Temple of Art & Music in Merton

Absolutely appalling setup they have here. My girlfriend's family are American so they recommended I visit a blues jam in London and saw this one every Saturday. Firstly the venue seems to be in a wider complex with overpriced food stalls, to get in to the whole place you have to have a bag search and they told me they needed to take my drinks bottle which contained insulin. I tried to explain that I need to keep it with me and the security man didnt want to know (I dont think he understood what I was saying either), all he said was he'll give me a ticket and I can collect afterwards. How pathetic can a venue be to want to take everyones drinks away, even water, so to buy £7 drinks inside? No decent pub or bar does that even in London. We spoke to another couple and they agreed they wont be comming again and the place seems to be full of 'once visit' tourist or trendy types that you rarely see twice. If they relax the security taking your bottles from you and be realistic with the prices then I may come back as the Blues jam itself was pretty decent. What a shame the management is pretty poor, definately not recommended.

Superb food cooked and presented to absolute perfection by 2 star Michelin chef John and his team all at very reasonable costs upstairs at a beautifully renovated church and they even have amazing jazz on the Sunday we visited. Highly recommended.

First experience at the Tam completely unique, food was wonderful loved every moment of my evening can’t wait to go again

Although the food looks great, it taste like trash, risotto is tasteless, the noodles are just mixed with oil and taste so oily and no taste at all, the scallop taste like expired oh my god, never come back again. The one star is for the good service of the old women.

It was simply delicious the staff need to be more organised but definitely on the right track lovely atmosphere and I would love to come back and see how it’s improved

I discovered John Burton-Race on Chanel 4's excellent series "French Leave" As befits a chef whose CV includes Quaglino’s, Hotel Meurice London, Chewton Glen, La Sorbonne, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, L’Ortolan and the New Angel (which sadly closed before I could eat there), I thought it well worth a try as potentially the jewel at Mercato Mayfair, a quirky converted church south of Oxford Street. I mourned for the absence of diners in a post covid era (end April 2022).... there were only 3 tables occupied. Prices are on the high side : a choice of 3 starters, 5 mains & 3 deserts. I plumped for the Pan fried John Dory, lobster cream, oyster mushroom and asparagus whist my companion had the wild mushroom risotto. Both were excellent. What was a little disappointing (other than our waitress needing to remember to go get something to write with before returning to take our order) was the somewhat scruffy, crumpled menus were were handed and the need to ask for a wine list. Having selecting our wine of choice, we were informed that the 3 least expensive wines were unavailable ! i.e. the wine list starts at £40 per bottle and up ! I didn't like my wine being brought to the table opened. The modest slice of John Dory was £ 35 (we skipped starters & desert) but the cheapest lunch with wine for two is over £100. I wish John & his team the best of luck, I wish the fish portion was a bit more generous (or less expensive). An amuse bouche would have been nice from a Michelin starred chef but ho hum. The risotto was as one might expect. Personally I'd be reprinting menus & wine lists if I was at a top London establishment.....