Eight Over Eight reviewed

Sunday, August 20th , 2006

  

This week I visited Eight over Eight, which is under the same ownership as E&O (pictured) and indeed is almost a carbon copy, but set in the Kings Road. They seem to have replicated everything, from the exact bar and dining room layout to the clientele, who are similarly trendy types in their 20s and 30s who all look like they work in film and TV and are just back from an audition.  The food is the same pleasing pan Asian food as at E&O: good dim sum, silky black cod, spicy kim chi rolls and, best of all, excellent soft shell crab tempura without a hint of greasiness. I will certainly come back.

I also committed the rookie error of going to a fish restaurant (Bentleys) on a Monday. I know, I know, how could I be so daft?  It is a long story (friends over from America only that night who wanted British food) but anyway I took the chance, and I have to say that conventional wisdom was spot on.  After having had an excellent meal at Bentleys a couple of months ago that was between 5/10 and 6/10 in my marking scheme, tonight the fish was noticeably less impressive, and the meal was only 3/10 in standard. The Monday factor does not explain why the pasta I had was a bit soggy, and perhaps they were just having an off day, but at these prices off days are not on.