this post is so patrick bateman, i should just buy a zagat

[superpitching]

It's my birthday soon (go shawtyfatty). I think I would like to have a super tasting menu.

BUT WHERE?

This is the post where I list places and seek out recommendations.

HIBISCUS.
Tasting menu is £90, +£65 for wine. It looks nice, but I am not jumping for joy. On the other hand, I've never been to Hibiscus and I'd really like to. I *do* however, like the look of their lunch menus - Saturday lunch or lunch-lunch.

I interrupt this post to report that a/ I have to do some work now and b/ Time Out is difficult to search, isn't it? It has, however, found somewhere called "Urban Turban", which I am not sure is genius or "oh dear"...

http://www.theprovidores.co.uk/prv.html#

Joel flipping Robuchon!

http://www.danddlondon.com/conran/cms/repositories/live//data/orrery/downloads/7520_0_gourmandmenu.pdf <-- the Orrery but oh man, fennel? :(

http://www.umurestaurant.com/Downloads/umu-apr10-kaiseki.pdf <-- kaiseki at Umu (but I think I would rather go European tbh)

Comments

[ewan]

There's sort of an interesting approach at Hunan (), where they just give you what the chef feels like.

Launceston Place could be an idea? (Menus on websites are samples, by the way, not what they will actually serve you!)

Or there's the newly-Michelin-starred but unattractively-named Texture.

Or maybe The Providores (just down the road from Orrery) if you want Pacific Rim fusion.

[ewan]

Oh ha, I just realised reading your links again that you've got The Providores already! Though I don't understand the Robuchon reference.

[superpitching]

Oh, I just remembered its existence, note to self to check if they do a degustation!

[superpitching]

OK, I'm intrigued by Hunan, even though I might worry about it playing out, eg would there be stress if someone didn't want to eat a particular thing etc - don't want stress on birthday!, and Texture actually does look quite good despite the name. I'm not sure if I *do* want Pacific Rim Fusion. Texture is so far winning out of that list.

[bob]

http://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?Category_Tasting_Menus


umu was disappointing on our second visit.

[superpitching]

That is SUCH a useful page! It's a shame RGL so sparsely comes up on google for 'tasting menu london' (and similar) - google rarely finds me RGL content :( I was still on the zagat page LIKE SOME SORT OF PATRICK BATEMAN, yes.

I'd quite like to go somewhere where others haven't been (it appears from rgl ewan has been to them all tho :))

[bob]

its the 5th result for me. :)

there is of course viajante which we havent been to yet.
http://www.viajante.co.uk/

[superpitching]

I looked at Viajante and then went "uh, where's a MENU", and again locationwise, wah do I *reeeeally* have to spend my birthday lunch in bethnal smelly greeeeeeeen :)

[kake]

I liked Hibiscus and Texture (the former a little more than the latter, though the room at Texture is nicer). Although the food at Umu is good, I would hesitate to recommend the tasting menu as an overall experience, due to shortfalls in the service.

The tasting menu at Trinity is sensibly priced, and I liked the atmosphere there when I went. (Have I already tried to persuade you of the merits of Trinity, or was that some other Clapham-hater?)

How about one of the Pieds? Or Morgan M?

[superpitching]

Trinity is NOT the most conveniently located place to get to so would probably be out for an evening idea, but for some sort of lunch/weekend based affair looks great, I approve of the pricing too!

Is there anywhere where you haven't been yet?

A Pied of course would be a good option. Morgan M? Wozzat? :)

[kake]

Haven't been to Hunan, would like to! Also haven't been to Viajante, but I phoned them up to enquire in re my own birthday, and the biggest table they have only seats six people, so I crossed it off the list. Also also haven't been to Morgan M (website, RGL) — though damn, have just noticed it's closed on Mondays.

Oh, and nobody has mentioned The Square (website, RGL, direct link to tasting menu) yet — I haven't been there but it sounds kind of good...