Latest reviews for Restaurants in Hampstead, London, United Kingdom

Yo! Sushi - Yo! Sushi by arcantara99

arcantara99 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:19:05 +0000

Review by arcantara99

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7431 4499

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

This is a good branch of a reliable chain. The O2 Centre is quite public in that you can see outside the restaurant all the time. It's convenient if you are going to the cinema upstairs. Most people sit in the main large circle around the chef. This is good as you can see that all the food is fresh. There are lots of different dishes â¬ all quite simple and very tasty. And there are always staff walking around so you order things to be prepared for you straight away. Otherwise there's a conveyor belt which is well stocked in front of you with practically everything on the menu. It's restocked regularly. It is very reasonably priced.

This is a good branch of a reliable chain. The O2 Centre is quite public in that you can see outside the restaurant all the time. It's convenient if you are going to the cinema upstairs. Most people sit in the main large circle around the chef. This is good as you can see that all the food is fresh. There are lots of different dishes â¬ all quite simple and very tasty. And there are always staff walking around so you order things to be prepared for you straight away. Otherwise there's a conveyor belt which is well stocked in front of you with practically everything on the menu. It's restocked regularly. It is very reasonably priced.

Woodlands - by kranti

kranti — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:12:55 +0000

Review by kranti

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7794 3080

Tags: indian, vegetarian restaurant, takeaway

I have been a regular at the Woodlands in Leicester Square and Marylebone Lane over the last few years, but had not had my Woodlands-fix for a while. I recently tried their branch in Hampstead for a 65th birthday party.

When we arrived at the restaurant we were given the wrong table, one too small for the group we had booked for. This was rectified quickly. I have generally been impressed by the good value vegetarian food. At the Hampstead restaurant the menu is similar if not the same as their other restaurants. The range of food is extensive and you really need to know what you are after. Our food was somewhat greasy and disappointing. Though veggie-friendly, it didn't appear to be too healthy...I have been a regular at the Woodlands in Leicester Square and Marylebone Lane over the last few years, but had not had my Woodlands-fix for a while. I recently tried their branch in Hampstead for a 65th birthday party.

When we arrived at the restaurant we were given the wrong table, one too small for the group we had booked for. This was rectified quickly. I have generally been impressed by the good value vegetarian food. At the Hampstead restaurant the menu is similar if not the same as their other restaurants. The range of food is extensive and you really need to know what you are after. Our food was somewhat greasy and disappointing. Though veggie-friendly, it didn't appear to be too healthy...

Zara - Underwhelming by kranti

kranti — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:27:37 +0000

Review by kranti

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7794 5498

Website: http://www.zara.com

Tags: turkish, accessories, casual

I went to Zara for a 30th birthday party and having read a number of reviews on other websites expected something fairly special.

The decor is a slightly bizarre mix of Turkish and pictures made by children (the one I remember the best is of Superman and Batman eating at the restaurant). Th service was friendly but unimpressive, especially given how few people were eating at the restaurant. For food, I had the cold/hot meze for starters, a main course and mint tea. The meze portions are small but tasty. Annoyingly, the accompanying bread took a very long time to arrive. The main course was even more underwhelming. There are better Turkish restaurants in the vicinity in North LondonI went to Zara for a 30th birthday party and having read a number of reviews on other websites expected something fairly special.

The decor is a slightly bizarre mix of Turkish and pictures made by children (the one I remember the best is of Superman and Batman eating at the restaurant). Th service was friendly but unimpressive, especially given how few people were eating at the restaurant. For food, I had the cold/hot meze for starters, a main course and mint tea. The meze portions are small but tasty. Annoyingly, the accompanying bread took a very long time to arrive. The main course was even more underwhelming. There are better Turkish restaurants in the vicinity in North London

Fine Burger Co - average at best by Barney752

Barney752 — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:04:27 +0000

Review by Barney752

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7433 0700

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

Tags: takeaway, gourmet hamburgers

Fine Burger co, is average at best. the burgers are a step up from your average fast food joint, the meat is better qualtiy, the burgers are taller and they have a slightly bemusing policy of only sourcing meat from within the M25, i hope that does not include from off the M25 itself. However whilst the prices are very similar to Gourmet burger kitchen, the burgers are very different, the fact is that GBK makes far nicer burgers than Fine Burger which seems to be an inferior clone of the award winnign GBK. All told Fine burger does produce a fairly nice burger but the meat is a bit overcooked and crumbly. So go to GBK instead.Fine Burger co, is average at best. the burgers are a step up from your average fast food joint, the meat is better qualtiy, the burgers are taller and they have a slightly bemusing policy of only sourcing meat from within the M25, i hope that does not include from off the M25 itself. However whilst the prices are very similar to Gourmet burger kitchen, the burgers are very different, the fact is that GBK makes far nicer burgers than Fine Burger which seems to be an inferior clone of the award winnign GBK. All told Fine burger does produce a fairly nice burger but the meat is a bit overcooked and crumbly. So go to GBK instead.

Ping Pong Dim Sum - have sum dim sum by Barney752

Barney752 — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:46:40 +0000

Review by Barney752

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7433 0930

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: takeaway, cocktails, chinese

If you want to have sum dim sum (sorry for the bad joke) then ping pong is the place for you. Dont go in there expectnig a traditional chinese meal as you will probably find yourself dissapointed, this is a dim sum restaurant which means there are buns, and goey delights a plenty. The decor is bright and modern and the restaurant (at least the few times that i have been in there) has always been full and lively. The staff are friendly and the food is very nice if not just a little on the expensive side. Although in the end you get what you pay for so you can be sure of getting a nice meal for a fair price.If you want to have sum dim sum (sorry for the bad joke) then ping pong is the place for you. Dont go in there expectnig a traditional chinese meal as you will probably find yourself dissapointed, this is a dim sum restaurant which means there are buns, and goey delights a plenty. The decor is bright and modern and the restaurant (at least the few times that i have been in there) has always been full and lively. The staff are friendly and the food is very nice if not just a little on the expensive side. Although in the end you get what you pay for so you can be sure of getting a nice meal for a fair price.

Green Cottage - yummy by Barney752

Barney752 — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:24:08 +0000

Review by Barney752

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7722 7892

Tags: takeaway, vegetarian dishes, chinese

Let me start by saying that i am a fan of all things chinese, especially the food. This makes me a rather biased review, if the food is bad i am likely to say its terrible, and if is good ill say it was great. Green cottage is great :) really good food in a quasi authentic atmosphere. You can tell it is good the second you step throught the door into the sparsely decorated restaurant, because there are many chinese people there, and im not talking about the staff. The food is very nice, not too MSGy, i personlly love their smoked chicken and crabmeat and sweetcorn soup. Chinese tea is on the house. All in all i hearily reccomend it.Let me start by saying that i am a fan of all things chinese, especially the food. This makes me a rather biased review, if the food is bad i am likely to say its terrible, and if is good ill say it was great. Green cottage is great :) really good food in a quasi authentic atmosphere. You can tell it is good the second you step throught the door into the sparsely decorated restaurant, because there are many chinese people there, and im not talking about the staff. The food is very nice, not too MSGy, i personlly love their smoked chicken and crabmeat and sweetcorn soup. Chinese tea is on the house. All in all i hearily reccomend it.

Weng Wah House - weng wah by cooliz

cooliz — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:38:59 +0000

Review by cooliz

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7431 4502

Tags: chinese, lively, expensive

Weng wah on haverstockhill is a lovely place to have an chinese lunch. It is only a 2 minute walk from belsize park tube and if you want to have lunch out it's the perfect place to go. The waiters are friendly and there are fish in tanks next to you. The food is good with all the authentic chinese food. You can rent out the floor upstairs for parties and they have a karioke for a karioke party. The atmosphere is lively and bubbly. The food is good and it is nice but sometimes the service is slow on some days i've been the food hasn't been as good as it's ususal.Weng wah on haverstockhill is a lovely place to have an chinese lunch. It is only a 2 minute walk from belsize park tube and if you want to have lunch out it's the perfect place to go. The waiters are friendly and there are fish in tanks next to you. The food is good with all the authentic chinese food. You can rent out the floor upstairs for parties and they have a karioke for a karioke party. The atmosphere is lively and bubbly. The food is good and it is nice but sometimes the service is slow on some days i've been the food hasn't been as good as it's ususal.

Gaucho Hamsptead - Grouchy Grill by chrisp

chrisp — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:39:25 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7431 8222

Website: http://www.gauchosgrill.com

Tags: expensive, argentinian, american

I've said before that if you want a decent steak in London, the choices are pretty minimal. Some of the top hotels do a good, if often eye-wateringly expensive, steak frites and of course there is Hawksmoor which is by far and away your best option for the thickest and juiciest cuts of beef. I should hold my hands up at this point and say I've long held a deep prejudice against Gaucho Grills, partly thanks to word of mouth from fellow diners but mainly because the kind of activities I see inside the goldfish bowl that is the Broadgate Arena branch could be used to support a PhD thesis on the evils of capitalism. But a Saturday-evening trip to the Hampstead branch gave me the opportunity to largely validate my prejudices, thanks to an overpriced, shoddy and often downright bizarre meal.

First of all, the service. I would suggest to any restaurant that if you make a big deal out of the fact you would like the table back within an hour and a half, it should be incumbent upon you to attempt to serve the food pretty speedily. But the half hour we waited between ordering and the main courses arriving suggested that perhaps they weren't that keen to get the table back after all. Also, I ordered a glass of house red from one waitress, while a friend was told they "didn't do house wines" by another. After I pointed out that I had, in fact, just successfully ordered a house red from a different member of staff, she scurried off and we both got our drinks.

Second, the food. I tried lamb cutlets which were pointlessly breaded and deep-fried and tasted revolting - dripping with grease. They were also served without any kind of sauce to balance the fat so getting through them was a long, miserable slog. A house specialty martini with basil and grapefruit was only OK (quite warm), and the steaks served to my fellow diners ranged from tough and stringy to not bad. Desserts were hardly better, my two tiny pancakes being drowned under mounds of cheap half-melted vanilla ice-cream. Sides were expensive and boring, while those ordering steaks were forced to pay Â£1.50 per miniscule serving of peppercorn or bernaise sauces. A total ripoff.

We thanked our lucky stars we were seated in the quieter tented section towards the back, as the noise in the main restaurant area was unbelievable, and the lighting bafflingly low. We felt our way through the cacophony back onto the wet Hampstead streets and wandered off to find a pub to drown our sorrows. It wasn't even cheap - Â£50 a head on average and not even close to being worth it. London does need more good steak restaurants - you can't expect people to either pay a fortune or travel to Shoreditch whenever they fancy a decent bit of meat. But I'm afraid I can't recommend Gaucho any more than I could the Angus Steakhouse in Leicester Square. And clearly, that's no recommendation.I've said before that if you want a decent steak in London, the choices are pretty minimal. Some of the top hotels do a good, if often eye-wateringly expensive, steak frites and of course there is Hawksmoor which is by far and away your best option for the thickest and juiciest cuts of beef. I should hold my hands up at this point and say I've long held a deep prejudice against Gaucho Grills, partly thanks to word of mouth from fellow diners but mainly because the kind of activities I see inside the goldfish bowl that is the Broadgate Arena branch could be used to support a PhD thesis on the evils of capitalism. But a Saturday-evening trip to the Hampstead branch gave me the opportunity to largely validate my prejudices, thanks to an overpriced, shoddy and often downright bizarre meal.

First of all, the service. I would suggest to any restaurant that if you make a big deal out of the fact you would like the table back within an hour and a half, it should be incumbent upon you to attempt to serve the food pretty speedily. But the half hour we waited between ordering and the main courses arriving suggested that perhaps they weren't that keen to get the table back after all. Also, I ordered a glass of house red from one waitress, while a friend was told they "didn't do house wines" by another. After I pointed out that I had, in fact, just successfully ordered a house red from a different member of staff, she scurried off and we both got our drinks.

Second, the food. I tried lamb cutlets which were pointlessly breaded and deep-fried and tasted revolting - dripping with grease. They were also served without any kind of sauce to balance the fat so getting through them was a long, miserable slog. A house specialty martini with basil and grapefruit was only OK (quite warm), and the steaks served to my fellow diners ranged from tough and stringy to not bad. Desserts were hardly better, my two tiny pancakes being drowned under mounds of cheap half-melted vanilla ice-cream. Sides were expensive and boring, while those ordering steaks were forced to pay Â£1.50 per miniscule serving of peppercorn or bernaise sauces. A total ripoff.

We thanked our lucky stars we were seated in the quieter tented section towards the back, as the noise in the main restaurant area was unbelievable, and the lighting bafflingly low. We felt our way through the cacophony back onto the wet Hampstead streets and wandered off to find a pub to drown our sorrows. It wasn't even cheap - Â£50 a head on average and not even close to being worth it. London does need more good steak restaurants - you can't expect people to either pay a fortune or travel to Shoreditch whenever they fancy a decent bit of meat. But I'm afraid I can't recommend Gaucho any more than I could the Angus Steakhouse in Leicester Square. And clearly, that's no recommendation.

Curry Paradise - Good Indian food by hibiscus

hibiscus — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:08:06 +0000

Review by hibiscus

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7794 9352

Tags: indian, vegetarian dishes

Been going there for years. Never disappointed. Good food. Friendly service. Our favourite Indian restaurant in North London.Been going there for years. Never disappointed. Good food. Friendly service. Our favourite Indian restaurant in North London.

Goldfish - Relaxed by de_uk

de_uk — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:37:00 +0000

Review by de_uk

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7794 6238

Tags: chinese, takeaway

The first time I ate here, I had mocca chocolate ribs - I didn't think they worked at all. But ordering more standard fare seemed to be much more satisfying.

Look out for the strange shredded wheat pudding!The first time I ate here, I had mocca chocolate ribs - I didn't think they worked at all. But ordering more standard fare seemed to be much more satisfying.

Look out for the strange shredded wheat pudding!

The Hill - Love this place by freestanding

freestanding — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 07:15:16 +0000

Review by freestanding

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7267 0033

Tags: food

Years ago it was just a downtrodden boozer situated on the cusp of a hill in NW3. Now its a fully fledged gastro pub with an upmarket twang. Beer prices are ok Â£3.30 pint, its the food thats the killer. Lovely grub dont get me wrong. but Â£13 quid for bangers and mash is excessive by anyones standards. In saying this the outside area is handy in the summer and i just love the layout of the place, its funky but not flashy. The staff are decent enough also.All in all a lovely place for a night out..Years ago it was just a downtrodden boozer situated on the cusp of a hill in NW3. Now its a fully fledged gastro pub with an upmarket twang. Beer prices are ok Â£3.30 pint, its the food thats the killer. Lovely grub dont get me wrong. but Â£13 quid for bangers and mash is excessive by anyones standards. In saying this the outside area is handy in the summer and i just love the layout of the place, its funky but not flashy. The staff are decent enough also.All in all a lovely place for a night out..

Al Casbah - Ethnic, Amusing and Different by Angella

Angella — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:05:27 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7435 7632

Tags: live music, north african, terrace

A casbah is the old quarter of a city and the owner likes old things. This place might get sold soon. If so you'll see a spring clean and some changes. Meanwhile it's an unhurried place by day when you can come in for coffee, snacks and heavy light lunches. Tables are reserved for diners on the busier evenings.

Food
Large menu of meats and potatoes, casseroles and breads. Couscous. Chicken. Vegetarian options include Tabouli, a Lebanese dish of cracked wheat, tomatoes, onion and herbs.

Best most memorable were the aromatic and flavoursome desserts, such as those made with rose water. Also what the Brits call 'Turkish delight'. I think there was once a singing TV advertisement using those words.

Drink
Herbal teas and coffees.

Crockery
Constantly importing cockery and metalware. Often no two pieces on the table alike. Moroccan items with conical lids.
Not for those who insist on matching sets. I like every button on my blouse to be different, so restaurants with dozens of different pieces amuse me for hours.

Service
When the owner is around he's an outspoken, chatty, extravert who can tell you the story behind every food or item in the restaurant. (And he seems to know the passers-by.)

Decor
Funky, all sorts of things to look at, hangings, brasswork.

Seating
Tiny tables for two, bigger tables or couches.

Souvenirs
Often something interesting to buy beside the till. A cookery book, t-shirt, crockery, ethnic clothing or knick-knacks.

Tidy & Clean?
While a member of staff was busy at the back wiping a mirror or something, I was fretting at the front timing whether the tap water would arrive within four minutes and fifty-nine seconds. I squinted to see whether coffee cup jug handles were exactly at three o'clock. I spent some time lamenting the good old days when I had never seen a cup handle not placed just so. Whilst admiring the amusing lids whose handles others had touched, I used my water and a paper tissue to do my own super-clean.

If you are like me and think hospital white is obligatory, and believe cleanliness is next to Godliness, and you feel faint at the mere idea of a a wobbling table, a cracked piece of tile on the floor, a picture or hanging which is not quite straight, a chip on crockery, having to swap a piece of culery, or don't like a piece of wood that's splitting, or a piece of wrought iron which might gather dust ... , go somewhere else. The manager will be glad you did.

But if you are like my easy-going host, the sort who thinks other people are too fussy, and you shrug and say, 'You'll eat a heap of dirt before you die,' then shrug and be glad the service is slow at off-peak hours and lie back on the couch and enjoy it.

Main attractions
Funky decor. Intriguing spiral staircase down to basement toilets and extra seating area.

One of the main attractions is the ability to hire a hookah, also called a shashi, to smoke tobacco through water outside in the famous Flask Walk pedestrian alley. (Smoking indoors is illegal.)

Occasionally somebody stands outside offering a free taste of coffee to passers-by. A nice touch.

Rating
Go there not so much for food as for atmosphere.

Location
Easy to find. Steps away from Hampstead station. On the corner of Hampstead High Street and Flask Walk.

Wonderful in summer when you can sit surveying the colourful characters of Hampstead parading past. Bohemian area, lots of rich young trendies as well as grey-haired intellectuals. All living in expensive crumbling mansions and down towards Belsize Park art deco flats. You won't be worrying about them watching you eat. You'll be too busy watching them.
Update 2008. Under new owner. A casbah is the old quarter of a city and the owner likes old things. This place might get sold soon. If so you'll see a spring clean and some changes. Meanwhile it's an unhurried place by day when you can come in for coffee, snacks and heavy light lunches. Tables are reserved for diners on the busier evenings.

Food
Large menu of meats and potatoes, casseroles and breads. Couscous. Chicken. Vegetarian options include Tabouli, a Lebanese dish of cracked wheat, tomatoes, onion and herbs.

Best most memorable were the aromatic and flavoursome desserts, such as those made with rose water. Also what the Brits call 'Turkish delight'. I think there was once a singing TV advertisement using those words.

Drink
Herbal teas and coffees.

Crockery
Constantly importing cockery and metalware. Often no two pieces on the table alike. Moroccan items with conical lids.
Not for those who insist on matching sets. I like every button on my blouse to be different, so restaurants with dozens of different pieces amuse me for hours.

Service
When the owner is around he's an outspoken, chatty, extravert who can tell you the story behind every food or item in the restaurant. (And he seems to know the passers-by.)

Decor
Funky, all sorts of things to look at, hangings, brasswork.

Seating
Tiny tables for two, bigger tables or couches.

Souvenirs
Often something interesting to buy beside the till. A cookery book, t-shirt, crockery, ethnic clothing or knick-knacks.

Tidy & Clean?
While a member of staff was busy at the back wiping a mirror or something, I was fretting at the front timing whether the tap water would arrive within four minutes and fifty-nine seconds. I squinted to see whether coffee cup jug handles were exactly at three o'clock. I spent some time lamenting the good old days when I had never seen a cup handle not placed just so. Whilst admiring the amusing lids whose handles others had touched, I used my water and a paper tissue to do my own super-clean.

If you are like me and think hospital white is obligatory, and believe cleanliness is next to Godliness, and you feel faint at the mere idea of a a wobbling table, a cracked piece of tile on the floor, a picture or hanging which is not quite straight, a chip on crockery, having to swap a piece of culery, or don't like a piece of wood that's splitting, or a piece of wrought iron which might gather dust ... , go somewhere else. The manager will be glad you did.

But if you are like my easy-going host, the sort who thinks other people are too fussy, and you shrug and say, 'You'll eat a heap of dirt before you die,' then shrug and be glad the service is slow at off-peak hours and lie back on the couch and enjoy it.

Main attractions
Funky decor. Intriguing spiral staircase down to basement toilets and extra seating area.

One of the main attractions is the ability to hire a hookah, also called a shashi, to smoke tobacco through water outside in the famous Flask Walk pedestrian alley. (Smoking indoors is illegal.)

Occasionally somebody stands outside offering a free taste of coffee to passers-by. A nice touch.

Rating
Go there not so much for food as for atmosphere.

Location
Easy to find. Steps away from Hampstead station. On the corner of Hampstead High Street and Flask Walk.

Wonderful in summer when you can sit surveying the colourful characters of Hampstead parading past. Bohemian area, lots of rich young trendies as well as grey-haired intellectuals. All living in expensive crumbling mansions and down towards Belsize Park art deco flats. You won't be worrying about them watching you eat. You'll be too busy watching them.
Update 2008. Under new owner.

ASK - Relax and cosy by MaryamF

MaryamF — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:52:28 +0000

Review by MaryamF

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7433 3896

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

Tags: italian, bar, family & home feel

ASK chain Italian Restaurant is quite a nice place to go with friends and family to spend a quiet and relax evening.... The one in Belsize park is quite nice and cosy, but the service wasn't what we expected.... The food wasn't bad, but not so tasty comparing to other Italian chain restaurants in London. Pasta was over cooked and smashed! Bruschetta had big chunks of tasteless tomatoes which wasn't very professional.ASK chain Italian Restaurant is quite a nice place to go with friends and family to spend a quiet and relax evening.... The one in Belsize park is quite nice and cosy, but the service wasn't what we expected.... The food wasn't bad, but not so tasty comparing to other Italian chain restaurants in London. Pasta was over cooked and smashed! Bruschetta had big chunks of tasteless tomatoes which wasn't very professional.

Nando's Chickenland - Experi-perience! by MaryamF

MaryamF — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:43:14 +0000

Review by MaryamF

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7435 4644

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

Tags: portuguese, family & home feel, air conditioning

As a chicken lover, i can highly recommend Nando's Restaurant for their great chicken and friendly atmosphere. Nando's has got so many branches in UK, but the O2 Centre branch has got the essence of Peri Peri experience! As a chicken lover, i can highly recommend Nando's Restaurant for their great chicken and friendly atmosphere. Nando's has got so many branches in UK, but the O2 Centre branch has got the essence of Peri Peri experience!

Cafe Rouge - Cafe Rouge by shunter

shunter — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 09:49:52 +0000

Review by shunter

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7435 4240

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

Tags: french, lively, bar

The food here is of high quality, a bit expensive, but well worth it. They have a large choice on the menu and a daily specials menu.The food here is of high quality, a bit expensive, but well worth it. They have a large choice on the menu and a daily specials menu.

Tobia - Fun evening by lenalouise

lenalouise — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:14:39 +0000

Review by lenalouise

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 0207 431 4213

Website: www.tobiarestaurant.co.uk

Tags: lively, smoking, friendly

I went to this place when it was the Ethiopian New Year or some similar sort of celebration so there was a private party downstairs, all the waitresses were wearing traditional dress and there were two dancers performing throughout the evening.

It made it a very special night since we also hadn't had ethiopian food before and didn't know it could be so delicious! The home brewed honey mead, Abyssinian Tej should definitely be sampled if you are into beer. It's very good value for money here. I went to this place when it was the Ethiopian New Year or some similar sort of celebration so there was a private party downstairs, all the waitresses were wearing traditional dress and there were two dancers performing throughout the evening.

It made it a very special night since we also hadn't had ethiopian food before and didn't know it could be so delicious! The home brewed honey mead, Abyssinian Tej should definitely be sampled if you are into beer. It's very good value for money here.

Taro - Sushi & Table Barbeque by walid

walid — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:13:18 +0000

Review by walid

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7794 0190

Tags: japanese, takeaway, sushi

Last Friday I went out with a few friends to try out Taro on Finchley Road. I had been curious to try this place out as I had lived in Finchley Road a few years ago but never tried out Taro.

The place itself is alright, clean and airy. The food selection is what you'd expect of a typical Japanese restaurant with prizes all reasonable. For starters I had salmon sushi which had the right balance between the salmon and the rice which was nice. For main dish I had thick noodles with vegetables and chicken which was tasty however I did find the noodles a bit too soggy for my taste.

The staff where friendly and efficient. I would recommend this place if you're in the area but I probably wouldn't make a grand detour to go there though.Last Friday I went out with a few friends to try out Taro on Finchley Road. I had been curious to try this place out as I had lived in Finchley Road a few years ago but never tried out Taro.

The place itself is alright, clean and airy. The food selection is what you'd expect of a typical Japanese restaurant with prizes all reasonable. For starters I had salmon sushi which had the right balance between the salmon and the rice which was nice. For main dish I had thick noodles with vegetables and chicken which was tasty however I did find the noodles a bit too soggy for my taste.

The staff where friendly and efficient. I would recommend this place if you're in the area but I probably wouldn't make a grand detour to go there though.

XO - Hit me XO anytime! by girlswear

girlswear — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 01:11:48 +0000

Review by girlswear

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7433 0888

Website: http://www.rickerrestaurants.com

Tags: posh, romantic, cozy

XO is Will Ricker's fifth baby along with "Eight over Eight", "Cicada" and "The Great Eastern". Along the other restaurants, this also has the same pan-Asian theme.

We started our evening with a couple of Lychee martini's at the bar whilst we wait for our table. We went the third week since opening (back in February), unfortunately there was no Ewan McGregor, Paul McCartney nor Chris Martin the day we went.

The decor was contemporary, white ceiling, yellow accent walls with mirrors and mahogany wood trimmings and furniture. Ambience was excellent.

We had almost ordered everything from the menu:
" edamame, chilli soy & mirin
(3 - okay)
" chive & sesame silken tofu
(3 - nice)
" mushroom & spinach dumplings
(3 - nice)
" prawn & chive dumplings
(3.5 - i like this one better)
" chili salt squid
(5 - LOVE IT!!)
" crispy scallop & xo dumpling
(5 - LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Vermicelli wrapped scallop and then deep fried, top with XO sauce and served on the shell)
" tuna tartare futo maki rolls
(4.5 - this was very nice)
" sashimi platter
(4 - good)
" Red curry with augergine, asparagus & lychee
(5 - Love the lychee touch!)
" Black cod with sweet miso
(3 - I can make better)
" green beans with xo sauce
(4 - this was nice)
" chocolate pudding
(5 - This is more like a molten chocolate cake, excellent)
" iced berries with melted whilte chocolate
(5.5 - Best dessert ever!)

It was a shame that they've sold out the peking duck foire gras dumpling! I must go back and try that again.

Recently, they've started "XO TO GO", great for the impress your date dinner date if you don't really cook... XO is Will Ricker's fifth baby along with "Eight over Eight", "Cicada" and "The Great Eastern". Along the other restaurants, this also has the same pan-Asian theme.

We started our evening with a couple of Lychee martini's at the bar whilst we wait for our table. We went the third week since opening (back in February), unfortunately there was no Ewan McGregor, Paul McCartney nor Chris Martin the day we went.

The decor was contemporary, white ceiling, yellow accent walls with mirrors and mahogany wood trimmings and furniture. Ambience was excellent.

We had almost ordered everything from the menu:
" edamame, chilli soy & mirin
(3 - okay)
" chive & sesame silken tofu
(3 - nice)
" mushroom & spinach dumplings
(3 - nice)
" prawn & chive dumplings
(3.5 - i like this one better)
" chili salt squid
(5 - LOVE IT!!)
" crispy scallop & xo dumpling
(5 - LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Vermicelli wrapped scallop and then deep fried, top with XO sauce and served on the shell)
" tuna tartare futo maki rolls
(4.5 - this was very nice)
" sashimi platter
(4 - good)
" Red curry with augergine, asparagus & lychee
(5 - Love the lychee touch!)
" Black cod with sweet miso
(3 - I can make better)
" green beans with xo sauce
(4 - this was nice)
" chocolate pudding
(5 - This is more like a molten chocolate cake, excellent)
" iced berries with melted whilte chocolate
(5.5 - Best dessert ever!)

It was a shame that they've sold out the peking duck foire gras dumpling! I must go back and try that again.

Recently, they've started "XO TO GO", great for the impress your date dinner date if you don't really cook...

Hellenic - Authentic Greek cuisine by Rocio

Rocio — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 20:15:03 +0000

Review by Rocio

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7431 1001

Tags: greek, live music, good value

Hellenic family run restaurant, serving really good Greek food and wines. Everything in the menu is delicious!Hellenic family run restaurant, serving really good Greek food and wines. Everything in the menu is delicious!