Review of 2024. Part 1: 20 – 34

It’s very hard to believe that it’s that time of year again. Scores overall are significantly higher than in 2023. It could be that I’m getting softer as an assessor, but I think not. I can think of only two or three places where the food was mediocre or worse. Most of those at the…

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Why Tom (Sometimes) Doesn’t Eat

  A Restaurant With No Name Somewhere in Scotland   A ridiculous title, of course. Anyone who knows me will be aware that I couldn’t have got to my present shape without regular sessions in the nosebag. What it should have read, had I had a half decent sub editor, was Why Tom Sometimes Doesn’t…

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Maison François, London

  Maison François 34 Duke Street, St James, London SW1Y 6DF 020 3988 5777      www.maisonfrancois.london The Bill  Starters  £9.00 – £25.00  Mains £18.00 – £47.50 | Dessert £3.50 – £13.50 The Score Cooking 5.5/10  Service – Dylan 3/5; Sam 5/5 – Average 4/5 Flavour 3.5/5 | Value 3/5 TOTAL 16/25  For heaven’s sake,…

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Quo Vadis, London

  Quo Vadis 26 – 29 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3LL 020 7437 9585  www.quovadissoho.co.uk The Bill The Bite! £7.50 – £8.50 | Starters  £9.50 – £16.50  Mains £17.00 – £38.80 | Pudding £9.50 – £11.00 The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 21.5/25  Did we always crave reassurance,…

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dulse leith, Edinburgh

  dulse leith 102 Constitution Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6AW 0131 283 3309   www.dulse.co.uk/dulseleith The Bill* Savoury Plates £12.00 – £35.00  Dessert Ice Cream £2.50 per scoop The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 22/25  * Oysters are available at £3.50 each. Baked Fish with Champagne & Chive Velouté…

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Makani Indian & Arab Kitchen, Edinburgh

  Makani Indian & Arab Kitchen 88 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5LQ 0131 287 2587  website not yet up and running The Bill Starters £4.49 – £6.49 | Mains £6.99 – £15.99 The Score Cooking 6.5/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 20/25 Everyone, I’m sure, has heard of the Bermuda Triangle, that area…

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Veeno, Edinburgh

    Veeno Edinburgh 76 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2NN  www.veenobars.com/edinburgh The Bill I Piattini  £5.50 – £13.50  | I Taglieri £15.00 – £19.50 Le Pizze £13.00 – £17.50 | La Pasta £11.00 – £15.00  Desserts ? The Score Cooking 5/10 | Service 4.5/5 Flavour 3/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 15.5/25 After tasting three dozen wines…

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Dhoom, Dunfermline

    Dhoom 19 – 25 New Row, Dunfermline KY127EA 01383 223340  www.dhoomuk.co.uk The Bill 7 Course Taster Menu (Lunch Only) £16.95  10 Course Taster Menu £28.95  A la carte  Starters £7.50 – £9.95 | Mains £10.95 – £18.95  Desserts £4.95 – £5.95 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 20/25 In the restaurant…

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Locanda Terramare, Turin

    Locanda Terramare Via Silvio Pellico 2B. 10125 Turin +39 011 1903 2953   www.terramarelocanda.it The Bill (Euros) Antipasti €11.00 – €22.00 | Primi Piatti €15.00 – €24.00 Secondi Piatti €16.00 – €26.00  | Dolci  €6.00 – €7.50   The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 4.5/5 TOTAL 22/25 Trip Advisor has…

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Il Tucano 2, Pegli, Genoa

    Il Tucano 2 Via Pegli 10 rosso  16156, Pegli, Genoa 010 696 9780    Website – click here     The Bill (Euros) Antipasti €8.00 – €16.00 | Primi Piatti €14.00 – €16.00 Secondi Piatti €14.00 – €25.00  | Dolci  €6.00 – €7.00   The Score Cooking 5/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value…

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Ristorante Miro, Genoa

    Ristorante Miro Viale Giorgio Modugno 33r,16156 Pegli, Genoa +39 010 696 9351  www.ristorantemiroge.com The Bill (Euros) Antipasti €13.00 – €17.00 | Primi Piatti €11.00 – €14.00 Secondi Piatti €12.00 – €27.00  | Dolci  €4.00 – €6.00   The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 19.5/25 Truth be told,…

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the West Room, Edinburgh

    the West Room 3 Melville Place Edinburgh EH3 7PR 0131 629 9868  www.thewestroom.co.uk     The Bill Savoury Plates £6.00 – £16.00  Desserts £5.00 – £7.00   The Score Cooking 5.5/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 18.5/25 What’s in a name, eh? I suspect I may have used this opening…

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Macau Kitchen, Progressive Macanese Kitchen, Edinburgh

  Macau Kitchen Progressive Macanese Cuisine 93 St Leonard’s Street, Edinburgh EH8 9QY 07577 667334   www.macaukitchen.uk      The Bill Small Plates £8.00 – £13.00 | Mains £16.50 – £30.00 Desserts £10.00   The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 23/25 To paraphrase the words of Hill Street Blues Sgt…

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Ting Thai Times Two, Edinburgh

  Ting Thai 55 – 57 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH1 2DJ   0131 466 7283 19 – 20 Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH1 2QZ   0131 623 0384 www.tingthai.co.uk The Bill Small Box £4.40 – £6.40 | Soup £7.40 – £8.60  Curry/Rice/Noodle/Other Box £8.70 – £12.60 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 20.5/25 It’s not…

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Café Marlayne, Edinburgh

  Café Marlayne 76 Thistle Street, Edinburgh EH2 1EN 0131 226 2230  www.cafemarlayne.com The Bill Lunch  2 courses £18.90 | Desserts £7.50  Dinner 2 courses £32.50 | Desserts £7.50 The Score Cooking 6.5/10 | Service 3.5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 19/25 Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain…

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The Ritz, London

  The Ritz London 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR 020 7493 8181 www.theritzlondon.com The Bill Set Menu   3 courses £86.00  A la carte Starters £40.00 – £55.00 | Mains £64.00 – £81.00 Desserts £27.00  The Epicurean Journey  5 courses  £186.00 7 courses £207.00 The Score Cooking 10/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 4/5…

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64 Goodge Street, London

  64 Goodge Street 64 Goodge Street, London W1T 4NF 020 3747 6364   www.64goodgestreet.co.uk The Bill Lunch Prix Fixe   3 courses £45.00  A la carte Hors d’oeuvres £6.50 – £16.00 | First courses £16.00 – £21.00 Main Courses £30.00 – £42.00 | Desserts £13.00 – £15.00 The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 3.5/5 Flavour…

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The Spanish Butcher, Edinburgh

  The Spanish Butcher 58a Castle Street, Edinburgh EH2 3LU 0131 332 0525   www.spanishbutcher.com/edinburgh The Bill Set Menu (Weekdays 12 – 4)  2 courses £25.00 | 3 courses £30.00  A la carte Snacks  £5.00 – £8.00 | Appetizers £9.00 – £18.00 Mains £16.00 – £32.00 | Steak/Pork £12.00 – £16.00 per 100g Desserts £8.50 The…

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Salerno Pizza, Edinburgh

  Salerno Pizza 405 – 407 St James Crescent, Edinburgh EH1 3AE 0333 011 5381  www.salernopizza.co.uk The Bill Pizzas  £8.35 – £14.65 | Sides £3.75 – £8.50 Desserts £3.75 – £6.95 The Score Cooking 5/10 | Service 3.5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 16.5/25 Dolly the Sheep was created just outside Edinburgh. The original…

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Sushisamba, Edinburgh

  Sushisamba, W Hotel 1 St James Square, Edinburgh EH1 3AX 0131 287 1450 www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ediwh-w-edinburgh/dining The Bill A la carte Appetisers £5 – £8 | Small plates £9 – £20 | Raw £12 – £17 Robata £9 – £70 | Large Plates £18 – £120  Samba, Nigiri, Sashimi £8 – £40 | Desserts £10 -…

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Hendersons, Edinburgh

  Hendersons 7 – 13 Barclay Place Edinburgh EH10 4HW 0131 202 1635  www.hendersonsrestaurant.com The Bill Lunch Deal (Monday – Friday) £10.00  A la carte Starters  £6.50 – £9.00 | Mains £6.50 – £18.80 Desserts £6.00 – £8.50 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 4.5/5 TOTAL 20/25 Are your recollections…

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Ragù Pasta, Edinburgh

  Ragù Pasta 92 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3DF 0131 526 3939  www.ragupasta.co.uk The Bill A la carte Sides  £4.00 – £7.50 | Mains £8.00 – £14.00 Desserts £4.50 – £6.00 The Score Cooking 4.5/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 3.5/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 17/25 Is this another good thing arriving from the west? You…

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The Citizen, Glasgow

  The Citizen 24 St Vincent Place, Glasgow G1 2EU 0141 222 2909  www.thecitizenglasgow.co.uk The Bill A la carte Starters  £6.95 – £9.95 | Mains £15.95 – £36.95 Desserts £5.95 – £7.95 The Score Cooking 5/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 3.5/5 TOTAL 16.5/25 In spite of Humphrey Bogart films, I seriously doubt…

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Da Etta, Rome

  Da Etta Piazza in Piscinula 42 – 47, 00153 Rome +39 06 581 6249   www.ostepercaso.com/da-etta   The Bill (Euros) A la carte Antipasti €12.00 – €24.00 | Pasta €14.00 – €18.00 Secondi €20.00 – €26.00 | Dolci €8.00 – €10.00 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 19/25…

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