Latest favourites and wishlist by MattDonegan

Santa Maria del Sur - review by herb

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:59:58 +0000

Santa Maria del Sur - review by herb

Rating: 4.3

Location: 129 Queenstown Rd, SW8 3RH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7622 2088

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

Tags: good value, family & home feel

just around the corner you can find argentina, well santa maria del sur, a very nice and amazing place to go for a meal. its good value for money, and the food is realy good.

try it...and then let me now

Japan Centre - review by Niamheen

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:06:39 +0000

Japan Centre - review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.0

Location: 212 Piccadilly, W1J 9HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7434 4218

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

Tags: restaurant, bargain, delicatessen, sushi, japanese

I love the Japan Centre. Alot. It's random, authentic and eclectic. There's not many places that you can walk into and have a good and reasonably priced lunch, follow it with a trip to the sake and tea shop and then get your groceries. Oh, and you can book a flight to Japan in between. And buy some books, or some crockery. Fresh wasabi, anyone? It's expensive but it's a special treat and I haven't seen it anywhere else. Fresh takeaway sushi at very reasonable prices, homemade miso soup, quirky bakery products, I could go on and on. It's not glamorous but it's great. Give it a go.

Santa Maria del Sur - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:18:49 +0000

Santa Maria del Sur - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.3

Location: 129 Queenstown Rd, SW8 3RH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7622 2088

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

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

Things are definitely on the up in my corner of South West London. Fitting in nicely next to the refined French atmosphere of the Food Room, Queenstown Road now has another quality eatery from a whole different continent. Santa Maria del Sur has one other branch out in Hackney somewhere, and has obviously proved so popular with the 'Enders that now the other side of the river gets a taste too.

We turned up on-spec fairly early - 6:30 or so - and were surprised to discover that they were fully booked for that Friday night. That they managed to fit us in is an indicator of the level of service, and that they were fully booked - well that's always a good sign.

It has traditionally been the case that a quality steak has been very hard to come by in London. I think part of the problem is the cost of the raw ingredients - Hawksmoor in the city do a fantastic aged Longhorn sirloin with triple-cooked chips and as many cocktails as you can fit inside you, but at Â£30 for the meat alone this is something you really pay through the nose for. Prices at Santa Maria immediately strike you as much more reasonable, Â£17 for a fillet for example, or Â£15 for sirloin. Quality steaks will never be cheap in England, but it's nice to find somewhere that treads that tricky middle ground between the very top-end (Hawksmoor, Groucho Grill) and the dross that is Angus Steakhouse. The sight of a miserable German family trapped in the window of a Covent Garden Angus Steakhouse of a Saturday night always turns my stomach. I feel like picketing the entrance sometimes - unwary tourists should not be subjected to that kind of torture.

These steaks however, were very good. Not as completely drop-dead gorgeous as the Hawksmoor (or Peter Luger) specimens, but extremely tasty, cooked to the required medium-rare in all cases, and served with sharp slice of pickled pepper.

Sides included parsley and garlic chips (nice enough, though the chips were a bit dry), and butter beans, which were a real hit with everyone - oily and herby and went very well with the steaks. It was all washed down with an Argentinian (of course) Mendoza which was a fantastic drink.

I should also say that the restaurant itself was decorated in a very comfortable rustic style, the Argentinian staff were charming and added an extra air of authenticity, and service throughout was not only efficient but attentive, friendly and informal - pretty much spot on for this style of place. I feel a bit guilty about denegrating their open kitchen the other day, but I hope they'll forgive me. Santa Maria del Sur is a lovely little restaurant.

Toads Mouth Too - review by MattDonegan

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:14:06 +0000

Toads Mouth Too - review by MattDonegan

Rating: 4.0

Location: 1 Durham Court, SE4 1UJ, London, United Kingdom

Tags: italian, british, greek, international, family & home feel, good value, mediterranean, spanish

Another Brockley classic, Toads Mouth serves the dietary needs of the local literati and student types with the minimum of fuss. Check the specials, and definetely get down there for Sunday lunch.

Cigala - review by YETE

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:58:00 +0000

Cigala - review by YETE

Rating: 2.5

Location: 54 Lambs Conduit Street, WC1N 3LW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7405 1717

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

Tags: spanish

I am a Spaniard and I am ashamed that this kind of place purports to represent my country's food in London. The ommelete was appaling, these guys do not know what the patatas a lo pobre are (what was all that juicy sauce about?), the jamon de jabugo was so badly cut that it was completeley spoilt (difficult to spoil a product like that but by cutting slices five times as thick as they are meant to be you do mange). The chorizo they sell here is the traditional supermarket processed "chistorra" full of salt, paprika and other spices to hide the taste of bad meat. The rabbit croquetes which were meant to have rabbit inside (it is actually hare that croquetes are made with in real Spain) seemed to be from the supermarkets frozen section. The cheese selection is again the typical supermarket cheap selection. One single positive thing : the olive oil served to dip your bread was very good quality. I do not know who is the chef but it must have learnt to cook Spanish food at some cheap beach resort where this kind of thing is sold to foreigners as Spanish food. Do yourself a favour and dont waste your time and money in places like this. There are too many brilliant places to eat in London as for dedicating your time to one like this one.

Moonbow Jakes - review by MattDonegan

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:26:13 +0000

Moonbow Jakes - review by MattDonegan

Rating: 3.0

Location: 325 Brockley Road, SE4 2QZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8694 9128

Website: http://moonbowjakes.moonfruit.com/

Tags: cosy, proper food, quiet & relaxed, good brew, cultured

Moonbow Jakes is my local cafe, serving good coffee, cakes, and various heathily tinged foodstuffs to Brockely's intelligensia. It's always relaxed and a welcoming place to rest and wind away an hour or so. The music varys from ambient to light techno to "ethno-world" beats. If you're in the area, drop in and watch the world go by on Brockley Road.

The Balham Tup - review by MattDonegan

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:17:03 +0000

The Balham Tup - review by MattDonegan

Rating: 3.0

Location: 21 Chestnut Grove, SW12 8JB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8772 0546

Tags: Balham, Tup, decent alehouse

I had the good luck to visit this gigantic Balham watering hole last night to watch my team Liverpool go down to a 2-1 defeat in Istanbul. Great large screens for sports, a wide and spacious bar area, and the usual selection of drinks. They've probably gutted the interior since its heyday, but what you're left with a clean and crisp place to enjoy a few light ales. There's comfy looking sofas for larger groups. I'll be paying this place another visit for sure.

Cigala - review by Liz

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:54:34 +0000

Cigala - review by Liz

Rating: 2.5

Location: 54 Lambs Conduit Street, WC1N 3LW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7405 1717

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

Tags: comfortable, basement bar, outside seating, family & home feel, good value, spanish, friendly staff, friendly, tapas, Restaurant, relaxed

Popped in here for lunch on a Sunday. The place was so quiet which was sad as it was such a great find (but good if the sun is out and then you are guaranteed a seat outside!). The waitress told us that during the week the place is heaving so the weekend is the best bet for some relaxation there.

The food was very good. I tried the albondigas (which were lamb with a small bit of mint) in a rich tomato sauce. Also had chicken croquettas which were lovely with a rich creamy texture. The pimentos del Padron were excellent, with the obligatory 1 in 10 being a scorcher. I also had grilled chorizo which was tasty with the right amount of saltiness. The tortilla espanola was excellent, cold, as it should be, with chunky pieces of potato - it was prepared in the morning, as it should be, leaving time for the flavours to strenghten although it did need a bit of salt. The wine list was excellent. I had a summery glass of tempranillo rose.

The only reason why I haven't given a five star rating to this was because the albondigas were not as warm as they could have been and the bread was a tad stale. But these were minor things and overall the meal was outstanding. The service was excellent and we sent our compliments to the chef who apparently was one of the founders of Moro down the road. The bill came to around £25 per head for lunch which included one glass of wine. A bit of the expensive side but there was so much to try and we went for it. Left the restaurant feeling stuffed and highly satisfied. I will be back!

Japan Centre - review by gilka

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:52:00 +0000

Japan Centre - review by gilka

Rating: 4.0

Location: 212 Piccadilly, W1J 9HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7434 4218

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

Upstairs there is a very expensive and good restaurant. The real gem is downstairs a Japanese grocery with strange looking drinks... One guy there offered us to try his own invention- a drink which was supposed to give us some super powers... well lets say we couldnâ¬"t lift any cars when we went out...
it is so great to wonder through products that you don't know what they are!
you need to be quick because it is very busy there. The best deal is to buy some sushi packs- they come in 6 pieces and they are very cheap about Â£2-3 pounds each- they are delicious! on a sunny day take them to the park!
Don't forget to ask for Wasabi it cost you extra...

Santa Maria del Sur - review by carlonicora

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:59:29 +0000

Santa Maria del Sur - review by carlonicora

Rating: 4.3

Location: 129 Queenstown Rd, SW8 3RH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7622 2088

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

Tags: romantic, argentinian, family & home feel, good value, steaks

If you love those big juicy steaks, this is the place for you!
The food is really good and the place is very nice indeed! Good for a nice dinner for two!

Rare, Medium or Well Cooked, the meat is very good, with a good choice of wines.

Japan Centre - review by lisas

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:26:20 +0000

Japan Centre - review by lisas

Rating: 4.0

Location: 212 Piccadilly, W1J 9HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7434 4218

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

Tags: japanese, bargain, rare finds, family & home feel, good value

If you really want to try the real japanese experience...then you have to go to the Japan Centre at least once. I love it as not only can you eat japanese food but you can also buy it and cook/make sushi at home!

The place is very basic, don't expect a very trendy restaurant but the food is good. And they sell all the japanese must have....japanese people say it's good, so it must be!

Japan Centre - review by natharfouche

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 20:14:30 +0000

Japan Centre - review by natharfouche

Rating: 4.0

Location: 212 Piccadilly, W1J 9HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7434 4218

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

Tags: Good, value

In the Japan Center on Picadilly you can find the best and cheapest sushi in town.
Go downstairs and you can buy take away for les than 6 pounds a meal.