All reader reviews by Anonymous

Med Kitchen (West End)

Went to this place for a Saturday night meal for two but sorry to say that I wouldn’t recommend Med Kitchen or go again.

My Moroccan sausages with cous cous, though delivered quickly, was a disappointment. For some reason they served an eggcup sized portion of cous cous and a large side of chips which is rather an ill-thought combination I thought! We opted for a mid-priced bottle of wine at £17. For that price you generally get something pretty nice in most London restaurants and bars, but I’ve had much better for £12 elsewhere. Banoffee pie is a safe choice and was actually a pleasant end to the meal. It went a little way towards sweetening the taste of the bill when it came, though at over £60 for two (two courses and bottle of wine) it was hardly good value.

If you are looking for a reliable/inexpensive choice of restaurant in London and prefer to play it safe by going to a chain restaurant, then there are far better options than Med Kitchen. Avoid it and go for Strada or even Spaghetti House.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 4

O Cantinho de Portugal

In short, the food was quite disappointing and overpriced for the area.

On arrival, I really liked the casual atmosphere of the place and with its bar and coffee machine behind the snack counter and football blaring out of the TV – it really had a continental feel. Staff were welcoming and polite and swiftly brought us a fresh basket of bread and some tasty olives. My glass of house red was very pleasant and my partner was perfectly happy with his bottle of Sagres. Things were going well. We felt pleased about this ‘new find’ and based on the many great reviews of this restaurant were looking forward to our main course. Sadly, these really let the place down. My cod with potatoes and cream was nothing more than a hot fishy potato salad with very little fish. It would have been fine as a little side dish for something else, but certainly not worth £12. My partner’s steak in sauce with chips was also nothing special at all. When we got the bill we noticed they had also charged us for bread and olives which we wouldn’t have minded if the food had been good.

I really wanted to like this restaurant, but I’m afraid I won’t be returning. It wasn’t a patch on any of the food I had while on holiday in Portugal – sorry Cantinho! If you live in the vicinity, I imagine O Cantinho would be a good place to drop in for an espresso and cake or a drink or two, but I’m afraid I can’t really recommend it for anything else.

Thursday, May 06, 2010
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4

Zizzi (Wigmore St)

Never been to this chain before and went to this branch with the buy one get one free offer. Zizzi’s boasts about its special ovens on the menu so it was an obvious choice to try the pizzas. Unfortunately, they were a big disappointment. Though the ingredients seemed fresh enough, both of the pizzas we ordered were really too dry, stingy on the toppings and lacking in flavor. I wouldn’t recommend this chain for pizzas - even with the special offer.

Monday, July 27, 2009
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 6

Yvonne's Thai Cuisine at The Kings Arms

This may not be the most exquisite thai cuisine in the capital, but it's very good value and the amount of punters piling into the dining area at the back of this pub is a tesimony to that. Most dishes come in at under £8 (including the rice if it's a curry) which is excellent value. I would far rather come here for a good thai curry or tasty stirfry than pay three times the price in a pretentious gastro pub. Service is very quick.

Monday, April 20, 2009
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10

The Rye Hotel

I'm not normally a fan of so-called 'Gastro Pubs' with their flouncy and ridiculously over-stated menus. Too many of these places seem to think diners will be fooled into thinking their food is something special just because they have sunblushed tomatoes, rocket and parmesan salads and pan-fried this that or the other on their menus. 99% of these places are pretentious and charge way over the odds for their very average to poor dishes. However, I’m pleased to say as a regular visitor to this pub that the quality of the food is consistently very good whether you go for a chicken and mushroom pie or a Thai curry. They may overstate their menu from time to time (I once sampled “Fillet of John Dory in a Japanese crumb with a pea and mint puree and chunky chips”), but as it was one of the nicest plates of fish and chips I’ve ever had then I can excuse them!

Monday, April 20, 2009
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9

Zeret Kitchen

If you fancy trying a new cuisine for a change, then Zeret Kitchen is an excellent place to go. The surroundings are neat, clean and modern. It's nothing frilly or fussy, but then this is the genuine Ethiopian experience. The charming staff are very welcoming, and more then happy to explain about their country's cuisine. One of our party did not like the flatbread that most dishes are served on and but were more than happy to offer alternatives. If you want to eat in the traditional way, they will also do a little demonstration of how to scoop the food up in the bread with your hand, but knives and forks are readily available for the inexperienced! There are as many vegetarian dishes available as meat, all around the £7 mark so it is also great value. Don't miss out on the coffee ceremony at the end where they bring the smoking beans to your table prior to preparation. When the coffee finally arrives the final delight is a bowl of sweet popcorn which is a nice touch.

I would recommend this restaurant.

Monday, January 26, 2009
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9