Smoked by AI · London · people

Jay Rayner

Critic · Broadcaster — UK restaurant criticism, restaurant economics, and the trade.

restaurant critic of the Financial Times since 2025, after ~25 years at The Observer; presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet.

Their own reviews and picks.

Their own judgment, in their own words, by the piece it appeared in.

• The Observer, 'Fonda, London: An exuberantly good meal' ↗their review · 2025-01-12
  • FondaMayfair

    “There's a beauty to the dishes here that never overwhelms the imperative of flavour.”

• The Observer, quoted in Harden's newspaper round-up ↗their review · 2024-06-23
  • ChungdamSoho

    “It is huge fun but, unlike previous Korean barbecue experiences, it is also low maintenance, save for the slippy metal chopsticks which challenge our dexterity.”

• The Observer, 'The Hunan Man, London: The best Chongqing chicken I have ever had' ↗their review · 2024-01-14
  • The Hunan ManFitzrovia

    “It is the best version of Chongqing chicken I have ever had the good fortune to try, the marinated thigh chopped into small pieces and deep-fried until shatteringly crisp, then pelted with ground Sichuan peppercorns.”

• The Observer ↗their review · 2023-04-02
  • Speedboat BarChinatown

    “The restaurant at 30 Rupert Street, on the edge of London's Chinatown, was once one of the most beautiful in the city. Now it's one of the most dynamic.”

• The Guardian, review of the ORIGINAL 143b Crouch Hill site ↗their review · 2022-05-22
  • Les 2 GarçonsCrouch End

    “A true bistro is not there to surprise or dazzle. It is not meant to place you outside your comfort zone. It is designed specifically to be your comfort zone. Les 2 Garçons is about as complete an expression of that as I have come across in a very long time.”

• The Observer ↗their review · 2019-09-22
  • LagomDalston

    “Just be aware you will be missing out on some bold live-fire cooking that throbs uncompromisingly with flavour.”

• The Observer, via Harden's review-of-the-reviews ↗their review · 2018-04-25
  • BRATShoreditch

    “The food at Brat is both seemingly effortless and utterly lovely.”

• The Guardian, review of 24 Great Windmill Street ↗their review · 2015-03-08
  • Blacklock (Soho)Soho

    “The lamb tastes of proper animal, and the ribbon of fat at its back is good and crisped. They remind me of lamb chops I have eaten in Turkey; I can say no better.”