Herry Lawford's Qype reviews
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74 Jermyn Street, (Mayfair), London SW1Y 6NP
Herry Lawford
wrote on 5 January 2011
I have bought my shaving materials here for over 40 years - and my father before me. Their heavy Solingen razor and a fine badger brush have been in constant use for almost as long. I gave similar sets to my two sons when they reached shaving age, but they've both gone electric, the pikers!
The quintesssential shaving cream is their Sandalwood cream, which comes both in wooden or screw-top plastic bowls, or even tubes for travelling, and has a beautiful scent that fills the bathroom.
The service is - or was - old-fashioned courtesy, with a kind enquiry after my father's health until that became superfluous. A gem of a shop!
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15 Bury Street, Mayfair, London SW1Y 6AL
Herry Lawford
wrote on 28 October 2008
(updated on 16 April 2009)
I have been coming here since it opened 15 years ago, usually brought by business people - but this time we came privately as we were attending an exhibition nearby, but it disappointed again. It a business-orientated restaurant and comfortable enough, and the service - as in all Japanese places - is examplary. But the Japanese notice small details more than any other race and this falls well short on those which make the difference between a so-so and good restaurant.
Take the 'dobin-mushi’. It tastes ok, but but the essential herb, 'mitsuba’, was missing and there were no or too few shitake mushrooms - and no 'ginko’ at all. Heresy to a Japanese! Worse still, the classic chirashi-sushi (a big bowl of sushi rice with selected raw fish) was poor. The fish were cheap local ones - fresh but not the type that any self-respecting Japanese restaurant in Japan would even offer. A proper Japanese restaurant has to fly in its quality fish regularly (as they do in Nadaman in Hong Kong) to make the grade.
I am also always astonished at how little the Japanese know about sake. They seem content to snuffle up anything without complaint. I can’t bear the usual 'sweet’ sake and always ask for a dry Niigata sake. They profess astonishment and go off into a huddle with the one person who seems to know anything about it. Finally they return with a good sake as though it’s something extraordinary. And then charge you £20 per box (the small wooden box out of which cold sake is drunk). There are hundreds of good sakes in Japan, but getting to drink any of them as opposed to the ubiquitous 'big brands’ is a trial.
It’s true that the teppan-yaki at Matsuri is alright - but grilling meat and prawns is a picnic compared to the skill and high-quality ingredients needed to make sushi.
£123 for two - and only one of us was was drinking!
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22 Jermyn St, London SW1Y 6HL
Herry Lawford
wrote on 31 July 2008
Henry Togna, malgre son nom hors du commun, est tres anglais, et il possede et gere un etablissement tres Anglais au fond de Jermyn St. Immensely populaire avec les amercains qui cherchen un coin authentique de Londres, Henry et les 3 excellentes femmes qui s'occupent des activites quotidiennes de l'hotel aident les clients loyaux et connaisseurs a se rendre a tous les meilleurs spectacles et restaurants. Un brai hotel/B&B de charme, ca rempli pafaitement un trou dans le marche, et cela se voit car il a du succes depuis 3 generations.
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22 Jermyn St, London SW1Y 6HL
Herry Lawford
wrote on 31 July 2008
Henry Togna, despite his unusual surname, is very English, and he owns and runs a very English establishment at the nether end of Jermyn St. Immensely popular with Americans looking for an authentic slice of smart London, Henry and the three excellent women who look after the day-to-day running of the hotel help the loyal and knowledgeable guests get in to all the best shows and restaurants, while putting them up in exemplary style. A true boutique hotel / B&B, it fills a perfect niche in the market, evidenced by the fact that it’s been successful for three generations