Jackson + Rye, Wardour Street

It seems like we’ve become a couple of hard cases recently. So when we’re told ‘an hour or so’ for a table and then presented with an online queueing system that doesn’t work as we wait it out in a nearby gay pub, we’re less than impressed. 

Still we’re excited when our personalised text message comes through and we head into the restaurant to be presented with a pretty awesome window seat, net curtains and neon Soho sex shop lighting all part of the ambience. We’re told we have less than one hour at our table (ever been told that in a restaurant?!) So it’s against the clock!

Packed to the rafters on a Wednesday night, this place is so understaffed it hurts. Our hurried waitress is businesslike in uniform which feels weird in the age of the highly professional but informal dress code we’ve become accustomed to at the likes of Polpo and Hawksmoor. After 15 minutes our drinks order finally arrives and the one hour turnaround is looking less achievable. To start we order Shrimp + Grits and the Truffled Mac n’ Cheese. The Mac n’ Cheese arrives first, It is fairly lightweight which is good for a starter but there is no sign of the truffles! Tastes ok nonetheless. No sign of the Shrimp and Grits which have been forgotten. When they eventually arrive along with the main they are the best dish on the table, light and fluffy grits and flavoursome shrimp. We get the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with (not at all) spicy coleslaw (2 breasts super crispy and thick batter) and the Crab Cakes with Apple Slaw (a bit tastier). 

A couple of orders of each type of chips (shoestring and 'normal') arrive cold. We’re checking out. As our 1 hour time limit goes by we actually can’t wait to leave, but no-one seems bothered now. We get the bill and high-tail it out of there.

Verdict: Beautiful decor, furniture and bar, but badly executed. It was conceived by an (industry) God, but corrupted by the realities of (restaurant) life.

Thumbs up or Thumbs down? Down

Quotes: “This place is for barbarians”