Restaurants

Not many restaurants boast of branches in London, Oxford and Beaconsfield, but Crazy Bear is not your average restaurant. Don’t be fooled by the pub-style frontage; the London outlet is every inch the gourmet Asian eaterie, attracting a mixed crowd of West End trendies and executives on business lunches. First up, congratulations to the interior designer; the ground-floor dining room swims with Victorian opulence. Black lacquer, ostrich-leather upholstery and patinated mercury mirrors create the backdrop for an upmarket pan-Asian menu dominated by dishes from Thailand and China. We began with the house dim sum: light rice-flour parcels bursting at the seams with prawns. Peking duck salad was another hit: an imaginative fusion of shredded duck, Japanese leaves and pomegranate seeds with a chilli dressing that tingled on the lips. Mains were more mainstream, but still well done. Wok-fried honey-glazed cod was delicately scented with ginger, but let down slightly by the incongruous addition of battered onion rings. In the basement is an extremely slick bar with booths upholstered in studded red leather. The futuristic toilets are like stepping into a looking glass.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009