Review of Reviews: 22 June 2006

22 June 2006
Review of Reviews: 22 June 2006

The Independent, 17 June
John Walsh applauds the wine pricing policy at Antony Demetre and Will Smith's new restaurant, Arbutus, in London's Soho and gives the thumbs-up to the food
You study the wine list and get a shock. Twenty-five whites and 26 reds are offered in 25ml carafes as well as 75ml bottles. To gaily open an £85 bottle of 2000 Côte-Rotie so that a diner can enjoy a third of it for £28.50? This is unheard of… hats off to them. My starter of chicken sot l'y laisse, macaroni, broad beans, lemon thyme and hazelnuts was a riot of subtle flavours. Sot l'y laisse translates as "only a fool would leave it" and features six chicken "oysters" - those dark oval bits tucked away under the carcass and often ignored by the fastidious. Nestling among long tubes of macaroni and the bright green vegetables, they were amazingly tasty. (Rating: food/ambience/service - all four stars out of five. About £90 for two, including wine)

The Guardian, 17 June
Matthew Norman heads westwards en famille to the Oyster Shack in Bigbury, Devon
There was only one thing for it - alcohol. A bottle of Sharpham Estate Dart Valley Reserve from up the road near Totnes was deemed "Bloody ripper" after the Aussie's first sip, which translates roughly as crisp with a pleasantly appley tone. It went a treat with her first course of red mullet fillet with mango and chilli salsa. The fish was "properly undercooked, just like at home," though the salsa didn't add much since it had been stored in the fridge, so rendering its punch weaker than an official England World Cup song. She was saved by the chilli jam that came with the kids' deep-fried calamari, which, boy brat told us as he ran past, was "quite nice, but not as good as fish fingers." (Rating: 6.5 out of 10. £30-£40 a head with wine)

Daily Telegraph, 17 JuneJan Moir gets saintly when she eats Nick Hales's food at St Clement's restaurant in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
Everything is home-made and seasonal. Often, a "platter of local smoked fish" is just an excuse for someone to creep into the kitchen and pull the plastic off some clammy bits of ossifying seafood, like peeling a wet stocking off a corpse, then tumble it on to a plate and charge some poor sucker eight quid for the privilege. But not here. What you get is a lovely selection of lightly smoked, plump fish, including mackerel and sea trout, served with elegant rye bread and a light horseradish cream.We also order a bowl of asparagus, watercress and Jersey Royal potatoes, complete with a soft poached egg on top with a sunny yolk that spools southwards when pierced. Now that's the kind of properly patriotic English salad one hopes for, but rarely gets. (Meal for two £40, excluding drinks and service)

Sunday Times, 18 June
AA Gill recognises the kitchen skill, but has reservations about the food at Galvin at Windows in London
I started with a Provençal tarte fine with slices of cold cooked tuna. It was well made, but awkward and unrewarding to eat, and reminded me of lunchtime take-outs from Chelsea delicatessens. Lobster bisque was much better; an immaculate flavour with a touch of Cognac, but a heavy hand on the cream. The sea scallops and Jersey Royals, and seared foie gras, were better again, but only because the ingredients were pretty perfect. A risotto of morels, peas, broad beans and summer truffles was like a paella and, contrarily, the paella with monkfish, shrimp, mussels and saffron wasn't enough like a paella. Puddings were from that international carte of disappointing desserts. Which is a shame, because this kitchen doesn't lack skill. It's just that the menu keeps staring out of the window. (Rating: three stars out of five)

The Observer, 18 JuneJay Rayner puts carnivorous leanings to one side and applauds equality of vegetables in dishes at Rosemary Lane, near the Tower of London
Here, animal and vegetable get equal billing. The clearest sign of intention was in the ‘amuse': a curl of perfectly roasted red pepper, a slice of Italian yellow tomato, a chunk of sweet and sour dark-roasted onion. A pâté of organic chicken livers, intense and rich, came with a tremendous celeriac rémoulade, though it may have been the rémoulade that came with the pâté. It really was a model of its kind: crisp, with a clever balance between celeriac and the lightly-acidic dressing. (Meal for two £100, including service)

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