Latest reviews in Balham, London, United Kingdom

Le Petit Bistrot - The Mark of Good Service by ONscotland

ONscotland — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:08:27 +0000

Review by ONscotland

Rating: 4.00

Tags: quick bite, good brew, crowded

This review is proof that when things go wrong, a good venue will still have a happy customer...

Hooray! Another new coffee shop in Balham... an independent one I hasten to add. Located at the pointy end of Hildreth Street (where it meets Bedford Hill) Le Petit Bistrot is a welcome addition to the area. It's bright and fresh and is all windows, so it was with a sense of discovery that I ventured in for lunch...

1.00PM - We peruse the simple but tempting menu, and order our coffees. Very nice, very frothy. Full English breakfast is offered, and I spied this on other diners tables. It looked gorgeous.

1.10PM - We order food. The wraps look delicious, and they are freshly made (unlike the prepacked ones that Caffe Nero and Starbucks would have us accept as 'fresh'), and a bargain at Â£3.50 each (with a side salad).

1.25PM - No sign of the food. "It's just coming" we are told by the chirpy waitress.
1.35PM - "We're really busy it is just on it's way. Five minutes".
1.45PM - Still no food. We have to go back to work, and we won't have time to enjoy it. Disappointed, we pay for our coffees as the waitress cancels the order. Unfortunately we can't have it as a packed lunch either as we start back at work in about ten minutes.

As we leave, the manager runs after us. He is carrying two boxes, with our lunch. He is very apologetic, and says that as they had made the food, we were welcome to take it, with their compliments. He was aware that we may not have time to eat it, but that we might be able to enjoy some of it, and again apologises that they let us down. Despite missing lunch, why do I have a warm glow?

We go back to work, and lo and behold, we can find half an hour to literally SCOFF the food down, it is so delicious. Packed with chicken and falafel, these wraps are something else.

I go back to the place, and insist on paying - I want to support independent places, and as the food was so nice, and we did get to enjoy it, it seems only fair. This is entirely due to the attitude of the manager and his staff, who completely turned around what could have been a disappointing lunch. But I got a free muffin :)

I will be back.This review is proof that when things go wrong, a good venue will still have a happy customer...

Hooray! Another new coffee shop in Balham... an independent one I hasten to add. Located at the pointy end of Hildreth Street (where it meets Bedford Hill) Le Petit Bistrot is a welcome addition to the area. It's bright and fresh and is all windows, so it was with a sense of discovery that I ventured in for lunch...

1.00PM - We peruse the simple but tempting menu, and order our coffees. Very nice, very frothy. Full English breakfast is offered, and I spied this on other diners tables. It looked gorgeous.

1.10PM - We order food. The wraps look delicious, and they are freshly made (unlike the prepacked ones that Caffe Nero and Starbucks would have us accept as 'fresh'), and a bargain at Â£3.50 each (with a side salad).

1.25PM - No sign of the food. "It's just coming" we are told by the chirpy waitress.
1.35PM - "We're really busy it is just on it's way. Five minutes".
1.45PM - Still no food. We have to go back to work, and we won't have time to enjoy it. Disappointed, we pay for our coffees as the waitress cancels the order. Unfortunately we can't have it as a packed lunch either as we start back at work in about ten minutes.

As we leave, the manager runs after us. He is carrying two boxes, with our lunch. He is very apologetic, and says that as they had made the food, we were welcome to take it, with their compliments. He was aware that we may not have time to eat it, but that we might be able to enjoy some of it, and again apologises that they let us down. Despite missing lunch, why do I have a warm glow?

We go back to work, and lo and behold, we can find half an hour to literally SCOFF the food down, it is so delicious. Packed with chicken and falafel, these wraps are something else.

I go back to the place, and insist on paying - I want to support independent places, and as the food was so nice, and we did get to enjoy it, it seems only fair. This is entirely due to the attitude of the manager and his staff, who completely turned around what could have been a disappointing lunch. But I got a free muffin :)

I will be back.

Gazette Brasserie - How disappointing! by Rainbow

Rainbow — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:54:41 +0000

Review by Rainbow

Rating: 0.00

Phone: 020 8772 1232

Tags: french, brasserie, lively

I just read the other two reviews and can honestly say that I was thoroughly disappointed with Gazette. We live on Ramsden Road about 2 mins walk from Gazette so were rather excited when they closed down the old nasty cafe and opened up a very smart french brasserie. I invited a group of friends for a supper on a Wednesday night and to cut the story short - the service was rather slow, half of the stuff on the menu wasn't available + same for the white, red and desert wine. The waitress was rushed of her feet, bless her, and when we eventually got our meal, blimey! Onion soup was tasteless - and this place is supposed to be French??? and the rest isn't worth mentioning....
Anyhow....I thought because they just started, they might improve with time. I was far from being right. I went there with my partner yet again, this time for a nice cup of coffee and croissant on Sunday morning. We sat for 10 minutes at what I call completely filthy table, no one appeared to care and even after I asked the manager to clean the table and take away the ten dirty mugs and glasses and wipe the traces of jam on the table I got a look from him (filthier than the table) and actually left - on my own accord. It's a real shame though, the place looks cozy and would be great to have a place like this on my doorstep. Sadly I will stay far away from there!I just read the other two reviews and can honestly say that I was thoroughly disappointed with Gazette. We live on Ramsden Road about 2 mins walk from Gazette so were rather excited when they closed down the old nasty cafe and opened up a very smart french brasserie. I invited a group of friends for a supper on a Wednesday night and to cut the story short - the service was rather slow, half of the stuff on the menu wasn't available + same for the white, red and desert wine. The waitress was rushed of her feet, bless her, and when we eventually got our meal, blimey! Onion soup was tasteless - and this place is supposed to be French??? and the rest isn't worth mentioning....
Anyhow....I thought because they just started, they might improve with time. I was far from being right. I went there with my partner yet again, this time for a nice cup of coffee and croissant on Sunday morning. We sat for 10 minutes at what I call completely filthy table, no one appeared to care and even after I asked the manager to clean the table and take away the ten dirty mugs and glasses and wipe the traces of jam on the table I got a look from him (filthier than the table) and actually left - on my own accord. It's a real shame though, the place looks cozy and would be great to have a place like this on my doorstep. Sadly I will stay far away from there!

Harrison's - Wednesday night.. by rogerjones28

rogerjones28 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:58:49 +0000

Review by rogerjones28

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8675 6900

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

Tags: lively, british, good value

We were looking for a cheeky dinner in Balham and found Harrisons, a light and airy bar / restaurant...almost overly nice staff served reasonable wine and great food.

I felt sorry for the obviously superb kitchen team when they were making up the burgers on the menu...

Great food - excellent wine and really friendly staff.

All good.We were looking for a cheeky dinner in Balham and found Harrisons, a light and airy bar / restaurant...almost overly nice staff served reasonable wine and great food.

I felt sorry for the obviously superb kitchen team when they were making up the burgers on the menu...

Great food - excellent wine and really friendly staff.

All good.

The Paddyfield - Yum! by sketchy1

sketchy1 — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:20:11 +0000

Review by sketchy1

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8772 1145

Tags: lively, thai, vietnamese

I go far too many times to Paddyfields. The place is small, and finding an open table is sometimes fustrating, but it is worth the wait. The Thai food is amazing - the curry is my bestI go far too many times to Paddyfields. The place is small, and finding an open table is sometimes fustrating, but it is worth the wait. The Thai food is amazing - the curry is my best

The Exhibit - Tres romantic by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:00:17 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8772 6556

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

Tags: good value, british, lively

Came here last week and was pleasantly surprised. Have been to the bar on the ground floor quite a few times but never the restaurant which is on the 1st floor overlooking Sainsbury's car park. I always thought it was a bit of a strange location but actually the restaurant with its exposed brick and long wall of windows felt really airy and light. And the view wasn't that bad- felt nice to be so high up. The menu is quite like a brasserie menu, small but caters for all. Gi went for the sea bass which she said was lovely and I went for the feather steak which is served rare. I would probably go for the sirloin next time - as the feather wasn't as tender as i would have liked. Sorbet ice cream was divine though. Service was great and i liked the candles which gave the restaurant a romatic glow. Definitely will come back to try the rest of the menu - especially as i've got 50% off with the tp card!Came here last week and was pleasantly surprised. Have been to the bar on the ground floor quite a few times but never the restaurant which is on the 1st floor overlooking Sainsbury's car park. I always thought it was a bit of a strange location but actually the restaurant with its exposed brick and long wall of windows felt really airy and light. And the view wasn't that bad- felt nice to be so high up. The menu is quite like a brasserie menu, small but caters for all. Gi went for the sea bass which she said was lovely and I went for the feather steak which is served rare. I would probably go for the sirloin next time - as the feather wasn't as tender as i would have liked. Sorbet ice cream was divine though. Service was great and i liked the candles which gave the restaurant a romatic glow. Definitely will come back to try the rest of the menu - especially as i've got 50% off with the tp card!

Bertie and Boo Cafe - Lovely by ONscotland

ONscotland — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:57:27 +0000

Review by ONscotland

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8772 9987

Website: http://www.bertieandboo.com/cafe.html

Tags: cosy, quick bite, cultured

I have to second the previous review - this is a lovely place to have a coffee and a snack, although for me, the school theme is somewhat overplayed, and I'm not keen on the school tables to sit at, but then this is a cafe that is dedicated to families, and it's great that there's a place where children are welcomed with open arms.

That said, everything else is great - the service is friendly, and there's a great variety of items on offer, including muffins, cupcakes and savoury items like sandwiches, quiches, pasta etc, and it all looks home made.

Balham has recently seen the arrival of Starbucks, to add to the Caffe Nero already there. But it's places like this that give an area personality, and when it's as good as Bertie and Boo, there's no reason to seek the 'security' of a ubiquitous brand.I have to second the previous review - this is a lovely place to have a coffee and a snack, although for me, the school theme is somewhat overplayed, and I'm not keen on the school tables to sit at, but then this is a cafe that is dedicated to families, and it's great that there's a place where children are welcomed with open arms.

That said, everything else is great - the service is friendly, and there's a great variety of items on offer, including muffins, cupcakes and savoury items like sandwiches, quiches, pasta etc, and it all looks home made.

Balham has recently seen the arrival of Starbucks, to add to the Caffe Nero already there. But it's places like this that give an area personality, and when it's as good as Bertie and Boo, there's no reason to seek the 'security' of a ubiquitous brand.

Trinity Stores - Uber Ploughman's by GKFH

GKFH — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:43:49 +0000

Review by GKFH

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8673 3773

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

Tags: friendly staff, coffee, quick bite

Sat down for a light lunch and ordered a Ploughman's. Expected usual. Got exceptional. The cheese was freshly cut Lincolnshire Poacher. Ham was freshly sliced and full of flavour. Came with a little salad. Perfect dressing. Home made chutney was right up my alley. Bread was fresh and crusty. Simple, quality ingredients worked really well to make this the best ploughman I have had since camping as a young man. Sat down for a light lunch and ordered a Ploughman's. Expected usual. Got exceptional. The cheese was freshly cut Lincolnshire Poacher. Ham was freshly sliced and full of flavour. Came with a little salad. Perfect dressing. Home made chutney was right up my alley. Bread was fresh and crusty. Simple, quality ingredients worked really well to make this the best ploughman I have had since camping as a young man.

Lamberts Restaurant - good local food by sarahjanelondon

sarahjanelondon — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:51:10 +0000

Review by sarahjanelondon

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8675 2233

Website: http://www.lambertsrestaurant.com/

Tags: modern, good value, local

I have never had the bread announced (like the previous reviewer) but I agree that this is a lovely local place. It's not cheap if you order a la carte but the set menus are excellent value and the quality is always good. Given the rubbish that so many places serve, I would rather pay a bit more and come here and know I am going to get good food! The atmosphere is a bit stiff sometimes but I don't really care as I come here for the food and they are happy to have families & kids here for Sunday lunch which is nice to see. I have never had the bread announced (like the previous reviewer) but I agree that this is a lovely local place. It's not cheap if you order a la carte but the set menus are excellent value and the quality is always good. Given the rubbish that so many places serve, I would rather pay a bit more and come here and know I am going to get good food! The atmosphere is a bit stiff sometimes but I don't really care as I come here for the food and they are happy to have families & kids here for Sunday lunch which is nice to see.

Chadwicks Butchers - Small but perfectly stocked by mario

mario — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:29:05 +0000

Review by mario

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8772 1895

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

Tags: delicatessen, delivery, butcher

You really do see me here every week..

It's a small (ok, tiny) shop right next to Balham tube, but manages to fit in more than you'd think. The obvious is the meat - organic/free range, and great home-made sausages and pies. But they also sell some delicatessen like cheeses and cured meat etc..

If this doesn't convince you to buy your meat here, then perhaps the fact that one of the guys working here played a butcher in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd will! :-)You really do see me here every week..

It's a small (ok, tiny) shop right next to Balham tube, but manages to fit in more than you'd think. The obvious is the meat - organic/free range, and great home-made sausages and pies. But they also sell some delicatessen like cheeses and cured meat etc..

If this doesn't convince you to buy your meat here, then perhaps the fact that one of the guys working here played a butcher in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd will! :-)

Blithe Spirit - OK if not outstanding by mario

mario — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:09:07 +0000

Review by mario

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8772 0082

Tags: beer garden, standard pub food, relaxed

It's a fairly nice place for a drink, but there's not really too much to distinguish it from other pubs. There are other places in Balham with far more character. Having said this, its location is convenient and I do drop in for the occasional pint after doing some shopping.. It's a fairly nice place for a drink, but there's not really too much to distinguish it from other pubs. There are other places in Balham with far more character. Having said this, its location is convenient and I do drop in for the occasional pint after doing some shopping..

Balham Bowls Club - Unique.. by mario

mario — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:21:45 +0000

Review by mario

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8673 4700

Tags: relaxed, friendly, food

Quite a unique place, but all the better for it. Totally unmatched, old and worn furniture (seemingly what was left over from when it was an actual Bowling Club), but somehow it works and makes for an incredibly relaxed and comfortable place to have a drink.

They also do something they call "international tapas" and some bar food, but I haven't tried that yet so can't comment. Noticed that they just opened one of the additional rooms as well, with a couple of pool tables in it, which appear to be in regular use already.

And last but not least: it has free Wifi!Quite a unique place, but all the better for it. Totally unmatched, old and worn furniture (seemingly what was left over from when it was an actual Bowling Club), but somehow it works and makes for an incredibly relaxed and comfortable place to have a drink.

They also do something they call "international tapas" and some bar food, but I haven't tried that yet so can't comment. Noticed that they just opened one of the additional rooms as well, with a couple of pool tables in it, which appear to be in regular use already.

And last but not least: it has free Wifi!

Mini Mundus - our favourite French by mario

mario — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:45:43 +0000

Review by mario

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8767 5810

Tags: french, good value, family & home feel

I can't believe we have lived within walking distance of this restaurant for years (actually remember it in its previous incarnation as an Italian), but haven't visited it until last week.

The menu is quite short and changes regularly, and the food was absolutely excellent! I had a very filling cassoulet (delicious, with belly of pork and a duck leg). The cheese selection was vast compared to what you often get even in restaurants that call themselves French, and I was so full that I actually struggled (well, a little bit) with the dessert (apple tart with cinnamon ice cream). And the bill for the whole lot was more than reasonable.

Unusually for a French restaurant they also have a take-away menu, but the extremely friendly atmosphere makes a visit in person certainly worthwhile.

This is now definitely our new favourite French restaurant in London, especially since the Old Clapham has closed down.I can't believe we have lived within walking distance of this restaurant for years (actually remember it in its previous incarnation as an Italian), but haven't visited it until last week.

The menu is quite short and changes regularly, and the food was absolutely excellent! I had a very filling cassoulet (delicious, with belly of pork and a duck leg). The cheese selection was vast compared to what you often get even in restaurants that call themselves French, and I was so full that I actually struggled (well, a little bit) with the dessert (apple tart with cinnamon ice cream). And the bill for the whole lot was more than reasonable.

Unusually for a French restaurant they also have a take-away menu, but the extremely friendly atmosphere makes a visit in person certainly worthwhile.

This is now definitely our new favourite French restaurant in London, especially since the Old Clapham has closed down.

Tagine - Fine experience! by AlexWoods

AlexWoods — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:11:43 +0000

Review by AlexWoods

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8675 7604

Tags: lively, good value, north african

I love this place!
Cosy, friendly, it looks and smells exotic and exciting.
The menu is interesting and varied, even for a vegetarian (not me I hasten to add, but the person I went with!)
Having little experience of Moroccan food, I relied on the advice of our waitress who proved to be knowledgeable, charming and very happy to offer her advice (probably used to morons like me, bless her.)
The meze was an excellent way to start. Gives you a little taste of a lot! In truth I could have eaten that all evening!
I had a lamb tagine with almonds and prunes and my partner a stuffed pepper. Both dishes were fragrant, generous and delicious and well complimented by the (presumably) fresh baked flat breads.
Neither of us could face desert, though had we been a little earlier we would have happily spent a couple of hours outside with shisha and tea before tackling the desert menu (or just more of the meze dishes!)
My one criticism of the place is that the service was a little leisurely. Or maybe "unobservant" is a better way of putting it.
Top tips: nip into Threshers, next door, and pick up a couple of bottles of something red and Spanish on your way; start with as many meze dishes as you reckon you can force down (bearing in mind your main course will feed you well!) I love this place!
Cosy, friendly, it looks and smells exotic and exciting.
The menu is interesting and varied, even for a vegetarian (not me I hasten to add, but the person I went with!)
Having little experience of Moroccan food, I relied on the advice of our waitress who proved to be knowledgeable, charming and very happy to offer her advice (probably used to morons like me, bless her.)
The meze was an excellent way to start. Gives you a little taste of a lot! In truth I could have eaten that all evening!
I had a lamb tagine with almonds and prunes and my partner a stuffed pepper. Both dishes were fragrant, generous and delicious and well complimented by the (presumably) fresh baked flat breads.
Neither of us could face desert, though had we been a little earlier we would have happily spent a couple of hours outside with shisha and tea before tackling the desert menu (or just more of the meze dishes!)
My one criticism of the place is that the service was a little leisurely. Or maybe "unobservant" is a better way of putting it.
Top tips: nip into Threshers, next door, and pick up a couple of bottles of something red and Spanish on your way; start with as many meze dishes as you reckon you can force down (bearing in mind your main course will feed you well!)

Bedford - I just don't get it..... by AlexWoods

AlexWoods — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:49:17 +0000

Review by AlexWoods

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 8682 8959

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

Tags: live music, lively, good value

And I sincerely apologise for it! The Bedford has achieved cult status and I am genuinely impressed by the sheer variety of activities that go on there.

But as a place to go for a drink?

The Bedford is invariably packed. You wait for hours to get to the bar and to get served (which is understandable. It's a big bar and there are loads of people. Were it not for the army of shoddy, surly bar staff) only to find there is no beer on (or worse, it's foul). On one terrible, terrible night I got to the bar to discover they had nothing but fosters on. I wept salt tears. And went elsewhere.

It also boasts, in my experience, a heavy gender imbalance and every one is invariably absolutely rat-arsed.

There is a bar round the back which I've ventured into on occasion. Much more of a proper drinkers bar. You don't go in there to be frivolous, you go to sit and drink. Seriously. And maybe play darts. And I like that. But again, the absence of anything half decent to drink and, more especially round this side, anyone to serve you said drink makes it a wasted exercise.

I really want to like The Bedford. Independent, great variety of activities, great proper pub feel to it in terms of dÃ©cor, no brewery or chain has managed to get their insipid branding mitts on it yet, has the facilities to serve 4 ales, the menu looks good, it just should be a brilliant, brilliant place to go but it isn't.
I keep giving it a chance and I keep getting disappointed.
I'm sorry, but I really just don't get it.And I sincerely apologise for it! The Bedford has achieved cult status and I am genuinely impressed by the sheer variety of activities that go on there.

But as a place to go for a drink?

The Bedford is invariably packed. You wait for hours to get to the bar and to get served (which is understandable. It's a big bar and there are loads of people. Were it not for the army of shoddy, surly bar staff) only to find there is no beer on (or worse, it's foul). On one terrible, terrible night I got to the bar to discover they had nothing but fosters on. I wept salt tears. And went elsewhere.

It also boasts, in my experience, a heavy gender imbalance and every one is invariably absolutely rat-arsed.

There is a bar round the back which I've ventured into on occasion. Much more of a proper drinkers bar. You don't go in there to be frivolous, you go to sit and drink. Seriously. And maybe play darts. And I like that. But again, the absence of anything half decent to drink and, more especially round this side, anyone to serve you said drink makes it a wasted exercise.

I really want to like The Bedford. Independent, great variety of activities, great proper pub feel to it in terms of dÃ©cor, no brewery or chain has managed to get their insipid branding mitts on it yet, has the facilities to serve 4 ales, the menu looks good, it just should be a brilliant, brilliant place to go but it isn't.
I keep giving it a chance and I keep getting disappointed.
I'm sorry, but I really just don't get it.

Balham Grill - Bad experience by loveoffood

loveoffood — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:59:40 +0000

Review by loveoffood

Rating: 1.00

Tags: burgers, chicken / ribs, kebabs

The place is filthy, dirty floors and surfaces everywhere. the staff smoke behind the counter breaking hygiene and smoking laws, one rubed his hand across his nose, took my money, then handled my food. The bend down to smoke which you can smell everywhere, and the food is of very low quality, usually only edible when you are drunk and can't taste anything anyway.The place is filthy, dirty floors and surfaces everywhere. the staff smoke behind the counter breaking hygiene and smoking laws, one rubed his hand across his nose, took my money, then handled my food. The bend down to smoke which you can smell everywhere, and the food is of very low quality, usually only edible when you are drunk and can't taste anything anyway.

Balham Halal Butchers - Looks awful but is actually brilliant by Browners

Browners — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:27:08 +0000

Review by Browners

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8675 3617

Tags: meat, halal, butcher

If you've got a slow cooker and like to turn big bits of touch cheap meat into delicious soft stews then this is the place to come.

The things I like most are:

Whole oxtails, all in one piece
Lamb shanks
Goat
Neck of lamb
Blade of beef
Shin of beef

They also sell all the normal meat but it's the stuff above that gets me excited.

If you're not alarmed by a place with goats heads, circular saws, questionable hygene and hardly anyone in it then give these guys a try. They beat the hell out of Sainsburys!If you've got a slow cooker and like to turn big bits of touch cheap meat into delicious soft stews then this is the place to come.

The things I like most are:

Whole oxtails, all in one piece
Lamb shanks
Goat
Neck of lamb
Blade of beef
Shin of beef

They also sell all the normal meat but it's the stuff above that gets me excited.

If you're not alarmed by a place with goats heads, circular saws, questionable hygene and hardly anyone in it then give these guys a try. They beat the hell out of Sainsburys!

Ly Bar Restaurant - Ly Bar Chinese Restaurant by Browners

Browners — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:07:07 +0000

Review by Browners

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8772 8616

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

Tags: restaurant, chinese, bar

After a hard morning playing hockey on an icy pitch what better way to spend the afternoon than to tuck into Heston Blumenthal's latest book and read about how to cook the perfect Peking duck. Half an hour later and I was gagging for a pancake, some crispy skinned duck, a few shards of spring onion and cucumber and lashings of hoi sin sauce.

The lengths Heston went to were outrageous. Blowing air into a well chosen duck with a drinks straw or bellows and a bizarre range of cooking processes all seemed a bittoo much! So Cowie and I popped out to find a decent Chinese restaurant in Balham. Life's too easy sometimes!

We'd walked past Ly Bar quite a few times and had never had any inclination to pay them a visit. From the outside it looks like a newly painted glizty bar with a seedy underbelly. But inside it's great. A touch of contemporary, oriental style. Laquered screens and a very discrete waterfall made us feel like someone was reading our minds and giving us exactly what we wanted!

Cowie reigned me back from ordering a half peking duck, which was a good thing! Instead the two of us shared a quarter of a quacker with a range of pancakes and lettuce leaves. Having got really excited about haivng the perfect duck with pancakes, I guess I had set myself up for a bit of disappointment! Don't get me wrong we devoured our duck and needed several reloads of hoi sin sauce... but I think we were stretching our imagination too far to think the Ly Bar was going to be up to Heston's exacting stadnards. Heston's main technical problem when cooking crispy duck was that creating duck with crispy skin and keep the felsh moist is about as easy as some of Zeno's paradoxes. If you want crispy skin you get dry flesh. And if you want juicy meat the skin is normally flabby. Ly Bar's duck was a bit tasteless and dry, but a good dollop of sauce sorted that out!

Our main courses were really very good. Cowie's whole steamed sea bass with soy sauce, ginger and spring onion was moist and delicious. The only draw back being the fact that it was given a laparotomy at the table by someone who didn't know what they were doing. We felt very sorry for our waitress who continually apologised and explained that she had only ever done one before! Someone needs to train the staff up a bit. Disecting an expensive fish in front of a paying customer has to be done well. It's these kind of touches that make eating at places like Sheeky's so special.

My BBQ stewed pork belly arrived in a beautiful clay pot and tasted delicious. Slightly spicy, gooey and deeply porky. Just what I like. And then it got even better when I discovered some really slippery mushrooms that seemed like pieces of cartilige! Yummy. And very different what you get at your average local Chinese restaurant.

So, the food was good, if unspectacular. A cut above most Chinese restaurants. But the staff need some training and they need to read Heston's book to get a bit closer to serving the perfect duck!After a hard morning playing hockey on an icy pitch what better way to spend the afternoon than to tuck into Heston Blumenthal's latest book and read about how to cook the perfect Peking duck. Half an hour later and I was gagging for a pancake, some crispy skinned duck, a few shards of spring onion and cucumber and lashings of hoi sin sauce.

The lengths Heston went to were outrageous. Blowing air into a well chosen duck with a drinks straw or bellows and a bizarre range of cooking processes all seemed a bittoo much! So Cowie and I popped out to find a decent Chinese restaurant in Balham. Life's too easy sometimes!

We'd walked past Ly Bar quite a few times and had never had any inclination to pay them a visit. From the outside it looks like a newly painted glizty bar with a seedy underbelly. But inside it's great. A touch of contemporary, oriental style. Laquered screens and a very discrete waterfall made us feel like someone was reading our minds and giving us exactly what we wanted!

Cowie reigned me back from ordering a half peking duck, which was a good thing! Instead the two of us shared a quarter of a quacker with a range of pancakes and lettuce leaves. Having got really excited about haivng the perfect duck with pancakes, I guess I had set myself up for a bit of disappointment! Don't get me wrong we devoured our duck and needed several reloads of hoi sin sauce... but I think we were stretching our imagination too far to think the Ly Bar was going to be up to Heston's exacting stadnards. Heston's main technical problem when cooking crispy duck was that creating duck with crispy skin and keep the felsh moist is about as easy as some of Zeno's paradoxes. If you want crispy skin you get dry flesh. And if you want juicy meat the skin is normally flabby. Ly Bar's duck was a bit tasteless and dry, but a good dollop of sauce sorted that out!

Our main courses were really very good. Cowie's whole steamed sea bass with soy sauce, ginger and spring onion was moist and delicious. The only draw back being the fact that it was given a laparotomy at the table by someone who didn't know what they were doing. We felt very sorry for our waitress who continually apologised and explained that she had only ever done one before! Someone needs to train the staff up a bit. Disecting an expensive fish in front of a paying customer has to be done well. It's these kind of touches that make eating at places like Sheeky's so special.

My BBQ stewed pork belly arrived in a beautiful clay pot and tasted delicious. Slightly spicy, gooey and deeply porky. Just what I like. And then it got even better when I discovered some really slippery mushrooms that seemed like pieces of cartilige! Yummy. And very different what you get at your average local Chinese restaurant.

So, the food was good, if unspectacular. A cut above most Chinese restaurants. But the staff need some training and they need to read Heston's book to get a bit closer to serving the perfect duck!

Bombay Bicycle Club - small but tasty by QueenB

QueenB — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:30:25 +0000

Review by QueenB

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8673 6217

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

Tags: indian, lively, crowded

Not your average Indian is it really?
Fresh, bright, modern with friendly staff.

I like to go for a few drinks in the little pub next door and then just wander across the little path and feast on some spiced king prawns and then a lamb and spinach curry with a nice fluffy, warm naan bread, all washed down with a good glass of wine, and by the way this place fills up, I'm obviously not alone. Families, couples, singles, groups - they are all here. It is quite a small restaurant so on Thurs/Fri/Sat nights be sure to book.

There is something for everyone on the menu. They have chicken, fish, prawns, lamb, vegetarian options and get lovely desserts from the local specialist bakery!

They are the only Indian take away I will use!Not your average Indian is it really?
Fresh, bright, modern with friendly staff.

I like to go for a few drinks in the little pub next door and then just wander across the little path and feast on some spiced king prawns and then a lamb and spinach curry with a nice fluffy, warm naan bread, all washed down with a good glass of wine, and by the way this place fills up, I'm obviously not alone. Families, couples, singles, groups - they are all here. It is quite a small restaurant so on Thurs/Fri/Sat nights be sure to book.

There is something for everyone on the menu. They have chicken, fish, prawns, lamb, vegetarian options and get lovely desserts from the local specialist bakery!

They are the only Indian take away I will use!

Hop & Spice - Hop and Spice by key

key — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:14:35 +0000

Review by key

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8675 3121

Website: http://www.hopandspice.com/

Tags: lively, good value, romantic

This is a great place for a night out. I enjoyed a dish known as a thali which basically means you get to sample a small portion of lots of different curries - a taste senation which is apparently a traditional way of serving Sri Lankan food. There was a great range for non- meat eaters which was a pleasant surprise. My partner also had something called a Kottu Rotti which he loved. There is a great atmosphere as well, the staff are really attentive and if you like chill out music it will be right up your street.

Our eye was caught by the old Bollywood film being projected onto the walls.

This place worked really well for the two of us. We were so impressed that I'm going to celebrate my 30th here with a group of friends.This is a great place for a night out. I enjoyed a dish known as a thali which basically means you get to sample a small portion of lots of different curries - a taste senation which is apparently a traditional way of serving Sri Lankan food. There was a great range for non- meat eaters which was a pleasant surprise. My partner also had something called a Kottu Rotti which he loved. There is a great atmosphere as well, the staff are really attentive and if you like chill out music it will be right up your street.

Our eye was caught by the old Bollywood film being projected onto the walls.

This place worked really well for the two of us. We were so impressed that I'm going to celebrate my 30th here with a group of friends.

The Balham Tup - Decent Boozer by MattDonegan

MattDonegan — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:17:03 +0000

Review by MattDonegan

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8772 0546

Tags: dj, tv for sporting events, balham

I had the good luck to visit this gigantic Balham watering hole last night to watch my team Liverpool go down to a 2-1 defeat in Istanbul. Great large screens for sports, a wide and spacious bar area, and the usual selection of drinks. They've probably gutted the interior since its heyday, but what you're left with a clean and crisp place to enjoy a few light ales. There's comfy looking sofas for larger groups. I'll be paying this place another visit for sure.I had the good luck to visit this gigantic Balham watering hole last night to watch my team Liverpool go down to a 2-1 defeat in Istanbul. Great large screens for sports, a wide and spacious bar area, and the usual selection of drinks. They've probably gutted the interior since its heyday, but what you're left with a clean and crisp place to enjoy a few light ales. There's comfy looking sofas for larger groups. I'll be paying this place another visit for sure.