Supper club misses the mark

They're all at it now. The Gore, which - not unreasonably - styles itself as London's first-ever boutique hotel, has had a makeover to the tune of £2.5 million.

I have no doubt that the bedrooms (I remember them as Gothic-ly decadent) may have had a serious tart-up but I struggled to see any sign of change in Bistrot 190.

Despite a new chef (Mark Blatchford, ex-Soho House New York) and what they call 'supper club chic', it looks exactly as it did when I first visited it back in the days of Antony Worrall Thompson.

The avowed intention is to deliver 'British food with attitude' amd 'no muddled influences of global cooking cultures'; tell that to my chicken breast with damp, fishy and frankly odd crab and sweetcorn risotto.

The quality rarely raises its head above gastropub standard - the only things to really thrill were some seared scallops on peas and bacon with a savoury glaze of red wine and some lovely, home-baked bread (which we had to beg for).

Roast duck with red cabbage and fig chutney was bubblegum sweet. Cheesecake was clammy; a vast pond of rice-pudding pleasantly school-dinnerish.

And service was chaotic. This lovely room in this characterful, atmospheric hotel deserves a lot better.

A meal for two with wine, water and service costs about £110. The Gore Hotel, 190 Queen's Gate SW7. Tel: 020 7590 6705. Tube: South Kensington

Bistrot 190
The Gore Hotel, 190 Queen's Gate, SW7