Latest reviews for Restaurants in Battersea, London, United Kingdom

Out of the Blue Bar & Kitchen - Nice local by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:01:04 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7207 8548

Came here on Monday night to exploit my tastelondon card with the 2 for 1 offer. Out of the Blue is an independent restaurant and from looking at reviews it is quite popular with the locals. The restaurant had a homely feel with low lighting and mismatched wooden furniture. Not sure i'd be able to sit in my wicker chair for more than a couple of hours though and some of the tables were really close together - so i was impressed that the waitresses could get round them. The menu was divided into two parts - one section had heavier meals, your standard starters, mains, and puddings. On the other side were smaller tapas like plates, 5 of which we decided to go for. We ordered the battered halloumi cheese, the rocket and grapefruit salad, the lamb kebabs, the nachos and the chicken burritos. All were delicious and i had nothing to fault them for. I particulary liked the rocket and grapefruit sald with parmesan - great combination of flavours. However, after having the 5 dishes we were still hungry and we ordered a plate of fries. I liked the way the dishes had their own touches - for example the fries had parsley and garlic on them. You could tell that care had gone into making them. Not sure if I would come back though as I did think that Â£5.50 per dish was a little pricey and we weren't full after 5 dishes.Came here on Monday night to exploit my tastelondon card with the 2 for 1 offer. Out of the Blue is an independent restaurant and from looking at reviews it is quite popular with the locals. The restaurant had a homely feel with low lighting and mismatched wooden furniture. Not sure i'd be able to sit in my wicker chair for more than a couple of hours though and some of the tables were really close together - so i was impressed that the waitresses could get round them. The menu was divided into two parts - one section had heavier meals, your standard starters, mains, and puddings. On the other side were smaller tapas like plates, 5 of which we decided to go for. We ordered the battered halloumi cheese, the rocket and grapefruit salad, the lamb kebabs, the nachos and the chicken burritos. All were delicious and i had nothing to fault them for. I particulary liked the rocket and grapefruit sald with parmesan - great combination of flavours. However, after having the 5 dishes we were still hungry and we ordered a plate of fries. I liked the way the dishes had their own touches - for example the fries had parsley and garlic on them. You could tell that care had gone into making them. Not sure if I would come back though as I did think that Â£5.50 per dish was a little pricey and we weren't full after 5 dishes.

San Gennaro - by Niamheen

Niamheen — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:01:03 +0000

Review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7622 0475

Tags: italian, friendly, pizza

I had a really pleasant and authentic Italian meal here recently. The staff were very friendly and efficient and the menu featured a favourite not often featured on menus here - Burrata. It was very reasonably priced and I am looking forward to going again. I'll update my thoughts when I do!I had a really pleasant and authentic Italian meal here recently. The staff were very friendly and efficient and the menu featured a favourite not often featured on menus here - Burrata. It was very reasonably priced and I am looking forward to going again. I'll update my thoughts when I do!

Galapagos Foods - Best ever by vaness

vaness — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:17:25 +0000

Review by vaness

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8488 4989

Tags: lively, cheap eat, good value

This AMAZING cafe has the best selection of healthy gourmet salads, wraps, quiches and baguettes. The quality and freshness of their products is always great... The owners & staff are always friendly plus the atmosphere of the place is 'the little cafe you always wanted to start your day at or have as a getaway place for lunch/dinner' Love it!!!This AMAZING cafe has the best selection of healthy gourmet salads, wraps, quiches and baguettes. The quality and freshness of their products is always great... The owners & staff are always friendly plus the atmosphere of the place is 'the little cafe you always wanted to start your day at or have as a getaway place for lunch/dinner' Love it!!!

Little Bay - Strange! by jackmale86

jackmale86 — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:45:46 +0000

Review by jackmale86

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7223 4080

Website: http://www.little-bay.co.uk

Tags: lively, good value, cheap eat

Wasn't sure how to rate this one, never experienced anything like it before! I've always been to 'normal' restaurants where you just go for the conversation and the food - not for the opera! However it was fun and i did enjoy the evening! The decor here is without doubt fantastic and looks so romantic. For me that romantic edge was lost when the opera started - i didn't actually know we'd be getting serenated by an opera singer! The food here is exquisite and tastes delicious. If you like well prepared and expertly presented food, you need to come to Little Bay!Wasn't sure how to rate this one, never experienced anything like it before! I've always been to 'normal' restaurants where you just go for the conversation and the food - not for the opera! However it was fun and i did enjoy the evening! The decor here is without doubt fantastic and looks so romantic. For me that romantic edge was lost when the opera started - i didn't actually know we'd be getting serenated by an opera singer! The food here is exquisite and tastes delicious. If you like well prepared and expertly presented food, you need to come to Little Bay!

Lavender Spice - by Squiddy

Squiddy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:45:43 +0000

Review by Squiddy

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7207 3925

Tags: indian, takeaway

Good value, uncomplicated typical British-Indian restaurant. Very good for takeaways. Excels in creamy curries, but watch out for the butter chicken, as it just a bit too creamy and sweet for my taste.Good value, uncomplicated typical British-Indian restaurant. Very good for takeaways. Excels in creamy curries, but watch out for the butter chicken, as it just a bit too creamy and sweet for my taste.

Le Bouchon Lyonnais - Le Bouchon Bordelais by Snowy

Snowy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:52:47 +0000

Review by Snowy

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7622 2618

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

Tags: french, vegetarian dishes

We went to this restaurant for a hen night as the 'hen' was French. Her and her french speaking friends had a great time. The food was dear except for the set menu which was quite good value the food was nice particulary the creme brulee. I enjoyed it all except when I asked if the starter could be served without the meat to which the waiter replied 'non' and that was all. But my french speaking friend sorted it out. But i was a bit taken back. I probaly would not go again but then the French aren't known for their veggie dishes.We went to this restaurant for a hen night as the 'hen' was French. Her and her french speaking friends had a great time. The food was dear except for the set menu which was quite good value the food was nice particulary the creme brulee. I enjoyed it all except when I asked if the starter could be served without the meat to which the waiter replied 'non' and that was all. But my french speaking friend sorted it out. But i was a bit taken back. I probaly would not go again but then the French aren't known for their veggie dishes.

Cinnamon Cay - Wild and wacky by chrisp

chrisp — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:14:57 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7801 0932

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

Tags: international, lively, terrace

I had crocodile croquettas on my last visit to Cinnamon Cay, which should indicate the kind of thing you can expect to find on their menu. A smart, decent local restaurant, Cinnamon Cay still manages to serve very middle-of-the-road food despite the international and exotic ingredients. Scallops were dull and overly salty, a tuna steak overcooked, and springbok a bit chewy, although maybe this is normal, I have no idea. Worth it for the novelty factor, perhaps, but you won't be left with a burning desire to return.

Crocodile, by the way, tastes like tuna.I had crocodile croquettas on my last visit to Cinnamon Cay, which should indicate the kind of thing you can expect to find on their menu. A smart, decent local restaurant, Cinnamon Cay still manages to serve very middle-of-the-road food despite the international and exotic ingredients. Scallops were dull and overly salty, a tuna steak overcooked, and springbok a bit chewy, although maybe this is normal, I have no idea. Worth it for the novelty factor, perhaps, but you won't be left with a burning desire to return.

Crocodile, by the way, tastes like tuna.

Tom Ilic - Tom Ilic by petrus

petrus — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:59:50 +0000

Review by petrus

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7622 0555

Website: http://www.tomilic.com/

Tags: good value, british, romantic

I finally had dinner last night with 4 friends at Tom Ilic in Battersea. The restaurant has had consistently good reviews since it opened and only a slightly inconvenient location had kept me away so far. As a fan of all things meaty and offaly so I was looking forward to the experience, particularly the chef's treatment of the cheaper piggy cuts.

We all found the menu very appetising and unanimously agreed that we would happily eat it all! Waistlines and budgets precluded this tempting option and we set about the hard task of picking a starter, main and eventually dessert each. I went for the braised pigs cheeks with chorizo on garlic and parsley mash to begin. Around the table others went for tartare of tuna, poached duck egg and leek terrine and picked Cornish crab.

We had a bottle of Californian vignoier to accompany the starters, which was beautifully perfumed on the nose and light and clean on the palate. My pigs cheeks were excellent, perched on dollop of richly flavoured, smooth mash and topped with a thin slice of strongly flavoured chorizo plus a strip of crispy crackling. The meat was very tender and fell apart, the chorizo added a smoky, spicy note and the crackling was delicious. The rest of the table seemed very happy with their starters, with particular praise coming for the perfectness of the poached egg and the clean, light flavours of the tuna.

I stuck with the unashamedly carnivorous option for the main â¬ fillet of beef, horseradish soufflÃ©, girolles and oxtail raviolo. Other choices were lamb â¬ roasted saddle and braised shoulder, the signature scallops and belly pork and ballotine of rabbit with roasted langoustine. To accompany a bottle of Argentinean Malbec that was full-bodied, smooth and very moreish.

One slight hiccup occurred when a waiter began to lay plates down on our table to general oohs and aaahs, but then the plates were whisked away when one of his colleagues realised they were destined for another table! Disappointment all round, but we had another sip of wine and waited for it to be our turn.

I have to say the beef was superb, an excellent cut that was very flavoursome. The horseradish soufflÃ© was relatively dense; almost cake like, with the distinctive bite of horseradish shining through. The plump oxtail raviolo was stuffed with tender threads of meat interspersed with carrots and a rich sauce. A red wine reduction and sautÃ©ed girolles completed a heavenly dish.

The rest of the table seemed very happy with their selections, judging by the silence whilst initially tucking in and the empty plates at the end. We were all pleasantly full by this stage and felt the portion sizes were just right, not too small and not supersize-me-style big.

There was a gap before we made our dessert choices, long enough for us to persuade ourselves that a second bottle of Malbec was an excellent ideaâ¬¦.

I finished off the evening with the chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream from a dessert list that was full with lots of other desirable choices. When it arrived, it was beautifully presented and on cracking through the top it oozed out a very indulgent thick chocolate sauce. Often with fondants I find they have been slightly overcooked so the cake/sauce ratio is too much in favour of the cake, not so here! The pistachio ice cream was beautiful, almost a mousse in texture and had an exceptional flavour.

All in all we had a great time; the staff were efficient and not over-attentive. Tom himself came round the tables at the end and spent a few minutes having a bit of banter. He explained he is trying for a relatively informal style, where the waiters do not try and refill your wine glass every time you take a sip. I for one found that to be a relief and made for an enjoyable meal where the conversation could flow without constant interruption. The only real fault I could find, like others before me, is with the dÃ©cor and layout, which are not great. But then when the food and wine are this good, who cares?

Total cost per head, with service - Â£56
I finally had dinner last night with 4 friends at Tom Ilic in Battersea. The restaurant has had consistently good reviews since it opened and only a slightly inconvenient location had kept me away so far. As a fan of all things meaty and offaly so I was looking forward to the experience, particularly the chef's treatment of the cheaper piggy cuts.

We all found the menu very appetising and unanimously agreed that we would happily eat it all! Waistlines and budgets precluded this tempting option and we set about the hard task of picking a starter, main and eventually dessert each. I went for the braised pigs cheeks with chorizo on garlic and parsley mash to begin. Around the table others went for tartare of tuna, poached duck egg and leek terrine and picked Cornish crab.

We had a bottle of Californian vignoier to accompany the starters, which was beautifully perfumed on the nose and light and clean on the palate. My pigs cheeks were excellent, perched on dollop of richly flavoured, smooth mash and topped with a thin slice of strongly flavoured chorizo plus a strip of crispy crackling. The meat was very tender and fell apart, the chorizo added a smoky, spicy note and the crackling was delicious. The rest of the table seemed very happy with their starters, with particular praise coming for the perfectness of the poached egg and the clean, light flavours of the tuna.

I stuck with the unashamedly carnivorous option for the main â¬ fillet of beef, horseradish soufflÃ©, girolles and oxtail raviolo. Other choices were lamb â¬ roasted saddle and braised shoulder, the signature scallops and belly pork and ballotine of rabbit with roasted langoustine. To accompany a bottle of Argentinean Malbec that was full-bodied, smooth and very moreish.

One slight hiccup occurred when a waiter began to lay plates down on our table to general oohs and aaahs, but then the plates were whisked away when one of his colleagues realised they were destined for another table! Disappointment all round, but we had another sip of wine and waited for it to be our turn.

I have to say the beef was superb, an excellent cut that was very flavoursome. The horseradish soufflÃ© was relatively dense; almost cake like, with the distinctive bite of horseradish shining through. The plump oxtail raviolo was stuffed with tender threads of meat interspersed with carrots and a rich sauce. A red wine reduction and sautÃ©ed girolles completed a heavenly dish.

The rest of the table seemed very happy with their selections, judging by the silence whilst initially tucking in and the empty plates at the end. We were all pleasantly full by this stage and felt the portion sizes were just right, not too small and not supersize-me-style big.

There was a gap before we made our dessert choices, long enough for us to persuade ourselves that a second bottle of Malbec was an excellent ideaâ¬¦.

I finished off the evening with the chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream from a dessert list that was full with lots of other desirable choices. When it arrived, it was beautifully presented and on cracking through the top it oozed out a very indulgent thick chocolate sauce. Often with fondants I find they have been slightly overcooked so the cake/sauce ratio is too much in favour of the cake, not so here! The pistachio ice cream was beautiful, almost a mousse in texture and had an exceptional flavour.

All in all we had a great time; the staff were efficient and not over-attentive. Tom himself came round the tables at the end and spent a few minutes having a bit of banter. He explained he is trying for a relatively informal style, where the waiters do not try and refill your wine glass every time you take a sip. I for one found that to be a relief and made for an enjoyable meal where the conversation could flow without constant interruption. The only real fault I could find, like others before me, is with the dÃ©cor and layout, which are not great. But then when the food and wine are this good, who cares?

Total cost per head, with service - Â£56

The Greyhound - Bland and overpriced by chrisp

chrisp — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:33:55 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7978 7021

Tags: gastro pub, pretentious, british

I was reading an article in the Guardian the other day about the word "meh". Apparently it's "sweeping the internet", and although I seem to remember first hearing it from Seinfeld, the general consensus is it started life on an episode of The Simpsons. Either way, the peak in the use of this word coincides very neatly with my visit to The Greyhound in Battersea, handily giving me an opportunity to sum up my meal in three letters.

Meh.

OK maybe that's too much of an easy way out. I at least owe it to myself to say more about a place I've visited 3 times in the past year or two, and which requires quite a bit of effort to get to at all. It's tucked away in a forgotten corner of Battersea (I'm tempted to say the dodgy end, but then I am biased, living at the other end) and so far off the beaten track I imagine nobody would bother at all had it not been listed in the Michelin for the last couple of years.

On previous visits I seem to remember large square plates decorated with a bizarre arrangement of salad clumps, thinly sliced somethingorothers and swirly, pretentious squirts of sauce. They do still do the coffee-flavoured butter (tastes as you might imagine - very weird), but the other more frilly tendencies seem to have been toned down, and presentation now seems to be more towards the normal gastropub style - ie. meat, mash, sauce, rocket salad. Which isn't a bad thing of course, unless you charge over the odds for it, and in this case over the odds is Â£27 for two average courses.

My starter was a lovely big chunk of "house" smoked salmon (I hope they didn't fish it out of the Thames), a smaller piece of smoked eel (which I'd never had before but tasted nice enough, like smoked mackerel), a dollop of dill crÃ¨me fraÃ®che and an actually rather tasty green salad. It was worth it for the thick-cut smoked salmon which you don't see very often, and I was rather happy with this course, although my companion's asparagus and poached-egg thingy was declared "tasteless", and that is fairly inexcusable.

Now you can't really mess up duck breast too much as long as you don't overcook it, and this was tasty enough, with a nice orangey sauce and accompanied by crispy pancetta and caramelised red onions. However the duck skin was wobbly and colourless rather than firm and crispy, and our other main, the venison, was strangely bland. Not very nice at all.

Perhaps I would be kinder on The Greyhound if you couldn't get much better food for much less just down the road at the Fox and Hounds. The F&H is my local, and their duck breast main is a hundred times better than this one. And they don't mess about with coffee-flavoured butter. But I'm going to keep quiet about the Fox for now as I will do it justice with a proper visit sometime soon.

Our bill, for - as I say - two very average courses and a couple of glasses of wine, came to Â£95. That's way over the odds for cooking of this standard and although the service was charming and the surroundings very pleasant, it just wasn't worth it. I've given the Greyhound the benefit of the doubt one too many times, and I don't think I'll bother again. Quite why the Michelin boys keep rating the place is beyond me - they'd do much better popping down the road to the Fox. Then again, maybe if they did, my local would suddenly double the prices and wheel out the coffee butter.I was reading an article in the Guardian the other day about the word "meh". Apparently it's "sweeping the internet", and although I seem to remember first hearing it from Seinfeld, the general consensus is it started life on an episode of The Simpsons. Either way, the peak in the use of this word coincides very neatly with my visit to The Greyhound in Battersea, handily giving me an opportunity to sum up my meal in three letters.

Meh.

OK maybe that's too much of an easy way out. I at least owe it to myself to say more about a place I've visited 3 times in the past year or two, and which requires quite a bit of effort to get to at all. It's tucked away in a forgotten corner of Battersea (I'm tempted to say the dodgy end, but then I am biased, living at the other end) and so far off the beaten track I imagine nobody would bother at all had it not been listed in the Michelin for the last couple of years.

On previous visits I seem to remember large square plates decorated with a bizarre arrangement of salad clumps, thinly sliced somethingorothers and swirly, pretentious squirts of sauce. They do still do the coffee-flavoured butter (tastes as you might imagine - very weird), but the other more frilly tendencies seem to have been toned down, and presentation now seems to be more towards the normal gastropub style - ie. meat, mash, sauce, rocket salad. Which isn't a bad thing of course, unless you charge over the odds for it, and in this case over the odds is Â£27 for two average courses.

My starter was a lovely big chunk of "house" smoked salmon (I hope they didn't fish it out of the Thames), a smaller piece of smoked eel (which I'd never had before but tasted nice enough, like smoked mackerel), a dollop of dill crÃ¨me fraÃ®che and an actually rather tasty green salad. It was worth it for the thick-cut smoked salmon which you don't see very often, and I was rather happy with this course, although my companion's asparagus and poached-egg thingy was declared "tasteless", and that is fairly inexcusable.

Now you can't really mess up duck breast too much as long as you don't overcook it, and this was tasty enough, with a nice orangey sauce and accompanied by crispy pancetta and caramelised red onions. However the duck skin was wobbly and colourless rather than firm and crispy, and our other main, the venison, was strangely bland. Not very nice at all.

Perhaps I would be kinder on The Greyhound if you couldn't get much better food for much less just down the road at the Fox and Hounds. The F&H is my local, and their duck breast main is a hundred times better than this one. And they don't mess about with coffee-flavoured butter. But I'm going to keep quiet about the Fox for now as I will do it justice with a proper visit sometime soon.

Our bill, for - as I say - two very average courses and a couple of glasses of wine, came to Â£95. That's way over the odds for cooking of this standard and although the service was charming and the surroundings very pleasant, it just wasn't worth it. I've given the Greyhound the benefit of the doubt one too many times, and I don't think I'll bother again. Quite why the Michelin boys keep rating the place is beyond me - they'd do much better popping down the road to the Fox. Then again, maybe if they did, my local would suddenly double the prices and wheel out the coffee butter.

Santa Maria del Sur - Decent steaks, served with a smile by chrisp

chrisp — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:18:48 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7622 2088

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

Tags: good value, family & home feel, argentinian

Things are definitely on the up in my corner of South West London. Fitting in nicely next to the refined French atmosphere of the Food Room, Queenstown Road now has another quality eatery from a whole different continent. Santa Maria del Sur has one other branch out in Hackney somewhere, and has obviously proved so popular with the 'Enders that now the other side of the river gets a taste too.

We turned up on-spec fairly early - 6:30 or so - and were surprised to discover that they were fully booked for that Friday night. That they managed to fit us in is an indicator of the level of service, and that they were fully booked - well that's always a good sign.

It has traditionally been the case that a quality steak has been very hard to come by in London. I think part of the problem is the cost of the raw ingredients - Hawksmoor in the city do a fantastic aged Longhorn sirloin with triple-cooked chips and as many cocktails as you can fit inside you, but at Â£30 for the meat alone this is something you really pay through the nose for. Prices at Santa Maria immediately strike you as much more reasonable, Â£17 for a fillet for example, or Â£15 for sirloin. Quality steaks will never be cheap in England, but it's nice to find somewhere that treads that tricky middle ground between the very top-end (Hawksmoor, Groucho Grill) and the dross that is Angus Steakhouse. The sight of a miserable German family trapped in the window of a Covent Garden Angus Steakhouse of a Saturday night always turns my stomach. I feel like picketing the entrance sometimes - unwary tourists should not be subjected to that kind of torture.

These steaks however, were very good. Not as completely drop-dead gorgeous as the Hawksmoor (or Peter Luger) specimens, but extremely tasty, cooked to the required medium-rare in all cases, and served with sharp slice of pickled pepper.

Sides included parsley and garlic chips (nice enough, though the chips were a bit dry), and butter beans, which were a real hit with everyone - oily and herby and went very well with the steaks. It was all washed down with an Argentinian (of course) Mendoza which was a fantastic drink.

I should also say that the restaurant itself was decorated in a very comfortable rustic style, the Argentinian staff were charming and added an extra air of authenticity, and service throughout was not only efficient but attentive, friendly and informal - pretty much spot on for this style of place. I feel a bit guilty about denegrating their open kitchen the other day, but I hope they'll forgive me. Santa Maria del Sur is a lovely little restaurant.
Things are definitely on the up in my corner of South West London. Fitting in nicely next to the refined French atmosphere of the Food Room, Queenstown Road now has another quality eatery from a whole different continent. Santa Maria del Sur has one other branch out in Hackney somewhere, and has obviously proved so popular with the 'Enders that now the other side of the river gets a taste too.

We turned up on-spec fairly early - 6:30 or so - and were surprised to discover that they were fully booked for that Friday night. That they managed to fit us in is an indicator of the level of service, and that they were fully booked - well that's always a good sign.

It has traditionally been the case that a quality steak has been very hard to come by in London. I think part of the problem is the cost of the raw ingredients - Hawksmoor in the city do a fantastic aged Longhorn sirloin with triple-cooked chips and as many cocktails as you can fit inside you, but at Â£30 for the meat alone this is something you really pay through the nose for. Prices at Santa Maria immediately strike you as much more reasonable, Â£17 for a fillet for example, or Â£15 for sirloin. Quality steaks will never be cheap in England, but it's nice to find somewhere that treads that tricky middle ground between the very top-end (Hawksmoor, Groucho Grill) and the dross that is Angus Steakhouse. The sight of a miserable German family trapped in the window of a Covent Garden Angus Steakhouse of a Saturday night always turns my stomach. I feel like picketing the entrance sometimes - unwary tourists should not be subjected to that kind of torture.

These steaks however, were very good. Not as completely drop-dead gorgeous as the Hawksmoor (or Peter Luger) specimens, but extremely tasty, cooked to the required medium-rare in all cases, and served with sharp slice of pickled pepper.

Sides included parsley and garlic chips (nice enough, though the chips were a bit dry), and butter beans, which were a real hit with everyone - oily and herby and went very well with the steaks. It was all washed down with an Argentinian (of course) Mendoza which was a fantastic drink.

I should also say that the restaurant itself was decorated in a very comfortable rustic style, the Argentinian staff were charming and added an extra air of authenticity, and service throughout was not only efficient but attentive, friendly and informal - pretty much spot on for this style of place. I feel a bit guilty about denegrating their open kitchen the other day, but I hope they'll forgive me. Santa Maria del Sur is a lovely little restaurant.

Donna Margherita - Approach with caution by chrisp

chrisp — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:10:04 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7228 2660

Tags: italian, lively, terrace

Just in case I wasn't getting smug enough with the two excellent restaurants either end of my road (The Fox and Hounds and The Food Room), word on the street (well OK, on the internet) had it that some of the best pizzas to be had in London came out of an unassuming local Italian restaurant on busy Lavender Hill. I don't know if it's even possible to have a truly great pizza, a foodstuff which is after all only tomato and cheese on bread, and I suppose the best I usually hope for is that it isn't too oily and isn't too expensive. So once I found out that there was a chance I may have been missing out on a good thing, I eagerly made my way to Donna Margherita.

Unfortunately, I needn't have worried. Though not exactly bad, my pizza - a Diavola - was just very dull, the kind of thing you could get in more or less any bog standard Italian restaurant in the capital. The dough was slightly tough, but with the odd crispy burned bubble to give a pleasant bit of texture. The fresh basil was a nice touch, and the chilli oil wasn't too overpowering and overall the mixture had just the right balance of sweet tomato and salty cheese. More than once I've been served a pizza so groaning with cheese it was like eating a huge flat fondue, so in this respect I suppose they're doing something right. Overall though, the effect was desperately underwhelming. We had been told to order the garlic bread, so we did, and this was nice enough with little crispy bits of fried rosemary and basil on top, albeit with the same tough dough. I wasn't exactly in raptures.

I only wish I could have said the same about my companion's meal, but his seafood pizza was not just disappointing in flavour but an actual health and safety hazard. You see, the chefs in their wisdom thought it would be a nice presentational flourish to keep the mussels in their shells as a topping on the pizza. And indeed at first glance it did look quite impressive, arranged as they were amongst squid tentacles and a scattering of shredded basil. But under the fierce heat of the pizza oven the mussel shells had burned and splintered alarmingly, so much so that every mouthful of pizza required a careful dissection in case any of the razor sharp fragments made their way into your mouth and shredded your gums. Less a meal and more a culinary minefield, I'm afraid the question of whether he could recommend Donna Margherita pizzas was answered with a definite "Dear God, no".

However, all is not lost. Just a couple of doors down from Donna Margherita on Lavender Hill is a little takeaway place called Basilico. There's no eat-in option but they do deliver, and having sampled a few items on their menu there is only one I keep coming back to - the Pizza Funghi au Truffle, topped with generous amounts of lovely big salami and drizzled with truffle oil. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say it was great, but it is certainly very good, and with very little danger of physical injury. Basilico has 5 branches scattered around London, and the Pizza Funghi au Truffle in particular comes highly recommended.Just in case I wasn't getting smug enough with the two excellent restaurants either end of my road (The Fox and Hounds and The Food Room), word on the street (well OK, on the internet) had it that some of the best pizzas to be had in London came out of an unassuming local Italian restaurant on busy Lavender Hill. I don't know if it's even possible to have a truly great pizza, a foodstuff which is after all only tomato and cheese on bread, and I suppose the best I usually hope for is that it isn't too oily and isn't too expensive. So once I found out that there was a chance I may have been missing out on a good thing, I eagerly made my way to Donna Margherita.

Unfortunately, I needn't have worried. Though not exactly bad, my pizza - a Diavola - was just very dull, the kind of thing you could get in more or less any bog standard Italian restaurant in the capital. The dough was slightly tough, but with the odd crispy burned bubble to give a pleasant bit of texture. The fresh basil was a nice touch, and the chilli oil wasn't too overpowering and overall the mixture had just the right balance of sweet tomato and salty cheese. More than once I've been served a pizza so groaning with cheese it was like eating a huge flat fondue, so in this respect I suppose they're doing something right. Overall though, the effect was desperately underwhelming. We had been told to order the garlic bread, so we did, and this was nice enough with little crispy bits of fried rosemary and basil on top, albeit with the same tough dough. I wasn't exactly in raptures.

I only wish I could have said the same about my companion's meal, but his seafood pizza was not just disappointing in flavour but an actual health and safety hazard. You see, the chefs in their wisdom thought it would be a nice presentational flourish to keep the mussels in their shells as a topping on the pizza. And indeed at first glance it did look quite impressive, arranged as they were amongst squid tentacles and a scattering of shredded basil. But under the fierce heat of the pizza oven the mussel shells had burned and splintered alarmingly, so much so that every mouthful of pizza required a careful dissection in case any of the razor sharp fragments made their way into your mouth and shredded your gums. Less a meal and more a culinary minefield, I'm afraid the question of whether he could recommend Donna Margherita pizzas was answered with a definite "Dear God, no".

However, all is not lost. Just a couple of doors down from Donna Margherita on Lavender Hill is a little takeaway place called Basilico. There's no eat-in option but they do deliver, and having sampled a few items on their menu there is only one I keep coming back to - the Pizza Funghi au Truffle, topped with generous amounts of lovely big salami and drizzled with truffle oil. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say it was great, but it is certainly very good, and with very little danger of physical injury. Basilico has 5 branches scattered around London, and the Pizza Funghi au Truffle in particular comes highly recommended.

Firezza - Pizzas for Poshies by Dan_Card

Dan_Card — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:49:07 +0000

Review by Dan_Card

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7223 5535

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

Tags: italian, takeaway, pizzeria

The ultimate tastey pizza for complete takeaway snobs. Firezza make theirs by the metre, and are very adventurous in their toppings. My favourite is the goat's cheese pizza with caramelised onions - lip smackingly good.

Apparently the ingredients are authentically Italian and even their mozarella is flown in every Tuesday. Ok, so not great if you're a tree hugging hippy who watches the CO2 footprints, but if you're a complete and utter foodie, you'll be hard pushed to find ANY takeaway pizza in the city that rivals Firezza in terms of quality, authenticity and taste. The ultimate tastey pizza for complete takeaway snobs. Firezza make theirs by the metre, and are very adventurous in their toppings. My favourite is the goat's cheese pizza with caramelised onions - lip smackingly good.

Apparently the ingredients are authentically Italian and even their mozarella is flown in every Tuesday. Ok, so not great if you're a tree hugging hippy who watches the CO2 footprints, but if you're a complete and utter foodie, you'll be hard pushed to find ANY takeaway pizza in the city that rivals Firezza in terms of quality, authenticity and taste.

The Stag Indian Restaurant & Take-Away - Miles better than Tooting by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:08:37 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7223 7516

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

Tags: indian, cheap eat

My family are avid curry fans but after a few bad experiences at Tooting curry houses I decided to take them to The Stag in Battersea - for which I could use the Taste London Card to get 50% off. Bargain.

The restaurant is off the beaten track nestled amongst some ex-council estates. Formerly a pub, the restaurant has adopted its old name. Inside, it is tastefully decorated, chairs are very comfortable and they give you cloth napkins - definitely one-up from the places in Tooting. The menu was extensive and had the usual suspects as well as some very interesting dishes. The waiting staff were able to help us select our mains - and tell us about each dish.

We ordered the Tandoori mixed grill to share and also samosas - all very good and freshly prepared. Mains were excellent - fresh and not the greasy fayre you find in most curry houses. We had the garlic chilli lamb, rogon josh chicken, a fish curry and the bindi bhaji. DIshes tend to be on the mild side so if you like yours hot then ask for extra chillis. One minor thing was that the portions were quite small - especially in proportion to the rice that you get. There was only a few pieces of fish in the fish curry so that as a group of four people we could only try one bit each. However, we left the restaurant feeling quite full and were pleased with the choice of restaurant especially since we paid Â£40 in total including 2 large bottles of cobra beer (with TT card). So in effect cheaper than the Tooting curry houses and much better eating experience on the whole. Can't wait to go back!

My family are avid curry fans but after a few bad experiences at Tooting curry houses I decided to take them to The Stag in Battersea - for which I could use the Taste London Card to get 50% off. Bargain.

The restaurant is off the beaten track nestled amongst some ex-council estates. Formerly a pub, the restaurant has adopted its old name. Inside, it is tastefully decorated, chairs are very comfortable and they give you cloth napkins - definitely one-up from the places in Tooting. The menu was extensive and had the usual suspects as well as some very interesting dishes. The waiting staff were able to help us select our mains - and tell us about each dish.

We ordered the Tandoori mixed grill to share and also samosas - all very good and freshly prepared. Mains were excellent - fresh and not the greasy fayre you find in most curry houses. We had the garlic chilli lamb, rogon josh chicken, a fish curry and the bindi bhaji. DIshes tend to be on the mild side so if you like yours hot then ask for extra chillis. One minor thing was that the portions were quite small - especially in proportion to the rice that you get. There was only a few pieces of fish in the fish curry so that as a group of four people we could only try one bit each. However, we left the restaurant feeling quite full and were pleased with the choice of restaurant especially since we paid Â£40 in total including 2 large bottles of cobra beer (with TT card). So in effect cheaper than the Tooting curry houses and much better eating experience on the whole. Can't wait to go back!

Margarita Loca - A waste of time by aintitsofunky

aintitsofunky — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:46:27 +0000

Review by aintitsofunky

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7924 2772

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

Tags: toptable

The only redeeming factor in all of this are the cocktails and the manager.
I love Mexican food and it's right up my street so I've gone there 4 times now.
3 out of 4 times my food has had to be sent back. The last time it wasn't even what I ordered.Previous times have been because it's not been properly cooked.
The waitresses more often than not find it hard to understand English; the staff always seems unwilling to accommodate any requests, even for allergies.

If you want pseudo-mexican food then go here, but you'll be sorry. The only redeeming factor in all of this are the cocktails and the manager.
I love Mexican food and it's right up my street so I've gone there 4 times now.
3 out of 4 times my food has had to be sent back. The last time it wasn't even what I ordered.Previous times have been because it's not been properly cooked.
The waitresses more often than not find it hard to understand English; the staff always seems unwilling to accommodate any requests, even for allergies.

If you want pseudo-mexican food then go here, but you'll be sorry.

The Butcher & Grill - great food, but sloooooow service by VictoriaR

VictoriaR — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:18:56 +0000

Review by VictoriaR

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7924 3999

Website: http://www.thebutcherandgrill.com

Tags: good value, british, lively

If you're in the mood for a serious steak or juicy burger, this is the place to come: the meat's displayed in the shop in the front, along with a selection of other good-looking deli favourites like fat brownies and tomatoes on the vine, and is served in decent portions, cooked with care. Burgers are worth a trip - nice and juicy, and with the gherkins, tomatoes, onions and lettuce served alongside, rather than in the bun, so you can compile your own mix, instead of fishing around trying to remove any unwanted bits. Other meat grills are good, and while it's not cheap, the quality is very high.

however, don't bother if you're in a rush, because the service operates with all the urgency and warmth of glacier creep. I've been three times now, and each time has taken longer than the last. The first visit was Bonfire Night - the location makes it a perfect pitstop for Battersea Park's annual extravaganza - and I put the hour delay between ordering and glimpsing the first starter down to the crowds. Subsequent meals have proved this to be the standard pace. It's a "loud" room even when half full, and we found, to our gradual despair, that slow service + kid-friendly menu = bored children and a LOT of noise for other diners. If they could chivvy the staff into friendlier and more efficient table-waiting, I'd be a regular customer. Till then, it's a good example of why a great menu alone isn't quite enough.If you're in the mood for a serious steak or juicy burger, this is the place to come: the meat's displayed in the shop in the front, along with a selection of other good-looking deli favourites like fat brownies and tomatoes on the vine, and is served in decent portions, cooked with care. Burgers are worth a trip - nice and juicy, and with the gherkins, tomatoes, onions and lettuce served alongside, rather than in the bun, so you can compile your own mix, instead of fishing around trying to remove any unwanted bits. Other meat grills are good, and while it's not cheap, the quality is very high.

however, don't bother if you're in a rush, because the service operates with all the urgency and warmth of glacier creep. I've been three times now, and each time has taken longer than the last. The first visit was Bonfire Night - the location makes it a perfect pitstop for Battersea Park's annual extravaganza - and I put the hour delay between ordering and glimpsing the first starter down to the crowds. Subsequent meals have proved this to be the standard pace. It's a "loud" room even when half full, and we found, to our gradual despair, that slow service + kid-friendly menu = bored children and a LOT of noise for other diners. If they could chivvy the staff into friendlier and more efficient table-waiting, I'd be a regular customer. Till then, it's a good example of why a great menu alone isn't quite enough.

Lost Society - Pure unashamed decandence... by oogywawa

oogywawa — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:58:16 +0000

Review by oogywawa

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7652 6526

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

Tags: lively, bar, romantic

Celebrating how good it is to be alive is probably how I'd sum up this place. A "no frowns allowed" policy seems to permeate all who frequent this louche bar with a definite twinkle in it's eye. I head to Lost Society when I want to forget a bad day and sandblast stress with divine cocktails and a great winelist.

Decadent opulence is the theme of the decor that has "tarted up" this lovely 16C Barn which has five rooms ranging from Oriental to Bohemian with a nod to the lost British empire. The secluded garden for me is the star, especially when the weathers fine and you can hang out with a laid back club music feel as an underscore.

The owners describe their place as "intelligent drinking" and "delectable dining" and whilst that comes over as euphemistic elitist pigeon holing that's probably not far off the mark.

Whatever your reason for visiting and whoever you go with this is a pretty safe bet for a seriously good night.Celebrating how good it is to be alive is probably how I'd sum up this place. A "no frowns allowed" policy seems to permeate all who frequent this louche bar with a definite twinkle in it's eye. I head to Lost Society when I want to forget a bad day and sandblast stress with divine cocktails and a great winelist.

Decadent opulence is the theme of the decor that has "tarted up" this lovely 16C Barn which has five rooms ranging from Oriental to Bohemian with a nod to the lost British empire. The secluded garden for me is the star, especially when the weathers fine and you can hang out with a laid back club music feel as an underscore.

The owners describe their place as "intelligent drinking" and "delectable dining" and whilst that comes over as euphemistic elitist pigeon holing that's probably not far off the mark.

Whatever your reason for visiting and whoever you go with this is a pretty safe bet for a seriously good night.

Gazette - Quel domage! by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:22:57 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7223 0999

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

Tags: french, romantic, bistro

No don't worry - i am not going to slate the place, i was quite content with this restaurant on the whole and would certainly reccommend it. The restaurant was cute but spacious in a rustic way, the staff were loveably French and there were nice touches such as the menu which in a "la gazette" style and the charming accordian music playing in the background.

I came here with a friend who is very hard to please, so probably not a great idea to bring him here for my very first time. However, he did like the look and feel of the restaurant of it and certainly was complimentary with the mussels that we shared for starters- juicy, flavoursome and fresh. For mains we decided to go with seafood and this is where it all went downhill for him. I was quite happy with my cod but i must admit that the scallops and cauliflower puree sounded better on paper. It was served in a small le creuset dish so it was hard to eat and which also meant the scallops drowned in the puree, killing absolutely any flavour. He hated it and left it half finished with a scowl. To add insult to injury the next tables' cote de beouf arrived - a dish that we we considered at first but decided against. It looked glorious and bloody - and enough to feed about four although it was for two. He could not keep his eyes off of it!

We finished with desserts, he had the chocolate souffle and i had the creme brulee. Both large and wonderful that it nearly cheered him up. The bill came up to Â£60 with the trusted places card. Unfortunately they only gave one main dish for free and did not do the offer on the other plates. Quel domage we didn't choose the beef!

No don't worry - i am not going to slate the place, i was quite content with this restaurant on the whole and would certainly reccommend it. The restaurant was cute but spacious in a rustic way, the staff were loveably French and there were nice touches such as the menu which in a "la gazette" style and the charming accordian music playing in the background.

I came here with a friend who is very hard to please, so probably not a great idea to bring him here for my very first time. However, he did like the look and feel of the restaurant of it and certainly was complimentary with the mussels that we shared for starters- juicy, flavoursome and fresh. For mains we decided to go with seafood and this is where it all went downhill for him. I was quite happy with my cod but i must admit that the scallops and cauliflower puree sounded better on paper. It was served in a small le creuset dish so it was hard to eat and which also meant the scallops drowned in the puree, killing absolutely any flavour. He hated it and left it half finished with a scowl. To add insult to injury the next tables' cote de beouf arrived - a dish that we we considered at first but decided against. It looked glorious and bloody - and enough to feed about four although it was for two. He could not keep his eyes off of it!

We finished with desserts, he had the chocolate souffle and i had the creme brulee. Both large and wonderful that it nearly cheered him up. The bill came up to Â£60 with the trusted places card. Unfortunately they only gave one main dish for free and did not do the offer on the other plates. Quel domage we didn't choose the beef!

Chada Thai Cuisine - On a good day can be the best by gastro1

gastro1 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:59:19 +0000

Review by gastro1

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7622 2209

Tags: thai, good value, vegetarian dishes

Chada can serve some of the best Thai food in London especially when the owners are about.

The lovely couple that own this and the branch near Selfridges have often gone away for long periods and the food suffers.

Thai apetizers are lovely especially the paper prawns and chicken satay.

The Red and Green Curries are delicious as well as the various stir fried dishes .

Chada can serve some of the best Thai food in London especially when the owners are about.

The lovely couple that own this and the branch near Selfridges have often gone away for long periods and the food suffers.

Thai apetizers are lovely especially the paper prawns and chicken satay.

The Red and Green Curries are delicious as well as the various stir fried dishes .

Jasmin Restaurant - Bloomin' marvellous little find by Litro_K

Litro_K — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:08:36 +0000

Review by Litro_K

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7228 0336

Tags: chinese, takeaway, cheap eat

I really enjoyed this place. We stumbled across it last Saturday as we got off the 37 bus, starving and looking for something quick and cheap on Battersea Rise. It wasn't at all busy, and there was only one other family in there. We (and by we I mean the entire restaurant) were all served by one friendly man, in double-quick time, and had a fantastic set menu lunch which included a starter and a main course, plus prawn crackers, for just Â£6.50 per person. The portions were really generous, and the quality of the food excellent, with many choices. We were totally surprised to have had such a cheap and tasty lunch in what is quite a posh area, and left delighted.I really enjoyed this place. We stumbled across it last Saturday as we got off the 37 bus, starving and looking for something quick and cheap on Battersea Rise. It wasn't at all busy, and there was only one other family in there. We (and by we I mean the entire restaurant) were all served by one friendly man, in double-quick time, and had a fantastic set menu lunch which included a starter and a main course, plus prawn crackers, for just Â£6.50 per person. The portions were really generous, and the quality of the food excellent, with many choices. We were totally surprised to have had such a cheap and tasty lunch in what is quite a posh area, and left delighted.

Thai On The River @ Battersea - Good - but needs more variety by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:04:28 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7924 6090

Tags: thai, lively, jazz

Went for Sunday lunch here today for the first time after not being able to find parking for Dim Sum in Chinatown. Arrived at 1pm and it was deserted but by the time we left it was pretty busy. Every Sunday they have the thai buffet at Â£12 per head.

For starters, they offered a vegetable glass noodle soup, tempura vegetables, spring rolls, chicken bites, pork thai salad, vegetarian salad.

After my second stab at the starters I was well and truly stuffed but ploughed on with the mains. Had jasmine rice with thai green curry with chicken, beef in black beef sauce, beef with basil leaves, stir fried vegetables and salmon in sweet and sour sauce. Food with of pretty high standard and didn't seem like it had been sitting around for a long time. I really loved the curry.

Mum and Dad - being pretty experienced at their chinese buffets - were pretty skeptical. In their opinion this buffet didn't offer the choice that they were used to. Dad would have liked to see more seafood at the buffet as apart from the salmon there was nothing else. However we loved the puddings - there was a selection of fresh fruit and also some gorgeous cakes.

On the whole it was okay - bad points were that the buffet lacked seafood and also the jasmine tea was Â£2 per person - extortionate prices! Plus service was added - 12.5% which I don't really see the point of because it was a buffet...! Went for Sunday lunch here today for the first time after not being able to find parking for Dim Sum in Chinatown. Arrived at 1pm and it was deserted but by the time we left it was pretty busy. Every Sunday they have the thai buffet at Â£12 per head.

For starters, they offered a vegetable glass noodle soup, tempura vegetables, spring rolls, chicken bites, pork thai salad, vegetarian salad.

After my second stab at the starters I was well and truly stuffed but ploughed on with the mains. Had jasmine rice with thai green curry with chicken, beef in black beef sauce, beef with basil leaves, stir fried vegetables and salmon in sweet and sour sauce. Food with of pretty high standard and didn't seem like it had been sitting around for a long time. I really loved the curry.

Mum and Dad - being pretty experienced at their chinese buffets - were pretty skeptical. In their opinion this buffet didn't offer the choice that they were used to. Dad would have liked to see more seafood at the buffet as apart from the salmon there was nothing else. However we loved the puddings - there was a selection of fresh fruit and also some gorgeous cakes.

On the whole it was okay - bad points were that the buffet lacked seafood and also the jasmine tea was Â£2 per person - extortionate prices! Plus service was added - 12.5% which I don't really see the point of because it was a buffet...!