Latest reviews for Restaurants in Shoreditch, London, United Kingdom

Rosa's - M&S Thai takeaways are better by michou

michou — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:17:27 +0000

Review by michou

Rating: 1.00

Phone: +44 20 7247 109

Went there having read reviews; what a disappointment; sure it is good value and service is efficient (but without a hint of a smile) but the food is extremely poor. Had soft shell crabs which were 90% soggy mess with some tasteless matter in the middle and Pad Thai noodles which were the worst I have ever tasted; lots of sugar on a messy dollop of tasteless nooddles. I've had much better and "authentic" Thai food from M&S and all the other supermarkets. Another restaurant in a trendy area that thinks it can throw any old rubbish at not too discerning people.Went there having read reviews; what a disappointment; sure it is good value and service is efficient (but without a hint of a smile) but the food is extremely poor. Had soft shell crabs which were 90% soggy mess with some tasteless matter in the middle and Pad Thai noodles which were the worst I have ever tasted; lots of sugar on a messy dollop of tasteless nooddles. I've had much better and "authentic" Thai food from M&S and all the other supermarkets. Another restaurant in a trendy area that thinks it can throw any old rubbish at not too discerning people.

Chaat - Lovely welcoming place by Constantine

Constantine — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:43:29 +0000

Review by Constantine

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7739 9595

Tags: good value, family & home feel

I kind of fell in love with this curiosity as soon as I walked in. A caff, but not a caff, Bengali, but with jazz and modern paintings. A teashop, but with wine and spirits. Candlelit formica tables, and you can have what you want - from a cup of tea to a full-blown meal, any time. A real delight. I can't give it full stars, as I didn't eat there. Just had a glass of wine in its warm embraceI kind of fell in love with this curiosity as soon as I walked in. A caff, but not a caff, Bengali, but with jazz and modern paintings. A teashop, but with wine and spirits. Candlelit formica tables, and you can have what you want - from a cup of tea to a full-blown meal, any time. A real delight. I can't give it full stars, as I didn't eat there. Just had a glass of wine in its warm embrace

Sheba - by Sarah_Law

Sarah_Law — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:25:35 +0000

Review by Sarah_Law

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7247 7824

Tags: indian, family & home feel, lively

I forgot to mention we found rat droppings in the toilet!!I forgot to mention we found rat droppings in the toilet!!

Gourmet San - A Gourmet Gem by chrisp

chrisp — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:54:13 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7613 1366

Tags: chinese, lively, family & home feel

If you are a vegetarian in London you really don't often have cause to complain about dining options. Of course that's the kind of presumptuous, blanket statement that's very easy to make as a carnivore, but really - even aside from the 100% vegetarian places (of which there are a healthy smattering), the vast majority of other restaurants could be considered vegetarian-friendly, where non meat-eaters could happily consume a good proportion of the menu and the dishes containing animal protein are clearly marked. There are, of course, plenty of restaurants that could be accused of being vegetarian-unfriendly, where the veggie options are meagre and uninteresting, and where animal fats lurk in the most unlikely corners (I'm thinking here particularly of St. John and its gastropubby disciples). And then, right at extreme end of the scale, where vegetarians are not so much discouraged as shown a metaphorical middle finger in the form of a menu that contains animal product in almost every single dish, is Gourmet San.

I'm not complaining of course - I had a quite wonderful meal here and can't wait to go back - but this is a restaurant that lists a dish as 'Dry-fried French beans with olive oil' and serves it scattered in pork fat. Their attitude seems to be that there are very few plates of food that can't be improved by the addition of pig, and it's a philosophy I also happen to hold very close to my heart. The beans, by the way, were extraordinarily good, the little black slivers of olive both seasoning and spicing up the crunchy beans, and the pork fat adding a mouthwatering silky richness.

Rather than attempting to construct any kind of balanced meal (I think the staff would have laughed in my face if I'd have asked for a salad), we surrendered to the temptations of the PorK Page (37 pork dishes on one page of the menu) and ordered first a plate of fried pork intestines. Liberally scattered with Szechuan peppers and dried red chilli, this was a challenging plate of food even before you got your head round the fact you were eating pig's colon. But once you become accustomed to the initial startling heat and numbness of the peppercorns, this was great fun - the sliced loops of intestine had been breaded and fried like calamari, and had a lovely texture and piggy flavour.

Next to arrive was my favourite dish of the evening - ox tongue and tripe in chilli sauce. The textures were fantastic - especially from the tripe, which was just firm enough and with that unique honeycomb structure - but the flavours were even more impressive, deep and meaty and perfectly balanced with just enough chilli. I really can't fault this dish at all - even the fact it was served cold seemed to enhance rather than subdue the overall effect. Beautiful.

A portion of pigs trotters in brown sauce initially seemed incredibly generous until you realised that most of it was gristle and cartilige. But what meat there was fell off the bone easily, and the flavours of the rich brown sauce shone. Not my favourite dish, but certainly unusual, and there's something satisfyingly primal about tearing pig skin off huge, chunky bones with your teeth.

A massive bowl of chilli beef had another startling dose of szechuan peppers and the rich, red broth fizzed and burned in the mouth. All sorts of cuts of cow had been used in this dish, and diving into it was like pulling out prizes from a tombola. It was very soon drained dry.

BBQ lamb skewers were another candidate for best dish. Perfectly tender, superbly spiced and with just enough juicy fat to add flavour without being overwhelming, the fact they were being favourably compared with those sold at Tayyabs should tell you how good these tasted.

Oh, and @hollowlegs ordered plate of aubergine too. I'm sure she enjoyed it.

What's important to remember about Gourmet San is that although some plates of food disappeared faster than others, there was simply nothing that was less than very good - an extraordinary achievement considering the size of the menu and range of dishes on offer. And although the final bill wasn't exactly what you could call super-budget, at little more than Â£20 a head for extremely generous portions and service that was way more friendly and efficient than it had any right to be, I'll call it a bargain. Szechuan cuisine, at its best, always has the potential for sheer visceral, seat-of-your-pants, sweating, screaming, burning, hilarious, joyous dining. And Gourmet San does Szechuan cuisine better than most.If you are a vegetarian in London you really don't often have cause to complain about dining options. Of course that's the kind of presumptuous, blanket statement that's very easy to make as a carnivore, but really - even aside from the 100% vegetarian places (of which there are a healthy smattering), the vast majority of other restaurants could be considered vegetarian-friendly, where non meat-eaters could happily consume a good proportion of the menu and the dishes containing animal protein are clearly marked. There are, of course, plenty of restaurants that could be accused of being vegetarian-unfriendly, where the veggie options are meagre and uninteresting, and where animal fats lurk in the most unlikely corners (I'm thinking here particularly of St. John and its gastropubby disciples). And then, right at extreme end of the scale, where vegetarians are not so much discouraged as shown a metaphorical middle finger in the form of a menu that contains animal product in almost every single dish, is Gourmet San.

I'm not complaining of course - I had a quite wonderful meal here and can't wait to go back - but this is a restaurant that lists a dish as 'Dry-fried French beans with olive oil' and serves it scattered in pork fat. Their attitude seems to be that there are very few plates of food that can't be improved by the addition of pig, and it's a philosophy I also happen to hold very close to my heart. The beans, by the way, were extraordinarily good, the little black slivers of olive both seasoning and spicing up the crunchy beans, and the pork fat adding a mouthwatering silky richness.

Rather than attempting to construct any kind of balanced meal (I think the staff would have laughed in my face if I'd have asked for a salad), we surrendered to the temptations of the PorK Page (37 pork dishes on one page of the menu) and ordered first a plate of fried pork intestines. Liberally scattered with Szechuan peppers and dried red chilli, this was a challenging plate of food even before you got your head round the fact you were eating pig's colon. But once you become accustomed to the initial startling heat and numbness of the peppercorns, this was great fun - the sliced loops of intestine had been breaded and fried like calamari, and had a lovely texture and piggy flavour.

Next to arrive was my favourite dish of the evening - ox tongue and tripe in chilli sauce. The textures were fantastic - especially from the tripe, which was just firm enough and with that unique honeycomb structure - but the flavours were even more impressive, deep and meaty and perfectly balanced with just enough chilli. I really can't fault this dish at all - even the fact it was served cold seemed to enhance rather than subdue the overall effect. Beautiful.

A portion of pigs trotters in brown sauce initially seemed incredibly generous until you realised that most of it was gristle and cartilige. But what meat there was fell off the bone easily, and the flavours of the rich brown sauce shone. Not my favourite dish, but certainly unusual, and there's something satisfyingly primal about tearing pig skin off huge, chunky bones with your teeth.

A massive bowl of chilli beef had another startling dose of szechuan peppers and the rich, red broth fizzed and burned in the mouth. All sorts of cuts of cow had been used in this dish, and diving into it was like pulling out prizes from a tombola. It was very soon drained dry.

BBQ lamb skewers were another candidate for best dish. Perfectly tender, superbly spiced and with just enough juicy fat to add flavour without being overwhelming, the fact they were being favourably compared with those sold at Tayyabs should tell you how good these tasted.

Oh, and @hollowlegs ordered plate of aubergine too. I'm sure she enjoyed it.

What's important to remember about Gourmet San is that although some plates of food disappeared faster than others, there was simply nothing that was less than very good - an extraordinary achievement considering the size of the menu and range of dishes on offer. And although the final bill wasn't exactly what you could call super-budget, at little more than Â£20 a head for extremely generous portions and service that was way more friendly and efficient than it had any right to be, I'll call it a bargain. Szechuan cuisine, at its best, always has the potential for sheer visceral, seat-of-your-pants, sweating, screaming, burning, hilarious, joyous dining. And Gourmet San does Szechuan cuisine better than most.

Bistrotheque - nice atmosphere, good food but over-priced by zuzazak

zuzazak — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:39:49 +0000

Review by zuzazak

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8983 7900

Website: http://www.bistrotheque.com/

Tags: live music, lively, value for money

i have been here a couple of times and the food is always delicious but way over-priced. I love the way the "seasonal vegetables" is autumn were roast vine tomatoes - maybe seasonal in spain! we waited for a long time to get our drinks but they were delicious when they came, as was my steak tartare. we had a fun night so didn't mind the massive bill at the end, though i would rather go to LMNT in the future!i have been here a couple of times and the food is always delicious but way over-priced. I love the way the "seasonal vegetables" is autumn were roast vine tomatoes - maybe seasonal in spain! we waited for a long time to get our drinks but they were delicious when they came, as was my steak tartare. we had a fun night so didn't mind the massive bill at the end, though i would rather go to LMNT in the future!

Favela Chic - by ASMG

ASMG — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:11:50 +0000

Review by ASMG

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7613 5228

Website: http://www.favelachic.com

Tags: brazilian, cool, lively

The best pastÃ©is de nata in LondonThe best pastÃ©is de nata in London

Song Que - just ok.. by LittleIsla

LittleIsla — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:07:29 +0000

Review by LittleIsla

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7613 3222

Tags: vietnamese, cheap eat, lively

I didn't really find this place the Holy Land of London Vietnamese restaurants that some do. It was ok, but very ok. I found the cuts of beef in my beef pho really chewy, and the stock a bit bland. I ate my food, but have been to much better places, so won't be trying it again here.I didn't really find this place the Holy Land of London Vietnamese restaurants that some do. It was ok, but very ok. I found the cuts of beef in my beef pho really chewy, and the stock a bit bland. I ate my food, but have been to much better places, so won't be trying it again here.

Aladin Restaurant - The Best food ever by alan123

alan123 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:25:20 +0000

Review by alan123

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7247 8210

Tags: lively, indian, good value

The food is just amazingly tasty. You can taste the real flavours right from the moment the curry enters your mouth. Truly mouth-watering. Fantastic service and atmosphere. One of the best in brick lane. i definitely recommend it. Its great value for money especially because its buy your own alcohol. I rate it 10 out of 10.The food is just amazingly tasty. You can taste the real flavours right from the moment the curry enters your mouth. Truly mouth-watering. Fantastic service and atmosphere. One of the best in brick lane. i definitely recommend it. Its great value for money especially because its buy your own alcohol. I rate it 10 out of 10.

Muhib Indian Cuisine - Go Somewhere Else by SophieGreen

SophieGreen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:11:05 +0000

Review by SophieGreen

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7247 7122

Tags: indian, vegetarian dishes

We went as a group of five to Muhib last Saturday will NOT be returning!

We were looking forward to a good evening out and took advantage of the bring your own drink policy.

We barely had time to open our menus before our order was demanded for by a waiter, when we had question about a dish on the menu all we got in response was 'I dunno'.

The starters came out literally 2 minutes after ordering them, our main dishes were practically served before we had finished them and our plates cleared before we had time to put our forks down! We decided to have desserts and coffees and we asked for one of our bottles of wine which had been put in the restaurantâ¬"s fridge only to have the waiter bring our entire bag of wine back, dump it on our table along with the bill and waltz off!

When we said we hadn't asked for the bill and would like to order desserts we were told they did not serve them even though we had ordered them on a previous visit to the restaurant and to basically get lost as they had other customers!

We had gone to Brick Lane specially as had visitors from out of town and it was a complete let down, the whole meal was extremely rushed, we were in and out of there within an hour and the service was terrible and rude.

Wouldn't recommend going here, there are better curry houses in Brick Lane! Maybe Muhib should consider reopening as fast food joint!

We went as a group of five to Muhib last Saturday will NOT be returning!

We were looking forward to a good evening out and took advantage of the bring your own drink policy.

We barely had time to open our menus before our order was demanded for by a waiter, when we had question about a dish on the menu all we got in response was 'I dunno'.

The starters came out literally 2 minutes after ordering them, our main dishes were practically served before we had finished them and our plates cleared before we had time to put our forks down! We decided to have desserts and coffees and we asked for one of our bottles of wine which had been put in the restaurantâ¬"s fridge only to have the waiter bring our entire bag of wine back, dump it on our table along with the bill and waltz off!

When we said we hadn't asked for the bill and would like to order desserts we were told they did not serve them even though we had ordered them on a previous visit to the restaurant and to basically get lost as they had other customers!

We had gone to Brick Lane specially as had visitors from out of town and it was a complete let down, the whole meal was extremely rushed, we were in and out of there within an hour and the service was terrible and rude.

Wouldn't recommend going here, there are better curry houses in Brick Lane! Maybe Muhib should consider reopening as fast food joint!

Mien Tay - Great food in a simple cafe by MagicRusski

MagicRusski — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:00:58 +0000

Review by MagicRusski

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7729 3074

Tags: vietnamese, cheap eat, family & home feel

Pro's: Delish food cooked to perfection. Friendly service.

Con's: Smallish portions. Comes out not as cheap as some reviews here claim. Plasticky interior.

In a nutshell: Great place for authentic Vietnamese munches if you don't need a fancy ambience (I, for one, don't).

Full breakdown and details here:
http://niftynoshing.blogspot.com/2009/09/mien-tay-vietnamese-restaurant-london.htmlPro's: Delish food cooked to perfection. Friendly service.

Con's: Smallish portions. Comes out not as cheap as some reviews here claim. Plasticky interior.

In a nutshell: Great place for authentic Vietnamese munches if you don't need a fancy ambience (I, for one, don't).

Full breakdown and details here:
http://niftynoshing.blogspot.com/2009/09/mien-tay-vietnamese-restaurant-london.html

Mirch Masala - Can you keep a secret? by sidsen

sidsen — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:07:02 +0000

Review by sidsen

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7377 6700

Tags: indian, cheap eat, lively

I am a religious follower of food at Lahore Kebab House & Tayyabs but I was getting a bit fed up of their over-popularity and nowadays quite expensive meals. So based on a recommendation by a car park attendant at Sainsbury's we decided to try it. Well, what a pleasant surprise it was. Food was as good as the other two (known to be the the bees-knees). The Karela dahl was superb, better than the other two by miles. Everything was quite reasonable in price considering it's decor was no less down market than the other two. After all you go to these places for the great food and the ability to bring your own booze. So there was nothing lacking here. The manager was so attentive. Every time he saw us looking for a waiter to order more, he sent on of them straight over to us nearly at once. Very quick serving times as well. OK, all these places have a limited repertoire in menu items. But that is exactly what veterans need. Well for the present it is good bye Lahore & Tayyabs. Well of course until MM goes greedy and inflate their prices unnecessarily. The impressive bit about this MM restaurant chain is that they have got their presence in so many places especially like Southall, where they will have a very discerning and veteran clientele and if they have survived over there- what more can one say. They are just opening one in Ilford and in a couple of month's in my Harrow area. I can hardly wait! . By the way MM could you get some proper wine glasses next time. Cheers and all the best!I am a religious follower of food at Lahore Kebab House & Tayyabs but I was getting a bit fed up of their over-popularity and nowadays quite expensive meals. So based on a recommendation by a car park attendant at Sainsbury's we decided to try it. Well, what a pleasant surprise it was. Food was as good as the other two (known to be the the bees-knees). The Karela dahl was superb, better than the other two by miles. Everything was quite reasonable in price considering it's decor was no less down market than the other two. After all you go to these places for the great food and the ability to bring your own booze. So there was nothing lacking here. The manager was so attentive. Every time he saw us looking for a waiter to order more, he sent on of them straight over to us nearly at once. Very quick serving times as well. OK, all these places have a limited repertoire in menu items. But that is exactly what veterans need. Well for the present it is good bye Lahore & Tayyabs. Well of course until MM goes greedy and inflate their prices unnecessarily. The impressive bit about this MM restaurant chain is that they have got their presence in so many places especially like Southall, where they will have a very discerning and veteran clientele and if they have survived over there- what more can one say. They are just opening one in Ilford and in a couple of month's in my Harrow area. I can hardly wait! . By the way MM could you get some proper wine glasses next time. Cheers and all the best!

Le Bouchon Breton - Choose wisely... by QueenB

QueenB — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:38:04 +0000

Review by QueenB

Rating: 4.00

Tags: french, lively, expensive

Now, with family in France and spending a lot of my time there, I am an avid fan of finding a decent french brasserie in London - which is harder than you may think

A friend at work suggested we try this for our team dinner as she had seen a great deal on Top table Â£15 for 3 courses and a glass of house wine from a set menu. So far so unbelievabley good considering the team behind this place!

All 11 of us arrive and are meeted and greeted by a swarm of staff pleased to see us.
I was even more pleased by the cheese display that already had my mouth watering!

The table was set and sliced mini baguettes with pots of butter were placed along the table and swiftly replaced when empty

The set menu changes daily, so we did not know what to expect - we ended up with a choice ot 2 dishes per course, none of which really appealed to me - tomato and cheese tart or pork/duck rilletts then choice of pork chop or bowl of spicy tomato pasta anyone?
everyone who had the menu said it was fine and cooked well but not what you come to a restaurant like this for!

some of my team strangely stuck to the set meal but I was wiser and had something from the main menu:
Panfried Seabass Filet, with Crushed Potatoes and
Spring Onions, Served with a Mustard Butter Sauce for Â£17
The seabass was crispy skinned and cooked so perfectly it just melted in your mouth. the potatoes were crushed with butter, garlic and spring onions that made me want to order a plate of them alone but i resisted hehe

My friend had the Boeuf Bourgignon Â£15
Slow Cooked Beef in a Rich Red Wine Sauce with Bacon, Mushroom and Glazed Silverskin Onions Served with Croutons and Mash Potatoes - this was delicious and envied by most of the table!

Even the house wines were enjoyable but the wine list was extensive and well selected - staff were happy to advise on this front - also with something for every budget.

It was quiet when we arrived at 7 pm but it quickly filled up and became very buzzy and vibrant, with people also just drinking at the bar

I have already booked for a saturday next month to take my boyfriend for a full meal and will be able to give a more indepth review after! I can't wait!!!Now, with family in France and spending a lot of my time there, I am an avid fan of finding a decent french brasserie in London - which is harder than you may think

A friend at work suggested we try this for our team dinner as she had seen a great deal on Top table Â£15 for 3 courses and a glass of house wine from a set menu. So far so unbelievabley good considering the team behind this place!

All 11 of us arrive and are meeted and greeted by a swarm of staff pleased to see us.
I was even more pleased by the cheese display that already had my mouth watering!

The table was set and sliced mini baguettes with pots of butter were placed along the table and swiftly replaced when empty

The set menu changes daily, so we did not know what to expect - we ended up with a choice ot 2 dishes per course, none of which really appealed to me - tomato and cheese tart or pork/duck rilletts then choice of pork chop or bowl of spicy tomato pasta anyone?
everyone who had the menu said it was fine and cooked well but not what you come to a restaurant like this for!

some of my team strangely stuck to the set meal but I was wiser and had something from the main menu:
Panfried Seabass Filet, with Crushed Potatoes and
Spring Onions, Served with a Mustard Butter Sauce for Â£17
The seabass was crispy skinned and cooked so perfectly it just melted in your mouth. the potatoes were crushed with butter, garlic and spring onions that made me want to order a plate of them alone but i resisted hehe

My friend had the Boeuf Bourgignon Â£15
Slow Cooked Beef in a Rich Red Wine Sauce with Bacon, Mushroom and Glazed Silverskin Onions Served with Croutons and Mash Potatoes - this was delicious and envied by most of the table!

Even the house wines were enjoyable but the wine list was extensive and well selected - staff were happy to advise on this front - also with something for every budget.

It was quiet when we arrived at 7 pm but it quickly filled up and became very buzzy and vibrant, with people also just drinking at the bar

I have already booked for a saturday next month to take my boyfriend for a full meal and will be able to give a more indepth review after! I can't wait!!!

Fifteen - Top job! by QueenB

QueenB — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:16:05 +0000

Review by QueenB

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 0871 330 1515

Website: http://www.fifteenrestaurant.com

Tags: lively, italian, expensive

The boyf took me here as a treat last night to the Trattoria on the ground floor. It was very busy and buzzy with a real mixed crowd - mostly touristy looking I thought.

Staff were young, friendly and helpful enough but not memorable and we were left waiting a while when first seated to order a drink.

I think I chose the better dishes out fo the 2 of us.
I had â¬Üai frutti di mareâ¬" risotto that had a tomato base with mussels and all sorts of fish in it - quite a hefty portion for a starter too!
Main course I had whole mackerel with an orange based salad that complimented each other so well! That fish was the best thing all night, it was dressed and cooked to perfection.
Washed down with a glass of Moltepucciano.

Boyf had wild mushroom and duck liver ravioli to start which he really enjoyed.
Mains he had Slow-roasted belly of Dalgarnock pork served with puy lentis - which was good but was quite standard.

Dessert I had chocolate brownie which was fudge like in the middle with a good depth of chocolate but was just too hard on top, the rasberyy coulis was very morish and great contrast
Boyf had Vanilla panna cotta with aged Belazu balsamic strawberries and shortbread which was pretty bland and forgetable, sadly.They only served one strawberry with it???

Starters on average were about Â£9
mains were between Â£14 and Â£25
all desserts were Â£5.85

Glass of house wine starts at Â£5, with decent options at around the Â£8/9 mark - top selections available too.

A Â£1 donation is added to your bill to help fund the organisation Jamie O has set up to help train the youngsters - which I think you'd agree is worthwhile cause but you can ask fo rthis to be deducted if you so wish.

The restaurant upstairs offers a tasting menu at Â£60 per head which I would be interested in trying out one evening.

all in all, I think the menu is quite safe in it's offerings but it's good, well cooked, tasty fresh food and I would def go back.

The boyf took me here as a treat last night to the Trattoria on the ground floor. It was very busy and buzzy with a real mixed crowd - mostly touristy looking I thought.

Staff were young, friendly and helpful enough but not memorable and we were left waiting a while when first seated to order a drink.

I think I chose the better dishes out fo the 2 of us.
I had â¬Üai frutti di mareâ¬" risotto that had a tomato base with mussels and all sorts of fish in it - quite a hefty portion for a starter too!
Main course I had whole mackerel with an orange based salad that complimented each other so well! That fish was the best thing all night, it was dressed and cooked to perfection.
Washed down with a glass of Moltepucciano.

Boyf had wild mushroom and duck liver ravioli to start which he really enjoyed.
Mains he had Slow-roasted belly of Dalgarnock pork served with puy lentis - which was good but was quite standard.

Dessert I had chocolate brownie which was fudge like in the middle with a good depth of chocolate but was just too hard on top, the rasberyy coulis was very morish and great contrast
Boyf had Vanilla panna cotta with aged Belazu balsamic strawberries and shortbread which was pretty bland and forgetable, sadly.They only served one strawberry with it???

Starters on average were about Â£9
mains were between Â£14 and Â£25
all desserts were Â£5.85

Glass of house wine starts at Â£5, with decent options at around the Â£8/9 mark - top selections available too.

A Â£1 donation is added to your bill to help fund the organisation Jamie O has set up to help train the youngsters - which I think you'd agree is worthwhile cause but you can ask fo rthis to be deducted if you so wish.

The restaurant upstairs offers a tasting menu at Â£60 per head which I would be interested in trying out one evening.

all in all, I think the menu is quite safe in it's offerings but it's good, well cooked, tasty fresh food and I would def go back.

New Tayyabs - ANOTHER VIEW by clive49

clive49 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:46:29 +0000

Review by clive49

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7247 9543

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

Tags: indian, crowded, cheap eat

A place that everyone else recommended. On the wall was the plaque for 'Best London Indian (sic) restaurant 2008.' God! the others must be really pants. Ramadan meant no table service (never heard that one before) so, after fruitless attempted conversation with a nice young man who spoke two words of English, queue up in takeaway section. Shelf at eye level for most people, so bend down to have conversation with staff member. No obvious menu, so no prices. Plate of mild chicken curry and another of hot (same, with an added green chilli) both plonked in microwave. Two rices, an onion bhajee, dhal and two plain waters: Â£25. Â£15 would have been fair. Food still cold. Chicken fresh and not frozen but a little pink. Customers next to us left a lot of their meal and went. After effects: wind - lots of it and scent-free....just like the food. In the street outside, a top of the range BMW X5 with personal plate matching the restaurant.A place that everyone else recommended. On the wall was the plaque for 'Best London Indian (sic) restaurant 2008.' God! the others must be really pants. Ramadan meant no table service (never heard that one before) so, after fruitless attempted conversation with a nice young man who spoke two words of English, queue up in takeaway section. Shelf at eye level for most people, so bend down to have conversation with staff member. No obvious menu, so no prices. Plate of mild chicken curry and another of hot (same, with an added green chilli) both plonked in microwave. Two rices, an onion bhajee, dhal and two plain waters: Â£25. Â£15 would have been fair. Food still cold. Chicken fresh and not frozen but a little pink. Customers next to us left a lot of their meal and went. After effects: wind - lots of it and scent-free....just like the food. In the street outside, a top of the range BMW X5 with personal plate matching the restaurant.

Maida Restaurant - Miss by DENNY_D

DENNY_D — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:26:00 +0000

Review by DENNY_D

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7739 2645

Website: http://www.maida-restaurant.co.uk

Tags: indian, chinese, good value

Such a shame because the it seemed so promising. Firstly don't bother to order a coacktail (although they seem very worth the money from looking at the menu/all under Â£3) However the amount of time it takes for them to make them our mains had already arrived! (They are also very stingy on the alcahol, my cosmo just tasted of cranberry juice.)
The Starters were a different story, tasted fantastic but as I had a mild veggie starter I really wanted some spice (you know feel the burn and all that) However, although the waiter actually warned me off the lamb biryani it was extremely mild, Although the meat was deliciuos and tender, the whole thing wreaked of mint, I felt like it had been smothered in colgate and that was it tasted like to. uummmmm minty freshness!
The service was not great, as metioned we did not have our drinks until the mains arrrived and the mains arrived before we finished the starters........also everytime a table was left empty ovbiously the waiter wants to clean it for the next person but instead of tasting all the MINT, it was then a dettol flavour sprayed in the air, I know it sounds like im over reacting there but the anount he sprayed and when its on the table right by you, it really gets up your nose!!!!!!!Such a shame because the it seemed so promising. Firstly don't bother to order a coacktail (although they seem very worth the money from looking at the menu/all under Â£3) However the amount of time it takes for them to make them our mains had already arrived! (They are also very stingy on the alcahol, my cosmo just tasted of cranberry juice.)
The Starters were a different story, tasted fantastic but as I had a mild veggie starter I really wanted some spice (you know feel the burn and all that) However, although the waiter actually warned me off the lamb biryani it was extremely mild, Although the meat was deliciuos and tender, the whole thing wreaked of mint, I felt like it had been smothered in colgate and that was it tasted like to. uummmmm minty freshness!
The service was not great, as metioned we did not have our drinks until the mains arrrived and the mains arrived before we finished the starters........also everytime a table was left empty ovbiously the waiter wants to clean it for the next person but instead of tasting all the MINT, it was then a dettol flavour sprayed in the air, I know it sounds like im over reacting there but the anount he sprayed and when its on the table right by you, it really gets up your nose!!!!!!!

Prithi - by Maria_Hackney

Maria_Hackney — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:26:14 +0000

Review by Maria_Hackney

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7377 5252

Tags: indian, smoking, takeaway

Went there for lunch and were very disappointed. The starters were not fresh and had "fried" as primary taste. The dosas we had were not really good aswell. The staff was a bit slow and not all of them wore clean clothes. When we ordered a water and a beer, we got 640ml beer (for lunch!) and a liter bottle of water. I noted that i only wanted a glass of water, but the waiter ignore this.
ItÂ´s hard to make a choice between all the indian restaurants on Brick Lane most of which are in the same price range. But IÂ´d say you can skip trying out Prithi & Preem, mainly because the taste of the food was below average.Went there for lunch and were very disappointed. The starters were not fresh and had "fried" as primary taste. The dosas we had were not really good aswell. The staff was a bit slow and not all of them wore clean clothes. When we ordered a water and a beer, we got 640ml beer (for lunch!) and a liter bottle of water. I noted that i only wanted a glass of water, but the waiter ignore this.
ItÂ´s hard to make a choice between all the indian restaurants on Brick Lane most of which are in the same price range. But IÂ´d say you can skip trying out Prithi & Preem, mainly because the taste of the food was below average.

Boundary - Cocktails on the roof by brenna

brenna — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Review by brenna

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7729 1051

Website: http://www.theboundary.co.uk/restaurant/food/

Tags: bar, french, crowded

Ventured to the Boundary a couple of times, but due to its popularity could never get onto the roof for a drink without having a long wait...3rd time lucky we made it. Definitely worth it - great view, pretty landscaped terrace with comfy chairs, heaters and even a blanket!

Ventured to the Boundary a couple of times, but due to its popularity could never get onto the roof for a drink without having a long wait...3rd time lucky we made it. Definitely worth it - great view, pretty landscaped terrace with comfy chairs, heaters and even a blanket!

The Drunken Monkey - Rubbish by adamgrimsley

adamgrimsley — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:43:59 +0000

Review by adamgrimsley

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7392 9606

Tags: chinese, expensive, bar

Walked in, was quite busy. Staff ignored me for 10 minutes, one guy cleaning fridges, then stopped and served someone then went back to cleaning fridges, so I left.

It is just near where I live I wondered why we never go there, now I know!
Go to the Commercial Tavern instead, 10 times better and the owners are fab.Walked in, was quite busy. Staff ignored me for 10 minutes, one guy cleaning fridges, then stopped and served someone then went back to cleaning fridges, so I left.

It is just near where I live I wondered why we never go there, now I know!
Go to the Commercial Tavern instead, 10 times better and the owners are fab.

La Forchetta - by holidaydance

holidaydance — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:10:26 +0000

Review by holidaydance

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7739 9467

Tags: italian, good value, cheap eat

Down stairs - a basement is a bar and dancing site. Classes with small groups, helpful teachers, then free time dance is later. I will remember my time here.Down stairs - a basement is a bar and dancing site. Classes with small groups, helpful teachers, then free time dance is later. I will remember my time here.

Lena - Julia by juliacortesi

juliacortesi — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:19:54 +0000

Review by juliacortesi

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7739 5714

Website: http://www.lenarestaurant.com/

Tags: italian, bar, cocktails

Food was average but expensive and service very low.
WouldnÂ´recommend itFood was average but expensive and service very low.
WouldnÂ´recommend it