Latest reviews in Dartmouth Park, London, United Kingdom

The Old Dairy - a cracking roast by ben1982

ben1982 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:46:28 +0000

Review by ben1982

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7263 3337

A beautifully expansive space which has maintained some of its original features and therefore has a great deal of character. And although the menu is well considered, the one stand-out option is the roast, which is truly great - good cuts of meat and sufficient trimmings, all impeccably presented. Follow that up with a creme brulee served with shortbread biscuits, or the cheese board for the perfect end to a weekend...A beautifully expansive space which has maintained some of its original features and therefore has a great deal of character. And although the menu is well considered, the one stand-out option is the roast, which is truly great - good cuts of meat and sufficient trimmings, all impeccably presented. Follow that up with a creme brulee served with shortbread biscuits, or the cheese board for the perfect end to a weekend...

Eatzone Noodle House - Authentic and cheap! by limbo_lover

limbo_lover — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:09:25 +0000

Review by limbo_lover

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7485 0152

Tags: good value, cheap eat, malaysian

Great food with a really authentic flavour, some of the best Malaysian food I have had in England. The menu is very reasonably priced and the service is good, either in the happily unpretentious cafe or with home delivery.Great food with a really authentic flavour, some of the best Malaysian food I have had in England. The menu is very reasonably priced and the service is good, either in the happily unpretentious cafe or with home delivery.

Dixy Chicken - Chicken, yum! by faders321

faders321 — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:19:22 +0000

Review by faders321

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7284 3900

Tags: chicken / ribs

My favourite food to takeaway is chicken so I often stop off in Dixie Chicken to get some chicken burgers, usually with chips. The food is normally very hot and fresh. My husband & I both love eating here as the food is delicious and filling. It makes a great main meal or if youâ¬"re really hungry a nice snack. Admitingly this place is bad for vegetarians but other than that I think that most people would love it. Itâ¬"s always clean and the staff are normally polite. This is a great place to grab some chicken on the go and there arenâ¬"t normally very long queues which is a great bonus.
My favourite food to takeaway is chicken so I often stop off in Dixie Chicken to get some chicken burgers, usually with chips. The food is normally very hot and fresh. My husband & I both love eating here as the food is delicious and filling. It makes a great main meal or if youâ¬"re really hungry a nice snack. Admitingly this place is bad for vegetarians but other than that I think that most people would love it. Itâ¬"s always clean and the staff are normally polite. This is a great place to grab some chicken on the go and there arenâ¬"t normally very long queues which is a great bonus.

Monsoon - Super Tasty Dinner by raz_kidd

raz_kidd — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:01:13 +0000

Review by raz_kidd

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7284 0025

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

Tags: indian, good value, cheap eat

I went here last night and it was fantastic. Great atmosphere - huge portions and very friendly staff. The drinks are pretty cheap too. The food tastes great and their Tandoori Chicken Tikka Massala is the best I have ever tried.

I will definately be going again!I went here last night and it was fantastic. Great atmosphere - huge portions and very friendly staff. The drinks are pretty cheap too. The food tastes great and their Tandoori Chicken Tikka Massala is the best I have ever tried.

I will definately be going again!

The Spice - Fine by bobidiot

bobidiot — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:51:35 +0000

Review by bobidiot

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7482 2700

Tags: indian, takeaway, conservatory

This Indian restaurant has incredible food, although I would expect it to have such quality given itâ¬"s very very high prices. We went as a party of eight, and ended up having a bill of about three hundred pounds! Perhaps it was all the alcohol we bought with the meal?! Anyway, we were all blown away with our main courses, but on the down side, the desserts were a little disappointing. Still, perhaps we were paying for the staffâ¬"s very fancy uniforms? They were very smart indeed. A comfortable seven out of ten to this nice, but expensive curry house. It is guaranteed to empty your wallet!This Indian restaurant has incredible food, although I would expect it to have such quality given itâ¬"s very very high prices. We went as a party of eight, and ended up having a bill of about three hundred pounds! Perhaps it was all the alcohol we bought with the meal?! Anyway, we were all blown away with our main courses, but on the down side, the desserts were a little disappointing. Still, perhaps we were paying for the staffâ¬"s very fancy uniforms? They were very smart indeed. A comfortable seven out of ten to this nice, but expensive curry house. It is guaranteed to empty your wallet!

The Pineapple - POSSIBLY MY FAVOURITE PUB IN LONDON by LOVEANDKATE

LOVEANDKATE — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:25:13 +0000

Review by LOVEANDKATE

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7485 6422

Tags: independent pub, traditional pub, beer garden

I LOVE THE PINEAPPLE!!

I LOVE THE WALK UP LEVERTON STREET PASSED THE MULTI COLOURED HOUSES, I LOVE THE TRANSITION FROM HAVING A DRINK ON THE BENCHES OUTSIDE AND WATCHING LOCAL KIDS RIDE ROUND ON BIKES LIKE A DAVID MCKEE PICTURE BOOK, TO THE WARM WELCOME OF THE FRONT BAR WHERE THE LOCALS SIT AND LAUGH.

PERHAPS SNUGGLING UP IN ONE OF THE CORNERS OF THE BACK BAR WHERE YOU CAN PLAY TRADITIONAL GAMES? OR BRINGING ALL YOUR MATES ON A FRIDAY FOR A THAI BEFORE YOU GO OUT TO TOWN. CIGGIE IN THE GARDEN?

THIS PLACE HAS A SECTION FOR EVERYONE.

I'VE HEARD THAT THEY DO CHEESE PARTIES TOO.

THEY DO PIMMS WITH THE OPTION OF GINGER BEER OR LEMONADE AND THE BAR STAFF ARE FAB TOO.

THE BEST THING ABOUT IT IS THERE ARE PINEAPPLES EVERYWHERE.

LOVE IT!!!I LOVE THE PINEAPPLE!!

I LOVE THE WALK UP LEVERTON STREET PASSED THE MULTI COLOURED HOUSES, I LOVE THE TRANSITION FROM HAVING A DRINK ON THE BENCHES OUTSIDE AND WATCHING LOCAL KIDS RIDE ROUND ON BIKES LIKE A DAVID MCKEE PICTURE BOOK, TO THE WARM WELCOME OF THE FRONT BAR WHERE THE LOCALS SIT AND LAUGH.

PERHAPS SNUGGLING UP IN ONE OF THE CORNERS OF THE BACK BAR WHERE YOU CAN PLAY TRADITIONAL GAMES? OR BRINGING ALL YOUR MATES ON A FRIDAY FOR A THAI BEFORE YOU GO OUT TO TOWN. CIGGIE IN THE GARDEN?

THIS PLACE HAS A SECTION FOR EVERYONE.

I'VE HEARD THAT THEY DO CHEESE PARTIES TOO.

THEY DO PIMMS WITH THE OPTION OF GINGER BEER OR LEMONADE AND THE BAR STAFF ARE FAB TOO.

THE BEST THING ABOUT IT IS THERE ARE PINEAPPLES EVERYWHERE.

LOVE IT!!!

Herbs & Health - Acupunture by 1968

1968 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:17:16 +0000

Review by 1968

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7485 2911

Tags: massage, acupuncture, alternative medicine

I have suffered with chronic migraines for 25 yrs and have been receiving hospital treatment which has not helped. I also have a neck injury that is very painful. I have been going to Herbs and Health for a couple of years now after a recommendation.

My Migraines have almost gone and my neck no longer bothers me.

It is a simple treatment room but 'lady' as I call her always make me feel better - happier and well again every time I am able to go. It is very very resonably priced and I think her a miracle worker! Honestly - go and see for yourself and say Louise sent you!

I have suffered with chronic migraines for 25 yrs and have been receiving hospital treatment which has not helped. I also have a neck injury that is very painful. I have been going to Herbs and Health for a couple of years now after a recommendation.

My Migraines have almost gone and my neck no longer bothers me.

It is a simple treatment room but 'lady' as I call her always make me feel better - happier and well again every time I am able to go. It is very very resonably priced and I think her a miracle worker! Honestly - go and see for yourself and say Louise sent you!

Spaghetti House - A Local Institution by chrisp

chrisp — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:02:57 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7485 7984

Tags: cosy, proper food, lively

A few weeks ago I issued a challenge to the good food-loving people of the internet to find me a decent, mid-range Italian restaurant. I was just looking for somewhere sensible between the exemplary ingredients and stratospheric pricing of the River CafÃ© and the high street dross of Bella Pasta - I needed convincing that Italian restaurants are occasionally worth bothering with in London. So off the back of one particular recommendation, I found myself travelling all the way up to Tufnell Park after work on Thursday to a little place called Spaghetti House. It's a bit of a local institution apparently; the chef, Enzo, has been here manning the stoves (and the phones when I called) for over 20 years and runs the place single-handedly - when he's ill or on holiday, it's closed. This is clearly not someone from the Gordon Ramsay school of restaurant management.

From the outside it looks like your average greasy spoon caff (out of interest, why are they called 'greasy spoon'? What on earth could you be eating with a spoon that was greasy? Suggestions please), inside the dÃ©cor struck that fine balance between 'homely' and 'bonkers'. The laminated menu was tempting in its simplicity, but the list of specials appeared to go on and on and was scrawled in chalk in every available gap of wall space. Assorted paraphernalia dangled from the ceiling, a sign by the door said 'welcome' in 20 world languages, and just the other side of a tiki-bar faÃ§ade there indeed was Enzo, working feverishly away amidst the noise and steam of the kitchen.

At such ludicrously low prices it would have been churlish of me not to try and sample as much as I could, so I ordered a starter and dessert, very unlike me. The home-made minestrone soup was hearty and huge, if a little bland, but who's complaining at Â£2 a pop. A friend pushed the boat out with a bruschetta at Â£3.50, which was much nicer, dressed with a lovely rich tomato salsa.

The roast duck main course was generous in flavour and portion, with a thick orangey sauce and nice fatty meat. It's not haute cuisine by any means, just boiled veg and roast potatoes with seared duck leg, but it was actually rather good, and not just because it cost Â£8. I did try a bit of my friend's broccoli pasta (Â£5) and yes, that was pretty good too. No better than you could make yourself, admittedly, but comforting and simple and - and this is worth repeating - Â£5 for a huge plate of food.

Ice cream also came in a gut-bursting portion size, as did a pleasant enough slab of cherry pie which could have done with a bit more warming through but, stuffed with gloopy fruit and sprinkled with sugar, didn't last long anyway.

So after moaning about the dearth of affordable decent Italian restaurants in London I appear to have found something of a rare commodity - a genuine restaurant bargain. To be fair, not every Londoner is likely to travel up to Tuffnel Park for a bruschetta but judging by the clientele on Thursday night, word probably doesn't need to travel much further than NW5 for every table to be taken. And on the subject of the clientele, I have never seen a more delightfully complete section of society in one restaurant - a table of septuagenarians, a young professional couple, cabbies, families, it felt almost contrived, like I was eating on the set of a soap opera.

I do have one complaint though. After the main courses were served, the waitress came over with a black pepper mill. Part of me wanted to wrestle it off her, but as I was enjoying the evening so much I waited patiently as she seasoned the plate in front of me. Unconventional and quirky in so many ways, I will allow Spaghetti House this one pretention. It doesn't seem to be doing it any harm.A few weeks ago I issued a challenge to the good food-loving people of the internet to find me a decent, mid-range Italian restaurant. I was just looking for somewhere sensible between the exemplary ingredients and stratospheric pricing of the River CafÃ© and the high street dross of Bella Pasta - I needed convincing that Italian restaurants are occasionally worth bothering with in London. So off the back of one particular recommendation, I found myself travelling all the way up to Tufnell Park after work on Thursday to a little place called Spaghetti House. It's a bit of a local institution apparently; the chef, Enzo, has been here manning the stoves (and the phones when I called) for over 20 years and runs the place single-handedly - when he's ill or on holiday, it's closed. This is clearly not someone from the Gordon Ramsay school of restaurant management.

From the outside it looks like your average greasy spoon caff (out of interest, why are they called 'greasy spoon'? What on earth could you be eating with a spoon that was greasy? Suggestions please), inside the dÃ©cor struck that fine balance between 'homely' and 'bonkers'. The laminated menu was tempting in its simplicity, but the list of specials appeared to go on and on and was scrawled in chalk in every available gap of wall space. Assorted paraphernalia dangled from the ceiling, a sign by the door said 'welcome' in 20 world languages, and just the other side of a tiki-bar faÃ§ade there indeed was Enzo, working feverishly away amidst the noise and steam of the kitchen.

At such ludicrously low prices it would have been churlish of me not to try and sample as much as I could, so I ordered a starter and dessert, very unlike me. The home-made minestrone soup was hearty and huge, if a little bland, but who's complaining at Â£2 a pop. A friend pushed the boat out with a bruschetta at Â£3.50, which was much nicer, dressed with a lovely rich tomato salsa.

The roast duck main course was generous in flavour and portion, with a thick orangey sauce and nice fatty meat. It's not haute cuisine by any means, just boiled veg and roast potatoes with seared duck leg, but it was actually rather good, and not just because it cost Â£8. I did try a bit of my friend's broccoli pasta (Â£5) and yes, that was pretty good too. No better than you could make yourself, admittedly, but comforting and simple and - and this is worth repeating - Â£5 for a huge plate of food.

Ice cream also came in a gut-bursting portion size, as did a pleasant enough slab of cherry pie which could have done with a bit more warming through but, stuffed with gloopy fruit and sprinkled with sugar, didn't last long anyway.

So after moaning about the dearth of affordable decent Italian restaurants in London I appear to have found something of a rare commodity - a genuine restaurant bargain. To be fair, not every Londoner is likely to travel up to Tuffnel Park for a bruschetta but judging by the clientele on Thursday night, word probably doesn't need to travel much further than NW5 for every table to be taken. And on the subject of the clientele, I have never seen a more delightfully complete section of society in one restaurant - a table of septuagenarians, a young professional couple, cabbies, families, it felt almost contrived, like I was eating on the set of a soap opera.

I do have one complaint though. After the main courses were served, the waitress came over with a black pepper mill. Part of me wanted to wrestle it off her, but as I was enjoying the evening so much I waited patiently as she seasoned the plate in front of me. Unconventional and quirky in so many ways, I will allow Spaghetti House this one pretention. It doesn't seem to be doing it any harm.

Pasta Habit - by sokratis

sokratis — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:00:12 +0000

Review by sokratis

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7267 9239

Tags: italian, vegetarian dishes

It used to be one of local takeaways when Indian or Chinese were just too exotic and we fancied some simple pasta or Italian food. Desceptively the owner is Greek, but don't let that put you off as they make all your typical Italian spaghettin (or other pasta dished) remarkably well. The portions are huge and you can trust the quality of the place as it's been there for years and is regularly busy with a bunch of locals. It used to be one of local takeaways when Indian or Chinese were just too exotic and we fancied some simple pasta or Italian food. Desceptively the owner is Greek, but don't let that put you off as they make all your typical Italian spaghettin (or other pasta dished) remarkably well. The portions are huge and you can trust the quality of the place as it's been there for years and is regularly busy with a bunch of locals.

House of Wings - Shut down by thamshere

thamshere — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:01:05 +0000

Review by thamshere

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7281 9895

Tags: family run, cheap eat, tasty

Went past here last week - the House of Wings has, unfortunately, closed its doors for good.Went past here last week - the House of Wings has, unfortunately, closed its doors for good.

Nid Ting Thai Restaurant - Better than Bangkok by thamshere

thamshere — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:18:13 +0000

Review by thamshere

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7263 0506

Tags: thai, romantic, good value

Nid Ting is an unassuming restaurant with very reasonably prices that serves up the best Thai food I've had this side of Thailand. It's better than a lot of the food I had in Thailand, too. Very traditional, friendly and very, very good. The Hot & Sour Soup is perfect, as are the Red, Green & Jungle curries. The chef's specials are superb - my favourite so far is the Steamed Tailapia which was perfectly cooked and delicately flavoured.

It's not fine dining but it is fabulous.Nid Ting is an unassuming restaurant with very reasonably prices that serves up the best Thai food I've had this side of Thailand. It's better than a lot of the food I had in Thailand, too. Very traditional, friendly and very, very good. The Hot & Sour Soup is perfect, as are the Red, Green & Jungle curries. The chef's specials are superb - my favourite so far is the Steamed Tailapia which was perfectly cooked and delicately flavoured.

It's not fine dining but it is fabulous.

The Vine - Extremely disappointing by BillyB

BillyB — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:05:24 +0000

Review by BillyB

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7209 0038

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

Tags: food, conservatory, pub lunch

This place used to have a good reputation for its food, but my last two visits have been simply awful. This time, we failed to book anywhere for a birthday lunch for my mother-in-law, so called in on the Vine.

I had the mixed grilled fish - all of which was cold as well as severely overcooked. The tuna steak was a cold grey slab, the squid like rubber.

My girlfriend and her mother had the roast beef. This was a poor cut of meat, greasy, and cold. And they attempted to serve this rare to start with - we not given an option on how we would like it. The accompanying vegetables had all life cooked out of them, and the 'yorkshire pudding' was just a slab of stodge, with no lightness whatsoever.

I complained to the manager, as one would, and we received a refund on one of the dishes, as we had managed to force the other two down. However, to add insult to injury, the manager's attitude was confrontational and wouldn't accept that there was anything wrong with the food, based on the fact that we had eaten most of it. True, this is legally correct, but there was no explanation or understanding of the customer's position.

Avoid this place like the plague - there are three other pubs - The Junction Tavern, The Lord Palmerston, and the Bull and Last - nearby that are far superior.This place used to have a good reputation for its food, but my last two visits have been simply awful. This time, we failed to book anywhere for a birthday lunch for my mother-in-law, so called in on the Vine.

I had the mixed grilled fish - all of which was cold as well as severely overcooked. The tuna steak was a cold grey slab, the squid like rubber.

My girlfriend and her mother had the roast beef. This was a poor cut of meat, greasy, and cold. And they attempted to serve this rare to start with - we not given an option on how we would like it. The accompanying vegetables had all life cooked out of them, and the 'yorkshire pudding' was just a slab of stodge, with no lightness whatsoever.

I complained to the manager, as one would, and we received a refund on one of the dishes, as we had managed to force the other two down. However, to add insult to injury, the manager's attitude was confrontational and wouldn't accept that there was anything wrong with the food, based on the fact that we had eaten most of it. True, this is legally correct, but there was no explanation or understanding of the customer's position.

Avoid this place like the plague - there are three other pubs - The Junction Tavern, The Lord Palmerston, and the Bull and Last - nearby that are far superior.

The Grand Union - Good Burgers (and I don't even like burgers!) by Hasselhuff

Hasselhuff — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:39:53 +0000

Review by Hasselhuff

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7485 1837

Website: http://www.grandunioncamden.co.uK

Tags: cool, relaxed, friendly

I've discovered a bar underneath my work which makes the best burgers I've ever tasted. I'm pretty hard to impress when it comes to burgers, as I'm not usually a fan. I've been frequenting this place on regular basis now, and I'm slowly working my way through their vast burger menu. I haven't been disappointed yet, in fact I'm enjoying my new found love for burgers. It's cracking place as well, with beautiful furniture and decor, which adds to the great atmosphere it has. The one thing I will say though is, you get a lot for your money, and I always struggle to get through my chips. I give my seal of approval though, I can see it would be great for parties as well, cos it's a great venue. I've discovered a bar underneath my work which makes the best burgers I've ever tasted. I'm pretty hard to impress when it comes to burgers, as I'm not usually a fan. I've been frequenting this place on regular basis now, and I'm slowly working my way through their vast burger menu. I haven't been disappointed yet, in fact I'm enjoying my new found love for burgers. It's cracking place as well, with beautiful furniture and decor, which adds to the great atmosphere it has. The one thing I will say though is, you get a lot for your money, and I always struggle to get through my chips. I give my seal of approval though, I can see it would be great for parties as well, cos it's a great venue.

Queen Of Sheba - Amazing Ethiopian Food by andymyers

andymyers — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:56:54 +0000

Review by andymyers

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7284 3947

Tags: good value, ethiopian, african & caribbean

My wife and I love this restaurant. I'd never had Ethiopian food until a few years ago, but since visiting Queen of Sheba I have been hooked. I can only vouch for the vegetarian dishes, but they are excellent. It is very reasonably priced too and the only reason I can't give this place 5 stars is because sometimes the service is a bit slow...that said, the staff are very friendly.My wife and I love this restaurant. I'd never had Ethiopian food until a few years ago, but since visiting Queen of Sheba I have been hooked. I can only vouch for the vegetarian dishes, but they are excellent. It is very reasonably priced too and the only reason I can't give this place 5 stars is because sometimes the service is a bit slow...that said, the staff are very friendly.

Chameli Indian Restaurant - My Valentines Dinner by Glen_Bailey

Glen_Bailey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:27:48 +0000

Review by Glen_Bailey

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7482 2833

Tags: indian, good value, vegetarian dishes

Itâ¬"s not often that you arrive at the restaurant you think youâ¬"re supposed to be at, only to have a small man run at you from out of the darkness asking â¬SDo you want to go in?â¬

Mari e Monti - A cafe that I actually like! by Sami

Sami — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:34:23 +0000

Review by Sami

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7272 3302

Tags: cosy, quick bite, friendly

I'm not one to eat in cafes. They conjure images of canned beans and people that I generally make it a habit to stay away from... things that I really don't like, in general.

However, this little spot just down the street from my house seems to have broken out of the mold with their NOT greasy breakfast and variety of freshly squeezed juices. From what I could gather from our waitress, it's run by an Italian family and they do various different Italian dishes/specials every day which seem like they would be pretty good, judging from my delicious breakfast the other day. It was just your standard fry up - eggs, bacon, hash browns, fried mushrooms and tomatoes - but it was really, really lovely.

I'm looking forward to going again - it was cheap, friendly, and a nice environment to have an easygoing breakfast and a mull over the newspaper. And it's just around the corner from my house...I'm not one to eat in cafes. They conjure images of canned beans and people that I generally make it a habit to stay away from... things that I really don't like, in general.

However, this little spot just down the street from my house seems to have broken out of the mold with their NOT greasy breakfast and variety of freshly squeezed juices. From what I could gather from our waitress, it's run by an Italian family and they do various different Italian dishes/specials every day which seem like they would be pretty good, judging from my delicious breakfast the other day. It was just your standard fry up - eggs, bacon, hash browns, fried mushrooms and tomatoes - but it was really, really lovely.

I'm looking forward to going again - it was cheap, friendly, and a nice environment to have an easygoing breakfast and a mull over the newspaper. And it's just around the corner from my house...

Stingray Cafe - Good... but was better by ManKan

ManKan — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:50:29 +0000

Review by ManKan

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7482 4855

Tags: italian, takeaway, european

I realy like Stingray Cafe, the food is very well priced, I used to put Stingray in the same category as 'Little Bay' in Kilburn and Le Mercury in Islington, but the last time I went, I have to say the food was not all that, I strayed away from the standard menu and went for the specials, but it was not as good as their regular food!

The reviews from the press have been taken down and it does not boast how special it is anymore (which I always love) and have to say something has changed, not sure what?

I have been there loads, so I will wait until I try it one more time before concluding my views, as it hs always been good, just not the last timeI realy like Stingray Cafe, the food is very well priced, I used to put Stingray in the same category as 'Little Bay' in Kilburn and Le Mercury in Islington, but the last time I went, I have to say the food was not all that, I strayed away from the standard menu and went for the specials, but it was not as good as their regular food!

The reviews from the press have been taken down and it does not boast how special it is anymore (which I always love) and have to say something has changed, not sure what?

I have been there loads, so I will wait until I try it one more time before concluding my views, as it hs always been good, just not the last time

Lalibela - Ethiopian Delights by sokratis

sokratis — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:22:01 +0000

Review by sokratis

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7284 0600

Tags: lively, good value, takeaway

Do the words Tibs or Doro Wot mean anything to you? If not, then you havenâ¬"t been to Lalibela. Named after a beautiful Ethiopian city this is one fine African restaurant. Itâ¬"s on Fortress road and an easy walk both from Kentish Town and Tufnell Park.
The decor is warm and typically east-African with a varied collection of hand-carved wooden furniture (beautiful as they are they donâ¬"t make for the most comfortable seating unfortunately). The staff are very friendly and can be a bit cheeky, but always professional. Last time we went there we did have to remind them to get the bill after waiting for about 15 minutes, but we were happy chatting away and digesting anyway.
Ethiopian food is served as follows: you and you company sit around the table and a very large flat plate is placed in the middle. On it you have Injera, which is a Ethiopian sour flat bread, which also serves as your fork or spoon. The food comes in a variety of small pots and everyone places scoops on the main plate cuts out a piece of Injera (or uses some of the extra rolls they bring you) rolls or folds up and off he or she goes. If youâ¬"re the adventurous type this should make for quite a different first date experience. On second thoughts you may want to avoid that, depending on what you have in mind for later. More on that below...
The food is a fun and very tasty experience. Most of the dishes are mild stews with rich flavours, with fish, lamb, chicken and goat featuring on the menu (not sure if beef is there or not). A word of warning here. The food is tasty and very moreish. The Injera is also pretty good, but I do believe that it expands slightly once in your stomach. The result is a bit similar to drinking plenty of tequila sitting down and realising that your coordination is not what it used to be half an hour ago, when you stand up. With Ethiopian food youâ¬"ll stand up try to walk and then realise that you better order one of those really tasty coffees brewed over charcoal and give yourself a bit more time before engaging in any kind of physical activity that involves anything more than sitting down.
Do the words Tibs or Doro Wot mean anything to you? If not, then you havenâ¬"t been to Lalibela. Named after a beautiful Ethiopian city this is one fine African restaurant. Itâ¬"s on Fortress road and an easy walk both from Kentish Town and Tufnell Park.
The decor is warm and typically east-African with a varied collection of hand-carved wooden furniture (beautiful as they are they donâ¬"t make for the most comfortable seating unfortunately). The staff are very friendly and can be a bit cheeky, but always professional. Last time we went there we did have to remind them to get the bill after waiting for about 15 minutes, but we were happy chatting away and digesting anyway.
Ethiopian food is served as follows: you and you company sit around the table and a very large flat plate is placed in the middle. On it you have Injera, which is a Ethiopian sour flat bread, which also serves as your fork or spoon. The food comes in a variety of small pots and everyone places scoops on the main plate cuts out a piece of Injera (or uses some of the extra rolls they bring you) rolls or folds up and off he or she goes. If youâ¬"re the adventurous type this should make for quite a different first date experience. On second thoughts you may want to avoid that, depending on what you have in mind for later. More on that below...
The food is a fun and very tasty experience. Most of the dishes are mild stews with rich flavours, with fish, lamb, chicken and goat featuring on the menu (not sure if beef is there or not). A word of warning here. The food is tasty and very moreish. The Injera is also pretty good, but I do believe that it expands slightly once in your stomach. The result is a bit similar to drinking plenty of tequila sitting down and realising that your coordination is not what it used to be half an hour ago, when you stand up. With Ethiopian food youâ¬"ll stand up try to walk and then realise that you better order one of those really tasty coffees brewed over charcoal and give yourself a bit more time before engaging in any kind of physical activity that involves anything more than sitting down.

Pick More Daisies - So incredibly unimpressed. by Sami

Sami — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:28:40 +0000

Review by Sami

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 8340 2288

Tags: american, great food, friendly

I was initially very excited to come here as I had read a number of good things about the restaurant and had passed it a few times while running errands in Crouch End, always remarking to myself to make a point to eat there and check it out personally.

I made my first visit this past Sunday and have been so eager to post a review of the miserable experience that I had - and my eagerness has only been heightened due to not having Internet access for the past couple of days; all I have thought about in relation to the net was the horrendous review I would write, once I could get back online.

Well, now I am here and although my rage has abated slightly, I am still more than annoyed with my visit and shall proceed to lay it all out in the hopes that senior staff from the restaurant will get the verbal kick in the teeth they deserve.

Realizing that in London it is very difficult to get a table at anywhere halfway decent on the week-ends, I made a call before our visit to enquire whether we might be able to make a reservation eventhough I was calling an hour and a half before we intended on eating. I was barked at that they did not take reservations on the day of and had the phone hung up on me.

Well, strike one - but it wasn't going to stop me from eating there. As we arrived, we lined up outside for over 15 minutes - even though there were 3 free tables within earshot and what appeared to be a number of people vacating the back seating area of the restaurant.

We were finally seated, but it took 10 minutes for them to bring our drinks out, screwing up the order a couple of times on the way. It took another 10 minutes for them to return to take our order, even though we had attempted to flag them down numerous times, only for them to return ANOTHER 10 minutes later to inform us that they could not prepare two dishes ordered as their crockery for making poached eggs was broken. I'm sorry - but if you can't make poached eggs without a good old-fashioned pot, some white vinegar, and boiling water, you shouldn't be in the kitchen, PERIOD.

A good 45 minutes later we were served - and while the food was relatively tasty, the portions were of a very reasonable size, and the bill came with a kitschy and sweet touch of Skittles, it wasn't at all worth the wait or the constant stream of nonsense coming from the kitchen and ill-trained, half-asleep waitstaff.

Rant over. Thanks for reading - and you've probably figured out that the last thing I'm going to do is recommend this pathetic excuse of a restaurant to you. I was initially very excited to come here as I had read a number of good things about the restaurant and had passed it a few times while running errands in Crouch End, always remarking to myself to make a point to eat there and check it out personally.

I made my first visit this past Sunday and have been so eager to post a review of the miserable experience that I had - and my eagerness has only been heightened due to not having Internet access for the past couple of days; all I have thought about in relation to the net was the horrendous review I would write, once I could get back online.

Well, now I am here and although my rage has abated slightly, I am still more than annoyed with my visit and shall proceed to lay it all out in the hopes that senior staff from the restaurant will get the verbal kick in the teeth they deserve.

Realizing that in London it is very difficult to get a table at anywhere halfway decent on the week-ends, I made a call before our visit to enquire whether we might be able to make a reservation eventhough I was calling an hour and a half before we intended on eating. I was barked at that they did not take reservations on the day of and had the phone hung up on me.

Well, strike one - but it wasn't going to stop me from eating there. As we arrived, we lined up outside for over 15 minutes - even though there were 3 free tables within earshot and what appeared to be a number of people vacating the back seating area of the restaurant.

We were finally seated, but it took 10 minutes for them to bring our drinks out, screwing up the order a couple of times on the way. It took another 10 minutes for them to return to take our order, even though we had attempted to flag them down numerous times, only for them to return ANOTHER 10 minutes later to inform us that they could not prepare two dishes ordered as their crockery for making poached eggs was broken. I'm sorry - but if you can't make poached eggs without a good old-fashioned pot, some white vinegar, and boiling water, you shouldn't be in the kitchen, PERIOD.

A good 45 minutes later we were served - and while the food was relatively tasty, the portions were of a very reasonable size, and the bill came with a kitschy and sweet touch of Skittles, it wasn't at all worth the wait or the constant stream of nonsense coming from the kitchen and ill-trained, half-asleep waitstaff.

Rant over. Thanks for reading - and you've probably figured out that the last thing I'm going to do is recommend this pathetic excuse of a restaurant to you.

The Dartmouth Arms - Well, I kinda agree by sokratis

sokratis — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:34:29 +0000

Review by sokratis

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7485 3267

Tags: food, dosy, chilled

Buraco is kinda right. The manager can be a bit arrogant in Dartmouth Arms, but it's only one particular guy. The regular landlord is a great guy.
The chicken Sunday roast I had was also fantastic. And the organic ale that followed a perfect refresher.Buraco is kinda right. The manager can be a bit arrogant in Dartmouth Arms, but it's only one particular guy. The regular landlord is a great guy.
The chicken Sunday roast I had was also fantastic. And the organic ale that followed a perfect refresher.