Old Jameson Distillery

Posted on by

*** (3 stars)

The Jameson “Distillery” is really a visitor center, as the distillery is now on the other side of Ireland.

The regularly scheduled tours include a well produced film, and recreations of several of the original distillery’s operation. Our tour guide was knowledgable.

At the conclusion of the tour, everyone gets a generous serving of Jameson, and a few lucky guests are chosen to taste comparative samples of Jameson, Scotch and Jack Daniels. I was chosen, and it was interesting, since I’m a fan of Jameson 18 and single malt Scotch. The Jameson was much smoother, the Scotch was peaty/smokey and a bit harsh, and the Jack very perfumey and rough. But I found the regular Jameson also pretty rough after having only had the 12 and 18 before.

The point was that Irish whiskey is triple distilled, which makes it smoother, adn that point was well made.

A large percentage of the facility is devoted to a very nice tasting room, shop, and a cafe.

Old Jameson Distillery
Bow Street
Smithfield Village
, Dublin 7
+353 1 8072355
http://www.yelp.com/biz/old-jameson-distillery-dublin

Pied à Terre

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

Pied a Terre has become one of our favorite London restaurants. The atmosphere is intimate, and perfectly suited to romance or business discussions.

The food–especially the tasting menus–is as good as any from London’s other top rated restaurants. But the real difference at Pied a Terre is the wine service.

Rather than simply selecting and pouring wines with each course, it is the restaurant’s practice to offer a blind tasting, where the wine is poured first so you can taste it alone, then the course is served so you can see how it matches, and then you are asked to comment on the wine and (if you wish) guess what it is.

We find this to be tremendous fun. It forges a camaraderie with the sommelier that sets the experience apart from all other fine dining experiences.

Pied à Terre
34 Charlotte Street
London, W1T 2NH
+44 20 7636 1178
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pied-%C3%A0-terre-london-3

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

We’ve dined here both upstairs and down, and at the sister restaurants in Las Vegas and (now closed) New York. Of all of them, this is our favorite, because of the intimate size of the downstairs area. It offers arguably the best tasting menu in London, with wine pairings that superbly match each course.

The artistry of the food arrangement is really unsurpassed, and it’s great fun to watch it being assembled before you, so be sure to ask for a seat at the counter. This makes it easy to chat with the servers and sommelier, making it a friendly, energizing experience. For parties of more than two a few tables are available downstairs, which I recommend over the less intimate upstairs dining room.

L?Atelier de Joël Robuchon
13-15 West Street
London, WC2H 9NE
+44 20 7010 8600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-atelier-de-jo%C3%ABl-robuchon-london-2

The Salisbury

Posted on by

*** (3 stars)

This very historical pub is a good place for lunch before a matinee show at any of the nearby theatres. The food and beverage selections are what you’d expect, and there is a charming period decor. Service is friendly, and accommodating of foreign visitors, so the you can usually order at your table rather than the bar, as is more traditional.

The Salisbury
90 St Martins Lane
London, WC2N 4AP
+44 20 7836 5863
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-salisbury-london-2

Clos Maggiore

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

Clos Maggiore has a well-deserved reputation as London’s most romantic restaurant. It’s convenient to the West End theatres, and open late enough to go after the show.

The food is reliable and elegantly presented, and the wine list ad Bas Armagnac are extensive and top notch.

But above all it’s the romantic atmosphere of the garden-like (but completely indoor) dining room that draws us back.

Clos Maggiore
33 King Street
Covent Garden
London, WC2E 8JD
+44 20 7379 9696
http://www.yelp.com/biz/clos-maggiore-london-2

Veeraswamy

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

It’s hardly surprising that all of the best Indian meals I’ve had have been in London, even include some Michelin starred meals. But Veeraswamy may well be the best of the best.

I was actually not expecting it to be quite that good, because the opentable listing emphasizes their corporate connections, plus a recommendation by National Geographic(?!)

Yet everything we tried was one of the best Indian dishes I’ve tasted, and we tried quite a few items, sampling four appetizers and a vegetarian main that included four separate dishes. Particular highlights were the Raj Kachori, a fancy version of Indian street food consisting of a crisp wheat puri filled with goodies, and Scallop Moilee, which came in a stunning coconut and ginger sauce. My wife is a Chicken Tikka aficionado, and proclaimed this one the best Indian dish she ever tasted.

There is also an excellent wine list, highlighted by some very well-described white and red Burgundies.

This will definitely be the Indian restaurant we return to on our next visit to London.

Veeraswamy
Victory House
99 Regent Street
London, W1B 4RS
+44 20 7734 1401
http://www.yelp.com/biz/veeraswamy-london

Roux at Parliament Square

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

We were fortunate to find a table available when we wandered in for a late lunch. There is a superb prix fixe lunch menu at a very affordable price (so affordable, we couldn’t resist spending several times as much on a wonderful Corton Charlemagne, the perfect accompaniment).

I selected a cassoulet of squid and smoked mussels as my starter. It was richly flavored without being excessively buttery, although there was certainly plenty of that on the wonderful toast served with it.

For my main I had the mackerel. This is a dish for true fish lovers, as it’s of course quite fishy, but was not at all oily, just moist, and with a perfectly crisped skin. The accompanying beets were luscious.

A wonderful cheese trolley capped off a delightful meal. Professional yet friendly service increased our enjoyment, making us feel particularly lucky to have been squeezed in without a booking.

Highly recommended as a dressy, sophisticated retreat from the tourist-choked streets outside!

Roux at Parliament Square
11 Great George Street
Parliament Square
London, SW1P 3AD
+44 20 7334 3737
http://www.yelp.com/biz/roux-at-parliament-square-london

Ritz Hotel

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

This is a review of the hotel and restaurant, not the high tea that many of the reviewers here have written about.

If the the founder of the Ritz could see his hotel a hundred years later I think he would be very pleased. Its maintenance and refurbishment are tip top, and its staff still cleaves to old-time standards of service. While the strict enforcement of the no jeans or sneakers rule may irk some, and the requirement of a jacket and tie in the restaurants may seem old fashioned, they work to enforce the tone attempted here, which some may find a bit snooty. So be it; if that’s not your thing, there are plenty of alternatives. But if you’d like to step back to the glamour of a past age, this is the place to do it.

The Restaurant at the Ritz offers a similarly rarefied experience, at rarefied prices. But actually the tasting menu, which included eight courses for 95 pounds, was a good deal. While the food is not likely to garner Michelin stars, several courses were quite good. The matching wine pairings were generous, but few actually matched the food. Service was, of course, impeccable.

Ritz Hotel
150 Piccadilly
London, W1J 9BR
+44 20 7493 8181
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ritz-hotel-london-2

Bentley’s

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

This is a favorite stop of ours. Excellent fresh seafood and shellfish in a great environment. I particularly like the prepared crab appetizer.

Cozy, pub-like interior. On a nice day it’s great to dine in the covered area out front.

The wine selection is particularly well-suited to fish and especially the shellfish selections. You can’t go wrong with the Albarino.

Bentley’s
11-15 Swallow Street
London, W1B 4DG
+44 20 7734 4756
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bentleys-london

Thai Square

Posted on by

*** (3 stars)

Conveniently located adjacent to Windsor Castle, this Thai restaurant features attractive decor in its various interconnected dining rooms. The curry was the best thing we tried. The “Golden Sack” and rib appetizers were unremarkable, as was the duck entree. Service was pleasant but not particularly attentive.

Thai Square
29 Thames Street
Windsor, SL4 1PR
+44 1753 868900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/thai-square-windsor