Latest reviews for Restaurants in Marylebone, London, United Kingdom

Comptoir Libanais - by neelmistry

neelmistry — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:20:13 +0000

Review by neelmistry

Rating: 5.00

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

Great food, really friendly staff and love the decor. I'm so glad they're opening one at the O2 on Finchley Road - close to where I live.Great food, really friendly staff and love the decor. I'm so glad they're opening one at the O2 on Finchley Road - close to where I live.

St Pancras Grand, St Pancras International Station - Go for the decor, not for the food by paolaenergya

paolaenergya — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:47:02 +0000

Review by paolaenergya

Rating: 3.00

Tags: romantic, expensive, brasserie

I went to the Grand last Friday for a business networking lunch. We had a set menu and I chose betroot salad and pigeon in a port sauce with celery and chestnuts.
The salad was miser and the pigeon was a dark colour on the outside and raw on the inside. A few differently chopped pieces of celery accompanied the pigeon and I think I counted 3 small chestnuts with it.
I would go back for the decor as I find it's a beautiful place but I would eat elsewhere.I went to the Grand last Friday for a business networking lunch. We had a set menu and I chose betroot salad and pigeon in a port sauce with celery and chestnuts.
The salad was miser and the pigeon was a dark colour on the outside and raw on the inside. A few differently chopped pieces of celery accompanied the pigeon and I think I counted 3 small chestnuts with it.
I would go back for the decor as I find it's a beautiful place but I would eat elsewhere.

Fairuz - Fairuz by tomtom123

tomtom123 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:28:11 +0000

Review by tomtom123

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7486 8108

Tags: lebanese, vegetarian dishes, toptable

Fairuz is one of my favourite restaurants in London. If you like big, flash, minimalist, slick dining palaces then this isn't for you. It's a cosy, unpretentious, friendly, perennially busy neighbourhood place â¬ though it's nowhere near my own neighbourhood. It's not for seeing and being seen, it's for relaxing over a really good meal.Fairuz is one of my favourite restaurants in London. If you like big, flash, minimalist, slick dining palaces then this isn't for you. It's a cosy, unpretentious, friendly, perennially busy neighbourhood place â¬ though it's nowhere near my own neighbourhood. It's not for seeing and being seen, it's for relaxing over a really good meal.

Carluccio's - Perfect pasta by lenalouise

lenalouise — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:28:45 +0000

Review by lenalouise

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7935 5927

Website: http://www.carluccios.com

Tags: italian, good value, lively

Myself and Keith were wandering around Oxford Street late at night and we hadn't eaten dinner. Carluccios was the only place around that was still serving. I've avoided it in the past as the food in chain restaurants is usually a let-down. We just had a plate of pasta each and both were fantastic. The pasta was cooked perfectly and there was so much flavour packed onto each plate.

Keith had the penne giardiniera which is penne pasta with chilli, courgette and spinach balls. The balls were wonderfully cheesy and a refreshing change from the usual pasta accompaniments. I had a classic spaghetti vongole and I had no complaints (well maybe just that keith's dish was nicer than mine!). There were plenty of clams and the pasta was well seasoned. I haven't been back again so I don't know whether the other food is any good but the pasta can't be faulted. Great meal.Myself and Keith were wandering around Oxford Street late at night and we hadn't eaten dinner. Carluccios was the only place around that was still serving. I've avoided it in the past as the food in chain restaurants is usually a let-down. We just had a plate of pasta each and both were fantastic. The pasta was cooked perfectly and there was so much flavour packed onto each plate.

Keith had the penne giardiniera which is penne pasta with chilli, courgette and spinach balls. The balls were wonderfully cheesy and a refreshing change from the usual pasta accompaniments. I had a classic spaghetti vongole and I had no complaints (well maybe just that keith's dish was nicer than mine!). There were plenty of clams and the pasta was well seasoned. I haven't been back again so I don't know whether the other food is any good but the pasta can't be faulted. Great meal.

Spaghetti House - Proper Italian cooking in London by adiguy60

adiguy60 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:46:02 +0000

Review by adiguy60

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7724 9615

Website: http://www.spaghetti-house.co.uk

Tags: italian, lively, romantic

Could not recommend the place more highly, really friendly (and italian!) staff, great food in generous helpings and all very reasonably priced. Loved it!Could not recommend the place more highly, really friendly (and italian!) staff, great food in generous helpings and all very reasonably priced. Loved it!

Il Baretto - Italian Restaurant - Thumbs up by sarahb911

sarahb911 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:00:55 +0000

Review by sarahb911

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7486 7340

Website: http://www.giustorestaurant.com/

Tags: italian, family & home feel, lively

This places seems to have changed hands a few times, but this time it should last - excellent classic italian food. Prices, but would recommend for a nice night out.This places seems to have changed hands a few times, but this time it should last - excellent classic italian food. Prices, but would recommend for a nice night out.

Minqala - Prejudiced and rude by zanzibar

zanzibar — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:05:20 +0000

Review by zanzibar

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7724 5131

Tags: middle eastern, good value, family & home feel

A friend and I went to Minqala restaurant on Thursday evening. When we arrived, there were a number of people eating in the restaurant and 3 or 4 empty tables. We were told by staff that there were no tables available for us. We went to the pub directly opposite where we were able to observe that no customers entered the restaurant or sat at the empty tables over the next half an hour or so. We feel that we were discriminated against and were not welcome in this restaurant.A friend and I went to Minqala restaurant on Thursday evening. When we arrived, there were a number of people eating in the restaurant and 3 or 4 empty tables. We were told by staff that there were no tables available for us. We went to the pub directly opposite where we were able to observe that no customers entered the restaurant or sat at the empty tables over the next half an hour or so. We feel that we were discriminated against and were not welcome in this restaurant.

Busaba Eathai - Firm Favourite by jimstreet

jimstreet — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:24:00 +0000

Review by jimstreet

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7518 8080

Tags: lively, thai, crowded

This is my favourite restaurant in London. I have been to the one on Wardour Street and it just isnt quite the same. Every dish is delicious and I have never had a bad meal here.This is my favourite restaurant in London. I have been to the one on Wardour Street and it just isnt quite the same. Every dish is delicious and I have never had a bad meal here.

The Providores - Taste Sensations by suem

suem — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:51:06 +0000

Review by suem

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7935 6175

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

Tags: lively, international, good value

We enjoyed dinner here on Saturday 20 June 2009. We started downstairs in the Tapa Room with a glass of fine NZ bubbly, then moved upstairs for dinner. I really liked the dining space - lovely and small and intimate, quite plainly decorated, but with a light, airy feel. Service throughout the evening was without fault. The food: we liked the idea of tasting plates and opted for three savoury and one sweet course each which, along with the bread offered, was ample to eat. My first course of ginger roast pumpkin was a rather tiny portion and lacked the flavour I was lead to expect from the description. I felt a bit short-changed! The other dishes we chose were the pork belly, lamb, duck and the foie gras with oxtail croquette. These were all delicious with the standout for me being the turnip cake which was served with the pork. An explosion of flavours. The foie gras and oxtail dish was also excellent. My husband's favourite dish was the lamb. He chose a Turkish inspired dessert of a pistachio and pastry confection which he thought very good. I chose the rhubarb bavarois with cinnamon doughnut. The bavarois was very nice, but the doughnut was awful. A fresh doughnut should be soft on the inside, a little crispy on the outside. My doughnut was tough and dry - whoever made that in a restaurant of this calibre should be shot! It should never have made it over the passe. The wine list is absolutely excellent and the choice of NZ wines extensive. Lovely. All in all, we had an enjoyable evening, but it is all rather pricey. Would we go back? I'm not sure, but we're glad we've tried it.We enjoyed dinner here on Saturday 20 June 2009. We started downstairs in the Tapa Room with a glass of fine NZ bubbly, then moved upstairs for dinner. I really liked the dining space - lovely and small and intimate, quite plainly decorated, but with a light, airy feel. Service throughout the evening was without fault. The food: we liked the idea of tasting plates and opted for three savoury and one sweet course each which, along with the bread offered, was ample to eat. My first course of ginger roast pumpkin was a rather tiny portion and lacked the flavour I was lead to expect from the description. I felt a bit short-changed! The other dishes we chose were the pork belly, lamb, duck and the foie gras with oxtail croquette. These were all delicious with the standout for me being the turnip cake which was served with the pork. An explosion of flavours. The foie gras and oxtail dish was also excellent. My husband's favourite dish was the lamb. He chose a Turkish inspired dessert of a pistachio and pastry confection which he thought very good. I chose the rhubarb bavarois with cinnamon doughnut. The bavarois was very nice, but the doughnut was awful. A fresh doughnut should be soft on the inside, a little crispy on the outside. My doughnut was tough and dry - whoever made that in a restaurant of this calibre should be shot! It should never have made it over the passe. The wine list is absolutely excellent and the choice of NZ wines extensive. Lovely. All in all, we had an enjoyable evening, but it is all rather pricey. Would we go back? I'm not sure, but we're glad we've tried it.

The Landau - Sunday Lunch at Landau by Gregorylives

Gregorylives — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:31:24 +0000

Review by Gregorylives

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7965 0165

Website: http://www.thelandau.com/

Tags: best breakfast, european, french

the Landau is at the Langham hotel where my wife's family and friends descended for our pre-Christmas lunch. Perhaps the pastel decor offended me but I didn't expect anything above a standard hotel meal. .... Wrong !

The "Oeuf Froit Albert" salmon, hen's yolk and artichoke was awesome. The Foie Gras parfait was equally excellent. With the biggest yorkshire puddings, I could not resist the roast beef which was just too polite. Perhaps I will learn that a gleaming dining room like this is not going to serve a rustic rib of beef. Nonetheless it was OK.

The deserts were back to the form of the starters. Excellent and all for Â£35. Just a shame we didn't control the wine choices.the Landau is at the Langham hotel where my wife's family and friends descended for our pre-Christmas lunch. Perhaps the pastel decor offended me but I didn't expect anything above a standard hotel meal. .... Wrong !

The "Oeuf Froit Albert" salmon, hen's yolk and artichoke was awesome. The Foie Gras parfait was equally excellent. With the biggest yorkshire puddings, I could not resist the roast beef which was just too polite. Perhaps I will learn that a gleaming dining room like this is not going to serve a rustic rib of beef. Nonetheless it was OK.

The deserts were back to the form of the starters. Excellent and all for Â£35. Just a shame we didn't control the wine choices.

Le Relais De Venise L'Entrecote - Going Downhill Fast by kitbits

kitbits — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:10:42 +0000

Review by kitbits

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7486 0878

Website: http://www.relaisdevenise.com

Tags: french, crowded, lively

Times are obviously hard at this franchise steak place.Went there for Sunday Lunch and was very dissappointed.Standards have dropped considerably since my last visit.
The first bizarre experience came when we asked for some butter with our bread. We were told in no uncertain terms that this was â¬Snot possibleâ¬ I expressed surprise that a restaurant didnâ¬"t have any butter in the kitchen and got a shrug from a waitress who didnâ¬"t seem to know the answer to this. I asked to see the manageress who explained that, yes there was butter on the premises, but it was only served with bread to those who had cheese after the meal. I asked her politely if she could maybe bend the rules for a valued customer and sneak some out to us. She told us in a very serious manner that these were instructions from Head Office in Paris and there was nothing she could do.
I realised then that the â¬SUK Jobsworth of the yearâ¬ award was in the bag, and here we were only a few days into May. We know that the standard French repost to consumer complaints is to shrug and say â¬Sâ¬¦I am only obeying ordersâ¬, but given that this lady was East European does say something about how well trained she was in the ways of corporate intransigence.
Our second problem was the wine. We ordered a half bottle of the house red (a Chateau de Lardiley Bordeaux). The waitress poured it out without letting either of us try it and scurried off. It wasnâ¬"t the best house plonk Iâ¬"d ever had, and on examining my glass I found out why. Swirls of purple sediment were gyrating madly round and round. A bad bottle ? No problem â¬ it can happen and isnâ¬"t the end of the world.
I called another waitress over and showed her my glass. She nodded knowingly. â¬SAh yes, we knowâ¬ she said. I asked her about her apparent clairvoyant powers, and she explained that the restaurant had had this problem with the half bottles of house red for over a month. â¬SI can replace your bottle for you, but it will probably be the sameâ¬ she said rather unhelpfully. I didnâ¬"t want a full bottle or half a white so was forced (as she didnâ¬"t offer to let us have half a whole bottle â¬ the sensible customer calming option) to try another.
It was the same as the first one. Clouds of sediment. A bitter taste.
I jokingly asked her if there was any blotting paper back in the kitchen alongside the butter, but she shrugged and poured a glugful of wine into an empty spare glass saying â¬SThat should take care of most of the bitsâ¬ and took it away with her.
Problem three was the main event. The meat. I know times are hard, but if the two halves of my steak weighed more than 5 ounces in total I would have been very surprised. Slicing a small (sorry, tiny) piece of meat very thinly, spreading it out in the pattern of a large fan and covering it in a mound of chips does not make it any larger. This is basic physics. Another law of physics is that re-cooking chips that are already perfectly cooked does not make them taste better. The chips that came with our second half meat were so overcooked that you could have used them as cocktail sticks. Useful for picking bits of nt out of oneâ¬"s teeth, though
Stick to Cafe Rouge for good value tasty steaks

I have written to the owner/md (Mr Dine).It will be interesting to see if he bothers to reply.If not, I'll be contacting Helene Godilot, in Paris who runs the whole shooting match.Times are obviously hard at this franchise steak place.Went there for Sunday Lunch and was very dissappointed.Standards have dropped considerably since my last visit.
The first bizarre experience came when we asked for some butter with our bread. We were told in no uncertain terms that this was â¬Snot possibleâ¬ I expressed surprise that a restaurant didnâ¬"t have any butter in the kitchen and got a shrug from a waitress who didnâ¬"t seem to know the answer to this. I asked to see the manageress who explained that, yes there was butter on the premises, but it was only served with bread to those who had cheese after the meal. I asked her politely if she could maybe bend the rules for a valued customer and sneak some out to us. She told us in a very serious manner that these were instructions from Head Office in Paris and there was nothing she could do.
I realised then that the â¬SUK Jobsworth of the yearâ¬ award was in the bag, and here we were only a few days into May. We know that the standard French repost to consumer complaints is to shrug and say â¬Sâ¬¦I am only obeying ordersâ¬, but given that this lady was East European does say something about how well trained she was in the ways of corporate intransigence.
Our second problem was the wine. We ordered a half bottle of the house red (a Chateau de Lardiley Bordeaux). The waitress poured it out without letting either of us try it and scurried off. It wasnâ¬"t the best house plonk Iâ¬"d ever had, and on examining my glass I found out why. Swirls of purple sediment were gyrating madly round and round. A bad bottle ? No problem â¬ it can happen and isnâ¬"t the end of the world.
I called another waitress over and showed her my glass. She nodded knowingly. â¬SAh yes, we knowâ¬ she said. I asked her about her apparent clairvoyant powers, and she explained that the restaurant had had this problem with the half bottles of house red for over a month. â¬SI can replace your bottle for you, but it will probably be the sameâ¬ she said rather unhelpfully. I didnâ¬"t want a full bottle or half a white so was forced (as she didnâ¬"t offer to let us have half a whole bottle â¬ the sensible customer calming option) to try another.
It was the same as the first one. Clouds of sediment. A bitter taste.
I jokingly asked her if there was any blotting paper back in the kitchen alongside the butter, but she shrugged and poured a glugful of wine into an empty spare glass saying â¬SThat should take care of most of the bitsâ¬ and took it away with her.
Problem three was the main event. The meat. I know times are hard, but if the two halves of my steak weighed more than 5 ounces in total I would have been very surprised. Slicing a small (sorry, tiny) piece of meat very thinly, spreading it out in the pattern of a large fan and covering it in a mound of chips does not make it any larger. This is basic physics. Another law of physics is that re-cooking chips that are already perfectly cooked does not make them taste better. The chips that came with our second half meat were so overcooked that you could have used them as cocktail sticks. Useful for picking bits of sediment out of oneâ¬"s teeth, though
Stick to Cafe Rouge for good value tasty steaks

I have written to the owner/md (Mr Dine).It will be interesting to see if he bothers to reply.If not, I'll be contacting Helene Godilot, in Paris who runs the whole shooting match.

deVille Restaurant - Amazing!! by supercat68

supercat68 — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:21:19 +0000

Review by supercat68

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7935 5599

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

Tags: romantic, good value, british

Had such a fantastic Afternoon Tea here with the girls after shopping - staff were great and we had so much food we couldn't move afterwards. Highly recommended!Had such a fantastic Afternoon Tea here with the girls after shopping - staff were great and we had so much food we couldn't move afterwards. Highly recommended!

Hellenic - Delightful by Tagnelap

Tagnelap — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:05:50 +0000

Review by Tagnelap

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7486 6232

Tags: greek, cheap eat, vegetarian dishes

This place is a gem. I have been eating here for about 15 years and I have never once had a bad meal. The chicken kebab (doesn't sound great) is a work of genius.
The service is utterly brilliant.
Having said all of that, it is a lunchtime venue and not for romantic trysts.This place is a gem. I have been eating here for about 15 years and I have never once had a bad meal. The chicken kebab (doesn't sound great) is a work of genius.
The service is utterly brilliant.
Having said all of that, it is a lunchtime venue and not for romantic trysts.

L'Autre Pied - Fantastic. Like it's older brother at a Junior pri by chernandezg

chernandezg — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:01:29 +0000

Review by chernandezg

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7486 9696

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

Tags: romantic, french, expensive

Wow, what a fantastic meal in Marylebone. Fantastic food at a relatively good price for its quality (still pricey though), an impressive wine list, with 1/2 bottles available, and greats service.

Very much reccomend it for a nice romantic dinner or a special dinner with some foodie friends.Wow, what a fantastic meal in Marylebone. Fantastic food at a relatively good price for its quality (still pricey though), an impressive wine list, with 1/2 bottles available, and greats service.

Very much reccomend it for a nice romantic dinner or a special dinner with some foodie friends.

Melur - Melur Redeems Itself with New 7.95 3-Course offer by samantha_tan

samantha_tan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:57:00 +0000

Review by samantha_tan

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7706 8083

Website: www.melur.co.uk

Tags: malaysian, romantic, expensive

Four months ago, I ate at Melur and absolutely hated it (see older review below). So much so that the first thing I did when I got home was come straight here to trustedplaces to type a scathing write-up! So imagine my surprise when last week, out of the blue, Melur proprietor Sam Wong sends me a message saying they have made some changes, introduced a new Chef's Special 3-course menu, and whether I and a friend would like to come and sample it for free.

I was a little taken aback by this. On one hand, I was impressed that she was ballsy enough to try and change the mind of someone who had nothing nice to say the first time round. That must mean they've really upped their game right? On the other hand, what if her confidence was misplaced and I still hated it? Surely I couldn't bring myself to eat for free and then write another damning review!

Well thankfully, I don't have to. As expected the service we received was exceptional given that all the staff knew they had to be nice to us, but it is the improvement in the flavour of the food that was most remarkable.

First off, A++ for the frothy teh tarik (sweet milky pulled tea) which my partner rates as one of the best he's tasted in London. As for the food, the new Chef's Special deal deserves 5-stars in my book simply because £7.95 for 3 courses (including full-size mains that already cost between £6.50-£7.80 on their own) is unbelievable value-for-money. I have no idea if their ala carte menu would rate as highly, but from what I could tell that too had been expanded to include more dishes so it looks promising.

From the 6 choices of starters we chose Popiah Goreng (fried spring rolls) and Ayam Goreng Berempah (spiced fried chicken), both of which were served piping hot with a sweet chilli dip. Delicious! The portion of two spring rolls had a nice crunch and were not too oily/stodgy, and props especially to the chef for keeping the strips of chicken breast moist in a light and crispy spiced batter.

For mains, the Nasi Lemak (coconut rice) came suitably fragrant, with all the typical accompaniments present and correct as well as achar (pickled vegetables) and a tasty piece of fried mackerel. This time round the waitress even offered to bring us extra sambal without us asking! (see my old review below for my previous experience requesting sambal. Dreadful). Strangely enough she came back with a dish of orangey chilli paste which was not the same sambal we had on the plate, but it still tasted good so no complaints there.

Char Kuay Teow (fried flat noodles) however, whilst tasty in its own right, was less of a hit with us. To be fair, it was spot-on if what you were after was a Malay style Kuay Teow Goreng (more moist and sweet), and is also much better than what Melur USED to serve, but most people who order Char Kuay Teow expect the Chinese hawker version which is typically dry and fiery with a smoky charred flavour (as perfectly demonstrated by Sedap restaurant (non-halal) on Old Street). Malaysians will know that despite both versions translating to mean "fried flat noodles", there are subtle differences which set them apart! Upon questioning, Sam explained that she has both a Malay and a Chinese chef in the kitchen who each cook it their own way, so the version you get depends largely on which chef makes it. Apparently "Jack is the Chinese cook" so ask for him if you are adamant about having the Chinese variety.

Also, a minor quibble about the garnish. I suppose it's down to personal taste, but a big pile of curly carrots (see picture) is truly a strange choice no? Perhaps a sprinkling of fried shallots or fresh spring onions would have worked better.

We were quite full by this point but decided to have dessert anyway. Pisang Goreng (banana fritters) and mango sorbet were our choices; both came pretty generic. Unlike the variety of starters and mains on offer, there were only 3 choices of desserts, the third being Kueh Dadar (coconut stuffed pancake) which was the only more adventurous attempt at presenting a classic Malay sweetmeat. Kudos for putting it there, but this being the Chef's Special menu, we would have liked to see other famous and uniquely Malaysian desserts such as ice kacang, sago gula melaka and cendol.

Nonetheless, despite my gripes about weird garnishes and unremarkable desserts, 3 courses for the crunch-busting price of £7.95 is still a fantastic bargain, especially given that the flavours now seem more authentic and no other Malaysian restaurant has yet come up with an offer to compete with this. What's more, the promotion applies all day Mon-Wed, and lunchtime every other day INCLUDING weekends!

Whilst I am sure my experience was heightened by the fact that I was a non-paying invited guest, it is evident that the people behind Melur have worked very hard in the past few months to fight the backlash and improve their offerings in a way that will please not just the unknowing foreigner but the critical Malaysian foodie too. For a restaurateur to swallow their pride, accept stinging criticism and revamp their menu entirely takes serious guts and humility, and for this I applaud Sam and her team.

There are improvements to be made still, but Melur is definitely on the right track to establishing themselves as a halal eatery worthy of Malaysian patronage. Well done and may you keep up the good work!

Four months ago, I ate at Melur and absolutely hated it (see older review below). So much so that the first thing I did when I got home was come straight here to trustedplaces to type a scathing write-up! So imagine my surprise when last week, out of the blue, Melur proprietor Sam Wong sends me a message saying they have made some changes, introduced a new Chef's Special 3-course menu, and whether I and a friend would like to come and sample it for free.

I was a little taken aback by this. On one hand, I was impressed that she was ballsy enough to try and change the mind of someone who had nothing nice to say the first time round. That must mean they've really upped their game right? On the other hand, what if her confidence was misplaced and I still hated it? Surely I couldn't bring myself to eat for free and then write another damning review!

Well thankfully, I don't have to. As expected the service we received was exceptional given that all the staff knew they had to be nice to us, but it is the improvement in the flavour of the food that was most remarkable.

First off, A++ for the frothy teh tarik (sweet milky pulled tea) which my partner rates as one of the best he's tasted in London. As for the food, the new Chef's Special deal deserves 5-stars in my book simply because £7.95 for 3 courses (including full-size mains that already cost between £6.50-£7.80 on their own) is unbelievable value-for-money. I have no idea if their ala carte menu would rate as highly, but from what I could tell that too had been expanded to include more dishes so it looks promising.

From the 6 choices of starters we chose Popiah Goreng (fried spring rolls) and Ayam Goreng Berempah (spiced fried chicken), both of which were served piping hot with a sweet chilli dip. Delicious! The portion of two spring rolls had a nice crunch and were not too oily/stodgy, and props especially to the chef for keeping the strips of chicken breast moist in a light and crispy spiced batter.

For mains, the Nasi Lemak (coconut rice) came suitably fragrant, with all the typical accompaniments present and correct as well as achar (pickled vegetables) and a tasty piece of fried mackerel. This time round the waitress even offered to bring us extra sambal without us asking! (see my old review below for my previous experience requesting sambal. Dreadful). Strangely enough she came back with a dish of orangey chilli paste which was not the same sambal we had on the plate, but it still tasted good so no complaints there.

Char Kuay Teow (fried flat noodles) however, whilst tasty in its own right, was less of a hit with us. To be fair, it was spot-on if what you were after was a Malay style Kuay Teow Goreng (more moist and sweet), and is also much better than what Melur USED to serve, but most people who order Char Kuay Teow expect the Chinese hawker version which is typically dry and fiery with a smoky charred flavour (as perfectly demonstrated by Sedap restaurant (non-halal) on Old Street). Malaysians will know that despite both versions translating to mean "fried flat noodles", there are subtle differences which set them apart! Upon questioning, Sam explained that she has both a Malay and a Chinese chef in the kitchen who each cook it their own way, so the version you get depends largely on which chef makes it. Apparently "Jack is the Chinese cook" so ask for him if you are adamant about having the Chinese variety.

Also, a minor quibble about the garnish. I suppose it's down to personal taste, but a big pile of curly carrots (see picture) is truly a strange choice no? Perhaps a sprinkling of fried shallots or fresh spring onions would have worked better.

We were quite full by this point but decided to have dessert anyway. Pisang Goreng (banana fritters) and mango sorbet were our choices; both came pretty generic. Unlike the variety of starters and mains on offer, there were only 3 choices of desserts, the third being Kueh Dadar (coconut stuffed pancake) which was the only more adventurous attempt at presenting a classic Malay sweetmeat. Kudos for putting it there, but this being the Chef's Special menu, we would have liked to see other famous and uniquely Malaysian desserts such as ice kacang, sago gula melaka and cendol.

Nonetheless, despite my gripes about weird garnishes and unremarkable desserts, 3 courses for the crunch-busting price of £7.95 is still a fantastic bargain, especially given that the flavours now seem more authentic and no other Malaysian restaurant has yet come up with an offer to compete with this. What's more, the promotion applies all day Mon-Wed, and lunchtime every other day INCLUDING weekends!

Whilst I am sure my experience was heightened by the fact that I was a non-paying invited guest, it is evident that the people behind Melur have worked very hard in the past few months to fight the backlash and improve their offerings in a way that will please not just the unknowing foreigner but the critical Malaysian foodie too. For a restaurateur to swallow their pride, accept stinging criticism and revamp their menu entirely takes serious guts and humility, and for this I applaud Sam and her team.

There are improvements to be made still, but Melur is definitely on the right track to establishing themselves as a halal eatery worthy of Malaysian patronage. Well done and may you keep up the good work!

Patogh - Simple but flavoursome food by rhoobarb

rhoobarb — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:29:15 +0000

Review by rhoobarb

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7262 4015

Tags: crowded, good value, middle eastern

Make what you will of it - a tiny place which gets packed full of Iranians/Persians with a smattering of others, enjoying simply cooked, fresh flavoursome meats like chicken and lamb, and bread, with fresh salad. The bread smells and looks divine and covers half the table! Generous portions with good value stamped all over it.

Go if you're hungry, don't mind too much about brusque service and simple decor. Go elsewhere if you want to be seen with prices to match.

Make what you will of it - a tiny place which gets packed full of Iranians/Persians with a smattering of others, enjoying simply cooked, fresh flavoursome meats like chicken and lamb, and bread, with fresh salad. The bread smells and looks divine and covers half the table! Generous portions with good value stamped all over it.

Go if you're hungry, don't mind too much about brusque service and simple decor. Go elsewhere if you want to be seen with prices to match.

Fishworks Seafood Cafe - EXPENSIVE but cheap!!! by Jimbo

Jimbo — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:18:39 +0000

Review by Jimbo

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7935 9796

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

Tags: fish, seafood, expensive

I'll explain what I mean by that...

Food quality is simply fantastic. Fish are prepared and cooked to the perfection. Service quality too is better than pretty much any Central London restaurant I have been to. There is absolutely nothing to complain there.

But here's the thing, I have been to their Marylebone branch more than I can remember. It's only a short walk from our office in Queen Anne. The problem is I never actually paid for my food! It wasn't until I took my dad there for lunch when I realised £45 per person wasn't quite worth it. Of course we drank good wine and ate good food. But £90 for two?! Come one!

And here's the other thing I did not like at all: "Tip is included." Now that is just cheap. Very cheap.I'll explain what I mean by that...

Food quality is simply fantastic. Fish are prepared and cooked to the perfection. Service quality too is better than pretty much any Central London restaurant I have been to. There is absolutely nothing to complain there.

But here's the thing, I have been to their Marylebone branch more than I can remember. It's only a short walk from our office in Queen Anne. The problem is I never actually paid for my food! It wasn't until I took my dad there for lunch when I realised £45 per person wasn't quite worth it. Of course we drank good wine and ate good food. But £90 for two?! Come one!

And here's the other thing I did not like at all: "Tip is included." Now that is just cheap. Very cheap.

Ping Pong Dim Sum - dim sum by lenalouise

lenalouise — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:17:35 +0000

Review by lenalouise

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7009 9600

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: chinese, dim sum, business

I was skeptical about Ping Pong being any good as I don't usually like chain restaurants and I much prefer the typical traditional dim sum that you get pushed around in a bustling chinese restaurant. However, many of my friends said they liked it so I eventually gave up and went. The restaurant is quite cosy, I like the booths that you can get, it's more intimate.

We got a mixture of different dumplings. Some of them were fantastic but they're not the authentic dim sum that I'm used to. They were all westernised versions. The pastry for the steamed dumplings wasn't as delicate and light as it should have been.

It was nice having better service than I'm used to whilst having dim sum but I don't know if I would want to trade that for lower quality food. I'd maybe come back for sunday buffet though.I was skeptical about Ping Pong being any good as I don't usually like chain restaurants and I much prefer the typical traditional dim sum that you get pushed around in a bustling chinese restaurant. However, many of my friends said they liked it so I eventually gave up and went. The restaurant is quite cosy, I like the booths that you can get, it's more intimate.

We got a mixture of different dumplings. Some of them were fantastic but they're not the authentic dim sum that I'm used to. They were all westernised versions. The pastry for the steamed dumplings wasn't as delicate and light as it should have been.

It was nice having better service than I'm used to whilst having dim sum but I don't know if I would want to trade that for lower quality food. I'd maybe come back for sunday buffet though.

Palmisanos - nice little italian by lenalouise

lenalouise — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:08:29 +0000

Review by lenalouise

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7486 6441

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

Tags: italian, halal

I tested out this place in February when many restaurants were offering cheap deals. Here, it was £10 for a starter and a main. It was extremely quiet for an evening meal at around 8pm but I have walked past at the weekends and it's been buzzing. There were only 2 other tables occupied during our meal.

We both started with an antipasti which was delicious, all the components were fantastic. For my main, I had a massive plate of beef stew with polenta cakes and Keith had a beef lasagne which was tiny in comparison. The stew had deep, peppery flavours but the meat wasn't tender enough - it didn't have that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The restaurant itself would be fairly pleasant if there were more people and therefore an atmosphere. It has these nice large round windows quite high up which kind of makes it feel like you're in a restaurant on a cruise ship. One of the downsides is that it's located next to a lap-dancing club so there might be some dodgy people around. The meal was alright for the price but I probably wouldn't be rushing back.I tested out this place in February when many restaurants were offering cheap deals. Here, it was £10 for a starter and a main. It was extremely quiet for an evening meal at around 8pm but I have walked past at the weekends and it's been buzzing. There were only 2 other tables occupied during our meal.

We both started with an antipasti which was delicious, all the components were fantastic. For my main, I had a massive plate of beef stew with polenta cakes and Keith had a beef lasagne which was tiny in comparison. The stew had deep, peppery flavours but the meat wasn't tender enough - it didn't have that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The restaurant itself would be fairly pleasant if there were more people and therefore an atmosphere. It has these nice large round windows quite high up which kind of makes it feel like you're in a restaurant on a cruise ship. One of the downsides is that it's located next to a lap-dancing club so there might be some dodgy people around. The meal was alright for the price but I probably wouldn't be rushing back.

Reubens - Jewish deli by chrisp

chrisp — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:21:05 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7486 0035

Tags: good value, jewish, kosher

At a casual glance, Reubens appears to be a fairly standard cafÃ©/delicatessen. There's a long glass counter displaying salads and soups, a fridge containing the usual array of canned drinks and fruit juices, and a basic if functional area towards the back where you take your meal on a little wooden tray after paying for it. It's the kind of sandwich shop scattered all over the City and West End to serve office workers and tourists - nothing remarkable, nothing wrong with that. But Reubens has a trick up its sleeve - it claims to be the only kosher restaurant in the West End, its specialities include home salted beef, house chicken soup and Lockshen pudding, and its clientele, judging by my visit yesterday lunchtime, are almost entirely sombrely-dressed Jewish men. For the first time not a very long time, I felt slightly out of place as I shambled in in my work jeans and hoodie, but fortunately I had kosher Ã¼ber-blogger Anthony Silverbrow (www.silverbrowonfood.com) to guide me through the ordering process and deflect the scorn of the belligerent staff - something else Reubens are justly famous for.

In true New York deli style, we began with a salt beef sandwich in rye bread. It was actually very good indeed. Anthony apologised for not asking for the fat to be left on, as this would have been even better, but even "lean" the meat was moist and tasty and the rye bread soft and fresh. It also came with two plates of superb pickles - a sweet and crunchy large sliced gherkin and a delicate lightly-pickled cucumber flavoured with I think bay leaf. All of it much better than it has any right to be, and accompanied by an artery-busting deep-fried potato latke with an addictive crispy crunch.

For dessert (what, you think a pound of salted beef and a deep-fried potato cake is enough for lunch?) we sampled the house specialty Lockshen pudding, a rather unusual creation made with noodles but which was nevertheless moist and sweet and delicious, flavoured with sultanas and cinnamon. A hot apple strudel was similarly satisfying, with a thick, moist pastry coating and containing a generous portion of spiced fruit.

It is a very pleasant surprise that after the best part of five years living in London there are still food cultures and traditions that go largely ignored by the rest of the city. Reubens is understandably popular with the Jewish diners of London but deserves to be on he list of anyone around these parts who want a tasty, hearty lunch for not much money. Of course, whether the diners of Reubens want their favourite local kosher joint to be inundated with curious Gentiles is another story.At a casual glance, Reubens appears to be a fairly standard cafÃ©/delicatessen. There's a long glass counter displaying salads and soups, a fridge containing the usual array of canned drinks and fruit juices, and a basic if functional area towards the back where you take your meal on a little wooden tray after paying for it. It's the kind of sandwich shop scattered all over the City and West End to serve office workers and tourists - nothing remarkable, nothing wrong with that. But Reubens has a trick up its sleeve - it claims to be the only kosher restaurant in the West End, its specialities include home salted beef, house chicken soup and Lockshen pudding, and its clientele, judging by my visit yesterday lunchtime, are almost entirely sombrely-dressed Jewish men. For the first time not a very long time, I felt slightly out of place as I shambled in in my work jeans and hoodie, but fortunately I had kosher Ã¼ber-blogger Anthony Silverbrow (www.silverbrowonfood.com) to guide me through the ordering process and deflect the scorn of the belligerent staff - something else Reubens are justly famous for.

In true New York deli style, we began with a salt beef sandwich in rye bread. It was actually very good indeed. Anthony apologised for not asking for the fat to be left on, as this would have been even better, but even "lean" the meat was moist and tasty and the rye bread soft and fresh. It also came with two plates of superb pickles - a sweet and crunchy large sliced gherkin and a delicate lightly-pickled cucumber flavoured with I think bay leaf. All of it much better than it has any right to be, and accompanied by an artery-busting deep-fried potato latke with an addictive crispy crunch.

For dessert (what, you think a pound of salted beef and a deep-fried potato cake is enough for lunch?) we sampled the house specialty Lockshen pudding, a rather unusual creation made with noodles but which was nevertheless moist and sweet and delicious, flavoured with sultanas and cinnamon. A hot apple strudel was similarly satisfying, with a thick, moist pastry coating and containing a generous portion of spiced fruit.

It is a very pleasant surprise that after the best part of five years living in London there are still food cultures and traditions that go largely ignored by the rest of the city. Reubens is understandably popular with the Jewish diners of London but deserves to be on he list of anyone around these parts who want a tasty, hearty lunch for not much money. Of course, whether the diners of Reubens want their favourite local kosher joint to be inundated with curious Gentiles is another story.