A visitor from out of town resulted in an impromptu lunch at Maze earlier this week. As we approached our destination, our guest raised the conversational topic of how so many restaurants managed to survive in London, a city he only passed through around once a year, but where he noticed new openings on each occasion.

I have always associated The Greenhouse with special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries and the like) and so it seemed fitting to come here to claim my award for being Square Meal’s Critic of the Quarter (thank you Square Meal).

The first, perhaps stupid, thought that came into my mind before dining here was why, if you were opening a new restaurant, would you call it Picture? I am not sure how much is in a name, but it certainly counts for something. 

Prior to visiting the Ledbury, I read the reviews that almost gushed with praise and bent over backwards to laud the restaurant. My inherent scepticism wondered whether it really was all just too good to be true.

My first visit to the Square was over a decade ago and my last – until yesterday – had been in 2006. That a restaurant can remain consistently at the top of its game over such a long period of time is testament to its qualities, in particular the cooking of Philip Howard. 

My visit to Alloro started badly but did notably improve and I would return, if more for the food than the overall experience. While my greeting on arrival was effusive, I requested if I could use the bathroom prior to being seated, a request that was met with some contempt as I was reluctantly shown where the stairs were.