Food reviews

Foxtrot Oscar

We’d been told Gordon Ramsay was a big fan of the original Foxtrot Oscar so it was surprising to find that the place has changed almost beyond recognition following his take-over earlier this year. What was once a scruffy neighbourhood bistro, as much loved for its well-worn interior as for its straightforward nursery food, has seen nicotine-stained walls replaced with bold stripy wallpaper in a thoroughly modern makeover that’s left no trace of its old incarnation.

Ramsay’s aim was apparently to create ‘the ultimate local bistro’ but you can’t help but feel that he’s missed the point. Surely, the ultimate local would be a warm, welcoming place where the lingering atmosphere made you want to come back again and again? FO II, with its stark monochrome lines and strictly professional staff, does nothing of the sort. What could tempt you back however, is the rather delicious food.

The menu has been cropped but remains full of dishes you’d happily eat every day. The Foxtrot fishcake, for instance, is still here, as are potted shrimps, French onion soup and a choice of pies. We kicked off with a Dublin Bay prawn cocktail which, apart from being based on normal Atlantic prawns rather than the advertised langoustines (French for Dublin Bay prawns), was pretty much perfect.

At main, we enjoyed both a deliciously comforting plate of bangers and mash with rich onion gravy and the cassoulet of Goosnargh duck which, although unauthentic (the duck was cooked separately rather than as part of the traditional bean stew), offered flavours just as soothing as the real thing. Paired with a hearty bowl of buttered cabbage and followed by fresh lemon mousse with crumbly shortbread for dipping, it proved a very satisfying lunch – if not one that left us raring to go back.

by Annica Wainwright, an editor at Square Meal