A red light for Amber

This review was first published in September 2001.

Imagine the joy when, in opening my post, I discovered details of a new bar and restaurant, Amber, claiming to offer "the finest flavours in food and drink from Latin America and the Iberian peninsula". Here, falling into my lap like a ripe plum, was a fully-fledged theme, the format we restaurant reviewers struggle to arrive at.

Of course, I hurried along, but in the witless way of the hopelessly uncool, I was with two people I was looking forward to talking to. Pounding music precluded conveying even that to the very welcoming waitress. We made a few hand signals, including the one of the cupped palm to the ear, and left.

Should you enjoy eating in total noise, I should tell you that Amber's chef is Adha Bataya and some of his (her?) dishes are undeniably modern, eg prawn-and-crab frittata with mango mayonnaise and tofu en salsa de mango, translated rather curiously as tofu with avocada (sic) sauce served with sweet potatoes.

Amber
6 Poland Street, W1