Latest favourites and wishlist by BenjaminDives

Green Cottage - review by Barney752

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:24:08 +0000

Green Cottage - review by Barney752

Rating: 4.5

Location: 9 New College Parade, NW3 5EP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7722 7892

Let me start by saying that i am a fan of all things chinese, especially the food. This makes me a rather biased review, if the food is bad i am likely to say its terrible, and if is good ill say it was great. Green cottage is great :) really good food in a quasi authentic atmosphere. You can tell it is good the second you step throught the door into the sparsely decorated restaurant, because there are many chinese people there, and im not talking about the staff. The food is very nice, not too MSGy, i personlly love their smoked chicken and crabmeat and sweetcorn soup. Chinese tea is on the house. All in all i hearily reccomend it.

Ida - review by dzine

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:25:20 +0000

Ida - review by dzine

Rating: 3.9

Location: 167 Fifth Avenue, W10 4DT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8969 9853

Tags: italian, family & home feel, expensive

Based on a friend's recommendation my wife & I were looking forward to an evening of good, reasonably priced local food.
You couldn't deny the staff were keen to feed us, we barely had the menus in our hands for a minute when we were asked if we had made our decision. When they returned five minutes later we both opted for a pasta dish to start followed by sea bream and rabbit and to accompany a bottle of chianti.
The homemade tagliatelle and accompanying sauces were fine, but could have done with a bit more seasoning and were absolutely not worth Â£11 each. We had to remind our waitress about our wine as this had not arrived prior to the food. After the first taste we wished it hadn't arrived at all - it certainly put the rough into ruffino. To be fair, the waitress was happy to change the bottle and the reasonably priced house red we went for was very drinkable.
The waitress brought the fish and the side salad for my wife and when she saw my confusion asked if something was missing. Err, yes, my main course. This flakiness was consistent through all three waitresses.
My wife was happy with the sea bream but felt the chef had gone overboard with the overpowering sundried tomatoes and olives, not to mention the inch of dressing that drowned her side salad. My rabbit was well cooked, but the accompanying roast potatoes were grey once cut open.
My wife ended the evening with a dessert entitled 'black and white chocolate ice-cream' which turned out to be a bowl of vanilla topped with dark & white 'chocolate' buttons. OK, Ida's hadn't broken the trade descriptions act, but one expects something more for Â£4.50.
Ida's seems to have all the right intentions to deliver good, honest Italian food, but unfortunately based on our experience it falls well short. The service was beyond flakey given three women were looking after less than thirty people, the food was average, the chianti was undrinkable and the the whole thing was massively overpriced. Add to that no loo seat in the ladies, and it will be a bloody miracle if we ever go back.

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by bevsue06

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:52:03 +0000

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by bevsue06

Rating: 4.0

Location: 5 Marylands Road, W9 2DU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7286 7896

Tags: lively, greek

I just spent a wonderful week in London and the cherry on the top was Tsiakkos! I spent two amazing evenings there and I highly recommend it. Great atmosphere and delicious food.I recommend the Cleftico (lamb on bone served with delicious rice)(I took the bone home to my labrador who loved it!!) great Tarama,excellent Greek salad with a very generous serving of Feta, yummy hummous. The owner Xen was very hospitable and the music was perfect. I will definitely return on my next visit to London.

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by gastro1

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:46:37 +0000

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by gastro1

Rating: 4.0

Location: 5 Marylands Road, W9 2DU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7286 7896

Tags: cheap eat, greek, family & home feel

This is the first time I have said this about a Greek restaurant in the UK.

Had a great simple and well prepared meal today with my wife and kids along with my friend Tony with his wife and kids.

Proper Taramaslata , Melinzanosalata, Tzaziki , Horiatiki as wel as great Souvlaki and Kleftiko. Will be back soon and not just to collect my son's NY Yankees cap but for another fix !

Not normally open on Sundays but the owner was kind enough to cater for 9 at lunch today as he has a private party tonight. He is a charming man by the way and he made everyone including the bambinos feel at home !

Bravo !

Royal China - review by Sangjune

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:43:29 +0000

Royal China - review by Sangjune

Rating: 4.5

Location: 68 Queens Gr, NW8 6ER, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7586 4280

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

Tags: expensive, chinese

It is a decent place, but a little small. Foods are expensive. Foods are better in Baker st. royal china.

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by gilka

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:18:45 +0000

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by gilka

Rating: 4.0

Location: 5 Marylands Road, W9 2DU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7286 7896

Tags: cheap eat, greek, family & home feel

I went to check this place after reading the reviews on TrustedPlaces.
We entered the place which looked very friendly and unpretentious.
Candle lights and cosy atmosphere. We ordered 3 starters:
tzatziki, fasolia (beans) and beetroot salad.
The beetroot was the winning one but just because it is a tasty vegtable not because
of the way it was made... I have tasted much greater tzatziki before and the fasolia tasted like beans from a can.

The worst thing of the overall experience is that the owner decided that it is acceptable to watch a movie on his computer while other people are eating in the restaurant...In such a small place it is very difficult to ignore.
he even did worst by trying to discuss the computer noise by putting the music volume higher...

For mains, we ordered meat on the grill. It seemed that while being busy watching the film, not enough attention was given to take the skewers out from the grill and they arrived overly cooked and barely eatable.

I am not going back there for sure and also very surprised by the reviews on this page.

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by TimParlett

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:59:08 +0000

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by TimParlett

Rating: 4.0

Location: 5 Marylands Road, W9 2DU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7286 7896

Tags: good value, greek, family & home feel

Family atmosphere. Well prepared, typical Greek food (in vast quantities). Extremely friendly.

Ida - review by TimParlett

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:20:36 +0000

Ida - review by TimParlett

Rating: 3.9

Location: 167 Fifth Avenue, W10 4DT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8969 9853

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

Very good authentic Italian food in a small family restaurant.

I spent last weekend in Milan and this was just as if I as still there.

It was packed last night so service was slow (I guess they were shortstaffed ... or maybe they weren't expecting Thursday to be completely packed - there were people waiting too), but the food was great (as it had been the 3 times I've been before) and we weren't in too much of a hurry anyway.

And the bill didn't bite back: it all seems a reasonable price.

Ida - review by paulash134

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:43:58 +0000

Ida - review by paulash134

Rating: 3.9

Location: 167 Fifth Avenue, W10 4DT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8969 9853

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

18 Oct 07 - I was told that the place we were eating last night was lovely, and I wasn't dissappointed. I'm there to be with friends, eat and drink and enjoy the ambiance, the place was clean and tidy, well run, efficient, pleasant, the people working there are helpful, discreet, charming, work well/hard together. The food we had was good and enough, with the starter and main. I am recommending the place to my friends and hope that the family that run the restaurant do well.

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by onya

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:57:27 +0000

Tsiakkos & Charcoal - review by onya

Rating: 4.0

Location: 5 Marylands Road, W9 2DU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7286 7896

Tags: greek

Well what can I say, in the words of the great Victor Kiam this food was so good I wanted to buy the restaurant. I went here Monday and it was so amazing I had to go back on Tuesday. Today is Wednesday and guess where I have just had dinner, yes at Tsiakkos and yes it was not only as good but better today. The starters are fresh and wholesome greek mezze of salad, haloumi, spicy sausages, Greek salad, stuffed vineleaves (these and the potatoe salad deserve a special mention) whilst the main courses are a choice of freshly cooked lamb, chicken or pork kebabs marinated all day in a glorious marined or whatever the masterful Xenophobe has decided to cook throughout the day. Everyday ther is the greatest Kleftico I have ever eaten and sometimes there is Mousaka and then there is normally a fish for cooking on the open coals. Just when I thought it could not get any better, and I could not eat any further, Xen produced his wifes Trifle, which some of the regulars were eating for starters (it's that good), and I managed to squeeze in a portion closely followed by yet another - it was that good. The perfect mix of custard, fruit, cream, chocholate, jelly and lovely scrummyness.
The food here is so good that I actually contemplated shooting Xen so that no one else could ever have such an amazing meal but then I thought how selfish I should share this hidden secret garden with you all. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did and will in the future.......Tomorrow

Royal China - review by BenjaminDives

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:25:57 +0000

Royal China - review by BenjaminDives

Rating: 4.5

Location: 68 Queens Gr, NW8 6ER, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7586 4280

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

best dimsum outside of hong kong.

Green Cottage - review by BenjaminDives

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:25:29 +0000

Green Cottage - review by BenjaminDives

Rating: 4.5

Location: 9 New College Parade, NW3 5EP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7722 7892

outstanding value, incredibly fresh, rapid service, excellent all round.

Angeles - review by Niamheen

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:25:09 +0000

Angeles - review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.2

Location: 405 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7QE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8328 3255

Tags: lively, chinese sichuan, family & home feel, good value

And I mean spicy. REALLY spicy. So spicy that at one point in the meal when I accidentally inhaled a chilli that had been idling on my prawn I got an intense coughing fit, followed by streaming tears (which I swear were spicy too - they burned!) and temporarily acquired a breaking voice not unlike your average pubescent boy. But it was good! And I went back for more, ate loads more chillis and peppers and cried a little bit but left Angeles proclaiming - that was good! I'll go back there again!

Angeles is in Kilburn, London, on the Kilburn High Rd to be specific. I have walked past it almost daily for the last 3 years but I'd never been. It doesn't look that enticing from the outside, there's a buffet on display with lots of pre-cooked food sitting under seemingly endless rows of nightlights which is very popular but not my thing so I've avoided it. Recently, however, I have heard & read some good things about Angeles. The clientele is primarily Chinese also which, in itself, is a great recommendation. Sichuan is becoming quite a big thing in London with Bar Shu in Soho & now Snazz Sichuan opening in Euston. However, it's said that Angeles and Sichuan Restaurant in Acton are the originals. Now, I haven't been to Bar Shu or Snazz Sichuan (yet!) so I can't compare, but I've read that Angeles represents more of the home-cooked style Sichuan Food.

So, we had a look at the menu in the window and it really did not look like a sichuan menu, it was more like the cantonese menus you see in Chinese restaurants all over London. We thought we'd go in anyway and have a look. We were promptly approached by a friendly waitress asking if were here for the buffet or the restaurant. We said restaurant and were directed to the restaurant, but what surprised me was that the restaurant is actually two restaurants dicided by a wall, one for the buffet and the one we were now about to try. We were given two menus each, the cantonese one in the window and a bamboo one - the sichuan one. Now, this looked to be authentic sichuan food. I was very happy!

The restaurtant itself is nice, the tablecloth and tableware all white & posters of chinese leaders on the walls. There was a range of items on the menu, lots of offal (beef stomach anyone?), lots of meat in general, seafood and vegetable dishes. There was lots of things that I had never eaten before so it was difficult to choose. We decided in the end on Dumpling Soup with Hot Chilli Oil, Stir Fried Double Cooked Belly Pork, Hot & Delicious Stir Fried King Prawns and steamed rice. The food and drinks arrived promptly. The prawns were delicious and numerous, very generous portions, cooked briefly and not overdone as you see in so many places. They were drowned in chillis and oil but the flavour was very good. It certainly had the renowned sichuan "hot" spicy and "numbing" spicy. The dumpling soup was minced pork dumplings in chilli oil which were tasty but not spectacular. The pork belly was quite greasy but flavoursome.

Throughout the meal I couldn't help watch what everyone else was eating. The waitress indulged me by telling me what the various dishes were. Steamed sichuan bread & bean tips really took my fancy and I will go back to try them.

The meal came to a total of £35 for the two of us with 3 drinks & service (which we added) included. The service was really efficient and friendly, they were super helpful even with all my annoying questions and promised to remind me to order the steamed bread next time I go back, which I will, as there's lots more to try there and for the price it's good value.

Ida - review by BrianGannon

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:58:28 +0000

Ida - review by BrianGannon

Rating: 3.9

Location: 167 Fifth Avenue, W10 4DT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8969 9853

Tags: italian, family & home feel, good value

Can't understand Jasmine's review - what was she really looking for? I've been there a lot since Ida opened: it's been relaxing and straightforward (Jasmine's right about the lack of pretension) - and the food's been delicious (I've generally stuck with the anti-pasti and primi).

Queen's Park has plenty of very average, overpriced trend spots, if that's what you want. Ida a hugely refreshing alternative. Unlike Jasmine, I like the home-made decorations, and the home-made pasta. I like the fact that I can eat an excellent evening meal here with no ceremony and at a reasonable price. When I need ponce, I can head to Salusbury Road and pay through the nose for it.

Ida - review by RosaRiccorivo

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 14:44:51 +0000

Ida - review by RosaRiccorivo

Rating: 3.9

Location: 167 Fifth Avenue, W10 4DT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8969 9853

Tags: cheap eat italian food family home feel

in may i went to london, i am italian , and after seeing the british museum , river trip, the tower of london ecc. ecc. by the way we went to an italian restaurant. (longing for italian food ).Amazing , one of the best home made italian food i ever tasted. the tagliatelle al ragu that i eat were delicius, the baccala was wonderful, and the tiramisu was superb. When the owner and his wife, Avi and Simonetta came to ask if everything was ok ,i was surprised that there italian was perfect. and more surprise for me was the food that i stil remember. next time to london,city,museum and again to avi and simonetta. i do recomand.