Latest reviews for Restaurants in London, United Kingdom

Los Locos - Excellent fun at really good value for money by Murcus22

Murcus22 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:58:31 +0000

Review by Murcus22

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7379 0220

Website: http://www.los-locos.co.uk

Iâ¬"ve been to Los Locos twice, first with my company & then I took my girlfriend. On both occasions I had an absolutely brilliant time. We ate heartedly, drank copiously & danced till 3 in the morning. The food was really good quality and there was loads of it. Considering the price we paid, I was very surprised. I have to say the value for money was spot on. Itâ¬"s not like I donâ¬"t like paying for quality as Iâ¬"ve recently been to the Wolseley on Piccadilly which was fabulous but certainly not good value for money. The price of drinks at Los Locos is more like what Iâ¬"d expect to pay at a local bar not a West End nightclub.
We had shooters, cocktails and some rather naughty top shelf spirits, none of which broke the bank. The clientele youâ¬"ll find when the nightclub starts about 11pm are quite diverse which made for a really fun atmosphere. Lotâ¬"s of large groups of clubbers, all letting their hair down and really going for it. We met lots of really nice people even though weâ¬"d never met them before. That makes a nice change from the usual stuck up bunch you find in most clubs. The music was varied and kept at a great pace all night so we danced the whole night none stop. The staff were affable and some of them really funny and we ended up getting a free Los Locos T-Shirt, how cool is that! If itâ¬"s plentiful good honest food and drinks in a fun atmosphere and some dancing afterwards, Los Locos will not disappoint!
Iâ¬"ve been to Los Locos twice, first with my company & then I took my girlfriend. On both occasions I had an absolutely brilliant time. We ate heartedly, drank copiously & danced till 3 in the morning. The food was really good quality and there was loads of it. Considering the price we paid, I was very surprised. I have to say the value for money was spot on. Itâ¬"s not like I donâ¬"t like paying for quality as Iâ¬"ve recently been to the Wolseley on Piccadilly which was fabulous but certainly not good value for money. The price of drinks at Los Locos is more like what Iâ¬"d expect to pay at a local bar not a West End nightclub.
We had shooters, cocktails and some rather naughty top shelf spirits, none of which broke the bank. The clientele youâ¬"ll find when the nightclub starts about 11pm are quite diverse which made for a really fun atmosphere. Lotâ¬"s of large groups of clubbers, all letting their hair down and really going for it. We met lots of really nice people even though weâ¬"d never met them before. That makes a nice change from the usual stuck up bunch you find in most clubs. The music was varied and kept at a great pace all night so we danced the whole night none stop. The staff were affable and some of them really funny and we ended up getting a free Los Locos T-Shirt, how cool is that! If itâ¬"s plentiful good honest food and drinks in a fun atmosphere and some dancing afterwards, Los Locos will not disappoint!

Butlers Wharf Chop House - Fantastic location - not matched by the food by oogywawa

oogywawa — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:46:52 +0000

Review by oogywawa

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7403 3403

Website: http://www.conran.co.uk

Tags: lively, crowded, expensive

On a balmy night in London overlooking Tower Bridge there can't be many better places to spend a couple of culinary hours. It's about as good as it gets and the newly gentrified Shad Thames area makes a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of the well worn paths to the doors of West End eateries.

It trumpets itself as serving "British Classics" and sadly delivered "Carry On" food rather than Shakespeare...

On the night I eat recently, the food was not as good as I had a right to expect given that we paid around Â£70 per head in our group. Rather than cooking that demonstrated talent and verve, we got competence which was more than a little disappointing. Small things such a dry cardboard bread was not a good omen for what followed and whilst there was nothing heineously wrong with our food it just didn't excite. I had 4 small lamb cutlets, all bizarrely differently cooked - varying from rare to medium, the accompanying veg was overcooked, the steaks came as served and not one of our party was consulted as to how they wanted them - 2 were returned as one was blue and the other well done !!!

The desserts were all of Sara Lee standard and the cheese board came as advertised - Cheese with bread that had the consistency of Board...

Conran have taken this under their wing and much needs to be done to lift the food standard to befit the location. The much trailed surly service to be fair has disappeared and staff were bright & helpful, but Butlers Wharf's continued absence in any noteworthy food guides is some way off being remedied judging by this experience.On a balmy night in London overlooking Tower Bridge there can't be many better places to spend a couple of culinary hours. It's about as good as it gets and the newly gentrified Shad Thames area makes a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of the well worn paths to the doors of West End eateries.

It trumpets itself as serving "British Classics" and sadly delivered "Carry On" food rather than Shakespeare...

On the night I eat recently, the food was not as good as I had a right to expect given that we paid around Â£70 per head in our group. Rather than cooking that demonstrated talent and verve, we got competence which was more than a little disappointing. Small things such a dry cardboard bread was not a good omen for what followed and whilst there was nothing heineously wrong with our food it just didn't excite. I had 4 small lamb cutlets, all bizarrely differently cooked - varying from rare to medium, the accompanying veg was overcooked, the steaks came as served and not one of our party was consulted as to how they wanted them - 2 were returned as one was blue and the other well done !!!

The desserts were all of Sara Lee standard and the cheese board came as advertised - Cheese with bread that had the consistency of Board...

Conran have taken this under their wing and much needs to be done to lift the food standard to befit the location. The much trailed surly service to be fair has disappeared and staff were bright & helpful, but Butlers Wharf's continued absence in any noteworthy food guides is some way off being remedied judging by this experience.

The Kiwi Kitchen - Great by andrewl

andrewl — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:26:00 +0000

Review by andrewl

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7610 1972

Website: http://www.thekiwikitchen.co.uk

Tags: good value, relaxed, lively

Cocktails and antipodean-sized filling foodCocktails and antipodean-sized filling food

Piada - Piadines by walid

walid — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:17:39 +0000

Review by walid

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7253 0472

Website: http://www.piada.co.uk

Tags: italian, crowded, good value

As littlevegemite's review explains, paidines are filled flatbread which with the right ingredients taste delicious. I've been there before and today had the chance to have another bite at one of their famous Piadines. They have 16 different varieties of piadines. Piadine zero for example has salame milanese and stracchine cheese, piadine nove has bresaola and parmesan and the one I had today is the piadine uno which comes with prosciutto and mozzarella. Whatever piadine you take you can pretty much guaranteed that the filling ingredients are quite fresh and tasty.

Prices are reasonable and vary between Â£4.10 and Â£5.00. If you find yourself in the area and want a little something different then try out Piada.As littlevegemite's review explains, paidines are filled flatbread which with the right ingredients taste delicious. I've been there before and today had the chance to have another bite at one of their famous Piadines. They have 16 different varieties of piadines. Piadine zero for example has salame milanese and stracchine cheese, piadine nove has bresaola and parmesan and the one I had today is the piadine uno which comes with prosciutto and mozzarella. Whatever piadine you take you can pretty much guaranteed that the filling ingredients are quite fresh and tasty.

Prices are reasonable and vary between Â£4.10 and Â£5.00. If you find yourself in the area and want a little something different then try out Piada.

Armando - Simply fantastic by Daniel40

Daniel40 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:45:25 +0000

Review by Daniel40

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8455 8159

Tags: japanese, jewish, italian

Armando is one of the best kosher restaurant i've ever experienced, the food is so immaculately fresh, althogh some dishes where not available on the menu thats understandable considering i've heard, this restaurant is after the freshest daily produce available and everything is done on the spot..that explains the time worth waiting for, it also provides a few daily specials. The place looks defenately clean, i could even see all the way into the kitchen thanks to a large open window. Allthough its Golders Green Road the atmosphere is trendy with a posh feel to it and after paying just 25 pounds average a person for a delicious sushi appetiser, a half kilo juicy rib steak so tender and perfectly cooked and a drink i consider that good value for my money. I'll certainly be back!!Armando is one of the best kosher restaurant i've ever experienced, the food is so immaculately fresh, althogh some dishes where not available on the menu thats understandable considering i've heard, this restaurant is after the freshest daily produce available and everything is done on the spot..that explains the time worth waiting for, it also provides a few daily specials. The place looks defenately clean, i could even see all the way into the kitchen thanks to a large open window. Allthough its Golders Green Road the atmosphere is trendy with a posh feel to it and after paying just 25 pounds average a person for a delicious sushi appetiser, a half kilo juicy rib steak so tender and perfectly cooked and a drink i consider that good value for my money. I'll certainly be back!!

Les Trois Garcons - Les Trois Garcons by topruss

topruss — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:52:05 +0000

Review by topruss

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7613 1924

Website: http://www.lestroisgarcons.com

Tags: french, expensive, lively

Glamour dinning , food is great but its the decore that makes this place . its a great place to start but dont forget they have a bar around the back called lounge lovers which is so cool that madonna had her birthday here , oh and the cocktails are great tooGlamour dinning , food is great but its the decore that makes this place . its a great place to start but dont forget they have a bar around the back called lounge lovers which is so cool that madonna had her birthday here , oh and the cocktails are great too

Ciao Bella - favoloso by mazphd

mazphd — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:45:06 +0000

Review by mazphd

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7242 4119

Tags: italian, lively, crowded

favoloso as the Italians say. This place is a great little venue in such an upcoming and 'trendy' part of town. Overspill onto the street to people watch. But best of all before you even set sights on this eaterie as you turn down Guilford Place there's a wonderful aroma in the air, spices, garlic and tomatoes. All the best of home cooked Italian.

Best of all the menu's a sweet treat of the mostly sterotypical made just like mama dishes. Pasta and Pizza feature heavily and everything is freshly prepared and with such zeal ! I saw one waiter so charming with his service that the couple who had come only for coffee stayed for a three course luncheon, complete with a bottle of wine. If only we were all so easily swayed.

Wine here could be better. But prices are so reasonable that one can overlook this.

I'm looking forward to being in this part of the city again, so i can follow my nose and catch the real italian spices in the air again. Yum favoloso as the Italians say. This place is a great little venue in such an upcoming and 'trendy' part of town. Overspill onto the street to people watch. But best of all before you even set sights on this eaterie as you turn down Guilford Place there's a wonderful aroma in the air, spices, garlic and tomatoes. All the best of home cooked Italian.

Best of all the menu's a sweet treat of the mostly sterotypical made just like mama dishes. Pasta and Pizza feature heavily and everything is freshly prepared and with such zeal ! I saw one waiter so charming with his service that the couple who had come only for coffee stayed for a three course luncheon, complete with a bottle of wine. If only we were all so easily swayed.

Wine here could be better. But prices are so reasonable that one can overlook this.

I'm looking forward to being in this part of the city again, so i can follow my nose and catch the real italian spices in the air again. Yum

The Clerkenwell Dining Room & Bar - Comical Service in Clerkenwell by sue

sue — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:14:00 +0000

Review by sue

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7253 9000

Website: www.theclerkenwell.com

Tags: business, international, british

I really wanted to like The Clerkenwell Dining Room. Friends had enjoyed it, the menu sounded good, and I am a fan of their sister restaurant, The Chancery. I think I should have stuck to The Chancery.

Ok, it wasn't all bad. For example, the starters were nice. We had the Octopus Carpaccio, braised baby octopus, squid, lemon and rosemary dressing; and the Crab chowder, crab dumplings, sweet corn and basil oil. The octopus was very well received, and the chowder was good but under-seasoned.

Main courses we had were the Sea bass, scallop ravioli, artichokes, asparagus, tomato consommÃ©; the Lamb Rump, provencal vegetables, samossas and balsamic jus; and the Rabbit saddle, potato puree, baby leeks, wild mushrooms and herb sauce. The lamb was really deliciousâ¬¦ unfortunately I didn't order it. I had the sea bass which was disappointing - it sounded good on paper, but the tomato consommÃ© was bland and watered down all the other flavours. Dessert was almost a success - the Lemon curd tart, lemon confit and coconut sorbet was nicely presented, but the tart was a little too gooey. Did like the sorbet though.

While most of the food we had was nice, the service really put a dampener on the evening. There were about 6 staff racing about, all apparently serving the same tables which lead to confusion and duplications, not to mention endlessly annoying water top-ups. Many of the staff didn't appear to understand English, and stared blankly at us when a request was made. We were all irritated more and more as the meal progressed.

But the biggest mistake was when they gave the remainder of our wine to another tableâ¬¦ They had the white wine from all tables sitting in coolers to one side - I noticed them trying to write our table number on the label of our wine initially, but their system fell apart and our wine disappeared. At one stage they mistakenly bought over a couple of new glasses and then a half-finished bottle of someone else's wine. When we told them it wasn't ours they then took it to another table and started pouring.

When the manager bought over our bill she asked how our meal had been. We then mentioned the issue with the wine and she looked shocked. She hurried off and we dug out cash/cards to pay the bill and prepared to leave. The manager returned with glasses of champagne for all of us by way of apology. To be honest I was horrified. Ok, it may have been a nice gesture, but we had finished our meal, and just wanted to pay and get out of there. Only one of us valiantly forced down a half glass of champers... I really wanted to like The Clerkenwell Dining Room. Friends had enjoyed it, the menu sounded good, and I am a fan of their sister restaurant, The Chancery. I think I should have stuck to The Chancery.

Ok, it wasn't all bad. For example, the starters were nice. We had the Octopus Carpaccio, braised baby octopus, squid, lemon and rosemary dressing; and the Crab chowder, crab dumplings, sweet corn and basil oil. The octopus was very well received, and the chowder was good but under-seasoned.

Main courses we had were the Sea bass, scallop ravioli, artichokes, asparagus, tomato consommÃ©; the Lamb Rump, provencal vegetables, samossas and balsamic jus; and the Rabbit saddle, potato puree, baby leeks, wild mushrooms and herb sauce. The lamb was really deliciousâ¬¦ unfortunately I didn't order it. I had the sea bass which was disappointing - it sounded good on paper, but the tomato consommÃ© was bland and watered down all the other flavours. Dessert was almost a success - the Lemon curd tart, lemon confit and coconut sorbet was nicely presented, but the tart was a little too gooey. Did like the sorbet though.

While most of the food we had was nice, the service really put a dampener on the evening. There were about 6 staff racing about, all apparently serving the same tables which lead to confusion and duplications, not to mention endlessly annoying water top-ups. Many of the staff didn't appear to understand English, and stared blankly at us when a request was made. We were all irritated more and more as the meal progressed.

But the biggest mistake was when they gave the remainder of our wine to another tableâ¬¦ They had the white wine from all tables sitting in coolers to one side - I noticed them trying to write our table number on the label of our wine initially, but their system fell apart and our wine disappeared. At one stage they mistakenly bought over a couple of new glasses and then a half-finished bottle of someone else's wine. When we told them it wasn't ours they then took it to another table and started pouring.

When the manager bought over our bill she asked how our meal had been. We then mentioned the issue with the wine and she looked shocked. She hurried off and we dug out cash/cards to pay the bill and prepared to leave. The manager returned with glasses of champagne for all of us by way of apology. To be honest I was horrified. Ok, it may have been a nice gesture, but we had finished our meal, and just wanted to pay and get out of there. Only one of us valiantly forced down a half glass of champers...

Brasserie James - Coffee by ghe

ghe — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:15:04 +0000

Review by ghe

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 8772 0057

Website: http://www.brasseriejames.com/

Tags: brasserie, french, expensive

I have just had a cup of coffee (Americano with hot milk) at Brasserie James. The coffee was very good and served by a charming and genuinely cheerful female member of staff. I didn't look at the menu to check the price before I ordered and I am glad in a way that I didn't. The bill came and it was Â£2.81 (including service)! That has to be one of the most expensive coffees I have bought in a very long time. I am sorry but this is Clapham South, not Covent Garden and I fail to see why they should be charging such a high price for a cup of coffee. I appreciate that it is a brasserie and they are not relying on coffee drinkers but nevertheless, I am sure they could benefit from passing trade (prices permitting)- if just from people like me who pop in for a quick coffee mid-afternoon. I'll give it two stars for good coffee and friendly service. Incidentally, there is a very nice restaurant/bar in Vernon Place, just off Bloomsbury Square called Traffic which charges just Â£1.80 for a cup of coffee (including service) and that is in central London.I have just had a cup of coffee (Americano with hot milk) at Brasserie James. The coffee was very good and served by a charming and genuinely cheerful female member of staff. I didn't look at the menu to check the price before I ordered and I am glad in a way that I didn't. The bill came and it was Â£2.81 (including service)! That has to be one of the most expensive coffees I have bought in a very long time. I am sorry but this is Clapham South, not Covent Garden and I fail to see why they should be charging such a high price for a cup of coffee. I appreciate that it is a brasserie and they are not relying on coffee drinkers but nevertheless, I am sure they could benefit from passing trade (prices permitting)- if just from people like me who pop in for a quick coffee mid-afternoon. I'll give it two stars for good coffee and friendly service. Incidentally, there is a very nice restaurant/bar in Vernon Place, just off Bloomsbury Square called Traffic which charges just Â£1.80 for a cup of coffee (including service) and that is in central London.

Wine & Mousaka - Expensive and below average. by JonFistikis

JonFistikis — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:37:41 +0000

Review by JonFistikis

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 8997 0287

Tags: greek, expensive, vegetarian dishes

An unfair representation of what Greek food is all about.

How they have remained in business is a mystery.
Portions are not not exactly generous, the majority of the mezedes starters taste as if they are from packages not uncommonly found in supermarkets.

They do the typical kleftiko which in no way resembles fresh or well cooked lamb.

Overpriced, uninspiring and poor quality.
To the management: buck up your ideas!An unfair representation of what Greek food is all about.

How they have remained in business is a mystery.
Portions are not not exactly generous, the majority of the mezedes starters taste as if they are from packages not uncommonly found in supermarkets.

They do the typical kleftiko which in no way resembles fresh or well cooked lamb.

Overpriced, uninspiring and poor quality.
To the management: buck up your ideas!

Young Cheng - Only been going here for 30 years by ajwilcox

ajwilcox — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:46:24 +0000

Review by ajwilcox

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7437 0237

Tags: chinese, good value, lively

Great place for a quick chinese upstairs. Fantastic bowls of noodles, meat and veg.

Downstairs I have entertained various groups of people with the crispy pigs intestines.

Once sat next to an English guy who said this was the only place that compared to Hong Kong where he spent most of his time working.Great place for a quick chinese upstairs. Fantastic bowls of noodles, meat and veg.

Downstairs I have entertained various groups of people with the crispy pigs intestines.

Once sat next to an English guy who said this was the only place that compared to Hong Kong where he spent most of his time working.

Silk - Tasty food, but empty by Browners

Browners — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:34:28 +0000

Review by Browners

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7297 5555

Website: http://www.courthouse-hotel.com

Tags: international, indian, expensive

Their concept is pretty interesting: they serve a range of dishes from along the ancient silk trading route. A mix between Indian, Middle and Far Eastern cuisine with a of sibtle spicing and dishes with amusing names.

Neither of us could find the restaurant to begin with. This isn't helped by the map they provide on their website. Neither is it helped by the lack of any prominent signage outside. Probably the result of some weird planning restrictions. It's tucked away inside a hotel so needless to say the restaurant was empty.

Gilly and I settled down and immediately started chatting only to be interupted in order to be told about the concept and how old the room was. Given that we were in mid conversation and that we had read about the fact that the dining room is located in an old courtroom on the Top Table and Silk website, we really didn't need to be told again. This kept happening throughout the meal which was annoying.

We shared both of our starters and main courses... the scallops with a zesty foam were succulent and accurately cooked. The zingy foam was tremendous. It made for a fantastic change from cauliflower or pea puree.

My medium rare venison was more medium well than medium rare which was odd because they made quite a fuss of telling me how their chef was going to cook it. Putting that to one side, like Gilly did with a stray peanut on his plate, the venison was very cleverly spiced and accompanied by a cheeky green sauce. The best thing about my starter was the name. I simply couldn't resist a dish called "Jangli Maan".

Main courses were good too. My lamb chops were accurately cooked. Singed on the outside and juicy in the middle. They had been marinaded delicately in a range of yoghurty spices. Not much heat, but a lot of flavour. I wish I had a better grasp of Easter flavours so I could tell you what it involved... but I don't!

Gilly's vast wild tiger prawns were sweet and juciy. Well cooked once more and full of interesting and slightly unexpected flavours.

The food is really very good. But the atmosphere and service are both big negative factors. There's probably a reason that courtrooms are unusual in the restaurant business. They remind you of school dining rooms and the prospect of being in prison. Neither school's nor prisons have a great reputation for fine food... apart from that one in Italy of course.

If it hadn't been on a 2 for 1 offer from Top Table it would have been very expensive, but this way it made for a great chance to catch up and try some interesting food. Neither of us could see this one staying around for very long. So get here whilst you can, or wait for the next one which will probably be called Phoenix.Their concept is pretty interesting: they serve a range of dishes from along the ancient silk trading route. A mix between Indian, Middle and Far Eastern cuisine with a of sibtle spicing and dishes with amusing names.

Neither of us could find the restaurant to begin with. This isn't helped by the map they provide on their website. Neither is it helped by the lack of any prominent signage outside. Probably the result of some weird planning restrictions. It's tucked away inside a hotel so needless to say the restaurant was empty.

Gilly and I settled down and immediately started chatting only to be interupted in order to be told about the concept and how old the room was. Given that we were in mid conversation and that we had read about the fact that the dining room is located in an old courtroom on the Top Table and Silk website, we really didn't need to be told again. This kept happening throughout the meal which was annoying.

We shared both of our starters and main courses... the scallops with a zesty foam were succulent and accurately cooked. The zingy foam was tremendous. It made for a fantastic change from cauliflower or pea puree.

My medium rare venison was more medium well than medium rare which was odd because they made quite a fuss of telling me how their chef was going to cook it. Putting that to one side, like Gilly did with a stray peanut on his plate, the venison was very cleverly spiced and accompanied by a cheeky green sauce. The best thing about my starter was the name. I simply couldn't resist a dish called "Jangli Maan".

Main courses were good too. My lamb chops were accurately cooked. Singed on the outside and juicy in the middle. They had been marinaded delicately in a range of yoghurty spices. Not much heat, but a lot of flavour. I wish I had a better grasp of Easter flavours so I could tell you what it involved... but I don't!

Gilly's vast wild tiger prawns were sweet and juciy. Well cooked once more and full of interesting and slightly unexpected flavours.

The food is really very good. But the atmosphere and service are both big negative factors. There's probably a reason that courtrooms are unusual in the restaurant business. They remind you of school dining rooms and the prospect of being in prison. Neither school's nor prisons have a great reputation for fine food... apart from that one in Italy of course.

If it hadn't been on a 2 for 1 offer from Top Table it would have been very expensive, but this way it made for a great chance to catch up and try some interesting food. Neither of us could see this one staying around for very long. So get here whilst you can, or wait for the next one which will probably be called Phoenix.

L'Autre Pied - fab restaurant by nick644

nick644 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:17:33 +0000

Review by nick644

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7486 9696

Website: http://www.lautrepied.co.uk

Tags: romantic, french, expensive

My wife and I have now been to this lovely restaurant on three occasions. It just seems to get better and better. Twice for dinner and yesterday for lunch with a friend also. The service is very friendly and charming, attentive without being in your face. The food is different and interesting. The sort of dishes you wouldn't dare attempt at home. Sometimes they can be a tiny bit over complicated but always interesting, (not sure about basil ice cream!) But everything is exremely fresh and well presented. Portions are small, in typical French style which is what we like anyway. But they are very rich and we have never left hungry!

All in all for us we find this restaurant hard to fault. Perhaps it could be a bit bigger inside. Some of the tables are a little close to each other. Decor is very tasteful and for a local restaurant to us it is of a very high quality. Full compliments to the chef and staff!My wife and I have now been to this lovely restaurant on three occasions. It just seems to get better and better. Twice for dinner and yesterday for lunch with a friend also. The service is very friendly and charming, attentive without being in your face. The food is different and interesting. The sort of dishes you wouldn't dare attempt at home. Sometimes they can be a tiny bit over complicated but always interesting, (not sure about basil ice cream!) But everything is exremely fresh and well presented. Portions are small, in typical French style which is what we like anyway. But they are very rich and we have never left hungry!

All in all for us we find this restaurant hard to fault. Perhaps it could be a bit bigger inside. Some of the tables are a little close to each other. Decor is very tasteful and for a local restaurant to us it is of a very high quality. Full compliments to the chef and staff!

The Loft Bar - Cool by gm66

gm66 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:38:12 +0000

Review by gm66

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7627 0792

Tags: good value, lively, restaurant

Top draw bar. Great drinks, friendly staff. Really cool design too. Haven't eaten there yet. Will try it out soon for sure though.Top draw bar. Great drinks, friendly staff. Really cool design too. Haven't eaten there yet. Will try it out soon for sure though.

Beirut Express - Delicious meal for small price by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:48:34 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 75910123

Website: http://www.maroush.com/

Tags: lively, crowded, quick bite

I come here quite often as it is close to work. You can sit by the bar and eat your sandwiches/sharwarma at lunch without all the fuss of eating at the tables. Everything is very fresh and fragrant. I would usually have a mixed sharwarma - which consists of marinated lamb and chicken grilled meat from the spit roast, with tomatoes, mayonnaise and gerkins wrapped with lebanese bread. Absoultely delicious with all the different flavours and textures combined- and also very filling so its enough for lunch and only Â£4! I brought my Chinese friend here the other week so he could try lebanese food and he loved it. I've also eaten the vine leaves, tabouleh and hummous and a few other plates for dinner. Reasonable prices and it is very healthy foods. Another nice thing is that like tapas or Dim Sum, you can select a few dishes to share amongst friends. I come here quite often as it is close to work. You can sit by the bar and eat your sandwiches/sharwarma at lunch without all the fuss of eating at the tables. Everything is very fresh and fragrant. I would usually have a mixed sharwarma - which consists of marinated lamb and chicken grilled meat from the spit roast, with tomatoes, mayonnaise and gerkins wrapped with lebanese bread. Absoultely delicious with all the different flavours and textures combined- and also very filling so its enough for lunch and only Â£4! I brought my Chinese friend here the other week so he could try lebanese food and he loved it. I've also eaten the vine leaves, tabouleh and hummous and a few other plates for dinner. Reasonable prices and it is very healthy foods. Another nice thing is that like tapas or Dim Sum, you can select a few dishes to share amongst friends.

Wild Honey - A bad experience! by nick644

nick644 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:24:27 +0000

Review by nick644

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7758 9160

Website: http://www.wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk/

Tags: french, romantic, good value

Its taken us a while to get round to writing this review. I don't often put 'pen to paper' as it were, but two months on I still find myself getting angry by a terrible inexplicable experience at this restaurant. I made the unfortunate mistake of booking this restaurant for our anniversary on the Wednesday evening of the 30th April this year. We arrived and were promptly shown to our table. The woman leading us being rather neutral, perhaps a little tired looking, as can happen in a busy restaurant. The restaurant is long and narrow with wood pannelling and quite attractive. Mostly people sit rather cheek by jowel, as is often the case in central London restaurants, though we noted some tables for 4 and more which were more private. Apperitifs and water and bread were ordered...two glasses of house Champagne and menus given.

After 25 minutes of waiting, the evening started to turn sour. I guess our faces didn't fit as my wife and I were totally ignored and the waiters well trained in averting their eyes when we tried to attract their attention! I have always wondered what school they attend to learn this skill so well! Not what you would expect from a One Michelin star restaurant!

Eventually, as we became more irritated, I had to stand up to be noticed and managed to stop someone walking at high speed through the busy restaurant! A charming French gentleman who explained that he was the bar man! However, quite obviously embarrassed by his colleagues lack of attentiveness, took our order efficiently and explained the menu to us! My wife had a rather delicious crab filled ravioli. I guess my starter wasn't that memorable as I can't recall it now, two months on! We didn't order a bottle of wine as we had had a cocktail already around the corner at Browns and just ordered a further two glasses of champagne. (we are not heavy drinkers). I assume, to the manager of this type of restuarant, this was considered a major faux pas. He must have thought this because the couple next door to us were being lavished attention by him that would normally be reserved for royalty! In fact at no time did a waiter or the manager even speak to us other than when serving our starters and main course.

After the starter we waited more than 40 minutes for the main course to arrive without word. We had assumed that there had been a mistake in the kitchen. Of course it was impossible, without making a scene, to atract a waiter.

When it arrived, it was a little disappointing for a restaurant of this nature. My wife had a bouillabaisse, which she had to serve herself onto her plate, (I guess the waiter was just too tired), and I had an extremely salty cod dish. The bouillabaisse was very plain with a very weak tast. Again not what you would expect from a Michelin Star restaurant. Of course no one came to ask if everything was alright, though the manager stood with his rear end at me for a good 10 minutes talking wine to the couple next door to us in the most animated of ways while I was eating...nice touch.

Eventually, our plates were taken away and we were again ignored for the next 10 minutes, by which time we had had enough. We managed to attract a waiter for the bill. I recall telling my wife what a shocking experience it was at the only time the manager came to our attention giving us the bill. To this day, we have no idea whether he even cared what we thought.

We live in the West End, I have my business in the vicinity. I regularly have business meeetings over lunch and my wife and I eat out at least 3 or 4 times a week. We like to make a point of supporting our local restaurants in Marylebone and Mayfair and have to date been to most of the well noted ones. Were we just exceptionally unlucky? Was it just a case that our faces didn't fit? Whatever the reason, we've not had a problem like this before at this level of restaurant. We will never set foot here again or its sister restaurant Arbutus which I assume will also have a similarly arrogant attitude to people the manager deems unsuitable. Very strange! My wife, being the wonderful positive person she is insisted that we just walk out quietly, not make a fuss and not let this experience ruin what was a lovely anniversary day. We ended up going out to Bar Italia in Soho for coffee and dessert which put a smile back on our faces! Sometimes simple down to earth behaviour without all the airs and graces are best after all!Its taken us a while to get round to writing this review. I don't often put 'pen to paper' as it were, but two months on I still find myself getting angry by a terrible inexplicable experience at this restaurant. I made the unfortunate mistake of booking this restaurant for our anniversary on the Wednesday evening of the 30th April this year. We arrived and were promptly shown to our table. The woman leading us being rather neutral, perhaps a little tired looking, as can happen in a busy restaurant. The restaurant is long and narrow with wood pannelling and quite attractive. Mostly people sit rather cheek by jowel, as is often the case in central London restaurants, though we noted some tables for 4 and more which were more private. Apperitifs and water and bread were ordered...two glasses of house Champagne and menus given.

After 25 minutes of waiting, the evening started to turn sour. I guess our faces didn't fit as my wife and I were totally ignored and the waiters well trained in averting their eyes when we tried to attract their attention! I have always wondered what school they attend to learn this skill so well! Not what you would expect from a One Michelin star restaurant!

Eventually, as we became more irritated, I had to stand up to be noticed and managed to stop someone walking at high speed through the busy restaurant! A charming French gentleman who explained that he was the bar man! However, quite obviously embarrassed by his colleagues lack of attentiveness, took our order efficiently and explained the menu to us! My wife had a rather delicious crab filled ravioli. I guess my starter wasn't that memorable as I can't recall it now, two months on! We didn't order a bottle of wine as we had had a cocktail already around the corner at Browns and just ordered a further two glasses of champagne. (we are not heavy drinkers). I assume, to the manager of this type of restuarant, this was considered a major faux pas. He must have thought this because the couple next door to us were being lavished attention by him that would normally be reserved for royalty! In fact at no time did a waiter or the manager even speak to us other than when serving our starters and main course.

After the starter we waited more than 40 minutes for the main course to arrive without word. We had assumed that there had been a mistake in the kitchen. Of course it was impossible, without making a scene, to atract a waiter.

When it arrived, it was a little disappointing for a restaurant of this nature. My wife had a bouillabaisse, which she had to serve herself onto her plate, (I guess the waiter was just too tired), and I had an extremely salty cod dish. The bouillabaisse was very plain with a very weak tast. Again not what you would expect from a Michelin Star restaurant. Of course no one came to ask if everything was alright, though the manager stood with his rear end at me for a good 10 minutes talking wine to the couple next door to us in the most animated of ways while I was eating...nice touch.

Eventually, our plates were taken away and we were again ignored for the next 10 minutes, by which time we had had enough. We managed to attract a waiter for the bill. I recall telling my wife what a shocking experience it was at the only time the manager came to our attention giving us the bill. To this day, we have no idea whether he even cared what we thought.

We live in the West End, I have my business in the vicinity. I regularly have business meeetings over lunch and my wife and I eat out at least 3 or 4 times a week. We like to make a point of supporting our local restaurants in Marylebone and Mayfair and have to date been to most of the well noted ones. Were we just exceptionally unlucky? Was it just a case that our faces didn't fit? Whatever the reason, we've not had a problem like this before at this level of restaurant. We will never set foot here again or its sister restaurant Arbutus which I assume will also have a similarly arrogant attitude to people the manager deems unsuitable. Very strange! My wife, being the wonderful positive person she is insisted that we just walk out quietly, not make a fuss and not let this experience ruin what was a lovely anniversary day. We ended up going out to Bar Italia in Soho for coffee and dessert which put a smile back on our faces! Sometimes simple down to earth behaviour without all the airs and graces are best after all!

Fish House - Fish House by topruss

topruss — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:05:20 +0000

Review by topruss

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8533 3327

Tags: lively, british, good value

Not the cheapest around ( Â£10 for cod, chips and mushy peas ) but my god its the best . The portions are huge so dont plan to do much after here as all i could manage was the sofa .
Highly reccomend and ring to book table outside .Not the cheapest around ( Â£10 for cod, chips and mushy peas ) but my god its the best . The portions are huge so dont plan to do much after here as all i could manage was the sofa .
Highly reccomend and ring to book table outside .

Automat - High standards return at Mayfair's Automat by ProfMagellan

ProfMagellan — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:47:58 +0000

Review by ProfMagellan

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7499 3033

Website: http://www.automat-london.com

Tags: american, lively, expensive

My friend Polarmarco persuaded me to return and this I did in the company of a top PR person. We were on a mission to see whether or not Automat deserves a chance given a dreadful experience I had earlier this year. This time everything worked well. The staff were utterly in control, the waitress could not have been kinder, and - despite a full Tuesday lunchtime - the food arrived promptly. The PR person enjoyed his lamb confection whilst I opted for my usual burger: not quite as good as that served by Joe Allen, it was none the less perfectly acceptable. The surroundings are very new century. Automat opened about three years ago) in contrast to the retro-look of Joe Allen's (in which personally I feel more comfortable). Acoustics are very poor so not a place for the hard of hearing.
Other punters included the usual suspects: hedge fund managers, venture capitalists and ladies who lunch. Blackberries and cellphones in profusion. Very few real working stiffs.My friend Polarmarco persuaded me to return and this I did in the company of a top PR person. We were on a mission to see whether or not Automat deserves a chance given a dreadful experience I had earlier this year. This time everything worked well. The staff were utterly in control, the waitress could not have been kinder, and - despite a full Tuesday lunchtime - the food arrived promptly. The PR person enjoyed his lamb confection whilst I opted for my usual burger: not quite as good as that served by Joe Allen, it was none the less perfectly acceptable. The surroundings are very new century. Automat opened about three years ago) in contrast to the retro-look of Joe Allen's (in which personally I feel more comfortable). Acoustics are very poor so not a place for the hard of hearing.
Other punters included the usual suspects: hedge fund managers, venture capitalists and ladies who lunch. Blackberries and cellphones in profusion. Very few real working stiffs.

Joe Allen - Great hamburgers in retro location by ProfMagellan

ProfMagellan — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:33:55 +0000

Review by ProfMagellan

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7836 0651

Website: http://www.joeallen.co.uk

Tags: american, crowded, lively

In the 1980s, that golden decade for London, three restaurants vyed to attract the super-cool: Coconut Grove, Peppermint Park and Joe Allen. Only the latter has survived
and what a great place it is in its cozy Covent Garden basement. The service is very professional, the menu excellent and unchanging and, by London standards, not outrageously expensive either. It is on the Magellan half dozen favourite casual lunching places in central London.
Offering probably the tastiest burger in London, this is the place to go for casual dining. Other restaurants come and go: but Joe Allen is a constant. On this occasion, I was the guest of a top city lawyer, a discerning diner, who agreed with my conclusion that this is the best American food in London; but why oh why did Joe Allen ditch the wonderful red gingham table clothes for Paris-style white?In the 1980s, that golden decade for London, three restaurants vyed to attract the super-cool: Coconut Grove, Peppermint Park and Joe Allen. Only the latter has survived
and what a great place it is in its cozy Covent Garden basement. The service is very professional, the menu excellent and unchanging and, by London standards, not outrageously expensive either. It is on the Magellan half dozen favourite casual lunching places in central London.
Offering probably the tastiest burger in London, this is the place to go for casual dining. Other restaurants come and go: but Joe Allen is a constant. On this occasion, I was the guest of a top city lawyer, a discerning diner, who agreed with my conclusion that this is the best American food in London; but why oh why did Joe Allen ditch the wonderful red gingham table clothes for Paris-style white?