All reader reviews by mresta

Beyoglu

The take away here is unbeatable and fantastic value. The only downside is they've introduced a buffet option. One night my partner and I decided to eat-in. The waitress they had that night kept rudely pushing it, saying "DO YOU WANT BUFFET?" (She pronounced it buff-ett, as in a blow, not the smorgasboard.). Which we had to repeatedly tell her no, unfortunately it means we've been put off eating in, but will continue getting take-aways.

Thursday, June 19, 2008
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10

Clos Maggiore

Went to Clos Maggiore for my birthday. From the moment we arrived til we left it was truly a very special evening. The staff where attentive without being overbearing, they seems to be there right when you need them and seem to have a sixth sense when you want some privacy. And the venue is absolutely stunning!

The food was nothing short of amazing (especially the wild mushroom open lasagna) and a wine list to make the biggest wine buff happy (a heavy ring binder displaying nearly 100 pages of wines), though as myself and my partner, while appreciate wine, know nothing about it and opted to have a glass of the recommended wines with our respective meals, which proved a much better idea since we got to try and variety of wines with different courses.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7

Sirous Tapas Bar & Restaurant

Been here countless times after I met Mr. Sirous at Staples, where I worked very briefly, printing out his old menus. Since then I've taken my parents, my partner's mother and we've always had a great time, it's one of those places you feel instantly comfortable (speaking of which, I'm still trying to work out how to steal one of those red couches...)

The service, the food, the value are always brilliant and packed even on a Tuesday night, booking is VERY recommended for weekends. If you fancy brunch, indulge in a Spanish omelette, but you might want to share it with some one else as they're quite big.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10

Mela

Went for the first time on Friday night, after being turned down at a few restaurants (we hadn't booked, it was an impromptu celebration), we went into Mela. The maître d' approached us and said they were fully booked (my partner looked crestfallen as it smelled so good in there and started to leave). The maître d' laughed and said he was joking and said of course he had a table for us, he tries to keep double tables in case couples show up and chatted for a bit while our table was being set up.

The service was fantastic and perfectly paced, not too fast or slow, but the real star of the show was the food. We have never come away from an Indian meal thinking the vegetable dish was the star (we normally order 2 meat dishes and one veg). We had ordered Ameenabadi Aloo: potatoes stuffed with cashew nuts, raisins and pomegranate seeds, among other things and it tasted fantastic with the right amount of heat. Our next favorite was the rabbit dish, though it we thought the combination of rabbit meat with the soft shell crab's sauce would be an idea worth trying. A pity we were too stuffed to try and of the deserts and with half bottles of wine on the menu, it makes a worth while visit for those who want a little wine with their food without buying a whole bottle.

Monday, May 19, 2008
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8