Latest favourites and wishlist by DavidMuir

Song Que - review by curlynewf

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:01:39 +0000

Song Que - review by curlynewf

Rating: 4.7

Location: 134 Kingsland Road, E2 8DY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7613 3222

Tags: lively, family & home feel, cheap eat, good value, crowded, vietnamese

I have a friend into her Vietnamese who isn't keen on this place. And because she knows her food and I trust her opinion, each time I visit, her words of disapproval echo in my ears and try to convince me that what I'm eating ain't so great. But it doesn't work. I can't help loving it. Perhaps her bar is set too high, and mine too low - but who cares, the heart wants what it wants.

I only wish I lived closer so I could go more often and order my favourite, bbq pork and spring roll bÃ¹n. So good and refreshing. My body thanks me every time.

Bodean's BBQ - review by hollowlegs

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:22:18 +0000

Bodean's BBQ - review by hollowlegs

Rating: 3.2

Location: 10 Poland Street, W1F 8PZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7267 6623

Website: http://www.bodeansbbq.com

Tags: american, lively

I've never been to Bodean's straight-headed; we always come here for hangover cures, grumbling "mmmeeeeeaaat!" in an almost animalistic way.

It gets seriously busy in the downstairs restaurant, especially on a Friday so we tend to dine early (12pm) or later to beat the lunchtime rush. I've never had anything other than the 'Pig Out For A Tenner' deal which includes baby back ribs, fries and coleslaw with a Coors Light Beer (probably the only thing I can handle in delicate conditions, but pretty tasteless) or a soft drink.

The ribs are good; tender and meaty and messy, exactly what you'd want from them. Back in the day they used to give you a little mound of pulled pork in this deal, but alas, this is no more. Fries are average, but the coleslaw is nice and not sickeningly claggy with mayonnaise. I like their sauces - ask for the extra hot one. The waiting staff are always pleasant.

Magdalen - review by Browners

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:12:14 +0000

Magdalen - review by Browners

Rating: 4.2

Location: 152 Tooley Street, SE1 2TU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 1342

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

Tags: lively, british, expensive, romantic

My parents are obsessed with Mark Rothko. A bit like how Peter Stringfellow is obsessed with girls in plastic high heels and bikinis. It's a sort of pseudo-sexual thing. All encompassing and fascinating. So it was with great excitement that we went on a Brown family outing to the Tate Modern for their hugely anticipated "Rothko - the late years" exhibition on Friday for a private viewing. It didn't disappoint. It just served to reconfirm, if that was needed at all, that Rothko's work is as moving and haunting as Bach and Mozart. It was more like an existential philosophy exhibition than a gallery of paintings.

We returned on Saturday to be in the audience for the all afternoon seminar connected to the exhibition. We were surrounded on all sides by people with even more emphatic Rothko fetishes than Mum and Dad! Not that I thought this was possible. I guess it's a bit like thinking your pretty good at football having scored a few goals for your school side and then going off to the regional trials - only to see all the other boys can kick the ball miles and have all the kit! But I am pleased to say that the Brown family held their own. Mum has vowed never to wash her right hand again having shaken hands with Mark Rothko's son, Christopher!

Still buzzing from 4 hours of in depth intercourse about the ins and outs of the world of Rothko, we strolled along Bankside up towards Tooley street where we were delighted to find Magdalen. It's from the Anchor and Hope school of cookery. Or if you are from Bristol, it's similar to The Albany. The deep maroon walls made us feel like we were eating with the Seagram Murals hanging around us!

The menu excited me more than the others. I loved the 3 part simplicity of it all. But on the downside it means that it reads less flamboyantly than menus tended to a few years ago. Beds, jus, tranches and so forth are gone. Now it's all about guess work and trust. It's the sign of a confident restaurant.

I was in two minds about what to have. The devil inside me was whispering in my ear... telling me to have the grouse... but at Â£26 I couldn't. Instead I was delighted with my choice of potted crab which was as silky as a silkworm's sleeping bag, followed by an unctuous combination of shoulder and leg of pork - served with a mustardy sauce and the lightest crackling I have ever had. This was top class cooking. And brilliantly British.

The others had a very good cauliflower soup with walnuts and other earthy autumnal bits and pieces... and Dad had a Rothko coloured maroon on black seared haunch venison. The fish soup, slow cooked shoulder of lamb and halibut that followed were equally memorable. All bore the hallmark of a kitchen that is at ease with itself. Don't get me wrong - it was all very good food. But I wonder what they are capable when they push things a bit further?

I shared a blindingly good lemon tart with a burn sugar crust which was top class The pastry was thin and crumbled at just the right moments when you showed it the spoon. And the lemon custard was still warm and silky.

Our only criticism concerns 3 embarrassments.

1. The step at the bottom of the stairs is not the same depth as the other stairs... I almost tripped over twice in the middle of the dinning room.

2. I had to queue to get into the gents in full view of the restaurant. It didn't really feel right.

3. Dad had an altercation with the manager about their policy of automatically adding a gratuity of 12.5%. Our waitress had been fantastic all evening - so we wanted to give her a tip... but we disagreed severely with their tipping policy. Surely if the gratuity is at the discretion of the person paying... it is not up to the restaurant to behave like this. It leaves a very sour taste in the mouth and we hope that Magdalen changes their policy.

Tremendous food. The perfect place for a Rothko inspired dinner. O... and how are you supposed to pronounce the name?

Bodean's BBQ - review by bellaphon

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:45:57 +0000

Bodean's BBQ - review by bellaphon

Rating: 3.2

Location: 10 Poland Street, W1F 8PZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7267 6623

Website: http://www.bodeansbbq.com

Tags: american, ribs, hot dogs, good value, delicatessen, crowded, burgers, bbq, lively, cheap

Iâ¬"m not entirely sure as to why Iâ¬"m drawn to this place, for a start the food is distinctly average. If a Yank was to turn up here, she or he will be initially disappointed with the portions, for they were certainly un-American in size and quantity. Neither am I enthralled with the Plasma Screens featuring American sports but the folks who frequent here are a consistently lively bunch, which can only suggest that theyâ¬"re primarily responsible for the great ambience.

I must say that the burgers and hot dogs were pretty much decent. I canâ¬"t help but find that the sauces and marinades that came with dishes tasting almost synthetic-like. Past experiences included a half-cooked chicken that was returned and rewarded with a properly cooked double portion and the bland Clam Chowder was sadly clamless. My daughter thought the fries were stupendous, the bottomless soft drinks a bonus and getting your hands sticky and grubby with the ribs was part of life. You get the gist. This place can get very very busy, but the great staff manages to hold everything together. I prefer to dine at the Deli section as I find the Dining Room area in the basement too cavernous and claustrophobic.

I suppose my repeat visits to Bodeanâ¬"s are probably down to the pomp and circumstance of an American eatery, which I feel utterly comfy and easy with.

Fish House - review by richfair

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:27:05 +0000

Fish House - review by richfair

Rating: 4.5

Location: 126-128 Lauriston Road, E9 7LH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8533 3327

Tags: good value

This is a very nice, good quality fish and chip shop where you can take away or eat in. I've always taken away and it's always lovely to walk to nearby Victoria Park and enjoy your fish and ships there. It's a very clean, nicely run place and the fish is very very good.

It's quite a big restaurant, especially for a fish and chip shop, and it's in a nice little area of Hackney on Lauriston Road. I've seen it quite packed so it must be quite popular. The fish and chips with mushy peas were certainly some of the best I've had in London.

Magdalen - review by jmohring

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:30:16 +0000

Magdalen - review by jmohring

Rating: 4.2

Location: 152 Tooley Street, SE1 2TU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 1342

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

Tags: expensive, british, business

We've spent 2 happy evenings at Magdalen and are delighted to have such a great restaurant on our doorstep.
The atmosphere at Magdalen is discreet, grown up and classy and the food is even better.
On our first visit we started with a rabbit terrine and potted shrimp before moving on to dishes of venison and sea bream. The terrine was chunky and studded with pistachios, the shrimp buttery and rich. Our main courses didn't disappoint and the high point for dessert was a molten centred chocolate pudding.
The occasion was a birthday treat and the whole evening was perfect, the waiter attentive the wines well recommended and priced and the service unhurried but never slack.
Our second visit with friends after a few too many cocktails at the Hide bar was another fine Bermondsey evening. Our initial impression on being seated was that we were the only people in the place having a good time as every one else seemed to be whispering or eating in silence. They may have just been enjoying their meals I suppose but we soon realised that it would be fine for us to add to the atmosphere with a little less sotto voce conversation. Our food did shut us up: starters included braised pigs cheeks, rich and savoury and fried lambs brains which were described as perfect. For the main course both skate wings and sweet breads were stand out dishes. The sweetbreads a fondly remembered childhood treat, just as silky smooth and more ish as I recalled.
My only caveat with Magdalen is its somewhat sober air, the restaurant lacks buzz at times which is a shame because the food, service and wine is great and good value for this quality of experience. I would recommend this place for romantic dinners, business lunches and food lovers who bring their own buzz with them!

The Morgan Arms - review by fairy600

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:02:54 +0000

The Morgan Arms - review by fairy600

Rating: 4.2

Location: 43 Morgan Street, E3 5AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8980 6389

Website: http://www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/themorgan/

Tags: cool, excellent pub food, cool & smart, traditional pub, pretentious, trendy, relaxed, posh

A very cosy old authentic pub. The Morgan situated on a corner close to Tredegar square in Bow offers a fantastic food menu- the roasts must be tried. The bar food is just as impressive offering selections of hoummous, mozzarella balls, dips, bread , oils etc. The interior has been carefully designed and you could spend hours just admiring the decor. The prices are fairly steep -Â£16 roast and alcohol is not cheap. However, the quality of the food and service does justify these prices and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. The only down side is that the crowd can be slightly pretentious but I suppose thats what you tend to expect at higher priced pubs in London.

Fish House - review by t_moussa

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:42:48 +0000

Fish House - review by t_moussa

Rating: 4.5

Location: 126-128 Lauriston Road, E9 7LH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8533 3327

Tags: lively, british, seafood, family & home feel, good value, crowded

Discovered this place several months ago and I can honestly say that it is the best fish and chips I have eaten. Restaurant is opposite the park, and is lovely to visit on a beautiful day, especially if seated outside. Inside of the restaurant is pleasantly decorated and the ambience is lively, mostly filled with couples and families. The portions are very generous and well worth the money. It costs around Â£9 for a portion of fish and chips, which comes with mushy peas and tartare sauce. I ordered the haddock and it was bigger than my plate! The chips are also very, very good but I could not finish them all and had to ask to take the rest home. The menu also offers a wide variety of fresh fish dishes which I will be keen to try next time. The desserts served here are divine. The melting chocolate pot seems a bit steep at around four quid but it was wonderful. In general, this is a fantastic place, I only wish it was closer so I could go there more!

Bodean's BBQ - review by Weeboo

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:24:26 +0000

Bodean's BBQ - review by Weeboo

Rating: 3.2

Location: 10 Poland Street, W1F 8PZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7267 6623

Website: http://www.bodeansbbq.com

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

Bodean's is a meat-lovers paradise, somewhere to indulge your inner carnivore. I love it here. The surroundings are low-key and comfortable. A real haven from the ultra-trendy interiors of some of Soho's other restaurants and bars. There's always sports on in the background, but its not too obtrusive unlike some other sports venues in London. You can actually hold a conversation in Bodean's without risking your vocal cords.

The menu is straightforward. Steaks and burgers are well cooked with minimal grease (which seems to be a real problem with some gourmet burger restaurants), and red meat is delivered precisely as rare or as well done as you request them. Chips and onion rings are the right side of crunchy. I can highly recommend Bodean's if you're looking for a relaxed dinner.

Bodean's BBQ - review by vexille

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:29:33 +0000

Bodean's BBQ - review by vexille

Rating: 3.2

Location: 10 Poland Street, W1F 8PZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7267 6623

Website: http://www.bodeansbbq.com

Tags: american, family & home feel, lively

Now I don't want to come across too harsh in my review. I mean, I've most certainly eaten here over a dozen times! However, it was purely for ease and availability more than for incredibily tasty steaks.

OK, so they aren't bad, by no means to the poor standard of Angus Steak Houses, but, they just aren't that special. Menu selection is suffice, as is the choice of different meats, but it just all feels a bit samey and if you're not paying attention you could be in a TGI / Harvesters / Beefeater.

Ambience is nice, very all American, with the usual American sports playing on the screens, so if you hate basketball / Americal football then stay away!

Don't go there with the expectation of having the best steak ever, if you want that, check out Gaucho Grill instead...

Mucho Mas - review by yvonnep

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:24:20 +0000

Mucho Mas - review by yvonnep

Rating: 4.2

Location: 27 Upper St, N1 0PN, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7704 2123

Website: http://www.mucho-mas.co.uk

Tags: mexican, bargain, authentic

Very good & very quick. Rich well cooked meat combined with the vibrant fresh flavours of the accompaniments. They do veggie options also but I haven't tried them. Great for lunch or a quick evening bite.

Song Que - review by Alita

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:51:52 +0000

Song Que - review by Alita

Rating: 4.7

Location: 134 Kingsland Road, E2 8DY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7613 3222

Tags: lively, cheap eat, crowded, vietnamese

I really want to try more of the non-Song Que Vietnamese cafes along Kingsland Road but this restaurant draws me back time and again. Choose the right dishes and you'll get a selection of some of the most cheap, fresh, delicious food to be found anywhere in London. Avoid the deep-fried starters and chinese-y stuff and order some rice paper rolls, a Vietnamese pancake, a bowl of decent Pho and top it off with a Cendol for dessert. You will not be disappointed and will probably come away with change of Â£30 for two.

Magdalen - review by FoodStories

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:33:47 +0000

Magdalen - review by FoodStories

Rating: 4.2

Location: 152 Tooley Street, SE1 2TU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 1342

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

Tags: british

We visited The Magdalen for a romantic dinner and having read the menu on the website, we were drooling at the prospect. The Magdalen offers a menu featuring dishes such as, â¬Ürare grilled haunch of venisonâ¬", â¬Üconfit rabbit legâ¬" and â¬Ühot foie gras, prunes and armagnacâ¬". I was very excited (some might argue, a little too much) about ordering the â¬Üthinly sliced pigs head, pickled red cabbage and fried potatoesâ¬" but unfortunately it wasnâ¬"t on the menu last week. As it was, I opted for potted Devon crab and toast and roast rib of longhorn beef, dripping toast, spinach and meat juices. My partner chose the hot foie gras mentioned earlier (I knew he would, he can never resist foie gras) and a rabbit, white bean and bacon dish that I canâ¬"t quite remember because I was drooling over my beef too much.

The food was lovely, honest, simple and respectfully treated. You might complain that the portions are a little small. My potted crab was smooth, buttery and thoroughly delicious (the texture of the crab was somehow perfectly retained in the pot). I also ordered the roast rib of longhorn beef which was thin, rare, so tender and so full of flavour. The dripping toast was nice despite there not being a lot of it and it came topped with delicious, parmesan laced spinach. I could tell that my partners rabbit wasnâ¬"t quite so pleasing by the way he looked longingly over at my plate, his eyes begging me for a tasty morsel. His foie gras was apparently, â¬Ümmmmm, mmm, mmmmmâ¬", but then foie gras always it isnâ¬"t it?

We liked The Magdalen, the atmosphere was informal and friendly, the service was fairly good, although nothing special but something made us leave without ordering dessert. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Bodean's BBQ - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:07:28 +0000

Bodean's BBQ - review by chrisp

Rating: 3.2

Location: 10 Poland Street, W1F 8PZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7267 6623

Website: http://www.bodeansbbq.com

Tags: american, good value, crowded, lively

The problem with steakhouses and BBQ joints in the UK, and it's a big problem, is that the raw meat ingredients are either too expensive to appeal to anything more than a handful of obsessed foodies, or cheap enough but of inferior quality and therefore undesirable for a different reason. Take Hawksmoor, for example, a brave and unashamedly premium steakhouse on Commercial Road. The quality of the meat is exemplary (The Ginger Pig of Borough Market fame, no less), the skill of the kitchen unquestionable, the service professional and knowledgeable. But at Â£50 a head on average without wine it's not hard to see why you're not about to see a Hawksmoor on every British high-street - or anywhere outside London for that matter. Right at the other end of the scale, there are dives like Garfunkels and Angus Steakhouse where you can get a "steak" for around a tenner, but if you consider that this price includes a profit for the restaurant, you're looking at a seriously inferior piece of cow. If indeed you can even be sure it is cow. Over at Ã¼ber-bloggers Dos Hermanos, there's a mouthwatering post about a 40-day aged forerib of Aberdeen Angus beef from Ireland, which looks irresistably tempting until you realise that piece of beef for one person cost Â£20 from the butcher. Good meat isn't, neither should it be, cheap, and this is why good, reasonably-priced steakhouses may always remain a largely (North and South) American phenomenon.

That doesn't mean, however, that there aren't a handful of restaurants attempting to walk that fine line between good meat and reasonable value. I have mentioned Bodean's before because I have been to their Clapham branch a couple of times and been very impressed with a number of items on the menu. I was completely expecting this to be a gushing puff-piece about how it is possible to get consistently good US-style BBQ food for less than stellar prices and how I can't understand why there isn't a Bodean's on every street corner. And yet last night a trip to Bodean's in Soho served as a reminder that this goal remains a long way off.

Perhaps we just visited on the wrong night. The "Famous Burnt Ends" are served Monday and Wednesday only - we were there on a Tuesday. Perhaps they have a different chef on the quiet nights, and don't try as hard, I don't know. But although our buffalo chicken wings were as gorgeous as ever in a hot vinegary sauce and cheesy dip, and the half slab of pork spare ribs were juicy and satisfying to pull off the bone, the pulled pork was just dire - dry, tasteless and chewy, completely unlike the plate of moist pig meat I'd had before in Clapham. Pickels were OK but strangely fizzy, like they were past their best. I know they can do much better, and have done much better, but if they can't produce the goods on a regular basis then I can't recommend them.

So there's only one thing for it - as soon as the weather looks like it's turning for the better, I'm replacing my Â£14 Argos barbeque (don't laugh - it's lasted three years and served me well) and going down to Dove's on Northcote Road for a bag full of the finest meat in South London. If you want something done properly, do it yourself.

Fish House - review by topruss

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:05:21 +0000

Fish House - review by topruss

Rating: 4.5

Location: 126-128 Lauriston Road, E9 7LH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8533 3327

Tags: lively, british, good value

Not the cheapest around ( Â£10 for cod, chips and mushy peas ) but my god its the best . The portions are huge so dont plan to do much after here as all i could manage was the sofa .
Highly reccomend and ring to book table outside .