Hélène Darroze's food is ‘awful', says Jay Rayner

French chef Hélène Darroze's food "creates a whole new category of awful", according to Jay Rayner.

The Observer's food critic says he was served "two of the very worst dishes ever" at the restaurant at London's Connaught hotel.

He adds that under the current climate, "as banks collapse and jobs die, this sort of restaurant, serving ill-judged food, really doesn't make the slightest bit of sense".

Meanwhile Richard Corrigan has gained more critical acclaim for his eponymous restaurant in Mayfair, with AA Gill calling the Irish chef one of his favourite cooks.

The Sunday Times food critic says Corrigan is "right on the money" with his menu adding: "It's exactly what we want to find on our plates, but don't know how to ask."

The Independent's Tracey MacLeod visits Gourmet Spot in Durham and finds the restaurant housed in a "kind of suburban Gothic hotel the Addams Family would stay in if they retrained as travelling salesmen".

For the reviews in full and more see What's on the Menu? >>

The Connaught divides opinion>>

Richard Corrigan's Mayfair venture garners more critical acclaim>>

Interview with Richard Corrigan>>

By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.

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