Delaunay in Covent Garden

It is ridiculous to say "The Wolseley is too far away." But it's true if your abode is east of Leicester Square. So could Delaunay plug that "continental European brasserie" gap in Covent Garden?

Delaunay opened its doors just before Christmas and I was able to try it out within the first week. However, as it was "opening week" I thought I'd return when it is settled down. So I went there for Sunday Lunch with a friend (before Die Meistersinger at the Royal opera).

My warm salad of mushrooms was seasonal and wonderfully cooked and beautifully presented. There was no fuss - just well cooked high quality ingredients.

Wiener Schnitzel was not bad either - not quite as good as Landtmann in Vienna, but certainly crisp on the outside and tasty on the inside.

Well, it was all in all a positive experience and perhaps this could become my regular.

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Eugene Onegin

I did not think much of the last Eugene Onegin in the 90s - a bit too baren - too literal. The latest production which I saw tonight at the Royal Opera has improved quite a lot. For a start, we had Dmitri Hvorostovksy and Amanda Roocroft singing Onegin and Tatyana respectively - two strong well matched voices that sparked off a reasonable amount of passion between the two! The production was exciting too - with a believably real "river" running on stage. It's not often you get Tatyana jumping into the river and splashing about on stage. Then there was the frozen river with Moscow in the background - there was almost real ice skating on stage just before the Imperial Ball scene. Much fun. Very enjoyable.

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L'atelier de Joel Robuchon, London

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