Latest favourites and wishlist by Lacrimosa

Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising - review by Lacrimosa

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:15:18 +0000

Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising - review by Lacrimosa

Rating: 4.5

Location: 2 Colville Mews, W11 2AR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7908 0880

Website: http://www.museumofbrands.com

Tags: interesting, tea shop, packaging, advertising, branding, gift shop, museum, alternative

This fascinating little museum only opened in December 2005, so is still not widely known. Tucked away down a cobbled mews, it's of special interest to me not only because one of my clients was instrumental in putting it all together (PI Global, who you'll spot next door to the museum), but, having worked in branding and packaging design for many years, it includes some of my own work! So naturally I kept meaning to go, and finally did so in April 2008 while a designer friend was volunteering there.

Much of what is on display is the result of the lifelong passion of one man, Robert Opie, who started his collection aged 16 with a packet of Munchies. It now now extends to all aspects of daily life - toys, comics, magazines, newspapers, technology, travel, royal souvenirs, fashion and design - which has been grouped together and displayed by decade, spanning from Victorian times to present day. In another section towards the end, which I think might have been a special seasonal exhibition, well known brand names like Diet Coke had been lined up in date order so that one could see at a glance how the design has subtly changed over the years. Right now there's a special 'Biscuit Bonanza' exhibition running until the end of January 2009. Check out their website for what's currently on.

The highlight of the trip for many, particularly if you're British like me, will be seeing once more the stuff of your youth. For me that was the 1970's and 1980's sections - wombles, spacehoppers, Zoom lollies, Spangles, cans of Quatro. Ah, those were the days! That said, the American and Australian friends that I took along seemed to find the museum just as interesting as I did. We spent two happy hours there and could have stayed longer, if we hadn't been forced away by hunger.

Nearest tubes are Notting Hill, Westbourne Park, and Ladbroke Grove, although none of the them are especially close. A no. 23 bus, however, will drop you just around the corner in Westbourne Grove. The museum is open daily except Mondays, and at the time of writing costs Â£5.80 for adults. There's a gift and tea shop too, although be warned that you'll not be able to get much more than tea, coffee and a chocolate bar there. Coach parties occasionally descend on the place, but are supposed to pre-book if there's more than ten of them, so those who like their peace and quiet might want to check with the museum in advance to see if they're expecting one. If you ask nicely at reception, you can leave your coat and bag with them while you go look around.

Much recommended and, as an extra bit of trivia, I can tell you that controversial author Salman Rushdie used to live in the house on the opposite corner. Not sure if he still does, though, so you're unlikely to get caught up in an assassination attempt.

Le Cafe - review by Lacrimosa

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:42:11 +0000

Le Cafe - review by Lacrimosa

Rating: 5.0

Location: 1 Northington Street, WC1N 2JE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7831 8139

Tags: friendly, fresh ingredients, daily specials, hot food, soup, salads, proper food, takeaway, cafe, busy

Okay, it's time to 'fess up. I've known about Le CafÃ© for ages, but have been reluctant to mention it here on Trusted Places because I'm mean and selfish and thinking only of myself. In London there's an awful lot of stomachs to fill every lunchtime, and I have absolutely no shame in prioritising my own. So shoot me!

Le CafÃ© is an absolute gem of a lunchtime takeaway cafe. The owner used to run a restaurant but gave it up in favour of shorter hours. Situated just off Gray's Inn Road, it's the sort of place that you probably wouldn't notice if you passed it, if only because there's so many small, independently run cafes around Clerkenwell. The only reason I know about it is through word of mouth, having often worked nearby. It's a tiny place half taken up with the usual counter filled with a selection of sandwich fillings and tasty things to put in salad boxes, all of which are freshly prepared and very reasonably priced. However the star of the show is most definitely the hot food. Every day there's a couple of special dishes, usually a meat or fish dish and something vegetarian like pasta, but it's blindingly obvious that the owner's passion is for meat and fish - indeed he gets up early every weekday to fetch it from the market himself, choosing from the likes of salmon, salt beef, chicken, sea bream, lambs kidneys, cod fillet, pork fillet, or lamb shank. These might end up in dishes such as Pork Fillet with Apple and Cider - one of my personal favourites - or maybe Cod Fillet with Lime and Shallots. Another day it might be a casserole or kebabs. The lamb shank seems to be a particular crowd pleaser, selling out in a matter of minutes, and he'll happily take it off the bone for you if you prefer. Everything comes with mashed potatoes, rice or vegetables, or a combination of all three if that's what you fancy.

But that's not all. There's soup too (you'll be given a bit to try if you look the least bit indecisive about it) and what he modestly calls "bangers and mash". Many people don't realise that the "bangers" vary too from day to day - perhaps pork and apple one day, followed by venison the next - so it's worth asking what they are. He'll serve them with gravy for you. In fact if you manage to get a seat at one of the few tiny tables inside or outside, and say "just bring me whatever you recommend today, please" he'll do just that, although you might want to check the menu first if you loathe kidney. Clearly a man with strong opinions about food! I once overheard him politely refuse to sell a girl a microwaved smoked salmon bagel, on the grounds that microwaving the smoked salmon might give her food poisoning. (She unwisely flounced off in a huff, presumably to order it somewhere less scrupulous.)

And the price of all these savoury meaty fishy delights? Â£3.95. That's the 2008 price - unbelievably, it was just Â£3.50 back in 2007. My tip is to get there early, preferably between midday and 12.30pm, as they do tend to sell out of the hot food quite quickly. Not only is it great value, but you'll likely be served with a smile and a joke. Regulars are remembered, pleasantries exchanged, and I was hugely touched to be quietly handed a box of Portuguese yoghurt coated nuts on the last day of 2007 before the city shut down for Christmas. Unbeknown to him, it was one of the very few presents I received that year. Priceless.

Nobu Berkeley - review by Lacrimosa

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:47:47 +0000

Nobu Berkeley - review by Lacrimosa

Rating: 5.0

Location: 15 Berkeley Street, W1J 8DY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7290 9222

Website: http://www.noburestaurants.com/

Tags: romantic, seafood, japanese, expensive

I dined here a few days ago, and found the food, decor and service to be terrific.

Our meal was preceded by some lovingly crafted cocktails, ordered at the bar downstairs, which took a good ten minutes to order and prepare and a degree of tactful negotiation with the barman in terms of content, as I think he was somewhat appalled by my choice of a vodka sake martini with lemon and lime - but, hey, I enjoyed it!

After proceeding to our table upstairs, we ordered a variety of dishes, including octopus, cod, crispy pork belly and a selection of sushi, including one with soft shell shrimps - the taste and texture of which, I must admit, strongly reminded me of ready salted crisps. The crispy pork belly, which was my choice and strongly resisted by my companion, proved mouth-wateringly tasty and possibly the nicest thing we ordered. All this was washed down with ice-cold sake.

We visited on a Saturday night over the August Bank Holiday when many Londoners might reasonably be expected to be out of town. The bar was rather quiet when we arrived circa. 8pm, but humming by the time we left. By contrast the restaurant seemed to reasonably busy the whole time we were there, with a buzzy multi-national atmosphere. People were dressed in the expensively low-key way that is typical of these types of places, although (in common with Nobu Milan, as I recall) the air conditioning will make you glad you've covered your arms. Service was quietly attentive throughout, which is reflected in the above-average 15% gratuity charge added to the bill.

Which brings me to the prices. Thankfully I wasn't paying so don't know what the final bill was, but this place is very VERY expensive. As a rough guide, expect to pay well in excess of Â£100 a head.

Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising - review by sue

Sun, 18 May 2008 13:14:56 +0000

Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising - review by sue

Rating: 4.5

Location: 2 Colville Mews, W11 2AR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7908 0880

Website: http://www.museumofbrands.com

Tags: museum

The Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising houses an amazing collection of over more than 12,000 items that have been used in day to day life from Victorian times right up until today.

The museum walks you through the changes in advertising, products and their packaging over the decades, showing you how our lives have changed as technology has progressed.

We spent a very interesting hour here, particularly intrigued by how long some brands had been around - for example, did you know the Toblerone dates back to the 1930's! Walking through the displays, as the decades moved closer to current day, it was also fun to see some of the brands and products we had enjoyed as children that are no more, like Mr Men yoghurt - there was nothing like eating a Mr Greedy chocolate yoghurt to make a girl smile.

Fabrizio - review by arif

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:50:37 +0000

Fabrizio - review by arif

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Yes it is great and i like it

Fabrizio - review by sue

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:15:09 +0000

Fabrizio - review by sue

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, family & home feel, good value

After reading all of the rave reviews about Fabrizio I had been very keen to go there for a meal, and was excited when the opportunity finally arose to dine there one evening.

Based on the reviews I had read, I wasn't expecting the restaurant to be fancy looking - and it wasn't, though I have seen worse. I did thank my lucky stars however that we weren't there on a busy night and had to sit downstairs near the toilets - this whole area smelt like Venice on a bad day.

Service was friendly enough, though there was no sign of the famed Fabrizio himself. The menu had enough choices to appeal to all of us, and a chilled glass of Prosecco helped us to get the evening underway. The wine list was not very exciting, so we stuck to a bottle of the House red which was cheap and entirely drinkable.

Our meal started out well. We ordered two pasta dishes to share between the three of us - the Crab & mascarpone ravioli with creamy lemon sauce & rocket, and the Aubergine & pecorino tortelloni with French beans & sage sauce. Both dishes were really enjoyable - the pasta was perfectly cooked and the all the flavours worked.

Our main meals were a little less successful. We had the Seared beef tagliata with balsamic reduction, rocket & potatoes; the Medallions of lamb crusted with herb, with cranberry & port sauce, & mashed potato; and the Pan fried seabass with creamy pernod sauce & wilted spinach. The beef was a little tough and the balsamic reduction was over-powering; while the lamb was good quality, the flavour of the sauce was just wrong; and the Seabass was nicely cooked but swimming in the creamy pernod sauce. Maybe we are too fussy.

Wanting to love this restaurant, we pushed on to dessert, opting to share a serving of Tiramisu. Sorry to say, it was possibly the worst Tiramisu I have ever had. The main complaint was that although it looked like a decent serving, 2/3rds of it was just whipped cream covered with cocoa, and the small cakey part was unremarkable.

Fabrizio - review by Cedric

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:40 +0000

Fabrizio - review by Cedric

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, family & home feel, good value

This is indeed a very good choice if you are looking for a restaurant, or if you are an Italian-food lover like I am. This small venue is puzzling at the first look, small, minimalistic deco... I initially thought that I had been istaken. But the surprises lay in the food. The chef is really knowledgeable, present both in the kitchen and the front room to advice and engage with the customers. I opted for crab linguini which were not even on the menu but which had been cooked for the couple of Italian sitting on the next table and who happened to be relatives of the waitress... A special that I have not regretted with its fresh mushrooms and the delicate sauce. Overall, the four of us really enjoyed the evening in this restaurant which, although located in the other side of the city, might see us again very soon. I strongly recommend this venue!

Fabrizio - review by sokratis

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:39 +0000

Fabrizio - review by sokratis

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: Italian, Clerkenwell, Farringdon

This is the type of place that TrustedPlaces was made for. A true gem that you're most likely to come across through a recommendation from a friend.
The surrounding office buildings, NCP car park and the unimpressive entrance certainly don't let out that there is an amazing Italian restaurant hidden in there.
Fabrizio is a superstar who really takes care of his food and clients. Very friendly and knowledgeable guy when it comes to food.
A typically north Italian selection will really leave your pallette and stomach satisfied. Everything from starter to dessert was absolutely spot-on. Not cheap, but not expensive by any means and totally worth it.

Fabrizio - review by Lacrimosa

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:39 +0000

Fabrizio - review by Lacrimosa

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, good value, great service, delicious food, family run, friendly

Fabrizio's has been one of my favourite places to eat in London for several years now. The food is, quite simply, fabulous, and reasonably priced given the quality. As Ladis19 mentioned, the decor was updated at the start of 2007, but the place still has a comfortable feel. As such, Fabrizio's is a very versatile restaurant: as well as having cosy meals for two, I've taken a group of colleagues here, and have popped in by myself for a quick pasta at lunchtime. Situated as it is near the corner of St Cross Street and Leather Lane (disregard the inaccurate google map above), Fabrizio's is well off the usual tourist routes, but dead handy for those working or living in the Farringdon, Holborn and Clerkenwell areas. Nearest tubes are Farringdon and Chancery Lane.

On my latest visit, a Thursday in March 2007, we were the first people to arrive at 6.30pm, but the restaurant filled gradually with other diners while were there. Bread, olives and tap water are complimentary. I had crispy tiger prawns with bacon, asparagus and cherry tomato to start; Henrietta had pan-fried mullet fillets with truffle oil and salad garnish. For my main course I had roast venison tagliata with plums, brandy sauce and mashed potatoes: Henrietta had cuttlefish ink risotto with tiger prawns, green peas and cherry tomato. Together with a huge dish of mixed green vegetables, wine and coffee for two, the bill came to just £66, gratuity included.

As many others have noted, Fabrizio is well-known for emerging from his kitchen to say hello and have a bit of a chat with his customers. London is a big place, yet this is one of the very few places where my face is remembered - indeed, if I'm working in the area, I often bump into Fabrizio at 9am as he's opening up, and he'll stop for a chat then also! While this might be a bit of a drawback for those craving anonymity, it's worth remembering that there are plenty of other places in London where one can go and be anonymous. By way of contrast, it's obvious that Fabrizio and his family take a personal pride in what they do. For example, my cafe machiato once arrived when I had nipped to the ladies. Rather than let it sit on the table getting cold, the waitress apparently insisted on taking it away so she could bring me a freshly made one once I reappeared. Service like that is rare, even at the 'best' restaurants.

In short, I cannot recommend Fabrizio's highly enough. Eat, drink, and enjoy!

Fabrizio - review by Ladis19

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:37 +0000

Fabrizio - review by Ladis19

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, Amazing Authentic good value italian Food, "family & home feel", family & home feel, cheap eat, good value

Fabrizio's has just been redecorated and now has a much more homely feel to it. The food is still as amazing as always.

I've attached some pictures of the new deco.

Fabrizio - review by Ladis19

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:39 +0000

Fabrizio - review by Ladis19

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, Amazing Authentic good value italian Food, "family & home feel", family & home feel, cheap eat, good value

Fabrizio's has just been redecorated and now has a much more homely feel to it. The food is still as amazing as always.

I've attached some pictures of the new deco.

Fabrizio - review by raffaella_volpe

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:38 +0000

Fabrizio - review by raffaella_volpe

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, family & home feel, good value

I have dinner at Fabrizio on a regular basis, even if it is on the other side of the town from where I live, because I think it is one of the best Italian restaurants on this island&and beyond!
Fabrizio, the chef, is an amazing cook and a lovely person. By consequence the food is superb and the service is impeccable.
The atmosphere is very relaxing (it is not a swanky place&) and I always feel at my ease. The wine list is also good, offering a selection of South Italian wines like Greco di Tufo or Nero D'Avola. Definitely worth the journey effort'!

Fabrizio - review by alevy

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:38 +0000

Fabrizio - review by alevy

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, seafood, international, good value, mediterranean

Fabrizio is from Sicily. I mention this because Southern Italy has a tradition for peasant food that differs significantly from the wealthy north, where fine ingredients about. But in the south, chefs have to do more with less. Take those chefs out of Southern Italy, and they still have the, erm, chops to bring the most out of the ingredients... but put them here in London they have a richer pallette of ingredients to work with.

At Fabrizio's, you'll benefit fully from this blend. On the menu alongside a braised venison in a juniper/red wine reduction, you'll find speck-wrapped monkfish over a bed of spinach. Fabrizio brings together the best tastes from all around Italy, mixes it with solid execution, and serves it at a very reasonable price.

An interesting thing to note about Fabrizio's is the location -- it's tucked away in Clerkenwell, right where you might find yourself heading out for a night of drinks and/or dancing. Far too often, we all go out on an empty stomach (I can still hear my friend Al saying "You don't put solid fuel in a liquid engine.") But Fabrizio's location makes it the perfect stop before a long night out... for those of us who don't choose alternative fuel to propel us through a night of clubbing. And for those who are in cars, there's ample parking in the neighbourhood at dinner time.

Fabrizio - review by nighthawkdiner

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:38 +0000

Fabrizio - review by nighthawkdiner

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: Italian

As Walid says: one of those places you walk past every day without noticing. I did exactly that for a year when I worked round the corner.

But then that's what this website is all about!

A fine venue for the Trusted Places Christmas Party 2006

Fabrizio - review by Buraco

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:54:38 +0000

Fabrizio - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.2

Location: 30 St. Cross Street, EC1N 8UH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7430 1503

Website: http://fabriziorestaurant.co.uk

Tags: italian, hidden, family & home feel, good value, tasty, expensive

Excellent food, very good wine, interesting company and friendly service. Not much more I can say really (which is unusual for me!).

I would have given 5 stars, but it's a touch on the pricey side (£42 per head for a set xmas dinner) and I would have liked some more veggies with the main course, but that aside this was a really memorable restaurant. A real Trusted Place which I'll be going back to...but only when I have a job!