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Le QuecumBar & Brasserie - review by AlexWoods

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

Le QuecumBar & Brasserie - review by AlexWoods

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

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 mnu. 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 ribs 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¬¦

Alphabet Bar - review by lightlines

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:14:18 +0000

Alphabet Bar - review by lightlines

Rating: 3.0

Location: 61-63 Beak Street, W1F 9SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7439 2190

Website: http://www.alphabetbar.com

Music a bit too loud, which was unexpected, but DJ played great tunes. Had I come to dance it would've been the perfect place downstairs. Other downside is minimum spend is Â£10 to use a card - forgive us non-cash carrying women!

Great atmosphere though. Would go back.

The Queen's Larder - review by AlexWoods

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:19:33 +0000

The Queen's Larder - review by AlexWoods

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

I 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 time 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 late 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.

Lamb & Flag - review by Navajo_Pete

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:28:21 +0000

Lamb & Flag - review by Navajo_Pete

Rating: 3.6

Location: 33 Rose Street, WC2E 9EB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7497 9504

Tags: traditional pub

Slightly hidden away, between Leicester Square and Covent Garden, but soon detected on a pleasant evening (by the huge crowds standing around outside). This is a nice, old pub - one of the many 'oldest pub in London' pubs and visibly antiquated. Inside, the pub has a cosy atmosphere, with lots of ancient timber beams and panelling, and a fire at the back. Regardless of it being old and 'listed', the owners have ripped part of the traditional shopfront out and replaced it with an opening and folding window.

The first floor bar tends to be a bit quieter, as most people seem to prefer to stand outside (and be seen!). The bar menu is basic and largely cooked on site. The beer is variable, although a range of decent bitters (in reasonable condition) are usually available. The owners have introduced some crowd control, in order to keep the passageway to Floral Street open, but large groups of punters pay little regard.

Nice, little pub that tends to be a bit overrated. Its success as a tourist honey trap is hampered by its extremely busy and slightly unfriendly atmosphere. I wouldn't go here for the quality of the beer, but great for people watching!

Wodka - review by WB1

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:23:46 +0000

Wodka - review by WB1

Rating: 4.4

Location: 12 St Albans Grove, W8 5PN, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7937 6513

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

Tags: good value, east european

Wodka is something really different to the standard pretentious and often mediocre offerings in Kensington. Tucked away in the back street, you'll need a map to find it (or a taxi) but it's definitely worth the walk. Inside the tables a haphazardly placed (or so it seems) behin pillars and around corners but the layout works well with the tables not too close together. The menu is a real treat - very differnt. The dishes are mostly quite heavy, making this a great place to go on a cold and dreary winter's evening but there are a few lighter choices as well. The food is always very good quality and it's great to try something different. The vodka list must be seen to be believed. A really comprehensive list of every vodka you could imagine and many you have never dreamed of. Some are homemade, some imported and all are worth are try. Just don't try them all in one visit or you will be rolling home!

Alphabet Bar - review by LukeG

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:34:46 +0000

Alphabet Bar - review by LukeG

Rating: 3.0

Location: 61-63 Beak Street, W1F 9SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7439 2190

Website: http://www.alphabetbar.com

I went to Alaphabet with a group from work. Great bar, good atmosphere. My only gripe - I was told they serve food which was one of the reasons I decided to go there, however when we went to the bar to place an order at 9pm or just before, we were told the kitchen was closed.

A little disappointing as we had 20 very hungry people! We got drunk quicker though........

Lamb & Flag - review by nispero

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:48:34 +0000

Lamb & Flag - review by nispero

Rating: 3.6

Location: 33 Rose Street, WC2E 9EB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7497 9504

Tags: relaxed, standard pub food, traditional pub, friendly

The Lamb and the Flag is a pub located close to Covent Garden market. It is situated in a quiet street but the pub is always very crowded.
Itâ¬"s an old pub with good food (sandwiches, salads, roasts), good beer (even the Japanese kirin ichiban) and it is not very expensive.
A good place to stay for a while, the ambient is really nice.
Depending on the hour and the day, you may struggle to even get inside.
Some tables and chairs in the dinning floor are too old, meaning a bit uncomfortable and the condition of the pub is not very good, when it is raining you can see water falling from the ceiling.
It has no beer garden.

Lamb & Flag - review by chrisp

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:56:33 +0000

Lamb & Flag - review by chrisp

Rating: 3.6

Location: 33 Rose Street, WC2E 9EB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7497 9504

Tags: relaxed, standard pub food, traditional pub, friendly

One of the oldest surviving pubs in London, so it's on many people's do to list for that reason alone. Fortunately, the L&F is a nice little boozer quite apart from the historic novelty factor. Lovely old oak-beam rooms and a decent selection of real ales pick this place out amongst the chain dross of Covent Garden - it's no wonder it's always so busy, no matter what time of day or night.

Onions Sandwich Bar - review by AlexWoods

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

Onions Sandwich Bar - review by AlexWoods

Rating: 5.0

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

Phone: 020 7405 8605

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.

The Queen's Larder - review by Sarah_W

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:49:44 +0000

The Queen's Larder - review by Sarah_W

Rating: 4.0

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

Phone: 020 7837 5627

Website: http://www.laurelpubco.com

Tags: relaxed, mixed crowd, friendly

This is one of my favourite little London pubs. It's in a great location on the western side of Queen Square, one of the less visited parts of Bloomsbury. With outside seating on the square and on pedestrianised Cosmo Place, it's a good choice if you want to sit outside without being smothered in traffic fumes. But sitting inside is an equal pleasure, as the bar area is cosy and quite attractive - although my friend with the clown phobia squirms whenever we come here, as a cheerful row of them sit above the bar! Other decorative touches include a number of theatre posters.

Its small size can mean finding a table on a week day evening a challenge, but a flight of rather steep stairs in the corner takes you to an upstairs room, with a quaintly rickety floor, which is often quiet and sometimes deserted. We've had several post-work gatherings here, with windows open overlooking the square, our choice of viewing on the TV (football for preference) and the beer and conversation flowing in equal measure. Talking of beer, there are always several real ales (among them on a recent visit I spotted Greene King IPA) and a good selection of draught lagers, but I usually favour the Leffe Blond or a glass of wine, which is of a reasonable quality here.

This isn't a fancy pub, by any means, but it's comfortable and welcoming and after all, what more do you need?

Baltic - review by paulash134

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:29:12 +0000

Baltic - review by paulash134

Rating: 3.2

Location: 74 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8HA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7928 1111

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

Tags: lively, east european, expensive

Three of us decided to go to Baltic as it was close to where we were and we fancied trying something different, I don't remember when I last tried Polish quisine.

The place is amazingly deceptive, hidden at the back of the bar is a spacious, light and comfortable dining room, the tables are crammed into the area, even so, as the night progressed it wasn't difficult to exit.

The decor is pleasing with accents of amber in the fixtures and lighting including a large piece of artwork as the focal point at the far end of the room.

We hadn't booked and were told we could be seated as long as we left before 9.30 p.m. The menu is good and has a variety of starters and main courses, however, I found it difficult to choose. I settled on the Pierogi, dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese and served with sour cream, as a main course. The food is enjoyable but I didn't feel challenged by my choice. One of my fellow diners had the starter of Jewish Fish, which was very nice but tasted flat even with the dressing on the accompanying celeriac. The main course of Schnitzel was a little dry but very good. The Salmon in pastry was also good, the salmon was full of flavour.

The experience overall was very nice but I didn't feel as if I was satisfied. I'll go again and choose something else. The setting is brilliant for a romantic dinner or a party, good also for the business crowd, ideal for meeting friends. Service level is acceptable and the staff are knowledgeable. For what we ate I thought that it was a little expensive. With two beers and sparkling water we paid Â£69 for three, service included.

Baltic - review by Sarah_W

Sun, 18 May 2008 10:29:40 +0000

Baltic - review by Sarah_W

Rating: 3.2

Location: 74 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8HA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7928 1111

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

Tags: cocktails, cool decor, east european

A recent evening out with friends found us a little away from our usual haunts, in Southwark. Right opposite the tube station is this Eastern European themed restaurant. The dÃ©cor is really stylish, with a darkly atmospheric bar area giving way to a light and airy dining space beyond â¬ both very modern, but welcoming rather than scarily so.

We started our evening with cocktails in the bar. In addition to the usual suspects there are a number of special cocktails reflecting the strong Polish influence, including Chrisâ¬"s apple vodka based martini and my champagne cocktail with muddled ginger. Both of these were excellent.

We then moved into the restaurant where we chose (with some difficulty!) from the extensive menu. I had the selection of blinis to start with, followed by pan-fried Pollock,hile Chris started with a vegetable soup with liver dumplings (â¬SVerenikiâ¬) and followed this with goulash. Our friends chose a black sausage (â¬SKaszankaâ¬) and a pierogi starter, and both had hake for their main course. For dessert, three of us chose the sour cherry crÃ¨me brulÃ©e, while Chris had a Hungarian chocolate torte.

All of the above sounds delicious, and some of it was â¬ notably the excellent bread that accompanied the starters, the aubergine patÃ© and red caviar that were part of my blini selection, and the crÃ¨me brulÃ©e. Other dishes though were disappointing â¬ Chrisâ¬"s goulash lacked any heat (the spicy sort) and my fish was nothing special although the accompanying lentil/walnut/pomegranate mixture was interesting, if rather surprisingly served cold. It was also served with chicory rather than the promised leek â¬ not a major problem for me but these bitter leaves arenâ¬"t to everyoneâ¬"s taste.

On the plus side, the service was friendly and efficient, and the bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, chosen from the lower end of the wine list, was very drinkable. The total bill for the four of us was around Â£150 â¬ not cheap for a meal of such variable quality, but OK for a trendy London restaurant.

So would we go back? Probably, if we found ourselves in the area, but Iâ¬"d be tempted to stick with the excellent cocktails and try some bar snacks perhaps, rather than a full meal.

Baltic - review by QualitySeeker

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:40:22 +0000

Baltic - review by QualitySeeker

Rating: 3.2

Location: 74 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8HA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7928 1111

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

Used to go from time to time when I lived in Borough (we moved last autumn). I loved those big heavy doors opening off the scruffy old Blackfriars Road into a kind of grotto. And then there's that fabulous amber chandelier. It's a great bar. The restaurant's a bit cold, draughty and clinical, and the menu a bit dumplingy, but the waiters and waitresses distracted you from that as eyecandy ;)

Wodka - review by rassami

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:18:52 +0000

Wodka - review by rassami

Rating: 4.4

Location: 12 St Albans Grove, W8 5PN, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7937 6513

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

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

Wodka is a brilliant, buzzy yet relaxed, fun and friendly little gem in the middle of a rather conservative neighbourhood. This is one of my absolutely favourite places in London with the manager Kasia worth many stars for making guests feel welcome.
The food is Polish but with a French sophisticated twist, with the eel salad a must, ditto the rabbit or the duck when on the menu.
The vodkas, a wide-ranging array, are beautiful whether home-made or imported. Tip: have only vodkas and water, beware of mixing with wine!

Wodka - review by Gavroche

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:08:56 +0000

Wodka - review by Gavroche

Rating: 4.4

Location: 12 St Albans Grove, W8 5PN, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7937 6513

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

Tags: romantic, Polish, expensive

I have been reading the reviews, all very positive. I must say our experience was desapointing. The food was truly nice but the service was mediocre. They took our bottle of wine before it was finished and the same for our main courses! When telling the manager we were treated as if we were lying. the management probably feels that there should not be any critics. A bit pretentious!

We will come back to give a seconde chance because of all the good reviews.