Restaurant review, Granger & Co, 175 Westbourne Grove, London.

To throw yourself into the melee of the restaurant scene in London must be terrifying, even if you're already a bit of a superstar. I feel for our own food writer Bill Granger, whose eponymous restaurant has finally arrived in west London after a few false starts.

A big name is no guarantee of success, as many will attest. On two early visits to Granger & Co, I'd say success is on the cards, but the white heat of a new place can cool quickly, especially in the swanky environs of Westbourne Grove, where families think nothing of dropping £80 on breakfast with the kids (as two dads with three toddlers did when I was there).

Early reviews have questioned the somewhat lackadaisical service and Bill clearly has been quick to act; things have tightened up. On both of my visits the female managers corralled staff and customers with searing efficiency. This is what's needed in an all-day establishment that doesn't take bookings. Which is my only quibble, really. I have to arrive for dinner at 7pm to make sure of a table for six, and 8am for Sunday breakfast for four.

At dinner, the manager quips to me – as I survey the quiet, elegant room with its leather drapes at the door, blonde-wood tables and chairs, and lovely panelled wood ceiling – that things would very soon be bordering on mayhem. She is right: it's that white-heat moment. Glossy couples and groups of creative-industry types look a bit disgruntled as they push back those curtains and see they're going to have to stand and wait.

From my snug, smug corner table for six, I feel glad I'm settled in. This is no Wagamama – once in, you want to relax and take time over the menu. Aussie and Pacific influences abound, which is to be expected from the man whose Bills restaurants are one of Australia and Asia's biggest hits.

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