digest

LONDON

A friend once commented that Conran running the Design Museum was rather akin to the Tories running a museum of politics. True enough, but the Design Museum is still a splendid place, with a suitably stylish restaurant: the Blueprint Cafe, 22 Shad Thames, Butler's Wharf, SE1 (0171-378 7031). It lost a chef recently to the Leaping Hare in Suffolk, but retains another chef who is equally good: the 32-year-old Scot Jeremy Lee. He trained at Bibendum, and was briefly and gloriously head chef at Euphorium in Islington. His food has socking flavour. A salad may be baby spinach, peas, green beans and punchy black radish, with a simple vinaigrette; a starter may be duck terrine with pickled pears. Nothing is tweaked for appearance, just taste. As with all Conran establishment, it is not cheap (pounds 25-pounds 35 per person). Open lunch daily 12pm-3pm (Sun 12pm-3.30pm), dinner 6.30pm-11pm Mon-Sat. Vegetarian meals. Major credit cards

BERKSHIRE

Heston Blumenthal is a 29-year-old chef who learned the restaurant business by eating out. He visited more than 100 Michelin-starred restaurants before opening The Fat Duck, High Street, Bray (01628-580333). He must have spent a great deal more time, and money, actually cooking, because his food is remarkable. His salt duck is meltingly tender, and his cured mackerel firm and fresh-tasting. Order steak and chips, and the chips will come thick, salty, blazing hot and arranged in a sort of tower over a generous chunk of meat. The gravy will be rich with marrow. The place looks like a pub, but runs more like a restaurant, right down to the oversized menus and felicitous service. Open lunch 12noon-2.30pm and dinner 7-10.30pm Tue-Sat, lunch Sun. Meals pounds 30-pounds 35. Vegetarian meals best by arrangement. Visa, Access, Amex