All reader reviews by Hopey

Duke's Brew & Que

Came here on Friday with a good friend for beers and food.

The beer selection on draught and bottled is seriously good. Lot's of US favourites such as Blue Moon and Flying Dog, as well as local favs from Camden and Meantime. Well, after a couple of these to wet the appetite we were ready for some meat.

We ordered beef ribs, sirloin steak, fries and pork sliders. The steak was big (14oz) and delicious, as were the epic beef ribs - lot's of big smokey, crispy flavours. They certainly don't scrimp on portions here. We also tried the pork ribs as an extra which were surprisingly spicy and really, really good.

The star here for me though is the pulled pork sliders, served on brioche buns with slaw - wow! Sooo goood! Pure melt in the mouth awesomeness!

All the staff were friendly and lively - this place has a real buzz about it. We left full and happy. Top night.

Will def be back soon to try the brunch menu!

Sunday, April 08, 2012
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8

Momo

Came here for a birthday meal today.

This place is a joke.

I agree with the previous comments re the staff attitude - it's very bad, uneducated (in terms of the food they're serving) and often inappropriate.

Over priced beyond belief too - don't forget to buy the book, lamp and CD (£17!) on the way out.

Oh and the food is bad, bland and boring.

Saturday, October 29, 2011
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0

Cote (Soho)

They used to do a really good breakfast here. Nice grilled sweet cured bacon and sausage with all the usual full english elements, I especially liked the freshness of ingredients and lack of grease (even though the staff have always been generally baffoon-like).

This is sadly not the case anymore and hasn't been for a while.

After multiple mishaps I had my last ever breakfast here yesterday. Cold toast again and fatty flacid bacon covered in white water/fat juice which had clearly never been near a grill. That's 11 quid with service charge and a coffee. Eggs were ok.

Will not be going back.. Avoid for breakfast.

Monday, August 01, 2011
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2

L'Eto Caffe (Soho)

came here hoping for some breakfast with a friend recently...

Me "Can I have a menu please?"

Staff "It's on the wall there"

Me "There are no prices against any of the food items listed"

Staff "What do you want?"

Me "I'd like a menu with prices please"

Staff "Sorry we don't actually have...errrm"

Me "Knowing the price of items has a big impact on deciding what we might order"

Staff "What do you want?"

Me "I'd like a menu with prices please"

Staff "Yeah, sorry we don't have one really"

Me "Bye"

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0

Venosi

Dined here last night with 8 friends and we had a wonderful time.

The welcome from the all the staff made you feel relaxed and the service was top notch throughout the meal without being intrusive. Modern but comfortable decor.

Good selection of wines with some very reasonably priced reds. Lovely olive bread to eat whilst deciding what to have - so nice in fact I'd have been happy with a basket full, some butter and a bottle of wine!

I had the prawns with chilli and wine, which were delicious, followed by the pork cheeks. They came with a red wine sauce and saffron mash - perfect for a cold winter evening - with bags of flavour. A tasty apple tart with ice cream rounded off a fantastic meal. All my friends were very pleased with their dishes - I tried some of the beef fillet with brandy sauce which was melt in the mouth divine.

As mentioned on the website, all the ladies in the group received a rose from the owner Luigi which was a nice touch - everyone left full of great food and very happy.

Would definitely go back. Recommended.

Sunday, January 30, 2011
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9

Jamie's Italian (Covent Garden)

I was pleasantly surprised dining here with 3 friends.

The olives are the best I've had anywhere and the meat plank platters went down well with everyone. Good selection of breads too.

I had the lamb lollipops for main which sound odd but were really juicy and tasty, though I'd leave the nut dips they come with.

The wines were reasonably priced - as was the whole meal. All the staff were attentive, knowledgeable and very friendly.

It's not what you'd call authentic Italian cuisine, but makes for a fun, tasty meal in a buzzy place with decent food.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8

Royal Dragon

The best chinese in Chinatown in my opinion. Nice clean, modern restaurant with very friendly staff.

Very tasty food, but without the grease and msg often found in chinese cooking.

The salt and pepper squid is stunning - I could eat it all night. Lovely crispy duck and good selection of usual chinese favourites.

The only gripe I have is that the ribs are very small, hardly worth bothering with.

Would recommend the Royal Dragon to anyone for dine in or takeaway.

Monday, November 29, 2010
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7

Arbutus

Been here a few times over the last few years for lunch and dinner.

The service is always very friendly and accomodating, especially when I've just dropped in on the off chance without a booking.

Some of the dishes can be unusual as they use a lot of offal, tongue, pigs head etc. but they are always interesting. The squid and mackerel burgers are really good, as are the chicken wings.

The star dish for me is the saddle of rabbit with shoulder pie, which is simply delicious. I always try to order a different main course but always end up choosing this dish - when something's this good though why not? I hope they keep it on the menu for a long time to come.

Nice selection of breads and wines. Desserts are ok, but lack a bit of wow factor. The restaurant itself could do with warming up a little in terms of temperature and feel - though they have made good use of the limited space they have. These are small gripes though for an otherwise great restaurant - I always leave here happy.

The pre-theatre menu is also a bargain at £18.95 for 3 courses in a Michelin starred restaurant. Recommended.

Monday, November 29, 2010
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8

Bodean's (Soho)

Love coming here for the Jacob's Ladder ribs! They are simply amazing. I don't know of any other place in London that servers beef ribs like these. Be warned though - if you have a starter you'll struggle to get through them.

The fries are good, though the chicken wings and home made coleslaw can be very bit hit and miss. Service is generally friendly.

Very comfortable dining experience in the downstairs restaurant. A great place to have a cold beer, some good hearty food and catch a bit of baseball.

Monday, November 29, 2010
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8