Latest favourites and wishlist by Formaggio_Amore

Meson Don Felipe - review by chrisp

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:15:14 +0000

Meson Don Felipe - review by chrisp

Rating: 3.4

Location: 53 The Cut, SE1 8LF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7928 3237

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

One of my favourite places when I first started eating out in London 3 or 4 years ago, but has since been rather eclipsed by the likes of Brindisa and Barrafina, who do the tapas thing with so much more class and finesse. That's not to say there's nothing to like at Don Felipe - their albondigas are great, and last time I went they had lovely fresh calamari - but considering the effort to get in (like any tapas joint it can be a struggle in peak hours) you can probably do better. Brindisa is a short walk away in Borough Market, and beats them hands down I'm afraid.

Arbutus - review by Weeboo

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:22:04 +0000

Arbutus - review by Weeboo

Rating: 4.4

Location: 63-64 Frith Street, W1D 3JW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 4545

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

Tags: good value, international, business

I've been going to this restaurant for a couple of years now and it has never disappointed food-wise. There is a nice mixture of dishes on the menu. Their fish dishes are fantastic...better than some of the big-name fish restaurants I've dined at. In particular, they do a mean Dorset crab which I've had on several occasions. My boss can recommend the risotto *grin*.

In terms of the surroundings, Arbutus is the atypical pokey Soho restaurant. Undoubtedly stylish, but a bit of a squeeze when busy.

If you're looking to book a business lunch in Soho for the boss, this is a solid choice.

Meson Don Felipe - review by sootle

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:30:19 +0000

Meson Don Felipe - review by sootle

Rating: 3.4

Location: 53 The Cut, SE1 8LF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7928 3237

Tags: crowded, good value, spanish

Definitely be prepared to wait but its worth it! The atomosphere is great. The wine list is awesome, and the tapas are standard good fare.

Barbican Centre - review by kgc

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:42:21 +0000

Barbican Centre - review by kgc

Rating: 4.7

Location: Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7382 7105

Website: http://www.barbican.org.uk

Very nice venue. I went to see Dave Brubeck perform here twice, they were amazing concerts and the Barbican carried the sound well and the seats were comfortable. It is only a short walk from the Barbican tube station and there is a blue line on the pavement â¬ all you have to do is to follow it. If there was another concert I was interested in going to see here I wouldnâ¬"t hesitate in buying tickets (price permitting of course). As Iâ¬"m sure you all know the venue can be very important with regards to how much you enjoyed the concert.

Barrafina - review by bellaphon

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:44:26 +0000

Barrafina - review by bellaphon

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: lively, spanish, crowded, expensive

On the four occasions or so Iâ¬"ve been here, luck often prevails with me securing a seat within ten minutes of queuing. This place has to be one of the highlights for me this year. The food, service and ambience were all pretty much faultless. The catches of the day from the wet fish counter and the Jamon de Jabugo are well worth the expense and repeat visits. Other memorable dishes sampled included Grilled Quail with Allioli, Pork Chop with Cauliflower Puree, Ham Croquetas, Ariston and on and on. This place is good; so good that I feel totally spirited away and it sort of turns me into a happy shiny person. I would have given the perfect 10 for the food except that the acquired blandness of the Classic Tortlla renders the verdict otherwise.

Barrafina is expensive, but then again itâ¬"ll cost even more to go to Barcelona these days.

Guanabara - review by Rhydster

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:22:14 +0000

Guanabara - review by Rhydster

Rating: 3.7

Location: Parker Street, WC2B 5PW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7242 8600

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

Tags: lively, good value

Guanabara, named after a Brazilian river that's actually quite dirty, is fortunately more stylish.

The good: they regularly have a live Brazilian band and Brazilian dancers, which makes it more entertaining than a regular bar. Everyone is encouraged to dance on the invitingly situated central dancefloor, to range of Brazilian and latin beats, with a huge screen in the background showing most of Brazil's greatest stars.

It's free entry before 9pm, but try to get there even earlier to avoid a queue. The doormen are friendly and the staff inside take the Brazilian attitude to smile. Nicely decorated with many Brazilian dedications and a good number of lounge areas to relax around the dancefloor. They serve food as well.

The bad: cant think of any

Barrafina - review by Alita

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:16:43 +0000

Barrafina - review by Alita

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: lively, spanish, crowded, expensive

Barrafina is a little tricky to find since it announces its presence with little more than a word on the front door, but you'll find it easily enough if you look for a small restaurant with a queue flowing down the street. In fact, the second time I visited I was initially turned away but remained steadfast in the queue, was joined by my friend and (eventually) sat down to a very nice meal.

The staff are attentive and serve drinks and small snacks while you're waiting. Be prepared for a long queue, especially on weekends.

The food itself is generally excellent and mouth-watering, though I found the Pan Con Tomate less flavoursome than I hoped. The prawn and pepper tortilla was cooked in front of us and was deliciously runny inside (a personal favourite) and I can recommend the Sardines la Plancha. Though I do have a thing for sardines. The Creme Catalana was nice, if a touch too sweet. Our chef was incredibly jovial and made some good suggestions.

I'm no wine drinker but I managed to imbibe two very nice glasses of red, one at the bar and one during.

Expect to pay over Â£60 for two with wine for a modest tapas meal and far more for a spanish feast.

Arbutus - review by amandaharrison

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:58:58 +0000

Arbutus - review by amandaharrison

Rating: 4.4

Location: 63-64 Frith Street, W1D 3JW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 4545

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

I liked it, but the acoustics make it difficult to hear and the layout is cramped. Also, when we went, the waiter a) got my order wrong b) managed to put his thumb in my friend's water then ignored the fact that he'd done it much to our hilarity. The management fixed the fact that he'd got my order wrong (maybe writing it down would have helped) by waiving the cost of it.

Arbutus - review by Niamheen

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:50:19 +0000

Arbutus - review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.4

Location: 63-64 Frith Street, W1D 3JW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 4545

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

Tags: lively, good value

A friend visited recently from Australia, and they had one request for me, pick somewhere really good for lunch. Now really good means different things to different people, and from my friend Pete it unnerved me. He knows food and lives in a city renowned for it (Sydney).

It didn't help that I had only a couple of days to organise it, I was sure that anywhere that I wanted would be booked up. I had heard good things about Arbutus and was keen to try it, so, whilst walking past I wandered in, expecting a polite and maybe slightly annoyed sorry-but-you're-way-too-late style of response. I was greeted warmly and told we could have lunch at the bar. Hurrah!

There's a great lunch time offer but we decided to go a la carte. We started with pea and english acorn fed ham soup, light and delicious and salmon ceviche with horseradish cream which was light, delicate and a pleasure to eat. For main course we had broad bean and pea risotto which was extremely well received and I had the line caught pollock with crushed new potatoes and cornish cockles. Very, very good but the salmon starter was the star of the show. We had no room for desserts but we persevered anyway, to my great shame I can't remember what they were!

It's a lovely spot, with great food and ambience, I want to go again and recommend that you do too.

Barrafina - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:47:35 +0000

Barrafina - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: expensive, spanish, crowded

There tends to be a pattern when new styles of cuisine are introduced to this country. The pioneer restaurants will be toned down, tame versions of the originals, designed to appeal to the masses; think Pizza Express in the 60s or Yo! Sushi in the 90s. Nothing too weird, nothing too offensive to the timid British palette, but due mainly to the novelty factor they are wild successes, at least for the first few years. Then once the novelty wears off, a new wave of more adventurous outlets open that offer something more closely approximating the "authentic" taste from abroad. So then you start noticing things like octopus or squid in your nigiri, or fresh basil and real buffalo mozzerella on your pizza. I'm generalising of course, but with passing time it seems diners, having gotten over the original shock factor and bragging rights of trying something new, will demand a more genuine experience. At least, snobs like me do.

There is sometimes a "Stage 3": Having mastered the said style of cuisine, some brave restauranteurs will take it one step further, and you end up with bizarre fusions like French-Japanese or Afghan-Ethopian. Most of these are hideous, so it's generally in the what I like to call "Stage 2" restaurants are you most likely to get a good meal. So where La Tasca bravely brought spanish tapas to an anonymous shopping mall near you, Barrafina in Soho ups the ante by actually trying to do it well.

However, this is London, and there are certain conditions. Tapas in Spain (at least outside the tourist areas of Catalonia) are little plates of bitesize morsels (chorizo, bread & tomato, croquettas, etc.) that are placed on your drink for free (yes, free!) whenever you order. In Barrafina, you pay Â£7 for a tiny plate of skewered quail and then have to cough up another Â£5 for a glass of Manzanilla sherry. Still, you'd think I'd be used to it by now.

Moaning aside, Barrafina was actually a reasonably enjoyable way to spend an evening. Looking less inside like an authentic tapas bar than a 1950s American diner, there were a dozen or so red leather stools alongside a gleaming chrome bar. The food (at least most of it) was cooked on a hot plate just behind the bar in full view of the diners, which was great fun to watch. Serving staff and kitchen staff all wore the same white outfits and moved around in the same space so you actually felt quite involved in the whole process. We randomly picked a few things from the menu and sat back and watched as they were cooked in front of us.

First to arrive was Pan amb Tomate (tomato bread), which was actually as good as I've had in Spain. Tomato flesh on crunchy bread spiced with raw garlic, it is admittedly a difficult thing to get wrong but even so was very nice. A board of sliced chorizo appeared next, which were only OK but swiftly followed with sweet and succulent whole prawns cooked in salt, the best of all the dishes we tried. The special tomato salad was full of flavour but hugely overseasoned - it was crunchy with salt. I saw the chef loading it with the stuff as I was sat about 3 foot away whilst the dish was being prepared, and I probably should have said something at the time, but never mind. Next, a couple of roast quail were tasty and succulent but with quite a layer of fat and again overseasoned. The accompanying aioli was delicious however, and we kept it back to dip our pimientos in. Finally, a dish of lamb cutlets was well cooked and presented, although I'm not sure how closely this fits the "tapas" brief.

The bill, with a couple of glasses of sherry and some nice Catalan red wine, came to Â£70 for two. This is a lot for tapas (I can only imagine the amount of food you'd have if you spent Â£70 in a tapas bar in Madrid), but not a lot for London to be honest. And we did have plenty to eat and drink. So I can recommend Barrafina - they're doing the best they can providing food such as this in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and they do it with a certain amount of style.

Arbutus - review by bellaphon

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:19:42 +0000

Arbutus - review by bellaphon

Rating: 4.4

Location: 63-64 Frith Street, W1D 3JW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 4545

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

Tags: french, british, seafood, family & home feel, good value

Lunch with my daughter today. What an absolute pleasure; surefire food, surefire waiting staff (this is one of the few places where the 12.5% service charge is fully justified.) and surefire ambience. Her 3 courses at Â£15.50 of field mushroom soup, caillette of pork (faggot by any other name) and Floating Island pudding were an absolute triumph and bargain to boot. My starter of squid and mackerel 'burger'was a perfectly judged concept as was my mains of pollock with Cornish cockles. The portions were more than perfectly adequate, I'm still quite full as I'm typing this review at 8.30pm.

Well done Arbutus, a surefire triumph. Wild Honey next.

Arbutus - review by Busi_78

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:26:42 +0000

Arbutus - review by Busi_78

Rating: 4.4

Location: 63-64 Frith Street, W1D 3JW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 4545

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

been there a few times and really can't fault it. A fantastic place to go to with friends. The food's great, undemanding and the wines are fabulous. The carafe option allows you to try wines you wouldn't ordinarily and the clientele is laid back, the last time we were there we ended up chatting to the couple on the next table,great laugh. I suppose it would be a drawback that the tables are so close together for a romantic meal. Also the cheese seemed to be an afterthought, no chutneys or fancy biccies. Other than that, really pleasant and affordable.

Guanabara - review by lenalouise

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:56:31 +0000

Guanabara - review by lenalouise

Rating: 3.7

Location: Parker Street, WC2B 5PW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7242 8600

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

Tags: brazilian, salsa, cocktails, crowded, lively

I'd heard about this place from various people in the past and was intrigued as it sounded like fun. I met a date at covent garden with no plans on where to go. We were handed flyers for Guanabara with promises of a free drink so off we went.

We weren't impressed with our first impressions of the exterior but gave it a chance and wandered in. It felt like it used to be a cinema or a theatre so it was kinda weird in that way. When you get through the double doors to the main room, the atmosphere was such a big difference though! The music was blaring, there was a group of people dancing, having fun. It was great!

We made our way to the bar to claim our drinks. I ended up with a Mojito (one of my favs)so I was happy. It was kind of surreal walking into a bar like that sober when it's all in full flow but it's always nice to see people enjoying themselves, especially as it was people of all ages.

We didn't stay for very long, I think we were both secretly scared that we'd be spontaneously pulled onto the dancefloor! Tee hee. I didn't get a chance to sample the food but the menu looks interesting so maybe next time.

Kulu Kulu Sushi - review by ricoeurian

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:35:58 +0000

Kulu Kulu Sushi - review by ricoeurian

Rating: 3.3

Location: 76 Brewer Street, W1F 9TX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 7316

Tags: japanese, family & home feel, cheap eat

It's best to go when the place is busy, as the dishes (mostly uncovered) on the belt are fresher due to higher traffic between the kitchen and the customers - if you go when it's quiet, a lot of the food is dried out. That said, you can always order your dishes directly, but that kinda negates the whole sushi-belt experience.

Kulu Kulu has a relaxed and informal air, and I like the do-it-yourself approach to cutlery, condiments and green tea.

For a really cheap meal, stick to the vegetable dishes - spinach with peanut sauce, fried aubergine, tofu, potato salad.

Arbutus - review by topruss

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:21:47 +0000

Arbutus - review by topruss

Rating: 4.4

Location: 63-64 Frith Street, W1D 3JW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 4545

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

Tags: lively, good value

Loved it all..... the food , decor and the friendliest staff ever. Been many times and gets better each time