Latest reviews for Restaurants in Tufnell Park, London, United Kingdom

Lalibela - Kitschy Kitchen by stantoncarlisle

stantoncarlisle — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:38:16 +0000

Review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7284 0600

My foodie mates adore this place and go into orgasmic paroxysms when they talk about(at length). I get the wooden masks, seats and the whole ethnic vibe. I like the idea of escaping from Kentish Town into a romantic noshery. It either works for you or it doesn't - perhaps I'm just not foodie enough(sniff). On the plus side the food was good - spicy meat dishes that you sop up with homemade bread. The staff, fun and friendly.My foodie mates adore this place and go into orgasmic paroxysms when they talk about(at length). I get the wooden masks, seats and the whole ethnic vibe. I like the idea of escaping from Kentish Town into a romantic noshery. It either works for you or it doesn't - perhaps I'm just not foodie enough(sniff). On the plus side the food was good - spicy meat dishes that you sop up with homemade bread. The staff, fun and friendly.

Peking Palace - Veggie Haven by stantoncarlisle

stantoncarlisle — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:48:26 +0000

Review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7281 8989

Website: http://www.thepekingpalace.com

Tags: chinese, family & home feel, lively

There are a rash of Thai Veggie all you can eat fake meat joints in London right now. The grub there is stodgy, fried and uniform. This place is a cut and half above those franchises. The lunchtime buffet is good and reasonably priced at - Â£5.50. The place is cosy and gets packed with Veggies, Buddhists and their chums. The restaurant decor isn't the usual Chinese polished minimalist that's easy to clean - there's more carpet, satin curtains and warm yellow to give a softer more welcoming feel. The buffet is good value and the evening menu more expensive. The veggie chicken is excellent, the rice perfect. Set meal prices are a little bit more than you'd pay in Chinatown but worth it if your a veggie who's seeking to graze in different pastures. Definitely a highlight and unusual find in the urban sprawl of Archway.There are a rash of Thai Veggie all you can eat fake meat joints in London right now. The grub there is stodgy, fried and uniform. This place is a cut and half above those franchises. The lunchtime buffet is good and reasonably priced at - Â£5.50. The place is cosy and gets packed with Veggies, Buddhists and their chums. The restaurant decor isn't the usual Chinese polished minimalist that's easy to clean - there's more carpet, satin curtains and warm yellow to give a softer more welcoming feel. The buffet is good value and the evening menu more expensive. The veggie chicken is excellent, the rice perfect. Set meal prices are a little bit more than you'd pay in Chinatown but worth it if your a veggie who's seeking to graze in different pastures. Definitely a highlight and unusual find in the urban sprawl of Archway.

Indian Ocean Tandoori Restaurant - Mighty Fine Indian by stantoncarlisle

stantoncarlisle — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:59:03 +0000

Review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7609 9963

Tags: indian, lively, takeaway

As Indians go this is one of the best. Indian Restaurants in London are of a pretty low quality and dining in them is neither invigorating or memorable. The food often too spicy with poor ingredients that aren't that fresh or just overall lack lustre. At the Indian Ocean at least they try. The good looking chef comes out at the end of the meal, chats and gets to know you. The Staff are friendly and upbeat. The decor warm and inviting. The Cushioned booths intimate and comfortable. The food is pretty fine. There are some excellent dishes in the Veggie section. The Nan bread with fenugreek is darn good, as was the Lamb. Even the Ice cream was pretty good. It will cost you between Â£10-15 for a knockout meal that you'll remember - but that will cover beer and desert.As Indians go this is one of the best. Indian Restaurants in London are of a pretty low quality and dining in them is neither invigorating or memorable. The food often too spicy with poor ingredients that aren't that fresh or just overall lack lustre. At the Indian Ocean at least they try. The good looking chef comes out at the end of the meal, chats and gets to know you. The Staff are friendly and upbeat. The decor warm and inviting. The Cushioned booths intimate and comfortable. The food is pretty fine. There are some excellent dishes in the Veggie section. The Nan bread with fenugreek is darn good, as was the Lamb. Even the Ice cream was pretty good. It will cost you between Â£10-15 for a knockout meal that you'll remember - but that will cover beer and desert.

Archgate Cafe - Generous cheap eats for empty bellies by curlyfries

curlyfries — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:09:40 +0000

Review by curlyfries

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7272 2575

Tags: mediterranean, good value, cheap eat

I'm quite happy for thamshere below to leave off reviewing the "real food" for a bit: too many comments about how COMPLETELY AWESOME this place is will have it taking bookings. I adore the Archgate Cafe, it is so entirely unassuming from the outside: a hilarious chaos of ceiling lamps and terrible mediterranean cover versions of 80s classics on the inside, and the food is fabulous.

If you pick carefully, you can overfill your belly for well under a tenner. The menu is chock full of all the usual suspects - hummus, aubergine, lamb kofte and a divine tzaziki (or cacic) - but it's worth getting a bit maverick and picking something you've not heard of before because it's a surefire treat (although I admit to hearing a few negative things about the squid). The portions are definitely generous and the whole thing has a real personal touch (especially when you're unpeeling the foil from around your Turkish stew). It's a full-on local favourite for me.

Still, I don't really want anyone else to go, so keep it quiet, would you?I'm quite happy for thamshere below to leave off reviewing the "real food" for a bit: too many comments about how COMPLETELY AWESOME this place is will have it taking bookings. I adore the Archgate Cafe, it is so entirely unassuming from the outside: a hilarious chaos of ceiling lamps and terrible mediterranean cover versions of 80s classics on the inside, and the food is fabulous.

If you pick carefully, you can overfill your belly for well under a tenner. The menu is chock full of all the usual suspects - hummus, aubergine, lamb kofte and a divine tzaziki (or cacic) - but it's worth getting a bit maverick and picking something you've not heard of before because it's a surefire treat (although I admit to hearing a few negative things about the squid). The portions are definitely generous and the whole thing has a real personal touch (especially when you're unpeeling the foil from around your Turkish stew). It's a full-on local favourite for me.

Still, I don't really want anyone else to go, so keep it quiet, would you?

Eatzone Noodle House - Authentic and cheap! by limbo_lover

limbo_lover — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:09:25 +0000

Review by limbo_lover

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7485 0152

Tags: good value, cheap eat, malaysian

Great food with a really authentic flavour, some of the best Malaysian food I have had in England. The menu is very reasonably priced and the service is good, either in the happily unpretentious cafe or with home delivery.Great food with a really authentic flavour, some of the best Malaysian food I have had in England. The menu is very reasonably priced and the service is good, either in the happily unpretentious cafe or with home delivery.

Monsoon - Super Tasty Dinner by raz_kidd

raz_kidd — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:01:13 +0000

Review by raz_kidd

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7284 0025

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

Tags: indian, good value, cheap eat

I went here last night and it was fantastic. Great atmosphere - huge portions and very friendly staff. The drinks are pretty cheap too. The food tastes great and their Tandoori Chicken Tikka Massala is the best I have ever tried.

I will definately be going again!I went here last night and it was fantastic. Great atmosphere - huge portions and very friendly staff. The drinks are pretty cheap too. The food tastes great and their Tandoori Chicken Tikka Massala is the best I have ever tried.

I will definately be going again!

The Spice - Fine by bobidiot

bobidiot — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:51:35 +0000

Review by bobidiot

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7482 2700

Tags: indian, takeaway, conservatory

This Indian restaurant has incredible food, although I would expect it to have such quality given itâ¬"s very very high prices. We went as a party of eight, and ended up having a bill of about three hundred pounds! Perhaps it was all the alcohol we bought with the meal?! Anyway, we were all blown away with our main courses, but on the down side, the desserts were a little disappointing. Still, perhaps we were paying for the staffâ¬"s very fancy uniforms? They were very smart indeed. A comfortable seven out of ten to this nice, but expensive curry house. It is guaranteed to empty your wallet!This Indian restaurant has incredible food, although I would expect it to have such quality given itâ¬"s very very high prices. We went as a party of eight, and ended up having a bill of about three hundred pounds! Perhaps it was all the alcohol we bought with the meal?! Anyway, we were all blown away with our main courses, but on the down side, the desserts were a little disappointing. Still, perhaps we were paying for the staffâ¬"s very fancy uniforms? They were very smart indeed. A comfortable seven out of ten to this nice, but expensive curry house. It is guaranteed to empty your wallet!

Spaghetti House - A Local Institution by chrisp

chrisp — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:02:57 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7485 7984

Tags: cosy, proper food, lively

A few weeks ago I issued a challenge to the good food-loving people of the internet to find me a decent, mid-range Italian restaurant. I was just looking for somewhere sensible between the exemplary ingredients and stratospheric pricing of the River CafÃ© and the high street dross of Bella Pasta - I needed convincing that Italian restaurants are occasionally worth bothering with in London. So off the back of one particular recommendation, I found myself travelling all the way up to Tufnell Park after work on Thursday to a little place called Spaghetti House. It's a bit of a local institution apparently; the chef, Enzo, has been here manning the stoves (and the phones when I called) for over 20 years and runs the place single-handedly - when he's ill or on holiday, it's closed. This is clearly not someone from the Gordon Ramsay school of restaurant management.

From the outside it looks like your average greasy spoon caff (out of interest, why are they called 'greasy spoon'? What on earth could you be eating with a spoon that was greasy? Suggestions please), inside the dÃ©cor struck that fine balance between 'homely' and 'bonkers'. The laminated menu was tempting in its simplicity, but the list of specials appeared to go on and on and was scrawled in chalk in every available gap of wall space. Assorted paraphernalia dangled from the ceiling, a sign by the door said 'welcome' in 20 world languages, and just the other side of a tiki-bar faÃ§ade there indeed was Enzo, working feverishly away amidst the noise and steam of the kitchen.

At such ludicrously low prices it would have been churlish of me not to try and sample as much as I could, so I ordered a starter and dessert, very unlike me. The home-made minestrone soup was hearty and huge, if a little bland, but who's complaining at Â£2 a pop. A friend pushed the boat out with a bruschetta at Â£3.50, which was much nicer, dressed with a lovely rich tomato salsa.

The roast duck main course was generous in flavour and portion, with a thick orangey sauce and nice fatty meat. It's not haute cuisine by any means, just boiled veg and roast potatoes with seared duck leg, but it was actually rather good, and not just because it cost Â£8. I did try a bit of my friend's broccoli pasta (Â£5) and yes, that was pretty good too. No better than you could make yourself, admittedly, but comforting and simple and - and this is worth repeating - Â£5 for a huge plate of food.

Ice cream also came in a gut-bursting portion size, as did a pleasant enough slab of cherry pie which could have done with a bit more warming through but, stuffed with gloopy fruit and sprinkled with sugar, didn't last long anyway.

So after moaning about the dearth of affordable decent Italian restaurants in London I appear to have found something of a rare commodity - a genuine restaurant bargain. To be fair, not every Londoner is likely to travel up to Tuffnel Park for a bruschetta but judging by the clientele on Thursday night, word probably doesn't need to travel much further than NW5 for every table to be taken. And on the subject of the clientele, I have never seen a more delightfully complete section of society in one restaurant - a table of septuagenarians, a young professional couple, cabbies, families, it felt almost contrived, like I was eating on the set of a soap opera.

I do have one complaint though. After the main courses were served, the waitress came over with a black pepper mill. Part of me wanted to wrestle it off her, but as I was enjoying the evening so much I waited patiently as she seasoned the plate in front of me. Unconventional and quirky in so many ways, I will allow Spaghetti House this one pretention. It doesn't seem to be doing it any harm.A few weeks ago I issued a challenge to the good food-loving people of the internet to find me a decent, mid-range Italian restaurant. I was just looking for somewhere sensible between the exemplary ingredients and stratospheric pricing of the River CafÃ© and the high street dross of Bella Pasta - I needed convincing that Italian restaurants are occasionally worth bothering with in London. So off the back of one particular recommendation, I found myself travelling all the way up to Tufnell Park after work on Thursday to a little place called Spaghetti House. It's a bit of a local institution apparently; the chef, Enzo, has been here manning the stoves (and the phones when I called) for over 20 years and runs the place single-handedly - when he's ill or on holiday, it's closed. This is clearly not someone from the Gordon Ramsay school of restaurant management.

From the outside it looks like your average greasy spoon caff (out of interest, why are they called 'greasy spoon'? What on earth could you be eating with a spoon that was greasy? Suggestions please), inside the dÃ©cor struck that fine balance between 'homely' and 'bonkers'. The laminated menu was tempting in its simplicity, but the list of specials appeared to go on and on and was scrawled in chalk in every available gap of wall space. Assorted paraphernalia dangled from the ceiling, a sign by the door said 'welcome' in 20 world languages, and just the other side of a tiki-bar faÃ§ade there indeed was Enzo, working feverishly away amidst the noise and steam of the kitchen.

At such ludicrously low prices it would have been churlish of me not to try and sample as much as I could, so I ordered a starter and dessert, very unlike me. The home-made minestrone soup was hearty and huge, if a little bland, but who's complaining at Â£2 a pop. A friend pushed the boat out with a bruschetta at Â£3.50, which was much nicer, dressed with a lovely rich tomato salsa.

The roast duck main course was generous in flavour and portion, with a thick orangey sauce and nice fatty meat. It's not haute cuisine by any means, just boiled veg and roast potatoes with seared duck leg, but it was actually rather good, and not just because it cost Â£8. I did try a bit of my friend's broccoli pasta (Â£5) and yes, that was pretty good too. No better than you could make yourself, admittedly, but comforting and simple and - and this is worth repeating - Â£5 for a huge plate of food.

Ice cream also came in a gut-bursting portion size, as did a pleasant enough slab of cherry pie which could have done with a bit more warming through but, stuffed with gloopy fruit and sprinkled with sugar, didn't last long anyway.

So after moaning about the dearth of affordable decent Italian restaurants in London I appear to have found something of a rare commodity - a genuine restaurant bargain. To be fair, not every Londoner is likely to travel up to Tuffnel Park for a bruschetta but judging by the clientele on Thursday night, word probably doesn't need to travel much further than NW5 for every table to be taken. And on the subject of the clientele, I have never seen a more delightfully complete section of society in one restaurant - a table of septuagenarians, a young professional couple, cabbies, families, it felt almost contrived, like I was eating on the set of a soap opera.

I do have one complaint though. After the main courses were served, the waitress came over with a black pepper mill. Part of me wanted to wrestle it off her, but as I was enjoying the evening so much I waited patiently as she seasoned the plate in front of me. Unconventional and quirky in so many ways, I will allow Spaghetti House this one pretention. It doesn't seem to be doing it any harm.

Pasta Habit - by sokratis

sokratis — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:00:12 +0000

Review by sokratis

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7267 9239

Tags: italian, vegetarian dishes

It used to be one of local takeaways when Indian or Chinese were just too exotic and we fancied some simple pasta or Italian food. Desceptively the owner is Greek, but don't let that put you off as they make all your typical Italian spaghettin (or other pasta dished) remarkably well. The portions are huge and you can trust the quality of the place as it's been there for years and is regularly busy with a bunch of locals. It used to be one of local takeaways when Indian or Chinese were just too exotic and we fancied some simple pasta or Italian food. Desceptively the owner is Greek, but don't let that put you off as they make all your typical Italian spaghettin (or other pasta dished) remarkably well. The portions are huge and you can trust the quality of the place as it's been there for years and is regularly busy with a bunch of locals.

Nid Ting Thai Restaurant - Better than Bangkok by thamshere

thamshere — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:18:13 +0000

Review by thamshere

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7263 0506

Tags: thai, romantic, good value

Nid Ting is an unassuming restaurant with very reasonably prices that serves up the best Thai food I've had this side of Thailand. It's better than a lot of the food I had in Thailand, too. Very traditional, friendly and very, very good. The Hot & Sour Soup is perfect, as are the Red, Green & Jungle curries. The chef's specials are superb - my favourite so far is the Steamed Tailapia which was perfectly cooked and delicately flavoured.

It's not fine dining but it is fabulous.Nid Ting is an unassuming restaurant with very reasonably prices that serves up the best Thai food I've had this side of Thailand. It's better than a lot of the food I had in Thailand, too. Very traditional, friendly and very, very good. The Hot & Sour Soup is perfect, as are the Red, Green & Jungle curries. The chef's specials are superb - my favourite so far is the Steamed Tailapia which was perfectly cooked and delicately flavoured.

It's not fine dining but it is fabulous.

Queen Of Sheba - Amazing Ethiopian Food by andymyers

andymyers — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:56:54 +0000

Review by andymyers

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7284 3947

Tags: good value, ethiopian, african & caribbean

My wife and I love this restaurant. I'd never had Ethiopian food until a few years ago, but since visiting Queen of Sheba I have been hooked. I can only vouch for the vegetarian dishes, but they are excellent. It is very reasonably priced too and the only reason I can't give this place 5 stars is because sometimes the service is a bit slow...that said, the staff are very friendly.My wife and I love this restaurant. I'd never had Ethiopian food until a few years ago, but since visiting Queen of Sheba I have been hooked. I can only vouch for the vegetarian dishes, but they are excellent. It is very reasonably priced too and the only reason I can't give this place 5 stars is because sometimes the service is a bit slow...that said, the staff are very friendly.

Chameli Indian Restaurant - My Valentines Dinner by Glen_Bailey

Glen_Bailey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:27:48 +0000

Review by Glen_Bailey

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7482 2833

Tags: indian, good value, vegetarian dishes

Itâ¬"s not often that you arrive at the restaurant you think youâ¬"re supposed to be at, only to have a small man run at you from out of the darkness asking â¬SDo you want to go in?â¬. My travelling instincts immediately kick in and Iâ¬"m about to politely yet sternly tell him â¬SNo thank youâ¬ and walk briskly off. Luckily my brain jumped in before my mouth.

I remembered a sign on the front door saying something like â¬ÜThis door is not usable. Please use the side door.â¬" As the realisation flowed across my face, the very helpful small man (who I could clearly now see was a waiter and dressed appropriately) explained the person with the only key was late and would we mind following him through the side door.

We followed and had a brief tour of the kitchen where the three chiefs (who all greeted us with a cheerful hello) were preparing for the night ahead. The aromas they were creating convinced me that we had chosen a good place to celebrate our first UK Valentines.

The dÃ©cor was nothing to write home about nor was it shabby. It was more the little touches like the miniature bouquet of flowers on each table and the heart shaped balloons scattered throughout that made it special.

We were the first people there, and our very attentive waiter let us choose where we wanted to sit. He then promptly took our coats (ladies first â¬ of course) and gave us enough time to peruse the menu. We decided on two beers, Cobra and Kingfisher, and a starter of two papadums which came with four delicious dipping sauces. My favourite was the spicy concoction with ground cinnamon.

The mains took us a little while to choose only because everything we looked at seemed to be better than the dish before, including dishes weâ¬"d already looked at! Iâ¬"m a sucker for goat which sadly was not on their menu, but made my decision a little easier. Eventually deciding I was craving a red meat, I decided on the Lahore Palak Gosht (a lamb dish using only A Grade Halal meat), my partner chose the Ginger Chicken Kerala Style (again using high grade meat) and due to the lack of greenery, she also chose the Saag Paneer (an old favourite of ours from New Zealand). To compliment this we chose a plain (basmati) and lemon rice.

Weâ¬"d just ordered two more beers when the hot plates arrived, much to our please followed closely by our fantastic looking food. All three dishes were superb. The lamb could have stood out on its own. It was so full of flavour and the accompanying spices did well to bring this out further without disguising it. We appreciated the flavours of the ginger chicken dish, especially the sizable slithers of ginger waiting at the bottom of the bowl which I was allowed free run of. The paneer dish surprised us in its presentation as we are used to seeing it in a spinach puree style. It looked more like wilted, reduced, fresh spinach with accompanying spices but was not disappointing.

As the dishes were taken away (completely empty I might add), we pondered the need for three of them. Perhaps if weâ¬"d been thinking sensibly we would have got two, but it was a special occasion and we didnâ¬"t want to leave thinking â¬SI bet that so-in-so dish would have been goodâ¬. We sat in Valentines bliss seriously considering our combined favourite to top off the evening, a refreshing lassi. Talk about eyes bigger than stomach syndrome! Sadly, we went with our stomachs (both of whom were rumbling with content) only to be asked if we would like to look at the desert/hot drinks menu. Phewf!

After deciding that a lassi would push us over the edge, I managed to convince myself that a chai tea would see me right, only to be disappointed when the waiter came back with that knowing apology of a smile and the sad news that there was to be no chai tea for me toni. Probably for the best. I was rather full.

The bill came to Â£36 and took a little working out. The only thing we may have done differently is instead of paying the Â£11 pounds for four beers opted for a bottle of wine instead.

Happy eating.
Itâ¬"s not often that you arrive at the restaurant you think youâ¬"re supposed to be at, only to have a small man run at you from out of the darkness asking â¬SDo you want to go in?â¬. My travelling instincts immediately kick in and Iâ¬"m about to politely yet sternly tell him â¬SNo thank youâ¬ and walk briskly off. Luckily my brain jumped in before my mouth.

I remembered a sign on the front door saying something like â¬ÜThis door is not usable. Please use the side door.â¬" As the realisation flowed across my face, the very helpful small man (who I could clearly now see was a waiter and dressed appropriately) explained the person with the only key was late and would we mind following him through the side door.

We followed and had a brief tour of the kitchen where the three chiefs (who all greeted us with a cheerful hello) were preparing for the night ahead. The aromas they were creating convinced me that we had chosen a good place to celebrate our first UK Valentines.

The dÃ©cor was nothing to write home about nor was it shabby. It was more the little touches like the miniature bouquet of flowers on each table and the heart shaped balloons scattered throughout that made it special.

We were the first people there, and our very attentive waiter let us choose where we wanted to sit. He then promptly took our coats (ladies first â¬ of course) and gave us enough time to peruse the menu. We decided on two beers, Cobra and Kingfisher, and a starter of two papadums which came with four delicious dipping sauces. My favourite was the spicy concoction with ground cinnamon.

The mains took us a little while to choose only because everything we looked at seemed to be better than the dish before, including dishes weâ¬"d already looked at! Iâ¬"m a sucker for goat which sadly was not on their menu, but made my decision a little easier. Eventually deciding I was craving a red meat, I decided on the Lahore Palak Gosht (a lamb dish using only A Grade Halal meat), my partner chose the Ginger Chicken Kerala Style (again using high grade meat) and due to the lack of greenery, she also chose the Saag Paneer (an old favourite of ours from New Zealand). To compliment this we chose a plain (basmati) and lemon rice.

Weâ¬"d just ordered two more beers when the hot plates arrived, much to our please followed closely by our fantastic looking food. All three dishes were superb. The lamb could have stood out on its own. It was so full of flavour and the accompanying spices did well to bring this out further without disguising it. We appreciated the flavours of the ginger chicken dish, especially the sizable slithers of ginger waiting at the bottom of the bowl which I was allowed free run of. The paneer dish surprised us in its presentation as we are used to seeing it in a spinach puree style. It looked more like wilted, reduced, fresh spinach with accompanying spices but was not disappointing.

As the dishes were taken away (completely empty I might add), we pondered the need for three of them. Perhaps if weâ¬"d been thinking sensibly we would have got two, but it was a special occasion and we didnâ¬"t want to leave thinking â¬SI bet that so-in-so dish would have been goodâ¬. We sat in Valentines bliss seriously considering our combined favourite to top off the evening, a refreshing lassi. Talk about eyes bigger than stomach syndrome! Sadly, we went with our stomachs (both of whom were rumbling with content) only to be asked if we would like to look at the desert/hot drinks menu. Phewf!

After deciding that a lassi would push us over the edge, I managed to convince myself that a chai tea would see me right, only to be disappointed when the waiter came back with that knowing apology of a smile and the sad news that there was to be no chai tea for me tonight. Probably for the best. I was rather full.

The bill came to Â£36 and took a little working out. The only thing we may have done differently is instead of paying the Â£11 pounds for four beers opted for a bottle of wine instead.

Happy eating.

Stingray Cafe - Good... but was better by ManKan

ManKan — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:50:29 +0000

Review by ManKan

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7482 4855

Tags: italian, takeaway, european

I realy like Stingray Cafe, the food is very well priced, I used to put Stingray in the same category as 'Little Bay' in Kilburn and Le Mercury in Islington, but the last time I went, I have to say the food was not all that, I strayed away from the standard menu and went for the specials, but it was not as good as their regular food!

The reviews from the press have been taken down and it does not boast how special it is anymore (which I always love) and have to say something has changed, not sure what?

I have been there loads, so I will wait until I try it one more time before concluding my views, as it hs always been good, just not the last timeI realy like Stingray Cafe, the food is very well priced, I used to put Stingray in the same category as 'Little Bay' in Kilburn and Le Mercury in Islington, but the last time I went, I have to say the food was not all that, I strayed away from the standard menu and went for the specials, but it was not as good as their regular food!

The reviews from the press have been taken down and it does not boast how special it is anymore (which I always love) and have to say something has changed, not sure what?

I have been there loads, so I will wait until I try it one more time before concluding my views, as it hs always been good, just not the last time

The Sitara - My New Favourite Restaurant by aeroplane

aeroplane — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:46:48 +0000

Review by aeroplane

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7281 0649

Tags: indian, lively, good value

I actually registered on this site solely to say I had the best Indian meal I've ever had prepared for me.

I love the esoteric combination of soothing 30s jazz with contemporary Indian cuisine. That said, I guess the fact I love jazz to be a huge bonus factor. If you hate jazz, then maybe this restaurant's dÃ©cor and atmosphere isn't for you.

However, the food is excellent, so don't let the jazz put you off! I'll be seeing a lot more of this place. The waiter was dead friendly and down-to-earth; the vast array of curries were very good value for money: around Â£6 for a mains.

Also, something I was surprised with was the portion size. It was exactly the right size! I'm not a gorger or a nibbler; I like to think I eat a standard portion at mealtimes, and when the curry came out it looked a little on the small side. However, by the time I was finished I realised it was the exact amount: enough to fill me up and leave me (very) satisfied, but not too much so I would end up overindulging or leaving a lot on my plate.

Next time I'm going to be way more adventurous. We both had lamb curries; my date's was deliciously tender and mine was firm and juicy.

This place was an excellent experience, and if it makes me want to go there every time I'm around Archway, then it must be doing something right.I actually registered on this site solely to say I had the best Indian meal I've ever had prepared for me.

I love the esoteric combination of soothing 30s jazz with contemporary Indian cuisine. That said, I guess the fact I love jazz to be a huge bonus factor. If you hate jazz, then maybe this restaurant's dÃ©cor and atmosphere isn't for you.

However, the food is excellent, so don't let the jazz put you off! I'll be seeing a lot more of this place. The waiter was dead friendly and down-to-earth; the vast array of curries were very good value for money: around Â£6 for a mains.

Also, something I was surprised with was the portion size. It was exactly the right size! I'm not a gorger or a nibbler; I like to think I eat a standard portion at mealtimes, and when the curry came out it looked a little on the small side. However, by the time I was finished I realised it was the exact amount: enough to fill me up and leave me (very) satisfied, but not too much so I would end up overindulging or leaving a lot on my plate.

Next time I'm going to be way more adventurous. We both had lamb curries; my date's was deliciously tender and mine was firm and juicy.

This place was an excellent experience, and if it makes me want to go there every time I'm around Archway, then it must be doing something right.

El Molino Tapas Bar - Holloway Tapas by sue

sue — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:07:16 +0000

Review by sue

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7700 4312

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

Tags: spanish, bar, tapas

Our first visit to Holloway was to check out a friends new flat, and it was suggested that we go for a meal nearby at El Molino Tapas Bar. We do enjoy tapas, and after reading some positive reviews online, we agreed it was a great idea.

First impressions of El Molino were good. Established in 1987, it looked authentically decorated and welcoming. There were plenty of people eating there, and staff milling about ready to take or order - in fact they happily just took the scrap of paper we had scrawled our tapas choices and even managed to decipher Alex's shorthand.

We ordered 8 dishes between the 3 of us. We stuck to fairly 'standard' options - the Boquerones Fritos (white bait), Calamares A La Romana (calamari), Chuletas De Cordero (lamb cutlets), Croquetas De Pollo (chicken croquettes), Fabada Asturiana (bean stew with chorizo), Berenjena Jardinera (stuffed aubergines), Patatas Bravas (potatoes with spicy sauce), and Tabla De Embutido (mixed salami, ham & Manchego cheese).

Unfortunately the food was very average. The tastiest dish for me was the Fabada Asturiana, and the Croquetas De Pollo and Calamares A La Romana were ok too. I found the Boquerones Fritos way too salty and the Chuletas De Cordero were overcooked. Oh, and don't bother with the the Crema Catalana.

Although the food wasn't the best, the atmosphere was great, and the wine list had enough interesting Spanish options to keep me happy.Our first visit to Holloway was to check out a friends new flat, and it was suggested that we go for a meal nearby at El Molino Tapas Bar. We do enjoy tapas, and after reading some positive reviews online, we agreed it was a great idea.

First impressions of El Molino were good. Established in 1987, it looked authentically decorated and welcoming. There were plenty of people eating there, and staff milling about ready to take or order - in fact they happily just took the scrap of paper we had scrawled our tapas choices and even managed to decipher Alex's shorthand.

We ordered 8 dishes between the 3 of us. We stuck to fairly 'standard' options - the Boquerones Fritos (white bait), Calamares A La Romana (calamari), Chuletas De Cordero (lamb cutlets), Croquetas De Pollo (chicken croquettes), Fabada Asturiana (bean stew with chorizo), Berenjena Jardinera (stuffed aubergines), Patatas Bravas (potatoes with spicy sauce), and Tabla De Embutido (mixed salami, ham & Manchego cheese).

Unfortunately the food was very average. The tastiest dish for me was the Fabada Asturiana, and the Croquetas De Pollo and Calamares A La Romana were ok too. I found the Boquerones Fritos way too salty and the Chuletas De Cordero were overcooked. Oh, and don't bother with the the Crema Catalana.

Although the food wasn't the best, the atmosphere was great, and the wine list had enough interesting Spanish options to keep me happy.

Al Parco Pizzeria - Best place for superb Calzone by walid

walid — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 10:56:01 +0000

Review by walid

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8340 5900

Tags: pizzeria, italian, value for money

Your typical small Italian restaurant near Hampstead Heath. The place itself is nothing special, it's location is pretty good except for being on Highgate West Hill thus making it noisy due to the cars passing by. But the real treat about this place are the superb Calzones. I find it very hard to find good Calzones. What makes this one good is the quality of the dough and the proportion of dough used. The cheese and tomatoes are good too. Damn just writting this review makes me hungry now! So I would give it just a 3 for the place, but because I love Calzone's I'll give it a 4! If you go there let me know what you thinkYour typical small Italian restaurant near Hampstead Heath. The place itself is nothing special, it's location is pretty good except for being on Highgate West Hill thus making it noisy due to the cars passing by. But the real treat about this place are the superb Calzones. I find it very hard to find good Calzones. What makes this one good is the quality of the dough and the proportion of dough used. The cheese and tomatoes are good too. Damn just writting this review makes me hungry now! So I would give it just a 3 for the place, but because I love Calzone's I'll give it a 4! If you go there let me know what you think