As we move towards summer, London’s restaurant scene shows no signs of slowing down. Naturally, our readers are clambering through the doors of the capital’s latest openings to give their honest and insightful opinions; diner reviews, which can be left on our site by anyone, are a vital part of making SquareMeal a one-stop shop for keen eaters. This is our chance to highlight your views, as well as a way for you to compare the experiences of other diners.
This month, we’ve got some great prizes to reward you with. We’ve teamed up with Lavazza to bring you the glorious gift of coffee, among various other treats. Find out how to get involved at the bottom and you could be our next big winner…
Words: Eamonn Crowe
When it comes to new London restaurants, SquareMeal readers continue to be the first through the door. Graham K stuffed his chops at the new Blacklock (above) in the City, trying out the “delicious” new menu additions, including scallops and ribs. Across town in Covent Garden, Hope M tried out the menu at St Luke’s Kitchen, from new head chef Daniel Petitta. Hope found that “everything looked and tasted delicious” while the menu was “great value for money”. Finally, Conor D made his way to Islington to dine at Radici, the new trattoria from Francesco Mazzei. Conor thought that the restaurant “sort of” succeeds, but is let down by a “limited” menu and “poor execution”. We felt much the same on our visit, but we’re confident that Mazzei will iron out any issues soon enough.
We all know that London isn’t the cheapest place to live, but it seems diners are willing to splash the cash for the right food, with special occasion restaurants thriving. Alison F celebrated her father’s birthday at Hutong in The Shard, where she was impressed by the “sublime” food and “pleasant and helpful” service. Meanwhile, Mike S enjoyed dinner at Celeste at The Lanesborough in Belgravia, where a roast celeriac was “the most interesting dish” he’s ever eaten. Over in the City, Continental Diner visited La Dame de Pic (above), where he was bowled over by the “never fussy, beautifully integrated” food – we agree, awarding the restaurant two SquareMeal stars on our visit.
International restaurants continue to birth London imports, to varying degrees of success. New York-based Aquavit (above) launched in St James’s last year and provided a tasty lunch for Lynn W, featuring “perfectly cooked” cod with carrots and leeks, and a “light, fresh” warm rosehip soup with vanilla ice cream. Mayfair’s Ferdi has fared less well, however. Jason S was disappointed by the London outpost of the Parisian celeb-mecca, blaming “mediocre” food and “ridiculously high” prices. It seems even Kim Kardashian’s approval can’t guarantee a restaurant's success.
Feeling left out? Register with us here to join in, search for a restaurant and then leave your comments. We’re constantly rewarding our diner reviewers with prizes: you could win a Lavazza coffee machine such as the Èspria Plus (below) and a £200 meal in a restaurant of your choice. Every week, we also pick out the best comments submitted to the site and give away cookbooks, bottles of fizz and more. Check out #SMDinerReview on Twitter for the latest.
This article was published 3 May 2017