Locale (Blackheath)

I LOVED MY RECENT VISIT TO LOCALE'S BLACKHEATH LOCATION.

VISITING FROM THE USA, I HAVE A TERRIFIC CHOICE OF GOOD ITALIAN RESTAURANTS.....INDIVIDUAL AND CHAIN.....AND, THEREFORE, AM PRETTY FUSSY.

ON A RECENT FRIDAY NIGHT, I ENTERED THE FESTIVE AND SPACIOUS BLACKHEATH LOCALE AND WAS GREETED BY SHAREEF, THE MANAGER, AND SERVED BY THE DELIGHTFUL MAGDA, WHO SUGGESTED I START WITH THE SEAFOOD SALAD: IN MANY PLACES A POTENTIAL DISASTER. LOCALE'S WAS FRESH, VARIED AND DRESSED TO PERFECTION.

FOR MY MAIN DISH, I CHOSE PAPARADELLE WITH SPICEY RAGU OF LAMB SAUCE. IT WAS MORE THAN TASTY...IT WAS MOUTH WATERINGLY GOOD.

FOR WINE, I CHOSE THE SANGIOVESE..............TWO LARGE GLASSES WERE PERFECT.

THE ROOM IS BIG, WITH HIGH CEILINGS, COLOURFUL IN RED WITH HUGE PORTRAITS ON THE WALL AND A LIVELY BAR WITH THE BUZZ OF GOOD CHEER ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.

COME JUNE, I SHALL ENJOY THE PLACE EVEN MORE WHEN THE BRITISH NO SMOKING RULE COMES INTO EFFECT.

IN THE MEANTIME, I URGE READERS TO MAKE LOCALE THEIR OWN LOCAL. THEY HAVE TWO OTHER OUTPOSTS IN LONDON , WITH MORE PLANNED.

BON APETITE

BGW, FROM PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, USA.
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BRIAN WELLS
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Saturday, May 05, 2007

This is a fantastic restaurant.

I found Locale (Blackheath) a couple of months ago and have made it a family favourite as well as an occasional business rendezvous. The decor is magnificent. The food and service couldn't be faulted and it's excellent value for money.

I feel very lucky to have such a reliable restaurant so close to home.
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Jane
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, April 20, 2007

I went to Locale on Wednesday with an Italian friend . It was absoutely delightful. The food was fantastic I had the Midweek Menu, I started with the calamari which just melted in your mouth followed by the liver which was cooked to perfection. My friend also started with the calamari followed by the Vongole she was very suitably impressed. The atmosphere is great with lots of nice touches around the place. The service is impecable, everybody is very friendly and accomodating. My friend said if she lived in the area she would be a regular guest. Myself I cannot wait to go back - highly recommended...........
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Chrissy
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, April 20, 2007

I went for lunch yesterday with my cousin, and it was probably one of the worst meals I have ever eaten. My cousinhad squid as a starter and it was overcooked. I had carpaccio of beef which had a slimy texture. Our main meals were even worse. I had Baked Cod which had so much sauce on the plate you couldn't see it. The sauce tasted like tinned tomatoes with a few mixed herbs frown in. My cousin had Saltambocco which again was quite inedible, the alcohol in the sauce had not been burnt off and it was very watery. All in all a very poor lunch. To top it all we had a voucher for £50 as there had been a problem on a previous visit. Considering this and the fact that the Saltambocco had been taken off the bill, we still had to pay a further £20. So the total bill came to £85.00. I will definitely never go there again.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, April 16, 2007

DONT GO THERE ITS RUBBISH

having just eaten at Locale I feel compelled to tell all what a dissapointment the place is. Having been there when it was Tony Allen and enjoyed the experience immensly, we were intrigued as to what the new format would be, although it seemed that yet another Italian resaurant in Blackheath was a little overkill.

The menu was completely uninspiring, mostly cold starters, cheaply and easily produced and prepared, the usual bruscetta, mozerrella and tomatoes, beef carpacio etc. My wife had the bruscetta which at £6.95 was expensive for bread and tomatoes, of which you would find better quality at asda. I had salami and ham on thin crisp bread, the bread clearly having been bought in and again at £7.50 terrible value, dry and badly thought out.

The main course were worse, firstly they delivered completely the wrong dishes, then when they did finally arrive my guinea fowl was flavourless, served with a bitter radichio and an insipid gravy, all veg is charged seperately (a pet hate), I ordered sauted french beans, again at £3 bad value for beans in butter. My wife had chargrilled chicken with a pesto dressing, roast potatoes and salad, what turned up was chicken with absolutely no flavour, not even from the pesto or griddle, boiled new potatoes tossed in a fring pan for not more than a few seconds and rocket with no dressing.

service was included in the bill (another pet hate). All in all we walked away feeling ripped off and still fairly peckish, bought donuts from the garage on the way home which was altogether a more satisfactory experience.
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Doran Tranmer
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Saturday, April 14, 2007

I have been impressed and very satisfied with this restaurant, the Locale in Blackheath village, for six or seven months - and never thorught of sending in my opinions. But I would just like to second the remarks from the local businessman, William, who expressed his satisfaction and made the point that having a quality and dependable restaurant in the neighbourhood is a huge plus. I have dined at this place probably on average once a week, and taken my family to Sunday lunch there four or five times. That is always a treat. But the point I want to make is that to be able to invite clients and contacts to a local restaurant and be able to feel completely relaxed and not worry about the quality of the food, the service, the ambience, and to know that the wine list is equal to any in central London, is a big plus. And as a businessman I appreciate value for money.
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Andrew Lanigan
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, March 16, 2007

As a local Greenwich businessman, to be able to entertain clients in a good restaurant is important. Upon my bank manager's recommendation, I entertained a client at this restaurant and my first impression was excellent; a grandiose room with chandeliers. We were well received by the Maitre D and both the food and the service were extremely good, with a good choice of wine. My client was certainly impressed and he being based in Canary Wharf, he informed me that he may well entertain clients at this location himself. It is important for local businesses to be able to rely on good restaurants and I have no hesitation in recommending Locale.
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William
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Monday, March 12, 2007

I summer of 2006 went when it was owned by Tony Allan and it was fantastic - dining room, quality of the food, menu and wine list.

Having moved from the area I wasn't aware that is had changed hands and when I went back last week, I was sorely disappointed.

The restaurant is still ipressive but the menu now has a gastropub feel with basic options that most home cooks would try. Service was attentive and the wine list ok but it smacks of a restaurant that built and was sold on reputation and is now looking to milk that. Given the insipid food, now badly overpriced and the fact that iot was only half full at 10pm on a Friday night says it all.

Sadly, I think it can only continue down a familiar slippery slope for eateries of it's ilk.
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Daniel Malkoun
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Had a fabulous meal here to celebrate my husbands birthday.

The food was perfect, the service excellent and the ambience couldn't have been better.

I thoroughly recommend this restaurant.
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Lisa
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

In a nut shell poor food and poor service. We were part of a large group of people all of which were very dissapointed with the experience. First impressions as we walked were, wow what a nice looking place and a nice friendly atmos phere but thats where the good bit ends. My starter was Goats cheese with roasted walnut and caremelised onion with spinach which was not too bad but the cheese was overpowering to say the least, my wife had Tuscan ham served on what looked like a popadom but not as tasty, both ham and popadom thing were very bland. After a very long wait the mains arrived and these were no better i chose a Swordfish steak which again was not to bad but was served with a mass of wilted salad leaves that even a starved rabbit would turn its nose up at, my wife did not get a main! After several attemps to attract a waiter we shortly got a piping hot (microwaved) Squid ink Tagliatelle which looked and tasted bad. We never styed for our sweet, thats how impressed we were! We even had trouble getting served drinks due to the fact it became so busy and more people were waiting to be seated. We had a 100 mile round trip to come to Locale and it certainly wont happen again. My advice is avoid at all costs!
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Fester - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 0
Monday, February 12, 2007