Latest reviews for Food & Drink in Holland Park, London, United Kingdom

C. Lidgate - Top quality meat! by jackpot4544

jackpot4544 — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:18:16 +0000

Review by jackpot4544

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7727 8243

Tags: delicatessen, rare finds, friendly staff

This is the first time i have reviewed a butchers, so bear with me! The shop itself is spotlessly clean which really sells it to me. (Decor is also fab!) There is an enormous choice of different meats available. However if you are used to buying your meat from Sainsburys or somewhere like that, you will notice a huge difference in the quality. The beef has clearly been well hung and is my favourite. The steaks just melt in your mouth, even after my poor cooking skills have been let loose on them! The quality of meat here just can't be describer adequately! However be warned - quality meat equals higher price, but you really do get what you pay for!This is the first time i have reviewed a butchers, so bear with me! The shop itself is spotlessly clean which really sells it to me. (Decor is also fab!) There is an enormous choice of different meats available. However if you are used to buying your meat from Sainsburys or somewhere like that, you will notice a huge difference in the quality. The beef has clearly been well hung and is my favourite. The steaks just melt in your mouth, even after my poor cooking skills have been let loose on them! The quality of meat here just can't be describer adequately! However be warned - quality meat equals higher price, but you really do get what you pay for!

Hotel Chocolat - expensive but good by marie_sk

marie_sk — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:02:09 +0000

Review by marie_sk

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 0870 442 8282

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

Tags: delicatessen

Hotel Chocolat makes high quality chocolate. The shops are very open and modern. Sometimes they give you chocolates to try when you go in.
The chocolates are very expensive but they are of the finest quality. A box of 30 chocolates will cost about Â£18.
They sell chocolate for every occasion. They have a wide range of products, including chocolate enrobed fruit, truffles, turkish delight, low sugar chocolates and big chocolate slabs. The chocolate slabs come in many tempting flavours like caramellow and rocky road. Most of the chocolate is very dark and I wouldn't recommend the 100% cocoa bar (its very bitter).
I have signed up to their newsletter and they regularly send me their new product detailsHotel Chocolat makes high quality chocolate. The shops are very open and modern. Sometimes they give you chocolates to try when you go in.
The chocolates are very expensive but they are of the finest quality. A box of 30 chocolates will cost about Â£18.
They sell chocolate for every occasion. They have a wide range of products, including chocolate enrobed fruit, truffles, turkish delight, low sugar chocolates and big chocolate slabs. The chocolate slabs come in many tempting flavours like caramellow and rocky road. Most of the chocolate is very dark and I wouldn't recommend the 100% cocoa bar (its very bitter).
I have signed up to their newsletter and they regularly send me their new product details

The Hummingbird Bakery - I will be back by spokane12

spokane12 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:42:03 +0000

Review by spokane12

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7229 6446

Website: http://www.hummingbirdbakery.com

Tags: cupcake, american, bakery

This place is yummy. If you take kids - they will absolutely go crazy for the variety. They are rich but not overly sweet. I think they are the right size - you want to enjoy and not gorge on these delights. Take your time when choosing. It is hard because this place always seems really, really busy. It is worth taking your time as you really can't eat two. Or take a friend and share two between you - or take four friends and share four. Even better. I remember they had a red velvet cupcake I think that was very good. This place really inspires you to check through your cookbooks for your old cupcake recipies and give it a go - can't be that hard (and will be a lot cheaper).This place is yummy. If you take kids - they will absolutely go crazy for the variety. They are rich but not overly sweet. I think they are the right size - you want to enjoy and not gorge on these delights. Take your time when choosing. It is hard because this place always seems really, really busy. It is worth taking your time as you really can't eat two. Or take a friend and share two between you - or take four friends and share four. Even better. I remember they had a red velvet cupcake I think that was very good. This place really inspires you to check through your cookbooks for your old cupcake recipies and give it a go - can't be that hard (and will be a lot cheaper).

Tom's Delicatessen - Expensive yummy mummy hangout by Lacrimosa

Lacrimosa — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:24:26 +0000

Review by Lacrimosa

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7221 8818

Tags: cosy, trendy, cool

I used to regularly work around the corner from Tom's, and more lately had lunch with friends there on a Wednesday in April 2008. It has a bunch of takeaway items at the front, such as filled rolls, pastries, coffee, and posh Tyrrells crisps. As might be expected in Notting Hill, these are all well above average in price and, personally, I was never wowed with the sandwich selection, as they always seemed a little dry - not 'dry' as in 'stale', just not a very moist choice of fillings, and an over-realiance on that most evil of dry salad leaves... rocket. Uuuuurgh, rocket! I much preferred to fetch my lunch from Fresh & Wild nearby, which now seems to have disappeared unfortunately.

In April we ate in at one of the tiny tables at the back (see photo), surrounded by yummy mummies and displays of vintage packaging promoting the Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising around the corner in Colville Mews. I ordered quiche with salad and a freshly squeezed orange juice. As someone with hollow legs, you can imagine my disappointment when a tiny slice of warm quiche with a wisp of salad garnish was placed in front of me - tasty but simply not good enough for circa. Â£8, even in Notting Hill. Granted, I had been informed that it was the last slice, which may have accounted for its extreme smallness, but if that was the case they could have at least padded it out with more salad, surely?

I went away still hungry, although my friends declared themselves happy with their choices - one of which was a three egg omelette, as I recall, and I think the others had moussaka.I used to regularly work around the corner from Tom's, and more lately had lunch with friends there on a Wednesday in April 2008. It has a bunch of takeaway items at the front, such as filled rolls, pastries, coffee, and posh Tyrrells crisps. As might be expected in Notting Hill, these are all well above average in price and, personally, I was never wowed with the sandwich selection, as they always seemed a little dry - not 'dry' as in 'stale', just not a very moist choice of fillings, and an over-realiance on that most evil of dry salad leaves... rocket. Uuuuurgh, rocket! I much preferred to fetch my lunch from Fresh & Wild nearby, which now seems to have disappeared unfortunately.

In April we ate in at one of the tiny tables at the back (see photo), surrounded by yummy mummies and displays of vintage packaging promoting the Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising around the corner in Colville Mews. I ordered quiche with salad and a freshly squeezed orange juice. As someone with hollow legs, you can imagine my disappointment when a tiny slice of warm quiche with a wisp of salad garnish was placed in front of me - tasty but simply not good enough for circa. Â£8, even in Notting Hill. Granted, I had been informed that it was the last slice, which may have accounted for its extreme smallness, but if that was the case they could have at least padded it out with more salad, surely?

I went away still hungry, although my friends declared themselves happy with their choices - one of which was a three egg omelette, as I recall, and I think the others had moussaka.

The Spice Shop - Shop assistant with "issues" by QueenBee

QueenBee — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:52:10 +0000

Review by QueenBee

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7221 4448

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

Very rude and unhelpful shop assitant, who appears to have an issue with people of colour. Stock layout confusing, and no product advice given. Poor quality packaging, oh and did I mention the very rude shop assistant, who greeted me the most evil look as I stepped into the store - best avoid.

Given one star as this website would not allow me to publish without a rating.
Very rude and unhelpful shop assitant, who appears to have an issue with people of colour. Stock layout confusing, and no product advice given. Poor quality packaging, oh and did I mention the very rude shop assistant, who greeted me the most evil look as I stepped into the store - best avoid.

Given one star as this website would not allow me to publish without a rating.

Gail's - Bread, Cakes and Coffee by sue

sue — Sun, 18 May 2008 12:58:52 +0000

Review by sue

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7460 0766

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

Tags: cakes, bread, quick bite

After a visit to the very interesting Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising, a coffee was in order and the first place we came across was the inviting looking Gail's on Portobello Road.

Gail's is a bakery and cafÃ© which has a mouth-watering array of tasty looking goodies, along with a variety of fresh baked breads including the biggest loaf of sourdough I have ever seen!

The four of us took a while to decide what we wanted to eat with our coffee - everything looked great. In the end we opted for a healthy-ish muffin, a cute little pecan tart, a ricotta babka, and a mini maple cake. All were very good, apart from the maple cake which tasted like it had been sitting around for a couple of days. Plotting a return visit though for some of that sourdough.After a visit to the very interesting Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising, a coffee was in order and the first place we came across was the inviting looking Gail's on Portobello Road.

Gail's is a bakery and cafÃ© which has a mouth-watering array of tasty looking goodies, along with a variety of fresh baked breads including the biggest loaf of sourdough I have ever seen!

The four of us took a while to decide what we wanted to eat with our coffee - everything looked great. In the end we opted for a healthy-ish muffin, a cute little pecan tart, a ricotta babka, and a mini maple cake. All were very good, apart from the maple cake which tasted like it had been sitting around for a couple of days. Plotting a return visit though for some of that sourdough.

Melt - Willy Wonka Lookout! by belinda

belinda — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:59:27 +0000

Review by belinda

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7727 5030

Website: http://www.meltchocolates.com

Tags: expensive, special, chocolate

Unusual and yummy chocolates ( in this chocolate shop, they are not a cafe but they do have hot chocolate.

Its a "select your own" set-up but don't go crazy as these chocolates are very expensive. My husband went a tad crazy when we first went there and we ended up with a box of chocolates for Â£30 (thats after I made him put some back!). Luckily these chocolates are so divine that you only need a couple to overdose.

They do these chocolate hearts where you can put a gift inside and they seal it up, very cute!

They used to have the most amazing chocolate fudge cake but it was made by some woman not by Melt and she stopped making it, get it back! it was divine.

They package the chocolate very nice so it always makes a great gift and you can sometime see the chocolates being made as the shop/kitchen is open.Unusual and yummy chocolates ( in this chocolate shop, they are not a cafe but they do have hot chocolate.

Its a "select your own" set-up but don't go crazy as these chocolates are very expensive. My husband went a tad crazy when we first went there and we ended up with a box of chocolates for Â£30 (thats after I made him put some back!). Luckily these chocolates are so divine that you only need a couple to overdose.

They do these chocolate hearts where you can put a gift inside and they seal it up, very cute!

They used to have the most amazing chocolate fudge cake but it was made by some woman not by Melt and she stopped making it, get it back! it was divine.

They package the chocolate very nice so it always makes a great gift and you can sometime see the chocolates being made as the shop/kitchen is open.

Kingsland Butcher - by gilka

gilka — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:43:19 +0000

Review by gilka

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7727 6067

Tags: cheeses, organic produce

If you are in Portobello market and need meat, this is the place. The butchers have a very interesting characters. The senior looking butcher, looks like he has been doing this for all his life and has so much confident in the way he prepare the meat that you feel safe...
There is usually a queue so you canâ¬"t mess around- know what you want and be clear, otherwise you are going to get some nasty looks...If you are in Portobello market and need meat, this is the place. The butchers have a very interesting characters. The senior looking butcher, looks like he has been doing this for all his life and has so much confident in the way he prepare the meat that you feel safe...
There is usually a queue so you canâ¬"t mess around- know what you want and be clear, otherwise you are going to get some nasty looks...

Le Pain Quotidien - by Roya

Roya — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:42:23 +0000

Review by Roya

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7486 6154

Website: http://www.painquotidien.com

Tags: sandwiches, hot / cold drinks, hot food

A wonderful place to sit with the paper or a good book. The food is scrummy, the staff are friendly and they never hurry you. Perfect Sunday brunch hang-out.

Being where it is it can occasionally become populated with mums and pushchairs, but there's plenty of room, so it never feels oppressive.

Have the savoury muffins. Um-mummm..A wonderful place to sit with the paper or a good book. The food is scrummy, the staff are friendly and they never hurry you. Perfect Sunday brunch hang-out.

Being where it is it can occasionally become populated with mums and pushchairs, but there's plenty of room, so it never feels oppressive.

Have the savoury muffins. Um-mummm..