Latest reviews for Restaurants in Victoria, London, United Kingdom

Biguns Ribs - by Maxm007

Maxm007 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:18:35 +0000

Review by Maxm007

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7834 7350

Tags: american, cheap eat, family & home feel

Cheap fast food joint. Ribs are probably reheated. Not going there again.Cheap fast food joint. Ribs are probably reheated. Not going there again.

Preto - by NickR

NickR — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:29:07 +0000

Review by NickR

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7233 8668

Tags: brazilian, good value, family & home feel

This is a great little restaurant in the Brazilian style and a meat eaters wet dream! If you don't know what 'Brazilian' means, in the context of restaurants rather than â¬Ühairâ¬" styles, then here goes. Basically you pay a set price (about Â£22) for food. You get provided with a buffet of mostly vegetarian options of salad and a few Brazilian things which are all very nice. At your table you get issued with a little disc that is green on one side and red on the other. While the green side is showing a small army of waiters, who are running around with large knives and even larger chunks of meat, will come up and cut a slice right of hot meat onto your plate. The meats can be chicken, pork, hams, rump steak, slow roasted beef or lamb, chicken heartâ¬¦you name itâ¬¦lovely. Finally, when your belly is about to burst, and youâ¬"re wondering how to roll home, you turn the disk to red! The meat will stop comingâ¬¦eventually.
The restaurant is lively and the food is good and certainly good value. Donâ¬"t go if you donâ¬"t like meat or are not hungry. I can highly recommend a visit.
This is a great little restaurant in the Brazilian style and a meat eaters wet dream! If you don't know what 'Brazilian' means, in the context of restaurants rather than â¬Ühairâ¬" styles, then here goes. Basically you pay a set price (about Â£22) for food. You get provided with a buffet of mostly vegetarian options of salad and a few Brazilian things which are all very nice. At your table you get issued with a little disc that is green on one side and red on the other. While the green side is showing a small army of waiters, who are running around with large knives and even larger chunks of meat, will come up and cut a slice right of hot meat onto your plate. The meats can be chicken, pork, hams, rump steak, slow roasted beef or lamb, chicken heartâ¬¦you name itâ¬¦lovely. Finally, when your belly is about to burst, and youâ¬"re wondering how to roll home, you turn the disk to red! The meat will stop comingâ¬¦eventually.
The restaurant is lively and the food is good and certainly good value. Donâ¬"t go if you donâ¬"t like meat or are not hungry. I can highly recommend a visit.

Spaghetti House - lovely food by adiguy60

adiguy60 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:00:11 +0000

Review by adiguy60

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7834 5650

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

Tags: italian, lively, romantic

The food here is top notch... good, hearty italian food. Will be coming backThe food here is top notch... good, hearty italian food. Will be coming back

Dim T - Disappointing... by RobD

RobD — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:08:33 +0000

Review by RobD

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7834 0507

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

Tags: lively, chinese, crowded

While I've had great experiences in other branches, notably London Bridge, I won't be eating at this one again - despite the Manageress' best attempts at salvaging our experience (once on the ball, she was very efficient).

My dining pal and I waited over an hour for our food (?) and I had bothered to make a reservation. It took at least 20 minutes to even get a drinks order in. Then after *several* complaints to numerous members of staff - none of which helped except (I assume) the Manageress, we didn't get the Dim Sum we ordered. It just never turned up.

So we finally ate our dim sum post-mains (like a bizarre dessert) after having to re-order - and in fairness this was gratis. But overall I found the staff brusque, and a little dense if I'm honest - aside from mentioned manager / head waiter.

Disappointing as was meant to be a quick catch-up dinner that turned into a 2 hour exhaustion.

The food *is* still good though.

While I've had great experiences in other branches, notably London Bridge, I won't be eating at this one again - despite the Manageress' best attempts at salvaging our experience (once on the ball, she was very efficient).

My dining pal and I waited over an hour for our food (?) and I had bothered to make a reservation. It took at least 20 minutes to even get a drinks order in. Then after *several* complaints to numerous members of staff - none of which helped except (I assume) the Manageress, we didn't get the Dim Sum we ordered. It just never turned up.

So we finally ate our dim sum post-mains (like a bizarre dessert) after having to re-order - and in fairness this was gratis. But overall I found the staff brusque, and a little dense if I'm honest - aside from mentioned manager / head waiter.

Disappointing as was meant to be a quick catch-up dinner that turned into a 2 hour exhaustion.

The food *is* still good though.

Boisdale of Belgravia - The best burger IN THE WORLD (if you like truffles by NickR

NickR — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:46:13 +0000

Review by NickR

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7730 6922

Website: http://www.boisdale.uk.com

Tags: lively, live music, expensive

This is one of my favourites. What can be better than a Scottish whisky and cigar bar? Well this place also has great Jazz and excellent food. You can either eat in the fairly pricey, but worth it, restaurant. Or you can eat from the bar menu (there are actually two bars here. One is like a mini pub?).
I have to say that I have eaten and tried a lot of burgers in my life, but the truffle burger served at the bar here, is no less than "the greatest burger in the world" (assuming you like truffle!). The restaurant has never disappointed me, serving excellent food to the highest standards.
For the smokers amongst you, since the ban, they have created an upstairs terrace which is great...even in winter!
If you arrive later or stay later, they do often require a payment for the band. The Jazz is often extremely good and enjoyable and inishes the evening nicely.This is one of my favourites. What can be better than a Scottish whisky and cigar bar? Well this place also has great Jazz and excellent food. You can either eat in the fairly pricey, but worth it, restaurant. Or you can eat from the bar menu (there are actually two bars here. One is like a mini pub?).
I have to say that I have eaten and tried a lot of burgers in my life, but the truffle burger served at the bar here, is no less than "the greatest burger in the world" (assuming you like truffle!). The restaurant has never disappointed me, serving excellent food to the highest standards.
For the smokers amongst you, since the ban, they have created an upstairs terrace which is great...even in winter!
If you arrive later or stay later, they do often require a payment for the band. The Jazz is often extremely good and enjoyable and inishes the evening nicely.

Kazan - Tremendous Turkish Tastes & Service by Hugo

Hugo — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:34:43 +0000

Review by Hugo

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7233 7100

Tags: turkish, wine, good value

I think I may be a little over-excited whilst reviewing Kazan - even though I went over 24 hours a go.

The service was charming. The waitress gave us a taste of the Turkish wine we were having before buying...perhaps they were used to skeptical customers. No need; tasty.

Highlights were: halumi & fig (lightly fried in pomegranate something or other) - yum, deep fried mussels, Grilled King prawn and various other things that all seemed terrific.

La piece de resistance is being able to order an apple shiha & mint tea on an outside table for a postprandial tummy patting & pontification session.

Utterly charming and I'll certainly be back.

Looks like it gets worryingly busy, so best to book.I think I may be a little over-excited whilst reviewing Kazan - even though I went over 24 hours a go.

The service was charming. The waitress gave us a taste of the Turkish wine we were having before buying...perhaps they were used to skeptical customers. No need; tasty.

Highlights were: halumi & fig (lightly fried in pomegranate something or other) - yum, deep fried mussels, Grilled King prawn and various other things that all seemed terrific.

La piece de resistance is being able to order an apple shiha & mint tea on an outside table for a postprandial tummy patting & pontification session.

Utterly charming and I'll certainly be back.

Looks like it gets worryingly busy, so best to book.

Olivo Mare - Luck locals by felixmarks

felixmarks — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:45:43 +0000

Review by felixmarks

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7730 9022

Tags: italian, lively, expensive

What a place! We're already familiar with Olivo and Olivetto. The food in Mauro's new place is every bit as good as his first two of his restaurants. What's really amazing about this place is the incredible interior (and exterior) dÃ©cor job that some genius has performed. The back wall is inspired (sculpted to look like fine sand on a flat beach where waves have formed beautiful shapes. On the ceiling, there's a hanging and elegant white creation, perhaps suggesting seaweed. The design of the main wall on the left suggests waves in the white, brown and black pattern. Lastly, the chairs are wonderfully generous, rotund shapes (perhaps designed with sea shells in mind). It all works wonderfully and should be seen as a modern design classic.

The service was impeccable throughout. The staff were friendly, courteous and professional. The restaurant has a wine shop attached (Olivino). The guy in there gave some really excellent and enthusiastic advice of Sardinian wine (before we went into the restaurant), which we used to order in the restaurant. The two white wines we tried were really superb and excellent value (Carla Silente and La Carla).

Lastly, the food didn't disappoint in any way at all. The tuna, in its various guises was absolutely lovely. The sea urchin couldn't have tasted better. The expressions on the faces of my fellow guests eating the cheese fritters indicated very high levels of titillation. The deserts were excellent too.What a place! We're already familiar with Olivo and Olivetto. The food in Mauro's new place is every bit as good as his first two of his restaurants. What's really amazing about this place is the incredible interior (and exterior) dÃ©cor job that some genius has performed. The back wall is inspired (sculpted to look like fine sand on a flat beach where waves have formed beautiful shapes. On the ceiling, there's a hanging and elegant white creation, perhaps suggesting seaweed. The design of the main wall on the left suggests waves in the white, brown and black pattern. Lastly, the chairs are wonderfully generous, rotund shapes (perhaps designed with sea shells in mind). It all works wonderfully and should be seen as a modern design classic.

The service was impeccable throughout. The staff were friendly, courteous and professional. The restaurant has a wine shop attached (Olivino). The guy in there gave some really excellent and enthusiastic advice of Sardinian wine (before we went into the restaurant), which we used to order in the restaurant. The two white wines we tried were really superb and excellent value (Carla Silente and La Carla).

Lastly, the food didn't disappoint in any way at all. The tuna, in its various guises was absolutely lovely. The sea urchin couldn't have tasted better. The expressions on the faces of my fellow guests eating the cheese fritters indicated very high levels of titillation. The deserts were excellent too.

Seafresh Fish Restaurant - by NickR

NickR — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:21:48 +0000

Review by NickR

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7828 0747

Tags: seafood, lively, take-away

An above average Fish and Chip shop and restaurant. You can get take-away or eat in. The place is clean and tidy and the fish and batter is very good. Classic Fish and Chips.An above average Fish and Chip shop and restaurant. You can get take-away or eat in. The place is clean and tidy and the fish and batter is very good. Classic Fish and Chips.

Caramel - best place in vic by Kazan

Kazan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:30:59 +0000

Review by Kazan

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7233 8298

Tags: breakfast, lively, brasserie

really is the best place for breakfast in the area - yeah its a bit more expensive but its qualiy . great burgers and juices tooreally is the best place for breakfast in the area - yeah its a bit more expensive but its qualiy . great burgers and juices too

Kabayan Place & Store - Masarap by moncho

moncho — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:48:01 +0000

Review by moncho

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7233 6713

Tags: lively, cafe, good value

Love it, something new in London fantastic original Filipino cuisine, the customer service is friendly and they also have a large selection of oriental groceries.Love it, something new in London fantastic original Filipino cuisine, the customer service is friendly and they also have a large selection of oriental groceries.

La Tasca - Tapas for Lunch by Cedric

Cedric — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:03:09 +0000

Review by Cedric

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7828 5515

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

Tags: spanish, bar, expensive

A tapas restaurant in the middle of the Victoria Business buildings. Although most staff is Spanish speaking, and significant efforts have been put in the decorations, it sounds and looks fake. It is a good tapas restaurant, but no authenticity. So if you are after a real genuine Spanish restaurant pass your way. If you are simply after good, Spanish tapas for a quick business lunch, then this is your destination. Overall a bit pricey but worth the try.A tapas restaurant in the middle of the Victoria Business buildings. Although most staff is Spanish speaking, and significant efforts have been put in the decorations, it sounds and looks fake. It is a good tapas restaurant, but no authenticity. So if you are after a real genuine Spanish restaurant pass your way. If you are simply after good, Spanish tapas for a quick business lunch, then this is your destination. Overall a bit pricey but worth the try.

Victoria Tandoori - Not too sure about this one by suzianny01

suzianny01 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:49:53 +0000

Review by suzianny01

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7834 4686

Tags: indian, good value, family & home feel

Ate at this restaurant a few days ago. The food was OK, nothing too exciting. The service was quite quick and the pricing was OK but there was certainly no service with a smile. There were only a couple of other tables occupied so it was a shame we weren't appreciated a little more! I have a pet hate about having plates removed from the table before everyone has finished the course. It just makes you feel like they want to get rid of you quickly. Sorry but I can't recommend this restaurant.Ate at this restaurant a few days ago. The food was OK, nothing too exciting. The service was quite quick and the pricing was OK but there was certainly no service with a smile. There were only a couple of other tables occupied so it was a shame we weren't appreciated a little more! I have a pet hate about having plates removed from the table before everyone has finished the course. It just makes you feel like they want to get rid of you quickly. Sorry but I can't recommend this restaurant.

Indian Diner - Indian Diner by thamshere

thamshere — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:06:49 +0000

Review by thamshere

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7834 5468

Tags: indian, vegetarian dishes

Bog-standard Indian curry-house. All the old favourites - chicken tikka masala, biryiani, madras, etc. The "Chef's Specials", usually a source of the best of the bunch, contained nothing interesting. I have no clue as to why these dishes were chosen as special.

I opted for the Lamb Koray as it was the only name there I didn't recognise. Unfortunately it turned out to look and taste exactly the same as every other curry I might have ordered, though it was lacking in depth of flavour. My tongue felt seriously under-stimulated.

The restaurant's in good condition with white table cloths. This and reasonably good service makes up a little for the uninteresting food.

My quest to find a good curry house near work continues unabated.

Edit: Upgraded to 3 stars. This is a reasonably good restaurant - the fact that the food is unoriginal doesn't mean it's not a good place for a curry.Bog-standard Indian curry-house. All the old favourites - chicken tikka masala, biryiani, madras, etc. The "Chef's Specials", usually a source of the best of the bunch, contained nothing interesting. I have no clue as to why these dishes were chosen as special.

I opted for the Lamb Koray as it was the only name there I didn't recognise. Unfortunately it turned out to look and taste exactly the same as every other curry I might have ordered, though it was lacking in depth of flavour. My tongue felt seriously under-stimulated.

The restaurant's in good condition with white table cloths. This and reasonably good service makes up a little for the uninteresting food.

My quest to find a good curry house near work continues unabated.

Edit: Upgraded to 3 stars. This is a reasonably good restaurant - the fact that the food is unoriginal doesn't mean it's not a good place for a curry.

Wagamama - Not one of their better restaurants by RR123

RR123 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:54:04 +0000

Review by RR123

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7828 0561

Website: http://www.wagamama.com

Tags: japanese, oriental, lively

I recently visited Wagamama's Victoria restaurant. Generally you know what to expect and whilst it is not food that is going to change the world it is tasty, varied and reasonably priced. It is canteen style so you are often sat right next to other people but as long as you can cope with that, it's fine.

I have to say that I was not impressed with the Victoria restaurant though. I went with a friend and, as normal, the waiters explained that the food comes when it is cooked - so you might not get it at the same time as other people in your group. As long as you know that, normally it's fine. Except I had to eat my food in the end or else it would have been stone cold, as the kitchen has seemingly forgotten to cook my friend's food. I was eating my last few mouthfuls as my friend's food arrived. The waiting staff were very apologetic but it didn't really make for a relaxed evening with one person hungrily looking on, as the other ate.

I also found that the waiter's seemed to come into contact with the customer's quite a lot. So several times when they were serving the people next to me, the waiter would be standing right behind me and would knock into me. I just generally foudn them to be inattentive to detail.

I should add that it is this particular branch that I was unimpressed with. Generally, the staff are much better and I have never had to wait so long for food before. If you're looking for a decent and reasonably priced feed then do try Wagamamas, I wouldn't advise going to this particular one though.

One final tip - if you sign up as a member on their website you can often get discounts. It varies by location but often there are two main courses for the price of one or a free dessert or starter. It's always worth a check if you think you might be going there.I recently visited Wagamama's Victoria restaurant. Generally you know what to expect and whilst it is not food that is going to change the world it is tasty, varied and reasonably priced. It is canteen style so you are often sat right next to other people but as long as you can cope with that, it's fine.

I have to say that I was not impressed with the Victoria restaurant though. I went with a friend and, as normal, the waiters explained that the food comes when it is cooked - so you might not get it at the same time as other people in your group. As long as you know that, normally it's fine. Except I had to eat my food in the end or else it would have been stone cold, as the kitchen has seemingly forgotten to cook my friend's food. I was eating my last few mouthfuls as my friend's food arrived. The waiting staff were very apologetic but it didn't really make for a relaxed evening with one person hungrily looking on, as the other ate.

I also found that the waiter's seemed to come into contact with the customer's quite a lot. So several times when they were serving the people next to me, the waiter would be standing right behind me and would knock into me. I just generally foudn them to be inattentive to detail.

I should add that it is this particular branch that I was unimpressed with. Generally, the staff are much better and I have never had to wait so long for food before. If you're looking for a decent and reasonably priced feed then do try Wagamamas, I wouldn't advise going to this particular one though.

One final tip - if you sign up as a member on their website you can often get discounts. It varies by location but often there are two main courses for the price of one or a free dessert or starter. It's always worth a check if you think you might be going there.

Spicy World - by Hugo

Hugo — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:11:29 +0000

Review by Hugo

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7630 9951

Tags: indian, takeaway, vegetarian dishes

A surprisingly good Balti curry-house. Very friendly and rather hopeless staff add to the character of this Indian restaurant.

I had a delicious King Prawn Balti, that came with trimmings. I'll be back.A surprisingly good Balti curry-house. Very friendly and rather hopeless staff add to the character of this Indian restaurant.

I had a delicious King Prawn Balti, that came with trimmings. I'll be back.

Noura Belgravia - by TrustedBot

TrustedBot — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:20:08 +0000

Review by TrustedBot

Rating: 0.00

Phone: 020 7235 9444

Website: http://www.noura-brasseries.co.uk

Tags: lebanese, great food, smoking

Starting with the awards...The Gold Medal of Prestige Hospitality,
The Golden Fork of Lebanese Gastronomy, The Mood Food Restaurant of the Year 2005, The Best Vegetarian Restaurant of the Year 2005

So on to the restaurant itself. Noura Belgravia was the first of the Noura restaurants in London and combines sleek, contemporary lines with the best in Lebanese cuisine. At lunchtime the restaurant is divided into a brasserie for more informal lunch as well as a traditional restaurant for those who wish to indulge in the full menu. In the evening, the whole restaurant is set for fine dining with more al fresco eating in the bar area.

A Lebanese that´s just not like others. This wonderful find near Victoria offers fantastic, refined Middle Eastern cooking, including great starters, superb mezze and some very original dishes. It´s excellent in every sense with a sleek, generous space that evokes a feeling of intimacy making it good for a group (no wonder it attracts a smart crowd).

There´s an air of glamour about the place, with smartly suited waiters fandangoing between acres of starched clothed tables, largely populated by people who still dress for dinner. Formal it may be, but it´s not stuffy - conversation levels are high and there´s a great buzz.

Delicious Lebanese food in great variety and very attentive service are winning a loyal following for this upmarket, spacious and relaxed modern restaurant. Starting with the awards...The Gold Medal of Prestige Hospitality,
The Golden Fork of Lebanese Gastronomy, The Mood Food Restaurant of the Year 2005, The Best Vegetarian Restaurant of the Year 2005

Delicious Lebanese food in great variety and very attentive service are winning a loyal following for this upmarket, spacious and relaxed modern restaurant.

ASK - ASK by arcantara99

arcantara99 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:12:52 +0000

Review by arcantara99

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7233 7218

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

Tags: italian, bar, good value

Ask is another of those reliable Italian chains. Its menu is more extensive than most â¬ with excellent salads, pastas and pizzas (you don't often get a good choice of all three at other places). The pasta dishes are particularly good â¬ with lots of vegetable choices or chicken or tuna or seafood. The service here has always been friendly and there's a nice upstairs too which is quieter during the week at lunchtimes. This gets popular in the evening as it's so close to the tube station especially with office workers. It's convenient for commuters. All the food has always tasted very fresh as well.

Ask is another of those reliable Italian chains. Its menu is more extensive than most â¬ with excellent salads, pastas and pizzas (you don't often get a good choice of all three at other places). The pasta dishes are particularly good â¬ with lots of vegetable choices or chicken or tuna or seafood. The service here has always been friendly and there's a nice upstairs too which is quieter during the week at lunchtimes. This gets popular in the evening as it's so close to the tube station especially with office workers. It's convenient for commuters. All the food has always tasted very fresh as well.

Bank Westminster Restaurant - On the money by chrisp

chrisp — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7379 9797

Website: http://www.bankrestaurants.com

Tags: bar, expensive, brasserie

According to Giles Coren, Times restaurant critic and scourge of sub-editors the world over, "the application of superlatives to food is a terrible, terrible mistake". I suppose you can see where he's coming from - declaring anything to be the best, whether it's a burger or a restaurant or just some gin and vermouth in a glass, is pretty unhelpful and I can't help getting the feeling that most of the time these grandiose statements are deliberately made one week only to be ripped down the next. It does make good copy, after all. But where I can appreciate that an over-enthusiastic restaurateur may declare his spag bol to be "the best in London" to drum up some interest and get bums on seats, even if said spag bol turns out in the end to be awful, it's the use of superlatives in other weirder areas that I take issue with. Take, for example, Bank in Westminster, which proudly declares itself to have "the longest bar in Europe". Why should we care, exactly? Does the length of bar have some correlation with the skill of the bartenders or the freshness of the mint? Of course not - it basically just serves as some pointless extra trivia to stick on the website, as if punters are going to be racing up and down the length of the room, warm martinis in their hands, crying "Well the drinks are crap, but look at all this space!".

Fortunately there is another reason to visit Bank other than to gaze in awe upon the length of the bar - it actually hosts a rather nice restaurant towards the back. A starter of "Fresh Whitby crab salad" was not actually the freshest I've ever tasted, as both the crab and the bread could have been in better condition, but was redeemed by a generous lump of crab meat and a nicely seasoned salad. A companion's duck spring rolls were somewhat less successful, greasy and leaden with sub-par duck meat and standard bought-in sweet chilli sauce.

Mains were a world away in terms of quality. My Whole Brixham Dover Sole was gorgeous - rich and meaty and cooked to crispy-edged, buttery perfection. Not quite as breathtaking as the one I had at Scott's, but half the price and only slightly smaller so not much to complain about really. The only downside was again the bought-in tartare - if you're going to serve a whole Dover Sole and cook it so well, why not spend a bit of extra time making a nice homemade tartare to go with it? Lamb chops with summer vegetables also disappeared quickly and were served with good fresh veg, although there was perhaps slightly too much fat and gristle on the chops to justify the Â£19 price ticket.

My passion fruit sorbet was just that - uninspiring but edible and fresh-tasting. However the CrÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e was a really good dish, generously speckled with real vanilla seeds and topped with a still-warm crunchy sugar crust.

It's very hard to give an objective appraisal of restaurants in this part of town as there are so few that are any good, but while not stunning in any particular respect, Bank nevertheless provides decent grub at only slightly inflated prices, and for that the civil servants and office workers of Victoria should be grateful. In fact, I'd go so far to say that it was the "best" mid-range hotel restaurant in the Buckingham Gate Road area. And they have my permission to add that to the website.
According to Giles Coren, Times restaurant critic and scourge of sub-editors the world over, "the application of superlatives to food is a terrible, terrible mistake". I suppose you can see where he's coming from - declaring anything to be the best, whether it's a burger or a restaurant or just some gin and vermouth in a glass, is pretty unhelpful and I can't help getting the feeling that most of the time these grandiose statements are deliberately made one week only to be ripped down the next. It does make good copy, after all. But where I can appreciate that an over-enthusiastic restaurateur may declare his spag bol to be "the best in London" to drum up some interest and get bums on seats, even if said spag bol turns out in the end to be awful, it's the use of superlatives in other weirder areas that I take issue with. Take, for example, Bank in Westminster, which proudly declares itself to have "the longest bar in Europe". Why should we care, exactly? Does the length of bar have some correlation with the skill of the bartenders or the freshness of the mint? Of course not - it basically just serves as some pointless extra trivia to stick on the website, as if punters are going to be racing up and down the length of the room, warm martinis in their hands, crying "Well the drinks are crap, but look at all this space!".

Fortunately there is another reason to visit Bank other than to gaze in awe upon the length of the bar - it actually hosts a rather nice restaurant towards the back. A starter of "Fresh Whitby crab salad" was not actually the freshest I've ever tasted, as both the crab and the bread could have been in better condition, but was redeemed by a generous lump of crab meat and a nicely seasoned salad. A companion's duck spring rolls were somewhat less successful, greasy and leaden with sub-par duck meat and standard bought-in sweet chilli sauce.

Mains were a world away in terms of quality. My Whole Brixham Dover Sole was gorgeous - rich and meaty and cooked to crispy-edged, buttery perfection. Not quite as breathtaking as the one I had at Scott's, but half the price and only slightly smaller so not much to complain about really. The only downside was again the bought-in tartare - if you're going to serve a whole Dover Sole and cook it so well, why not spend a bit of extra time making a nice homemade tartare to go with it? Lamb chops with summer vegetables also disappeared quickly and were served with good fresh veg, although there was perhaps slightly too much fat and gristle on the chops to justify the Â£19 price ticket.

My passion fruit sorbet was just that - uninspiring but edible and fresh-tasting. However the CrÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e was a really good dish, generously speckled with real vanilla seeds and topped with a still-warm crunchy sugar crust.

It's very hard to give an objective appraisal of restaurants in this part of town as there are so few that are any good, but while not stunning in any particular respect, Bank nevertheless provides decent grub at only slightly inflated prices, and for that the civil servants and office workers of Victoria should be grateful. In fact, I'd go so far to say that it was the "best" mid-range hotel restaurant in the Buckingham Gate Road area. And they have my permission to add that to the website.

B-Bar & Restaurant - Beware the double-tip by VICTORVAN

VICTORVAN — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:16:35 +0000

Review by VICTORVAN

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7958 7000

Tags: lively, bar, expensive

I took a party of my work colleagues here for a leaving do. The food was pretty good, and the service was efficient.

When the bill arrived (for about Â£450) I noticed that 12.5% service charge had been added. This is fair enough, but on this occasion half the expenditure had been on drinks consumed at the bar before the meal -- you wouldn't normally give a 12.5% tip in a pub!

I was then asked by two different waitresses if I'd like to give a "tip" on top of this.

Of course the "double-tip" scam is still widespread, although you won't find it at the really best restaurants. When you then don't give a "tip" as well as the "service" you're made to feel mean.

So be warned! I took a party of my work colleagues here for a leaving do. The food was pretty good, and the service was efficient.

When the bill arrived (for about Â£450) I noticed that 12.5% service charge had been added. This is fair enough, but on this occasion half the expenditure had been on drinks consumed at the bar before the meal -- you wouldn't normally give a 12.5% tip in a pub!

I was then asked by two different waitresses if I'd like to give a "tip" on top of this.

Of course the "double-tip" scam is still widespread, although you won't find it at the really best restaurants. When you then don't give a "tip" as well as the "service" you're made to feel mean.

So be warned!

Goring Dining Room - improving service by ProfMagellan

ProfMagellan — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:39:13 +0000

Review by ProfMagellan

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7396 9000

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

Tags: british, expensive, spacious

The Magellan PR company arranged a luncheon and forgot that the Goring is on my "banned" list as I had such a bad experience there. That was several months ago so reluctantly I agreed to try it again. And I was pleasantly surprised. The service was very much better (and more cheerful) and we got the corner window table that I insisted upon. The food was excellent (as usual) with the super carved gammon (a Friday special). My guests seemed content with their choices (mainly fish dishes).Some minor gripes: a second expensive bottle of fizzy water brought and opened (without asking whether we wanted one) and a ludicrous system whereby the dining room only opens at 12.30 when so many of us are now under time pressure and 12.00 would suit us so much better.The Magellan PR company arranged a luncheon and forgot that the Goring is on my "banned" list as I had such a bad experience there. That was several months ago so reluctantly I agreed to try it again. And I was pleasantly surprised. The service was very much better (and more cheerful) and we got the corner window table that I insisted upon. The food was excellent (as usual) with the super carved gammon (a Friday special). My guests seemed content with their choices (mainly fish dishes).Some minor gripes: a second expensive bottle of fizzy water brought and opened (without asking whether we wanted one) and a ludicrous system whereby the dining room only opens at 12.30 when so many of us are now under time pressure and 12.00 would suit us so much better.