Latest reviews in Earlsfield, London, United Kingdom

Le P'tit Normand - French food, homely and good value by Ergo_sum

Ergo_sum — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:01:37 +0000

Review by Ergo_sum

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8871 0233

Tags: french, good value, family & home feel

We returned for the themed Normandy night in April (the next 'themed' evening is on 30 April '08: 5 course gastronomique menu).
The food was excellent - fish pate and an amuse-bouche of a glass of warm liquid asparagus (you could call it soup!) before the main three courses: marinated herrings; Normandy chicken on mash (with cider and cream, of course) or an exceptionally lovely lemon sole dish in a creamy mushroom sauce; and pear in puff pastry or a marvellous array of French cheeses including a really runny Saint Marcellin; and coffee. I haven't had a better cheese board even IN France, never mind out of it!
The cost was Â£17.95 each - quite amazing value, especially as a bottle of the most expensive white wine, a Montrachet 2004, was only Â£26.95. Highly recommended.We returned for the themed Normandy night in April (the next 'themed' evening is on 30 April '08: 5 course gastronomique menu).
The food was excellent - fish pate and an amuse-bouche of a glass of warm liquid asparagus (you could call it soup!) before the main three courses: marinated herrings; Normandy chicken on mash (with cider and cream, of course) or an exceptionally lovely lemon sole dish in a creamy mushroom sauce; and pear in puff pastry or a marvellous array of French cheeses including a really runny Saint Marcellin; and coffee. I haven't had a better cheese board even IN France, never mind out of it!
The cost was Â£17.95 each - quite amazing value, especially as a bottle of the most expensive white wine, a Montrachet 2004, was only Â£26.95. Highly recommended.

Ditto Bar & Restaurant - Well done Taste London card by Browners

Browners — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:44:12 +0000

Review by Browners

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8877 0110

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

Tags: lively, good value, british

Food at Ditto is half price when you use a TasteLondon card. So we made the most of it and chose scallops and beef carpaccio followed unanimously by lobster spaghetti. Awesome.

Sorry I am afraid the lobster isn't available...

Well why print it on your daily menu then? Unless of course your menu isn't daily even though that's its title!

They promised so much and got our hopes up and then dashed them out of hand. You might think this is overdoing it a bit. But the last time I had lobster spaghetti was at the George in Stamford when I pretty much fell in love with it! To then get within inches of having it again and then be denied it was hard to take. I'll just have to wait till I'm on the Italian Riviera sipping chilled white wine and looking out at my yacht to do it properly.

Scallops came with grilled prawns and an avocado dressing. It looked and tasted pretty but was neither hot nor cold and was fairly wimpy on the flavour front. Big plates and lots of swishes and dabs of sauce. Very Turner prize.

With the lobster spaghetti debacle behind us, I chose pork belly with white beans and a dark sauce which is firmly ensconced now as my default choice. If it's on the menu I will struggle not to order it and normally fail. It takes something exciting like lobster to trump it!

The pork was partly delicious partly disappointing. It struck me that it had been badly reheated. Dried out patches clashed with moist bits. The beans were both perfectly soft and also dried out. The sauce was a bit unidentifiable. My memory of it is that it was dark brown with a hint of sweetness. The best bit was the side order of garlic spinach.

Gilly's rump of lamb was generous and sweet. Really impressive. Whilst Cowie's tuna was pink and tasty. Very light and sexy. Very Cowie.

It's a very cool little restaurant with a variety of special offers. Tuesday is ladies' night - 25% off if you're a bird. They've got a projector and screen and art all over the walls. On a Tuesday night it was a third full and we enjoyed being allowed to linger of our meal. Whilst slurping our coffees we imagined what it would be like to enlarge the bar area and make the dining room more intimate. But who were we to offer design ideas!

We'll probably return at some point but only because it's local and half price! There are too many other places to try out.Food at Ditto is half price when you use a TasteLondon card. So we made the most of it and chose scallops and beef carpaccio followed unanimously by lobster spaghetti. Awesome.

Sorry I am afraid the lobster isn't available...

Well why print it on your daily menu then? Unless of course your menu isn't daily even though that's its title!

They promised so much and got our hopes up and then dashed them out of hand. You might think this is overdoing it a bit. But the last time I had lobster spaghetti was at the George in Stamford when I pretty much fell in love with it! To then get within inches of having it again and then be denied it was hard to take. I'll just have to wait till I'm on the Italian Riviera sipping chilled white wine and looking out at my yacht to do it properly.

Scallops came with grilled prawns and an avocado dressing. It looked and tasted pretty but was neither hot nor cold and was fairly wimpy on the flavour front. Big plates and lots of swishes and dabs of sauce. Very Turner prize.

With the lobster spaghetti debacle behind us, I chose pork belly with white beans and a dark sauce which is firmly ensconced now as my default choice. If it's on the menu I will struggle not to order it and normally fail. It takes something exciting like lobster to trump it!

The pork was partly delicious partly disappointing. It struck me that it had been badly reheated. Dried out patches clashed with moist bits. The beans were both perfectly soft and also dried out. The sauce was a bit unidentifiable. My memory of it is that it was dark brown with a hint of sweetness. The best bit was the side order of garlic spinach.

Gilly's rump of lamb was generous and sweet. Really impressive. Whilst Cowie's tuna was pink and tasty. Very light and sexy. Very Cowie.

It's a very cool little restaurant with a variety of special offers. Tuesday is ladies' night - 25% off if you're a bird. They've got a projector and screen and art all over the walls. On a Tuesday night it was a third full and we enjoyed being allowed to linger of our meal. Whilst slurping our coffees we imagined what it would be like to enlarge the bar area and make the dining room more intimate. But who were we to offer design ideas!

We'll probably return at some point but only because it's local and half price! There are too many other places to try out.

Collins Fish Bar - quality fish n chips by mtas123

mtas123 — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:55:05 +0000

Review by mtas123

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8870 3809

Tags: good value

fresh fish n chips unlike most others, fresh being the key difference. not the usual cardboard chips from a few days ago. real hearty food from friendly people. the only place my folks will get their fish n chips from!fresh fish n chips unlike most others, fresh being the key difference. not the usual cardboard chips from a few days ago. real hearty food from friendly people. the only place my folks will get their fish n chips from!

The East Hill - Great Pub Quiz by Browners

Browners — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:59:11 +0000

Review by Browners

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8874 1833

Website: http://www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/theeasthill/

Tags: food, pub quiz, modern european

I've only been here once but really enjoyed it. We arrived after a long drive up from Somerset on a Sunday evening and it was perfect.

We tucked into roast lamb and a very tasty, if a little stingy, piece of pork belly before coming third in their pub quiz.

In terms of pub quizes it's the best we've been to with a great quiz master and very lively crowd. Maybe next time we'll improve on third.I've only been here once but really enjoyed it. We arrived after a long drive up from Somerset on a Sunday evening and it was perfect.

We tucked into roast lamb and a very tasty, if a little stingy, piece of pork belly before coming third in their pub quiz.

In terms of pub quizes it's the best we've been to with a great quiz master and very lively crowd. Maybe next time we'll improve on third.

Earlsfield Bookshop - If you like your books with a touch of snobbery... by CaliSW18

CaliSW18 — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:53:18 +0000

Review by CaliSW18

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 8946 3744

Tags: books, second hand

Pop in here if you're prepared for wretched customer service and generally rude staff. I had high hopes for such a sweet looking independent bookshop, and I'm all for buying used, but I'll never step foot in there again after the way I was treated!!!Pop in here if you're prepared for wretched customer service and generally rude staff. I had high hopes for such a sweet looking independent bookshop, and I'm all for buying used, but I'll never step foot in there again after the way I was treated!!!

Bar 366 - Best funky local in Earlsfield by danibal

danibal — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:45:27 +0000

Review by danibal

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8944 9591

Tags: live music, independent pub, food

You can ask anyone who goes here that the best thing is the fun friendly atmosphere. The place is chilled and cosy during the week and fills up at the weekend with everyone rubbing shoulders and having a good time, from the punters to the staff. Live music on bank holiday sundays and regular djs most weekends! Great bar, great night...You can ask anyone who goes here that the best thing is the fun friendly atmosphere. The place is chilled and cosy during the week and fills up at the weekend with everyone rubbing shoulders and having a good time, from the punters to the staff. Live music on bank holiday sundays and regular djs most weekends! Great bar, great night...

Amaranth Cafe & Noodle Bar - Noodles by andreams

andreams — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:37:31 +0000

Review by andreams

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8874 9036

Tags: thai, busy, noodles

The food here is great - but it is, understandably, always busy and booking is essential. If you can't get in, or you just want something quick to eat, you can eat in at the takeaway/noodle bar next door - the food comes from the same kitchen with generous bowls of soup and noodle dishes - same quality, but the presentation is rather more basic than in the restaurant... across the street and under the railway bridge is Amaranth's supermarket/deli where you can buy all the ingredients to make the dishes yourself, or buy the ready-prepared dishes to heat up at home.The food here is great - but it is, understandably, always busy and booking is essential. If you can't get in, or you just want something quick to eat, you can eat in at the takeaway/noodle bar next door - the food comes from the same kitchen with generous bowls of soup and noodle dishes - same quality, but the presentation is rather more basic than in the restaurant... across the street and under the railway bridge is Amaranth's supermarket/deli where you can buy all the ingredients to make the dishes yourself, or buy the ready-prepared dishes to heat up at home.

The Fish Club - South London Fishclub!! by kirsty

kirsty — Wed, 16 May 2007 11:58:51 +0000

Review by kirsty

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7978 7115

Website: http://www.thefishclub.com

Tags: cosy, fish & chips, friendly staff

Having read an article by AA Gill on the Fishclub I was dying to try the Fishclub on St Johns Hill.
The place could have had more tables and chairs as we had to go and have a drink elsewhere and come back and I think the decor was a little dodgy in places. They could utilise the space much better. But for an upmarket fish and chip shop it was pretty good.
We had oysters to start with onion viniagrette which were delicious and then battered cod and haddock with mushy peas, traditional chips and sweet potatoe chips. Actually thye choice of fish was pretty endless and you can have it cooked any way you so desire. I think next time I would have my fish grilled as the fish was a little lost in my batter. It was a gret experience -really good fun and the staff were really friendly and helpful. They took the time to explain all the menu and the variations on the menu. Having read an article by AA Gill on the Fishclub I was dying to try the Fishclub on St Johns Hill.
The place could have had more tables and chairs as we had to go and have a drink elsewhere and come back and I think the decor was a little dodgy in places. They could utilise the space much better. But for an upmarket fish and chip shop it was pretty good.
We had oysters to start with onion viniagrette which were delicious and then battered cod and haddock with mushy peas, traditional chips and sweet potatoe chips. Actually thye choice of fish was pretty endless and you can have it cooked any way you so desire. I think next time I would have my fish grilled as the fish was a little lost in my batter. It was a gret experience -really good fun and the staff were really friendly and helpful. They took the time to explain all the menu and the variations on the menu.