What does it take to stay abreast of the very best restaurants in London? A small army, that's what. Our Be The Critic army may not have the fittest soldiers, but we’re more than willing to go into the field and report back. We’re here to celebrate all of your magnificent comments from the past month, and if you haven’t submitted one yet, what are you waiting for? Read on to find out how to get involved – you could be rewarded handsomely for your efforts.
We’ll admit it, we do enjoy it when everybody agrees with us: Covent Garden’s slick French brasserie, Balthazar (above), opened two years ago but feels a lot more established and Luncheon Vulture (great usernames are always appreciated) is with us. The Vulture says ‘it deserves to be savoured’ and ‘just edges it over the nearby Delaunay’. On the other hand, Claire W said she would only go back ‘if they dropped their prices quite a lot and gave the staff a shot of caffeine to liven them up a bit’. The restaurant has generated over 30 comments from you guys to date, so it clearly gets people talking.
The Delaunay also got flack this month from Shauna M, who brought up table turning after being given a strict 90 minutes in which to eat – although she still recommended the kedgeree and ‘delicious’ poppy seed cake. The Delaunay’s owners, master restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, can take comfort in the fact that Mr & Mrs B ‘love’ their Marylebone venue Fischer’s (below), while we can all look forward to their imminent Islington opening, Bellanger, this autumn…
With the glossy new Crossrail Place development almost entirely open, Canary Wharf is becoming a hotspot – but you lot have mixed feelings. Vanessa is loving the ‘amazing’ Japanese robatayaki Roka (who isn’t) – ‘the service is second to none’ – as well as the bottomless brunch menu and impressive ambience at neighbouring One Canada Square (below). However, The Cheese ventured into the ‘raucous and rammed’ The Parlour on a Friday night and found the party mob to be ‘akin to [her] own version of hell’. Strong words indeed. Crossrail Place has a tranquil garden on the top floor and a forthcoming Ippudo – all much more relaxing.
Thankfully, restaurants can no longer get away with giving vegetarians a large bowl of cauliflower cheese and a smile, but Chancery Lane’s Vanilla Black still didn’t win over Kaana George: ‘very disappointed not to be able to obtain actual vegetables as a side dish in a veggie restaurant’ (fair point) and the wine list is ‘massively overpriced’. It’s a bit of a trek from the City, but if Kanna wants a great vegetarian we suggest following Gloria J to Battersea, where Queenswood serves up ‘magical tastes’, great service and ‘exotic cocktails’. According to Jessica S, Sushisamba (below) is another green giant this month thanks to vegetarian dishes ‘bursting with flavour’ and ‘surprising combinations’. The views aren’t bad either, apparently…
And finally, a special mention to Richard E’s recent review of Soho Ecuadorian Tostado. It features guinea pigs, selfie sticks, Boris bikes, drug deals and an excellent bean stew – what else could you possibly want from a restaurant?
To get involved, just register with us here, search for a restaurant and then leave your comments. We like to shower our best reader reviewers with prizes, including £250 to spend at a restaurant of their choice, a Lavazza coffee machine (like the Èspria, below), cookbooks and fizz. Every week we also hold a regular free prize draw, meaning that any review you leave on our site could win you a prize – check out #SMDinerReview on Twitter to find out more.
This article was published 24 June 2015