Latest reviews by AlexWoods

The Selkirk

AlexWoods — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:10:46 +0000

Rating: 2.0

Location: 60 Selkirk Road, SW17 0ES, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8672 6235

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

Tags: friendly, young professionals, beer garden, different pub food, independent pub, young and fun, students, pretentious

The best we've got...I have to say the chief merit of The Selkirk is that it is the only half decent pub in Tooting. And I won't hear otherwise.

It is a bit trendy, a bit "cool", a bit "hip", but it's comfy, it's clean, it's a pub rather than a trendy wine bar, it's the only pub in London I know to have bar billiards table (all be it, a slightly knackered one).

The staff are very friendly (though I'm not sure that everyone was satisfied with the recent change in management, I find the new gaffer affable, polite and he appears to have a good memory for his punters), the clientele are on the whole pretty inoffensive.

The beer is good, though to be honest I am getting a bit bored with Tim Taylor's Landlord. Nice pint but it is just every where. And I think if you are going to have two beers on then better to have one "session" beer and one... with a bit more oomph. They also do a comprehensive range of lagers and ciders and the wine list really is very good. Very good indeed. And they have Hendricks gin! A most unusual gin.

The food is, I'm afraid, not satisfactory. A large, rather random, and very expensive selection far more suited to a bistro than a pub. But those of you who have read my reviews before will doubtless be tutting under your breath and praying that I shan't bang on about it any more. So I shan't.

Now then. On to the stuff you really want to know.

1: It's expensive. Too expensive.

2: You can book tables any time, any day. That is just not right. It's a bloody pub, not a restaurant. There is little point dropping in on a Sunday unless you have booked in advance. Last couple of occasions I've been in the only seats that weren't booked were the two bar stools. Wind your bloody neck in Selkirk.

3: I don't like children in pubs. I just don't. I'm sorry but I don't think it's an appropriate environment to take young children. Especially if they are left to run feral. One of the beautiful things about a proper pub (note, I am here excluding bars, Weatherspoons, The Hawley Arms) is that it is places to which I can retreat, away from children, pikies, misanthropes, cranks, et al. The brand of pub freak (which I know, you are all baying out to bring to my attention) is a unique and specific character.
There are too many children in the Selkirk. On Sundays it's like a bloody nursery.

However. It IS the only nice pub in Tooting Bec/ Broadway, it does have a nice atmosphere most of the time, there is a lot going on with comedy nights, pub quizzes, a music club which meets upstairs, all sorts. Well worth a visit if you're in that neck of the woods. After all, there isn't any where else to go.

The Shipwright Arms

AlexWoods — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:54:44 +0000

Rating: 3.5

Location: 88 Tooley Street, SE1 2TF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 1486

Tags: posh, mature, young professionals, standard pub food, traditional pub, young and fun, students, friendly, relaxed

Proper boozerThe Shipwright Arms (or "The Shipwreck" as it is affectionately known amoung my friends) is a grotty, smelly, dingy little boozer.* And I bloody love it!

The crowd is quite a mix - locals, office types, toe-capped boots, the odd studenty dramatic type (there is a theatre just out back), and the odd tourist attracted by the "nautical theme" (or just the large-breasted bust above the door. Make your own joke about fine pairs of nauticals on your way in. If you're as juevenile as us you'll never stop finding it funny.)

It gets quite crowded pretty quickly, first with the office lot who slowly get replaced by people out/on their way out. You know Out-out.

There is no artifical charm about this place, no branding, no pretention. They have 3 beers (Adnams, Deuchars IPA and Spitfire at the last measure) which are always pretty tidy, plus your standard largers, 'bow and black magic. The food isn't fussy, and it's good. Don't get me wrong, you wouldn't come on a date here. It's lunch time Lets-have-something-to-soak-up-the-4-pints-we've-just-had-before-going-back-to-the-office food. As it should be.

One of my favourite features of the pub is the bar - a huge square plonked in the middle of the room. Makes for easy access but I can imagine it must be a right bugger to work. Not always easy to know who's next to be served but if you've got any manners and half a brain it shouldn't be a problem. (If you don't, and we both know who you are, then you shouldn't be allowed out in civilised society so I don't really care what you think.)

The staff are generaly of the buxom, no nonsense variety and fit the character of the pub very nicely.

Frankly I think this is just about as good as a traditional London pub gets.

*It doesn't actually smell any better/worse than any other decent pub. It just feels as though it ought to. And it's not really grotty, it's kept pretty clean. And "cosy" is more accurate the "dingy"...

Southwark Tavern

AlexWoods — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:31:33 +0000

Rating: 3.5

Location: 22 Southwark Street, SE1 1TU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 0257

Tags: friendly, standard pub food, independent pub, young and fun, students, trendy

Does it make the mark...?Young, a bit "hip", very busy both at lunch, and as soon as the offices clear out. I find the decor and ambience quite quirky and interesting, just the right side of taking-itself-too-seriously...

The serve a range of ales (Black Sheep, Pride, and an IPA as a rule) and there is usually an Old Rosie/Somerset Face Melter cider on. Plus an "interesting" (though increasingly more available) range of continental beers; Hoegaarden ("So what?"), Leffe ("Ok. Keep talking."), Fruli ("What?" "Fruli. Fruit beer. Think strawberry smoothies, but with beer." "Oh. Urgh! That sounds horrible!" "It is."). Then there's your usual selection and some well stocked fridges.

I have to say the beer here is rarely bad but I've never had a pint and wanted to wave lyrical about it. And I do like to wax lyrical!

The food is pretty standard "nu-pu-grub" and has proved above average in the past but in my experience it does take a while to arrive.

They seem to do a lot of "stuff" at the Southwark Tavern. The tables are always littered with flyers for charity gigs, comedy nights and the like. And it does have quite a buzzy atmosphere.

On the whole I like it. It's not great, but I like it. BUT it does suffer massively from it's competition. With in a stones throw (literally. I'm not proud.) are two, may be three, of the best pubs in London and a couple of very nice wine bars. Plus, where as all Sou' Tavs rivals sit within the relative tranquility of Borough market, it is, and feels, very much on the outskirts of the market on the main road.

Recommended as a pit stop on a Borough crawl.

Le QuecumBar & Brasserie

AlexWoods — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:51:08 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 42-44 Battersea High Street, SW11 3HX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7787 2227

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

Tags: lively, family & home feel, crowded, brasserie, romantic

Great experience, though the food falls short...If Iâ¬"m brutally honest, and letâ¬"s face it â¬ I tend to be, one does not go to Le Quecumbar for fine dining, not even for authentic French cuisine. One goes to experience Le Quecumbar. And it is an utterly unique experience. The closest I have ever come to it was actually in a brasserie in France, on a balmy summer night listening to Romane, probably the greatest living gypsy guitarist, strumming away in the corner surrounded by doting fans, tourists and protÃ©gÃ©es.

Now, I have a vested interest. I love gypsy swing. (for those who donâ¬"t know, think Django Rheinhart. [For the plebs among you, think Jonny Depp in Chocolate, if you must.])
Le Quecumbar is a fine, fine jazz venue, and the only one in the UK dedicated largely to the performance and promotion of gypsy swing and traditional Romany music. Because of this, Le Quecumbar hosts some of the greatest gypsy swing musicians in the world and I would strongly recommend that any one with a passing interest to go and enjoy!

So, on to the review!

As I said, this is principally a music venue and for most gigs you will need to buy tickets in advance. Le Que operates a rather curious â¬Sminimum Â£15 per head spendâ¬ policy, though frankly Iâ¬"ve never found to be a problem. The beer isnâ¬"t cheap, and once youâ¬"ve had a gin and a bottle of wine youâ¬"re over that any way.

The menu is disappointing. I think it has recently been changed as not so long ago I remember seeing quite a selection of traditional French dishes on the menu. On my last visit however there was no coq-au-vin (which used to be excellent), no cheese board (we did negotiate one, but it boasted a pretty poor supermarket selection), a few too many burgers and BBQ rib for my liking. So note: Do Not Go Expecting a French Dinner.

I started with escargots, which were delicious if a little mean and a little dear. I followed with a very rich, if slightly salty, beef bourguignon. These two dishes, good though they were, were more or less the only references to traditional French cuisine and satisfied rather than impressed me.

They do, however, boast a stonkingly good wine list! There is enough middle range, reasonably priced wine there to keep the session drinkers and large parties happy but you can quite easily push the boat out and enjoy some very fine drinking indeed. With familiar disregard to the â¬SFrenchnessâ¬ of the Le Que, the wine list does not limit itself to serving exclusively French plonk, for which I applaud it! Iâ¬"ve been to too many French restaurants which ruin themselves by arrogantly and mistakenly restrict themselves to serving only French wine. (Insert your preferred racial slur here.)

For all that the food was not amazing (it was good, mind you, just not amazing) dinner at Le Que, especially when there is a band playing, is a wonderful, wonderful experience. The staff really are top drawer. I mean, Proper Good! Sharp, attentive, discrete, knowledgeable and passionate about the place. And the Proprietaire is one of the best hostesses I have come across. Charming, glamorous, attentive and sociable, she makes a point of greeting all the diners during the evening. Admittedly many of them she knows, as itâ¬"s the kind of place where you get a lot of returning customers, but even if youâ¬"re a stranger youâ¬"ll be attended to in your turn.

So, I would reluctantly recommend that you go there for dinner. Therefore I am docking one star. However, if you want a night out with some wonderful music, a good meal, some great wine and all the glitz, glamour, and ambience of 1930s Paris then I challenge you to find a better place outside of France itself!

In the mean time I am going to order another bottle of this excellent Bordeaux and continue to pray for the arrival of a modern, French chefâ¬¦

The Queen's Larder

AlexWoods — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:33:39 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 1 Queen Square, WC1N 3AR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7837 5627

Website: http://www.laurelpubco.com

Tags: relaxed, mature, excellent pub food, young professionals, beer garden, traditional pub, friendly

A new entry in the Top 5! Best ploughman's in townI wrote this review some time ago after quite a long, boozey lunch in the Queen's Larder (is that a euphemism?) and decided that it was probably drunken nonsense and best not to post it. Having re-read it, and revisited the pub many times I've decided to post it anyway! There is not a word of a lie, not a single exaggeration in the following review. One of the best pubs in London!

"I donâ¬"t know how often you go to a restaurant or pub, or meet a new friend that you just love SO much that you want to tell everyone you know about it. But what then?! All of a sudden everyone knows about your new favourite place, everyone wants to hang out there, it gets busy, the place tarnishes, itâ¬"s no longer special, and beautiful and ALL YOUR VERY OWN! So, Phil and I donâ¬"t really talk to each other any moreâ¬¦.

On a less creepy note, The Queens Larder is much like my former-friend Phil.
Quite simply, itâ¬"s perfect. Tucked away off Southampton Row, Queenâ¬"s Square is like the Secret Garden, just with out any locked doors or creepy Franciscine boys conversing with robins â¬ a little haven of peace and tranquillity, flowers and trees, complete with market squarette and the wrought iron gated Queenâ¬"s Square Gardens. Seriously, if Peter Pan had been a little less ambitious he could well have ended up by here instead. And, by Zeusâ¬"s beard! Is that a Green King boozer I spy?!

Now, you may have realised from the timbre of my musings (and by my use of the word â¬Stimbreâ¬) that I have just been enjoying a rather lengthy and boozy lunch there. As a consequence I am in much trouble at work (despite a LARGE box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to apologise for my lae return and the delicate bouquet of ale and pickled onions I brought along) but I would gladly suffer the indignity all over again for the pleasure of sitting outside this charming old town boozer, in the sunshine, with the best Ploughmanâ¬"s I have had in a long time, a good pint or two of Green Kingâ¬"s finest, and a facefull of sunshine.

On to some less abstract information â¬ to drink. There is the standard selection of lagers, cider, etc plus a couple of Belgium â¬Sponcyâ¬ beers. Most important, there are three Green King cask beers (both the IPA and Sunchaser are top drawer) and a wine list which no pub should be ashamed to have (though I can see the wine bar brigadeâ¬"s heckles bristling slightlyâ¬¦)

The food menu is to die for! I know this is a subject on which I have moaned before but there are so few pubs where you can go these days and have a proper pub lunch. Iâ¬"m talking Ploughmanâ¬"s, a proper Club Sandwich, pie and mash, a huge array of sandwiches which revolve largely around cheese and/or cold meats. Having seen a laden plate making itâ¬"s way to a neighbouring table my friends and I all went for a Ploughmanâ¬"s, though for sake of variety we ordered one of each â¬ ham, stilton, cheddar & brie. I also ordered a bowl of chips.

Although it wasnâ¬"t the most rapid service in the world, I donâ¬"t mind! There were plenty of other diners, and the food was evidently carefully prepared and beautifully presented. Iâ¬"m impressed at their ability to get so much food onto one plate with out it looking likeâ¬¦ well, a pile of food! The ham, home cooked, cut thick as yâ¬"tongue, delicious, juicy and flavoursome. The cheese was served in huge, door wedge chucks, mature, at the right temperature, just as it should be! All this was accompanied by pickled onions, pickled gherkins, a hard boiled egg, a generous helping of salad, discretely dressed, creamy soft butter, sweet pickle, a hot apple pie (move over sliced-of-Brabourne! Youâ¬"re old news) and generous slices of fresh, crusty bread. I donâ¬"t think that any one touched the chips. There was just no need.

Mug House

AlexWoods — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:34:19 +0000

Rating: 3.7

Location: 1 Tooley Street, SE1 2PF, London, United Kingdom

Tags: relaxed, young professionals, different pub food, independent pub, underground, friendly

A cosy cavern!Part of Davy's Tooley Street Empire, the Mug House is a charming and "characterful" little pub. But, much the same character as any other Davy's bar you've ever been in!
There is quite an emphasis on wine here, with an impressive, if over priced list.

Davy's Bitter and Old Wallop are kept reasonably well (if you wonder why it's called Old Wallop go have half a dozen pints and you'll understand. A session beer it ain't!) They also do their own lager which is surprisingly good, and that's coming from a chap who just don't do lager.

Good lunch menu though it is expensive and you don't get much for your money.

I like the place, but if you've been anywhere else, be it the Cooperage, Skinkers, Shampagne Sharlie's (or Champagne Charlie's. You can have it one way or t'other. That goes for you too Sean Bean. Or Shorn Born. Make y'damn mind up! Incidentally, I strongly advise you to go to one or all of the above. See review on Skinkers, to follow) then you're not going to have an especially new experience.

So. Do go for the quirky atmosphere (beer from a pewter tankard keeps much better! Note that lager boys. If you want to keep your tasteless p*ss fizzy so you can merrily burp your way home on the night bus, invest in a pewter pot.)
Don't go if you want a: a cheap night out or b: to drink y'main stream Fosters and John Smiths and other such grot - here it's Davy's way or the high way.
Davy's do what they do, and they do it well. You are guaranteed a unique experience. In any one of Davy's 9 identical bars.

Palm Court Brasserie

AlexWoods — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:02:42 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 39 King Street, WC2E 8JS, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7240 2939

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

Tags: lively, cheap eat, crowded, brasserie, romantic

Pre-theatre dinner perfectionWhen ever I go to the theatre, opera, comedy store, anything in the West End really and need a quick and quality bite to eat I also dine at Palm Court.

It's a charming, well presented brasserie, always busy but presumably quite a high churn rate as I have never had to wait more than a few minutes for a table.

I have only ever eaten from the theatre menu. It's very straight forward. A pretty generic chicken with sauce/fish with sauce/vegetarian are you options for the main course but in my experience it has always been delicious and very well cooked. At least twice I have had chicken breast with tarragon sauce, which has now become a staple of my home cooking quick meals! I also recall a salmon in dill sauce which was just delicious.

They've really got it right as well. The food is always great, it is always served promptly and, most especially, they always get the portion size right! I have never come out of there feeling hungry, yet never too full either.

My one criticism is that the wine list is... off par. It would be nice also to see a little more available by the glass, to play further to their pre-theatre menu bag. a bottle pre-show between 2 or 3 is a touch OTT and the house wine sadly really isn't up to much.

I intend at some point to have a proper meal there as it is always busy, people speak very highly of it and it is a very cosy and romantic place.

To their credit, I once popped in with a friend before going to see Mousetrap (it was the... well, if you don't already know I'd hate to spoil it). We were running a little late so the conversation ran along the lines of;
"Can be in and out inside 40 minutes"
"Of course sir. Please, take a seat. Would you like drinks?"
"Dry white and a stiff gin please."
The waiter reappeared almost immediately with the drinks, took our order, starters hit the table inside 5 minutes, as soon as they were gone our main course arrived (I enjoyed a delicious and tender minute steak and frittes. They do a really good minute steak!), the waiter asked if we intended to order dessert, which we didn't but asked for a pair of coffees. They were served, with the bill, the moment our plates were cleared and we were done. Out the door inside 40 minutes, well fed, well watered and with enough change for interval drinks. The waiter even flagged down a rickshaw for us.

Not my preferred way to dine, but if you want an express dinner, and we did, I challenge you to find a better place!

Spaghetti House

AlexWoods — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:22:51 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 14-20 Sicilian Avenue, WC1A 2QD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7405 6658

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

Tags: italian, family & home feel, good value, lively

Re: Genuine, delicious Italian cuisineI cannot rate this place highly enough. I shall leave a more comprehensive review when I have the time but for now suffice it to say that this is the best Italian eatery I have been to. Quality fare, simply cooked. Hugely generous servings, reasonably priced, charming staff, and just excellent, excellent delious fresh food.

Vinoteca

AlexWoods — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:13:41 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 7 St. John Street, EC1M 4AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7253 8786

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

Tags: expensive, pretentious, crowded

Re: Mixed bag!I don't really know if this place has disappointed me or not.

It was Friday night so it was busy. Very busy and very noisy, to the point where holding conversation with any one other than your direct neighbour was quite impossible.
Despite having booked, the table we were seated at was far too small and for every person who walked past behind me I received a knock, bash, or drag from their posterior - quite disconcerting. The staff, who I am assured are usually very charming and knowledgeable, were on the whole bloody rude, impatient and elusive. All this on top of the fact that I was tired, day-dreaming of a nice pint all day, and consequently extremely grumpy, has probably marred my experience.

The wine list is truly impressive, with a huge selection served by the glass. What's more, they appear to be reasonably priced. If youâ¬"re looking for something other than wine though, you are REALLY in the wrong place.
The menu impressed me very much (and that's not an easy thing to do). I don't like a menu that is too extensive. Restaurateurs often mistake quantity for variety. A well balanced and varied menu need only boast half a dozen choices at each course, max. And at Vinoteca the menu is varied, well balanced, interesting, and concise! Even the vegetarian in our party was happy (though, franklyâ¬¦well. Best not start on fussy eaters here.)
I started with a very delicious five-spice rabbit and pork rillette. The fat was a little loose which made for a slightly greasy texture but the flavours were very well balanced â¬ just enough spice to enhance but not over power the meat, sufficiently â¬Sgameyâ¬, and served with an raw â¬Smilitar¬ chutney which was as colourful on the plate as on the palate. (What a damn good line! I shall copy write that.) Fellow diners very much enjoyed a fragrant mushroom soup, a sumptuous looking mackerel fillet, and a very smart looking goats cheese and beetroot salad with, predictably enough, a balsamic vinegar dressing.
(Is anyone else getting bored with goats cheese, beetroot and balsamic vinegar salads? I like it but please can we have something new now?)

My main course was roast partridge with a mushroom and pearl barleyâ¬¦ pile and a date sauce. Frankly this was disappointing. The bird was over cooked, dry, and not as flavoursome as one could reasonably expect and by the time it got to my table it was lukewarm at best. An achievement in itself as the service area was, literally, an arms length away. The date sauce was far, far too sweet and rather grainy.
With a handful of game chips and maybe a nice crispy slice of bacon it could have made a meal but as it was I found it rather Spartan. Also, expensive! Fortunately this was a work jolly, but had it been my own hard earned cash I would have been most unhappy.

Another gripe I have about the place is the clientele. A more pretentious and obnoxious bunch of wide boys, snobs and posers I have yet to come across. I suppose this is somewhat to be expected given the location, and it certainly doesnâ¬"t appear to be the demographic the place is aimed at. I suppose a door policy isnâ¬"t really on. (â¬SIâ¬"m sorry sir, but you appear to be a terrible w*nker. Please move along, thereâ¬"s a good chap.â¬)

I am going to go again and give it another shot but I feel that it probably will be a far more enjoyable experience on a Thursday night for a glass of wine and some nibbles. May be my over all impression is that it should either be a restaurant OR a wine bar. It has wonderful elements of both but just doesnâ¬"t really work for me as a package deal.

I SAID IT DOESNâ¬"T REALLYâ¬¦ Oh, forget it.

Onions Sandwich Bar

AlexWoods — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:11:14 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 1 Sicilian Avenue, WC1A 2QH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7405 8605

Charming, friendly, top quality!I love this place! A charming little sandwich shop/cafe. They have a wide range of sandwich fillings, "styles" (old school, baguette, bap, etc), and salads, all of which are home made/prepared and, in my experience, all are delicious! They do a daily chicken special, (organic and halal no less!) - they seem to alternate between a pesto, Italian tomato style thing, tikka with the occasional Very Special thrown in (I am, while writing this, enjoying a delicious Thai Chicken salad!)
If, like me, you are the kind of nosey bugger who likes to swap recipes, you will find these guys happy to tell you their recipes, offer hints and tips, and by Jupiter do they make a good sandwich! Any sandwich that has to be handed over with a handful of napkins, a fork and a warning to tackle it once sat down scores highly in my book!
Essentially, this is a great place to go for a filling and delicious lunch, but the thing that really stands out for me is the staff - they are all so very charming and friendly, the guys behind the counter are genuinely interested and knowledgeable about food and I always leave the joint with the impression that it really matters to them that I enjoy my food! Which I always do.
At the end of September Iâ¬"m moving offices and I think it might break my heart. Although I seriously think that the 40minute round trip to get my lunch from here would be worth it.
Top tip: Take extra napkins, maybe even a bib. Once purchased, take your lunch over the road to Bloomsbury Square Gardens. On a nice sunny day I can think of few nicer ways to spend my lunch break. Thereâ¬"s also entertainment potential in watching misguided tourists trying to find the British Museum.

Fish!

AlexWoods — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:37:59 +0000

Rating: 2.4

Location: Borough Market, SE1 9AL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7407 3803

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

Tags: expensive

I cannot discourage you enoughI am so opposed to this restaurant that I run the risk of ranting, for which I apologise.

It is in a marvelous location, it looks very stylish (if somewhat reminiscent of a fish bowl), fresh and as though you should get a great meal.

I like the idea of being to chose from a wide range of fish and request how you would like it cooked. However, please, you can't just slap garlic butter or salsa on everything you chuck out of the kitchen and expect it to taste good. It really smacks of a lack of imagination! I am ALL in favour of fish being prepared and cooked simply; good fish well cooked requires so little.
And so we come to out next problem.
I don't know what the poor sea bass I ordered on my first (and why not my last?!) visit had done to but by God did Chef have his revenge! Overcooked, flavourless, tough, insipid and a curious shade of grey that quite took me back. But that's fine. Chuck enough greasy garlic butter on it and it tastes of... well greasy garlic butter.
My friend's tuna steak ("Medium rare please") looked as though it had been scrapped out of a tin and apparently tasted little better. The fresh salad we had with it was far from fresh and drowned (presumably by the same guy who "does" the garlic butter) in a pretty uninspiring dressing.

The wine list was uninviting (before you even looked at the prices) and please, do NOT try and offer advice to diners about what wine to drink unless you have a clue yourself! At least let us make our own mistakes! Which is a sure thing with a list like that.

I have so far resisted the temptation to rage about the portion size. Are you ready?
ARGH!!! How can you make a fillet of sea bass that small?!?! I swear I have had anchovy fillets that are larger than the smear of grey leather tossed onto my plate! And to charge THAT much for it?! How dare you!

So. Do yourself a favour, save yourself some money and just donâ¬"t bother.

Summary: Expensive fish abuse

Tagine

AlexWoods — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:11:43 +0000

Rating: 3.7

Location: 1-3 Fernlea Road, SW12 9RT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8675 7604

Tags: lively, north african, good value

Fine experience!I love this place!
Cosy, friendly, it looks and smells exotic and exciting.
The menu is interesting and varied, even for a vegetarian (not me I hasten to add, but the person I went with!)
Having little experience of Moroccan food, I relied on the advice of our waitress who proved to be knowledgeable, charming and very happy to offer her advice (probably used to morons like me, bless her.)
The meze was an excellent way to start. Gives you a little taste of a lot! In truth I could have eaten that all evening!
I had a lamb tagine with almonds and prunes and my partner a stuffed pepper. Both dishes were fragrant, generous and delicious and well complimented by the (presumably) fresh baked flat breads.
Neither of us could face desert, though had we been a little earlier we would have happily spent a couple of hours outside with shisha and tea before tackling the desert menu (or just more of the meze dishes!)
My one criticism of the place is that the service was a little leisurely. Or maybe "unobservant" is a better way of putting it.
Top tips: nip into Threshers, next door, and pick up a couple of bottles of something red and Spanish on your way; start with as many meze dishes as you reckon you can force down (bearing in mind your main course will feed you well!)

Bedford

AlexWoods — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:49:17 +0000

Rating: 3.9

Location: 77 Bedford Hill, SW12 9HD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8682 8959

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

Tags: crowded

I just don't get it.....And I sincerely apologise for it! The Bedford has achieved cult status and I am genuinely impressed by the sheer variety of activities that go on there.

But as a place to go for a drink?

The Bedford is invariably packed. You wait for hours to get to the bar and to get served (which is understandable. It's a big bar and there are loads of people. Were it not for the army of shoddy, surly bar staff) only to find there is no beer on (or worse, it's foul). On one terrible, terrible night I got to the bar to discover they had nothing but fosters on. I wept salt tears. And went elsewhere.

It also boasts, in my experience, a heavy gender imbalance and every one is invariably absolutely rat-arsed.

There is a bar round the back which I've ventured into on occasion. Much more of a proper drinkers bar. You don't go in there to be frivolous, you go to sit and drink. Seriously. And maybe play darts. And I like that. But again, the absence of anything half decent to drink and, more especially round this side, anyone to serve you said drink makes it a wasted exercise.

I really want to like The Bedford. Independent, great variety of activities, great proper pub feel to it in terms of dÃ©cor, no brewery or chain has managed to get their insipid branding mitts on it yet, has the facilities to serve 4 ales, the menu looks good, it just should be a brilliant, brilliant place to go but it isn't.
I keep giving it a chance and I keep getting disappointed.
I'm sorry, but I really just don't get it.

The Slug & Lettuce

AlexWoods — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 11:57:27 +0000

Rating: 3.5

Location: Town Hall Chambers, SE1 1XU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 9999

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

Smart, chic, trendy, a better example of what a Slug and Lettuce can be. I've always found it clean, nice atmosphere, nice staff, efficient and friendly table service, food is always good. It IS a S&G and quite obviously so but a fine example. I would rate it higher but I'm just not a fan of that kind of bar.

Launceston Place

AlexWoods — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:51:53 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 1A Launceston Place, W8 5RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7937 6912

Website: http://www.danddlondon.com/restaurants/launceston_place/home

Tags: expensive, british, smart

I liked. A formal dining atmosphere (my guest was wearing jeans. The waitress was not impressed at all!) but comfortable and generous with out being overly luxurious. JUST the right side of pretentious, although most of the diners (of which there were many!) were rather... "Rah".
The food was quite excellent, the menu interesting and varied. Almost entirely seasonal, largely British.
Not the most generous meal I have ever eaten but made up for it in quality.
The wine list was extensive, exciting and (you guessed it!) expensive! However, they do plenty by the half bottle which I think is quite excellent - much better for your wallet and your liver!
I do recommend it but my top tips are;
1. Dress up.
2. Have a town and country house if you want to fit in.
3. Have a hearty lunch or be prepared to cough up for 3 courses! The kind of cough the doctor makes you do.
2 courses + wine and water, expect to pay Â£35-40 each.