Restaurants

Foxtrot Oscar
By Guy Dimond
This might be the first restaurant from Gordon RamsayTM to be an underachiever. Its not that Foxtrot Oscar is a bad restaurant its an adequate neighbourhood place its just that its so lacking in soul and the food is so unremarkable that you wonder why you didnt stay home and cook instead. A bistro called Foxtrot Oscar has been plodding along on this site since 1980, run by an avuncular old Etonian called Michael Proudlock. Last year Gordon Ramsay Holdings bought Mr Proudlocks venture, something apparent when you book a table (a receptionist now insists on taking a mobile number for confirmation). After a long refurb we now have an inoffensive little place, decorated like a Jurys Inn meeting room, turning out dull food much in the mould of the old Foxtrot Oscar. Mr Proudlock is still there, on our visit doting on old regulars. The menu reads like a 1970s dinner party menu in places, from the prawn cocktail (oddly bland Dublin Bay prawns) through blanquette of lamb (a bit like Irish stew, but the sauce had an oddly floury texture) to chocolate tart. The days special of foie gras and veal burger sounded interesting but just wasnt as good as the normal burgers sold at contemporary chains such as Hamburger Union or Ultimate Burger: the bun had too little texture, the meat not enough flavour, the chips were pale and the Caesar side salad was little more than a few dressed lettuce leaves. The Ramsay gastropubs have cleverly reinvented old British dishes but Foxtrot Oscar seems to be recreating the dishes of the 1970s, not improving them. Things have moved on a lot in the past 30 years, mostly for the better. And Foxtrot Oscar, new Ramsay brigade or not, is just not keeping up.
PS Later in 2008 Foxtrot Oscar was refurbished but the opening hours and days were reduced.
Time Out Issue 1955: February 6-12 2008

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Posted by Nicola Hanley on 30 Oct 2008 17:24
Visited this week, food was amazing service was excellent. Foxtrot Oscar was busy but had a laid back atmosphere definitely worth the 6hr train journey from Glasgow to London. A fabulous Ramsay resturant.

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Posted by Mundy Kilner (registered user) on 08 Mar 2008 21:35
After reading other reviews, the best way to describe this bistro is 'Dull'.
There was no ambience or atmosphere whatsoever. Even though we had booked 4/5 weeks in advance, we were still seated downstairs, which didn't seem to be the place to be seated as other customers were asking to be 'upstairs'.
The food was ok-ish, but again still nothing special from a bistro. The whole place really did not meet any of our expectations, from Food, Deco and ambience.
Generally would not rush back in any hurry.
If this was the refurb, then what did it look like before??

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Posted by Gail Davis (registered user) on 25 Feb 2008 12:59
I went to Foxtrot Oscar tlast night for a meal and I was very impressed with the service and the food.
We had sweetcorn soup and a special of Steak tartare for starters, my husband enjoyed his starter so much he wished he had ordered it for his main course
The main course was beef pie and lamb du jour, the lamb could have been abit more pink for our choice but it was still enjoyable. The mash potato was just they way mash should be.
Dessert I had the creme brulee and I rate this better than the creme brulee I had in the La Poule au Pot last week.
I did not know what to expect as reading all the review about Foxtrot Oscar I thought the meal was going to be awful and I was pleasantly surprised. I feel that the people who are complaining the most are people who used to go to the old Foxtrot Oscar and all I can say to these people are times change and things move on, so why don't you. Keep the memories of the times you had there with you but do not compare what was to what is now as it will never be the same.
I will be going back and I would recommend this Bistro to my friends.

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