Maze, London

Maze has had something of a reinvention in the post Atherton era, probably a good thing as its rather sad when a chef's dishes linger too long after his departure. Anyway, Maze was always more than Atherton with international branches, a spin off grill and a Ramsay imposed theme - a sort of haute tapas.  The small dishes are very much 'tasting' not 'sharing'.

The room is charming, dominated by a large bar, which amassed a good crowd of after work drinkers while I was there for the menu they call 'Early Supper'.

This consists of four courses from a selection of seven savory and three sweet for £25 - or £45 with three glasses of paired wines. There is also a tasting menu of five savory and two sweet courses for £70. If there are two of you this menu can be split.

Pressed chicken and foie gras with blood orange (slices of fruit atop a slice of jelly) and hazelnut (a sticky line of 'jam') is sweet, small and elegantly presented - as indeed are all the dishes. Bread is high quality, butter salted (thank god).

Sea bream arrives in a field of yellow swirls, again with fruit (orange in the citrus vinaigrette) as well as fennel and green olive. It's clear that in Maze it is meant to be a lovely spring day, with hints of the Med. sadly outside it is raining on Grosvenor Square. Views are lovely (even when raining) with Grosvenor Square right outside.

Pork dumplings come in a truly aromatic broth - take a couple of minutes just to inhale! They are rather nice, though the least impressive of the dishes, to my tastes. This is the most Asiatic of the dishes, though there are touches of Asian flavours and styles across the menu.

Beef featherblade comes with a largish torpedo of pomme purée, shimeji mushrooms and a powdering of Japanese togarashi spices. This is really excellent (and also on the a la carte menu at £12.50). It's the heartiest of the four dishes. All were small but after four one is unquestionably sated, though weather that would have been the same with a sweet course rather than the beef I'm not sure).

Total for the meal with water and service was £33 - cheap indeed for the quality of food.

For an hour I was transported to a sunnier clime, where Asia and southern Europe meet and eat together.

10-13 Grosvenor Square, London