‘disco-ball bedlam’ of Circus in Covent Garden, where the décor ‘is almost as loud as the crowd’.

The crab cake was ‘comprehensively potato-compromised’, the tuna and salmon tartare ‘had been napalmed in wasabi’, the squid was ‘similarly napalmed by a scarlet Zorro zigzag of chilli sauce’, the toffee-apple-sticky chicken wings were ‘unctuous and smoky’, sticky ribs were ‘really just sort of fine really’, prime Australian steak was ‘dehydrated and sad, but came with a pretty zingy corn on the cob’, and roasted duck and some coconut rice ‘wasn’t very special at all’. No rating given.

John Lanchester, The Guardian

John visits Zucca in Bermondsey, where the food ‘is seasonal, Italian-influenced, and concentrates on delivering the maximum amount of flavour with the minimum of fuss’.

A dish of rigatoni, courgettes and pecorino ‘showed real skill’, braised rabbit leg with polenta ‘came with a nicely non-reduced, satisfying stock-based sauce’, grilled swordfish with rocket salad and was ‘perfect’, vanilla panacotta was ‘right on the edge of being set – ie, perfect’ and lemon tart was ‘exemplary’. No rating given.

Tracey MacLeod, The Independent

Tracey visits Shaka Zulu in Camden, ‘an 800-seat mega-venue that styles itself a “theatre of food and drink”’.

Cape Malay pickled sea bass ‘tasted mainly of curry powder, as did a main course of bobotie – curried mince and sultanas baked with a creamy egg topping – which supplied the missing link between Coronation chicken and lasagne’, fillet of Red Poll beef was ‘tender but tasteless, showing no sign of having been cooked over charcoal’, and shaved biltong was ‘jaw-achingly chewy strips of dried meat evoking the contents of a chiropodist’s Hoover bag’. 2 stars out of 5 for the food; 3 stars out of 5 for the service and ambience.

Jay Rayner, The Observer

Jay visits Kota in Cornwall, which has a ‘rustic edge’, where ‘the menu does make a virtue of seafood’ and ‘there is an awful lot happening on the plates here’.

The tian of white crabmeat and the scoop of tomato sorbet in a bowl of gazpacho ‘were beyond reproach; the gazpacho was just too well-mannered’, monkfish ‘turned up with a big, umami-rich mix of girolles, pancetta, peas and a balsamic emulsion’, the salad of spiced green papaya and mango with shrimps ‘sounded like it would overwhelm the dainty sea bass fillets, but they held their own’, and ‘the only true failure of the night was an overset pannacotta’, No rating given.

Lisa Markwell, The Independent on Sunday

Lisa visits Giant Robot in Clerkenwell, which is ‘eclectic and a tad messy, but not unpleasant’.

Wild mushroom and truffle crostini were ‘a bit flabby’, the arancini were ‘piping hot and accompanied by a herb aioli, there to counteract the rather chalky texture of the rice’, giant prawns with garlic, chilli, oregano and an aioli dip were ‘giant, and the oily, pungent flavours’ were ‘good’ but ‘the texture’ was ‘a bit woolly’, and a chicory, gorgonzola and walnut salad was ‘a perfectly acceptable dish of crisp leaves, creamy cheese and good nuts’.  5 out of 10.

To make a reservation, please contact Bon Vivant on 0207 278 0642 or please visit http://www.bonvivant.co.uk

Welcome to Bon Vivant’s summary of the critics’ restaurant reviews. Enjoy!

Marina O’Loughlin, The Metro

Marina visits Lupita, where ‘the menu’ ‘looks the business’ and ‘refreshingly, there’s none of the tacky, acid-coloured branding you get with faux-Mexican joints’.

Margaritas were ‘extraordinary: frozen ones, more like vast sundaes than drinks’, a ‘huge plate of nachos’ came with ‘good guacamole, a rich pulp of black beans and marinated, seared beef’, ‘the little carousel of sauces’ was ‘excellent: limey avocado; finely chopped, fiery pico de gallo; and wonderfully hot and fragrant molcajete’, carnitas (slow-cooked pork) was ‘a little dry and retiring, and pastor looked ‘amazing’ but was ‘dry with little evidence of chilli’. 3 stars out of 5.

Tony Turnbull, The Times

Tony visits The Capital in Knightsbridge, that ‘despite clearly having had money thrown at it, it can’t shake off the hotel lobby feel’.

The ravioli of duck foie gras with leeks and summer truffle was ‘half a dozen silken purses filled with all that is good about southwest France’, the sea bass carpaccio with shaved fennel ‘shimmered like a mermaid’s tail’, ‘a gently curried braise of lentils and chorizo was the perfect foil to three imperious scallops’, ‘a perfectly blameless salad of crab, guacamole and tomato jelly was the only starter not to get everyone’s taste buds jabbering’, medallions of veal with foie gras and morel sauce ‘instantly won over a nervous meat-eater’ and the turbot was a ‘masterful dish’. No rating given.

John Lanchester, The Guardian

John visits The Mason’s Arms, ‘a first-rate gastropub’ in Devon where ‘it was noticeable how good the quality of the ingredients was’.

A starter of puff pastry, asparagus, mushroom duxelles and hollandaise sauce was ‘lovely, light and rich at the same time’, seared scallops with a Thai salad was ‘very good to eat’, halibut in a potato crust ‘came with braised lettuce and a cider-spiked cream sauce’, ‘monkfish came wrapped in parma ham with a lot of slightly gluey potato purée’ and pudding of a trio of raspberry desserts featuring a jelly with vanilla cream, a crème brulée and a soufflé was ‘exceptional’. No rating given.

John Walsh, The Independent

John visits Polpetto in Soho, ‘one of the smallest dining rooms in London’ where the ambience is ‘an exercise in carefully-wrought grottiness’.

The Cicheti were ‘mostly delicious’ including ‘knobbly, wiggly’ polpetti, a sliver of smoked swordfish that was ‘a tiny tri-flavoural dream’ and a crostino of chicken liver that was ‘smooth as an angel’s cheek’. The crispy soft-shell crab in its Parmesan batter was a ‘wonderful complex of tastes’, pigeon saltimbocca was ‘a lovely variant on the classic veal dish’, and the osso buco was ‘tender, unctuous and melting’. 3 stars out of 5 for the food, service and ambience.

Mick Brown, The Telegraph

Mick visits Webbe’s Rock-a-Nore in Hastings, where ‘the service was attentive, helpful and friendly’ and ‘the food is tasty and nourishing’.

The smoked mackerel was ‘simple and delicious’, Hastings potted crab was ‘the perfect consistency, lightly oiled and seasoned’, the Hastings fish bouillabaisse was ‘generous chunks of salmon, monkfish, plaice, black bream, prawns and mussels, served with boiled potatoes in a rich broth’, grilled fillet of black bream was ‘perfect’, and lime and white chocolate cheesecake with caramelised tropical fruit was ‘diabolically good’. 7 out of 10.

Liz Hoggard, The Evening Standard

Liz visits the Whitechapel Dining Room, ‘a sophisticated pleasure’ in East London.

The aubergine quiche with potato sorrel had ‘melt-in-the-mouth pastry, with a delicate nutty filling’, mackerel and lime tartare on prawn and mackerel toast with avocado and soused beetroot was ‘a really interesting mix of sweet and sour; crunch and softness’, and the pan-fried halibut with Devonshire crab and caviar beurre blanc was ‘subtle in flavour and perfectly cooked’. 4 stars out of 5.

AA Gill, The Sunday Times

AA Gill visits Oustau de Baumanière in Provence, ‘one of the most famous restaurants with le dirty-weekend hotel attached’, where ‘the menu is short but broad’.

The amuse-bouches were ‘elaborate and mimsy, explosive little bursts of complicated flavours and fragile textures’, duck foie gras was ‘a comfortable tranche, perfectly made’, lamb cutlets had a ‘flavour that belied its infancy’, the turbot was ‘good’, and a tarte of framboise had a caramel sauce ‘that was of such unctuous heavenliness’. 4 stars out of 5.

Jay Rayner, The Observer

Jay visits Jali in Blackpool, which ‘is not just good for Blackpool. It’s good for anywhere’.

Achari fish tikka had ‘a punch of heat, but not so that you couldn’t taste anything else’, tandoori roasted prawns ‘although that slightly worrying shade of red that speaks of the colouring cabinet, were equally assertive’, a lamb keema boti masala was ‘the best’ main, the lamb bhuna and the chicken lababdar ‘had pronounced but not unwelcome sweet notes’, and poppadoms were ‘fresh and crisp’. No rating given.

James Hanning, The Independent on Sunday

James visits Tinello, ‘a place not for posing, but for serious eating’ in Pimlico, where the décor is ‘modishly austere’ and the service ‘is perfect: friendly but low-key and well-informed’.

Zucchini fritti were ‘a marvel’, the burrata was ‘perfect’, gnudi in salsa al pomodoro tasted ‘as fresh as anything I have ever tasted’, brill and borlotti beans worked ‘well’, the beef fillet with girolle mushrooms with lemon spinach was ‘hugely’ enjoyable’. 8 out of 10.

The Catty Life

Catty visits the ‘incredibly delectable’, ‘tremendously astounding’ and ‘exceptionally marvellous’ The Ledbury.

An amuse bouche of courgette soup ‘trumped in flavour and style’, Cornish lobster with grilled leek, smoked potato and manzanilla was ‘delicious’, crisp pressed suckling pig with spatzle, carrot and reduction of dried chicory was ‘cooked to perfection’, a pre-dessert of olive oil pannacotta with peaches & peach sorbet was ‘simply magical’ and a brown sugar tart came with muscat grapes that were ‘delicately soaked, a balance of sweet and sour’. No rating given.

To make a reservation, please contact Bon Vivant on 0207 278 0642 or please visit http://www.bonvivant.co.uk

Welcome to Bon Vivant’s summary of the critics’ restaurant reviews. Enjoy!

AA Gill, The Sunday Times

AA Gill visits Tinello, a ‘simple and smart’ restaurant in Pimlico with ‘very reasonable prices’ and a ‘soigné atmosphere’.

The linguine was ‘slick and muscular’,  ‘a come-again dish’, ‘as was the risotto with prawns, made memorable by a pungent stock that tasted like it had been made out of the Little Mermaid’s thong’, mackerel with rocket, grapefruit, a radish and balsamic apple vinegar ‘is quite obviously trying too hard’, a loin of pork was ‘good, but it came with a mustard sauce that is really very un-Italian’ and puddings were ‘the usual frivolous Latin nonsense, with a good sugary tart’. 3 stars out of 5.

John Lanchester, The Guardian

John visits Gauthier Soho, where the chef ‘can really, really cook’ but the service is ‘a bit hovery’.

The chickpea fritter amuse bouche was ‘superb’, a pre-dessert of raspberry, meringue, sorbet and coulis was ‘delicious’, a pigeon dish was ‘a little unemphatic’, the lamb  ‘seemed polite’, ‘the best thing I ate, a risotto of summer truffles made with chicken stock, was as good a dish as any I’ve eaten all year, perfect in texture and extraordinary in the intensity of its flavours’. 7 out of 10.

Jay Rayner, The Observer

Jay visits the Digby Chick in Stornoway, ‘a smart, buzzy modern little bistro selling mostly smart, buzzy modern food, of the sort you could easily find on Islington High Street’.

Seared curried scallops, smooth apple chutney, Stornoway black pudding and coriander crème fraîche was ‘two fabulous, well-seasoned local scallops, expertly seared with a disc of equally fabulous blood sausage’, a mackerel fritter with seared mackerel was ‘let down only by a light hand with the salt’, a monkfish dish and a lamb dish ‘came with the same heap of crushed potatoes beneath and a bird’s nest of deep-fried carrot strips above’, and a chocolate, Baileys and Malteser cheesecake was ‘as moreish and pornographic as it sounds’. No rating given.

Tracey Macleod, The Independent

Tracey visits The British Larder in Suffolk where the menus ‘change daily and draw heavily on the region’s abundance of quality suppliers’ and ‘everything looked exquisite’.

‘Swoonily creamy celeriac soup came swirled with herb oil’, ‘best of the starters was a sizzling tranche of pan-fried mackerel, its golden skin crisp, the flesh melting’,  ‘big, clear flavours characterised a dish of pan-roasted hake’, ‘perfectly poached salmon with lemon crème fraîche was a more delicate pleasure’, and ‘only one choice – some dense and heavy pea-fritters with a mushroom ragu – was less than first-rate’. 4 stars out of 5 for the food and service; 3 stars out of 5 for the ambience.

Lisa Markwell, The Independent on Sunday

Lisa visits Woodlands Eat in Whitby, North Yorkshire, ‘a restaurant that feels so young, so clever so – to use a ghastly but apposite phrase – now’.

Pan-fried halibut came with ‘pea purée, a tartar hollandaise and some excellent chips’, the Dover sole was ‘wonderful; small but flavour-packed with a punchy caper-y brown butter, served correctly on the bone with some good boiled potatoes’, ‘the slightly less than meltingly tender cheeks’ on the monkfish ‘let it down’, and ‘pudding, especially Yorkshire parkin on rhubarb with vanilla ice-cream’, was ‘very good’. 8 out of 10.

Andrew Pettie, The Telegraph

Andrew visits Madhu’s, a ‘Punjabi restaurant located in west London but born in east Africa’, where ‘prices are still startlingly cheap’.

Nyamah choma, a dish of lamb ribs marinated in chilli and lemon, and chargrilled in a tandoor oven, was ‘a fraction overcooked but the marinade was’ ‘hot and surprising’, masala fried tilapia was ‘delicate and refreshing’, makhni chicken was ‘delicious, unthinkably fattening’, aloo Raviya (slow-baked aubergines stuffed with new potatoes) was ‘superb’, and Boozi Bafu (lamb chops in an onion and tomato sauce) was ‘the standout dish’. 9 out of 10.

Zoe Williams, The Telegraph

Zoe visits The Pheasant, ‘a beautiful room, in a beautiful pub, in a beautiful village’, where the service was ‘friendly and pretty and totally terrible’ but ‘the food is gorgeous’.

Salt-cod brandade with a truffle poached egg and chive oil was ‘the richest, most sumptuous combination of the most diabolical triumvirate – salt, fat, starch’, cold roast pork with carrot remoulade was ‘excellent’, ox tongue was ‘delicious’ with ‘unbelievable’ Jersey Royals, and cod fillet with a fennel and radish salad and citrus dressing was ‘beautifully browned and crunchy on the outside, monumentally edible from start to finish’. 8 out of 10.

Andrew Neather, The Evening Standard

Andrew visits Tom’s Kitchen at Somerset House, where the menu ‘is identical to that of the Chelsea original, the execution similar’ ‘and it’s insultingly overpriced’.

A salad of Devon crab with fennel and orange was ‘somehow less than the sum of its parts, a coleslaw-like pile without any zing’, a ‘small chunk of perfectly pan-fried’ foie gras, served with duck egg and bacon, ‘appealed to my love of fry-ups — although at £13.95, it should do’, the slow-roast belly pork was ‘tender, flavourful’ ‘but no better than your average gastropub version’, fillet steak was ‘a nice hunk of meat, served with superlative chips, a patch of watercress salad and gloopy Béarnaise’, and a ‘deft, nicely caramelised apple tart fine with cinnamon ice cream was much better’. 2 stars out of 5.

Anthea Gerrie, Travel Editor

Anthea visits Hawksmoor in Shoreditch, which has ‘prime beef, classy booze and a terrific, recession-defying buzz’.

The marrowbone ‘makes the most terrific starter in London’ and was ‘a starter to die for’, a 900-gram Porterhouse was ‘beautifully served with the bone present but excised, and both the fillet and the sirloin portions sliced to lift easily out of the cast iron skillet in which it came to table’, the fillet was ‘incredibly tender and flavourful’, mushrooms were ‘a bit bland’, the spinach was ‘a bit heavy on the nutmeg’, dessert ‘is redundant, but the home-made salted caramel ice-cream echoes the earthy, gutsy, slightly wicked flavours Hawksmoor embraces’, and red wine ‘is a strength here and skilfully paired to the different steaks’. No rating given.

To make a reservation, please contact Bon Vivant on 0207 278 0642 or please visit http://www.bonvivant.co.uk

Welcome to Bon Vivant’s summary of the critics’ restaurant reviews. Enjoy!

Giles Coren, The Times

Giles visits Redhook, a ‘very cool’ ‘cocktail, steak and seafood place’ in Clerkenwell.

Oysters ‘were not cold enough’ and ‘one or two had been clumsily opened’, prawns were ‘a bit squishy’, crab legs were ‘soggy and wet’, crab linguine was ‘the best’ ‘ever had’, the steaks were ‘beautiful with excellent fries and good Béarnaise’ and the cocktails were ‘peerless’. 7.33 out of 10.

Giles also visits Café Luc in Marylebone, where ‘the wood is dark, the linen is white, the lighting is kind, the menu is accessible’ with ‘very good’ service.

Shrimp croquettes were ‘scarily huge’, crab tian was ‘far more delicate’, a ‘beautiful’ onglet was ‘crisped on the outside but rare and yielding and faintly barnyardy’, and a goat’s cheese pizza was ‘pretty good’. 7.33 out of 10.

AA Gill, The Sunday Times

AA Gill visits Viajante in Bethnal Green, where ‘the variety of ingredients in combination were limited, the flavours cloddish’ and the food ‘muddy, haphazard, careless, clumsy and boastful’.

Dishes ‘come on vast and varied plates, but are themselves the size of a teddy bear’s picnic’, including tomato with water and strawberries that was ‘wet’, textures of beetroot with crab, green apple and whipped goat’s cheese, and crumbled polenta, lemon paste, strawberries and citrus powder that ‘wasn’t as nice as it sounds’. 1 star out of 5.

Matthew Fort, The Guardian

Matthew visits Koffmann’s at the Berkeley Hotel, where ‘the secret of Koffmann’s cooking is flavour, flavour and yet more flavour’.

The soupe de poisons, tête de veau à la sauce ravigote and the daube de joue de boeuf were ‘a full-frontal assault on your tastebuds’, ‘big dishes, big on flavour, mighty on texture, magnificent in their generosity’, the mashed potato was ‘an extraordinary, ethereal, almost liquid cloud of tuber’, and the pipérade with the confit of wild salmon was ‘refined and restrained’. 8 out of 10.

Allan Jenkins, The Observer

Allan visits Chilli Cool in Bloomsbury, which ‘offers real cooking at near-café prices’ but is ‘not the place to go if you are a fussy eater, someone put off by spice, fat, or nose-to-tail eating’.

Sliced beef Sichuan style tasted ‘sweaty, tripey, intestiney’, sea spicy shredded pork was ‘a wonderfully complex and accomplished plate of food’, dry fried beans ‘didn’t disappoint – the beans were puckered but still moist inside’, aubergine with red and green chop chilli was ‘fruity, almost appley, and gently spicy’, and cold sliced pork belly with mashed garlic sauce was ‘the star starter’ with ‘wafer-thin slices of luscious soft, fatty meat’. No rating given.

Tracey MacLeod, The Independent

Tracey visits Flinty Red, a ‘small, minimal’ restaurant in Bristol where ‘the marriage of food and drink is fundamental’.

Panisse were ‘good, in the way that most things are when they’re deep-fried, salted and accompanied by alcohol’, almonds added ‘a welcome crunch to slippery mascarpone-filled ravioli’, a ‘hefty’ pork chop ‘didn’t quite have enough char from its time under the grill’, pan-fried grey mullet was ‘so delicate as to be almost overwhelmed by its accompanying fennel’, and desserts ‘were simply put together but fine’. 4 stars out of 5 for the food and service; 2 stars out of 5 for the ambience.

Lisa Markwell, The Independent on Sunday

Lisa visits The Pass at the South Lodge Hotel in Sussex, which ‘is all about the food’, where ‘all 22 seats are in the kitchen’.

Pea velouté with a poached quail’s egg and truffle was ‘vibrant and welcoming’, chicken-liver parfait with spiced biscuit, prune compote and apple was ‘a thing of beauty’ and tasted ‘sublime’, poached trout, Jersey Royal mash, artichoke purée and samphire was ‘elegant, if veering towards traditional’, saddle and belly of lamb served with caramelised aubergine, red pepper, cabbage and “pesto” was ‘a definite misstep’, and gingerbread crème brûlée with a rhubarb sorbet was ‘so intense yet refreshing’. 7 out of 10.

Matthew Norman, The Telegraph

Matthew visits Koffmann’s, ‘an instantly forgettable restaurant’ whose ‘BA-lounge sterility induces a so-whattish ennui’.

The salade savoureuse had ‘very good’ lettuce, the boudin noir with sautéed apples was ‘better, the black pudding unusually delicate and the apple pleasingly caramelised’, a fillet of cod was ‘sensationally bland’, the rabbit was ‘sweet, juicy’, the Peach Melba was ‘nice’, and the French custard with meringue ‘hardly impressed either’. 5 out of 10.

Zoe Williams, The Telegraph

Zoe visits Lasan in Birmingham, which has ‘a daring, ornate-meets-industrial interior’ and ‘absolutely lovely’ service.

Goan lemon sole was ‘all Goa and no soul’, ‘hot enough and vinegary enough that you could only guess the protein by texture’, the smoked lamb fillet was ‘as tough as a satchel strap, and bore no sign of the tenderising effects of a marinade’, prawns with a herby onion and coriander curry were ‘a disaster’, ‘the curry was thin, red and aggressive’ and ‘the prawns were tasteless, overcooked’, the Old Delhi-style poussin ‘tasted mainly, confusingly, of Bovril’, and a dessert of warm khoya roundels were ‘oppressively, incomprehensibly sweet, with an unpleasant, mealy texture’. 3 out of 10.

Fay Maschler, The Evening Standard

Fay visits Sedap, a Malaysian restaurant in Old Street.

Penang char kway teow (flat rice noodle assembly) was ‘particularly well-made’, roti prata with lamb curry was ‘flaky in the nicest possible way’, Malaysian blachan chicken was ‘rewarding’, Hainanese chicken rice was ‘pleasant but not possessing the subtle tracery of ginger, garlic and master chicken stock that it can display’, and deep-fried tofu with beansprouts and cucumber in a peanut sauce was ‘particularly good’. 3 stars out of 5.

Hugh Wright, Twelve Point Five Percent

Hugh visits Polpetto, from the team behind Polpo, which ‘occupies an unusual site’ in Soho with ‘fun, informal and fast-paced’ service.

Anchovy and chickpea crostino was ‘like fishy hummus’, crispy soft shell crab in Parmesan batter with fennel salad was ‘as amazing as it sounds, the crisp, creamily-dressed fennel providing a cool, smooth counterpoint to the hot, crunchy crab’, osso buco (tender braised veal shank) with saffron risotto ‘although comforting to eat and better than OK, was somewhat bland’, pigeon saltimbocca was ‘a brilliant, imaginative, modern British rendition of an Italian classic’, a ham hock and parsley terrina was ‘also very good’, and the tiramisu was ‘magnificent, textbook’ and ‘very boozy’.

To make a reservation, please contact Bon Vivant on 0207 278 0642 or please visit http://www.bonvivant.co.uk