Latest reviews in Bayswater, London, United Kingdom

Curry Palace - Great curry at the curry palace by tanisha

tanisha — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:45:26 +0000

Review by tanisha

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7243 8992

Curry Place is great great great ...what can i say that the food is superb ambiance is very viberent and shisha space outside is great ....try the food you wont regret green chicken masala was deliciuos...
loved it highly recomend it to all people who has not been there...

just go there ....and try Curry Place is great great great ...what can i say that the food is superb ambiance is very viberent and shisha space outside is great ....try the food you wont regret green chicken masala was deliciuos...
loved it highly recomend it to all people who has not been there...

just go there ....and try

New Mansion House - insanitary conditions at new mansion house! by imperina

imperina — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:34:31 +0000

Review by imperina

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7723 4421

Website: http://www.london-hostels.co.uk

hi guys! if you are thinking about coming and living at new mansion house in lancaster gate london, you must be aware of what happened to me!
I was forced to live for 2 months with a french woman alcoholic and drug addicted that ripetitively urinated on the carpet of the room and was not evicted till i was nearly there to call the police!
This is not the only problem I had there, I had scabies and the food is always the same and crap! The hygine too is not good, there are cockroaches and dumps of rubbish in the corridors!
if you can go somewhere else!hi guys! if you are thinking about coming and living at new mansion house in lancaster gate london, you must be aware of what happened to me!
I was forced to live for 2 months with a french woman alcoholic and drug addicted that ripetitively urinated on the carpet of the room and was not evicted till i was nearly there to call the police!
This is not the only problem I had there, I had scabies and the food is always the same and crap! The hygine too is not good, there are cockroaches and dumps of rubbish in the corridors!
if you can go somewhere else!

Le Cafe Anglais - Potentially great by Niamheen

Niamheen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:47:53 +0000

Review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7221 1415

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

Tags: french, business, lively

I've been curious about Le Cafe Anglais for some time. It's in a shopping centre, the building used to house a MacDonalds and is Art Deco in style, lastly, it's owned and run by Rowley Leigh, formerly of critically acclaimed Kensington Place. A very unexpected combination of circumstances! Added to this, I had read that they were oversubscribed by investors and had to return money to some. I have been intrigued since I read the first reviews. Despite this, I didn't go, it slipped my mind, until I heard about the parmesan custard and anchovy toast. A new classic dish that everyone is raving about. That was it, I had to go.

The room is impressive, large with lots of natural light flooding in from the enormous windows and beautiful art deco light fixtures. We ate early, it was very quiet but they were fully booked from 8.30 on. Service was quick, formal and attentive but not overly so. The menu centres around roasts, there are rotisseries operating at the front of the open plan kitchen. There's also lots of enticing appetisers, hors d'oeuvre, first courses, main courses, and while influenced by French cuisine, it's very English.

The menu is comprehensive, to put it mildly, although not intimidatingly so. We hadn't much time so we decided to do an hors d'oeuvre and a main with a bellini as an appetiser. I can never resist one! I opted for the aforementioned parmesan custards with anchovy toasts and my friend the kipper with soft boiled egg - a steal at Â£3 each. For mains, the roast of the day - kid - was tempting, however the pork belly and sausages with bubble & squeak moreso.

The bellini's arrived promptly and were divine. We were also served bread, butter and bright pink radishes. Unusual but delicious. The hors d'oeuvre were great, although the kipper had a few bones which were quite tricky to remove! Luckily they had supplied toothpicks from the start. The parmesan custard was creamy and rich with a crisp parmesan topping. The toasts were a perfect pairing, it was really inspired.

My main was gorgeous, succulent pork belly with crisp perfect crackling served on top of lentils, however, my friend was disappointed with the sausages. They were quite salty and just not as good as you'd expect. I did enjoy the texture though. The bubble and squeak was delicious.

No time for desserts but there was a very enticing selection of fruits and cheeseboard. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal but my friend was disappointed. As a result, I'll give it 3 stars instead of 4. I will go back, it was sufficiently enticing to make me want more. Le CafÃ© Anglais offers good food, cooked well in a gorgeous setting - sausages excluded on this occasion.

The bill for the above and a glass of prosecco each was Â£60 incl service.
I've been curious about Le Cafe Anglais for some time. It's in a shopping centre, the building used to house a MacDonalds and is Art Deco in style, lastly, it's owned and run by Rowley Leigh, formerly of critically acclaimed Kensington Place. A very unexpected combination of circumstances! Added to this, I had read that they were oversubscribed by investors and had to return money to some. I have been intrigued since I read the first reviews. Despite this, I didn't go, it slipped my mind, until I heard about the parmesan custard and anchovy toast. A new classic dish that everyone is raving about. That was it, I had to go.

The room is impressive, large with lots of natural light flooding in from the enormous windows and beautiful art deco light fixtures. We ate early, it was very quiet but they were fully booked from 8.30 on. Service was quick, formal and attentive but not overly so. The menu centres around roasts, there are rotisseries operating at the front of the open plan kitchen. There's also lots of enticing appetisers, hors d'oeuvre, first courses, main courses, and while influenced by French cuisine, it's very English.

The menu is comprehensive, to put it mildly, although not intimidatingly so. We hadn't much time so we decided to do an hors d'oeuvre and a main with a bellini as an appetiser. I can never resist one! I opted for the aforementioned parmesan custards with anchovy toasts and my friend the kipper with soft boiled egg - a steal at Â£3 each. For mains, the roast of the day - kid - was tempting, however the pork belly and sausages with bubble & squeak moreso.

The bellini's arrived promptly and were divine. We were also served bread, butter and bright pink radishes. Unusual but delicious. The hors d'oeuvre were great, although the kipper had a few bones which were quite tricky to remove! Luckily they had supplied toothpicks from the start. The parmesan custard was creamy and rich with a crisp parmesan topping. The toasts were a perfect pairing, it was really inspired.

My main was gorgeous, succulent pork belly with crisp perfect crackling served on top of lentils, however, my friend was disappointed with the sausages. They were quite salty and just not as good as you'd expect. I did enjoy the texture though. The bubble and squeak was delicious.

No time for desserts but there was a very enticing selection of fruits and cheeseboard. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal but my friend was disappointed. As a result, I'll give it 3 stars instead of 4. I will go back, it was sufficiently enticing to make me want more. Le CafÃ© Anglais offers good food, cooked well in a gorgeous setting - sausages excluded on this occasion.

The bill for the above and a glass of prosecco each was Â£60 incl service.

Food Inc - Fancy Food Hall in Whiteleys by sue

sue — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:41:41 +0000

Review by sue

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7792 6020

Website: http://www.food-inc.com/

Tags: gourmet, seafood, grocers

Food Inc is basically a fancy looking food store which has been broken into departments and spread along the centre of the ground floor of Whiteleys in Bayswater. I had a browse through one evening before heading upstairs to Le CafÃ© Anglais for dinner.

If you lived in the area it would certainly be a classy place to pick up some food for dinner on your way home, or for that weekend dinner party.

There was a good range of dry goods and fresh produce on offer - everything from gourmet chocolates, and wines from around the world, to freshly made pasta, fruit & veg, cheeses, and delicious looking aged steaks. They even had a range of cupcakes though they didn't tempt me on this occasion.Food Inc is basically a fancy looking food store which has been broken into departments and spread along the centre of the ground floor of Whiteleys in Bayswater. I had a browse through one evening before heading upstairs to Le CafÃ© Anglais for dinner.

If you lived in the area it would certainly be a classy place to pick up some food for dinner on your way home, or for that weekend dinner party.

There was a good range of dry goods and fresh produce on offer - everything from gourmet chocolates, and wines from around the world, to freshly made pasta, fruit & veg, cheeses, and delicious looking aged steaks. They even had a range of cupcakes though they didn't tempt me on this occasion.

Zonzo - Friendly, informal and delicious! by CarlySteven

CarlySteven — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:17:17 +0000

Review by CarlySteven

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7723 9777

Tags: italian, romantic, smoking

I eat here all the time with my boyfriend. The staff are really lovely and friendly. If I'm having pizza I always have Siciliana with extra tuna and spinach - salt fiend!

I often order off the menu and the kitchen is always accommodating. The staff make a real effort to ensure you're having a fun evening/afternoon.

Also, we've had some great Sicilian red wine here and good coffee.

Nice atmosphere, we're always made a fuss of - great local restaurant.I eat here all the time with my boyfriend. The staff are really lovely and friendly. If I'm having pizza I always have Siciliana with extra tuna and spinach - salt fiend!

I often order off the menu and the kitchen is always accommodating. The staff make a real effort to ensure you're having a fun evening/afternoon.

Also, we've had some great Sicilian red wine here and good coffee.

Nice atmosphere, we're always made a fuss of - great local restaurant.

Carluccio's - Can do better by anjali28

anjali28 — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:19:23 +0000

Review by anjali28

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7243 8164

Website: http://www.carluccios.com

Tags: italian, crowded, takeaway

I've been to the Carluccio's on St.John's Wood High Street and was very impressed, so I expected the same from their Westbourne Grove branch. I was sadly disappointed by their customer service. They are clearly understaffed for busy times at lunch, which is when we went. We had to wait a very long time to get someone to notice us to take our order (about 20 minutes), and then another wait for the bill. The special menu for the day looked interesting but I wouldn't suggest experimenting with it if you aren't sure what it will turn out as. My dish was essentially cheese wrapped in bacon - about 6 pieces - and to be honest, it could have been an excellent starter if it was a few pieces less, but as a main course I felt it lacked something. My husband had the risotto which was also on the special menu. It tasted decent but was nothing exemplary for Italian cuisine.

I would strongly suggest sticking to the main menu, which is what I did the last time. Customer service-wise, highly lacking. I've been to the Carluccio's on St.John's Wood High Street and was very impressed, so I expected the same from their Westbourne Grove branch. I was sadly disappointed by their customer service. They are clearly understaffed for busy times at lunch, which is when we went. We had to wait a very long time to get someone to notice us to take our order (about 20 minutes), and then another wait for the bill. The special menu for the day looked interesting but I wouldn't suggest experimenting with it if you aren't sure what it will turn out as. My dish was essentially cheese wrapped in bacon - about 6 pieces - and to be honest, it could have been an excellent starter if it was a few pieces less, but as a main course I felt it lacked something. My husband had the risotto which was also on the special menu. It tasted decent but was nothing exemplary for Italian cuisine.

I would strongly suggest sticking to the main menu, which is what I did the last time. Customer service-wise, highly lacking.

The Prince Bonaparte - Good beer, good nosh. by jezirwin

jezirwin — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:45:24 +0000

Review by jezirwin

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7313 9491

Tags: food, students, friendly

I have been here a few times to meet friends for a few pints, they have a good range of beers on tap and usually a fun lively crowd.

The food here is great and not just your standard pub grub.

There are a few good pubs in the area but this is one definitely worth stopping in at.I have been here a few times to meet friends for a few pints, they have a good range of beers on tap and usually a fun lively crowd.

The food here is great and not just your standard pub grub.

There are a few good pubs in the area but this is one definitely worth stopping in at.

Four Seasons - Amazing duck and great food! by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:24:58 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7229 4320

Tags: chinese, lively, takeaway

My Chinese friend invited me to dinner and asked me where was good to eat good chinese food. Not really wanting to head into Chinatown to have your bog standard dishes, I chose the Four Seasons after reading quite a few good reviews about it.

We arrived just in time to bag ourselves a table without having to queue at 6.45pm. Others had to wait - it looked like a popular restuarant and there hardly were any westerners - a very good sign!

The food came very quickly and in very big portions. Of course we ordered the special cantonese duck - the house speciality which was very tasty and had just a sliver of fat - the skin was just divine. We also ordered the ma po tofu and the sizzling spicy aubergine and pork - both the best i've ever tasted, fresh and of good quality.

Service was abrupt but efficient. I loved watching the waiters come out with trays stacked up with piles of roast duck. Bill came up to Â£36 for the two of us- quite a bit more than Chinatown with the tea at Â£1.50 per person and service charge included, but well worth it. My Chinese friend thought so too.

My Chinese friend invited me to dinner and asked me where was good to eat good chinese food. Not really wanting to head into Chinatown to have your bog standard dishes, I chose the Four Seasons after reading quite a few good reviews about it.

We arrived just in time to bag ourselves a table without having to queue at 6.45pm. Others had to wait - it looked like a popular restuarant and there hardly were any westerners - a very good sign!

The food came very quickly and in very big portions. Of course we ordered the special cantonese duck - the house speciality which was very tasty and had just a sliver of fat - the skin was just divine. We also ordered the ma po tofu and the sizzling spicy aubergine and pork - both the best i've ever tasted, fresh and of good quality.

Service was abrupt but efficient. I loved watching the waiters come out with trays stacked up with piles of roast duck. Bill came up to Â£36 for the two of us- quite a bit more than Chinatown with the tea at Â£1.50 per person and service charge included, but well worth it. My Chinese friend thought so too.

Lagenda Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant - What a contrast! by john118

john118 — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:49:52 +0000

Review by john118

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7258 0269

Website: http://www.holidayvillahotellondon.com/index.html

Tags: malaysian, lively, indian

Living in the south west, its difficult to really find authentic Malaysian food where we are, so whenever we are in London, we will zoom straight to Lagenda for our lunch & dinner. It is also a meeting place for our relations who are scattered around the outskirts of London eg Reading, Maidenhead, Hedgerley. We like celebrating birthdays etc. The reason is that being English & Chinese,the food served agrees with our individual palates. All of us have been to Malaysia, tasted the best of Malaysian cuisine & now back to the UK, we cannot but praise the food that we have partaken at Lagenda as most authentic than most. The seafood noodles, laksa, Kampong fried rice, nasi lemak was most palatable and reasonable in price. On one occasion we ordered the steamboat along with the other ala carte menu, we had a most enjoyable time because the food was delicious, the staff were friendly & helpful and the bill was much cheaper (to our amazement) than a few other restaurants that we have been to and not enjoyed as much. We would definitely return again and also by way of mouth recommend anyone who likes Malaysian cuisine to go to the Lagenda.Living in the south west, its difficult to really find authentic Malaysian food where we are, so whenever we are in London, we will zoom straight to Lagenda for our lunch & dinner. It is also a meeting place for our relations who are scattered around the outskirts of London eg Reading, Maidenhead, Hedgerley. We like celebrating birthdays etc. The reason is that being English & Chinese,the food served agrees with our individual palates. All of us have been to Malaysia, tasted the best of Malaysian cuisine & now back to the UK, we cannot but praise the food that we have partaken at Lagenda as most authentic than most. The seafood noodles, laksa, Kampong fried rice, nasi lemak was most palatable and reasonable in price. On one occasion we ordered the steamboat along with the other ala carte menu, we had a most enjoyable time because the food was delicious, the staff were friendly & helpful and the bill was much cheaper (to our amazement) than a few other restaurants that we have been to and not enjoyed as much. We would definitely return again and also by way of mouth recommend anyone who likes Malaysian cuisine to go to the Lagenda.

Sahara Restaurant - tatiana by Marko

Marko — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:18:17 +0000

Review by Marko

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7792 0770

Website: http://www.sahara-restaurant.co.uk/index.html

Tags: good value, family & home feel, mediterranean

wow, what a nice place the food here really ,really good well done and good luck ...............wow, what a nice place the food here really ,really good well done and good luck ...............

Umi London - i love umi by fasuren

fasuren — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:25:57 +0000

Review by fasuren

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7221 9131

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

I recently stayed at Umi and had a wonderful stay there. I found the staff to be extremely helpful and welcoming and the concierge was able to offer me useful information and answer all of my questions. I ate a delicious breakfast every morning in the delightful Yumi Coffee Shop where they offer a variety of different English breakfasts, among other things - including all day snacks and treats. And the bar/restaurant, 1356, serves superior quality meals while providing an exceptionally pleasant dining atmosphere. Umi can accommodate small and large groups of travellers for business or leisure with rooms that have up to four single beds. The overall vibe is cool and casual and the location is trendy and fun, attracting countless younger travellers and groups of students. I very highly recommend this hotel if youâ¬"re in search of a conveniently located London hotel with spectacular service where you can have a pleasant stay for a reasonable price!

check out the website!!I recently stayed at Umi and had a wonderful stay there. I found the staff to be extremely helpful and welcoming and the concierge was able to offer me useful information and answer all of my questions. I ate a delicious breakfast every morning in the delightful Yumi Coffee Shop where they offer a variety of different English breakfasts, among other things - including all day snacks and treats. And the bar/restaurant, 1356, serves superior quality meals while providing an exceptionally pleasant dining atmosphere. Umi can accommodate small and large groups of travellers for business or leisure with rooms that have up to four single beds. The overall vibe is cool and casual and the location is trendy and fun, attracting countless younger travellers and groups of students. I very highly recommend this hotel if youâ¬"re in search of a conveniently located London hotel with spectacular service where you can have a pleasant stay for a reasonable price!

check out the website!!

Cherry Jam - cute little place by alexb

alexb — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:32:49 +0000

Review by alexb

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7727 9950

Website: http://www.cherryjam.net

Tags: live music, bar, lively

a sweet little loft style bar with live music - beth rowley is a regular, and was great when we saw her, a perfect little venue for intimate gigs.a sweet little loft style bar with live music - beth rowley is a regular, and was great when we saw her, a perfect little venue for intimate gigs.

Ariana - NOt reccomended by daniela32

daniela32 — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:35:20 +0000

Review by daniela32

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7266 9200

Tags: crowded, persian

We went to this restaurant for my friends birthday and was so disappointed with the service. The place is nice with nice dekor and the live music is nice but everything else wasn't very good. First of all we were the first ones there and didnt get our starters for 1 and a half hours even after the restaurant had become full and everyone else was eating. They didnt seem to care when we complained. When the food finally came the waiters only knew the numbers of the dishes and of course we didnt so we had to ask what it was they had brought and sometimes they couldnt name the dish. To top it all up the food was not very good and we all left half our food. Some of us only paid five pounds as they had only recieved their starter before it was time for them to leave after three hours in that restaurant. The rest of us ended up paying half the amount of the bill and because they knew how badly they had treated us all they could do was accept it.
We went to this restaurant for my friends birthday and was so disappointed with the service. The place is nice with nice dekor and the live music is nice but everything else wasn't very good. First of all we were the first ones there and didnt get our starters for 1 and a half hours even after the restaurant had become full and everyone else was eating. They didnt seem to care when we complained. When the food finally came the waiters only knew the numbers of the dishes and of course we didnt so we had to ask what it was they had brought and sometimes they couldnt name the dish. To top it all up the food was not very good and we all left half our food. Some of us only paid five pounds as they had only recieved their starter before it was time for them to leave after three hours in that restaurant. The rest of us ended up paying half the amount of the bill and because they knew how badly they had treated us all they could do was accept it.

Rodizio Rico - Not as good as the real thing by far by Thomasinho

Thomasinho — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:42:00 +0000

Review by Thomasinho

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7792 4035

Tags: brazilian, bbq, meat

If you read my reviews in the past you would know that I lived in Brazil for four years, so I went to the place last night with high expectations.
I was a little dissapointed, as they didnt have my favourite meat, which all "TOP NOTCH" Rodizio's have in Brazil, which is Fillet Mignon, This is normally served with a sauce, or just as it comes. It also didnt have the real Brazilian Linquica sausage, or Alcatra, or Fillet Argentine for that matter. Most dissapointingly was the fact they didnt have Palmito (Palm Hearts), on the salad bar.

If you are ever lucky enough to go to Rio, visit Mario's, or in Curitiba Napolitana, Danis, or Batel Grill.
The salads buffets are bigger, the meat choice is so much more, Mario's even has wild boar, on the rounds.

Considering I paid Â£101 for two, which consisted of a bottle of wine (Â£30) Chauteau Neuf de Pape, 2 x barbeques, and 2 x Mouse for desert, bottle of water, and 1 x bottle of Brahma. Then this is quite expensive for the quality of what you actually get.

On the positive side, the steak was good, especially the Picanha, the salad they did have was very good. And the service was excellent. This is similar to Brazil, but I will be very honest, Unlike a leading Rodizio, this is more like the type you may find in a Brazilian shopping mall (which by the way, can be quite good), but it is not Marios, Napolitana, or Curitibana, which are premier league in comparison.If you read my reviews in the past you would know that I lived in Brazil for four years, so I went to the place last night with high expectations.
I was a little dissapointed, as they didnt have my favourite meat, which all "TOP NOTCH" Rodizio's have in Brazil, which is Fillet Mignon, This is normally served with a sauce, or just as it comes. It also didnt have the real Brazilian Linquica sausage, or Alcatra, or Fillet Argentine for that matter. Most dissapointingly was the fact they didnt have Palmito (Palm Hearts), on the salad bar.

If you are ever lucky enough to go to Rio, visit Mario's, or in Curitiba Napolitana, Danis, or Batel Grill.
The salads buffets are bigger, the meat choice is so much more, Mario's even has wild boar, on the rounds.

Considering I paid Â£101 for two, which consisted of a bottle of wine (Â£30) Chauteau Neuf de Pape, 2 x barbeques, and 2 x Mouse for desert, bottle of water, and 1 x bottle of Brahma. Then this is quite expensive for the quality of what you actually get.

On the positive side, the steak was good, especially the Picanha, the salad they did have was very good. And the service was excellent. This is similar to Brazil, but I will be very honest, Unlike a leading Rodizio, this is more like the type you may find in a Brazilian shopping mall (which by the way, can be quite good), but it is not Marios, Napolitana, or Curitibana, which are premier league in comparison.

Bombay Palace - Solid by gastro1

gastro1 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:27:34 +0000

Review by gastro1

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7723 8855

Website: http://www.bombay-palace.com

Tags: indian, takeaway, upmarket

Bombay Palace is part of an international chain that spans Europe , Asia and North America.

The food is good solid punjabi style - sometimes the chef is heavy on the Ghee.In fact I would go more often if he did not use it !

Bindhi Gosht and Black Lentils Dal are excellent as are the Tikkas and Tandoori Chcken - The Sag Gosht is also recommended.

Bombay Palace is part of an international chain that spans Europe , Asia and North America.

The food is good solid punjabi style - sometimes the chef is heavy on the Ghee.In fact I would go more often if he did not use it !

Bindhi Gosht and Black Lentils Dal are excellent as are the Tikkas and Tandoori Chcken - The Sag Gosht is also recommended.

Magic Wok - Yummy Char Siu by gizmogirl

gizmogirl — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:32:25 +0000

Review by gizmogirl

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7221 9953

Tags: takeaway, vegetarian dishes, chinese

They Do the Best Charsiu In london!
Must try!
I luv their crispy duck too!
They Do the Best Charsiu In london!
Must try!
I luv their crispy duck too!

Frontline Restaurant - Hidden gem by Hugo

Hugo — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:38:19 +0000

Review by Hugo

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7479 8950

Website: http://www.thefrontlineclub.com

Tags: lively, british, atmospheric

The frontline is a hidden gem in the heart of Paddington. Great atmophere, tasty English food and a winning wine list.The frontline is a hidden gem in the heart of Paddington. Great atmophere, tasty English food and a winning wine list.

The Chepstow - A (slightly) hidden gem by flashboy

flashboy — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:12:22 +0000

Review by flashboy

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7229 0323

Website: http://www.massivepub.com/venue.asp?venueid=31

Tags: posh, food, relaxed

Nestled in between the noisepots of Notting Hill and Queensway, in the posh residential bits off the main roads, The Chepstow is an oasis of nice in a desert of not-so-nice. Quiet, relaxed and classy, with friendly service and a neighbourly atmosphere, it's a little gem that's great for a post-work chat or a Sunday hangover recuperation (the latter I can vouch for from painful personal experience). Tasty food, nice dÃ©cor, music that doesn't drown out your conversation and staff who know their drink-making - it's what you want, frankly.

But, you know, don't tell too many people about it. Because then they'll all go there, which would spoil the point.Nestled in between the noisepots of Notting Hill and Queensway, in the posh residential bits off the main roads, The Chepstow is an oasis of nice in a desert of not-so-nice. Quiet, relaxed and classy, with friendly service and a neighbourly atmosphere, it's a little gem that's great for a post-work chat or a Sunday hangover recuperation (the latter I can vouch for from painful personal experience). Tasty food, nice dÃ©cor, music that doesn't drown out your conversation and staff who know their drink-making - it's what you want, frankly.

But, you know, don't tell too many people about it. Because then they'll all go there, which would spoil the point.

Yo! Sushi - Expensive but fun by arthurmauk

arthurmauk — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:37:08 +0000

Review by arthurmauk

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7727 9392

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

Tags: lively, japanese, crowded

Having seen those colourful rings everywhere around the city, Iâ¬"ve always been dying to visit YO! Sushi but never had the time (or the money!) to. So when a friend alerted me to a 50% offer I literally jumped at the chance â¬ twice!
My first visit was to the Whiteleys branch which was open and bustling with customers. Good sign. The second visit was to the Brent Cross branch which is a lot smaller and cramped, and we had to queue for 15 minutes on a weekday. We were sat on high stools with full access to the conveyor belt (would we have it any other way?) and lustfully eyed the food gliding in front of us. First of all, may I just say that I love the concept of Japanese conveyor belt food, and Iâ¬"m sure YO! does play on some of those hunter-gatherer instincts to boost its profit margins.
After making the fatal mistake of asking for water (water, though unlimited, costs Â£1 here while unlimited miso soup only costs 75p extra), we were hesitant as to who was to draw first blood and catch the moving prey. The gari, wasabi and soy sauce were also unlimited so we just ended up eating gari by the boatload while waiting for something interesting to float past.
Between the two trips I tried almost everything off the belt. The classic assorted nigiri (with rice) was fine, although nothing special â¬ just a bit fresher than boxed sets from M&S or Pret. I also had an assorted sashimi (without rice) which was the first time Iâ¬"ve had hamachi (yellowtail), and I must say I was quite surprised at how tasty it is raw. The tuna pieces were a little off though and had a slimy texture to it. The isos (reverse rolls) were all pretty good, just remember to take your time in eating them rather than swallowing them whole without chewing, otherwise youâ¬"ll lose the taste. I only found one hand roll off the belt (at the Brent Cross branch) which was very nice but for some reason had too much mayonnaise.
Out of the hot dishes, I think the chicken teriyaki was the star favourite. I managed to grab one coming straight from the wok so it was steaming and swimming in sauce. It was so good that I decided to buy some teriyaki sauce so that I can make it for myself at home. The chicken katsu was nice, but I didnâ¬"t see any difference between it and normal fried chicken, so I ended up pouring some of the leftover teriyaki sauce onto that too. The prawn tempura was not that great â¬ it came ready-made, straight from a packet and all they did was deep fry it â¬ basically battered prawns. The prawn yakisoba (noodles) was filling but the sauce was a bit too tangy. Both the chicken and the vegetable gyoza (dumplings) were cold and flabby by the time we got them so if you want them, only get them when theyâ¬"re fresh from the fryer.
In the salads, the fried aubergine was fine but Iâ¬"m sure whether itâ¬"s meant to be eaten cold. The tofu was a bit tasteless. The spicy chicken salad was just boring chicken breast and not Japanese at all. The squid salad on the other hand was a lot more exciting, but unfortunately didnâ¬"t have enough squid and too much greens. Finally, the crayfish salad was lazily made â¬ you can still taste the brine out of which the crayfish tails were no doubt fished out of.
Since everything was half price we ended up eating to our heartsâ¬" content and stuffed ourselves to the limit of 10 plates. We just chose whatever looked good and were blind to the coloured rings. My total came up to Â£18 which is fair for the amount I had eaten, and had there not been the half price deal I wouldâ¬"ve eaten less anyway. Still, eating at YO! is pretty expensive and at full price, I definitely wouldnâ¬"t visit it. The food is fine, just not that value for money. The sushi is about average and the hot dishes are often just ready-made foods popped in the deep fryer. Having seen those colourful rings everywhere around the city, Iâ¬"ve always been dying to visit YO! Sushi but never had the time (or the money!) to. So when a friend alerted me to a 50% offer I literally jumped at the chance â¬ twice!
My first visit was to the Whiteleys branch which was open and bustling with customers. Good sign. The second visit was to the Brent Cross branch which is a lot smaller and cramped, and we had to queue for 15 minutes on a weekday. We were sat on high stools with full access to the conveyor belt (would we have it any other way?) and lustfully eyed the food gliding in front of us. First of all, may I just say that I love the concept of Japanese conveyor belt food, and Iâ¬"m sure YO! does play on some of those hunter-gatherer instincts to boost its profit margins.
After making the fatal mistake of asking for water (water, though unlimited, costs Â£1 here while unlimited miso soup only costs 75p extra), we were hesitant as to who was to draw first blood and catch the moving prey. The gari, wasabi and soy sauce were also unlimited so we just ended up eating gari by the boatload while waiting for something interesting to float past.
Between the two trips I tried almost everything off the belt. The classic assorted nigiri (with rice) was fine, although nothing special â¬ just a bit fresher than boxed sets from M&S or Pret. I also had an assorted sashimi (without rice) which was the first time Iâ¬"ve had hamachi (yellowtail), and I must say I was quite surprised at how tasty it is raw. The tuna pieces were a little off though and had a slimy texture to it. The isos (reverse rolls) were all pretty good, just remember to take your time in eating them rather than swallowing them whole without chewing, otherwise youâ¬"ll lose the taste. I only found one hand roll off the belt (at the Brent Cross branch) which was very nice but for some reason had too much mayonnaise.
Out of the hot dishes, I think the chicken teriyaki was the star favourite. I managed to grab one coming straight from the wok so it was steaming and swimming in sauce. It was so good that I decided to buy some teriyaki sauce so that I can make it for myself at home. The chicken katsu was nice, but I didnâ¬"t see any difference between it and normal fried chicken, so I ended up pouring some of the leftover teriyaki sauce onto that too. The prawn tempura was not that great â¬ it came ready-made, straight from a packet and all they did was deep fry it â¬ basically battered prawns. The prawn yakisoba (noodles) was filling but the sauce was a bit too tangy. Both the chicken and the vegetable gyoza (dumplings) were cold and flabby by the time we got them so if you want them, only get them when theyâ¬"re fresh from the fryer.
In the salads, the fried aubergine was fine but Iâ¬"m sure whether itâ¬"s meant to be eaten cold. The tofu was a bit tasteless. The spicy chicken salad was just boring chicken breast and not Japanese at all. The squid salad on the other hand was a lot more exciting, but unfortunately didnâ¬"t have enough squid and too much greens. Finally, the crayfish salad was lazily made â¬ you can still taste the brine out of which the crayfish tails were no doubt fished out of.
Since everything was half price we ended up eating to our heartsâ¬" content and stuffed ourselves to the limit of 10 plates. We just chose whatever looked good and were blind to the coloured rings. My total came up to Â£18 which is fair for the amount I had eaten, and had there not been the half price deal I wouldâ¬"ve eaten less anyway. Still, eating at YO! is pretty expensive and at full price, I definitely wouldnâ¬"t visit it. The food is fine, just not that value for money. The sushi is about average and the hot dishes are often just ready-made foods popped in the deep fryer.

ASK - Working lunches by van_halen

van_halen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:23:35 +0000

Review by van_halen

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7706 0707

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

Tags: italian, lively, bar

You can't really go wrong with Ask resteraunts in my opinion. You know what you're going to get and you know it's going to be of reasonable quality and affordable. I'm a big fan, and the Paddington Ask is one of my favorites. The service is fast, despite the fact that I am always in there at lunch time when itâ¬"s particularly busy, the atmosphere is nice and itâ¬"s altogether a very pleasant experience. If youâ¬"re around Paddington and looking for something quick and fresh to eat then Iâ¬"d recommend it.You can't really go wrong with Ask resteraunts in my opinion. You know what you're going to get and you know it's going to be of reasonable quality and affordable. I'm a big fan, and the Paddington Ask is one of my favorites. The service is fast, despite the fact that I am always in there at lunch time when itâ¬"s particularly busy, the atmosphere is nice and itâ¬"s altogether a very pleasant experience. If youâ¬"re around Paddington and looking for something quick and fresh to eat then Iâ¬"d recommend it.