http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1t31h7i/ditto-bar-and-restaurant <b>Ditto Bar & Restaurant</b><br />London, 55-57 East Hill, SW18 2QE, United Kingdom en http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/trustedplaces.comaPlacePic['name']}.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1t31h7i/ditto-bar-and-restaurant http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1t31h7i/ditto-bar-and-restaurant/1158o8
Review by Browners

Rating: 3.00
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Food at Ditto is half price when you use a TasteLondon card. So we made the most of it and chose scallops and beef carpaccio followed unanimously by lobster spaghetti. Awesome.

Sorry I am afraid the lobster isn't available...

Well why print it on your daily menu then? Unless of course your menu isn't daily even though that's its title!

They promised so much and got our hopes up and then dashed them out of hand. You might think this is overdoing it a bit. But the last time I had lobster spaghetti was at the George in Stamford when I pretty much fell in love with it! To then get within inches of having it again and then be denied it was hard to take. I'll just have to wait till I'm on the Italian Riviera sipping chilled white wine and looking out at my yacht to do it properly.

Scallops came with grilled prawns and an avocado dressing. It looked and tasted pretty but was neither hot nor cold and was fairly wimpy on the flavour front. Big plates and lots of swishes and dabs of sauce. Very Turner prize.

With the lobster spaghetti debacle behind us, I chose pork belly with white beans and a dark sauce which is firmly ensconced now as my default choice. If it's on the menu I will struggle not to order it and normally fail. It takes something exciting like lobster to trump it!

The pork was partly delicious partly disappointing. It struck me that it had been badly reheated. Dried out patches clashed with moist bits. The beans were both perfectly soft and also dried out. The sauce was a bit unidentifiable. My memory of it is that it was dark brown with a hint of sweetness. The best bit was the side order of garlic spinach.

Gilly's rump of lamb was generous and sweet. Really impressive. Whilst Cowie's tuna was pink and tasty. Very light and sexy. Very Cowie.

It's a very cool little restaurant with a variety of special offers. Tuesday is ladies' night - 25% off if you're a bird. They've got a projector and screen and art all over the walls. On a Tuesday night it was a third full and we enjoyed being allowed to linger of our meal. Whilst slurping our coffees we imagined what it would be like to enlarge the bar area and make the dining room more intimate. But who were we to offer design ideas!

We'll probably return at some point but only because it's local and half price! There are too many other places to try out.]]> Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:44:12 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1t31h7i/ditto-bar-and-restaurant/1158o8852131342 Browners 51.457643 -0.185348 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1t31h7i/ditto-bar-and-restaurant/1o60f7
Review by willoakley

Rating: 5.00
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What agreat find in SW London. Not on the main strip, but this neigbourhood restaurant lived up to the rave reviews I had word of mouth. The service was unquestionably the best I have had in a long time and the food exceptional value for money. I met David and James who run the place and they could not have been more accomodating for me and the six friends I was with. Despite being fully booked on the night we went they managed to seat us after a few coktails at the bar where I had what must have been the best / freshest burger I have had. Booked again for Sunday lunch as I hear it is the best SW London has to offer.]]> Sat, 09 Dec 2006 03:12:34 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1t31h7i/ditto-bar-and-restaurant/1o60f7934821363 willoakley 51.457643 -0.185348