Daily Telegraph, that the veal saltimbocca was too salty, and found other courses "blisteringly average" or "forgettably adequate". Norman also did not see the point of the Parmesan skin appetisers, saying that they were "bemusing". He gave the restaurant two out of five stars. John Walsh, for The Independent, found the linguine vongole to have "most buttery pasta [he had] ever eaten", and said that the saltimbocca was "astonishing" and that "the chef deserves a medal for keeping this dish simple, dramatic and irresistible." He gave Union Street Café four out of five for both food and service, and three out of five for ambience. In the review in Time Out, the portion sizes were said to be "considered meagre in the boot of Italy" but certain dishes such as the Parmesan skin appetisers and the chocolate and peanut butter cake were singled out for praise. Marina O'Loughlin wrote in The Guardian said that the mushroom risotto was excellent, as was the homemade gelato. Her only criticism was towards a dish of octopus, borlotti bean and 'nduja. However, she found that her enjoyment of the restaurant was troubled by the sheer expectation of a new Gordon Ramsay restaurant and the media campaign that preceded the opening. She gave it seven out of ten for food, atmosphere and value for money. David Sexton in London's The Evening Standard, described the crudo of stone bass as "excellent" and found that the tagliolini with rabbit was the best thing on the menu. He also disliked the octopus dish, saying that the 'nduja overpowered the rest of the ingredients. Sexton felt that the cafe was a fully fledged restaurant and gave it three out of five stars. See also List of Italian restaurants References External links 2013 establishments in England 2013 in London Restaurants established in 2013 Defunct restaurants in London European restaurants in London British companies established in 2013 Italian restaurants in the United Kingdom Defunct Italian restaurants