Jay Rayner's Smith & Wollensky restaurant review

[mrsshpub]

I don't think he was impressed…..

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jul/1...

[Vixpy1]

Ouch

[kev1974]

Went to their NY branch some 20 years ago, it was a tourist trap then, hate to think what it is now.

[Fishtigua]

I've never understood why anyone would go out for a steak. It's the one meal anyone can cook at any time.

I've never had a good steak at a restaurant in the UK.

[Sebo]

The comments on that page are hilarious !

[miniman]

Love it.

[lauda]

I do like Jay Rayner's reviews and that one was particularly entertaining.

However, if you ever need an example of how little stock you should place in most of these reviews, check out Taberna do Mercado. Reviewed by Giles Coren in The Times the other week and given 2/10 for food. Reviewed in The Sunday Times yesterday by AA Gill who gave it 5/5 for food. Go figure...

[craigjm]

The prices are obscene and make their competitors look reasonably priced. I agree with the poster above though, i have never had a decent steak out in London even from Hawksmoor, Goodmans or Gaucho they are all over rated and over priced

[zygalski]

Onions rings are a quid per ring. What's wrong with that? It's London.

[craigjm]

zygalski said:

Onions rings are a quid per ring. What's wrong with that? It's London.

I was specifically referring to the cost of the steak

[Soir]

I ate at the NY one last year and it was rather poor.
First steak had so much gristle in it (was supposed to be fillet)
The waiter was the rudest I have ever encountered (he became rude once he knew we would not be having any wine)

Hawksmoor in Manchester was much much better

[Murph7355]

craigjm said:

The prices are obscene and make their competitors look reasonably priced. I agree with the poster above though, i have never had a decent steak out in London even from Hawksmoor, Goodmans or Gaucho they are all over rated and over priced

It's obviously all about the meat. Knowing where to buy steak from, and what to look for is infinitely more important and difficult than actually cooking it. It can also be expensive.

This, for most people, is where they will be beaten by the restaurants you note.

(I'd tend to put Gaucho a division below the others)

[Rick101]

We have a fantastic steak place up here in York. Beats any of that southern pish hands down.

I'm not telling you where it is though, need to keep these things quiet

[Sharted]

Rick101 said:

We have a fantastic steak place up here in York. Beats any of that southern pish hands down.

I'm not telling you where it is though, need to keep these things quiet

There We Are Then

[grumbledoak]

Rick101 said:

We have a fantastic steak place up here in York. Beats any of that southern pish hands down.

I'm not telling you where it is though, need to keep these things quiet

There's one like that in West London that I got told off for mentioning a few years ago. Last time, for desert I had another steak.

[RDMcG]

S&W is very,very far from the best steakhouse in New York. Once upon a time it was OK when there was only one restaurant. I ate in the original NY location about ten years ago and it was just awful.

[marshalla]

grumbledoak said:

There's one like that in West London that I got told off for mentioning a few years ago. Last time, for desert I had another steak.

Was it a bit dry ?

[craigjm]

grumbledoak said:

There's one like that in West London that I got told off for mentioning a few years ago. Last time, for desert I had another steak.

where?

[allergictocheese]

Had a thoroughly enjoyable steak at Gillray's in the Marriot on the South Bank a couple of week's back. Getting a couple of large, cheese filled Yorkshire Puddings as an appetiser whilst we browsed the menu was a novelty.

[KungFuPanda]

craigjm said:

grumbledoak said:

There's one like that in West London that I got told off for mentioning a few years ago. Last time, for desert I had another steak.

where?

In the desert.