Wednesday 7 December 2011

A great meal needs a good rhythm


Pop up restaurants seem to be ten a penny at the moment, but that’s not surprising when they offer a win win for all parties involved. The chefs can experiment and get their name on the map without needing to find the finance for a permanent venture. The venue can enjoy a boost of credibility through the exclusive residency. While the punters themselves stand to gain most of all, high quality cooking in a unique environment for what is often a fraction of the price you’d pay in the west end’s top restaurants.

I only had one reservation before eating at the Young Turks @ The Ten Bells last week - and that was the service. It's hard enough to get decent service in a permanent restaurant, let alone one that's only going to exist for 3 months. I shouldn't have worried, the food and drink was great but the timing was perfect. A good rhythm to a meal is often underrated but this was spot on - sunday lunch esque in its leisurely approach. That hardly ever happens in restaurants these days unless your forking out the best part of 100 quid a head. You wouldn’t think it’s that difficult but more often than not the restaurant experience is let down by service at some stage in the night. Take the Riding House Cafe in Fitzrovia – why spend 500 odd quid on a chair for the customer and then fail to train or pay your staff well? For a sense of what a good rhythm to a meal feels like, you can book a table with the Young Turks until the end of January when the whole thing disappears. Again.

No comments:

Post a Comment