Latest reviews for Restaurants in Soho, London, United Kingdom

Takari - dinner by rachel1bt

rachel1bt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:17:09 +0000

Review by rachel1bt

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7836 1628

Tags: indian, good value, family & home feel

Takari was a really good find. It has a great location at the foot of the theatre land, and a really cosy atmosphere.The service was very attentive and helpful and the food was excellent, especially the Jungle Curry. I normally prefer Vindaloo but in this case the quality and lightness of the rice made me enjoy the Jungle Curry and maki even more, and the fish was extremely fresh as I would have expected. All in all a really good place to go for quality Indian food!Takari was a really good find. It has a great location at the foot of the theatre land, and a really cosy atmosphere.The service was very attentive and helpful and the food was excellent, especially the Jungle Curry. I normally prefer Vindaloo but in this case the quality and lightness of the rice made me enjoy the Jungle Curry and maki even more, and the fish was extremely fresh as I would have expected. All in all a really good place to go for quality Indian food!

Piccolo Diavolo - Like being in Italy by pinotlover

pinotlover — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:02:41 +0000

Review by pinotlover

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7437 1024

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

Tags: italian, family & home feel, good value

Small traditional Italian cafe with friendly and cheerful Italian staff who were fabulous with the children. Food nice, not outstanding, but good value for money. The pizzas are enormous and the veal was very good. Be aware that you do need to order vegetables as a side dish. The lemon sorbet - served inside a hollowed out frozen lemon - was a fine way to finish. It was pleasant to feel we could linger without being pushed out the door to make way for more diners. We will return.Small traditional Italian cafe with friendly and cheerful Italian staff who were fabulous with the children. Food nice, not outstanding, but good value for money. The pizzas are enormous and the veal was very good. Be aware that you do need to order vegetables as a side dish. The lemon sorbet - served inside a hollowed out frozen lemon - was a fine way to finish. It was pleasant to feel we could linger without being pushed out the door to make way for more diners. We will return.

Golden Dragon - Appalling service by cindy1005

cindy1005 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:47:51 +0000

Review by cindy1005

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7734 1073

Tags: chinese, lively, expensive

I visited this restaurant 2 days ago with a friend. While dishing out the rice, I was apalled to notice three chips ranging in width from about 2 cm to 2 inches in the rim of the bowl. The bowl was made of some kind of material similar to melamine and was discoloured on the outside, and blackened on the base. It put me off my food. When the waitress came to clear the table, she asked if everything was alright. I said, ''Actually no, I'm apalled to be served food in a bowl in this state. I wouldn't even use this in my own house. It really is unacceptable and insulting.'' Instead of apologizing, the waitress had the audacity to LAUGH! I was not amused. She then proceeded to rip the top tablecloth off the table from under us, even though we still had our full cups of tea and other drinks on the table, and were clearly not finished. I was really annoyed by then. While waiting on the bill to arrive, I happened to glance at the table behind me and noticed that they had a bowl of rice, which on first glance appeared to have a scalloped edge, but then to my horror I realized it wasn't a scalloped pattern, but in fact, was so severely chipped around the perimeter, it appeared to be scalloped! The toilets upstairs were out of order. When we went downstairs, we were approached by a woman who screeched at us '' You want toilet, it is that way'' with a mouth full of food.

I will never dine in that establishment again, nor would I recommend it to anyone. Their lack of respect and service is appalling and completely unacceptable. They also add 12.5% service charge to the bill, when they clearly don't even know the meaning of the word service.I visited this restaurant 2 days ago with a friend. While dishing out the rice, I was apalled to notice three chips ranging in width from about 2 cm to 2 inches in the rim of the bowl. The bowl was made of some kind of material similar to melamine and was discoloured on the outside, and blackened on the base. It put me off my food. When the waitress came to clear the table, she asked if everything was alright. I said, ''Actually no, I'm apalled to be served food in a bowl in this state. I wouldn't even use this in my own house. It really is unacceptable and insulting.'' Instead of apologizing, the waitress had the audacity to LAUGH! I was not amused. She then proceeded to rip the top tablecloth off the table from under us, even though we still had our full cups of tea and other drinks on the table, and were clearly not finished. I was really annoyed by then. While waiting on the bill to arrive, I happened to glance at the table behind me and noticed that they had a bowl of rice, which on first glance appeared to have a scalloped edge, but then to my horror I realized it wasn't a scalloped pattern, but in fact, was so severely chipped around the perimeter, it appeared to be scalloped! The toilets upstairs were out of order. When we went downstairs, we were approached by a woman who screeched at us '' You want toilet, it is that way'' with a mouth full of food.

I will never dine in that establishment again, nor would I recommend it to anyone. Their lack of respect and service is appalling and completely unacceptable. They also add 12.5% service charge to the bill, when they clearly don't even know the meaning of the word service.

Viet Pho - Delicious Quick Noodles! by Dot01

Dot01 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:12:58 +0000

Review by Dot01

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 0207 494 9888

Tags: lively, vietnamese, crowded

This is a great place to run in for a filling, healthy and hearty portion of steaming noodle soup. The broth is delicious - full of wonderful flavours. Its a kind of everyone huddle up together place so don't expect a private quite dinner. But it is a fun place to eat.This is a great place to run in for a filling, healthy and hearty portion of steaming noodle soup. The broth is delicious - full of wonderful flavours. Its a kind of everyone huddle up together place so don't expect a private quite dinner. But it is a fun place to eat.

Jerk City - I'll be back by ASMG

ASMG — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:37:44 +0000

Review by ASMG

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7287 2878

Tags: cheap eat, african & caribbean, quick bite

Relaxed Carribean cafÃ© within friendly staff and good food. Very good value.

The mutton roti was spicy and tender, just as it should be.Relaxed Carribean cafÃ© within friendly staff and good food. Very good value.

The mutton roti was spicy and tender, just as it should be.

Plum Valley - Excellent Dim Sum - highly impressed by ilovelucy

ilovelucy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:13:12 +0000

Review by ilovelucy

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7287 2539

Tags: chinese, romantic, expensive

Plum Valley is situated right in the heart of Chinatown but bares no resemblance to its counterparts in terms of cuisine, dÃ©cor and service. The restaurant serves a variety of Dim Sum dishes all day along with popular and also new innovative main Chinese dishes. The menu was not as expansive as other Chinese restaurants on Gerrard street, but there was a good choice nonetheless, with well thought-out dishes sitting beside tried and tested favourites.

As it was lunchtime, my friend and I opted for the Dim Sum menu. Being of Chinese origin we both think it is a bit odd to eat Dim Sum in the evenings but welcomed a restaurant to do so in Chinatown. In my opinion, Plum Valley fills the narrow void left between the Ping Pong dim sum restaurant chain and traditional Chinese restaurants. I would say that it is similar to Yauatcha but holds on to its Chinese identity far better with dishes averaging at Â£3.80 which most Chinese people are not likely to baulk at, whereas the bill at Yauatcha would make many choke on their tea.

The dÃ©cor and style of the restaurant was most impressive with dark wooden walls, tables and slate grey floors â¬ lighting was low in keeping with the ambience of the restaurant (a feature that may not be too popular in the Summer). Waitresses and the hostess were friendly and unobtrusive. My friend and I chose our dishes, our rule of thumb is 3 dishes per person and one for luck. Instead of opting for the usual Vietnamese spring rolls, turnip paste, har gau, shao mai, cheung fun etc we decided to choose some more eccentric dishes - scallop dumplings, wasabi prawn dumpling, black cod rolls, thai chicken dumplings, beancurd wrapped shrimp in cheung fun, fish and squid rolls with preserved egg. All were delicious and presented beautifully â¬ the freshness and quality of the ingredients were easily identifiable. I particularly liked the fish and squid rolls with preserved egg â¬ all the flavours worked really well and it looked amazing on the plate. The scallop dumplings and the cheung fun were also a highlight. We were happily full at the end of the meal with the bill working out to a very reasonable Â£33 including service. My only small gripe was the jasmine flower tea served in oversized wine glasses - very unusual but this really did not offend too much. Unsurprisingly we left the restuarant smiling from the whole experience.
Plum Valley is situated right in the heart of Chinatown but bares no resemblance to its counterparts in terms of cuisine, dÃ©cor and service. The restaurant serves a variety of Dim Sum dishes all day along with popular and also new innovative main Chinese dishes. The menu was not as expansive as other Chinese restaurants on Gerrard street, but there was a good choice nonetheless, with well thought-out dishes sitting beside tried and tested favourites.

As it was lunchtime, my friend and I opted for the Dim Sum menu. Being of Chinese origin we both think it is a bit odd to eat Dim Sum in the evenings but welcomed a restaurant to do so in Chinatown. In my opinion, Plum Valley fills the narrow void left between the Ping Pong dim sum restaurant chain and traditional Chinese restaurants. I would say that it is similar to Yauatcha but holds on to its Chinese identity far better with dishes averaging at Â£3.80 which most Chinese people are not likely to baulk at, whereas the bill at Yauatcha would make many choke on their tea.

The dÃ©cor and style of the restaurant was most impressive with dark wooden walls, tables and slate grey floors â¬ lighting was low in keeping with the ambience of the restaurant (a feature that may not be too popular in the Summer). Waitresses and the hostess were friendly and unobtrusive. My friend and I chose our dishes, our rule of thumb is 3 dishes per person and one for luck. Instead of opting for the usual Vietnamese spring rolls, turnip paste, har gau, shao mai, cheung fun etc we decided to choose some more eccentric dishes - scallop dumplings, wasabi prawn dumpling, black cod rolls, thai chicken dumplings, beancurd wrapped shrimp in cheung fun, fish and squid rolls with preserved egg. All were delicious and presented beautifully â¬ the freshness and quality of the ingredients were easily identifiable. I particularly liked the fish and squid rolls with preserved egg â¬ all the flavours worked really well and it looked amazing on the plate. The scallop dumplings and the cheung fun were also a highlight. We were happily full at the end of the meal with the bill working out to a very reasonable Â£33 including service. My only small gripe was the jasmine flower tea served in oversized wine glasses - very unusual but this really did not offend too much. Unsurprisingly we left the restuarant smiling from the whole experience.

Bocca di Lupo - by AntonSh

AntonSh — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:43:12 +0000

Review by AntonSh

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7734 2223

Tags: italian, lively, expensive

The food is excellent - authentic Italian food from different regions, with the menu a helpful guide to what you're getting, how it's cooked and where it comes from. The mains all seemed appetising, and I opted for the palombo which came grilled to perfection. The dolcis (desserts) are especially innovative and the controversial Sanguinaccio - a sweet patÃ© of pig's blood and chocolate with sourdough bread - was possibly the most radical dessert dish I have tried.

I took my mother there for her birthday. She is a very picky customer and well used to terrorising waiting staff, and she was impressed. The waiters were well-trained, polite and impeccably turned out, and had good knowledge of the food and wine.

The only downside is that it is slightly overpriced for what it is. Good food is of course worth paying good money for, but in this case the balance seems a little bit too much towards increasing profit margins. Another slight issue is that atmosphere-wise, I found it hard to relax - the place is perhaps a little too aware of its status as a top restaurant.

Overall though, the food is great and I will definitely be back, especially when trying to impress a date!The food is excellent - authentic Italian food from different regions, with the menu a helpful guide to what you're getting, how it's cooked and where it comes from. The mains all seemed appetising, and I opted for the palombo which came grilled to perfection. The dolcis (desserts) are especially innovative and the controversial Sanguinaccio - a sweet patÃ© of pig's blood and chocolate with sourdough bread - was possibly the most radical dessert dish I have tried.

I took my mother there for her birthday. She is a very picky customer and well used to terrorising waiting staff, and she was impressed. The waiters were well-trained, polite and impeccably turned out, and had good knowledge of the food and wine.

The only downside is that it is slightly overpriced for what it is. Good food is of course worth paying good money for, but in this case the balance seems a little bit too much towards increasing profit margins. Another slight issue is that atmosphere-wise, I found it hard to relax - the place is perhaps a little too aware of its status as a top restaurant.

Overall though, the food is great and I will definitely be back, especially when trying to impress a date!

St. Moritz Restaurant - wow - saddle of venison by chprime

chprime — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:44:22 +0000

Review by chprime

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7734 3324

Tags: family & home feel, expensive, good value

as it happens it seems to be Venison month at the St. Moritz restaurant and i was invited by a good friend for dinner to try the - as he put it 'very best venison dish ever' - - all i can say he did not lie - i want to have that saddle of vension everyday from now onwards....unfortunately the season only last during November but my friend said to try the cordon bleu next time which is as per Tom also world class. thanks Tomas it happens it seems to be Venison month at the St. Moritz restaurant and i was invited by a good friend for dinner to try the - as he put it 'very best venison dish ever' - - all i can say he did not lie - i want to have that saddle of vension everyday from now onwards....unfortunately the season only last during November but my friend said to try the cordon bleu next time which is as per Tom also world class. thanks Tom

Cafe Espana - by sld52

sld52 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:39:30 +0000

Review by sld52

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7494 1271

Tags: spanish, good value, lively

This place is a real gem. The staff are great - so friendly and helpful - and they do the best steak I have ever tasted! It's always busy so do be prepared to wait around for a bit but if you do have to there are usually a few people on the stairs to chat with and you can grab a glass of vino to get warmed up! All in all I always have a great night here - great food, great service, great atmosphere... interesting europop music!This place is a real gem. The staff are great - so friendly and helpful - and they do the best steak I have ever tasted! It's always busy so do be prepared to wait around for a bit but if you do have to there are usually a few people on the stairs to chat with and you can grab a glass of vino to get warmed up! All in all I always have a great night here - great food, great service, great atmosphere... interesting europop music!

Polpo - Polp Fiction by chrisp

chrisp — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:24:47 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7734 4479

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

Tags: italian, romantic, cheap eat

Purely in terms of a concept perfectly pitched to the jaded, trend-chasing diners of London, Polpo appears to have everything going for it. You've tried tapas before, sure, haven't we all. But what's this - Italian "tapas", based on a Venetian bacaro - bitesize (often literally) portions of Italian food, each little more than a couple of quid and presented with a shockingly reasonable Italian wine list. The room is romantically lit (ie. you can barely see your hand in front of your face) but whereas in other restaurants this only serves to annoy, in Polpo it seems to fit with the clandestine Venetian style, like you've discovered a hidden gem of a bar near St. Mark's Square. You almost expect to hear the gentle lapping of the canals beneath the buzz of the crowd. Polpo has everything going for it, then. Everything that is, apart from the food.

First to disappoint were the arancini, deep-fried risotto balls. Bland in colour and taste, these weren't so much under seasoned as completely un-seasoned, and were like eating wet plaster of Paris. My crostini of chicken livers was just a slice of toasted baguette with what for all the world could pass as a supermarket patÃ© - uniformly smooth, timid of flavour. And I wasn't just unlucky - the other crostini had similarly poor feedback from my friends at the table last night, a "horrible" cheap black olive in particular spoiling an otherwise OK salt fish and polenta offering.

The larger dishes were similarly cack-handed. Octopus salad had the opposite problem of the arancini, being unpleasantly salty; pork belly with raddicchio and hazelnuts had some fine flavours but the inedibly chewy rind on the meat itself was distracting; slow-roast duck with tomatoes was boring, under seasoned yet again and with none of the flavoursome fat that duck can offer; only a dish of cuttlefish cooked in ink was worth the asking price - rich in flavour and balanced with a pleasant tang of the sea.

By this point we were becoming thoroughly dispirited but ploughed on gamely through another handful of boring dishes. Mussels and clams were yet again under seasoned, not very fresh, and a good half of the mussels were closed (albeit smashed apart). Turnip tops flavoured with chilli and garlic were not bad I suppose but at nearly Â£5 for the bit of the turnip (hardly an expensive vegetable anyway) you normally throw away is extracting the Michael somewhat. And I have here in my notes "Fennel, bobby beans, cobnuts" but can't for the life of me remember eating it. Which probably tells you all you need to know.

What's even more frustrating about my meal last night was how much I was looking forward to it, based on the opinion of many people who's opinions I implicitly trust. It's baffling - perhaps last night the usual chef was ill or otherwise unavailable, as I came away with the distinct impression nobody was tasting any of the food leaving the kitchens - nearly everything was incorrectly seasoned. But still, part of me really wants Polpo to work. Despite everything, it's still a gorgeous little spot for a very reasonably priced drink, and the service and welcome from all the staff was perfectly friendly and professional. Sort out the problems in the kitchen and you're onto a winner. Until then, I'm staying away.Purely in terms of a concept perfectly pitched to the jaded, trend-chasing diners of London, Polpo appears to have everything going for it. You've tried tapas before, sure, haven't we all. But what's this - Italian "tapas", based on a Venetian bacaro - bitesize (often literally) portions of Italian food, each little more than a couple of quid and presented with a shockingly reasonable Italian wine list. The room is romantically lit (ie. you can barely see your hand in front of your face) but whereas in other restaurants this only serves to annoy, in Polpo it seems to fit with the clandestine Venetian style, like you've discovered a hidden gem of a bar near St. Mark's Square. You almost expect to hear the gentle lapping of the canals beneath the buzz of the crowd. Polpo has everything going for it, then. Everything that is, apart from the food.

First to disappoint were the arancini, deep-fried risotto balls. Bland in colour and taste, these weren't so much under seasoned as completely un-seasoned, and were like eating wet plaster of Paris. My crostini of chicken livers was just a slice of toasted baguette with what for all the world could pass as a supermarket patÃ© - uniformly smooth, timid of flavour. And I wasn't just unlucky - the other crostini had similarly poor feedback from my friends at the table last night, a "horrible" cheap black olive in particular spoiling an otherwise OK salt fish and polenta offering.

The larger dishes were similarly cack-handed. Octopus salad had the opposite problem of the arancini, being unpleasantly salty; pork belly with raddicchio and hazelnuts had some fine flavours but the inedibly chewy rind on the meat itself was distracting; slow-roast duck with tomatoes was boring, under seasoned yet again and with none of the flavoursome fat that duck can offer; only a dish of cuttlefish cooked in ink was worth the asking price - rich in flavour and balanced with a pleasant tang of the sea.

By this point we were becoming thoroughly dispirited but ploughed on gamely through another handful of boring dishes. Mussels and clams were yet again under seasoned, not very fresh, and a good half of the mussels were closed (albeit smashed apart). Turnip tops flavoured with chilli and garlic were not bad I suppose but at nearly Â£5 for the bit of the turnip (hardly an expensive vegetable anyway) you normally throw away is extracting the Michael somewhat. And I have here in my notes "Fennel, bobby beans, cobnuts" but can't for the life of me remember eating it. Which probably tells you all you need to know.

What's even more frustrating about my meal last night was how much I was looking forward to it, based on the opinion of many people who's opinions I implicitly trust. It's baffling - perhaps last night the usual chef was ill or otherwise unavailable, as I came away with the distinct impression nobody was tasting any of the food leaving the kitchens - nearly everything was incorrectly seasoned. But still, part of me really wants Polpo to work. Despite everything, it's still a gorgeous little spot for a very reasonably priced drink, and the service and welcome from all the staff was perfectly friendly and professional. Sort out the problems in the kitchen and you're onto a winner. Until then, I'm staying away.

The Golden Oven - Top Marks All Round by Jenny83

Jenny83 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:33:54 +0000

Review by Jenny83

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7287 2800

Tags: indian, good value, vegetarian dishes

Excellent service and Food was delicious. It's a perfect place to have decent dinner. The waiting staffs were delightful and attentive with excellently crafted food. The House Special was well spiced and balanced as any we've ever had, and the vegetable rice made an interesting change from plain pilau. Definitely will visit this restaurant again. Top marks all round.Excellent service and Food was delicious. It's a perfect place to have decent dinner. The waiting staffs were delightful and attentive with excellently crafted food. The House Special was well spiced and balanced as any we've ever had, and the vegetable rice made an interesting change from plain pilau. Definitely will visit this restaurant again. Top marks all round.

Tossed Salad Bar - Disorganised mess by emmanx

emmanx — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:13:24 +0000

Review by emmanx

Rating: 3.00

Tags: crowded, business, cheap eat

Just started working in the area a couple of weeks ago and already had two very dissapointing visits to Tossed on St. Martin's lane. The first time I happened to be helped by someone who had just started so I decided to be forgiving and give the place a second go. Mistake.

The salad bar staff have no specific work area so they just run around getting in each other's way. My server gave me lip because I asked for a wrap but didn't have a base salad in my hands. Apparently, a wrap without a tonne of lettuce is weird. After he put the ingredients in a bowl he passed it on to someone else who had no idea what they were doing - the process was about 15 minutes, bit much for someone on their lunchbreak run

I got bored of watching her so I walked over to the till waiting for my food. I got harrassed to pay before I received it, which I refused. Result? Dirty look.

After she finally managed to finish my wrap, she handed it over to someone else, who gave it to another customer who was waiting for another wrap. By the time I caught on, she walked off with it. At that point, I left and I will NEVER go back. Boo hiss.

AfterJust started working in the area a couple of weeks ago and already had two very dissapointing visits to Tossed on St. Martin's lane. The first time I happened to be helped by someone who had just started so I decided to be forgiving and give the place a second go. Mistake.

The salad bar staff have no specific work area so they just run around getting in each other's way. My server gave me lip because I asked for a wrap but didn't have a base salad in my hands. Apparently, a wrap without a tonne of lettuce is weird. After he put the ingredients in a bowl he passed it on to someone else who had no idea what they were doing - the process was about 15 minutes, bit much for someone on their lunchbreak run

I got bored of watching her so I walked over to the till waiting for my food. I got harrassed to pay before I received it, which I refused. Result? Dirty look.

After she finally managed to finish my wrap, she handed it over to someone else, who gave it to another customer who was waiting for another wrap. By the time I caught on, she walked off with it. At that point, I left and I will NEVER go back. Boo hiss.

After

H.K Diner Restaurant - by liangliang

liangliang — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:47:33 +0000

Review by liangliang

Rating: 5.00

Tags: lively, malaysian, vegetarian

have gone thee twice , excellenthave gone thee twice , excellent

H K Diner - by liangliang

liangliang — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:44:26 +0000

Review by liangliang

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7434 9544

Tags: chinese, lively, malaysian

THE BEST IN LONDON CHINATOWNTHE BEST IN LONDON CHINATOWN

Nosh Bar - Best Salt Beef by issabel

issabel — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:55:29 +0000

Review by issabel

Rating: 4.00

Tags: good value, jewish, lively

Well i can honestly say i absaloutly 'Love' the food here at The Nosh Bar! Not forgetting the great service also.

I am the number 1 fan when it comes to Salt Beef and The Nosh Bar is by far the best place to go.
Try the bean & barley soup (i found spot on)!

The staff here are dead nice.
The prices are very reasonable. I was introduced to The Wonderful Nosh Bar a couple of months ago now and you will never catch me walking into any other place for me salt beef!!

Thank you Nosh Bar :)Well i can honestly say i absaloutly 'Love' the food here at The Nosh Bar! Not forgetting the great service also.

I am the number 1 fan when it comes to Salt Beef and The Nosh Bar is by far the best place to go.
Try the bean & barley soup (i found spot on)!

The staff here are dead nice.
The prices are very reasonable. I was introduced to The Wonderful Nosh Bar a couple of months ago now and you will never catch me walking into any other place for me salt beef!!

Thank you Nosh Bar :)

Ping Pong Dim Sum - Dim Sum when you want it by chrisp

chrisp — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:46:40 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7851 6969

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: chinese, lively, crowded

Before we go any further, Full Disclosure. I didn't pay for this meal. I was invited by the PR lady to try their new Autumn menu after I made some (unprompted) positive comments about it on Twitter, and of course I was happy to accept. But believe me or not, I have always had a soft spot for Ping Pong. Whether or not the traditionalists like it, dim sum lends itself extraordinarily well to post-pub dining, and although Yauatcha was probably the first place to promote the peculiar idea of serving food when the customers might want to eat it rather than when the restaurant decides is convenient for them, the raft of mini-chains that have followed in its wake (including Dim T) have proved that it's not that peculiar an idea after all.

When you think about it, it's obvious. A group of friends, some more hungry than others, some more drunk than others, some leaving early, some arriving late. Imagine trying to make a booking at a restaurant in Soho last-minute - "Yeah, between two and twenty of us, some not eating, some not drinking either. We'll be there any time in the next four hours." Not going to happen is it. But here stands Ping Pong: vast, reasonably priced and welcoming. Sure, you'll have to queue in busy periods, and it can get quite boisterous later in the evening, but for a reliably fun place to share food, sip fruity cocktails and not completely drain that month's budget, I can hardly think of anywhere more suitable.

We started small, with nibbles of Sichuan pork cracklings (not very Sichuan-y - in fact they tasted just like your average pub pork scratchings, albeit served with a really lovely chilli oil) and tamarind prawn crackers (the tamarind sauce was lovely and sharp, and the crackers themselves looked pleasingly rustic) while we supped on our largely successful house cocktails (my lychee martini was pretty good, although the Earl Grey julep was odd).

Seafood puff was a little low on filling, but what was there was tasty. The mooli and spring onion puff is described on the menu as containing 'a hint of garlic' but was so overwhelmingly garlicky it almost drowned any other flavours. Slices of smoked duck were a bit flabby but full of smoky flavour, and one of the new dishes, 'Beggar's Chicken' looked the part and tasted great with its sharp hoi sin dressing.

I won't detail everything we ate - you've probably had enough of the blow-by-blow style after El Bulli and the Sportsman - but some highlights were the char sui buns, usually a good measure of a dim sum restaurant and which passed that test perfectly, being light and gooey and with a great tasting sweet pork filling. The seafood dumplings also tasted as good as they looked, folded into a cute tortellini shape and stuffed full of sweet prawns and scallops. Unfortunately I didn't think much of the honey-glazed spare ribs, which looked a bit over-marinated and bedraggled, and although the crispy prawn balls looked spectacular in their nest of deep-fried egg pastry, there was simply too much grease for me to wade through to find the prawns.

Desserts, so often an afterthought in Chinese restaurants, were surprisingly good. Admittedly had I been paying I probably would never had ordered them, but the mango pudding was lovely and fresh tasting - straightforward but deliberately so - and the "Ping Pong Delights" (which I'm told are also known as mochi) were great fun, with a spongy pastry coating three radically different flavours of ice cream. We particularly enjoyed the vanilla and mango with a quite unexpected chilli heat. Only the chocolate and wasabi mousse was a bit of a let-down, the fiery horseradish sitting very uneasily with the sweet chocolate.

If you've ever been out in Soho or Oxford Circus and been looking for somewhere to eat, chances are you've already found Ping Pong and none of this is news to you. And in fact they seem to have struck a chord with Londoners at large, judging by the alarming growth rate of what was once a mini-chain - there are now twelve branches. Ping Pong is a fine example of the way London can enthusiastically adopt a cuisine from another country and twist it just subtly enough to meet its own local needs. No, it's not strictly "traditional" to eat dim sum in the evening, but this is after all London, not Hong Kong. We do things differently here.Before we go any further, Full Disclosure. I didn't pay for this meal. I was invited by the PR lady to try their new Autumn menu after I made some (unprompted) positive comments about it on Twitter, and of course I was happy to accept. But believe me or not, I have always had a soft spot for Ping Pong. Whether or not the traditionalists like it, dim sum lends itself extraordinarily well to post-pub dining, and although Yauatcha was probably the first place to promote the peculiar idea of serving food when the customers might want to eat it rather than when the restaurant decides is convenient for them, the raft of mini-chains that have followed in its wake (including Dim T) have proved that it's not that peculiar an idea after all.

When you think about it, it's obvious. A group of friends, some more hungry than others, some more drunk than others, some leaving early, some arriving late. Imagine trying to make a booking at a restaurant in Soho last-minute - "Yeah, between two and twenty of us, some not eating, some not drinking either. We'll be there any time in the next four hours." Not going to happen is it. But here stands Ping Pong: vast, reasonably priced and welcoming. Sure, you'll have to queue in busy periods, and it can get quite boisterous later in the evening, but for a reliably fun place to share food, sip fruity cocktails and not completely drain that month's budget, I can hardly think of anywhere more suitable.

We started small, with nibbles of Sichuan pork cracklings (not very Sichuan-y - in fact they tasted just like your average pub pork scratchings, albeit served with a really lovely chilli oil) and tamarind prawn crackers (the tamarind sauce was lovely and sharp, and the crackers themselves looked pleasingly rustic) while we supped on our largely successful house cocktails (my lychee martini was pretty good, although the Earl Grey julep was odd).

Seafood puff was a little low on filling, but what was there was tasty. The mooli and spring onion puff is described on the menu as containing 'a hint of garlic' but was so overwhelmingly garlicky it almost drowned any other flavours. Slices of smoked duck were a bit flabby but full of smoky flavour, and one of the new dishes, 'Beggar's Chicken' looked the part and tasted great with its sharp hoi sin dressing.

I won't detail everything we ate - you've probably had enough of the blow-by-blow style after El Bulli and the Sportsman - but some highlights were the char sui buns, usually a good measure of a dim sum restaurant and which passed that test perfectly, being light and gooey and with a great tasting sweet pork filling. The seafood dumplings also tasted as good as they looked, folded into a cute tortellini shape and stuffed full of sweet prawns and scallops. Unfortunately I didn't think much of the honey-glazed spare ribs, which looked a bit over-marinated and bedraggled, and although the crispy prawn balls looked spectacular in their nest of deep-fried egg pastry, there was simply too much grease for me to wade through to find the prawns.

Desserts, so often an afterthought in Chinese restaurants, were surprisingly good. Admittedly had I been paying I probably would never had ordered them, but the mango pudding was lovely and fresh tasting - straightforward but deliberately so - and the "Ping Pong Delights" (which I'm told are also known as mochi) were great fun, with a spongy pastry coating three radically different flavours of ice cream. We particularly enjoyed the vanilla and mango with a quite unexpected chilli heat. Only the chocolate and wasabi mousse was a bit of a let-down, the fiery horseradish sitting very uneasily with the sweet chocolate.

If you've ever been out in Soho or Oxford Circus and been looking for somewhere to eat, chances are you've already found Ping Pong and none of this is news to you. And in fact they seem to have struck a chord with Londoners at large, judging by the alarming growth rate of what was once a mini-chain - there are now twelve branches. Ping Pong is a fine example of the way London can enthusiastically adopt a cuisine from another country and twist it just subtly enough to meet its own local needs. No, it's not strictly "traditional" to eat dim sum in the evening, but this is after all London, not Hong Kong. We do things differently here.

Melanie Italian Restaurant - by DIMCD5

DIMCD5 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:06:53 +0000

Review by DIMCD5

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7437 4006

Very friendly, lovely food, nice atmosphere.Very friendly, lovely food, nice atmosphere.

Ten Ten Tei - A cosy place for authentic Japanese by m1esk

m1esk — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:18:32 +0000

Review by m1esk

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7287 1738

Tags: japanese, good value, crowded

The style is authentic and the price is right. The soba is recommended and also the tempura is excellent. The teriyaki beef was a little disappointing: the meat wasn't tender enough although the sauce was good. Sushi/nigiri is not a strong point here: the rice is sometimes too hard.

Served by Japanese waitress: helpful and with typical Japanese smile.

Larger tables are available in the basement that can accommodate a party of eight. The decors are down-to-earth Japanese which appears warm and cosy.The style is authentic and the price is right. The soba is recommended and also the tempura is excellent. The teriyaki beef was a little disappointing: the meat wasn't tender enough although the sauce was good. Sushi/nigiri is not a strong point here: the rice is sometimes too hard.

Served by Japanese waitress: helpful and with typical Japanese smile.

Larger tables are available in the basement that can accommodate a party of eight. The decors are down-to-earth Japanese which appears warm and cosy.

Soba - Not a trusted place for Japanese cuisine by m1esk

m1esk — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:53:55 +0000

Review by m1esk

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7287 7300

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

Tags: cheap eat, japanese, vietnamese

The cooking style and ingredients are obviously Vietnamese and the restaurant is trying to imitate a Japanese menu.

The ironic thing is that it does not have soba on its menu.

I'd give the food 3 or mayb 4 stars if they market themselves as a Vietnamese noodle bar instead.

Good things to mention are the atmosphere (although they can do with a few more ambient music, the CD managed to loop within my dinner session) and the price.The cooking style and ingredients are obviously Vietnamese and the restaurant is trying to imitate a Japanese menu.

The ironic thing is that it does not have soba on its menu.

I'd give the food 3 or mayb 4 stars if they market themselves as a Vietnamese noodle bar instead.

Good things to mention are the atmosphere (although they can do with a few more ambient music, the CD managed to loop within my dinner session) and the price.

The Stockpot - by guihnz

guihnz — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:01:38 +0000

Review by guihnz

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7287 1066

Tags: cheap eat, british, takeaway

Not the best service in London but I confirm the "good value for money"...Not the best service in London but I confirm the "good value for money"...