Formans Restaurant

As the previous reviewer noted, this place is a complete mare to find.....even for relative locals such as ourselves. However, do persevere because it is worth it. We went on a Thursday night, when the new art gallery stays open til 9pm and the menu is mainly fish. At the weekend apparently there is a wider choice of Sunday lunch and brunch type items, so we may well be tempted to return then. The food was accomplished - the smoked eel was arguably the dish of the night -and the wholly English wine list was both a novelty and a revelation...who knew that we can produce such a good rose? The service was impeccable. However, the big highlight was finishing our drinks out on the balcony - the view of the river and the Olympic site is really something else....and I'm far from a sports fan.
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Shirley MK
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, August 18, 2011

We went for the "once in a lifetime" chance to see the Olympic stadium as it's being built - the view will never be the same again. It's not an easy place to find and is in the middle of what looks quite a scary industrial estate. The view of the stadium is truly amazing and the canal looks really pretty. there is a small balcony where you can enjoy drinks outside or there is a large (too large?!) bar area, where you can relax for pre-dinner drinks.

The staff were incredibly friendly. The restaurant itself is small - I have read reviews of the tables being too close but they seemed ok to me. Famed for its smoked salmon, I thought I should have a go. It was, indeed, less "slimy" than its Scottish counterpart and the smoking was subtle but very nice. The smoked eel was great - don't be put off by the thought as it really is good.

The brill was off the menu and replaced by turbot - my dad loved it. I had the sea bass - it sounded a little weird with a vanilla sauce and truffle mash but really worked. Dessert was good too.

The wine list appears expensive - it starts at £22 per bottle. But it's all English wine (we had the Chapel Down pinot gris, which was lovely) so a nice touch and not that bad a mark-up compared to what you'd pay in the supermarket.

I sound like I own the restaurant! But this restaurant deserves to do well and, as a resident of Bow, I hope it does. It's in a strange location at the moment but this won't be for long as the Olympics gets closer, so go now whilst you still can. I would recommend getting a taxi as they know where the restaurant is and I'm not sure I'd want to walk from the station - apparently it's not on most sat navs either.
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9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, August 16, 2011