REVIEW OF THE REVIEWS
16 April
Giles Coren decides he won't be going down to Gastro in Clapham, London, again, despite its great interior
Walking in, I loved everything about it - the side corridor crammed with tiny tables of people on their own, and the huge communal table at the back. The entrŽe menu was all moules and tartelettes, salads de chvres and cheap oysters. The fish soup was that brown, grainy sludge smelling of a fishmonger's floor. The tartiflette was ballsy enough: bacon, potato, reblochon and cream, frazzed in a ceramic dish and served with green salad. But it was very, very greasy. Lots of beef cuts went by and also a plate of andouillettes, smelling of what it is - poo sausage. (Dinner for two with wine, £60)
16 April
Victor Lewis-Smith finds size matters at Trouble House, Cirencester
The phrase "the smallest room" could refer just as easily to the dining room, because when you're sitting at the far corner table, the ancient lopsided architecture creates an optical illusion. This would be a great place for a vertically challenged geezer to take a new girlfriend. I opted for deep-fried breaded cod brandade, served atop a bed of chicory with mixed leaves that tasted of arugula. My mouth became a crucible within which these salt cod balls underwent strange chemical reactions with the salad. The fromage fort cheeseboard excelled in value, odour and condition, and the standard of cooking was sky-high throughout. (Dinner for two, including wine, £90)
16 April
Gillian Glover celebrates old-fashioned elegance at Edinburgh's Cosmo
All was still precisely as it should be in this cathedral of good living. The menu did mention that the mussels were cooked with chilli as well as garlic and white wine, but I hadn't expected my guest to be reduced to tears by the spiciness. I hadn't noted the prawns in my main-course gamberoni al pepperoni (£16.90) were deep-fried, which was a bit too 1960s for my preference, but that is hardly the chef's fault. My guest chose rack of lamb with red cabbage and a "light gravy". It was superb - very pink and juicy, with real flavour. (Dinner for two without drinks, £54.50)
17 April
AA Gill explores philosophy and food at the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, and gives it a rare five stars
[Heston] Blumenthal ignores culture and geography and goes back to the two things we taste with - our palates and our memories. Our heads say: "Snail porridge is disgusting," but our mouths say: "This is fantastic." We started with green tea and lime mousse poached in liquid nitrogen, which makes you blow steam like a dragon. White chocolate and caviar. Chocolates flavoured with leather, pine and tobacco. This is food of extreme flavours, textures and temperatures. All of you should eat here at least once to find out what is really going on in your mouth. (Dinner per head, including drinks, £100)
17 April
Matthew Norman realises how much he misses old-fashioned pubs at the Havelock Tavern, London
For all its perennial presence as a Gastropub of the Year contender, it is much more than a pub that happens to serve great food. There are no giant television screens, and traditionalists may also take umbrage at the lack of any fruit machines. My lamb, fig and mint tagine (£9.50) wasn't a tagine at all, but a large white bowl filled with exceedingly tender meat suffused with zingy fruitiness, served with the fluffiest couscous I've ever eaten. The highlight was a chargrilled bavette (£11), served with sensationally good fat chips. (Dinner per head including drinks, £28)
