Kalendar redux

I take it back, Kalendar, the Cheers of Highgate is no longer a joy to behold.

I have had growing concerns on recent visits, but tonight took the biscuit. There was a random blond hair in our olives. Three items I wanted to order weren't availalbe and this from a menu that has barely changed in the past two years - yet another gripe. The food is lazy and pretty bland. Silverbrowess' cod - who serves cod these days? - stunk of fish, never a good sign, although the chips were hand cut and well cooked. My mozzarella salad was fridge-cold, with some sad looking greens, thankfully lifted by a punchy vinaigrette. We'll overlook that it didn't really pay much homage to Italy.

This is a restaurant that reeks of complacency. There are a lot of regulars who I think are blinded slightly by nostalgia. They remember the great food and they're suckered by the nice decor and pretty location. It's a shame because Cafe Mozart, Kalendar's sister restaurant and next-door neighbour, still hits the mark as one of London's finest cafes - in the Viennese sense of the word, rather than Starbucks.