If you’re after retro-kitsch and enjoy the feeling of dining on a cruise ship, then Manzi’s might be the place for you. However, if it’s good seafood and professional service you’re after, then diners should consider a different venue.
When you enter a restaurant and it’s brightly lit and almost deserted, things can go one of two ways. Either the evening will be a complete disaster, or this is a hidden gem that we shouldn’t be shouting about too loudly lest its popularity suddenly explodes. The Hunan Man fortunately falls into the latter camp, albeit after a decidedly inauspicious start.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that sequels are never as good as the originals. When the exception disproves the rule, it’s therefore highly refreshing. Eight years on from the launch of the Covent Garden original (which your reviewer loved), the team at the Barbary have just opened their second venue. It’s a clear statement of intent, and also very good.
“I like, I buy”, is a well-known expression much beloved of many who work in the City. It’s a happy coincidence that the latter declarative is homophonic with the name of Nemanja Borjanovic’s latest restaurant venture. Ibai is conveniently located for all those finance bro’s and their expense accounts, but anyone who wants to appreciate some of the best Basque cooking available outside Spain should make a point of visiting.
Think of Fonda as the younger sibling of KOL, perhaps the means of making Mexican more mainstream in the UK. Chef-patron Santiago Lastra created a small revolution when he launched his first restaurant in Marylebone. It was a homage to the cuisine of his home country but fused with a very British perspective. If KOL is for grown-ups (with a serious price tag attached), then Fonda is full of fun, capturing the joyfulness of all things Mexican and plonking it just off Regent’s Street.
Your reviewer’s only previous visit to a Georgian restaurant was a disappointment. The passing of time and a desire to be open-minded provoked a recent visit to a new venue purveying Georgian cooking. It was well-conceived, but ultimately underwhelming.
