Morning:
14°c
Some fares could fall by more than a third when Oyster is extended to every national rail station in London, it has emerged
More...
New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Fay Maschler's rating
Reader rating
Description: It doesn't help that it lies "in the shadow of Racine" (a near-neighbour), but there's still a sense of drift in reports on this "civilised" Knightsbridge veteran; for many (more mature) reporters, though, it remains a "reliable" stand-by (especially for the "good-value set lunch").
Food: 
Service:
Ambience:
Phone: 020 7589 8005
Website: http://www.brasseriestquentin.co.uk
Open: Daily 11am-11pm
Dress code: Old Knightsbridge
Good for: Good food, Ambience.
Payment options: All major cards
Game on: Gary Durrant, head chef at Brassiere St Quentin, trained at The Savoy
Two restaurateurs were in touch last week about grouse. One said she was getting hers for £7.50 a bird, the other pointed out that in his restaurant, Brasserie St Quentin, they were brought in " longleg", which means feathers off - plucking in restaurant kitchens is against the regulations - but everything else in and on. This, he wrote, stops them becoming dry, the likely fate of "oven-ready" birds.
I am very fond of Brasserie St Quentin - named after Quentin Crewe, the patron saint of restaurant critics - and a longleg grouse of a Sunday evening seemed an admirable idea. The bird served whole, as it should be, with fried breadcrumbs and game chips was excellent but slightly let down by a travesty of that wonderful British condiment, bread sauce.
Another proud ingredient on the menu is Harlech salt-marsh lamb. The superior flavour due to sheep grazing on salt marshes, nibbling samphire and sea beet, was undermined by presentation of the meat in small, thin, droopy slices. Chef Gary Durrant and his sous- chef trained at The Savoy and there is sometimes a prissy, hotelly aspect in their approach. Brasserie food should be robust. Jerusalem artichoke soup was delicious; celeriac remoulade to accompany prosciutto was hand-cut (not grated), a detail that makes all the difference, and parsley-flecked glazed carrots were a lovely, relatively uncommon, side dish.
On the wine list a section entitled French Country Wines offers good finds such as the 2004 Côtes du Roussillon La Mascarou, Domaine des Chênes at £25.50. Service was amiable and efficient. Prices have risen noticeably which may account for the sparsely populated dining room. Or maybe that was just a function of Sunday.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
