Jamie Oliver's Diner & Doghouse

Sometimes, Friday calls for an office lunch, out of the office. It was a relatively sunny day and the end to a good week so we fancied something to kick off the (in my case) long weekend. We were tempted by The Endurance's pop-up-of-the-week When Mac Met Cheese (can you guess what they serve?) but then decided that something a little more varied would be appropriate. So we tried out Jamie Oliver's newest addition to his ever-growing empire, the Diner.

Advertised as 'for a limited time only' but in fact with a three year lease, the Diner replaces an old steak/rib joint and a tired pizza-per-slice place on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the heart of touristy Piccadilly. Downstairs is a hot dog to go walk-in walk-out affair but we were in the mood for something more substantial so headed upstairs to be greeted by multi-colour dinosaurs towering over the tables.

The menu reminded me of those tray inserts from fast food places, and were equally as garish and confusing (we joked that we should offer to redesign it to help make it easier to understand). There's no real logical feel to the menu and it's difficult to navigate through, leaving it feeling a bit of a mish-mash. We ordered drinks and starters to help us make up our mind - and were told that two of the things we wanted were not available. Great start. Instead, we settled on sticky chicken wings, a sweet potato quesadilla, and tortilla chips with guacamole to share.

Having indulged in MeatMission the night before, I was in no mood for another burger so opted for one of the less inspiring options - a salad. Ringed with angel halos (indicating the healthy option), I went for the My Big Fat Greek Salad which came as a massive bowl with lots of vinegary dressing. A fairly poor representation of Oliver's healthy meals, I've made nicer Greek salads at home. Everyone's burgers seemed to go down well, along with sides of shoestring fries, crinkle cut chips and avocado fries (underwhelming), but the lack of atmosphere was telling. Whilst staff were friendly, if a little slow and forgetful, they were no competition to the great experiences I've had at (the Guildford branch of) Jamie's Italian. 

We finally worked out that the prehistoric decor was a play on 'diner/dino' - 'dinersaur', get it? A little stretched, it probably would have been a more successful venture to deck it out in traditional ol' American diner get-up. Given that there's so many diner/burger joints all over the city (as previously mentioned here) Jamie Oliver's Diner is not one I'd bother returning to. It feels too insincere and the quality just isn't there, I give this place a two out of five. 

Putting On The Ritz

Saturday afternoon, I was invited to a private screening of Pedro Almodovar's new feature I'm So Excited! It had garnered a mixed collection of reviews and so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Almodovar is best known for his films such as The Skin I Live In, Volver, and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and so an out-and-out comedy set on a doomed aeroplane seemed a little off-kilter.

The screening was at the BAFTA headquarters in Piccadilly and we made it just in time to slip into the second to back row, just in case we wanted to make a quick (and early) exit. And make a quick and early exit we did. We stuck it out for about an hour, giving it the benefit of the doubt, and whilst it started off quite funny in places, it seemed to disintegrate into farce and become a little clunky. Despite an amusing, very camp rendition of The Pointer Sister's I'm So Excited (giving the film its title), brief appearances from Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz, and some silly characters (namely the pilots and cabin crew), it just felt too Airplane. 

We left and ended up going for a conciliatory drink at The Ritz and a spin at blackjack. I'd never played before (apart from some predrinking attempts at 21) and tried to get my head into it by watching another player at the table. Once I'd plucked up the courage, I put in £10 - and ended up with two 21s (one with an Ace!) and making £15. I stopped there as beginner's luck never needs to turn into complacency, and I'm pretty pleased to be able to say I came away from The Ritz up.

The glitzy gilt drinking rooms of The Ritz Club were a little unexpected, but it was clear why it's a stalwart of London heritage. Some interesting frescos, brilliantly puffy sofas and armchairs and predictably attentive service herald the best in British hospitality. It's no surprise that tourists and locals alike flock here and I'm pleased that I've joined the ever-swelling ranks of visitors.