Mark Palmer reviews

Friday, January 04, 2008 - The great thing about Japanese food is that you can eat lots of it without feeling you've eaten very much at all. But the black pot has other ideas and we immediately regret requesting it: the meat is stringy, the sauce is sweet and what compounds our disappointment is that there's enough to feed four or five people.

Friday, November 30, 2007 - Although it's newly opened, there's bags of confidence here. When we order a bottle of Givry, the sommelier comes back a few minutes later and says: "Rotten luck, we've just sold the last bottle." Then, after producing something similar and pouring a little into my glass, he can't stop himself saying "Ooh, delicious," before I have a chance to tell him that it's perfectly fine. Perky India, meanwhile, tells us that working here is like being part of Leigh's family.

Friday, November 23, 2007 - You should expect some inconvenience when God comes to town. But I was beginning to lose faith in the deity of Alain Ducasse after a series of baffling emails dispatched by various junior disciples. One confirmed my booking, but it was for an entirely different day to the one I requested. Then I received a telephone call telling me that I must print off and fax back the confirmation email, enclosing my credit card details and a current signature.

Saturday, November 03, 2007 - So, Hibiscus is up and running at last. It won't be long before the Michelin men are heading for Maddox Street. I suspect they'll like the food here more than I do, especially if they're partial to ice cream.