The Villian of Villandry

Just like two in one shampoo and conditioner the Villandry food store, bakery, restaurant and bar is a great idea that doesn't really work. It has a beautiful store with gourmet french groceries adjoined to a wooden clad french restaurant with an ambitious wine menu.
We came in a large group and had the french onion and mushroom soups for starters. The presentation was good, the taste - boringly fine, it lacked a certain zest I so admire in french cuisine. The restaurant was not busy but we had to wait for forty minutes for our mains, which were simple in execution as they were mussels in white wine sauce. After I complained the mains were delivered within minutes. I am worried - were they standing ready for half an hour - all forgotten in a begone corner of the kitchen or is the chef a lazy whizkid that when reminded whipped up three mains in five minutes.
I would shop in the Villandry if I lived nearby and Waitrose didn't do online delivery and I would probably eat there again if I found myself desperately hungry on Great Portland street, but I wouldn't recommend anyone taking time off to see it.

Aquatic fushion

Aqua off Regent Street spreads itself amongst the top three floors of an ex department store, whose name I cannot recall. There is Aqua Kyoto with Asian cuisine, Aqua Nueva for tapas, and a champagne bar called Aqua Spirit.
We concentrated on Aqua Kyoto. The venue is great, unusually large for London, with excellent lighting and layout. There is a large smoking terrace with a view of a dome which looks like St Paul's. The atmosphere was great, very anachronistic. It's a very good place to visit with a group of friends before going off to party. The food - very average. We tried most of the things on the menu - the lobster, the cod, sushi rolls, mussel udon, clam miso, shrimp tempura. Only thing worth mentioning is the black cod which had a pleasant sweet sauce. The desserts fared a bit better - chocolate fondant, green tea ice cream, sake poached pear. What I will always remember though is the fried sesame ice cream.

Le Gavroche

What can I say? Le Gavroche is the first Micheline restaurant I've been to that merits its two stars. It can be found off Park Lane and has this grandiose air that tells tales of better times that is so prevalent to some areas of Piccadilly and Mayfair.
I first heard of this place while watching masterchef the professionals, hosted by Michael Roux JR - its current head chef and owner. Roux inherited the restaurant from his dad who was an Uber Chef of the seventies and gave the establishment its reputation.
Everything pleased me about Gavroche, the old school grandeur ambiance without the uncomfortable snobbery usually found in such establishments. The service was quick, I don't know the prices as ladies get a blank menu. I was in casual wear but that was a faux pas as men wore dinner jackets and some ladies had glamorous evening wear. In addition, Gavroche customises all their merchandise so in between courses I had fun looking at hand painted plates and chef-figured cutlery.
Cheese souffle was faultless and satisfying while cooked oysters had a pleasant texture and a refreshing sauce. French food has fascinating, intricate names but one does not always have the patience for them; for main we had lamb and fish stew. The lamb was faultless but what I want to recommend is the stew - the bisque was just right, a feat chefs rarely get as they usually put way to much salt. Passion fruit souffle ended the meal - I was quite full by then but I'm glad I'd tried it. Needless to say the wine selection was a vast as it was varied. Gavroche is definitely an establishment that would brighten any one's day.

What's at Steak?

Goodman's is well known for its steak. Got top reviews. It looks like a stylish pub. The staff is great - its unusual to mention service before food but here I must make an exception - despite the place being full, service was quick and the people working there must know a thing or two about customer service.
There was a very varied starter menu - something for everyone. I had the lobster bisque which was a bit too salty and as a main with my steak some creamed spinach with Gruyere which was also a bit salty and a bit fatty. Having said that, my criticism ends here. Steaks we wanted - steaks we got - great, t bone, sirloin, fillet - all the cuts were thick and juicy and melted under the knife like butter. What you see is what you get. I liked what I saw and tasted!
Warm chocolate fondant with ice cream was very heard to take inn after the hearty meal but it was worth it as it was a perfect combination of unctuous chocolate flavours and and texture.
When you visit Goodman's I suggest you leave the vegetarians at home and order some good red with your steak.

St John's

St John's is not only famous for hosting occasional master chef kitchen trials but also for its whole roast suckling pig. The glorious swine is a wonderful idea. Having said that it must be pre ordered and my visit was spontaneous so I had to make do with the general menu.
St John's boasts of in your face, minimalist, traditional British dining. It is full of middle aged architect types that speak in baritones and roll their Rs. I found the atmosphere very refreshing and unusual but the food didn't bow me over. It just didn't' "bag a punch".
Duck hearts for starters made me ponder whether they threw away the duck after extracting the hearts or kept the carcass for other dishes. The mussel starter was more rewarding. As a main we had rabbit and duck which were of excellent quality but unmemorable in themselves. The most interesting part of the meal was the desert - a combination of Eccles cake and Lancashire cheese. I added many new words from the menu to my personal dictionary that day - like mallard and chitterlings. The whole experience was washed down by an absolutely amazing house red which I intend to purchase for home the next time I'm around.

Weeping Willow

The Willow is a pub turned lounged restaurant at Winchmore hill. Easiest way to get there is by car or cab as it is in the heart of the residential area. It is easy to spot by the massive live Willow tree outside. The design reminds me of a toned down version of Gaucho. The service was great, the food price was great too - in between a pub and a restaurant. I wouldn't award them Michelin stars just yet but you can see that they try and aspire. To break it down in the best traditions of professional master chef - the presentation was quite refined, the food - almost so - it would have been great but a bit on the heavy side - something that the right wine easily solves. The peppered beef steak was divinely tender -one of the best I've had. The wild mushroom jus that accompanied it could have met with improvement but worked very well when combined with the dauphinois potatoes. The onion bread was delicious - crunchy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. Stuffed mushrooms for starter looked extremely pretty and were combined well with baked cherry tomatoes but could have used a hint more flavour. The lamb could have used a bit of an extra trim and the aubergines and potatoes on the side did not require that extra ingredient of green been paste which was lovely on its own accord but tipped the dish towards the heavy side. The light poached pears, were an excellent end to the repas.
Culinary pretentiousness aside - the Willow's a great place for any event that requires a good, long hearty talk and a satisfied, happy gut. The only thing you would weep from is overeating.

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.