Latest reviews in Carnaby Street, London, United Kingdom

Le Pain Quotidien - by walid

walid — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:29:28 +0000

Review by walid

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7486 6154

Website: http://www.painquotidien.com/

Not to bad, but I personally prefer Paul which is close to Le Pain QuotidienNot to bad, but I personally prefer Paul which is close to Le Pain Quotidien

Gerry's Off Licence - by walid

walid — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:28:41 +0000

Review by walid

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7734 4215

Tags: soho, spirits, booze

Friendly off license place run by a Greek I believe. Seems to know a lot about the area.Friendly off license place run by a Greek I believe. Seems to know a lot about the area.

Hibiscus - Welcome to London by gastro1

gastro1 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:04:54 +0000

Review by gastro1

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7629 2999

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

Tags: french, expensive, good value

it is always difficult to move a restaurant within a city but to bring it down from Ludlow the little gastro hub in Shropshire is very brave indeed.

All I can say after eating there last week is bravo Monsieur Bosi ! you and your wife have done a great job.

The food is superb and original from the amuse bouche to a remarkable light chocolat tart infused with liquid choc and flavoured with indonesian basil.

Claude Bosi does remarkable things with vegetables somehow concentrating the flavours through pulverisation and blending with other compatible ingredients.

My one criticism is that the portions are slightly to small if you are going for 3-4 courses a la carte including cheese.

The wine list needs a bit of beefing up in terms of choice especially red and white Burgundy and a wider range of red Bordeaux to include some cru bourgeois and lesser grand cru classes' ( of at least 8 years of age)

I don't think it will be long before the 2nd star from Ludlow is restored and with some small changes this could become along with The Square and Pied a Terre a contender for a 3rd.

My experience here reminded me of another great French Chef who thrived in London - Pierre Koffman at Tante Claire (Royal Hospital Road) - the approach and philosophy is obviously different but the technical skill and execution from the kitchen was really impressive.it is always difficult to move a restaurant within a city but to bring it down from Ludlow the little gastro hub in Shropshire is very brave indeed.

All I can say after eating there last week is bravo Monsieur Bosi ! you and your wife have done a great job.

The food is superb and original from the amuse bouche to a remarkable light chocolat tart infused with liquid choc and flavoured with indonesian basil.

Claude Bosi does remarkable things with vegetables somehow concentrating the flavours through pulverisation and blending with other compatible ingredients.

My one criticism is that the portions are slightly to small if you are going for 3-4 courses a la carte including cheese.

The wine list needs a bit of beefing up in terms of choice especially red and white Burgundy and a wider range of red Bordeaux to include some cru bourgeois and lesser grand cru classes' ( of at least 8 years of age)

I don't think it will be long before the 2nd star from Ludlow is restored and with some small changes this could become along with The Square and Pied a Terre a contender for a 3rd.

My experience here reminded me of another great French Chef who thrived in London - Pierre Koffman at Tante Claire (Royal Hospital Road) - the approach and philosophy is obviously different but the technical skill and execution from the kitchen was really impressive.

Young Cheng - China Town Institution by alaburb

alaburb — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:51:23 +0000

Review by alaburb

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7437 0237

Tags: chinese, crowded, good value

This was a staple of my student days.

Cheap good food (rice comes with your main dish).

Expect to get squeezed against someone you don't know. You can't snaek in the back door anymore to avoid the que in the front. Chinese have the luxury of ordering from the more interesting Chinese menu (there seem to be lots of different menus in this place).

Tip: ask for the ginger sauce that comes in a little side dish - delicious with Chinese Broccoli and tofu.

Favourite dish: Salt and Pepper Squid yummmmmmmmmmmmm. This was a staple of my student days.

Cheap good food (rice comes with your main dish).

Expect to get squeezed against someone you don't know. You can't snaek in the back door anymore to avoid the que in the front. Chinese have the luxury of ordering from the more interesting Chinese menu (there seem to be lots of different menus in this place).

Tip: ask for the ginger sauce that comes in a little side dish - delicious with Chinese Broccoli and tofu.

Favourite dish: Salt and Pepper Squid yummmmmmmmmmmmm.

Balans - Pancakes and bacon and syrup - Oh my! by mrsevans101

mrsevans101 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:10:50 +0000

Review by mrsevans101

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7439 3309

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

Tags: lively, good value, crowded

I had breakfast / brunch here two mornings in a row last weekend (return visit after a failed trip to nearby Amato's).

I'll keep this short.

Service was friendly (with a hint of California) and very efficient (without making you feel rushed.
I had amazing pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. Fluffy and light and gooey all at the same time with properly cooked bacon. Hubby had the cooked breakfast and was disappointed. He sent it back the first time because it was cold and was overall a bit disappointed that the sausage was not fab quality and the bacon a little underdone. I suspect that it didn't help that my pancakes were so delish.

And when I went back the second day they recognised me. Which was a nice touch but how embarrassing to be seen in the gay area of London tucking in to pancakes AND syrup AND bacon two days in a row, when all the other punters are so fit!I had breakfast / brunch here two mornings in a row last weekend (return visit after a failed trip to nearby Amato's).

I'll keep this short.

Service was friendly (with a hint of California) and very efficient (without making you feel rushed.
I had amazing pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. Fluffy and light and gooey all at the same time with properly cooked bacon. Hubby had the cooked breakfast and was disappointed. He sent it back the first time because it was cold and was overall a bit disappointed that the sausage was not fab quality and the bacon a little underdone. I suspect that it didn't help that my pancakes were so delish.

And when I went back the second day they recognised me. Which was a nice touch but how embarrassing to be seen in the gay area of London tucking in to pancakes AND syrup AND bacon two days in a row, when all the other punters are so fit!

The Toucan - A bona fide irish pub in central London by Niamheen

Niamheen — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:57:47 +0000

Review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7437 4123

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

Tags: independent pub, food, friendly

I avoid Irish pubs outside of Ireland. They're generally a horrible nightmare that have no relation to the real thing. There's more to it than gathering some rusty old bicycles and typewriters and nailing them to the ceiling.

The Toucan is the real deal and quirky to boot. It's very busy as a rule, but with 4 guinness taps (downstairs alone), a fine selection of irish whiskies (incl. one from my local city that I've never seen outside of it), irish crisps (TAYTO!), toasted sandwiches and oysters (not together), I love it.

I am not a guinness drinker so I can't say how good it is but it's been recommended to me. Added to this the music is generally very pleasant indie and you can sit on a giant pint of guinness while you savour it all.

I avoid Irish pubs outside of Ireland. They're generally a horrible nightmare that have no relation to the real thing. There's more to it than gathering some rusty old bicycles and typewriters and nailing them to the ceiling.

The Toucan is the real deal and quirky to boot. It's very busy as a rule, but with 4 guinness taps (downstairs alone), a fine selection of irish whiskies (incl. one from my local city that I've never seen outside of it), irish crisps (TAYTO!), toasted sandwiches and oysters (not together), I love it.

I am not a guinness drinker so I can't say how good it is but it's been recommended to me. Added to this the music is generally very pleasant indie and you can sit on a giant pint of guinness while you savour it all.

Benja - Lush! by MarieSpencer

MarieSpencer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:47:12 +0000

Review by MarieSpencer

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7287 0555

Website: http://www.benjarestaurant.com/

Tags: thai, romantic, good value

This place is a real gem. For a thai lover, but unfortunately not the most adventurous I loved Benja for taking a classic meal and putting a real spin on it. The staff were really lovely - very friendly and helpful when we asked for advice on what to have. It seems this place is always doing something a bit quirky - unique and tasty cocktails - or a free starter for simply being there. Interior is lovely also - very intimate. Not the cheapest - but worth the money - and if you look for them there are usually some deals about. Makes me drool just thinking of this place!This place is a real gem. For a thai lover, but unfortunately not the most adventurous I loved Benja for taking a classic meal and putting a real spin on it. The staff were really lovely - very friendly and helpful when we asked for advice on what to have. It seems this place is always doing something a bit quirky - unique and tasty cocktails - or a free starter for simply being there. Interior is lovely also - very intimate. Not the cheapest - but worth the money - and if you look for them there are usually some deals about. Makes me drool just thinking of this place!

Kulu Kulu Sushi - brilliant when busy by ricoeurian

ricoeurian — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:35:57 +0000

Review by ricoeurian

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7734 7316

Tags: japanese, good value, lively

It's best to go when the place is busy, as the dishes (mostly uncovered) on the belt are fresher due to higher traffic between the kitchen and the customers - if you go when it's quiet, a lot of the food is dried out. That said, you can always order your dishes directly, but that kinda negates the whole sushi-belt experience.

Kulu Kulu has a relaxed and informal air, and I like the do-it-yourself approach to cutlery, condiments and green tea.

For a really cheap meal, stick to the vegetable dishes - spinach with peanut sauce, fried aubergine, tofu, potato salad.It's best to go when the place is busy, as the dishes (mostly uncovered) on the belt are fresher due to higher traffic between the kitchen and the customers - if you go when it's quiet, a lot of the food is dried out. That said, you can always order your dishes directly, but that kinda negates the whole sushi-belt experience.

Kulu Kulu has a relaxed and informal air, and I like the do-it-yourself approach to cutlery, condiments and green tea.

For a really cheap meal, stick to the vegetable dishes - spinach with peanut sauce, fried aubergine, tofu, potato salad.

Yauatcha - Dim sum fans will love it by gogmagog

gogmagog — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:21:28 +0000

Review by gogmagog

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7494 8888

Tags: chinese, lively, expensive

We went for lunch and were seated downstairs in the sumptuous basement. Sleek and stylish but without being stuffy. The bar with in-built fishtank is great. Possibly not the best place for a lunch on a sunny day - it is one of those rooms that you could happily emerge from hours later, half-cut and wondering what happened to the day.

Other reviews below have mentioned bad experiences with waiting staff? There was no sign of this when we went. None of us at lunch were experts on dim sum so we asked the waiters to suggest dishes for us. They were helpful and polite, even though, out of a table of four, there was one vegetarian who did eat fish and one meat-eater with a serious allergy to seafood. A tricky situation when eating dim sum. Not only did they advise us well, they also remembered to point out exactly what was in each dish as it came to the table.

So, is it expensive? Yup. It is. But it's supposed to be a step or several up from your standard Soho dim sum house and that's what you're paying for. Was it value for money, though? Well, I guess my view is coloured slightly. I'm not a huge fan of dim sum, as a rule. It's easy for it to end up greasy and stodgy and although Yauatcha's food was never either of these things, I can't say that it was a Damascene revelation for me. It was beautifully cooked and very tasty, but ultimately rather unmemorable.

The venison puffs (as mentioned by other reviewers) were fine, but not to die for. Various prawn and chicken dishes went past, although it's now 2 weeks later and I'll be damned if I can remember anything about any of them. There was nothing wrong with them; in fact I remember them as being nice, but nothing stood out for me. An ostrich chow mein was interesting, but mainly because it was a first try of ostrich, rather than because it was an incredible dish. There was also crispy duck, but it was no better or worse than one you could get on your local high street, unfortunately.

Take a fan of dim sum and I'm sure they'll love you for it. It's a beautiful restaurant, with friendly and attentive staff. And the food is, well... fine.We went for lunch and were seated downstairs in the sumptuous basement. Sleek and stylish but without being stuffy. The bar with in-built fishtank is great. Possibly not the best place for a lunch on a sunny day - it is one of those rooms that you could happily emerge from hours later, half-cut and wondering what happened to the day.

Other reviews below have mentioned bad experiences with waiting staff? There was no sign of this when we went. None of us at lunch were experts on dim sum so we asked the waiters to suggest dishes for us. They were helpful and polite, even though, out of a table of four, there was one vegetarian who did eat fish and one meat-eater with a serious allergy to seafood. A tricky situation when eating dim sum. Not only did they advise us well, they also remembered to point out exactly what was in each dish as it came to the table.

So, is it expensive? Yup. It is. But it's supposed to be a step or several up from your standard Soho dim sum house and that's what you're paying for. Was it value for money, though? Well, I guess my view is coloured slightly. I'm not a huge fan of dim sum, as a rule. It's easy for it to end up greasy and stodgy and although Yauatcha's food was never either of these things, I can't say that it was a Damascene revelation for me. It was beautifully cooked and very tasty, but ultimately rather unmemorable.

The venison puffs (as mentioned by other reviewers) were fine, but not to die for. Various prawn and chicken dishes went past, although it's now 2 weeks later and I'll be damned if I can remember anything about any of them. There was nothing wrong with them; in fact I remember them as being nice, but nothing stood out for me. An ostrich chow mein was interesting, but mainly because it was a first try of ostrich, rather than because it was an incredible dish. There was also crispy duck, but it was no better or worse than one you could get on your local high street, unfortunately.

Take a fan of dim sum and I'm sure they'll love you for it. It's a beautiful restaurant, with friendly and attentive staff. And the food is, well... fine.

Gaucho Piccadilly - Wildly Overhyped by Browners

Browners — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:36:19 +0000

Review by Browners

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7734 4040

Website: http://www.gauchosgrill.com

Tags: expensive, steak, lively

Victoria and Alex gave us a very good pre meal analysis. Expect glitz and glamour; immaculate mear; slick service; steep prices; good chips. But occassionaly watch out for inconsistent service, greasy vegetables and listen to how you should have your steak.

Armed with this wealth of advice it all seemed to correct as we shown to our table amongst a dark and sultry dining room. A huge space, crawling with money and girls who had spent hours getting ready and men who were about to spend a fortune.

We settled in and were shown the array of steaks on a wooden board. The waitress gabbled through the description so rapidly we didn't catch a word she said. But Victoria had given us a good sumamry so we weren't too fussed. I ordered a 400g lump of rib eye which the waitress advised me to have medium. I insisted that it should be pink and she said it would be. Cowie ordered a trout ceviche and a prawn and palm heart salad.

The trout ceviche wasn't. It was a collection of three generous slices of cured trout. But it hadn't been cured in citric acid. Now I am clearly no Peruvian but I did think that lemon or lime juice was the central ingredient. A bit like ordering toast and getting bread. It was very tasty, just a bit of a problem for anyone who gets annoyed by misdescriptions.

Then onto the main show. The warm up was over and the headline act was taking the stage. My mega steak arrived with great cermeony. Lots of bernaise. Some chips. A big hunk of....

O dear....

Massively overcooked steak. Grey and rigid it stood lifeless like those a performance artist in Covent Garden. And the chips were cold.

We called over the waitress with a smile and a firm look. She whisked it away and told the chef to cook a fresh one. Meanwhile Cowie devoured her prawn and palm heart salad. It was tasty but incredibly stingy. Cowie counted six medium sized prawns. And then realised that they had all been sliced in half so she had actually only had 3! Three prawns! Not good enough.

10 minutes later my replacement steak arrived. I could hear it mooing as it arrived. As I sliced it in half I could hear the staff collectively sigh with relief. Or maybe I could hear myself. It was tender, juicy and tasted of animal. You could really taste the beef. A delightful piece of meat. The bernaise sauce was fantastic but the second bowl of chips were as cold as the first. Disappointing.

Our carafe of Malbec was delicious. But we didn't need it pouring for us. If you are given a jug of wine the protocol is that you pour it yourself. Cowie only wanted one glass. Having finished her first glass the waitress steamed over and agressively filled it to the brim leaving me with 3/4 of a steak to eat with no wine. Yet another irritant. Cowie and I swapped glasses. But we shouldn't have had to.

Scanning the room we completely agreed that this is one of the best restaurants we have been to for people spotting. Over Cowie's left shoulder was a girl tarted up to the nines wearing a short black dress, some scary heels with a tattoo on her foot. The both fesated on well done steaks whilst drinking glasses of rose topped up to the brim. Kissing and fondling their way through the meal they were having a great time.

It's also great fun to watch the chef at work on the grill. With an earpiece wedged into the side of his head I was surprised he managed to completely balls up my steak.

It was one of the best steaks I have had in London. But given that the first was awful the overall mark averages out as being well below par. Add to that Cowie's measly prawn salad and the abysmal service and you've got glitzy money trap. Give me the steaks we had in Buenos Aires or the USA anyday.Victoria and Alex gave us a very good pre meal analysis. Expect glitz and glamour; immaculate mear; slick service; steep prices; good chips. But occassionaly watch out for inconsistent service, greasy vegetables and listen to how you should have your steak.

Armed with this wealth of advice it all seemed to correct as we shown to our table amongst a dark and sultry dining room. A huge space, crawling with money and girls who had spent hours getting ready and men who were about to spend a fortune.

We settled in and were shown the array of steaks on a wooden board. The waitress gabbled through the description so rapidly we didn't catch a word she said. But Victoria had given us a good sumamry so we weren't too fussed. I ordered a 400g lump of rib eye which the waitress advised me to have medium. I insisted that it should be pink and she said it would be. Cowie ordered a trout ceviche and a prawn and palm heart salad.

The trout ceviche wasn't. It was a collection of three generous slices of cured trout. But it hadn't been cured in citric acid. Now I am clearly no Peruvian but I did think that lemon or lime juice was the central ingredient. A bit like ordering toast and getting bread. It was very tasty, just a bit of a problem for anyone who gets annoyed by misdescriptions.

Then onto the main show. The warm up was over and the headline act was taking the stage. My mega steak arrived with great cermeony. Lots of bernaise. Some chips. A big hunk of....

O dear....

Massively overcooked steak. Grey and rigid it stood lifeless like those a performance artist in Covent Garden. And the chips were cold.

We called over the waitress with a smile and a firm look. She whisked it away and told the chef to cook a fresh one. Meanwhile Cowie devoured her prawn and palm heart salad. It was tasty but incredibly stingy. Cowie counted six medium sized prawns. And then realised that they had all been sliced in half so she had actually only had 3! Three prawns! Not good enough.

10 minutes later my replacement steak arrived. I could hear it mooing as it arrived. As I sliced it in half I could hear the staff collectively sigh with relief. Or maybe I could hear myself. It was tender, juicy and tasted of animal. You could really taste the beef. A delightful piece of meat. The bernaise sauce was fantastic but the second bowl of chips were as cold as the first. Disappointing.

Our carafe of Malbec was delicious. But we didn't need it pouring for us. If you are given a jug of wine the protocol is that you pour it yourself. Cowie only wanted one glass. Having finished her first glass the waitress steamed over and agressively filled it to the brim leaving me with 3/4 of a steak to eat with no wine. Yet another irritant. Cowie and I swapped glasses. But we shouldn't have had to.

Scanning the room we completely agreed that this is one of the best restaurants we have been to for people spotting. Over Cowie's left shoulder was a girl tarted up to the nines wearing a short black dress, some scary heels with a tattoo on her foot. The both fesated on well done steaks whilst drinking glasses of rose topped up to the brim. Kissing and fondling their way through the meal they were having a great time.

It's also great fun to watch the chef at work on the grill. With an earpiece wedged into the side of his head I was surprised he managed to completely balls up my steak.

It was one of the best steaks I have had in London. But given that the first was awful the overall mark averages out as being well below par. Add to that Cowie's measly prawn salad and the abysmal service and you've got glitzy money trap. Give me the steaks we had in Buenos Aires or the USA anyday.

Galileo's Locanda Toscana - Truly Awful by sunflowers

sunflowers — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:50:34 +0000

Review by sunflowers

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7839 3939

Website: www.galileoslocanda.co.uk

Tags: italian, good value, family & home feel

Great location, Reasonable prices , Awful food. My wife and I dined at this restaurant last week. We ordered our meal from the express menu (2 courses for Â£10.95) which by the way is not the same as the menu featured on their web site. For starters we had the Tuscan sausage on bread which consisted of 2 small pieces of lightly toasted garlic bread with a few shreds of almost raw meat grated on top. For the main course my wife had the vegetarian option which came still in the shape of the foil container it had obviously just come from. I ordered the scampi with penne pasta which was truly awful it consisted of greasy pasta with two tiny shrimp in it, on top of which was the empty broken shells of two or three shrimp (where the meat from inside these shells had gone I never discovered). Needless to say we were terribly british and failed to complain about this dreadful meal, but I would encourage you to do yourself a favor and dine elsewhere.Great location, Reasonable prices , Awful food. My wife and I dined at this restaurant last week. We ordered our meal from the express menu (2 courses for Â£10.95) which by the way is not the same as the menu featured on their web site. For starters we had the Tuscan sausage on bread which consisted of 2 small pieces of lightly toasted garlic bread with a few shreds of almost raw meat grated on top. For the main course my wife had the vegetarian option which came still in the shape of the foil container it had obviously just come from. I ordered the scampi with penne pasta which was truly awful it consisted of greasy pasta with two tiny shrimp in it, on top of which was the empty broken shells of two or three shrimp (where the meat from inside these shells had gone I never discovered). Needless to say we were terribly british and failed to complain about this dreadful meal, but I would encourage you to do yourself a favor and dine elsewhere.

The Red Fort - Very good inventive Indian cuisine by Sprotch

Sprotch — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:44:13 +0000

Review by Sprotch

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7437 2525

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

Tags: indian, romantic, expensive

I went to this restaurant twice.
The atmosphere is very nice, the decoration is clean and sober, although it will not win any awards.
The food is why you should go. It is inventive and absolutely delicious. Although clearly influenced by your typical curry place, the food is very different. Every dish is inventive and delicious. Overall a nice renewal of british-indian cuisine.
Price wise, we paid about Â£45 pounds per person. A reasonable price for the quality, but I am sure that there are better deals out there.
I would go back.I went to this restaurant twice.
The atmosphere is very nice, the decoration is clean and sober, although it will not win any awards.
The food is why you should go. It is inventive and absolutely delicious. Although clearly influenced by your typical curry place, the food is very different. Every dish is inventive and delicious. Overall a nice renewal of british-indian cuisine.
Price wise, we paid about Â£45 pounds per person. A reasonable price for the quality, but I am sure that there are better deals out there.
I would go back.

Mr Wu - No No No by geeyeah

geeyeah — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:41:43 +0000

Review by geeyeah

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7287 3885

Tags: chinese, cheap eat, lively

Had the misfortune after seeing Love in the Time of Cholera. Here I learned the meaning of that film.Had the misfortune after seeing Love in the Time of Cholera. Here I learned the meaning of that film.

Silk - Tasty food, but empty by Browners

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

Review by Browners

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7297 5555

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

Tags: international, indian, expensive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wild Honey - A bad experience! by nick644

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

Review by nick644

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7758 9160

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

Tags: french, romantic, good value

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Diner - Pancake Tower by walid

walid — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:04:23 +0000

Review by walid

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7287 8962

Website: http://www.thedinersoho.com

Tags: american, lively, relaxed

A friend of mine brought me to The Diner this afternoon as she wanted French Toasts.... ooohhh French Toasts hmmmmm. I love French Toasts but I also love pancakes, especially a pancake tower American style. Fighting our way up Regent Street we approached Carnaby Street where tucked to the side you can find The Diner.

The decoration is what you'd expect a traditional American diner to look like abroad, ie. close to the real thing, but trying a little bit too hard.

My friend ordered the French Toasts and me my pancakes. Now I make French Toasts, and I love them when they're crispy from the outside and soft in the inside. Her pancakes looked nice, except that they weren't crispy from the outside and had some cinnamon which may please some but not me. As for my pancakes as you can see from the picture it was a good portion but not what I would describe as a pancake tower.

Overall we had a good experience, the food was ok, the service was fine, the pricing is good, but the music was getting too loud. So I'm giving this place a "small" 3 stars.A friend of mine brought me to The Diner this afternoon as she wanted French Toasts.... ooohhh French Toasts hmmmmm. I love French Toasts but I also love pancakes, especially a pancake tower American style. Fighting our way up Regent Street we approached Carnaby Street where tucked to the side you can find The Diner.

The decoration is what you'd expect a traditional American diner to look like abroad, ie. close to the real thing, but trying a little bit too hard.

My friend ordered the French Toasts and me my pancakes. Now I make French Toasts, and I love them when they're crispy from the outside and soft in the inside. Her pancakes looked nice, except that they weren't crispy from the outside and had some cinnamon which may please some but not me. As for my pancakes as you can see from the picture it was a good portion but not what I would describe as a pancake tower.

Overall we had a good experience, the food was ok, the service was fine, the pricing is good, but the music was getting too loud. So I'm giving this place a "small" 3 stars.

Wong Kei - Super noodle soup by coldclimate

coldclimate — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:10:18 +0000

Review by coldclimate

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7437 8408

Tags: chinese, lively, cheap eat

Wagamama's it's not - and thank goodness.

Wonkies is about as close as you get to Hong Kong noodle houses in the UK as far as I can tell. It's busy, you share tables, the waiters are curt (I refuse to call them rude, they're just very business like), and the food is very fast. Everything comes in plastic bowls, the tables have soy and chilli oil, and there's a good chance that you'll be sitting with somebody you don't know (always more fun).

I really enjoyed their barbequed pork noodle soup, and the won ton soup was good too. The crispy chilli beef was excellent, the lemon chick less so. The whole bill came to Â£23 quid for two of us, and was way more than we could eat between us. The "starters" definitely outshone the mains, but then again the roast pork and rice on the table next to me looked and smelled excellent.

Worth noting that the dÃ©cor is dated, the stairway less that clean and your chances of being disgruntled high is you aren't willing to bend you head down and crack on.

Take a bunch of non-fussy eaters, and you'll have a great meal for not a huge amount of cash. Take one fussy person, or be annoyed but one dish being just ok not great, and you'll all hate it.

Wagamama's it's not - and thank goodness.

Wonkies is about as close as you get to Hong Kong noodle houses in the UK as far as I can tell. It's busy, you share tables, the waiters are curt (I refuse to call them rude, they're just very business like), and the food is very fast. Everything comes in plastic bowls, the tables have soy and chilli oil, and there's a good chance that you'll be sitting with somebody you don't know (always more fun).

I really enjoyed their barbequed pork noodle soup, and the won ton soup was good too. The crispy chilli beef was excellent, the lemon chick less so. The whole bill came to Â£23 quid for two of us, and was way more than we could eat between us. The "starters" definitely outshone the mains, but then again the roast pork and rice on the table next to me looked and smelled excellent.

Worth noting that the dÃ©cor is dated, the stairway less that clean and your chances of being disgruntled high is you aren't willing to bend you head down and crack on.

Take a bunch of non-fussy eaters, and you'll have a great meal for not a huge amount of cash. Take one fussy person, or be annoyed but one dish being just ok not great, and you'll all hate it.

Dolce - High Quality roast everyday! by Thomasinho

Thomasinho — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:58:52 +0000

Review by Thomasinho

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7287 5373

Tags: cosy, amazing brew, quick bite

Dolce, run by a friendly, charming Italian guy, is a great place to pick up a sandwich, I have to say that the Roast chicken, which they roast in house each day, is fantastic, as they always serve generous helpings.
The Pork sandwhich with apple saunce, salt & pepper, again great with the Ciabatta.
Or the Salt Beef on Ryebread, again great!
These guys also know how to make a good coffee, also on offer, is a selection of pasta's, from tradition Cabonara, to italian meatballs in ragu sauce, bangers on Mash, salads, and a stroganoff to die for, made with rump, again generous portions.
SO if your looking for a bit of diversity in a cosy cafe feel, this is the place to visit.Dolce, run by a friendly, charming Italian guy, is a great place to pick up a sandwich, I have to say that the Roast chicken, which they roast in house each day, is fantastic, as they always serve generous helpings.
The Pork sandwhich with apple saunce, salt & pepper, again great with the Ciabatta.
Or the Salt Beef on Ryebread, again great!
These guys also know how to make a good coffee, also on offer, is a selection of pasta's, from tradition Cabonara, to italian meatballs in ragu sauce, bangers on Mash, salads, and a stroganoff to die for, made with rump, again generous portions.
SO if your looking for a bit of diversity in a cosy cafe feel, this is the place to visit.

Ping Pong Dim Sum - Ping Pong Dim Sum by topruss

topruss — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:42:31 +0000

Review by topruss

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7851 6969

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: chinese, lively, crowded

ive never tried dim sum before but loved what i ate here , the resturaunt looked cool and quite a funky crowdive never tried dim sum before but loved what i ate here , the resturaunt looked cool and quite a funky crowd

Masala Zone - Masala Zone by topruss

topruss — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:37:43 +0000

Review by topruss

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7287 9966

Website: http://www.realindianfood.com

Tags: indian, lively, good value

Stick to brick lane , they do it bestStick to brick lane , they do it best