TimeOut reviews
Tuk Cho - 3/5
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - Vietnamese-style crisp battered squid with chilli, spring onion and lime was bright, light and satisfyingly spiky. Malaysian daging rendang (beef curry) featured tender meat in a delicious cardamom and star anise-dominated sauce with the texture wonderfully broken up by pieces of toasted coconut...The slick design, speedy service and please-all menu seem to indicate a chain in the offing. Pub operator Mitchells & Butlers is backing Tuk Cho, and there's a second branch due to open in Chiswick. But with fresh food for reasonable prices, this beats most of the other Asian chains.
The Angel & Crown - 3/5
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - Their free-of-brewery-tie status has ensured a catholic drinks selection to the downstairs bar: three real ales (including Sambrook's and Dark Star's Hophead), some nice beers by the bottle, a few simple cocktails and an accessible wine list...I ate in the dining room on an earlier sojourn, and it was decent: as with the other pubs in the group, it's big on British ingredients and majors in meat. In the bar, you can choose from the full menu, or choose from the list of upmarket bar snacks: a generous home-made sausage roll with mustard, pork crackling, or a fish-finger sandwich, say.
Yipin China - 4/5
Friday, January 20, 2012 - Spiced fungus offers a whirl of activity in the mouth: chilled, springy wood ear fungus is dotted with potent red chillies and sharp raw minced garlic. Sichuan-style 'man and wife offal slices' are a textural symphony of chewy ribbons of beef tripe, firmer slices of tongue and softer pieces of tendon, served floating in aromatic chilli oil. A perfectly prepared stir-fried dish of hand-torn cabbage with chilli and vinegar is a great example of Hunan's hearty peasant fare: the ubiquitous winter vegetable shines through dots of chilli, and the slices of pork belly offer the perfect sweet balance to the sour vinegar. It's also a contrast to the other dishes in a moderately, but pleasantly, salty meal. Judging by the sour sliced sea bass in pickled mustard soup, the Sichuan-style dishes are also excellent.
Shaker & Company - 3/5
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - It's owned by the Shaker chain of bar schools, well-regarded academies for bartenders aiming to perfect their crafts. The bar has a comprehensive array of spirits used in a range of drinks that would be a lot easier to ask for if the names weren't so daft, such as 'It's Not Terry's It's Tin Tin's'. The cocktails, however, have a balance of own-made syrups and infusions, herbs and spices, with minimal show-off mixology. Staff we sought out for guidance were very knowledgeable, as you might expect. Food ranges from the recognisably Southern (gumbo, jambalaya, hush puppies) to the more generically American - mini sliders, 'soul fried chicken bites', chocolate brownies.
Mishkin's - 2/5
Monday, January 09, 2012 - A Reuben sandwich is a big, overstuffed beast with layers of (usually) corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese topped with tangy Russian dressing, wrapped between two supple pieces of seeded, chewy-crusted rye bread. The best can move the toughest New York cabbie to tears. The Mishkin's version uses pastrami (which is smoked) rather than corned beef (unsmoked); the meat was on the lean side, but flavourful enough, but I couldn't taste the dressing. The bread wasn't the caraway-studded bread that perfectly offsets this sandwich's flavours, and it was over-toasted, panini-style, which detracted from the texture. Good, but not great.
BrewDog Camden - 4/5
Friday, January 06, 2012 - It's the best place in London to sample the genuinely groundbreaking output from the Aberdeenshire upstarts. Trashy Blonde, 77 Lager and the amber 5am Saint are creative takes on standard styles. There is also Paradox Smokehead, an imperial stout aged in Scotch whisky barrels; the 55 per cent ABV End of History (its bottles inserted into small taxidermied animals); and the 2.8 per cent Blitz - a meek beer brewed to avoid the taxes higher percentages invoke. This is no brewery tap, though - the owners recognise the achievements of others too, and the fridges are stiff with the sort of stouts, porters and ales that make beer such exciting stuff at the moment.
Colchis - 4/5
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - Georgian classics, such as lobio (kidney bean stew, served with corn cakes), mtsvadi (skewered meats), khinkali (meat-stuffed dumplings) and khachapuri (cheese-stuffed bread) abound on the menu. The warm, soft, flaky flatbread that is khachapuri enclosing salty white cheeses - an excellent starter. We couldn't resist a main course of pheasant, Georgia being this bird's native land (its zoological name is Phasianus colchicus). We weren't disappointed with the deep flavours of this slow-cooked, tomato-based braise, the game meat long-simmered and livened with handfuls of herbs. On the side were some moreish 'chips' made with the Georgian version of polenta, gomi.
Morgan M Barbican - 4/5
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - Roast red leg Suffolk partridge with a chicory tarte tatin, liver ravioli and bread sauce was a hearty riposte to the weather, with the savoury bird a nice contrast to the super-smooth liver; the only duff note was the slightly pappy tarte tatin. Even better was fillet of Iken Valley venison (pot roasted to a state of sublime taste and tenderness) with brilliantly realised accompaniments of farci of hare, sweet potato purée and sauce grand veneur ( a classic game sauce).
Seven at Brixton - 3/5
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - Conveniently for any visitors with woollen mittens on, much of the food here comes on sticks - it's of the Spanish pinchos variety. From an array that includes anchovy, chilli and tomato, or chorizo and manchego, diners help themselves and pay by the skewer at the end; prices soon add up, so the hungry might be better choosing one of the sharing plates or a bigger dish, like the simple prawns with garlic and chilli. It's open in the day, too, for brunch, lunch and coffee, serving items such as churros and hot sandwiches. Seven feels very DIY and suffers not a bit from it, 'concept' or not.
Chakra - 4/5
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 - At Chakra, our lamb chops were well marinated in yoghurt, tart lemon juice and ginger, then cooked Punjabi-style over charcoal, delivering a triumph of tenderness and robust flavours. Equally tasty, the palak paneer - velvety-textured spinach puree, lightly seasoned with nutmeg and ginger, and cradling pillows of paneer - was a faultless rendition. The occasional nod to London-style fusion cooking didn't always work, however...Minor gripes aside, the cooking was top drawer. On a week night the place was busy with well-heeled locals and out-to-impress couples. You might have to pay a Maharajah's ransom for a meal here, but it rivals feasts served by upmarket West End competitors.
Bakehaus - 4/5
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - Proper pretzels are made the German way, by boiling them first in lye (alkaline solution). Other goods to make the German expat heart beat faster include Berliners (deep-fried doughnuts filled with jam), nut-nougat-filled croissants, and plunder pastries. A poppy-seed swirl was bursting with its black seed filling, mixed with hazelnuts and vanilla custard, the bun topped off with a sticky apricot glaze. Lunchtimes get busy at Bakehaus. Sandwiches with German fillings such as fleischkase (slices of baked meatloaf) or schnitzel (flattened, breaded and fried veal) compete with weisswurst (Bavarian sausage). The currywurst (sausage and curry sauce) comes from the Charing Cross wurst shop, Herman ze German.
Baskervilles Tea Shop - 3/5
Friday, November 18, 2011 - Looking out over Broomfield Park, Baskervilles Tea Shop is one of the few cafes in Palmers Green that provides a child-friendly spot for locals to natter over pots of tea...The savoury options - soup, daily salads, sandwiches - show an emphasis on quality; our sandwich was small, but made with good roasted beef and Tewkesbury mustard. The cake selection is plentiful, ranging from decadent pecan and toffee cupcakes to a couple of virtuous gluten-free bakes. The coffee and walnut variety we tried was a little dry, but had a lip-smacking buttercream frosting. In a nice touch, tea blends (created by tea specialist Blends for Friends) are available on the counter to sniff.
Relay Tea Room - 3/5
Thursday, November 17, 2011 - Part of a growing clutch of cheap, characterful eateries in Brixton Village Market, the vintage-minded, boutique-sized Relay Tea Room holds its ground well by specialising in tea (next door's Federation Coffee takes care of the Americano et al) and own-made bakes. The brews, served in mismatched crockery, come via Taylors of Harrogate and the selection is strong with good black blends among fruity options such as a bright blackberry and elderflower. The real draw, however, is the loose-leaf chai lattes. Of the four flavours blended in-house, our vanilla number was impressive - a gently sweet, creamy chai with an added bay leaf for extra aromatic kick. It made up for the decidedly slim cake selection.
French & Grace - 3/5
Thursday, November 17, 2011 - Salad Club hostesses Rosie French and Ellie Grace have taken their monthly supper club to the next level by giving it a permanent home in Brixton Village Market. The tiny eatery has space for only three tables inside; a handful more are placed outside...Salads have always been at the heart of the duo's operations, and a warm chilli squash and chickpea salad didn't fail to get a nod of approval: the feta and mint-studded salad came accompanied by an earthy beetroot puree and zesty houmous, all to be scooped up with crisp pieces of flatbread. The lamb stew was bursting with warm Moorish flavours of prune and cinnamon, and was served with carrot and orange mash. The components harmonised astonishingly well.
Meat Liquor - 4/5
Monday, November 14, 2011 - We tried two varieties of burger and found them faultless - sloppy, meaty, tangy, cheesy, spicy, perfect. It takes something like this to remind you how amazing the world's most bastardised dish can be when it's done with dedication. There are assorted starters and sides to complement the burgers - chicken wings, deep-fried pickles (that Southern soul food favourite), chilli cheese fries, and a section called 'rabbit food'...The heavily stylised ambience of Meat Liquor won't be to everyone's taste...but in terms of execution, presentation and setting, this is one of the best burgers in Britain.
The Earl of Essex - 3/5
Thursday, November 10, 2011 - Nowadays it's set up for the more moneyed Islington dweller, with a tasteful paint job in heritage colours, a nice drinks list and gourmet pizzas from a wood-fired oven...We tried a couple of those pizzas and were impressed with the imaginative toppings (figs, goats' cheese, Somerset brie, Cumberland sausage and the like); there's also an extensive a la carte menu of mains and snacks, and a fine-looking Sunday roast. The walled back garden has seen equal attention lavished upon it, and the varied seating and discreet planting will be welcomed on the return of warmer weather.
Wild Food Cafe - 3/5
Thursday, November 10, 2011 - We opted for a raw 'Thai curry'. This red curry was rich in coconut milk and dotted with kernels of crunchy sweetcorn, dice of red pepper and slivers of banana. Though served at room temperature, it tasted remarkably like a 'real' Thai curry, slightly spicy with good depth of flavour...Sandwiches are either made with 'raw bread' or toasted sourdough (for non-raw diners), and come with intriguing toppings such as raw pistachio falafel or raw squash and hemp houmous. Cheese in the vegetarian sandwiches comes from the nearby Neal's Yard Dairy, while raw coconut and almond 'cheeze' is made on the premises.
The Hampshire Hog - 3/5
Wednesday, November 09, 2011 - The food we had was decent, although expensive. A starter of tuna with green beans, grilled onions and anchovies was punchy; another of tuna and salmon 'sashimi' had an overbearingly garlicky dressing. Mains too were up and down - a fan of roast lamb came with roast potatoes but the addition of chewy sun-dried tomatoes and yogurt sauce didn't promote harmony. Grilled bream with lentils and salsa verde, however, was a much simpler, and better, combination...Treat this as a restaurant and you'll be satisfied; pubgoers might prefer something a bit less refined.
Bloomsbury Coffee House - 3/5
Wednesday, November 09, 2011 - Owned by a young couple, the cafe has two rooms, wooden floors and quaintly mismatched furniture and crockery. The menu is short, but sufficient: three or four lunch options plus a selection of cakes, most made on the premises. On weekends classic breakfasts are served. Our full-bodied tomato soup with chorizo was almost stew-like, and the welsh rarebit was made with proper bread. Our chocolate brownie was like a cake but somehow even better for it, and the pumpkin pie featured well-made pastry. The 'coffee house' moniker is no false claim. The beans are from Allpress, and both our espresso and cappuccino were full flavoured and expertly made.
Carom - 2/5
Thursday, November 03, 2011 - Meza lounge bar and restaurant has been reincarnated as an Indian-themed venue. The two lovely curved bar counters remain, and a smart Soho drinking crowd still hang out here - but the tapas and pub grub have been replaced with a line-up of tandoori grills, street snacks and classic curries...Punjabi street food came up trumps, with potato and ginger griddle cakes served with onion-fried chickpeas and tart tamarind sauce - a popular combo in downtown Delhi. Other dishes weren't as impressive. Sweet and tangy Bengali pumpkin mash, simmered with onions and tomatoes, was marred by a heavy helping of masala. We weren't bowled over by the thick, starchy marinade over the tandoori prawns either.
Delhi Grill - 4/5
Thursday, October 20, 2011 - Dishes are split equally between items from the tandoor and those from the pot, but look to the specials board before ordering - August proffered dhal gosht, aloo puri and vegetable pakora; if available, the on-the-bone goat curry is a must, as is rajmah, a Punjabi dish of kidney beans. We've generally found most satisfaction from the slow-cooked sauce dishes, but a 'Delhi Grill' for two at just 7.50 will see off any cravings for meat - it includes lamb chops, chicken tikkas and punchy seekh kebabs. The own-made, silky-smooth beetroot chutney has become something of a signature.
Powder Keg Diplomacy - 4/5
Thursday, October 13, 2011 - The main reason PKD gets a high star rating is the incredible drinks list. There is no shortage of exciting new beer lists in London this year, but here's one that would be a pleasure for any beer buff to work their way through. Cocktails are equally well considered...PKD is as much restaurant as bar, and the food we tried was also impressive. British ingredients are pressed into service in creative and attractive dishes such as pot roast pheasant with smoked bacon and cauliflower puree; or mackerel fillet with fennel cream, smoked mackerel pate and a shot of chilled beetroot soup.
The Lady Ottoline - 4/5
Thursday, October 13, 2011 - The ground floor is smart and wood-panelled, but definitely a pub. Up the narrow staircase is undoubtedly a restaurant, lit by candle and filled with heavy tableware and furniture...That old gastropub stalwart, pork belly, came in a perfectly cooked square with a chunk of braised cheek, a strip of crackling and a black pudding croquette. The lobster and crab risotto was unremarkable, however: the flavour of the meat wasn't apparent enough. As a pub, this Lady already has a pleasantly lived-in feel. As a restaurant it has yet to reach the heights of its more noble Shoreditch sister, but it's worth a peer in all the same.
Potli Restaurant - 4/5
Wednesday, October 05, 2011 - Main courses were outstanding. Punjabi-style mutton curry, tender and cooked on the bone, had a rich tomato masala emboldened with meaty robustness and hits of shredded ginger. It was a hearty staple which would win the approval of the toughest of Indian truckers...Southern and coastal flavours also get a look-in. Mirch ki salan, in this case yellow sweet peppers simmered in a pounded paste of toasted sesame, coconut and peanuts, was sharpened with curry leaves, and worked well with another southern classic, aromatic lemon rice. Service typifies Indian hospitality and was attentive, waiting on every need.
Casa Morita - 3/5
Wednesday, October 05, 2011 - The cooking is mostly very good, with strong flavours and fresh ingredients. Its stock-in-trade is the humble corn tortilla, presented in various guises - from totopos to tacos and quesadillas - alongside a couple of traditional dishes, including mole negro and huevos rancheros. We were particularly impressed by taco de chorizo, its crumbly meaty filling perfectly offset by a thin guacamole and chopped coriander, and a toasted veggie quesadilla layered with melted cheese and tiny pieces of diced onion.
Mama Lan - 2/5
Thursday, September 29, 2011 - Chilli oil chicken had good flavour but was scarce on the chilli oil; the shredded meat was quite dry, a shame considering the source of the bird (Ginger Pig). Intriguing deep-fried 'vegetable dough balls' - a bit on the greasy side - resembling small round bhajias, also curried favour with their umami flavour and a curious note of cinnamon...Flavourwise, there is some great potential in Mama Lan; we like the sound of the hearty Chinese stews planned for cooler weather. But in terms of execution, there's work to be done before we can wholeheartedly recommend anyone making a special journey.
The Guildford Arms - 3/5
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - The bar has been relegated to a small counter at one side, and inside there's not much in the way of original features - instead the plain walls have been painted in Gordon Ramsay greys and oversized drum lightshades hang throughout. Food is definitely the focus, and it may be hard for the casual drinker to find a seat on a busy evening. Upstairs is fancier still, and more akin to a fine-dining restaurant. But out the back is a spectacular garden, a contender for the best in the city.
Ombra - 2/5
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - Ombra aims to bring the easygoing atmosphere and casual food/drink mix of a Venetian bacaro to Bethnal Green. (It is next to the Regent's Canal, which is a start.) On our visit we weren't hugely impressed by the simple dishes, which included grilled mackerel with polenta, sliced sausage and pasta with tomato sauce. We also found the hard wooden seating a triumph of style over comfort and were sat too close to a guitarist to make conversation easy. But the range of Italian wines is good, and it's also possible to pop in for an Aperol spritzer (an Italian aperitif mixed with white wine and soda water).
Speakeasy Espresso & Brew Bar - 3/5
Monday, September 26, 2011 - A convenient coffee hideaway in the midst of shopper central. The good-sized space is modern and minimalist, with a large coffee bar showcasing a range of sweet treats (almond croissants, chocolate cherry cake, peppermint slice) and bags of Climpson & Sons and Hasbean coffee beans. Sit in and sip away at concrete-topped tables or grab and go.
Mongolian Grill
Thursday, September 22, 2011 - This Mongolian restaurant is a huge hit with Chinese families who come from near and far for the spicy dishes. Hotpot is the highlight here, where a huge selection of sliced meats, seafood, vegetables and tofu are dipped into a cauldron of hot stock to be cooked at the table.
Meatballs - 3/5
Friday, September 16, 2011 - We weren't bowled over by the balls; although they were all tasty, their flavours weren't assertive enough. But their provenance is admirable - free-range pork, Orkney beef and lamb - and fresh herbs were apparent within. Such a singular concept feels quite unusual, but then probably so did the first burger restaurant in London. Maybe the city will embrace these balls given time.
40 Maltby Street - 4/5
Friday, September 16, 2011 - They open half a dozen or so bottles at the start of the evening - two red, two white, a sparkling and a rose - and what is poured throughout the evening changes at their whim. We started with an easygoing pignoletto (Italian frizzante) from a young Bolognese producer, Alberto Tedeschi, as we perused the small blackboard menu of Italian-influenced dishes. Pumpkin with pisto and a fried egg saw perfect autumn squash paired with the Spanish ratatouille-style dish of stewed vegetables; tongue salad with orange, green tomatoes and parsley was a colourful and beautifully coherent plateful.
16 Seconds West Brasserie - 3/5
Friday, September 16, 2011 - An 8oz feather-blade steak was paired with a punchy chimichurri and excellent sides but, at 17.95, seemed pricy for a cheap cut. At 16.95, a mean portion of mixed grilled fish featured only a small cube of salmon, two fillets of faintly muddy trout and a tangle of watercress. A mackerel fillet was MIA and our exceedingly charming waiter immediately tracked down the error, offering a complimentary dessert without hesitation. One wobbling pana cotta later and all was forgotten. Such effortlessly gracious service is often the mark of a great restaurant in the making and the enthusiastic staff seem keen to improve their offering.
Lucius - 3/5
Friday, September 16, 2011 - Lucius is the kind of friendly neighbourhood Italian restaurant that everyone should - but sadly doesn't - have around the corner. With two Italian chefs in the kitchen, the food majors in simplicity and quality ingredient...Along with pizza or pasta, there are regular specials. A rib-eye steak with spaghetti was divine - though we'd have happily paid more to have a bigger slice of steak. The fresh spaghetti (from a specialist supplier, like the gnocchi) was also notably good, coated in anchovy, garlic and tomato sauce...More Italian wines on the short and budget-friendly wine list would also be a smart move, along with more atmospheric lighting in this otherwise friendly venue with its flashes of boudoir glam.
The Bull - 3/5
Monday, September 05, 2011 - The pub was recently reopened by Dan Fox, previously manager of the White Horse in Parson's Green, one of the finest alehouses in London. And the selection of bought-in beers - both on tap and in bottle - is fantastic...Food at The Bull is a big part of the offer, and also shows an influence from over the pond - although the stridently sticky, carb-rich, sweet and smoky elements of classic American cooking have been toned down and gastropubbed up for the Highgate crowd. So there is pulled pork with pineapple and jalapeno; buffalo wings; Maryland crab cakes; salmon with succotash (corn and beans) and striploin steak.
Federation Coffee - 4/5
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - Gritty SW9 may now have a Starbucks, but this little coffee shop hidden away in Brixton Village Market continues to serve those who want to support local businesses instead. And it's easy to see which is the more intriguing - it's a funky, if small, space that serves Nude Espresso coffee and a small range of daily changing pastries, cakes and brownies.
Agile Rabbit - 3/5
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - This independent pizzeria and cafe-bar is housed within Brixton Village Market (formerly known as the Granville Arcade). It plays host to bands on Thursday and Friday evenings.
Elephant - 3/5
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - From a tiny kitchen a very concise menu is served: own-made samosas, curries, three types of thali (minced lamb, chicken or vegetable). The dishes are home-style, and the thalis served on a segmented stainless steel plate, in the subcontinental way. The dahl is rich and thick, the keema (mince) delicately spiced and with just the right amount of ghee, the raita creamy. Our only disappointment was the round naan breads - these are bought in, not fresh from an oven, but then they are complimentary. The masala chai is exemplary, and the prices for all dishes very low.
Roti Chai Street Kitchen - 4/5
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 - We loved the crunchiness of the bhel puri - puffed rice, tossed with diced onions and coriander, cloaked in a sweet-sour tamarind sauce spiked with cumin. Served warm from the steamer, dokhla - a Gujarati savoury sponge made from ground chickpea flour spiced with mustard seeds - had a lovely light texture, matched well with coconut chutney. Chickpea curry was outstanding for its smoky character - a fab complement to the fried base of golden-hued onions cooked with astringent ginger and garam masala...For night birds, a darkly seductive bar in the basement should soon be open for business.
Cafe Moka - 3/5
Monday, August 22, 2011 - In the opening weeks the menu was still a succinct choice of just four dishes. A couple of freshly-made tarts (buttery pastry with properly wobbly fillings, such as languidly sweet caramelised onions with three types of cheeses); a jacket potato; bruschetta on artisanal soughdough, plus a plate of pasta with seasonal veg for kids...There are more sweet options on offer, some own-made, such as Kevin's bread and butter pudding with marmalade and chocolate served with a lush helping of cream and brownies with walnuts (made with quality dark chocolate that adds welcome bitterness).
Cremeria Vienna - 3/5
Monday, August 22, 2011 - The classic Italian gelatos, including nocciola (hazelnut) and fragola (strawberry), are freshly made every morning and sold (or discarded) within 24 hours. Creamy Madeira ice cream is dotted with raisins soaked in vin santo, while ground almonds enhance the smooth, pale green pistachio gelato (made with Sicilian pistachios). The generous portions start at 2 quid for two scoops. It's mostly take-away business, but there are two small tables for those who want a caffe with their gelato.
Pacific Social Club - 4/5
Friday, August 19, 2011 - The food and drinks here are inventive, though not flawless. Our flat white (the makings come from Broadway Market's Climpson & Sons) seemed a bit long on the white, and we enjoyed the idea of a fig, gorgonzola and Parma ham toastie a little more than the execution - it was too heavy on the fig for the saltiness of the cheese and ham to really come through. The Venezuelan sandwich was great - a generous mash-up of chorizo, morcilla, black beans, avocado and cheese - but a little soggy.
Railway Tavern - 4/5
Friday, August 19, 2011 - The full name is Railway Tavern Ale House, which neatly sums up its purpose. It's housed in a pleasant little curved corner site in a pleasant little area of London, and the new owners (who also own the Pineapple in Kentish Town) have done a fine job of smartening up the space while retaining original features...Food is available, and somewhat at odds with the solidly English countenance of the place the menu is Thai, but it's a cut above the usual pub standard: slow-cooked beef massaman curry was notably good, and a stir-fried veg noodles was generous with the cashews.
Bunga Bunga - 3/5
Friday, August 12, 2011 - Our Berlusconi Bellini, a simple composition of spiced peach puree and Prosecco served in a 1920s-style Champagne glass with pretty little flowers, was irresistibly girly: just the ticket for seducing a barely legal filly or two in the early hours of the morning. Sustenance, meanwhile, comes in the form of cured meats, bruschetta and slices of pizza - there are dedicated clusters of tables for eating. But be warned: in spite of its out-of-the-way Battersea Bridge location, this place can already get packed to bursting with a twentysomething crowd, and noise levels can be deafening.
Happy Kitchen - 2/5
Thursday, August 11, 2011 - We ate the filling 'superfood salad'. A generous helping of quinoa, peas, broccoli, courgette, mint and seeds, served with nicely dressed leaves and an intense beetroot puree, but it otherwise tasted a little bland. Similarly, the 'scrumdiddliumptious' banana and peanut butter shake, made with soy milk, was rather watery...The staff - who show a real affinity for kids - are as smiley and passionate as you'd expect. Accordingly, Happy Kitchen has been rammed from the start with TV producers, wannabe TV producers, and a flotilla of over-engineered infant buggies.
The Old Red Cow - 4/5
Wednesday, August 03, 2011 - New owners haven't mucked about with The Cow's exterior, and the decor inside comes from the modern beer bar school of austerity, which is no bad thing: vintage European advertising plates liven up the plain walls, and there's a lot of worn-in wood...We had a couple of top-notch Sunday roasts on our visit, with free-range chicken and well-hung beef bought from just over the road. The rest of the menu is solid British pub grub - potted ham with piccalilli, beef burger, steak and oyster pie - with a few more interesting-looking specials. On a blackboard, an Inspiral Carpets-style cow proclaims: 'I love beer'; whoever puts the drinks menu together clearly does too.
The Rosendale - 4/5
Tuesday, August 02, 2011 - The Rosendale is now a resolutely upmarket venture, its sights trained on moneyed diners and on maintaining its reputation as a popular venue for social events. Spacious and blessed with natural light, the huge primary dining area is a split-level affair with high ceilings...The owner's passion for wine is reflected in the mind-boggling selection. Snacks include fried whitebait, aioli and sour cream, as well as tempting own-made chocolate cakes. Roll up here in the afternoon, and you may share the space with mothers and kids.
Kaosarn - 4/5
Monday, August 01, 2011 - You'll find cooking just like you get in Thailand, complete with slivers of bird's-eye chilli in some dishes that assault your palate with their heat. The som tam's a must-try, the sharp citruous crunch of green papaya given sour notes by the addition of ground dried shrimps. Our chicken satay was also excellent, and a beef massaman curry correctly rich and sweet. The gai yang - half a chicken, marinated then grilled- was a bit dry and won't have Nando's quaking in its boots, but with sticky rice (curiously, served in a microwave-ready plastic bag) it transported us back to Bangkok's backpacker ghetto, the Khao San Road.
Machiavelli - 3/5
Monday, August 01, 2011 - A cut above your usual cafe-cum-deli, Machiavelli combines brooding good looks with casual but classy cooking. The food follows suit. We enjoyed two light, summery salads - a verdant mix of al dente mangetout and French beans tossed with peas and chunks of salty feta, plus a dish of cold orecchiette (bowl-shaped pasta) with intense black olives, pine nuts, sweet cherry tomatoes and a light coating of basil pesto. But almost as tempting was the homely-looking lasagne studded with chunks of sausage.
Ice Cream Parlour (Harrods) - 3/5
Monday, August 01, 2011 - Once a fixture of the Harrods food hall, master gelato-makers Morelli's has recently vacated its former spot within the food halls. Its ices are now merely part of the selection at the store's brand-new Ice Cream Parlour, which is next to the gift shop on the second floor. Seating more than 50 lip-licking customers, the dazzling space is tricked out in floor-to-ceiling white with splashes of candy colours. It offers about a dozen crowd-pleasing flavours, as well as sundaes and shakes. We were impressed by the fruity burst of flavour in a scoop of fragola (strawberry), and the mix of textures in 'cookies' (a milk-chocolate base with shards of chocolate-covered wafers and dark chocolate sauce).
The Crooked Well - 3/5
Friday, July 29, 2011 - Sliced pork belly rolled into whirls with tuna creme fraiche was tooth-coatingly dry. We skipped the rabbit and bacon pie in favour of a tender duck leg partnered winningly with tomato and saffron aioli, chorizo, chickpeas and butter beans. The chargrilled William Rose rib-eye steak was flavoursome and perfectly cooked, served with Cafe de Paris butter (herby, spicy) and roasted tomatoes - though the chips were disappointing. The cheese selection was tempting, but we only had room to share a dense, flourless almond cake, with plump, baked gooseberries and a deliciously light elderberry pannacotta.
Long White Cloud - 4/5
Friday, July 29, 2011 - Food is casual - breakfast and brunch is a strong suit, with a blackboard of simple dishes: organic scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, muesli with Greek yogurt and apple, French toast with bacon, banana and agave syrup. During the week there's lunch too, with sandwiches, salads and more unusual-sounding dishes (unless you're a Kiwi) such as meatloaf with chilli jam or kumara soup. I would have expected the coffee here to come from Allpress in Redchurch Street, but it's from the equally good Monmouth. Our long black was well made, and there's posh hot choc and fresh orange and carrot juice too.
The Drift - 2/5
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - On our visit, sloppy service undermined any sense of calm created by the surroundings. The bar staff were slow and sullen, while the English Earl, a simple cocktail made with St Germain liqueur and Hendrick's Gin, took an age to arrive and was rather stingy for the price...Dawn-til-dusk dining is available with big breakfasts beginning at 7.30am and a lot of sharing-style tapas dishes being unleashed from an open-plan kitchen as well as salad, platters, antipasto and big, hearty burgers. It's an ambitious undertaking, but in the City, there's apparently an appetite for this kind of after-work affair.
The Adam & Eve - 3/5
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - Sunday roast was as good as you would hope: we opted for roast topside but could have had slow-roast shoulder of Elwy Valley lamb, or roast chicken with bread sauce. The Yorkies were cold but on the whole traditional fare seemed the kitchen's strong suit: the apple crumble was superb, warm, squidgily dark and delicious. By contrast grilled smoked haddock with egg-and-rocket salad was merely okay, and the mini cowpat of raisin-and-wholegrain-mustard that came with chicken liver terrine was just plain weird...Staff made a few slips with beer service, but we forgave them easily. We also appreciate the place's child-friendliness (dogs are welcome too). In short, we liked Adam & Eve.
Gino Gelato - 4/5
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - All-natural ingredients go into a dozen-odd gelatos made on site from more than 200 recipes, with classics such as stracciatella (chocolate chip) and pistachio supplemented by seasonal specials. We enjoyed the bittersweet intensity of the dark chocolate, and the not-too-sweet praline hit of the creamy almond, while a delicate coconut concoction spoke of far-flung holidays. There's not much seating, but the insulating takeaway boxes claim to keep your gelato cool for up to 90 minutes.
Lick Gelato - 2/5
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - Moments from Soho Square, contemporary gelateria Lick is well-placed to serve the sprawling hordes that descend on patches of grass come hot summer days - and it stays open past midnight on Friday and Saturday nights too. There's higher quality ice cream to be had from other Soho parlours, but Lick's USP is its array of off-beat flavours, such as mojito, red bean or honey puffs. On our visit, a portion of intensely fruity wild cherry impressed, but a somewhat cloying dollop of black sesame fared less well.
The Parlour Restaurant - 2/5
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - Service on our visit, though well-meaning, was abominably slow (taking 35 minutes to deliver three scoops of ice-cream) and the product itself not good enough to forgive the wait. With scant nuts or biscuits present and a waxy, rather than creamy, texture, our 'flight' of ice-creams (peanut, chocolat macademia nut biscuit, maple and walnut) failed to live up to expectations, while the accompanying jug of 'hot' Amedei chocolate sauce arrived tepid and congealed, taking another ten minutes to be returned lukewarm.
Foubert's - 2/5
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - A curiously plain-looking place, tucked into the bottom of a Chiswick townhouse, Foubert's continues - as it has since 1978, though not at the same site - to dish up a couple of dozen flavours of ice cream in the ultra-vivid colours beloved of under-tens. Well-textured and creamy, the coffee, rich wild cherry and tangy lemon sorbet flavours came as a monstrous 'large' portion in a cardboardy old-style cornet.
Esoteria - 3/5
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - A substantial and flavoursome 'breakfast pie' (soft-boiled egg, bacon, mushrooms and, oddly but successfully, peas) was accompanied by both salads of the day - couscous with Mediterranean vegetables and feta, and a less happy twist on the Caesar that seasoned crisped bacon, parmesan shavings, potatoes, chives and oversized slices of toasted French bread with an occasionally overpowering anchovy dressing...The Marzocco machine did its work well with 'East Blend' beans from local roasters Nude Espresso, and tap water is there for the taking from half a dozen flip-top bottles in front of the little counter.
October Cafe - 3/5
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - Barely a whisper of vegan intent appears at the pretty shopfront, but that's part of the appeal. Rather than deterring non-vegans at the door, it courts the unwitting, winning people over with triumphant creations such as its Black Forest gateau. Here, a rich, bouncy and moist sponge meets a tart cherry filling, the combination completely sidestepping dry or dense vegan baking. Elsewhere, 'cheesecake', stollen, fairy cakes, scones and giant cookies are among the range of competently executed confections, all made with obvious enthusiasm. A brief selection of own-made savoury pastries were a little less successful.
The Devonshire Arms - 3/5
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 - Our starters, both a salad of rabbit with black pudding and bacon, and another of pigeon, were slightly underwhelming in flavour, and the game was a bit dry. Things improved with the mains, which showed a bit of flair while sticking within the gastropub boundaries: a sliced bavette with chips tasted like good-quality steak and was perfectly grilled, and two fried fillets of John Dory came with a summery borlotti bean broth...It remains to be seen if the reincarnated Devonshire can turn the 'wrong' end of the road into a destination, but it's going in the right direction.
Roganic - 3/5
Monday, July 18, 2011 - Highlights in our meal of hits and misses were the less fussy dishes, most notably sweet glazed Kentish mackerel fillets drizzled with fragrant elderflower honey. We also loved meaty, tender Cumbrian hogget (lamb between one and two years old) and its musky partner of artichoke puree. An intensely fruity cherry soda coupled with a tingly strawberry-sherbet marshmallow was a beautifully nostalgic dessert. On the downside, Roganic's menu seems over-crafted and is not as harmonious as that at L'Enclume. An excessively salty finger of brill, coated in reduced chicken stock mixed with crunchy salt, and an under-seasoned beetroot jelly matched with floppy curd, both missed the mark.
Poncho No8 (Soho) - 4/5
Friday, July 15, 2011 - Burritos, tacos or boxes (salad/tortilla chips) are built to order by a legion of smiling staff, with fillings including tender shredded pork or moreish braised beef. Prices hover at the 6.30 mark, which may seem a lot for a glorified Mexican wrap, but ingredients are of good quality and burritos well-prepared: no falling apart at the seams here. The upstairs seating is clean and contemporary, with bowls of fresh lime wedges on the tables and a groovy, jazzy soundtrack blaring from the speakers, it's hardly downtown Oaxaca, but judging from the ten-deep queue in the opening week, neither does it need to be.
The Northall - 4/5
Thursday, July 14, 2011 - Sliced sea scallops with fermented lemon dressing (better than it sounds) and cress was good too; the molluscs were springy and the dressing tingly. Mains hit the same heights: the Cumbrian beef burger was one of the best we've had in London, tasting of not much more than first-class steak and all the better for it. A perfectly roasted fillet of pollock was scattered with deep-fried pieces of squid and apostrophised with smears of rouille and sticky ink sauce...The caveat to all this is the bill. A luxury hotel in SW1 is never going to be cheap. There's a 'daily market menu' at 22.50 for three courses: it may not offer the best cooking at this price in London, but it's a more realistic proposition for most people.
Maison d'Etre - 2/5
Thursday, July 14, 2011 - A crusty sarnie of proscuitto cotto with cheddar and own-made tomato chutney was generously sized, yet not totally convincing. The sweet, raisin-loaded tomato chutney overpowered the melted cheddar and subtle cooked ham to such an extend that the latter could only be distinguished from its texture. Miniature tarts are quite pricey at 2 quid a pop, and fail to justify the price-tag. A lemon tart was disappointing: more like a shortbread topped with a thin layer of lemon curd. Pecan tart was a better choice - here the thick pastry complemented the chunky nuts. Coffee beans are sourced from the Nude Espresso micro-roastery.
Andor Bureau - 3/5
Thursday, July 14, 2011 - The interior is plain, but less spartan than the outside. Potted basil plants and scruffy piles of magazines decorate shelf-thin window tables along two sides of a room that's full of light and the expected mismatched chairs and salvaged tables...The food offer is simple - sandwiches, salads, pastries and cakes - but also provides a few surprises. With our toasted mozzarella and beef-tomato sandwich, we ordered a curious-sounding side salad of watermelon, tomato and crumbled feta. It was a summery success. Despite lacking any discernible hit from the advertised chilli, roughly chopped mint nicely offset its fruity sweetness.
Shayona - 4/5
Thursday, July 14, 2011 - Luxuriously buttery dahl makhani needed the foil of cumin rice; rich too were the Shayona shahi paneer (the dense cheese in a creamy, saffron sauce) and the delectable stuffed aubergine (made somewhat mundane by its tikka masala-esque sauce). The term 'Shahi' means 'royal', a reference to the Indo-Persian court, so it's hardly suprising these dishes were all very rich. There's no alcohol - drink fresh juices or lassi (we can vouch for the refreshing vaghareli chaas, a salted spiced-up buttermilk - 'vaghar' means seasoned with spices, 'chaas' is the buttermilk drink). In all an uplifting, if not a religious, experience.
Malina Restaurant - 4/5
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - The menu promises a 'modern twist' to traditional Polish fare, which seems to come from the addition of a few Mediterranean salads - handy perhaps for a party with picky members - and artily presented dishes. Our nibble (on the house) - home-made rye bread with a light pork pate - was the best we've tried in many months...The main courses were also very good: lush bigos of stewed sauerkraut and meats; a fun dish of duck with raspberries (perhaps a tad too sweet); and, best of all, whole trout stuffed with a scrumptious gherkin-onion-dill filling and buttery fried potatoes.
Kerbisher & Malt - 3/5
Friday, July 08, 2011 - Kerbisher & Malt is a modern, maritime-themed cafe and takeaway that's furnished with sleek white tiles, monochrome photos and a chunky communal table...Our coley fillet with chips, encased in golden, light and crunchy batter, was beautifully succulent, as was the sea-fresh-flavoured, perfectly grilled chunk of pollock. Chips, though crisp in texture and fluffy inside, seemed over-fried. Sadly, we weren't bowled over by the tartare sauce (1 pound for two portions) that was let down by a raw mustardy flavour and shortfall of gherkins and herbs. Service is spot-on: attentive and enthused.
Booking Office Bar - 5/5
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - The gothic arched windows; the cornicing; the granite and marble; the pillars soaring 60 feet; the oak flooring that absorbs unwanted acoustics: each element combines to create a cathedral feel that is neither cavernous nor cold...There are cobblers, fizzes, sours and a soon-to-be expanded selection of punches. On our visit, the list had just over a dozen, but plans are afoot to broaden its scope with seasonal additions and several more liquid creations inspired by the Victorian era. They were all reasonably priced below the 10 pound mark and served in ornate glassware by staff who, as well as being friendly and funny, were faultless in their knowledge of both the drinks and the hotel's history.
Chiswell Street Dining Rooms - 4/5
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - Main courses were splendid. Cornish lemon sole, lightly fried with the barest hint of a crust, sauced with citrus dill butter, was cooked to perfection. And a trio of plump lamb chops were a triumph of succulence. The meatiness was well-matched with a summery spin on cassoulet - broad beans, tender peas and butter beans flecked with diced tomatoes...The Martin Brothers have done it again, creating a destination restaurant where you'd least expect to find one.
Red Dog Saloon - 2/5
Thursday, June 23, 2011 - The only ribs were St Louis cut pork, and we were given two for 12.50 - no offer of a half or full rack, no beef short ribs, and no choice of 'wet' or 'dry' as most good barbecue places in the US South would have (either with barbecue sauce or a spice rub). The ribs themselves were good though, and came with authentically smoky beans and sausage...Red Dog had only been open a couple of weeks when we visited, but there was nothing that would inform the average customer the menu might not yet be finalised. It may hit its stride with time, but for now there are better places in London to put some South in your mouth.
Gelatorino - 4/5
Monday, June 20, 2011 - Gelatorino is not cheap. Small cups start at 3 quid (the towering cones offer better value). Even so, we'll be going back for more of the 'breakfast in Turin' - a milky coffee ice with fine fragments of dark chocolate. It is an iced play on a popular local speciality, bicerin, which is a hot chocolate espresso drink topped with cream. Maybe next time we'll plump for the house affogato (5.50). With two icecream flavours, in combination with espresso and the option of molten hazelnut chocolate and whipped cream, it's a decadent version of the usual pick-me-up affair.
Ed's Woodfire Grill - 4/5
Friday, June 17, 2011 - Although it aims to ape New York steakhouses (a hanger costs 9.50, going up to a huge bone-in ribeye at 26.50), the 9 quid triple burger steals the show. No, not three patties, but a trio of beef cuts: brisket, ribeye steak trim and onglet. Thick without being overwhelming, and moist without being too sloppy, this was a supremely good burger. We went back a second time to check it wasn't a fluke - and it wasn't...At last, Bromley has a restaurant that deserves to draw more than just a local crowd.
Pizza East Portobello - 4/5
Friday, June 17, 2011 - The former boozer it occupies has scrubbed up nicely, with an assortment of cafe-style weathered seating and mismatched tables contrasting with the white-tiled kitchen area and wood-fired ovens. It's all very rustic chic...There's a nod to substantial main dishes: lasagne, slow-cooked pork belly, or salt-baked salmon, but affordable pizzas remain the real draw, notable for their puffed crisp crust, thin doughy base and full-flavoured toppings. A spicy sausage seasoned with red chilli and toasted fennel seeds was a marvellous match to the wispy broccoli florets and creamy mozzarella.
Lowry & Baker - 4/5
Wednesday, June 01, 2011 - Filter or espresso base Monmouth coffee, made well, is served on mismatched crockery at the tables indoors, or at the two pavement tables outside that catch the morning sun. The day's menu is chalked up on the boards and includes simple touches such as cinnamon toast, grilled pink grapefruit and own-made granola. Cooked breakfasts are also a case of solid ingredients and good assembly...You get the sense that food offered here changes on the cook's whim and on what looks good in the market outside that day. We wish more neighbourhood market cafes took a similar approach.
Eat Me Drink Me Lick Me - 3/5
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - There's pastries, pretzels and cookies (eat), milkshakes, floats, coffees and cans (drink) and most importantly, gelato with a kaleidoscope of sauces and sprinkles available on the side (lick). Simple chocolate was easily the best of the flavours we tried, though you'll find a good choice of Italian classics (stracciatella, rocher, tiramisu and so on) and fresh fruit sorbets. Can't decide? The open sundae (three scoops, three toppings, fruit and whipped cream) at 6.50 is big enough to share.
Story Deli - 3/5
Thursday, May 19, 2011 - Story Deli has now left the Old Truman Brewery and relocated slightly north to a much smaller, more intimate space at the Bethnal Green Road end of Sclater Street...Story Deli is now unlicensed - although you can take your own beer or wine, with no corkage charge. Plus, there are no toilets, making it more of a quick stop than somewhere to linger. But on the plus side, all traces of the haughty service that was a feature of the old place are gone - we found the service personable and pretension-free. If pizza's not your thing there's not much else, but cakes and coffee are available for afters.
Corner Room - 5/5
Thursday, May 19, 2011 - Mains were equally pretty and just as impressive: a chunk of seabass was poached slowly in stock until it almost fell apart, served with a scoop of crushed potatoes and watercress. Two pink slices of roast lamb came with barley braised with spinach and a few small blobs of creamy goats' cheese, and was picked out here and there with wild garlic leaves and blue garlic flowers. It was a brilliant dish - and with a 12 quid price tag, became an exceptional one...The space itself is trendy without being overbearing, as are the staff. And once word gets around, this will become an unmissable destination in more ways than one.
Boulangerie Bon Matin - 4/5
Thursday, May 12, 2011 - On our visit the display of mouthwatering French pastries attracted some local builders, who gorged on various sweet goods and seemed to love every bit of it. The zesty lemon tarts, orange chocolate sponge cakes and pecan pie tarts are also hard to resist. A frangipane apple tart was a fantastic rendition of the French classic - the crusty buttery pastry crust was filled with a moist almond mix, topped with apple slices and that sweet 'gelee' often used in French patisserie. Savoury options include quiches, open sandwiches and galettes - thin pancakes made with buckwheat flour and filled with various cheesy stuffings.
Anderson & Co - 3/5
Wednesday, May 11, 2011 - The coffee (Square Mile beans) was excellent, the Teapigs teas delicious and the food was well-sourced and wholesome. Breakfast was a simple affair: eggs on toast (poached or scrambled) with a choice of bacon, chorizo or smoked salmon. Blackbird Bakery's wonderful breads and pastries were supplemented with an unusual array of own-made cakes. Lunches are tasty and light, such as smoked mackerel with couscous, hazelnuts and broccoli, or roast chicken spiced with za'atar and sumac, served with salad, garlic yoghurt and almonds.
St Ali - 4/5
Wednesday, May 04, 2011 - The food is classic Aussie brunch tucker: a bit Mediterranean, a bit Middle Eastern, a bit Asian, all inventive. All the dishes look colourful, enticing; made with care, they taste vibrant and fresh. Vegetarians will find a lot here to be happy about...St Ali is most famous Down Under, though, for its coffee. All roasting is done on site, and the baristas really know their stuff. Filter enthusiasts will be impressed by the pour-overs and the new 'Trifecta' method, as previously seen at Prufrock in Leather Lane.
ZTH - 4/5
Thursday, April 28, 2011 - For the uninitiated imbiber, it could appear a little intimidating were it not for the switched-on staff who are happy to talk you through your tipple - in quite some depth as it turned out. Our Koln Martini was swiftly followed by a suave-looking chap with a neckerchief and a pipette containing a citrus tincture. As he daintily dropped in some drips of the aromatics, he explained it had been created in much the same way as a perfume or cologne - hence the name...We'd recommend booking ahead to ensure you get a seat in this impressive and extremely well-executed twist on the traditional hotel bar.
Mes Amis - 3/5
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - James cooks everything from scratch, to order (with very little prep), while diners chat nearby, leaving two charming waitresses to man the floor. Most diners choose the set mixed meze of sparklingly fresh tabouleh, houmous and roasted aubergine dips with warm pitta. The large version includes crisp 'spring rolls' filled with tangy cheese and mint, lemony fried cauliflower, and 'samosas' packed with lamb mince and peas. Griddled whole king prawns come slathered in pungent garlic and parsley. Mains are more in keeping with the decor. Whatever you order, each main course looks fairly similar, and is garnished to the hilt.
Raoul's (Hammersmith) - 3/5
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - This brasserie is the third offering from the Raoul's chain, opened in spring 2011 on a corner of leafy Hammersmith Grove...The extensive cafe menu covers crowd-pleasers of burgers and crunchy salads, soups and daily specials that rotate through the week. On our visit, despite the recent opening and a busy buggy-bearing crowd making demands on the kitchen, everything came out swiftly and was served with friendly efficiency. All the well-executed egg dishes glowed with a deep orange hue.
Kitchen Therapy - 3/5
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - A few pals set up this cafe - diagonally across the road from the Lots Road auction house - as a way to nurture both their friendship and the bellies of passers-by...By lunchtime, expect the display fridge to be filled with a range of daily salads - such as roast pumpkin or Caesar - made in-house by the team of three. Baked potatoes, pasta, soup and curry round out the menu, along with coffee and tea. There's seating inside and in the small courtyard behind the shop, plus two tables on the pavement.
Atari-Ya (Ealing) - 4/5
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - Other than the considerable draw of the raw seafood, each day specials are tacked up on the board behind the chefs. We've worked our way through these on recent visits, and sampled a delicacy of flavour that is usually only found in much higher rent (and therefore more expensive) venues. Orders are placed on a paper checklist. Creamy, fresh cold tofu came seasoned with sesame and ponzu. Every variety of seaweed we've tasted here - served plain or in vinegar - had the right slippery crunch and not too much funk of sea; hijiki had just enough mirin to give it an edge. A meal here is a pure delight.
Capote y Toros - 4/5
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - A section of the menu is dedicated to dishes cooked using various styles of sherry. A tapa of artichokes and shiitake mushrooms, cooked with manzanilla, had intense umami savouriness, while the Iberico pork cheeks cooked with oloroso dulce was a showcase for the sweet-savoury contrast that good Spanish chefs pull off so well...You can order Andalucian-style chilled gazpacho soup, or cecina (cured beef 'ham') from the northern city of Leon, then head north west for tender, boiled octopus dusted with paprika, Galician-style. The menu is a mini gastrotour of Spain's great and good.
The Honey Pot - 3/5
Friday, April 15, 2011 - This tapas tavern, located just off Edgware Road, proudly purports to be a pub. But, much like the co-owned Beehive down the road, it's more of a dining than drinking destination - with an Iberian slant...Classic, confidently-cooked tapas such as salt cod fritters and padron peppers mingle with more unusual dishes such as snails with chorizo and fried egg, or delicate tempura-style fried soft shell crab. Meat-lovers, meanwhile, can call upon the array of charcuterie, Spanish black pudding and a selection of steaks.
Namaaste Kitchen - 3/5
Friday, April 15, 2011 - We began with barra kebab - tandoori lamb cutlets from the North West Frontier. The meat was a triumph of smoky succulence, tenderised with dried kachri (a type of gourd), then steeped in ginger, cracked black peppercorns and lime juice. We were impressed by chicken livers fried with onion and green chilli masala, neatly heaped onto a tart apple disc, served with white toast pitched on the plate like sails. Main courses were less adventurous, but no less tasty...Service too could do with being better informed. The cooking, however, is as creative as it is respectful of tradition.
Bistro du Vin (Clerkenwell) - 3/5
Friday, April 15, 2011 - Heavy investment has been made in kitchen equipment, such as the Josper Grill which seared our small onglet steak. The accompanying fries were thin and crisp, everything present and correct. Black bream was also nicely cooked, served with robust cuts of tender fennel bulb. Seafood and meat dominate the menu, with few choices if you're vegetarian...Many aspects of the Bistro du Vin are impressive but it's not exactly at the culinary cutting edge.
The Queen's Head - 4/5
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - The new management has overseen a revamp that's retained the faded Victorian splendour and kept things careworn yet classic - worn tiles, well-trodden wooden floors, stained-glass windows, original cornicing and an upright piano...The cheese boards (Oxford Isis, Colston Basset Stilton, Ragstone goat's cheese) and meat boards (chorizo, Parma ham, salami) are substantial and good value at 8.50. There's also a ploughman's lunch and a chunky cheese sarnie consisting of mature Cheddar, chutney and two doorsteps of bread. The broadminded range of craft beers spans several styles with some sourced locally.
Drink Shop & Do - 2/5
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 - The cafe menu's simple, and limited: a slice of quiche with salad, sandwiches, large scotch eggs. The quiche was flabby, the salad an odd mix of ingredients that didn't quite work. More effort is made with the cakes: walnut and cranberry, orange and almond, and a score of other confections displayed on the counter. The selection of teas is excellent, presented in pretty teacups. In the evenings the naughty alcoholic drinks come into their own.
Dolly's Cafe (Selfridges) - 3/5
Friday, March 25, 2011 - For all Dolly's stylish intentions, though, its food remains rather safe, failing to get one hot under the collar. Of the savouries, an open sandwich of salt beef and sliced dill pickles on caraway bread was satisfying, piled high with tangles of shredded beef cloaked in mustard mayonnaise. But a kiln-smoked salmon salad with cucumber was more pedestrian, having an air of home assembly about it...The patisserie is courtesy of the Belle Epoque counter, with a tiny opera cake, rich on coffee flavour, being a sweet finish.
VyNam Cafe - 4/5
Monday, March 21, 2011 - We tried beef with lalot (wild betel leaves), and although the meat was thinly sliced rather than more conventionally minced, it was a good version. Soft-shell crab was a generous pile of deep-fried spindly limbs and tender body. We also enjoyed a zesty papaya salad with sliced prawns, beautifully presented and sharply dressed with a fish sauce and chilli dressing. A real test of any Vietnamese kitchen is the pho: there's no shortcut to making a properly layered, nourishing beef bone broth. Happily, Vy Nam's was spot-on, served with plenty of rare beef, and at 7.20, good value. As was everything, in fact
William IV - 3/5
Monday, March 14, 2011 - The main bar, brighter and lighter than most with whitewashed, wood-panelled walls, is part dining room and part drawing room with an assortment of tables and chairs, leather loungers and Chesterfields to chill in...The kitchen kicks off at noon serving kippers with bubble and squeak, or a full English. There are lots of things on toast - potted crab, roast field mushrooms and Welsh rarebit. Bar snacks include oysters, whitebait and pork pie, while the main menu is a mainly meaty affair offering burgers, bangers and mash and steak sandwiches which were sizeable, succulent and, for 8 quid, didn't push their luck on price.
Poppies Fish & Chips - 4/5
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - Ignore the cynicism. What is good news for East End incomers and incumbents alike is the fish fresh from Billingsgate (cod, haddock, rock, scampi, halibut - all sustainably caught, we're told), the perfect batter, the hand-cut chips, the free-range chicken, the home-made tartare sauce and mushy peas...Further incentives: there's wine by the glass, Meantime beers and Fentimans bottled soft drinks, if a cuppa doesn't do it for you. Prices, too, are decent given the quality of the food.
Spice Market - 4/5
Friday, February 18, 2011 - The highlight was turbot cha ca la vong. The plated fish topped with crushed peanuts and fresh herbs, all resting on a bed of noodles above a thin broth of coconut and turmeric: very different, but successful all the same. Our second main course was lobster pad Thai, a luxe upgrade of a Siamese standard. Again, far from the 'real thing', but it worked well...There's no pretending Spice Market is good value, and many restaurants across London offer more recognisable versions of these dishes at far more approachable prices. Drinks, too, are pricey. But it's the glamorous Manhattan-meets-Orient interior, the super-efficient service, the Leicester Square location that diners will flock here for.
Chabrot Bistrot d'Amis - 4/5
Friday, February 18, 2011 - In both look and atmosphere, Chabrot is unrestrainedly Gallic...The menu isn't groundbreaking, covering bistro classics with a lean towards south-west France, but the attention to detail and small touches elevate it. From a list of specials we chose monkfish 'cassoulet', a deconstructed and fancified version with a slice of fish topped with chorizo perched on a scoop of white beans and tomato sauce; from the same source came a perfectly cooked skirt steak, simply dressed with shallots and accompanied by thin-cut chips and mustard...The appeal for most here will be the prix formule: 15.50 gets you the plat du jour plus a glass of house red or white; add 2 quid and you'll get a coffee and small dessert.
The Bobbin - 3/5
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - Diners can opt between eating in the cosy dark-blue pub or in the adjacent conservatory. The menu is short but well-considered, reflecting seasonality. A starter of Jerusalem artichokes, walnuts and Cashel Blue cheese satisfied with its combination of earthy flavours. Two split bones were filled with gelatinous bone marrow, flavoured with garlic and rosemary. Mains included steak and lamb, but we opted for the line-caught coley. The buttery white fish, served on a broth of baby carrots, salsify and fennel, got a flavour kick with a dollop of aioli. The dish came with so much broth that we ordered chips to soak up the liquid.
The Prince Albert - 3/5
Saturday, February 12, 2011 - The menu plays fairly safe - fish and chips, macaroni cheese, fishcakes. From the specials chalked on a blackboard, we tried the goats' cheese salad, the little rounds breaded and fried like that 1970s bistro favourite, deep-fried camembert. Both this and the salad of smoked salmon contained an interesting selection of salad leaves, as you'd hope at 7.50 for a starter. Main courses prices were also on the steep side for a gastropub, but the kitchen did a good job with the lamb chops (13.50) - we'd actually ordered pork, but the place was too busy and the wait too long to send the order back.
Fazenda UK - 4/5
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 - The food's a range of simple dishes that will smother you with flavour - there's no skimping on seasoning, or olive oil that's bought directly from Antonio's father-in-law's farm in Italy. Since they're still waiting for a full restaurant licence, everything is pre-cooked at home by Antonio's wife. With this in mind, the best dishes are those that benefit from a bit of 'resting', such as a flavoursome pumpkin soup as bright and intense as the Mediterranean sun. A slab of beef dusted in flour then fried was a joy to eat with either quality slices of bread or al-dente rotelle (a wheel-shaped pasta) and a mozzarella salad.
Belgique - 3/5
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 - This sleek, if corporate looking, tea shop is a new branch of a London-wide Belgian chain. Choose from a pan-European menu of well-executed breakfasts, 'Gourmet' bites (eg beef platter) or sandwiches, served on in-store baked bread (brought from Belgium), or a gleaming selection of gateaux, tarts and Danishes. An afternoon tea is popular and good value.
Coffee Circus - 3/5
Monday, February 07, 2011 - Coffee Circus only opened a few weeks ago, but is already regularly packed and has a pleasantly lived-in feel. It looks like an old-fashioned tea shop - there's a solid wooden serving stand, cutely mismatched furniture and antique cheval-glasses...The menu is petite but fresh and carefully chosen. Spinach soup was tangy, served with salmon flakes and a bowl of olives. Ciabatta with aubergine and haloumi was tasty, although a bit on the small size. From a good selection of organic cakes we really liked the crumbly and suitably sweet wheat-free lemon polenta cake with pistachio.
Maza - 2/5
Thursday, January 13, 2011 - Cheech and Chong used to be the only tooting Mexicans we knew, until Maza Mexican opened in the covered Broadway Market. This daytime cafe might be a low-rent operation, but we can't argue with the prices for freshly-made Mexican food: you can eat your fill for under a fiver, while being serendaded by the budgies in the pet shop opposite.
Adobo - 3/5
Wednesday, December 22, 2010 - 'Healthy. Fresh. Mexican.' This is the tagline for Adobo Mexican, but they're not fooling us - it's another burrito bar. Portions are huge, the permutations of fillings are endless, and the staff we spoke to didn't speak Spanish. Not that you have to, of course.
Sardo Cucina - 3/5
Wednesday, December 22, 2010 - All the breads are own-made and our favourite was a milky bun with orange peel and just a touch of sweetness. That slight sweetness pervades the other breads - from calzone to slices of margherita pizza - which are made deep and pillowy instead of crisp and thin. A daily soup - minestrone on our visit - was thick and chunky, somewhat unusually containing sweetcorn and served with croutons. Two pastas were also robust and chewy - as the trofie and Sardinian malloreddus are designed to be...A good option if you're in the neighbourhood, and want a quick dose of Sardinian food and hospitality.
Oasis - 3/5
Wednesday, December 22, 2010 - Start with a gloriously tangy barszcz beetroot soup harbouring uncommonly delicate mushroom dumplings, though lustier appetites might embark on the vast bowlful of beef stroganoff or the tripe soup. There are dozens of choices to follow - from fried trout with rosemary to great knuckles of pork - many served with three different salads (gherkins, sauerkraut and coleslaw, say). Bigos is an immense helping of sauerkraut hiding chunks of chicken and wonderfully smoky bacon nuggets, with juniper berries adding piquancy. It costs 3.80, and virtually nothing costs more than 8 pounds.
Finborough Wine Cafe - 3/5
Wednesday, December 22, 2010 - Underneath the first-floor Finborough Theatre, this new wine bar and cafe offers a haven for oenophiles...During the day coffees, Jing teas and pastries are available and the bar menu keeps it very simple with cheese or meat boards and breads. Around 50 wines are stocked at any one time. The wine list is stylistically and geographically diverse, ranging from the odd cliche (Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc, a Chateau Musar from Lebanon) through good value options (Alsatian whites, a Sicilian red) to recognised classics (Kiwi pinot noirs, a red burgundy).
The Nightjar - 3/5
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - With its inconspicuous entrance, a distant, doubting doorman and underground subterranean setting, it's a stylised stab at a Shoreditch speakeasy but, like all efforts to refabricate illicit bars from the era of Prohibition, it's more faux than phwoarr. First and foremost, the cocktails here are excellent and original...They take time to make the drinks but, once brought to your table by (maybe overly) meticulous staff and accompanied by an array of canapes, they both look and taste the business.
Vinoteca (Marylebone) - 4/5
Friday, December 10, 2010 - Each of the dishes on the modish, frequently changing European menu comes with a suggested wine by the glass. The food doesn't play second fiddle to the wine here, though. Of the five dishes we ordered, each went back to the kitchen with the plates practically licked clean. Smoked mackerel salad with baby spinach, potato, egg and capers was simple but well-judged, and a vegetarian dish of parmesan pancake - a bit like a savoury Yorkshire pudding, filled with a mix of wild mushrooms - was a treat. Roast brill fillet was served with firm purple sprouting broccoli spiked with chilli and anchovy.
Season Kitchen - 3/5
Wednesday, December 08, 2010 - A starter of smoked salmon - prepared in the Hansen & Lydersen smokehouse in Stoke Newington - came accompanied by sweet and crumbly-textured soda bread, baked earlier in-house. The warm beetroot salad with sorrel and oozing duck egg was simple yet good. Main courses, such as creamy risotto or roast chicken, are proper winter warmers. The polenta with wild mushroom ragu and smoked mozzarella was a pleasing vegetarian dish, although the tomato sauce slightly overpowered the subtle taste of the funghi...A little eatery that brings some warmth to this patch of north London.
Bill's Produce Store - 4/5
Wednesday, December 08, 2010 - Wooden tables look pre-loved and there are recipes writ large on the walls. Staff are pally and very efficient; the extensive all-day menus they bring read so well that selection is a test. We went for a beetroot salad (both golden and fuchsia, with lentils and parsley), a chorizo brioche sandwich with houmous, yogurt and some brilliant skin-on chips. A straightforward dish of grilled chicken with lemon, rosemary and garlic was also perfectly thought-out and made with good ingredients...There aren't many places in Covent Garden that suit so many purposes so well. A very welcome and welcoming addition to the area.
Flat Planet - 3/5
Wednesday, December 08, 2010 - In Soho's crowded lunchtime landscape, it's all about offering something different and new. The area's latest addition, Flatplanet, has created a new gimmick with a USP of topped flatbreads...While we like the concept, a lukewarm chewy pitta base paired with a cold topping can't beat a crisp pizza with a meltingly hot topping. Also, the toppings have tendency to fall apart - the mess we made from eating the flatbreads with our hands was unavoidable...Friendly counter staff and a mix-and-match décor, slightly reminiscent of the Leon chain, make this a pleasant place to sit down for lunch in Soho.
Wright Brothers Soho - 4/5
Wednesday, December 01, 2010 - It's modishly decorated in a smartish retro-Brit way, and set across three floors: snag a table in basement if you can, as this is the liveliest room, with good views of the chefs working at their counters...For us, it was the brown shrimps that stood out: briny, earth-flavoured little devils, big enough to shell but small enough to eat shell-on. Scallops were also sea-fresh, and the sardines (a special from the board) outstandingly so, grilled and split, served on toast. Delicious...Order carefully and you'll do well here.
Railroad - 3/5
Wednesday, December 01, 2010 - Railroad is a lo-fi, low-key, DIY operation run by Lizzie Parle and her partner - Lizzie is the sister of Stevie Parle, who runs Dock Kitchen in west London...Starters were breaded quail with fish sauce, and deep-fried spiced chickpeas; for mains we shared a spinach and potato curry, shot through with nigella, mustard seeds and curry leaves, and also a chorizo and lentil stew, stained red with tomato and paprika, served with chunks of own-made bread. Dessert was shared - a slice of almond and pear tart (also oven fresh). Good ingredients were in evidence throughout, and everything was confidently cooked.
The Folly - 3/5
Friday, November 19, 2010 - It's a vast, yawning venue, spread over two floors broken up into different levels with a look that's part industrial and part indoor oasis peeled from the pages of Country Living. Upstairs hosts one of two bustling bars and is also where the restaurant area resides - an open kitchen opposite an array of long picnic tables serving sharing platters, gourmet sandwiches and burgers as well as bangers and mash and other pub staples made posh...Down a sweeping staircase you'll find a more definitive drinking area, with couches and tables for two lit by birdcage lanterns; the walls are lined by wine racks, there are snugs to be secret in and a mezzanine area made for mooching.
Nice Green Cafe - 4/5
Monday, November 15, 2010 - Unless you were looking for it, you'd never stumble upon this small new cafe. It's hidden away from touristy Camden inside the imposing 1930s hall of the English Folk Dance and Song Society in Primrose Hill...This is the kind of homely food Jamie Oliver was trying to get his school dinner ladies to cook: fresh, healthy and yummy. A hearty tomato and bean soup was heaving with chunky vegetables, and a zesty tabouleh came with a refreshing yoghurt and cucumber relish. For more substantial grub, try the organic pork sausages or lamb pie. Cakes are freshly baked throughout the day and bestow the cafe with a lovely scent.
Casa Malevo - 4/5
Thursday, November 11, 2010 - The basic parrilla (an Argentine grill) fare of fine steaks, chorizo sausage, blood sausage and hefty malbecs is much the same quality - that is, high quality - that you'd expect at Abbate's Santa Maria del Sur restaurant. The key extras are mollejas (sweetbreads), which are buttery and quietly flavoursome, and empanadas filled with cuts of tender beef rather than the usual minced beef - and better for it...Argentine food is elementary, but you can still screw it up. Casa Malevo certainly doesn't do that; it's just that for this sort of money, we'd like to have seen more of it.
Baranis - 3/5
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - The drinks list makes much of the region's prime aperitif, pastis, with eight brands of the anise-flavoured tipple. And, just in case you didn't catch the accents of the staff in their blue-and-white striped tops, there's even a gravelled petanque court (for playing the southern version of boules), cordoned off from the bar at one side...Food-wise, in the bar there were assortments of charcuterie and cheese, plus regional nibbles such as socca, a savoury chickpea pancake, and a very good rendition of pissaladiere, the Provencal version of pizza, topped with onions, anchovies and black olives.
A Little Of What You Fancy - 4/5
Friday, November 05, 2010 - Dishes are British with a few French influences. We started with two scoops of chicken liver pate with toast and gherkins, and an earthy salad of roast beetroot, Strathdon Blue and pickled walnuts. Both were assembled with care and in generous proportions; our plates had to go back unfinished. Mains were equally unselfishly proportioned - an ashtray-sized smoked haddock fishcake came with tartare sauce and caperberries; plentiful chunks of meat snuggled into the rich gravy of a beef Bourguignon.
The Beaufort Bar at The Savoy - 4/5
Wednesday, November 03, 2010 - Art deco opulence abounds. Gold leaf adorns the alcoves and ornate cornicing, the fittings are exquisitely finished and the black velvet furnishings and drapes suitably plush...The broad range of bubbly leans heavily towards Louis Roederer: the Champagne house has backed the bar. Prices start around 16 quid for a glass of Louis Roederer Brut Premier and go up to as much as you want to pay. Beers, meanwhile, cost 6 quid and include Meantime Pale Ale or Guinness. While the Beaufort doesn't boast the wealth of cocktails available at the American Bar, the seven-strong list is worth exploring.
The American Bar at The Savoy - 4/5
Wednesday, November 03, 2010 - Traditionalists will be soothed by the white ceiling and sleek curves of the bar, the art deco mirrors and fittings, the monochrome portraits and the gleaming piano...The cocktails are excellent and executed with all the elegance you'd expect for 14 quid a pop. Thing is, with so many London bars now manned by some of the world's best mixologists, it's no longer enough to rely solely on the quality of the drinks. A revamp of the American Bar must pay homage to the past, but it seems to be stuck there.
Allpress Espresso - 4/5
Tuesday, November 02, 2010 - The food menu feels very ''Aotearoa'' too - creative and (to us) quirky dishes include a boiled egg, avocado and tomato breakfast plate and imaginative Italian sandwiches (piatta cavolo nero and fontina, or salt beef coleslaw with Russian dressing, for example). Pastries are baked in the glass-fronted kitchen...This is a company which is serious about coffee, and it shows in the drinks: a single-origin Sumatran filter and the signature ''Redchurch'' blend espresso were both spot-on. All the varieties of beans are available to take away to grind at home.
The Actress - 4/5
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - The Actress is big on boutique beer: Meantime Pale Ale and Sharp's Red Ale on draught, a handful of cask hand pumps and seven different ciders. A solid selection of wine too, including the house choice on draught. But the 'pizza-resistance' is the wood-fired oven adjacent to an open plan kitchen. Wood-fired pizza is the main dining draw, but it's a nicer slice than your normal suburban pub efforts. With a light and lean crust and esoteric toppings, it's more like fancy flatbread. The one topped with rosemary potatoes, roast garlic and Stilton was a winner, but not if you're on a date.
La Cocotte - 3/5
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - The terrine de campagne was excellent. Served on a wooden board, the dense slice of pork pate came with toasted sourdough bread and a small bowl of pickles, the sourness of which contrasted with the hearty terrine...Mains are a tribute to the restaurant's name - most dishes are served in a cocotte (heavy pot) from Le Creuset. Coq au vin is one such classic, the moist meat of the chicken leg swimming in a deeply flavoured red wine sauce, dotted with mushrooms and smoky bacon.
Nizuni - 4/5
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - Owned by the same people who run the Korean restaurant Koba just around the corner, ingredients such as gochujang (hot chilli paste) and doenjang (Korean miso) are subtly and successfully integrated into some dishes...Lightly seared octopus slices in a tart and savoury tosazu sauce (a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce and dried bonito fish shavings) was intricately arranged and had a delicate, yet lingering, flavour. Curls of red seaweed, shredded cucumber and flecks of lemon zest were all smart additions to the dish. The sushi is well made, and a benchmark dish of sea urchin spoke reassuringly of decent sourcing.
Kentish Canteen - 4/5
Friday, October 15, 2010 - Some of chef John Cook's food is sensationally good. Eggs Benedict on the brunch menu was exemplary. On a separate visit, parmesan chicken - a breaded escalope - was tender and juicy within and crunchy without (no mean feat). A huge portion of wonderful vegetable soup featured a memorably flavourful broth. Accurately cooked steak came with addictively crisp, fluffy chips. Desserts and baking are fine, and nice touches - such as small pots of blue-chip Isigny butter - show careful attention to detail...Service is sweet and largely efficient. Expect great things of this new place.
Bar Battu - 4/5
Monday, October 04, 2010 - There are petit lucque olives, albondigas, ham hock terrine with sauce gribiche, pan con tomate, steak tartare with sourdough - and everything we tried was superb. Charcuterie plates were equally excellent, although not cheap - chorizo, assertive saucisson and ventreche 'noir de bigorre' (dried pork belly that's more fat than lean and is all the better for it), scattered with superior almonds and olives...Forget the mystic viticulture and the restaurant's hyperbolic claims - this is simply a very nice place to drink some seldom seen, well-chosen wines and thoughtful food helped along by City-slick service.
Cafe Rex - 3/5
Monday, October 04, 2010 - The menu is British-ish, with saucy winks to the nation's favourites chicken tikka masala and lasagne. And just in case you feel confused by the chickpeas, butterbeans and rosemary accompanying the (rather good) lamb chops, there is a massive Union Jack on the wall to remind you of the theme. We couldn't resist the Fanny Cradock pretensions of prawn cocktail with cucumber and lettuce jelly but once past the succulent pair of tasty crustaceans used for garnish, the dish was too homogenous in taste and texture...But we liked this place, and in the culinary deserts of Zones 4-6, it could prove something of a prince.
The Hemingway - 4/5
Thursday, September 23, 2010 - With its bourbon selection, brass and blues there's a touch of the Prohibition bar about it but, thankfully, this is certainly not yet another venue trying to shout 'speakeasy'...Every three days, the menu is rotated with roasts on a Sunday. On our visit, we sampled a trio of starters; the grilled prawns and tapenade were great; the chicken liver parfait and brioche was fantastic but the scotch egg, oozing yolk and served with piccalilli, was an eating epiphany. Let it into your life.
Morito - 5/5
Sunday, September 19, 2010 - While Moro is all smart clothes, belly laughs and clattering expanse, Morito - Sam and Sam Clark's new, next-door tapas venture - is tiny, pared-back and intimate, with a more subdued atmosphere...After six tapas, we were satisfied but greedy to sample more. We added a heavily spiced mechouia (warm summer vegetables), then butifarra sausage with perfectly soft white beans and delicate aioli. Dessert, a scoop of Malaga ice cream drenched in pedro ximenez sherry was, like Morito itself, understated but right on the money. As with Moro, much of the magic is in the attention to detail.
El Camion - 3/5
Sunday, September 19, 2010 - This bar is a temple to tequila with 38 different bottles all of which are made with one hundred per cent agave and feature blanco (white), reposado and anejo varieties. You can sip the better ones neat, but it'd be remiss to ignore the menu of marvellous and classic Margaritas of which Tommy's Margarita was the pick...Bottled Mexican beers include the clean and crisp Pacifico Clara, the nutty Bohemia and Negra Modelo, which is maltier and with more mouthfeel. In terms of food, you can corral big and generous burritos, tortas and tacos from the kitsch Baja Californian restaurant above.
Wenlock & Essex - 3/5
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - This big bar rocks an urban bordello and burlesque look with a revolving entrance door, brick walls, a ruby-red ceiling and bare bulbs, tassle lampshades and candelabras with a solid Wild West saloon-style bartop on which to lean...A distinct lack of candyfloss and toffee apples is compensated for by pork scratchings and sausage rolls; smaller dishes include small Ploughman-esque 'pincho' dishes such as pickles and pork pies, while larger plates take in butternut and pea risotto, venison pie or mussels and chips.
Sushi Cafelicious - 3/5
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - As the emphasis here is on temari - hand-rounded balls - you'll find less raw content than at a typical nigiri sushi bar. This is in keeping with a traditional Kyoto style that uses cooked, cured or marinated toppings; their inherent flavours make it possible to do away with dipping shoyu, as 'Chef Miho' has done, in order to reduce salt levels...Spend 80p a pop and you can upgrade to miso mozzarella, flaked salmon, marinated tuna or sweet prawn. They are such dainty bite-sized confections it's almost a shame to sink teeth into them but don't miss out on the tang of umeboshi (sour plum) paste atop tender diced squid.
El Olivo - 3/5
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - El Olivo is a tapas bar with a Turkish accent: classic Spanish tapas, such as patatas bravas (potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) and gazpacho soup sit alongside mezze of houmous and kofte...Fried calamari rings were light and not rubbery, the capsicum stuffed with minced lamb and herbs was tasty, and the only pork combo of cured meats (chorizo, Serrano, salami) with Manchego cheese and quince paste was welcome, if slightly too tired-and-tested as a combo. We particularly liked our paella with lamb, chorizo and chicken served sizzling fiercely in a pan (well priced at 8.25 per person).
London Particular - 3/5
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - It was refreshing to know that all the baking is done on site, including stem ginger cake, frangipane tarts, individual brioche pizzas and halloumi or sausage-filled sandwiches with chilli and onion relish. However, a few offerings laid out in the window looked parched by the bright sun on our visit. More substantial fare comes in bowls. We tried a spiced tomato and orzo stew topped with crispy bacon which was hearty and satisfying, though the pasta was overcooked and a little pappy.
Homa - 4/5
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - Homa has concise menus that cross southern Mediterranean borders. Crisp, thin-based pizzas alternate with tapas and more substantial main courses such as confit duck. Our silky pappardelle, made with bought-in fresh pasta, was served with fragrant Scottish girolle mushrooms and was a simple pleasure...With friendly, informal service, Homa has judged its market with care and has all the right ingredients to attract a loyal following.
Fogo Vivo - 3/5
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - The cafe dishes out just a handful of Brazilian staples plus some gorgeous caipirinhas (not the watered-down versions found in many places in London), and at 3.50 they are a bargain...Our picanha (a cut of rump) of matured beef was tender and smoky from the grill, chips were extra crisp and salad was fresh and other than the iceberg variety. Parmegiana of beef, coated in breadcrumbs and topped with cheese and tomatoes, wasn't the best dish, but the matchstick chips served with it were fun. Ask for the hot molho de pimenta malagueta sauce - even a finger dab will make your eyes water.
St David Coffee House - 4/5
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - The diminutive, wisteria-clad premises has five tables wedged inside, all of them busy on our mid-morning weekday visit...Cake stands, piled high with flaky croissants, millionaire's shortbread, carrot cake, cupcakes and flapjacks jostle for space on the bar. For the savoury minded, there are raw salads of colourful beetroot, carrot and cucumber, and two varieties of very English sandwiches (read: thinly filled). We tried a chorizo, pear and rocket one, and enjoyed the unsual combo. Staff at St David treat the Square Mile coffee beans with due reverence, describing in detail the summer espresso blend.
To A Tea - 4/5
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - Pots of tea are brewed by staff using timers to ensure you get the optimum flavour when they're finally delivered to your table. Cakes play a big role, and on our visit there were seven types on offer, along with scones, crumpets and cupcakes. A banoffee cake was supremely indulgent, as was a dark chocolate number rich with cocoa. Victoria sponge was oversweetened, but went well with Formosa oolong (a light-bodied tea with subtle floral notes and a cooling aftertaste). Savouries such as sandwiches, salads (nothing fancy) and a hot daily soup (a soothing tomato, basil and Wensleydale cheese version on our visit) provides lunchtime sustenance for nearby office workers.
Dri Dri Gelato - 4/5
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - The name is an affectionate moniker for the proprietor Adriano di Petrillo, who can usually be found propping up the long marble counter. There are no seats in this chic parlour, and the ice cream is hidden from view in deep containers...All ices are made in-house without the use of artificial additives. The pistachio is a natural creamy-beige colour. A few of the flavours were too sweet for our taste, but the deep ruby-red French cherry sorbet, when paired with the astringent Sorrento lemon sorbet, was just right. The flavour of the month is strawberry - bursting with the aromas of English fruit in its prime.
Tempo - 3/5
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - The pan-Italian menu read beautifully in its simplicity. The best dishes were from the cicchetti section, including crostini di N'duja, with chilli-laced Calabrian pork sausage; and a crostini di lardo, draped with a chiffon-thin slice of seasoned fat that merely whispered of its porcine origin before melting on the tongue. A main of sea bream with caponata was that and no more - a simple, warm Sicilian salad of aubergine and tomato with a perfectly crisped piece of fish. However, another of tagliolini with Cornish crab, dill and lime was just too dainty for its own good, and the crab was in such fine strands it was hard to taste.
The Chin Chin Laboratorists - 4/5
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - The flavour of your choice (on our visit, there was Valrhona chocolate, vanilla or lemon cheesecake; there has been basil and green tea or raspberry and tarragon in the past) is first poured into the stainless-steel mixing bowl, followed by a steady stream of liquid nitrogen (which bubbles fiercely at its boiling temperature of -196C). You can't help but clasp your hands with childish glee when the cool, wispy fog sweeps over the countertop - or when seconds later the previously runny custard emerges as frozen ice cream clinging to the mixer's paddle.
No 67 - 4/5
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - The South London Art Gallery opened the doors this summer to an elegantly contemporary expansion into the adjacent Victorian house, whose entire ground floor is given over to a new cafe. A shady bar at the front displays luscious freshly baked cakes and a menu of daily changing, inventive lunch dishes (such as succulent kofte kebabs with grilled vegetables and couscous; ox heart stew; mackerel, beetroot and new-potato salad) and brunch classics, from kedgeree to croissants served with own-made jams.
Frank's Cafe & Campari Bar - 3/5
Monday, August 09, 2010 - Now in its second summer perched atop a multi-storey car park in Peckham, this pop-up continues to pull a growing crowd of trendy devotees and curious visitors...The food had sold out on our Friday visit, so we returned on Sunday afternoon. We discovered a more hungover atmosphere, and a pared-down menu. Whole grilled sardines over sweet-roasted heritage tomatoes were fresh and crisp-skinned. Stewed zucchini with chilli and thyme was served up on chewy bread with rashers of bacon. Chicken from Sutton Hoo in Suffolk was roasted and tossed with buttery new potatoes and gem lettuce.
Mouse & De Lotz - 3/5
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - The renovated storefront and clean Farrow & Ball aesthetic are country kitchen agreeable, with old milk bottles and mouse-eared prints giving it real character. The coffees (brewed from Square Mile Coffee Roasters' current seasonal espresso blend) are well made and there are several snacks for children, too - Marmite sandwiches, say, or own-made houmous with soldiers...A houmous, sun-dried tomato and salad sandwich was tasty and generously filled, while a tiffin (a no-bake chocolate biscuit cake) was satisfyingly gingery.
RedHook - 3/5
Monday, July 26, 2010 - The steak was good, however, cooked perfectly rare as requested, even though the Spanish Josper charcoal oven wasn't working yet - either too hot or too tepid. Either way, steaks were being chargrilled without it. The price tag on the ribeye included an accompaniment of no more than a few watercress leaves, so sides are essential...Early reports suggested the food needed a bit of work. After our visit, though, we're pleased to say that things seem to be running a lot more smoothly. As they should at these prices.
The Althorp - 2/5
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - The 'restaurant' menu on the flipside of the bar menu (you can order from either, wherever you're perched) is a lot pricier, but also more interesting. Our starter was the most delicious dish - but then it would be, as we waited one hour and 20 minutes for its arrival, interspersed by various apologies and a free drink from our waitress...Pork was served three ways - as pork loin cutlet, black pudding, and a polenta cake wrapped in smoked bacon - not as good as the starter, but nicely cooked. Desserts included baked Alaska, Eton mess and even sticky toffee pudding.
Trullo - 4/5
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - The simplest Italian dishes are often the best, exemplified by slow-cooked veal shin that was packed with flavours, served with roasted aubergine and a piquant, herby salsa verde. The oven is also used for quicker dishes, such as a pair of slip soles, little flatfish from the north Atlantic that are often pan-fried, but which here are given just enough of a blast of dry heat to cook them through but keep them moist. The bones are a little fiddly, but served with a squeeze of Amalfi lemon, spinach and fresh broad beans, it's a taste of the wild that you don't often find in London's more chi-chi Italian restaurants.
Banh Mi Bay - 3/5
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - Banh mi is the main seller. Although the cafe now offers traditional Vietnamese-style bread made with a proportion of rice flour, ours was simply too soft and pallid. It needed that paper-thin crunch to complement the fluffy crumb...Great peppery pate, though. The best dish was the lemongrass pork 'balls' (more like sausages) that were freshly cooked on the tiny open grill at the front of the shop. Caramelised and juicy, they were excellent rolled up into rice paper with crunchy lettuce, mint leaves and vermicelli.
Tokyo Jo Cafe - 3/5
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - Everything on the sushi and sashimi menu was sweet and fresh, with creamy mackerel standing out for its lack of 'fishiness'. But the knifework could be improved, with slices of fish varying in thickness. Danny's nigiri sushi were more consistent, with the grains of pleasantly vinegared rice slightly on the al dente side, but well-formed. They were the perfect size, too, with a good ratio of fish to rice - just small enough to pop one, whole, into your mouth in one go. But the cold tenzaru udon (wheat noodles, served with prawn tempura) was no patch on our current London benchmark, Koya in Soho.
Coquine - 3/5
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - The food menu's rich in both cost and cuisine, with some fundamentally French dishes including foie gras on brioche with egg, steak tartare and er, French fries. A 'raw bar' section offers oysters, a maki sushi platter and tuna sashimi, which are less French but still a bit pricey. 'Coquine means 'mischievous' or 'rogue' in French and the cocktail prices are certainly cheeky. Berets off to them: the menu is creative and cleverly compiled, but 12 quid for an old-fashioned is a ridiculous chunk of change.
Cantina Laredo - 3/5
Friday, July 09, 2010 - Does Cantina Laredo succeed in its aim of making us think differently about Mexican food? Only up to a point. A ceviche of seafood ('bought fresh daily', as every customer is informed) contained scallops, prawns and fish along with avocado, pepper and coriander, and was spry and explosively bright. Another starter of chilli con queso served with (unlimited) tortilla chips was molten, moreish and complex...For the money, we were looking for a bit more excitement and a sense of discovery in our meal.
The Victoria Inn - 3/5
Friday, July 09, 2010 - It's a homely rather than haughty affair and it looks pretty good. Hunkered around an oak horseshoe bar, there are high brown suede banquettes, a smattering of brightly coloured stools, robust wooden tables and worn-out leather armchairs...The open-plan kitchen turns out traditional pub tucker with a twist. Chorizo scotch egg and breaded halloumi sticks for snack or starter followed by a seriously spicy chargrilled chilli squid and a somewhat arid cheese ploughman's.
The Jam Tree - 3/5
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - Ornate armchairs and gilded mirrors rub shoulders with old-school benches still housing Bunsen burner taps; there's some modern, Warhol-esque art on the walls behind an imposing copper bar top. Oh, there's a couple of leather booths too. And a big red pillar in the middle. It kind of works...The food menu, they say, boasts some great British dishes with some colonial favourites. Rather than ladling soup from umbrella stands carved out of elephant's feet, it means curried Cornish crab samosas, chicken madras and everyone's favourite colonial classic: beef burger with cheese and hand-cut chips.
The Anthologist - 3/5
Thursday, June 17, 2010 - Starting at 8am serving big breakfasts and brunch, the open-plan kitchen offers burgers, fish pies, flatbread boards and sharing platters including a seafood option of oysters, lobster and clams served in a bank deposit box. It doffs its bowler hat in the direction of traditional British dishes including fish finger sandwiches, knickerbocker glory and ham and pea pie with piccalilli...As you'd expect, the crowd consists mainly of the buy-sell-buy-sell, braced-up, umbrella-carrying, pink newspaper-reading, bonus-winning, private jet-hiring, hedge-fund-managing brigade.
Giant Robot - 4/5
Thursday, June 17, 2010 - The sunken bar area, surrounded by mezzanine table seating, remains. But thick metal girders, iron railings and exposed brick have added an industrial edge tempered by kitsch 1950s furniture, touches of retro Americana and a classic movie theatre sign...There's an unashamedly Italian-American angle to the food, with meatballs, big bowls of pasta, sliders, sizeable salads and crostinis. There's affordable cheese and meat platters too while, for dessert, they'll flame a baked alaska at your table.
Mount Street Deli - 3/5
Wednesday, June 09, 2010 - A breakfast menu of pastries, breads, granola, pancakes or duck eggs is served until 11.30am, then traditional Italian, French and British snacks jostle for menu space. Lunch consists of daily specials, sandwiches, soups and pies, along with charcuterie and cheese boards. Sweets include artfully arranged chocolate brownies, tarts, meringues and cookies. Our moist brownie was delicious and made up for the disappointingly tepid and crispbread-like pizza slice that came before it.
The Penny University - 5/5
Wednesday, June 09, 2010 - Don't call it a cafe. It's essentially a retail outlet for London's esteemed Square Mile Coffee Roasters company, and aims to show that with a bit of care, it's not difficult to make good-quality coffee at home...Renowned coffee expert James Hoffmann will talk you through the brief menu, which offers three changing coffee varietals and, uniquely, a 'flight' that matches daily brews with William Curley chocolates and sommelier-style commentary. It feels like sitting at a sushi bar, such is the ritual and incredible precision with which each customer is served.
Paramount - 4/5
Wednesday, June 09, 2010 - Paramount's Tom Dixon interior, designed to chime with the brutal 1966 modernism of the building, is upstaged by the aerial view. But Chef Colin Layfield's menu is reason enough to visit. Not cheap - starters around a tenner, main courses 15-25, desserts 7-11 - but quelle finesse...Main courses include a very refined bouillabaisse that incorporates carved, saffron-steeped potatoes, plus all the trimmings; or a fillet of beef with a bone-marrow crust, braised oxtail, wild mushrooms and a red wine jus.
The Mall Tavern - 4/5
Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - New life has been breathed into the original wooden floorboards that lap around a striking dark wooden central bar, swish chandeliers hang from the ceiling and enormous glass cabinets showcase an assortment of classic culinary knick-knacks and antiques...With chicken Kiev, fish fingers and mushy peas, a traditional ploughman's and jammy dodgers for dessert, there's a cheeky and almost childish nod to nostalgia from chef Jesse Dunford Wood. The lamb scrumpets made for a beautiful beer snack and the table service was informed and not in-your-face.
Shabu Shabu at Whole Foods - 3/5
Friday, May 28, 2010 - Shabu shabu's the dish most of us know best from the film 'Lost in Translation'. Wafer-thin slivers of beef (or veg, or other meats or fish) are dipped in simmering stock to cook in seconds or minutes, in the style of a Mongolian hotpot. A few places in London serve it, but this mall-style concession is the only place in London specialising in the dish. The options are brief: beef, fish and meat combo, a veg option, a choice of stocks - 'clear', or with soy milk. Eveything's tidily presented, your servers fire up the hotpot, and you're off.
The Tommyfield - 3/5
Friday, May 28, 2010 - The starter of 'British meat board' follows the current trend for robust flavours and British charcuterie, and although decent, this is no Harwood Arms or Bull & Last (the standards by which others should be measured). The scotch egg was overcooked and dry, and for some reason served cut in two, but the sausage roll was agreeably moist and fatty. The home-made piccalilli was nice touch. Meat's a big feature of the menu too, and although the sirloin steak was correctly rare, it was very thin-cut. Puds include sticky toffee pudding and jam roly poly with custard.
Roux at Parliament Square - 2/5
Friday, May 28, 2010 - The dining room is grey and stiffly elegant, although the lighting doesn't allow for much intimacy. Neither does the overbearing service. It was nervously formal, verging on intrusive: when I poured my own water at one point I could feel waiters' eyes boring into me...Our main courses were disappointing. Roast halibut with razor clam, fennel and muscat came with a generous but overcooked and dry portion of what is a very expensive fish. And roast best end of Cornish lamb with Jersey Royals and tongue salad was just bland.
Jolly Butchers - 3/5
Thursday, May 20, 2010 - Restored and rebadged with its original name, this Victorian pub has been peeled back rather than pimped up, with all the best bits, including the arched stain glass windows, split stable doors, pillars and traditional tiles, rightly retained...The food menu, divided into 'small plates' and 'big ones', involves beer in several dishes including asparagus with weissbier hollandaise sauce, spare ribs with smoked beer barbecue sauce and beer-battered cod and calamari.
Look Mum No Hands! - 3/5
Thursday, May 20, 2010 - It's incredible somewhere like Look Mum! in Clerkenwell hasn't opened before. It's a cyle-friendly cafe-bar with 'secure' cycle parking in a courtyard, a one-person workshop and plenty of space to hang out, snack, use the wi-fi, and - in the evenings - drink...The Square Mile coffee, dispensed from a Faema machine, is affordable at 2.10 for a flat white (there are also americanos, Suki teas and fresh juices). The food's simple - platters of cured meats or veggie platters, Greek salads, baked tarts and morning pastries. Of course, there are cakes such as apple cake and brownies.
Viajante - 5/5
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Diners are first inundated with a flurry of free tidbits: a paper-thin crostini with rich gordal olives and romesco sauce, say, or creamy galangal and lemongrass-scented chicken sandwiched with crisp, rendered chicken skin...Mendes himself came out to serve several dishes, including 'textures' of celery (hearts, stalks and leaves served raw, roasted and pickled), over which he spooned over warm onion tapioca (looking like tiny fish roe). At the kitchen pass, he is stern and focused; at the table, he is humble and ebullient.
Barrio Central - 3/5
Monday, May 10, 2010 - With two dozen tequilas on offer and cocktails served in lucha libre wrestling masks, there's a bit of Mexico mixed in, plus a touch of North American tiki kitsch courtesy of a bar shaped like an Airstream trailer and Hawaiian hula-girl murals...A revered team of liquid chefs look after an exotic cocktail collection that's divided into regions and takes in the traditional, the tiki and the twisted classic. Each region boasts its own 'flights' while the signature house cocktail, the No-Brainer, consists of Herradura tequila, guava, pineapple, grapefruit and lime topped with bubbly.
Petrus - 4/5
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 - Our first main course - lobster tail with pork belly, braised baby gem and cider sauce - was another healthily sized portion, but the pork belly somewhat overwhelmed the rather delicate lobster. The other main was better still - a very masculine plate of tender pink pork and Bayonne ham, with slices of top-notch black pudding and creamed cabbage...In places, Petrus is very good - close to perfect, even. However, it doesn't so much soar on culinary flights of fancy as tread well-worn paths, albeit with flawless attention to detail. Service was refreshingly personal, jocular even.
Mamuska! - 3/5
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - Comforting smells of own-made Polish staples assailed us the moment we entered. Well-spiced barszcz (beetroot soup) sang out clear as a bell, though the vegetable sour soup with egg suffered from the addition of too much cornflour. Cheese-filled pierogi (ravioli-like dumplings) were refreshingly succulent, but the otherwise-tasty tomato-based sauce in bigos, a dish of pork, sauerkraut and potatoes, was oversalted...Mamuska! will not revolutionise Polish cuisine in London, but it's cheap, filling and cheerful.
Panda Panda - 3/5
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - Traditional to the core, with slices of gelatinous rolled pork (cha lua) and Vietnamese ham, stuffed to the brim with tart radish and carrot pickle, cucumber, crushed peanuts, fresh coriander and a sprinkling of umami-heavy Maggi seasoning, Panda Panda's banh mi is utterly pleasing...From the cheerful cartoon panda logo, bright colours and friendly staff to the fun menu (where flowering leaf tea is whimsically called 'dancing tea' and you can have milkshakes made with chocolate bars), Panda Panda is a bright spark on the otherwise dreary and grey Deptford Broadway.
Tapped & Packed (Rathbone Pl) - 4/5
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - This could seem a bit intimidating for those more used to the choice of 'regular or large' when ordering a coffee, but a chat with the friendly and knowledgeable staff will soon have you expressing preferences for fruity, sweet or bright notes in your cup of joe...So far, the coffee would win T & P five stars. The only thing currently letting it down is the food on offer, which feels like something of an afterthought. There's a display of sandwiches, salads, cakes and pastries (some bought in), but in an area with such plentiful and good competition, that might need a rethink.
Pescheria Mattiucci - 3/5
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - Pescheria Mattiucci is a branch of the original, based in Naples, Italy. It's Italian through-and-through...Choose from the small selection of ready-cooked tapas-like dishes served each day. These might be prawns opened out to encase ricotta cheese, or bandiera with potatoes and smooth pumpkin puree topped with bitter young artichoke leaves. Our favourite was a dish of anchovies folded around a filling of friarielli (a type of green vegetable from Campania similar to broccoli) and melting provola cheese, which had the full-on savoury/salty/bitter flavours that this part of Italy is known for.
Red Monkey - 3/5
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - Three Japanese lagers sit alongside a list of classic cocktails made with an Eastern accent and created using Oriental ingredients such as persimmon (sharon fruit), or yuzu, a small Japanese citrus fruit similar to lime...Little and lots (and lovely) is the approach to the food, with sharing platters of kushiyaki (grilled skewers), tempura (battered deep-fried snacks) and katsu (various meats deep-fried in breadcrumbs). The maki (sushi rolls) were fantastically fresh and flavoursome, and so too was tori karaage - a sake and soy-marinated chicken tossed in cornflour and deep fried.
Bi Bim Bap - 3/5
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - Along with smoky barbecue dishes and tongue-tingling kimchi, bibimbap is a dish that encapsulates Korean cuisine. This humble rice dish, usually served in a dolsot (stone pot), aims to please all the senses...We opted for one vegetarian and one with marinated beef strips. Both came with an array of julienned courgette, radish, beansprouts, spinach and carrot, the former topped with a fried egg and the latter with generous amounts of sweet, slightly chewy, beef. All came sizzling hot and in generous proportions.
Golden Day - 3/5
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - We ordered Chairman Mao's red-braised pork, this version with meltingly tender cubes of pork bellyin a sweet but spicy caramelised sauce. It was the best dish, a very pleasing mix of soft flesh and the firm bite of spring onion. Hunan is renowned for its pickles, but 'Xiangxi local pickled vegetables' was a disappointing heap of bland white cabbage and carrot - no beans, daikon or chilli...Even though we prepared in advance, we found much of the menu unfathomable and the staff speak very little useful English.
Santa Maria Pizzeria - 5/5
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - The superior fior di latte on the margherita blending creamily into its fresh tomato sauce, a result of a precise 90-second blast in the wood-burning oven. A query about specialities earned us an off-menu Napoli; the quality of its plump, strident capers, intensely savoury anchovies, cherry tomatoes, black olives and fragrant fresh herbs shone brightly. Both pizzas had crisp, billowing cornicioni and springy crusts that begged to be folded and eaten by hand, Italian style. The dough was so light we could have squeezed in another pizza between us - according to Pasquale, many people do just that.
Rosa's (Soho) - 3/5
Thursday, April 08, 2010 - Tom yum soup with prawns was a little tame, though those with a more sensitive reaction to chilli heat may find it just fine...What surprised, however, was the chef's deft hand at the grill - stick to the grilled meats along with a few side dishes and you'll walk away happy. Tender cutlets of lamb in nestled in a (not very) spicy Thai aubergine salad were cooked a point; ditto a main course of chargrilled marinated pork neck, which came smoky and sweetly caramelised around the edges.
The Old White Bear - 3/5
Wednesday, April 07, 2010 - As well as losing its olde-worlde name, it is now geared towards the gastro side of things: the drinks are more grape than grain with a wide selection of well-heeled white, red and dessert wines stretching from Surrey to Sicily...It is extremely difficult to find fault with the Modern European menu. The broad bean puree and bruschetta was, it must be said, the best bar food I've encountered in quite some time, while the Cornish crab salad and paprika deep-fried squid and chorizo were equally impressive.
Bar Pepito - 4/5
Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - With room for only four or five tables shaped from sherry casks and a diminutive bar, it’s a very small space but it emits authentic Iberian appeal with jamón hanging from the ceiling, subdued bare bulbs, bare brick and tiled walls, caged wine racks and candelabras...True to its purpose, there are 15 sherries spanning all styles. To soak it all up, there's a tapas-style cold food menu featuring cured meats, olives, almonds and chorizos, regional cheeses, smoked Scottish cod, pickled anchovy and figs coated in dark chocolate.
Iberia - 4/5
Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - We were advised to order a meze for two which, although modestly portioned, we thoroughly enjoyed: from subtle steamed spinach balls with ground walnuts and coriander to the bold turmeric-coloured bean stew called lobio, accompanied by flaky khachapuri flatbread, stuffed with cheese. Khinkali - large dumplings filled with minced beef and pork - came bare on a plate, but were soft and juicy. These were great a combination with the hot, if too salty, adjika sauce made with red peppers, garlic, herbs and spices.
Necco Japanese Cafe
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - A surprisingly lengthy menu of sushi, donburi, noodles and Japanese tapas is enclosed in a twee folder made from pink felt...A Saturday brunch set is 6.80, and comes with a salmon sashimi salad (though the serving of fish was parsimonious), edamame beans, brown rice and pickled radish, tiny cups of sunomono (various veg in a sweet vinegar dressing) and simmered cubes of potato, peas and shiitake mushroom. Also good were crisp, juicy pork gyoza with a ginger and soy dipping sauce and an assorted sushi set (nothing groundbreaking, but made with good, well-seasoned rice) for 8.50.
The Old Brewery - 4/5
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - The menu includes starters such as top-quality pickled herring with a vinegary spring vegetable and mussel accompaniment, or a terrine of pork served with strips of pig's ear, tender like calamari, served with some excellent toasted sourdough...Best of all was a meat from neck of mutton formed into a fat puck, served with purple sprouting broccoli, boiled new potatoes and salty anchovy sauce. The shreds of mutton had been braised in ale, were meltingly tender, and had a remarkable complexity and richness of flavour that was a match for any of Meantime's historic ales.
Ink Rooms - 4/5
Friday, March 26, 2010 - Decked in dark oak and black leather banquettes and stools, the main bar is coated in 1950s Sailor Jerry-style tattoo art, metal cattle skulls and retro American signs with the odd flash of neon and an old school jukebox...The beer list is US-accented with some superb craft brews including the '90 Minute IPA' from Dogfish Head, Doggie Style Pale Ale from Flying Dog and the stalwart Sierra Nevada pale ale on draught...There isn't any food. However, the staff will order sushi or pizza from neighbouring eateries.
Bistrot Bruno Loubet - 5/5
Wednesday, March 17, 2010 - The menu's thoughtfully constructed to satisfy novelty seekers, but at the same time won't scare off the conservative palate. Confit lamb shoulder, perfectly tender and disintegrating under the fork, used the classic southern French match with white beans, but was also pepped up with North African preserved lemon and harissa. A more daring option was slow-cooked hare. Hare has a strong, gamey flavour, in this case very slow-cooked and matched by a dense and dark reduced sauce. The dish was a paragon of its type, the intense, bosky flavours lightened by a slightly comical topping of a single, onion-filled raviolo.
Gail's (Queen's Park) - 4/5
Monday, March 15, 2010 - The displays of breads, pastries, sweets and cakes in the front shop are mouthwatering, all impeccable examples of their type. The prices are top-whack, but everything is top quality...A small, snack-sized vegetable quiche with some salad leaves costs 4.60, while a 'tiger bread' (patterned crust roll) with an omelette and goat cheese filling costs 4.65. A 'halva bun' (actually more like a pain au chocolat) and a croissant pudding (a variation on bread and butter pudding with a vanilla custard) were both imaginative and unusual.
Guerilla Burgers - 2/5
Monday, March 15, 2010 - The burgers? Disappointing. Not bad, just disappointing. We really wanted to like the food, as the place was a hoot, with its groovy colours and heavily bearded waiter. But a limp patty is a limp patty, and a dull bun can't be disguised by sprinkling it with linseeds. Crinkle-cut chips were a big thing in the early 1970s, and here they've been revived in all their pale, pre-fab glory. The alternative was sweet potato fries, which would have been better if they'd not been served lukewarm.
Canton Arms - 3/5
Thursday, March 11, 2010 - The dining area at the back is chef Trish Hilferty's domain. I've greatly enjoyed her British cooking before, at a succession of places including the Fox (Shoreditch), Great Queen Street and the Anchor & Hope (Waterloo). Her own style is also in that same mould of St-John-moved-on - but on the night of our visit to the Canton Arms, standards were patchy...Odd textures recurred throughout the meal, from gelatinous braised beef cheeks to the slithery texture of the accompanying suet dumplings...We know Trish Hilferty can do better - a lot better. Maybe wait a few months until the kitchen's hit its stride.
Palmers Restaurant - 4/5
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - The cooking is enough of a draw to overcome the somewhat pedestrian interior, and the low prices won't do any harm either. The menu is reassuringly concise and changes regularly, and the dishes are all own-made. The pork and rabbit rillettes were buttery and perfectly seasoned; the apricot relish was pleasantly sharp and fruity. Another starter of scallops with slow-cooked pork belly and madeira sauce came with a strip of perfect crackling and a generous three molluscs - the very friendly owner told us he visits Billingsgate himself several times a week for the seafood supplies.
Lanka - 4/5
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - Chef Masayuki Hara runs a sweet little cake shop and tea room in Primrose Hill. It's unconnected to its predecessor, the short-lived Macrobiotic Cafe. Hara's new cafe eschews brown rice in favour of French gastronomy, in all its richness and decadence. Having worked in French restaurants in London for more than 15 years, Hara is in complete control of the (tiny) kitchen here - making everything from small savoury dishes (a soup, salad and omelette on our visit) to the elegant desserts. There are more than a dozen on offer, including but not limited to: macarons, Mont Blancs, tarts, gateaux and creme brulees.
Towpath Cafe - 4/5
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - Towpath is a new venture from esteemed Italian-American food writer Lori De Mori and her husband, the equally esteemed food photographer Jason Lowe. It's right next to the towpath on an unglamourous stretch of the Regent's Canal just off Kingsland Road...Lunch dishes are very Italian in outlook and are strongly ingredient-led - cavolo nero on toast, celeriac soup. A grilled cheese sandwich was made with Montgomery's cheddar and came with an unusual quince-and-chilli jelly with the consistency of honey; pork rillettes were smooth and flavoursome and matched with vivid, chunky piccalilli.
Monmouth Coffee Company - 5/5
Tuesday, March 09, 2010 - Tuesday, March 09, 2010 - We rate Monmouth as a true constant in a city that wobbles between excellent and unpalatable coffees. Monmouth always excites too. Currently the house espresso blend is a vibrant yet comforting mixture of red fruits with almondy flavours: Brazilian Fazenda Rainha as a base (for the sweet malty-chocolate notes typically associated with Monmouth blends), Colombian Asociativo Quebradon (bright, ripe fruit flavours) and Guatemalan Finca La Perla to emphasise the cocoa. We'd recommend sampling the drip filter coffees without milk.
The Espresso Room - 5/5
Tuesday, March 09, 2010 - We're big fans of Ben Townsend's minuscule coffee bar, and our latest dose of his team's excellently-pulled espressos and faultless flat whites proves that size doesn't matter when it comes to finding quality coffee. Square Mile's winter blend is currently their 'house' espresso. This particular batch of the temperamental blend was roasted less than two weeks before our visit; thus it remained steadfastly mellow with flavours that edged more towards the deep cocoa notes than the bouquet of 'wonderful fruits' expected as the roasted beans get older.
Colony Bar & Grill - 3/5
Thursday, March 04, 2010 - Our favourite, a chunk of meltingly tender mutton, arrived in a sticky shroud of caramelised onions, cooked down with meaty juices spiked with mild Kashmiri chillies. Chef Saurav Nath also transformed Keralan fish stew into an elegant centrepiece. Sliced onions, simmered with coconut milk, ginger and crackling curry leaves providing a contrast to the delicacy of perfectly sauteed sea bass fillet...The kitchen team has a talented mentor in Kochhar and once the restaurant overcomes the glitches, Marylebone's well-heeled residents can add another venue to their choice of favoured destinations.
The Lord Clyde - 3/5
Thursday, February 25, 2010 - The 'gastro' setting here is moderate to low, only boiling over into restaurant territory in terms of service - friendly, polished and firmly on the front foot. We tried a delicious meze and grilled flatbread starte, and a main course of blade of beef fell effortlessly off the fork. There's also roasts on Sundays. With just over half a dozen reds and whites respectively, the wine list is concise and consists of an even sprinkling of regions and grapes. Distractions come in the form of fortnightly quizzes and food theme nights; there's wi-fi and a piano too.
The Hillgate - 3/5
Thursday, February 25, 2010 - The walls are a hue of white with swathes of deep purple. There are big cranky rugs, antlers adorned with fedoras and scarves, antique artwork and candlelit dining tables unencumbered by tablecloths. Punch magazine wallpaper lines the walls in a separate snug area and the staff were incredibly friendly. The food offer is where things have been substantially improved. The chef has ushered in a varied menu that doesn't venture too far away from top-end gastro-pub territory. You can have salt cod croquettes with lemon mayo; lamb tagine with couscous; or a succulent, sizeable bavette steak and chips.
Japanika - 4/5
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - The food is great whether you go for raw or cooked - a salmon selection box of maki, nigiri and sashimi or a chicken katsu curry donburi. Especially tasty and very good value is the eight-segment scallop-and-avocado roll sprinkled with togarashi (Japanese chilli pepper). No thought has been spared on the design either...A little gem that compensates in a small but elegantly formed way for the recent demise of Rossi's caff next door. NB: weekend opening is planned 'in the near future'.
Container Cafe - 4/5
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - View Tube combines this amazing setting with a commitment to social enterprise (cycle hire from Bikeworks, 'Classroom with a View' for school trips) and local producers (Beetroot & Culture veg, H Forman smoked salmon in the cream cheese bagels). The cafe is already in full operation. A short blackboard list of hot eats (bacon baguette and relish, pie, soup of the day) and coffees from long black to mochaccino (Square Mile beans, La Marzocco machine) are supplemented by fresh orange juice and hot chocolate. Further temptations rest on the counter: moist, perhaps overly sugary chocolate brownies, cookies, appealingly overstuffed savoury croissants.
El Rincon Quiteno - 3/5
Thursday, February 11, 2010 - This warm little Ecuadorian-Bolivian restaurant feels South American from the moment bowls of popcorn are plonked on the tables to the arrival of a 'vegetarian dish' containing chicken...The home-style dishes are all big flavours and contrasting textures. Empanadas saltenas, the Latin American equivalent of a Cornish pasty, comprised slightly sweet, buttery pastry encasing chicken. Ceviche de camaron, a cocktail of prawns with red onion and coriander in a sweet, zingy orange dressing, was transformed by a sprinkling of maiz tostadas (crunchy fried kernels of Andean corn).
Oishiii - 2/5
Thursday, February 11, 2010 - The deluxe sushi set was a simply good line-up of salmon, tuna, mackerel, prawn, squid and sea bass. It was well shaped, served at the right temperature and would have been great value for money had the toppings not been meagre and a little dry. Mixed tempura included flavoursome prawns and tender squid, but oily batter marred this dish...None of these drawbacks is denting custom, though. 'Church Street's first Japanese eatery' may not be the best, but clearly there is an appetite for it; a daily half-price sushi 'happy hour' (5-7.30pm) probably helps.
The Pear Tree - 2/5
Thursday, February 11, 2010 - We're all for retaining the original charm of a local boozer, and the stained glass partitions and gas fire are fine features, but this pub looks tired rather than traditional...The staff, however, were thoughtful, friendly and switched on. The drinks offer includes two well-kept cask ales, London Pride and Bombardier, and there's a wine list. There was no faulting either the Sunday roast or the starter of bruschetta with quince, Stilton and mushroom we had.
Monsieur M - 3/5
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - The mains were all served stylishly in asymmetric white bowls, but varied in success. The curry and bun cha were both tasty and well-made, with vibrant herbs, and were fairly priced at 7.60. Unusually, the pho came with rare steak, brisket and beef meatballs, and was jam-packed with mint, coriander and holy basil. The most important element, the broth, was slightly too underwhelming to rival Song Que. The summer rolls were very good - garden-fresh herbs, leaves and vermicelli rice noodles - but the chicken pandan parcels had become a bit chewy during their frying.
Whitechapel Gallery Cafe - 4/5
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - The food offer is brief, enticing and ambitious. From a chalked-up selection of sandwiches, goat's cheese, clementine, chilli jam and rocket was belatedly festive, fresh and inventive. Another of Cumberland sausage (served cold) with apple and tomato relish was tasty and made with conspicuously quality meat...Best of all was a vegetarian platter of two types of hummous (carrot and beetroot variants), crisp crudites and olives, again a minor work of art, served on a slate. More substantial was spicy meatballs with tomato sauce and cous cous.
The Southampton Arms - 4/5
Thursday, January 28, 2010 - As well as a vat of mulled ciders, there's a quintet of cask versions and eight ales on handpump from the likes of Dark Star, Brewdog and a number of London-based outfits like Brodies, Camden and Meantime. All served in dimpled mugs and in tip-top condition. You can keep your rocket and your risotto, for there's nothing but traditional snacks here. Slabs of cheese, pork pies, succulent Scotch eggs, pork scratchings, dry-cured salami and baps brimming with roast pork. None for more than a fiver.
Circus - 3/5
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - Every night, a long banquet table doubles up as a catwalk and stage for fire-eaters, busty burlesque performers and dancers who dangle from the ceiling and do all manner of cunning stunts in a hoop...The celebrated Dick Bradsell oversees alcoholic operations here, with an emphasis on classic cocktails delivered with a twist; there's no questioning their quality. The food is high-end (ie pricey) American-accented with a Deep South twang - seafood jambalaya, spiced pork belly, slow-cooked beef short ribs and beef and black bean empanadas.
De Beauvoir Deli - 4/5
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - The shelves and fridges of this handsome room are lined with goodies: chutneys, jams and preserves from Tracklements and the couldn't-be-more-local De Beauvoir Kitchen; stews, soups and upscale ready meals from Daylesford Organic, Ginger's Kitchen in Fulham and Cook in Tonbridge...At this end of the shop, you'll also find chairs and tables, at which eat-in customers tuck into coffees, sandwiches and cakes. And at the other end is a food counter, containing fresh meats and cheeses. It's not cheap, of course. But then again, praise be, it's also not Tesco Express.
Butchers Kitchen - 3/5
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - Eating lunch in a butcher's shop is a novel experience, and a fine way to highlight the connection between what's on your plate and where it came from. It's not cheap, but good meat never is....Our starter of chicken soup and crusty bread was defiantly warming on a bitter January day, and came with generous shreds of meat and a richly gelatinous broth. A steak sandwich was just that - a thick, tasty slice of rump, grilled rare and slapped unceremoniously on a ciabatta with a few leaves for company. All it needed was a dab of English mustard to make it perfect.
Silk Road - 3/5
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - A good-value pioneer of London's trend for branching out into regional Chinese cuisines, Silk Road quietly churns out favourites from the north-west frontier province of Xinjiang...Dumplings - filled with meat or vegetables - are typical northern China staples, although here lamb dominates instead of pork. Priced at about 3 for 10, it would be a shame not to try a few. But what makes Silk Road a destination worth travelling to is the noodle and stew menu. Our favourite was the 'medium chicken', a wonderfully rich star anise-and-chilli-flavoured broth bobbing with pieces of bird on the bone, plus potatoes.
The Rose - 3/5
Thursday, January 14, 2010 - New landlords and a fresh paint job have rendered it elegant and roomy, it has been purged of its plasma screens, and the muted walls are dotted with prints...Beef bourguignon with mash and greens promised everything required of a dish on a bitter winter's night, and didn't disappoint. And corn-fed chicken breast with braised lentils, bacon and greens was similarly satisfying - uncomplicated, tasty, well-cooked pub food. Desserts were similarly comforting and unpretentious.
Faanoos II - 3/5
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - The cook had kindly catered to our cravings by rustling up a dish that wasn't technically on the menu, adding aubergine to a lamb, lentil and dried lime stew to make khoresht-e gheimeh bademjan, packed with meat and a touch too much turmeric. Marinated chicken joojeh and seasoned minced lamb koobideh kebabs were succulent and served alongside a soft heap of saffron-tinted rice. Not even a bottle of wine, pot of tea or plate of sugary Persian sweets was able to push the bill over 40 quid, making this a worthy addition to an area not renowed for its cheap eats.
Londesborough - 3/5
Friday, January 08, 2010 - Amid the more salubrious streets of Stokey, this roomy, recently revamped pub has been primed by the people who also own The Peasant, one of Clerkenwell's better gastropubs. This corner local is clearly a pub, though food is the focal point of a large dining area set down from the main bar...A pair of cask ale pumps sport Timothy Taylor and Doom Bar, while the wine list is well-compiled. Food expectations were high yet, sadly, not met. The roast beef was gristly, dry, accompanied by under-cooked brussel sprouts and costly at 14.50. The Cumberland sausages, meanwhile, tasted cheap and were the size of chipolatas.
Antepliler - 3/5
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - Still the only real restaurant on a street famed for its Turkish cafes, Antepliler stays enormously popular by having a more adventurous menu than any of its neighbours. The cooking is always hearty and vigorous, the clientele mostly Turkish...A starter of fistik lahmacun set the pace for our meal, smaller than lahmacun offered elsewhere, but with a more powerful flavour, dominated by pistachio. Sogon kebab was served in a hot metal dish - meatballs with shallots grilled unskinned, and pomegranate sauce.
Zengi - 4/5
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 - The owner and one of the chefs are both northern Iraqi Kurds, while the second chef is Turkish. So as well as generically Middle Eastern staples (we tried chunky falafels with chickpeas and broad beans, own-made Arabic and Kurdish breads, a soothing moutabel with punchy garlic), there are a few seldom-seen Iraqi and Syrian dishes cooked on the chargrill or in the wood-fired oven. Kibbeh, a minced lamb and grain mixture, is popular in different forms all over the Middle East. We enjoyed the Iraqi version served here, a deep-fried rice shell stuffed with minced lamb, turmeric, parsley and pine nuts.
The Haberdashery - 2/5
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 - The owners of this adorable new eatery in Crouch End have spent almost a year planning the decor and scavenging for vintage crockery and mismatched furniture, and now there is enough cutesy detail to distract for many a cuppa to come...Haberdashery clearly cares about the food it serves, which manifests itself in the quality of the ingredients and a careful menu. We strongly suspect the food will improve from our rather disappointing experience. With time, commitment and a kitchen that tastes every plateful, it should become a Crouch End institution.
Supperclub - 3/5
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 - A cocktail menu is in development. In the meantime, they can spirit up most drinks on request. A run-of-the-mill bottled beer selection plays second fiddle to an all-embracing and expensive wine list. Picky eaters beware - there's no menu to choose from. Instead, for 50 quid per person, you get what you're given, spread over four courses. Much of the food is dished out in the centre of the room and eaten, with varying degrees of awkwardness, while lying on the bed. If it's soup, you may be in trouble.
Citizen Smith - 4/5
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 - There's a wide-ranging wine list and a collection of cocktails both classic and contemporary. It's the beers where the Brownie points are gained. Nine beers (and a cider) on draught including the sensational Meantime Smoked Bock...If you're eating, taking centre stage is a pizza oven delivering your usual and some rather more unusual efforts. The Marrakech pizza, which usurped a cheese and tomato topping with a mint and yoghurt variety, was on the money. Sizeable salads and sharing platters too.
Vegan Routes - 3/5
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - A vegan restaurant in a reclaimed Routemaster bus? That might ring a bell, yet Vegan Routes is unconnected to the original Rootmaster vegan restaurant...Mushroom and potato soup was more like a broth and needed enlivening with numerous shakes of the herbal salt shaker. Puy lentil shepherd's pie also suffered from underseasoning, but was nevertheless a hearty dish fit for the cold season. Leeks sauteed with coconut were delicately flavoursome, although the farinata (a chickpea flour pancake) they were served on was dense and, worse, cold.
Dean Street Townhouse - 4/5
Thursday, December 10, 2009 - Dean Street Townhouse is a hotel with dining room and bar which looks sultry, and also a little burlesque. The dining area by the bar is busy, cramped and loud; get a seat in the quieter dining room, if you can...This is the best mince and tatties - the real Scottish national dish - I've had in a very long time. It's piquant, properly browned, full-flavoured, a wonderful texture, and tastes of... childhood. With a side order of mashed neeps, I'm back wearing short trousers again.
Paulo'z Way - 3/5
Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - We started with own-made soft cheese dashed with oregano and olive oil, marinated olives from Paulo's family estate in Alentejo (also the source of our plucky red wine), and a platter of king prawns baked in a bombastic chilli and garlic broth. Mains were equally upbeat, from salt cod bacalhau in a peppery tomato sauce with (slightly undercooked) chipped potatoes, to a tender picanha rump steak served with chips, black beans and fried plantain...We left sated, a touch unsteady and feeling like one of the family.
The Mitre - 3/5
Friday, December 04, 2009 - Despite its sizeable square footage, the mood is mollified with candles, Chesterfield sofas and gun chairs, sepia-tinted prints and American diner-style booths. With a front terrace and big patio doors that open out, it's well set for the summer too. The service was spot-on...There's a choice of bar snacks or a more extensive restaurant menu that celebrates the seasons and dabbles in more daring dishes such as roast partridge, pork belly or braised shin of beef with black pepper dumplings. Groups can get their laughing gear around hot seafood, duck or smoked fish platters.
Bistro K - 2/5
Friday, December 04, 2009 - The shag pile carpet and mirrored walls of L'Ambassade have been replaced by wooden flooring and inoffensive, almost cold decor, which needed a convivial crowd to create a buzz...A main of duck confit, served with fondant potato and 'Koffman cabbage', was very good - the crisp, salty skin of the duck concealed tender meat. But the artful presentation felt a bit fussy...Or main caveat though isn't the food or the ambience, but the bill.
The Draft House (Northcote) - 4/5
Thursday, November 26, 2009 - The long, curved bar - sporting 17 shiny draught fonts - morphs into an open-plan kitchen and an unfussy dining room all overseen by amiable and attentive staff. When you throw in a patio too, it's rather hard to find fault...As well as unusual ale-friendly accoutrements such as ox tongue fritters or potted crab, duck and ham hock, food includes more predictable gastopub fodder such as steak and chips or a succulent Roquefort burger. Brunch/lunch specials include croque monsieur and madame, kedgeree or a cheese and onion toastie for a fiver.
The Book Club - 4/5
Monday, November 23, 2009 - Wine is served by the carafe, there's Tiger beer on draught and the cocktail list conjures up the usual classics as well as some locally themed libations including The Shoreditch Twat (Cazadores Reposado tequila, Jagermeister, vermouth, egg and vanilla sugar)...It bigs up the breakfast with a house recipe of muesli and granola; French toast, kippers and a full English. Lunch leans towards excellent wraps, smoked haddock and poached eggs, seared tuna and dishes of the day.
The Orange - 5/5
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - The menu could be described as Modern European, leaning towards British and Italian...Salt cod croquettes were simple but satisfying, with crisp crust and smooth filling, and were served with a lemon aioli that looked and tasted homemade. The kitchen makes full use of its wood-fired oven, so we ordered a pizza to pitch it against the high standards of another recent new restaurant, Pizza East in Shoreditch. Although it's not trying to compete in terms of authenticity, it was still a winner: a crisp base, rich tomato sauce and garlicky marinated prawns.
Chella - 2/5
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - A starter of aash-e reshteh (noodle and mung bean soup) was pleasingly thick but over-salted; another of kashk-e bademnjaan (aubergine and garlic mashed with whey) was bland by comparison. Only the delicate herb omelette known as kookoo sabzi was spot on, bursting with fragrance and light as a souffle...Despite all that, Chella has clearly struck a chord: service was superb, and the place was packed on our Thursday night visit, although few customers appeared to be Iranian.
Dock Kitchen - 4/5
Thursday, November 05, 2009 - Parle used to work at The River Cafe, as well as penning recipes for The Guardian. But apart from a bland dal and a chapati so dry it cracked, everything else we tried was flavoursome and fresh. Seafood is a strong point, with sweet Dorset crabmeat (with a good helping of brown meat) atop buttery toast served alongside a crunchy fennel salad an example of the virtues of simplicity. A main course of two roasted small red mullets (served whole and on the bone) with tomatoes, slow-cooked fennel bulb and wild fennel leaves was bold in flavour, yet sweet and light.
Needoo Grill - 3/5
Thursday, October 15, 2009 - Run by a former manager of Tayyabs, this new spot offers the staples - smoky grills and Punjabi curries. But it also delivers earthy vegetarian dishes made with care and consideration...Crushed potatoes, cooked with tender cauliflower florets, tomatoes, ginger and fresh coriander was comfort cooking at its best. Just as enjoyable was tarka dal, finished with a tumble of fried onions and warming cumin; it demonstrated a deliciously nutty and smoky character.
The Village - 4/5
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - The Balkan dishes were the best of the ones we tried: the fried chicken livers and hearts with onions were scrumptious, particularly the different textures of the offal. Just as homely was the 'Grandmother's Potato' - a simple pot dish of layered crumbly potatoes and sharp Bulgarian cheeses. But the best dish was the last. Our lovely, chatty waitress persuaded us to taste garash cake - in this case a delicate combination of pastry, walnuts, cocoa and sour cream with little sugar - a perfect example of how East meets South in this still little-known cuisine.
Jetlag - 3/5
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - Lustrous and a little lost in translation, the upstairs bar is a sleek, small space peppered with pop-art, arty mags and funky, far-out furniture. An audio-visual aquarium awaits downstairs in the basement...The cocktail list, covering both classics and Jetlag's own drinks, is not overly lengthy, features fresh fruits and includes non-alcoholic combinations and smoothies. In tune with the jetlag theme, there's morning to midnight munching with a menu that brings breakfasts, burgers, fish finger sandwiches and sharing platters to the table.
The Pipeline - 3/5
Monday, September 28, 2009 - The black lacquer bar and floor, portraits of guitar legends on the wall, gleaming pillars and shiny new sofas are just waiting to be scuffed. As rock bars go, it's more Sharon Osbourne than Lemmy. Ironic imbibing can be had with tequila sunrises and Long Island iced teas on the cocktail menu alongside rock-themed concoctions...Swedish specialities include meatballs, pickled herring, wild boar, caviar and beef Rydberg, which is a luxury hash with mustard cream.
Green's Restaurant & Oyster Bar (Cornhill) - 2/5
Thursday, September 17, 2009 - Smoked haddock Parker Bowles was competently prepared, a nice piece of undyed haddock topped with a scoop of chive-flecked mash, crowned with a soft-poached egg. Simple British meat and fish classics - potted shrimps, roast lamb, fish and chips - are at the core of the menu, but the vegetarian dishes are a bit more adventurous...It's a bit fuddy-duddy and lacking any thrills, and it's hard to imagine this branch of the Parker Bowles original in St James's becoming the next City hotspot.
The Elgin - 3/5
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - Fitting for a Victorian gin palace, there are 22 different version of mother's ruin including London-based gins Beefeater, Beefeater 24 and SipSmith. There are local ales, too, and an accessible wine list...The pub menu is traditional British with a twist, but our dishes were touch and go. Undercooked chips accompanied a basic burger, the pie lacked flavour and the chump of lamb was meagre in size. The kitchen needs to keep up with the top-notch service.
Alfie's - 3/5
Thursday, September 03, 2009 - The menu confirms the determinedly British approach. There's ham and eggs, coronation prawns, bubble and squeak. The service is definitely British, too - we were brought bread and some butter, but waited a good ten minutes for knives with which to unite them...A main course mixed grill with watercress was as meaty and traditionally British a dish as you'll find - liver, sausage, bacon and steak, with a grilled mushroom and tomato for variation. Another main of hot smoked salmon with crab mash was almost there, but the generous chunk of fish was overpowered by a too-sweet glaze, and the mash was a bit dry.
The Curtains Up - 2/5
Thursday, September 03, 2009 - It's one of several London boozers recently snapped up by pubco Geronimo Inns and consensus seems to say it's a lot better under the new charge...On the bar, some fine-looking pies give punters the gastronomic glad eye while the menu gives mention to poncified pub classics including a daily curry; ham, egg and chips; beer-battered fish and chips and a ploughman's board. Retro desserts include sherry trifle, Eton mess and a choice of cheese. Special mention must be made of the snacks: Frazzles, Monster Munch and pork scratchings.
Hala - 4/5
Friday, August 28, 2009 - Hala is a relatively new addition to Green Lanes, but even on Sunday evening this Turkish cafe was heaving with families and couples on dates...Pungent red pepper could be tasted in the tomato dip served with fresh griddled bread, and in the juicy minced lamb Adana kebab. The standard crowd-pleasers surprised with the quality of meat: the pieces of lamb in the crispy pizza-like pide were juicy and subtle, the beef and lamb in the Hala mixed grill were tender and well marinated.
Rasa Mudra - 4/5
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - The latest addition to this modest culinary empire is Rasa Mudra, an understated eatery that serves food from the South Indian state's hilly northern and central regions...This is only the second place in London where you can find dishes originating from the Syrian Christian community of central Kerala: erachi olathiyathu, for example, a dish of stir-fried pieces of meat (lamb here, but beef in Kerala) exploding with ginger, chilli and chunks of coconut flesh, or kappayum meenum vevichathu, a toddy shop snack of pieces of kingfish steamed with tapioca and tossed with tamarind and coconut.
Burrito Bros - 3/5
Thursday, August 20, 2009 - Burrito Bros (the name and font is borrowed from the country-rock band The Flying Burrito Bros) has nothing in the way of local competition. Even so, they're taking things slowly at first: you can get pork, chicken, beef or veggie burritos, three types of salsa (even the mild has considerable bite) and a small selection of drinks. You can eat in the main room downstairs or outdoors in a small garden. Open until 11pm, with cool beers - but no margaritas - sold.
The Crabtree - 4/5
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - The locals approve of the remodel, it seems, and on a sunny day can be found in their droves enjoying some of the nicest waterside drinking in the city. The seats under the weeping willow deserve especial mention...Food-wise, in addition to a barbecue menu (burger, gherkin, aioli and chips) and a rotisserie option offering informal eating, diners can tuck their napkins in tighter for the slightly dearer dinner menu showcasing pork belly, veal wrapped in Parma ham, or razor clams with chorizo, chilli and garlic.
Naru - 4/5
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - This cosy Covent Garden restaurant, decorated simply with colourful rice paper lanterns and calligraphy scrolls, is classier than most neighbouring Korean cafes...The sizzling stone bowl dish called tolsot bibimbap had us swooning. The sculpted round of red bean rice, showcasing six varieties of marinated vegetables surrounding a glossy egg yolk nuzzled in a mound of flavourful sauteed ground beef was gorgeous. Another surprise was the scoop of flying fish roe flanking our egg yolk. Eagerly, we stirred it up with the accompanying bright red chili sauce and scraped our bowls clean.
Constancia - 4/5
Friday, July 31, 2009 - We tried a fair-priced, slender churrasco (sirloin) and a bigger, bloodier rib-eye. The former, cooked perfectly with plenty of juices still dripping off it, was actually tastier. The restaurant also does parrillitas (small table braziers) for the sampling of cuts and extras...The sides of chips and salad - which was generous and served in a bowl big enough to give it a proper tossing - were plain and honest...Argentinian cuisine is all about simplicity, good produce and careful cooking and Harguindey seems to have nailed it.
The Restaurant at St Paul's Cathedral - 4/5
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - Asparagus and poached Gressingham duck egg was summer on a plate, while the sweetness of treacle-cured salmon was nicely offset by watercress. Next, good though a prettily pink Trigger Farm barnsley chop with mint jelly and earthy Jersey Royals was, it couldn't compete with a portobello mushroom wellington served with spinach...Staff are still finding their feet, but are eager to please - and pleased we were, especially at these prices. We'll be back - we can't wait to try the afternoon tea.
Pilpel (Spitalfields) - 4/5
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - Pilpel, an Israeli-run houmous and falafel 'bar' in Spitalfields, is ostensibly a takeaway, but there are enough rustic wooden chairs, tables and shelves around the room to call it a cafe too...Choose a wholemeal or white pitta, which are baked every day, and watch the staff deep-fry every falafel fresh in front of you (each deliciously crispy disc is made using an imported falafel scoop). As with all good falafel joints, you're offered a choice of other fillings to load up the pitta: chilli, houmous, tabbouleh, chickpeas, tomato salad...
Mama Pho - 3/5
Thursday, July 16, 2009 - Mama Pho is slicker than its predecessor. The noodle dishes are big and bold and prove to be meals in themselves - their bun cha gio nit thuong (vermicelli noodles with grilled lemongrass pork, spring rolls, salad and all) are one of the better value dishes on the menu, at 6 pounds for the lot. For an extra quid, try the com tam cha suon bi - a more unusual but fairly authentic dish of lemongrass porkchop, shredded pork skin (with its challenging rubbery textures), Vietnamese meat loaf and a sprinkling of roasted rice powder. Douse it all in a sweetly piquant nuoc cham dressing for a real thrill.
Frank's Cafe & Campari Bar - 3/5
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - The service is charming if chaotic but staff are happy to dish up another portion when orders go astray...We tried delicious grilled lamb, grilled vegetables with anchovy dressing, ox heart with crunchy salad and a moist date and pecan cake. A Campari and Prosecco cocktail was horrid. But the view is spectacular. As the sky dims and the iconic architecture along the distant Thames lights up, like the coolest set of 'fairy lights' ever, this grim urban setting is transformed into a magical space.
Autograf - 3/5
Friday, July 10, 2009 - 'This is like my mum's cooking!' my Polish friend cheerfully exclaimed after reading the menu of this small cafe. And the nourishing and motherly cooking doesn't disappoint: a traditional zurek soup of fermented rye flour and pork sausage with potatoes and eggs was tangy and comforting; a clear beetroot soup was satisfyingly sharp and intense...With its cheap prices, huge portions and warm welcome, this new cafe mainly targets local Polish folk, but it is an ideal place for anyone to come and be fed - a local in its fullest sense.
The Kensington Wine Rooms - 5/5
Friday, July 10, 2009 - The wine list here is a corker. With about 100 wines to choose from it's exceptionally well chosen, with a mix of established names and up and coming finds from lesser known regions in Portugal, Spain and France...The food served can seem a bit of an afterthought after the joys of the wine list, but the short menu is nonetheless appealing. Starters of grilled calamari with rocket and finely chopped walnuts, and pan-fried chorizo with crisp pan-fried potatoes were both starters were well conceived. Our bavette steak with chips was on the chewy side, as it can be when ordered, as we did, rare.
The Driver - 3/5
Friday, July 10, 2009 - This new opening here puts forward a compelling case for the continued gentrification of the notoriously 'edgy' area located round the back of King's Cross station...The wine list is filled with familiar names, and there's a load of lagers but, in a poor show for a pub, there's just the one real ale (Landlord). The grub is your standard smart pub food - steak and chips, burgers, seared scallops. Nothing too fancy, and all served with frightening briskness and efficiency. For the best seats, head to the roof - if the wooden elephant is taken, the beanbags may appeal.
Freggo - 4/5
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 - Two-flavour cones are pricey at 3.95, but the two scoops were huge and the flavours a cut above your average van man. The vanilla and banana were creamy, the dulce de leche 'temptation' as scrumptious and sweet as the Buenos Aires original, and a scoop of malbec and berries was a welcome novelty. Service was speedy so there were no queues forming. 500g tubs for takeaway are 11.95 and there's excellent coffee if you don't want an ice cream.
Sweet Love - 3/5
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 - The decor is like hip student digs - a single room with books along one wall, a couple of sofas and shin-height coffee table, Yoda perched on an aquarium, a partial bicycle frame by the door - and the tiny service area sits behind a high counter...Our cheese, ham and tomato toastie was excellent. The almost mature cheese, spinach leaves and red onion lifted rather plain ham, and there was no explosion of molten tomato as we bit into it...Unorthodox maybe, but a relaxing place for a nibble if you find it open.
Macondo (Shoreditch) - 2/5
Friday, June 26, 2009 - Inside, it feels like a hospitable, eccentric artist's studio, with paintings on bare brick walls, vases and sculptures dotted around and quirky oversized foam sandwiches hanging from the ceiling. The drinks show real attention to detail, with a selection of interesting Spanish and South American wines, good coffee and fresh juices. All this is just as well, because the Spanish-Mexican food is a bit disappointing. A display shelf of 'deli specials' sits unrefrigerated, looking more unappetising as the day goes on.
Jambo - 4/5
Thursday, June 04, 2009 - Jambo serves up Ugandan food of the highest quality in the warmest of atmospheres. And the portions are unquestionably generous. The £10 ‘variety meals’ here are the best value, comprising hearty relishes (stews or vegetables) and two starch staples. Our meal of beef with groundnuts (ground peanut stew) and spinach was the perfect match for fluffy Ugandan sweet potatoes (called lumonde), and a virtuous kalo (a thick millet porridge). It’s the kind of place that feels like home, even on your first visit, meaning it probably won’t be your last.
Cafe East - 4/5
Thursday, June 04, 2009 - Having moved from its old location on the corner of a residential street to much bigger premises, the problem of having to queue at this immenseley popular South East London eatery is largely eliminated…Even if you decide to supplement your meal with the truly massive summer rolls, or chewy, savoury banh cuon (rice noodle rolls stuffed with savoury minced pork, shallots and mushrooms and served with Vietnamese ham), it won’t set you back much. A big, steaming bowl of rare beef noodle soup (spicy option available, unusually) is £6.50 and closely rivals our favourite joint, Song Que, for flavour and clarity of the broth.
Tandis - 4/5
Thursday, June 04, 2009 - This Iranian restaurant has a strikingly modern interior, largely inherited from the bar that occupied the site before it. So you can sink into a huge black leather banquette for your feast of subtly marinated chicken or lamb kebabs, slow-cooked khoresh stews, and faloodeh shaved-ice desserts. We loved the flavours of the dried Persian plum in a sweet and sour vegetble stew (khoresh e aloo esfenaaj), and also the sour tang of sundried lemons in the diced lamb and split peas stew (khoresh e gheymeh). The latter had a rösti-like mesh of tiny potato chips on it to vary the texture a bit.
Villiers Terrace - 4/5
Thursday, June 04, 2009 - While it’s at the ladies that this new gastropub seems to be targeted, the food from chef Richard Teague (formerly of Market) won’t disappoint any chaps who want to tag along. Aberdeen Angus onglet steak, slow-roast belly pork and fish pie feature on the opening menu, wisely supplemented on our visit by an 8oz cheeseburger that should help quell any nerves about more on-trend dishes like braised rabbit with pappardelle, tomato and herbs…On the whole we’d like to go back – not least to try the new season English asparagus with deep-fried poached egg – but the beer thing left us feeling a bit bitter.
Kitfo House - 4/5
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 - This little licensed caff in Vauxhall serves fry-ups for breakfast, then switches to a Thai menu for lunch, prepared by a Thai chef. But it’s in the evening that it really comes into its own as an Eritrean restaurant… The dishes are served on a huge crumpet-textured pancake of injera, a slightly sour bread which you tear off with your right hand to mop up the juices as you eat the moist stews. Carefully melded spices are the norm in Eritrean food, yet dishes aren’t too chilli-hot.
The Establishment (Battersea) - 5/6
Thursday, May 21, 2009 - Taken over by the same owners behind the original branch in Parsons Green, the resemblance between the two are uncanny….Making merry doesn’t get more patriotic than this. The cocktail-led drinks menu doffs its bowler hat in the direction of British booze with a vast selection of gins, ‘English Champagne’, Somerset cider brandy and avant-garde English ales, lagers and ciders. Foodwise, the best of Britain is showcased here too with grilled Cornish mackerel, Scottish smoked salmon, roast Shetland sea trout and 45-day dry-aged Aberdeen Angus beef from Orkney. The cheese and bacon burger, offered as part of a more modestly priced bar food menu, was sizeable and succulent.
The Lost Angel - 5/6
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - In an interior designed with eclectic abandon, chandeliers and trombone lights hang from the ceiling, and a white telephone box doubles up as a greenhouse…The adjacent dining room is equally decorous and the garden, currently in the throes of renovation, seems a choice summer spot…The food offerings are overseen by chef Anthony Hicks, à la carte choices include confit of duck, foie gras and langoustine goujons while, in the bar, there are simpler snacks and burgers for less than a tenner. During the week, get a cocktail and two courses for £20, with roasts on a Sunday.
Taste Of Bitter Love - 4/6
Thursday, April 30, 2009 - Hackney Road isn’t one of east London’s more charming thoroughfares. All the more surprising, then, that it should hold this sweet new enterprise, a cute café that’s as in tune with the arty, matey spirit of the neighbourhood as it is at odds with the street it overlooks…The ubiquitous Square Mile provides the coffee, with pastries courtesy of Clarke’s and teas from Teapigs. However, the real goodies originate in-house: specifically, the excellent sandwiches and the rotating array of sweet treats.
Sedap - 4/6
Thursday, April 23, 2009 - The menu’s fairly extensive and reflects the range of Malay and Chinese flavours that typifies the food of the Straits. Few dishes reach the height of that char kway teow – moist with the sweet and salty balance of dark soy and chilli, but dry enough to retain the smokiness of the wok and the integrity of the (admittedly sparing) ingredients. Choose wisely though and a fine meal can easily be had.
Tina, We Salute You - 4/6
Thursday, April 16, 2009 - Tina, We Salute You started life as a cupcake stall at Brick Lane’s Sunday Upmarket…Caffeine is taken seriously, with roasts from Square Mile fed through a covetable La Marzocco machine. The menu is short, but the basics are covered tidily and at very fair prices: generously filled sandwiches and bagels (from Brick Lane Beigel Bake), breakfast munchies (granola, thick-sliced toast, lovely preserves made in the neighbourhood; plus, at weekends, pancakes), crumpets and splendid home-made cupcakes, supplemented with a changing range of other treats (flapjacks, bakewell tarts, Victoria sponge).
Suzu - 3/6
Thursday, April 09, 2009 - The world of ready-made sushi is changing. While at this bright and cheerful new caff, the nigiri and maki come pre-packaged, there’s nothing to stop you from requesting something bespoke from the accommodating staff – particularly useful if your favourite was just snapped up by the office worker in front of you. Suzu also does a range of hot dishes – katsu curries, soup noodles and teriyaki. We’ve found the pork katsu a good rendition when freshly made…
Malaysia Kopi Tiam - 3/5
Thursday, April 09, 2009 - Along Charing Cross Road lies a series of restaurants with seriously short lifespans – but judging by the food, Malaysia Kopi Tiam is one to stick around. While the ‘coffee shop’ (kopi tiam) purports to serve Malaysian and Thai cuisine, it’s clearly the former that excels. Kangkong (morning glory, a type of water spinach) stir-fried with belachan (fermented shrimp paste) was superbly savoury and with a nice chilli tingle at the end. Many of the diners around us were tucking into Hainanese chicken rice…
The Britannia - 4/6
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - Formerly a dilapidated chain pub, a stylish makeover has restored the building’s Victorian glory days… It’s in the dining area that the Britannia really sets itself apart, styled as a bistro, but with traditional English dishes well prepared. A potted hare with tomato chutney and toast made a meaty starter, but it was the succulent Sussex pork belly with moist black pudding, well above usual gastropub standard, that won the starters round. The bar is usually stocked with at least two British cask ales (Spitfire, say, or Sharp’s Doom Bar from Cornwall) that rotate seasonally; plus a range of Meantime bottled beers…
The Old Ship - 3/6
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - The Old Ship is perfectly placed to watch the boat race – should you be into that kind of thing – on the bend of the river between the bridges of Hammersmith and Putney. The wine list doesn’t give one’s wallet much room to manoeuvre but a vastly improved menu, whose horizons have been broadened beyond burgers, takes in sharing platters, venison lasagne, scallop and mussel linguine. The beef brisket and ale pie was terrific. Breakfast is also served from 8am every day.
Princess Victoria - 5/5
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - Brawn, the least attractive starter, was successful thanks to its deep flavour and moist texture. Terrific triple-cooked chips came with accurately chargrilled 28-day-matured ribeye (the evening's most popular order), but the Princess Victoria can do fancy too, as shown by a delicious hake fillet with clams, smoked eel, macaroni and vegetable cream sauce...The sensational wine list offers a choice of carafe sizes plus 175ml glasses; diners are encouraged to mix and match with their food. No persuasion needed.
The Lexington - 5/5
Thursday, March 12, 2009 - A bourbon whiskey lounge and speakeasy with an ambitious indie-kid haircut, it's all velvet drapes, armchairs and muted glowing lampshades that tickle the slightly barren bar with a burlesque, boudoir feather...There are more than 50 American whiskeys here, including single barrel, wheated and rare varieties of Kentucky's celestial liquor. As any beer lover knows, the US is currently brewing some of the best beer in the world and much of it is here - Sierra Nevada on draught, Rogue Dead Guy Ale from Oregon, Goose Island from Chicago and Flying Dog - the late Hunter S Thompson's favourite.
Zeytoon - 4/6
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - Smart, black-shirted waiters were affable and upbeat, and the dishes they carried steaming through the swing door of the rear kitchen were good enough to silence conversations that the decor had inspired in customers. A starter of smoky kashk-e bademjan (a creamy aubergine, garlic and whey dip) was the best we’ve tasted in London, pleasingly pungent and authentically topped with crispy fried onions; another of mast-o mousir (zingy shallot yoghurt) was perhaps overly puréed, but delicious when mopped up with soft, sesame seed-scattered bread hot from the clay oven.
Gilmour's - 4/6
Thursday, March 05, 2009 - Owner Christopher Gilmour’s other restaurant is the long-standing Christopher’s in Covent Garden…The two restaurants share an upscale rather middle-aged, clubby vibe, and cooking that seems designed to comfort rather than to challenge. But the menu at Gilmour’s, located next-door to Aubergine in poshest Chelsea, is decidedly more Brit than Yank…
Tatra - 4/6
Thursday, March 05, 2009 - Tatra’s decor – dark wood tables, leather upholstery and bare walls punctuated by abstract canvases, an enticingly gleaming bar – is anything but folksy. The Polish menu also embraces modernity, giving trad dishes a lighter touch.. A main course of beef gulasz was robust, the meat meltingly tender in a paprika-infused stew of real depth of reduced tomato and spice flavours. Char-grilled rump of lamb with aubergines and gently spiced yoghurt dressing was excellent…
Lazeez - 4/6
Thursday, February 26, 2009 - Chunks of spicy soujouk sausages were sautéed in lemon, their powerful kick a pleasing contrast to molten slices of grilled tomato; houmous Beiruty was hand-whipped with freshly chopped parsley and fiery green peppers; and kibbeh shameyieh, deep-fried while we waited, revealed a steaming centre of minced lamb, onions and pine-nuts. But it was a shared main of shish taouk that delivered the sucker-punch: tender, citrus-marinated chunks of chicken served on the juice-soaked sheets of bread with which they’d been dragged from the skewer. It made the unreliable offerings of the Edgware Road seem a million miles away – which they almost were.
Imbiss - 4/6
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - You'll find Imbiss in the no man’s maze of Marylebone streets that are north of Marble Arch and flanked by Edgware Road…'Imbiss' is the German word for snack or light meal, but loosen your lederhosen as this is serious artery-clogging Austrian cuisine. The ‘stuff-yer-face-platter’ for six people includes smoked pork and beef sausages (wurst), grilled meatloaf (leberkäse), fried eggs, sauerkraut, bread rolls, sausages filled with cheese (kasëkrainer) and, for serious greedy guts, a mixed salad. There are cakes and pastries too.
Albert & Pearl - 3/6
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - At the upper end of Upper Street, the Albert & Pearl occupies the site previously home to the Medicine Bar, and is owned by the same folk as the Old Queen’s Head on nearby Essex Street… The drinks more than meets grape expectations with a worldly (both old and new) wine list while the cleverly crafted cocktail list offers classics with or without a twist, vast vases of punch and grog to share and Albert & Pearl exclusives. A selection of ham, cheese and olives are served from the counter and there’s half-a-dozen 'boards' which brim with Tuscan-accented tucker.
Goodman - 3/6
Thursday, February 19, 2009 - Arriving on the medium side of medium-rare after we left the kitchen to decide for us, the steaks were mixed. The Goodman rib-eye was terrific, flavourful and tender inside but set off beautifully by a charcoal-crisped crust. Less so, though, the Australian-sourced filet mignon: far from tough, but lacking the melt-in-mouth tenderness that any filet needs to compensate for its mild flavour…Is there the market? Time will tell. But to thrive, we suspect Goodman may need to raise its game or lower its prices.
The Pembroke - 3/6
Thursday, February 19, 2009 - Low-lit lamps, candles and shimmering chandeliers mellow the dark, decadent decor of the main bar while, upstairs, the cosy knob is cranked-up even further courtesy of a small bar and sofas. The drinks include better than average beers and eleven well-chosen, finance-friendly wines by the glass with bottles ranging from £13 to £17. With the food, they’ve turned up the gas on ‘gastro’; stuffed chicken leg wrapped in bacon with parmesan mash and Madeira sauce, cod and cockles cassoulet, tuna steak and bok choi. Credit lunchers can also graze on nuts and olives.
Cinnamon Kitchen - 3/6
Thursday, February 12, 2009 - Located in a former warehouse, this restaurant has scrubbed up into a spacious venue with chunky wooden tables, a ‘tandoori counter’ for light bites, and an adjoining cocktail bar. The decor seems a strange combination – industrial piping and grey interiors, beside warm wood tables and ethnic flourishes. It doesn’t quite work for cosy ambience...
Callooh Callay - 3/6
Thursday, February 05, 2009 - Inside, it's all warm and whimsical; the neo-Victorian décor is as eclectic as Jabberwocky, the nonsensical poem by Lewis Carroll from which the bar gets its name…We found competently crafted cocktails, including the classic ‘Vesper Martini’ and the quirky ‘Mad Hatter Tiki Punchbowl’ served in a His Master's Voice-style gramophone punchbowl. Lovely by-the-glass wines and Meantime and Weston should keep beer and cider sippers sweet. Food-wise, there's light bites, sharing plates and, for the weary of wallet, the ‘Credit Lunch’ – soup or salad with real lemonade for a fiver.
Iberica Food & Culture - 4/6
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 - Ibérica's menu is overseen by Nacho Manzano, a high-profile chef who runs Casa Marcial, a Michelin-starred family restaurant in the Asturian Mountains… The tapas list takes in everything from simple plates of cheese to hot stews and rice dishes. Pinchos, olives, bread and the like start at £1.50 – but if hungry, you could also put together a fairly extravagant spread that took in a £20 plate of Teruel, Recebo and Guijuelo hams.
Docklands Bar & Grill - 3/6
Thursday, January 08, 2009 - As a food lovers’ destination, Docklands is no Marylebone Village; and, like the majority of eateries in the area, this outfit is additionally hampered by a corporate, new-built vibe. The location has its pluses (by the water, near ExCeL) and minuses (in a hotel, near ExCeL), but sweet staff help overcome the rather soulless atmosphere. The kitchen, too, tries hard to do good things, emphasising fresh fish from nearby Billingsgate Market, sourcing fruit and veg (some organic) from farms in the home counties...
The Mansion - 4/6
Thursday, January 01, 2009 - I thought the gastro and the pub bits would be a bit more, well, separate. If you are in time to get a table in the side bar, they are, but if not you might find yourself cheek-by-jowl with Guinness-drinking quizzers fielding questions between mouthfuls of quiche. Things started well with a massive hunk of warm bread. The portions ruined our appetites but came, generously, at no extra charge. Keeping up the value-for-money theme, broccoli and Stilton soup arrived in generous amounts, though very salty.
Terroirs - 5/6
Thursday, January 01, 2009 - The food was sensational, and just what you want in a noisy, informal place such as this. We knew we were in for a treat as soon as we saw duck scratchings on the list. Fat chorizo to dip into yolky Basque piperade, sourdough toast topped with black truffle and bone marrow, crisp-skinned wild seabass la plancha – gorgeous. Our only complaint is having to wait quite a while for the main courses and the bill. Ignore the five-star rating if you want but check the other reviews online, and you’ll find Terroirs has been warmly welcomed all round.
St James Restaurant & Bar - 4/6
Thursday, January 01, 2009 - The blue neon halo hovering above the door is the only thing vaguely saintly about this bar and restaurant. On the site that was the variable Florians, St James is the sibling of the best restaurant in Bushey, Herts. The owners are trying their luck in the big city – or at least Crouch End – at precisely the time most others in the business are cancelling expansion plans, but whatever nerves they are experiencing are well concealed here by mature staff and confident (if a tad ostentatious) decor and cooking.
Trishna - 4/6
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - Anyone who’s eaten at the legendary Trishna restaurant in Mumbai might feel a tad disappointed upon walking into its newly opened London counterpart. The decor is unimaginative – white walls, exposed brick and tidy Danish-design furniture – and as a result, there is a slightly aloof, wannabe-chic atmosphere…Fortunately, these shortcomings don’t affect the food. Chef Ravi Deulkar, from Rasoi Vineet Bhatia, has successfully captured the essence of the mouthwatering seafood typical of the western Indian state of Maharashtra.
J Sheekey Oyster Bar - 5/6
Saturday, December 20, 2008 - Like Paris’s Le Grand Colbert or Café Florian in Venice, J Sheekey is in danger of becoming an institution whose uniquely local appeal stretches far beyond London. The addition of this two-unit oyster bar creates an imposing procession of branded red canopies along St Martin’s Court...The menu is not substantially different from the restaurant either, save an extended choice of oysters and a tempting seasonal dish or two such as ceps on toast with garlic butter. Its appeal lies largely in the opportunity to eat well, simply and conveniently at such a grandly proportioned and convivial bar...
Bocca di Lupo - 5/6
Friday, December 12, 2008 - Chef Jacob Kenedy, who previously worked at Moro, has borrowed the degustation concept now obligatory in French and Spanish restaurants and applied it to Italian regional cuisine. The result is a daily changing offering of starter-sized servings of skilfully prepared regional specialities – which the impeccably trained staff will suggest you mix and share – or larger portions for those who prefer a more traditional Italian meal.
Espelette @ The Connaught - 3/6
Thursday, December 11, 2008 - Named after the town in Aquitaine, south-west France, known for its fiery red pepper piment d’Espelette, this is Darroze’s take on a ‘relaxed, informal, bistro-style restaurant’. Don’t for a second think that means wooden chairs, banquettes and brass rails – it’s all plush gold and cream fabrics in the Connaught’s new Portland stone conservatory extension… It’s The Connaught, so they serve Allen’s of Mayfair sausages with mash and onion sauce. But there’s also a very appealing selection of dishes reflecting Darroze’s link to the Basque region and her acclaimed talent for flavour combining.
The Harwood Arms - 4/6
Thursday, December 04, 2008 - The Harwood Arms is not a solo venture. Sometime TV chef Robinson, who is a specialist in game, has joined with Brett Graham of Notting Hill’s excellent Ledbury restaurant, and Edwin Vaux, a publican and fellow hunter. Neither Robinson nor Graham mans the kitchens: head chef is Ledbury graduate Stephen Williams. But the Robinson stamp is apparent, not only in the quantity of game on the menu but the fact that he shoots all the deer himself on estates near Hungerford and Henley. For once the claim of ‘seasonal, local and natural produce’ is fully realised.
Garufa - 5/6
Thursday, November 27, 2008 - The meat empanadas were simple and perhaps not quite herby enough, but crucially they were succulent - in Argentina they say an empanada is only good if you have to open your legs (to avoid the drips). For the main, we chose a parrillada Garufa (mixed grill). At 45 for two, it's not going to draw in too many Argentinian tourists with their feeble pesos, but for that sum you get four tender, perfectly grilled steaks, a gorgeously peppery and totally gristle-free black pudding, a gently spiced chorizo sausage and a splatter of provolone - it should be a slab but the table-sized grill is hot and melts the cheese as you eat.
Bar Trattoria Semplice - 4/6
Thursday, November 27, 2008 - Bar Trattoria Semplice is an offshoot of the very elegant Ristorante Semplice just a polpette’s throw away on Blenheim Street. All gold swirls, leather, hushed tones and fine dining, it’s a restaurant we’ve always found a little too buttoned-up for an Italian. While you’d never call this new trattoria cheap, it is less expensive than down the road...Roast lamb shank with peppers and fregola pasta, and red mullet baked with tomato and potatoes were generous in portion and just as liberal with flavour.
Rotunda - 3/6
Thursday, November 20, 2008 - The food operation is run by new company Green & Fortune which boasts its own farm as well as combined years of experience in Searcy-catered venues such as St Pancras International, the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Opera House. Our visit was in the early days of opening when just a few artistic types slunk at the tables. Staff seemed green but keen: they’ll be under much more pressure once The Guardian and The Observer staff move into the building.
Princi - 4/6
Thursday, November 20, 2008 - Yau’s grasp of Italian cuisine is not an issue here, for this new spot is a joint venture with Rocco Princi, sometimes called ‘the Armani of bread’. Princi is a veritable symphony of beige. Despite a 19-metre water feature…it has that wonderfully sophisticated informality that has made Busaba Eathai such a treasure. And while extensive use of soothing limestone makes the hard surfaces of the modernist interior cosy, the expanse of glass cabinets displaying good things to eat – cakes, pizza, salads, hot meals – makes it irresistible.
Madsen - 3/6
Thursday, November 20, 2008 - Danes could be forgiven for feeling frustrated that this chic, serene and very friendly café-cum-restaurant does not reflect the current excitement surrounding Copenhagen’s food scene. Despite ambition and appearances, the main thrust of the menu is fairly straightforward home cooking. Our simple chicken breast fillet with horseradish cream sauce and a mixture of roast root vegetables could easily have sat under the ‘Traditional Nordic Dishes’ section of the menu along with stegt rødspætte (pan-fried plaice with melted butter and carrots).
Noiya - 3/6
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - With tandoor stations and curry houses on every high street in London, trying to stand out can be exhausting for a new Indian restaurant. Then there’s the vetting by food connoisseurs who expect more than tikka masala and rogan josh. To cope with this, Noiya, a recent addition to Lavender Hill, lines up the mainstays but redeems itself with imaginative specials...From the signature column we chose hydra lamb, succulent chunks stewed with chickpeas in a rich tomato and cumin gravy which soaked right into the nariyal pilau, basmati rice steamed with sweet coconut shavings.
The Bull & Last - 5/6
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - We’ve visited the Bull & Last on several occasions since it reopened, and enjoyed hearty braised ox cheek with parsley risotto and roast marrow and cassoulet – the latter dish is for two officially, but, like all good cassoulets, it felt like it could feed the 5,000. Lighter options such as Cornish hake served with broad bean, shallot and potato salad showed judicious hands at work in the kitchen.
Chaat - 3/6
Thursday, October 16, 2008 - At the last count, the ‘Indian’ restaurant tally in Brick Lane stood at more than 50 – a mix of old-style curry houses, Bangladeshi fast-food counters and trendier refits. Chaat, which means ‘snack food’, is none of the above. It’s a welcoming, home-style Bangladeshi kitchen just beyond the northern end of London’s most famous curry corridor.
TeaSmith - 3/6
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - Tea Smith is aimed at tea-drinkers who want something more. It's a new shop and tea room in Old Spitalfields Market, run by a husband-and-wife team, John Kennedy and Tomoko Kawase. It's not the first of its kind - Postcard Teas and Tea Palace are also notable - but it's the most ambitious so far.
Valentine's Day offers at restaurants all over London - 
