Reviews

Le Café Anglais, which, as its name implies, seeks to combine the all-day bustle of a grand, art deco Parisian brasserie...with fundamentally English cooking...

The hors d’oeuvres are a good idea. With my campari and soda (the first time) and my Ramos gin fizz (the second time), I had salsify fritters whose crunch and round earthiness and hint of winter asparagus held up well; fennel salami; mortadella with celeriac remoulade (very literal – rarely has a plateful tasted so exactly as I had anticipated it would); kipper pâté with a soft boiled egg and toast (yum); pimientos de padrón; and a parmesan custard with crisp, anchovy-studded toast that was very lively indeed and strictly for grown-ups. These all at £3 a pop and not ungenerous in size.  (8.5/10)

Here, the menu sings with possibility and dash, and is seasoned with an innate understanding of what it is that people want to eat and what they like to drink.

It's one giant and unified space - a beautiful proletariat whole.

This is a stunning, 7,000 sq ft dining-room, fizzing and buzzing just like KP but considerably more comfortable.

This venture is a master class in how to deliver the kind of restaurant that the public wants.

Rating - Three Stars

Pike boudin with beurre blanc, an obscene-looking sausage that is the fish finger from heaven, had its recipient actually groaning with pleasure.

Hors d'oeuvres: how fabulous - combined with the 1930s ocean liner look, they make us feel like we're dining on the Titanic. They're good, too...