Jamie's at Westfield

Jamie Oliver's establishments never cease to amaze me with their low quality food. Ahh the pasta is to die for people say ... it's pasta, though possible it is yet hard to completely ruin a dish that is wheat in cheese surrounded by interesting condiments. At Jamie's in Westfield all our table took the baked fish in a bag due to the romantic homicidal sound of the dish. I tried everyone's at it was equally tasteless. How you can make something containing fennel and garlic seem mild like stilton, I do not know. What I do know is that I'm done giving Jamie second chances, he might put on a good show, me might alas even be a good cook himself but he does not know how to pick his stuff.

The Boundary

I am starting to think that Conran made restaurants are the only worthwhile eating establishments in London. Take the Boundary in Shoreditch for instance. Five stars for design and service and the freshest sea platter I've ever had, seaside towns included. It had everything from oysters to prawns to snails and mussels, served in abundance on a plate of ice. The bisque was heavenly rich and creamy, the bream and lamb had the strict austerity that come with the title of main dish and the excellent combination of flavours that one gladly pays 20 quid for. Needless to say there was a good wine selection and white was drink of the day.

Wapping Project

Little does one expect to find a place of culinary and cultural delight in East London. This is however one of those old "dont judge a book by its cover" tales. Wapping is a dignified, swanky area on the river, quite akin to the trendy refurbished warehouse appartments one finds in London Bridge. Amongst them is a converted hydraulic power station that houses the Wapping Project. An exhibition space with a restaurant and cocktail bar. The Wapping project is definetely an extensive conversation piece - be it the design, the location or the neighbours (one of the oldest bankside pubs located on an old execution spot). The cocktails blew me away - the classics were well performed and honey vodka based mixes delighted the palate and excited the senses. In a mild sense of ubriation I was delighted by the simple down to business composition of the menu. There was something to satisfy every taste in the fushion of starters of roast quail with peach, chicory and walnut or chilled papaya, cucumber and mint soup. The mains were unmistakeably British with an Andalusian twist. Roast pork loin with paprika potatoes and chorizo and Brecon lamb with sweet onion cake were discarded in favour of roast duck on mash. Everything was cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. However the portion size and the combination of ingredients fell a little bit short. Be as it may but the drinks, the desserts and the overall ambience of the place have made it one of my current favourites. Wapping project provides and excellent setting to get toghether and celebrate with friends.

Top Gun

The Gun in the docklands has housed a pub for "over 250 years", it was once owned by lord Nelson and frequented by smugglers. These times have passed and now the gun is a respectable gastronomic establishment boasting fresh fish from the market and you must call in advance and pre order the cod - its so good they tend to run out. We didn't pre order and instead select smoked eel for starters and that days special - stingray en croute with capers. The eel lacked garnish and the stingray was too oily. I would call the dining experience rather average. However when I saw - other people's orders - I began to have second thoughts. The braised ham hock and the 35 day matured Aberdeen rib eye looked pleasantly huge and tasty to the eye. As I had already eaten my order I did not have the pleasure of trying them but decided to contend myself with a coffee on the terrace. As I walked through the pub I noticed that its design makes it a great place to go to with a big group of friends or colleagues. I did not expect to find its crown jewel on the terrace but I did; an amazing, sci fi, "360 degrees" view of the O2 dome in all its evening splendour. It felt surreal to sit on the heated terrace, have a fag and look across the water at the glimmering lights of the concert hall and the occasional Thames clippers, cruising by.
Verdict? A must see for drinks with friends - hearty atmosphere , impressive view and since you're there and the drink has made you hungry - you might as well have some traditional pub grub with an aspirational twist.

3 Garcons .. oh yes!

J'adore Les 3 Garcons. Whereas most restaurants are of standard design and stand out through their food services rather than interior, 3 Garcons, near liverpool street tube get 5 stars for innovative design. Imagine the kitchiest dream sequence you ever had, hued in dark purples and opulent reds and you get 3 Garcons. I was so busy admiring the design , I could hardly concentrate on the food. The latter for the matter was french. The whole premise of french cuisine is that its very hard to really mess up because even the basics entail high quality of the food and complex flavours. Was it the best french I ever had in my whole life? No. None the less it was a french of very good standard. The braised beef was tender and the starters very varied.
Les 3 Garcons is not something you would want to visit every now and then unless you work in the city and its nearby. I would say its best for special occasions, occasions when you want to impress, to show your eclectic taste and insider knowledge of London's hidden gems.
Lounge lover, located right behind 3 Garcons, is an equally impressive cocktail/lounge bar belonging to the same company. It's great for a final woe after the wine and dining experience at the restaurant itself.

Plateau

Plateau was a real find. You take a lift from the Canary Warf shopping centre concourse, near Waitrose and you end up in a futuristic milieu known as plateau. If you're a fan of science fiction and translucent glass views you will certainly appreciate the effort put into design and choice of location. An important thing to remember about plateau is that it was opened by the Conran Designer Group. The latter make an effort, when I say effort - I mean they design all the entrails of the restaurant - from head to toe.
Whether you want to chill out with a cocktail and take inn the view of Canada Square at night or you want a quiet, sophisticated meal - Plateau is for you.
I visited it many times and was never disappointed. All the food is top notch but what really stands out from the crowd is the steak. The steak is perfect; thick, juicy it melts like butter under the knife and has the perfect texture. Before you get to the main though, forget the guilt and indulge in the butter - it's almost as good as the steak.