Latest reviews for Restaurants in Swiss Cottage, London, United Kingdom

Feng Sushi - Not as good as Asakusa by lenalouise

lenalouise — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:07:46 +0000

Review by lenalouise

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7483 2929

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

Me and my friend Michelle originally wanted to go to Asakusa, somewhere that I had been raving on about to her for a while but unfortunately it was still closed from the New Year holidays so off we went to nearby Feng Sushi. We were the only customers there which is understandable as I guess most people would opt for the takeaway option. Indeed, the phone didn't stop ringing. We were happy to be out of the freezing cold anyway.

Apart from the fact that we were the only ones in there, Feng Sushi is quite nice as a restaurant. I could happily sit in there for a few hours, chatting and drinking green tea. As we were looking at the menu, I was quite shocked at how expensive it is compared to Asakusa. To share, we had a 22 piece mixed sushi plate, a king prawn tempura hand roll each and an eel maki roll which all came to Â£40 with green tea.

The food looked the part, it was presented well and looked authentic but the fish lacked on flavour. The tempura hand roll wasn't as crispy and light as it should be but the eel maki was spot on. I don't think I will come here again, it's just too expensive for what it is. I'd much prefer Asakusa by miles and left feeling a bit unsatisfied.Me and my friend Michelle originally wanted to go to Asakusa, somewhere that I had been raving on about to her for a while but unfortunately it was still closed from the New Year holidays so off we went to nearby Feng Sushi. We were the only customers there which is understandable as I guess most people would opt for the takeaway option. Indeed, the phone didn't stop ringing. We were happy to be out of the freezing cold anyway.

Apart from the fact that we were the only ones in there, Feng Sushi is quite nice as a restaurant. I could happily sit in there for a few hours, chatting and drinking green tea. As we were looking at the menu, I was quite shocked at how expensive it is compared to Asakusa. To share, we had a 22 piece mixed sushi plate, a king prawn tempura hand roll each and an eel maki roll which all came to Â£40 with green tea.

The food looked the part, it was presented well and looked authentic but the fish lacked on flavour. The tempura hand roll wasn't as crispy and light as it should be but the eel maki was spot on. I don't think I will come here again, it's just too expensive for what it is. I'd much prefer Asakusa by miles and left feeling a bit unsatisfied.

XO - by wreeve

wreeve — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:41:24 +0000

Review by wreeve

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7433 0888

Website: http://www.rickerrestaurants.com

Tags: posh, romantic, cozy

One of Hampstead's best - reliable, great food in stylish trendy settingOne of Hampstead's best - reliable, great food in stylish trendy setting

Beyoglu - yummy turkish by raosulli

raosulli — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:08:36 +0000

Review by raosulli

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7435 7733

Tags: turkish, romantic, good value

This place has wonderful inexpensive turkish food in a warm and inviting environment. Everything I've tried has been fab and they're even great with kids.

A real find in a neighborhood bursting with overpriced places with mediocre food.This place has wonderful inexpensive turkish food in a warm and inviting environment. Everything I've tried has been fab and they're even great with kids.

A real find in a neighborhood bursting with overpriced places with mediocre food.

Marine Ices - Old Camden Art Deco Ice Cream place by stantoncarlisle

stantoncarlisle — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:14:53 +0000

Review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7482 9000

Tags: ice cream, italian, lively

The Marathon Bar a few doors down is a Camden Nightime place a gaff that's buzzin' in the early hours with folks on the prowl looking for parties or chemical action. Marine Ices is daytime Camden. Old fashioned Italian 60's style chrome and tile interiors. This was probably one of the first places you could get good coffee, way back when it was more than a novelty. When it still had some James Bond class. There may be better ice cream in supermarkets now. The selection here is still hard to beat - some go nuts for the Pistachio - I'm a chocolate chap myself. Coffe is good to. Its got a great seaside design inside. Good place for a quiet coffee and chat or a spot of indulgence Italian style.The Marathon Bar a few doors down is a Camden Nightime place a gaff that's buzzin' in the early hours with folks on the prowl looking for parties or chemical action. Marine Ices is daytime Camden. Old fashioned Italian 60's style chrome and tile interiors. This was probably one of the first places you could get good coffee, way back when it was more than a novelty. When it still had some James Bond class. There may be better ice cream in supermarkets now. The selection here is still hard to beat - some go nuts for the Pistachio - I'm a chocolate chap myself. Coffe is good to. Its got a great seaside design inside. Good place for a quiet coffee and chat or a spot of indulgence Italian style.

Tapeo - the best spanish restaurant by bertvid

bertvid — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:36:09 +0000

Review by bertvid

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7483 4242

Tags: tapas, good value, spanish

london 24.11.08
Just let you know that they have a lot offers like all Monday 2x1 eat two tapas (big tapas from 4 to 9 pounds) and pay just one and as well this offer is from tuesday to friday from 12pm to 4pm and the best offer and sure you canÂ´t find in london is on Tuesday paella x2, 12 pounds!!!! the food is delicious and service is very friendly,professional and happy you will feel you are in spain...
london 24.11.08
Just let you know that they have a lot offers like all Monday 2x1 eat two tapas (big tapas from 4 to 9 pounds) and pay just one and as well this offer is from tuesday to friday from 12pm to 4pm and the best offer and sure you canÂ´t find in london is on Tuesday paella x2, 12 pounds!!!! the food is delicious and service is very friendly,professional and happy you will feel you are in spain...

Curry Paradise - I'm passing this on. by bellaphon

bellaphon — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:37:56 +0000

Review by bellaphon

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7794 9352

Tags: indian, romantic, cheap eat

I have a usual problem with dining in Indian restaurants as Iâ¬"m a stalwart to the two City greats of New Tayyabs and the Lahore Kebab House (both ironically Pakistani). Both are difficult acts to follow and leads to my inkling that the other Indian restaurants in the capital are left with only three choices on how to maintain their bank balance in the black-

1- The first would be to mimic the two said restaurants with hell-bent superior cooking at affordable prices.
2- Or go totally high end and esoteric to achieve one Michelin star and charge the earth for a Tandoori woodcock.
3- Lastly perhaps the safest and most assured way would be to stay totally generic and preferably suburban at the same time. A win-win situation, a place where the Chicken tikka masala is an absolute de rigeur.

Curry Paradise belongs to the third category, the manager knows the names of the regulars and the regulars expect him to know what to place on the table within half an hour. From what I recalled the only two decent things were a rather good service and there were actually some substantial plump king prawns swimming in the Karahi dish. Thatâ¬"s all and â¬Ünuff said.
I have a usual problem with dining in Indian restaurants as Iâ¬"m a stalwart to the two City greats of New Tayyabs and the Lahore Kebab House (both ironically Pakistani). Both are difficult acts to follow and leads to my inkling that the other Indian restaurants in the capital are left with only three choices on how to maintain their bank balance in the black-

1- The first would be to mimic the two said restaurants with hell-bent superior cooking at affordable prices.
2- Or go totally high end and esoteric to achieve one Michelin star and charge the earth for a Tandoori woodcock.
3- Lastly perhaps the safest and most assured way would be to stay totally generic and preferably suburban at the same time. A win-win situation, a place where the Chicken tikka masala is an absolute de rigeur.

Curry Paradise belongs to the third category, the manager knows the names of the regulars and the regulars expect him to know what to place on the table within half an hour. From what I recalled the only two decent things were a rather good service and there were actually some substantial plump king prawns swimming in the Karahi dish. Thatâ¬"s all and â¬Ünuff said.

Hi Sushi - "I wouldn't, it's not very nice" by joslyoung

joslyoung — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:24:33 +0000

Review by joslyoung

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7794 2828

Tags: japanese, sushi bar/restaurant, takeaway

This place is just a standard, high street sushi chain and therefore, in all fairness, expectations should not really be all that high, but I felt sufficiently bemused by the meal I ate there this week to write about it.

The menu carries no surprises - ramen, sushi, sashimi and sets - and the quality is low to average. Put it this way, I ordered seafood ramen and wasn't sufficiently surprised to even be disappointed that it came with crab sticks. Crab sticks - those well known seafood items. The noodle bowls are, at around Â£6-8 each, a cheap enough eat given the location, but still represent quite a considerable mark up when you consider the cost of the ingredients used.

Anyway, what made this an interesting lunch was the fact that there was a noodle dish on the menu that attracted my attention as I hadn't seen it before (I must confess to not being able to remember what it was now!). I asked the waiter what it was, and he replied, "Erm.... well... yah, it's sort of vegetable, but I wouldn't order it because it's not very nice".

Cue stunned silence from my partner and I. The waiter then went into an explanation of sorts, which I quickly interpreted as "It's quite 'Japanese', and quite an unfamiliar flavour to the European palate, so I don't think you should eat it". And to be frank, it annoys me when waiters do that. Firstly, it's rather patronising to assume that the only dishes I'm interested in are the 'tame' ones that are tailored for UK tastes (why would I be in a Japanese restaurant if I didn't want to sample Japanese flavours?) and secondly, it actually puts one in the strange position of looking obtuse and stubborn if one orders against what the waiter thinks you should have... In his (unsolicited) recommendations, the waiter told me that "you should have the chicken teriyaki, or the grilled salmon". Yawn. We both felt strangely pressured and ended up ordering completely different food to what we would otherwise have done, and true to promise, it was all bland, unimaginative and highly disappointing.

So not great marks for the kitchen, but particularly poor marks to the waiter, who did the very opposite of what a good waiter should - if the chef at Hi Sushi is reading this and wonders why his customers are all so frustratingly dull and safe in their menu choices, now you know....!!!

This place is just a standard, high street sushi chain and therefore, in all fairness, expectations should not really be all that high, but I felt sufficiently bemused by the meal I ate there this week to write about it.

The menu carries no surprises - ramen, sushi, sashimi and sets - and the quality is low to average. Put it this way, I ordered seafood ramen and wasn't sufficiently surprised to even be disappointed that it came with crab sticks. Crab sticks - those well known seafood items. The noodle bowls are, at around Â£6-8 each, a cheap enough eat given the location, but still represent quite a considerable mark up when you consider the cost of the ingredients used.

Anyway, what made this an interesting lunch was the fact that there was a noodle dish on the menu that attracted my attention as I hadn't seen it before (I must confess to not being able to remember what it was now!). I asked the waiter what it was, and he replied, "Erm.... well... yah, it's sort of vegetable, but I wouldn't order it because it's not very nice".

Cue stunned silence from my partner and I. The waiter then went into an explanation of sorts, which I quickly interpreted as "It's quite 'Japanese', and quite an unfamiliar flavour to the European palate, so I don't think you should eat it". And to be frank, it annoys me when waiters do that. Firstly, it's rather patronising to assume that the only dishes I'm interested in are the 'tame' ones that are tailored for UK tastes (why would I be in a Japanese restaurant if I didn't want to sample Japanese flavours?) and secondly, it actually puts one in the strange position of looking obtuse and stubborn if one orders against what the waiter thinks you should have... In his (unsolicited) recommendations, the waiter told me that "you should have the chicken teriyaki, or the grilled salmon". Yawn. We both felt strangely pressured and ended up ordering completely different food to what we would otherwise have done, and true to promise, it was all bland, unimaginative and highly disappointing.

So not great marks for the kitchen, but particularly poor marks to the waiter, who did the very opposite of what a good waiter should - if the chef at Hi Sushi is reading this and wonders why his customers are all so frustratingly dull and safe in their menu choices, now you know....!!!

Bradley's - Surprisingly Good by neelmistry

neelmistry — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:32:25 +0000

Review by neelmistry

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7722 3457

Tags: french, vegetarian, mediterranean

As I recently moved to Swiss Cottage, I wanted a local restaurant to visit one Saturday. I booked Bradley's a day in advance and requested a quiet table to sit at. The request was taken seriously and we were placed in a small alcove near the back of the room (the best table in the room). Service was impressive and the wine list excellent. The food was was prompt and delicious. I had the crab and avocado starter and the sword fish main. Just a really small and brilliant restaurant hidden away behind Swiss cottage station. A real gem.As I recently moved to Swiss Cottage, I wanted a local restaurant to visit one Saturday. I booked Bradley's a day in advance and requested a quiet table to sit at. The request was taken seriously and we were placed in a small alcove near the back of the room (the best table in the room). Service was impressive and the wine list excellent. The food was was prompt and delicious. I had the crab and avocado starter and the sword fish main. Just a really small and brilliant restaurant hidden away behind Swiss cottage station. A real gem.

Cumin - by mez61

mez61 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:14:34 +0000

Review by mez61

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7794 5616

Tags: indian, vegetarian dishes, takeaway

cumin is a strange place, very good food but it is not sure what market it is catering for, its parked in between sushi conveyor food place and burger bar in the 02 centre !
luckily for us it serves some of the best indian food in london, nearly as good as Eriki in swiss cottage.
the manager looks like he may be a bollywood stuntman too.cumin is a strange place, very good food but it is not sure what market it is catering for, its parked in between sushi conveyor food place and burger bar in the 02 centre !
luckily for us it serves some of the best indian food in london, nearly as good as Eriki in swiss cottage.
the manager looks like he may be a bollywood stuntman too.

Eriki - by mez61

mez61 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:07:24 +0000

Review by mez61

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7722 0606

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

Tags: indian, vegetarian dishes, takeaway

can not believe this place has not been reviewed yet !
eriki is one of the best indian restaurants outside central london.
its just had a refurb so prices have gone up, but still very authentic, unlike the majority of "indian" restaurants.
booking essential !can not believe this place has not been reviewed yet !
eriki is one of the best indian restaurants outside central london.
its just had a refurb so prices have gone up, but still very authentic, unlike the majority of "indian" restaurants.
booking essential !

Yo! Sushi - Yo! Sushi by arcantara99

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

Review by arcantara99

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7431 4499

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

Tags: japanese, lively, takeaway

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

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

Benihana - One for the experience by baks162

baks162 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:56:08 +0000

Review by baks162

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7586 9508

Website: http://www.benihana.com

Tags: japanese, vegetarian dishes, toptable

As a vegetarian, I didnt feel that there was much appetising choice here and a bit pricey for what you get (unless you have got a deal). However the chef made up for it with his very entertaining cooking tricks on the table! My neice would have loved it! We went for the 7 course meal - dont worry, you can easily finish them!

As a vegetarian, I didnt feel that there was much appetising choice here and a bit pricey for what you get (unless you have got a deal). However the chef made up for it with his very entertaining cooking tricks on the table! My neice would have loved it! We went for the 7 course meal - dont worry, you can easily finish them!

Zara - Underwhelming by kranti

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

Review by kranti

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7794 5498

Website: http://www.zara.com

Tags: turkish, accessories, casual

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

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

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

Fine Burger Co - average at best by Barney752

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

Review by Barney752

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7433 0700

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

Tags: takeaway, gourmet hamburgers

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

Ping Pong Dim Sum - have sum dim sum by Barney752

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

Review by Barney752

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7433 0930

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: takeaway, cocktails, chinese

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

Green Cottage - yummy by Barney752

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

Review by Barney752

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7722 7892

Tags: takeaway, vegetarian dishes, chinese

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

Weng Wah House - weng wah by cooliz

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

Review by cooliz

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7431 4502

Tags: chinese, lively, expensive

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

Manna - celeb hang out with good food by boxinghefner

boxinghefner — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:24:40 +0000

Review by boxinghefner

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7722 8028

Website: http://www.manna-veg.com

Tags: vegetarian, good value, lively

For a night-out with vegetarian food that is of a slightly higher quality (and price) than your standard fair, Manna is the place. In what seems to be a trendy hang out for the Primrose Hill chattering classes an eclectic range of different foods are served: all to a high quality with polite service, making for a memorable night out.For a night-out with vegetarian food that is of a slightly higher quality (and price) than your standard fair, Manna is the place. In what seems to be a trendy hang out for the Primrose Hill chattering classes an eclectic range of different foods are served: all to a high quality with polite service, making for a memorable night out.

Goldfish - Relaxed by de_uk

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

Review by de_uk

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7794 6238

Tags: chinese, takeaway

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

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

Look out for the strange shredded wheat pudding!