All reader reviews by -K-
Thai Eighteen
When we can't face cooking, we usually head to Thai & Co in Finchley for a quick dinner but last night we decided to try out this new-ish addition to Hadley Wood.
It looks great - someone has obviously gone to a lot of trouble over the design because the smart furniture, cute waiting area and photos of Thailand look really good.
The menu has all the familiar favourites you'd expect, alongside some interesting specials and seafood dishes. The scallops with asparagus were excellent - plump juicy scallops cooked to perfection, though we would have preferred baby asparagus as the bigger stalks can be a bit tough. My yellow chicken curry with chicken and new potatoes was fresh and flavoursome, with a nice slow-burning heat. Vegetable tempura deserves a mention too as it wasn't oily at all, just light and crisp as it should be.
For the area and the quality, we thought the price was reasonable and we'll definitely be back to pick up takeaways. (They deliver but only to Hadley Wood). Service was good too. This place should do very well - especially as locals are less inclined to go into central London for sloppy service and over-priced food these days!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
The Distillers (Smithfield)
Having been unable to squeeze into the packed Fox & Anchor nearby, we ended up here for lunch today and it was pleasantly surprising. The interior is less traditional than some of the old world pubs nearby, with its velvet banquettes and sparkly chandeliers, but it's comfortable and unfussy so no complaints.
Like everywhere else in EC1, it's not cheap but the food was well worth what we paid - £35-ish for 2 mains, 2 desserts, and 3 soft drinks. My linguini with pumpkin and spinach sauce was tasty and filling, without being too heavy, and the chips deserve a special mention for being deliciously crisp on the outside and perfectly fluffy in the middle. (They are a definite rival to the Fox's giant wedges!)
New York cheesecake arrived with a shot of Belgian chocolate liqueur, leaving me unsure whether I was supposed to down it or pour it over the cheesecake. (I ended up doing both). It went down very well with some good quality chocolate ice-cream stolen from my colleague's generous bowlful.
It's possibly a weird thing to mention, but the toilets are beautiful. Hazardous if you're half cut, as they're down a flight of stairs, round a few corners and past another chandelier, but they're super clean and done out in shimmery mosaic tiles and huge gilt mirrors. A far cry from some of the grubby washrooms in other EC1 pubs.
Service was good to start, with the lovely Luigi taking our order and dutifully reciting the specials, but it tailed off after we'd eaten and we had to go up to the bar to order dessert. It was after 2:30 by then, though, so they were probably all due a break.
It's nice to be able to wax lyrical about a lunch spot near the office, because there are so many decidedly average and over-priced eateries in Clerkenwell. I'll definitely be back.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
The Establishment
We live miles away in Herts but made a special trip here to celebrate my Mum's birthday and it was well worth the journey. On a Sunday lunchtime, it was buzzing with families in the dining room, couples in the bar and well-heeled young locals tucking into huge burgers in the al fresco area. We were greeted by Sal, the lovely front of house lady, and took our seats in the dining area just off the bar.
My parents thoroughly enjoyed the roast Galloway beef, which came with enough vegetables to feed a small army and piping hot gravy. My brother's haddock (with light, crunchy beer batter) and chips was equally well received.
I was disappointed that the pea and broad bean risotto I'd been looking forward to had disappeared from the menu, but luckily it had been replaced with a more seasonal butternut squash and sage version. Deliciously creamy, topped with chunks of sweet roasted squash and pumpkin seeds - it was perfect.
I couldn't resist the sticky toffee pudding with rum butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice-cream for dessert, but I made the mistake of telling everyone how light and moist it was and ended up fending off three invading spoons!
The bill was very reasonable, considering the area and the quality of the food, and our only complaint that day was about the traffic in Chelsea on the way home. I'll certainly be back!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Raduno Lounge
Drinks are ok, but the food is grim. Everything we ordered, even the chips, were greasy. We could taste it all afternoon - and that's no good thing. Burgers looked ok but there are plenty of pubs in the area serving up much better food so there's really no excuse to find yourself here for lunch.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 2 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Hola
When Café Neo closed and we heard that a tapas bar had taken its place, we thought we’d give it a try. It’s a small one-room restaurant on Whetstone High Road, so we weren’t expecting the next Barrafina but we didn’t think it would turn out to be the worst meal we’ve had the displeasure of paying for this year.
From the second we sat down, we knew we’d made a mistake. The owner was behind the bar, criticising the staff in full view of us and the one other table that was occupied. A lovely American waitress brought our drinks and told me it was her first attempt at a Mojito so she hoped it was ok. It was perfect - plenty of crushed ice, fresh mint and juicy lime wedges. Sadly, this was to be the only highlight of the meal.
First, a mute Polish waitress brought us stale bread and then tried to insist it was fresh. We were eventually brought fresh bread, but there’s really no excuse for serving up yesterday’s chewy baguette to anyone. Next came Serrano ham, which was a little greasy but otherwise fine. Garlic mushrooms came swimming in tasteless butter that could have done with a couple more cloves and some black pepper. Edible, but hardly the tasty champiñones al ajillo we make at home.
The three worst offenders were the pimientos de padrón, the Spanish omelette and the patatas bravas. The pimientos were greasy and completely devoid of the rock salt that makes them so delicious. When we asked for some rock salt, we were told to use the salt on the table (no) or the miniscule amount of rock salt that came with the oil and balsamic for the bread. The patatas bravas were clearly roasted, not fried, which is just plain wrong. The sauce arrived separately - something I’ve never encountered before - and it was clearly from a jar and had never seen a fresh tomato, garlic or parsley. It was hot, thin and bright orange. The 'Spanish omelette' was not cooked in the middle so neither of us touched it.
While we’d been struggling to decide which of these dishes we could actually eat, the owner had sat down at the table behind us to re-write a menu and continually made nasty, sarcastic comments to both waitresses. The American girl shrugged them off, but the Polish girl clearly didn’t understand his insults, which made them seem especially cruel. It’s unnecessary to be rude to your staff anyway, but to do so in full view of your customers is completely unacceptable. We only hope that both girls see sense and seek alternative employment elsewhere.
Having eaten very little, we asked for the bill and watched as the owner snarled, 'But they haven't eaten anything!'. He asked for the omelette to be brought to him so he could poke it and discuss it with the waitress in the middle of the restaurant. Very unprofessional. It was taken off the bill but it was still painful to pay the remaining £30.
I can’t see this place lasting long, unless the residents of Whetstone have completely lost their sense of taste. It seems a shame, because a really good tapas bar would make a welcome addition to the area and Hola just fails on so many levels. Definitely one to avoid.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 1 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
