All reader reviews by Peter, Fitzrovia
Queen's Head and Artichoke
Went here for Sunday lunch on Mother's day. Food was wonderful and I think pretty amazing value. We ate in the upsatirs dining room which had a good atmosphere, although a little noisy with babys (though can't complain on Mother's day really).
Service may not have been massively friendly (as noted below) but it was extremely efficient, polite and the waiters took care of requests perfectly.
Definitely recommended
Monday, March 03, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Massala Hut
We go here a lot, it's very good for a local curry and I think the prices are very reasonable. Always found the waiters to be on the ball and I think portions are generous.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Green Door Steakhouse
We sort of stumbled upon this restaurant last night and I have to say it was fantastic!
It reminded me a lot of restaurants you find in New York with a quality bar, straight forward menu, great quality food, good service and modern but still cosy decor.
I started with aspargus spears which were huge and cooked with balsamic. The Mrs had a fillet steak which she raved about and I had a great big lamb shank with mash. Didn't try the dessert but two courses and drinks came to a little over £60. Good stuff!
I'm sure that we'll be going back soon.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
St John
I thought St John was excellent. I was slightly dubious about the whole offal thing (a touch of the Emperors new clothes perhaps) but it was actually truely tasty and subtley flavoured. Would recommend the venison heart in particular if its on.
Service was freindly if a tad slow, surroundings were sparse but fitting and the price was probably spot on. And to handle the sizeable puddings you'll need a stomach as big as your eyes.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Shillibeers
Lovely burgers in the bar, decent atomsphere but drinks are on the pricey side.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Eagle Bar Diner
Nice bar but not so hot as a restaurant. The burgers and fries were pretty disappointing for somewhere calling itself a diner. Nice milkshakes though.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Overall rating 
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Golden House
A great little gem of a restaurant. We just got back on a Friday evening, where it was busy, but not crazy, and the service was excellent. Food was a pretty usual chinese menu selection but with a few different dishes as well.
Everything we had was good quality, tasty and arrived quickly. No complaints what so ever, we had a great time for a great price.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Imli
Imli comes across as wanting to be something of a calmer alternative to Masala Zone. It actually does this very well with the ambience and decor, but the food and service let it down.
When we first arrived we were pleased to see the very reasonable prices on the menu. We also opted for the Imli dinner (or some such name) which was £10.95 for 3 savoury dishes plus dessert. Here is where our first problem arose, the staff couldn't agree on which dishes were part of the 'weekly changing menu' that week which left us slightly confused. The service throughout it must be said was slow sometimes, rushed at others and not all that friendly, but not terrible.
The savoury food was bland and HOT, we had potato cakes, grilled fish and a chicken durghar curry. The sorbet however was superb! Something about the dishes was just not quite right, and not as flaovourful as Masala Zones offerings.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Overall rating 
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Cleveland Kitchen
On London's best street for great and underappreciated good value restaurants, nice little italian with great staff, a fairly inventive menu and a good wine list. The atmosphere is uperb.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Bodean's BBQ
We come here on an almost weekly basis - it's just that good! And now they are doing lamb ribs! These by the way are massive and very fatty, I'd recommend trying them the once but I'll be going back to the standard pork version next time.
Anyway, great food, a good bit of Americana, US sport on the tv, good beers, freindly and efficient staff. Also Pig out for a tenner on Monday Wednesday and steak night on Tuesday are great value.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
J. Sheekey
I was expecting a lot from Sheekey, but even though the food was pretty good (fish and chips aside - anything from a chippy would be better but I should have known that) the service was very very poor, verging on rude. Nice surroundings if they give you a good table, horrible and noisy otherwise. Oh and a pretentious attitude towards their customers.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Chimes
Chimes of Pimlico has a few things going for it, namely an excellent choice of ciders (incl perry) and some proper English cooking. It's also got a bit of a 70's thing going on and it's a bit quiet (though I did go early evening). It's not bad value and I'd say worth going for the cider alone.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Rules
I'm not sure how Rules has recieved the bad reviews listed below. I went for my 25th birthday last night and thought it was great! Service was impeccible, the food was quality traditional fare and I liked the atmosphere. If you want something a bit trendy, this isn't the place for you, but if you love great British cooking, proper service and historic surroundings I'd recommenr Rules. And though I feared it may be over-run by tourists, I noted that most of the customers were English, and probably regulars.
Prices aren't cheap, but I think they are good value.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Taormina
It's old-school and fantastic. I had a wonderful Penne Marinara and I'll definitely be going back thanks to the great prices and service. Not sure why they cahrge 50p cover though?
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Masala Zone (Earls Court)
I've now been to all 3 Masala Zone's and although all are great, this is probably the pick of the bunch. The staff are just that bit more organised and the atmosphere is a lot calmer than Soho. Very good food, very good prices.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Belgo Centraal
In recently visited Belgo for the first time in a long time. The first thing I noted is how smokey it is. These days many restaurants are banning smoking, (they will all have to sooner or later), so this was a slightly bizarre experience. And we were sat next to a couple of real dragons!
Anyway, food mediocre, beer great, staff friendly but service poor.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Archipelago
We just got back from a wonderful evening at Archipelago. It was definitely one of the best dining experiences I have had, the atmosphere and decor is amazing and fun, the food is certainly interesting! But great flavours and choice. Service was good and there is little to complain about and much to recommend. It's a bit pricey but you get a lot for your money and there are certainly no other restaurants that can offer any kind of exotic experience like Archipelago!!!!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Terra
Is it just me, or does Terra actually keep getting better. Wonderful food, great menu and specials, buzzy atomsphere and the best service in London bar none! I cannot speak highly enough of it!
Friday, September 15, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Da Paolo
I went here recently for a quiet dinner with my girlfriend, and it was great! Wonderful service, great fresh food, good prices, all in all superb. Another good neighbourhood eatery! Maybe the best Italian in the area.....
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Strada (Marylebone)
Rude and lousy service, terribly uncomfy seating, tiny portion sizes... all in all a great time then! 2/10
Friday, September 01, 2006
Overall rating 
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Sollys
The food is pretty good but we didn't have a great time here. It's a very noisy restaurant and the waitress wasn't exactly polite.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 4
Ramen Taro - 2
Taro is a really excellent restaurant. Its great value and offers a good range of Japenese food, both of the sushi and noodle variety. The sushi is better than Yo! and the noodles are better than Wagamama and Busaba and come in much larger portions at lower prices! Also its very unpretentious and a friendly place to be. Highly recommended!
Friday, August 18, 2006
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
The Crazy Bear
Ok so I'm going to be a bit biased here because this is where a few days ago I proposed to my my girlfriend, and she said yes!
But regardless of that event, the Crazy Bear was one of, if not the, best restaurants I've ever been to. The decor of the place is absolutley amazing, the service is top notch and very friendly and the food is really superb. I would recommend the prawn and apple rolls.
But it's the atmosphere that really sets this place apart, both in the very relaxing restaurant and in the buzzy bar downstairs. Oh and the strangest toilets in the world! (Be careful!).
Wine list is good and the prices are pretty reasonable considering.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Itsu (Soho)
Much better than Yo! Sushi. Good service and a nice cosy atmosphere. Real Sushi fans may find the menu limited but novices such as myself can find lots of things to try.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Agra Restaurant
Possibly the best curry in London! Superb service and food at amazingly reasonable prices, and some great photos on the wall. Agra is wonderful!
Monday, March 27, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Bodean's BBQ (Clapham)
Bodean's Clapham is pretty different to it's parent restaurant in Soho, but it's just as good! Popped in here for lunch on Saturday and had a Jumbo Soho Special sandwich with fries and coleslaw, mmmmm tasty bbq meat. Remember to add lots of hickory sauce! Also remember that at lunch time the soda has free top ups, the waitress might forget!
Bodean's is the best thing in Clapham, though that's not saying much is it? Strongly recommended none the less...
Monday, February 20, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
The Four Lanterns
The Four Lanterns is yet another superb restaurant on Cleveland St, London's best generally undiscovered culinary hotspot!
Dining here on valentines day, we had the Mezze, which was incredible value, the plates just kept coming, and was absolutley delicious! With friendly staff and a great atmosphere I couldn't recommend The Four Lanterns more highly.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
The Porterhouse
Decent pub grub, hard to find a seat, quick service, disappointing lack of Irish dishes.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Pierre Victoire
5 of us went here for lunch on Saturday. I had booked ahead but the waitress seemed slightly suprised that there were 5 of us?! The lunch menu was exceptional value at only £6.90 for two quality courses. Lots of choice on the menu and the standard of the dishes was very good for a lunch time deal.
The only negatives were our seats, next to the fridge and the fact that the wait staff were fairly overwhelmed by the crowds, it was totally packed. They did a fair old job coping though so respect to them.
Recommended.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10
Tootsies (Bond Street)
I went here last night for a birthday meal. We came because of the burgers which sounded great on the Tootsies website.
The restaurant was pretty good but I expected a bit more, like a proper glass for my leffe and some cosier seating. The service was quite good, not great, the meat was excellent. I went for the burger with everything on bar the kitchen sink, which was probably a mistake as it was too much to handle and the bread soon got soggy. My girlfriends Jalepeno and Avocado concoction seemed better. Great portion sizes though.
Overall a pretty good joint, and I would return to try something a little more manageable
Friday, February 10, 2006
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Fifteen
My girlfriend is a big Jamie Oliver fan so chose to go to Fifteen for her birthday meal last night.
The first thing that struck me was the size of the restaurant, I had expected it to be a lot bigger! The decor was very good though, pretty funky and laid back. Which was also clearly the look and feel that the wait staff were going for as well.
On to the food. Fifteen only serve their 6 course tasting menu for dinner, of which you only get to choose courses 3 and 4. I actually didn't mind this at all as it made me try some foods I may not have otherwise chosen. All courses were good, the gnocchi being the best. The best description of the food maybe that it looks exactly like its come from a Jamie Oliver cookbook (but a lot neater than you make at home). Ingredients were clearly fresh and well sourced.
Overall it was a very enjoyable experience, slightly below haute cuisine but with a preferable more informal atomsphere. Pretty expensive mind!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
La Menara
Right next door to the excellent Terra on Cleveland Street sits this equally wonderful little Morroccan restaurant. The front area is reserved mainly for people drinking and smoking the old hubbly bubbly, but at the back there is a wonderfully cosy dining area.
The food here is great, very reasonably priced and comes in generous portions. Service is friendly and efficient. I would certainly recommend La Menara and will be going back! Cleveland Street may be the best hidden culinary destination in London!
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Dim T (Charlotte St)
What a great little restaurant!
Don't go to Dim T expecting a massive range of Dim Sum, the restaurants name is a little decieving. What you really have here is the next logical progression from Wagamama. There is a good choice of dumplings etc.. available for starters, and then noodle dishes, currys and sladas for mains. The cuisine is very much pan-asian.
But on to the praise... The decor is relaxed, modern, crisp but intimate, this is no canteen. The service is friendly and pretty efficient and the food really is superb!!! We shared duck dumplings and scallop dumplings to start, and I followed with my own choice of noodle dish.
I really couldn't recommened Dim T more highly. If you already like Wagamama and Busaba, give Dim T a try, it's much better!
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Simpson's-in-the-Strand Grand Divan
Old school British restaurant, seemingly very popular with tourists. Slightly bizarre ancient interior and staff uniforms that could do with a bit of an update. Great attentive service though and lovely beef and yorkshire.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Soba (Poland Street)
The food at Soba is pretty good - the usual good value noodle bar fare. But the interior of the restaurant is miserable. They could at least have tried to decorate it, dinner at Soba feels like eating dinner in your Dad's garage. And that I can assure you is not a godd thing........
Friday, December 02, 2005
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Annex 3
I went to Annex 3 (that's Annex 'trois' by the way) for a romantic meal during its opening week. I must say that the only real reason we went was because of their opening half price food offer, but anway.....
The location is the old Stanley's sausage restaurant, but the interior has been transformed dramatically. The decor is extravagant and very 'maximalist' - each part of the restaurant is themed in some outlandishly lavish way. We were sat under pac-man painted ceilings next to an illminous disco wall. Other areas are more industrial or more galmourous, its a real mixed bag but it works well, almost seamlessly.
Annex 3 is I think primarily a restaurant, but also has a large bar area. So onto the food..... The cuisine is mostly French fusion and there seemed to be a heavy emphasis towards fish on the menu. My frogs legs were good, my steak was superb altough a side order of potatoes is pretty much required if you want to leave with a full belly. Ice cream trio for desert was top notch, although a bit like angel delight in one case It was pretty pricey, so thank goodness for the half price deal, and the wines started at £20+.
We tried a cocktail too which was amazing and would be tempted to come back here maybe more for drinks than for dinner.
Service was pretty good though a little slow. With Annex 3 you are really going for the atomsphere.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 6
