Latest favourites and wishlist by a4ex

Belgo Centraal - review by Hmm

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:14:03 +0000

Belgo Centraal - review by Hmm

Rating: 3.9

Location: 50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 2233

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.com

Tags: lively, good value

I've been coming back time after time when in London. Great atmosphere and good food.

Belgo Centraal - review by slagdog

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:33:41 +0000

Belgo Centraal - review by slagdog

Rating: 3.9

Location: 50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 2233

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.com

Tags: lively, good value

Throughout October, the four Belgo restaurants - all in London - are celebrating Oktoberfeast with a food and beer matching menu. This is a great opportunity to sample the wonderful world of Belgian beer beyond the likes of Stella Artois.

We had the rich and smooth Chicken Terrine with raspberry beer chutney with a glass of DeKoninck, and asparagus with a Brugs white beer & chive sauce and the delicious Vedett Extra Blond beer.

For mains, the pork belly is to die for - must be the best crackling i've ever had - and it is paired with the unusual Rodenbach Grand Cru which is aged in wine casks to give it a delicious sour edge. Mussels are a speciality at Belgo, and the ones on this menu are steamed in beer - pure heaven for mussel lovers.

And puddings don't escape the beer matching magic - the the Leffe Ice Cream is a must, with its delicious syrup and praline.

This is a menu that will make you see (or should that be drink) beer in a whole new light...

Belgo Centraal - review by Alsation

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:21:55 +0000

Belgo Centraal - review by Alsation

Rating: 3.9

Location: 50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 2233

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.com

Tags: lively, good value, crowded

This is the original Belgo Restaurant in London, still going strong after more than 10 years.
Located in the basement of a big, former market warehouse, just off the Seven Dials, this place is unique.
The menu is fairly straightforward and includes some Belgian delicacies well worth trying. But the main reason for coming here is that you can eat mussels â¬ good quality, well developed mussels and cooked to perfection.
The choice of different sauces and flavours is enormous. I still remember my first visit here, when I tried the curried mussels. The chips are â¬Üfritesâ¬" and the beer is just lush. The combination of the large pot of mussels, a plate full of small chips and a large, bulbous glass of dark beer is irresistible.
One half of the restaurant is set out with small tables and chairs, whilst the other half have lots of long benches â¬ a kind of communal picnic. The waiting staff are dressed in monkâ¬"s outfits, which is good fun but must be incredibly hot to rush around in in this basement hothouse.
Whatever you do, donâ¬"t look at the back door in Shelton St where the rubbish is cleared out â¬ you might see more than you bargained for.

Arbutus - review by alexthepink

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:23:39 +0000

Arbutus - review by alexthepink

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, french

Arbutus serves delicious bistro fare and is relatively inexpensive for a Michelin starred restaurant. All wines are served by the carafe (1/3 of a bottle), which means you can sample different wines with each course without being limited in your choice. There's no foie gras or other expensive ingredients, instead the cheaper cuts are cooked exquisitely.
Our waitress was lovely, the food was to die for and the atmosphere was buzzy without being too loud. We will definitely be back...

Belgo Centraal - review by fairy600

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:24:20 +0000

Belgo Centraal - review by fairy600

Rating: 3.9

Location: 50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 2233

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.com

Tags: lively, belgium, energetic, crowded

If you like mussels, you have to come here. I have only been to the one in covent garden and not visited to the other belgos restaurant, but i've heard they are equally as good. The restaurant has an open kitchen, watching the chefs cook is half the fun of coming here. It can get extremely busy and sometimes there is a wait for the food. The mussels come in massive bowls- the green thai mussels are lovely. They come with chips, but we've struggled every time to finish our plates. There is an extensive beer menu with beers up to 8% in alcohol! But luckily these come in wine glasses instead of the pint sizes.
The place is always buzzing and staff are friendly. There are some good deals on if you get there early where you can get the meal for the price of the time you order. E.G. At 5.30pm you'll get your food for Â£5.30.

Ping Pong Dim Sum - review by misstravelbug

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:55:23 +0000

Ping Pong Dim Sum - review by misstravelbug

Rating: 3.3

Location: 45 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7851 6969

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: lively, chinese

So it's not the most authentic chinese dim sum restaurant it's more asian fusion and caters to western tastes. The decor is always cool and the service is great. The dim sums are fairly hit and miss...a bit overpriced for what you get. The jasmin tea with the opening flowers is pretty cool. It's a classier joint that your typical chinatown dim sum restaurant.

Belgo Centraal - review by suhan

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:39:25 +0000

Belgo Centraal - review by suhan

Rating: 3.9

Location: 50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 2233

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.com

this is a great place for friends gathering - try out the green thai mussels and beers

Arbutus - review by ProfMagellan

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:26:05 +0000

Arbutus - review by ProfMagellan

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, buzzy, international, good value

An arbutusuneto is a strawberry tree and there used to be one on Soho Square. Today, Soho Square is not populated by exotic flora and fauna so much as by young advertising types sporting their blackberries as though their lives depended on them (perhaps if they work for Martin Sorrell they do?).
Arbutus opened about two years ago to warm reviews
but this was my first visit. My guest was a true foodie
who at one time operated a successful catering business and has trained with some of the UK's leading chefs.
She had squid and mackerel burger (as recommended by AA Gill) and a pollock (I do not jest) whilst I opted for
a beef consomme and a summer risotto of vegetables presented in a lovely copper pan (see photo). The pollock, so my guest claimed, was from Cornwall.
We shared the chocolate soup desert (a thick warm chocolate dish served with ice cream - see photo) and shared half a carafe of sauvignon blanc.
Our waiter was from France and he was excellent - a real professional. The front of house was good too - not hint of the snootiness so often found in trendy London venues.
We both enjoyed our food enormously. Helpings were generous. The menu was excellent and wide-ranging.
The setting modern but not oppressively so.
Arbutus' pricing by London standards was fair.
Recommended.

Belgo Centraal - review by johnny2323

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:27:17 +0000

Belgo Centraal - review by johnny2323

Rating: 3.9

Location: 50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 2233

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.com

Tags: lively, gastro pub, cheap eat, crowded

Really love it here and have been back a few times. Two reasons why - the food is greaty. chicken dishes fab and mussel dishes also but best of all the deals. if you arrive between 5 and 6.30pm you pay the price (from a small set menu) of the time you arrive - and that includes a glass of beer or coke. Also if you have kids they eat free.
Other reasons if you need them - they have a great range of beers, the staff (dressed inmonks costumes) are always friendly and the toilets are unique and an attraction in themselves.

Ping Pong Dim Sum - review by AndrewS

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:49:23 +0000

Ping Pong Dim Sum - review by AndrewS

Rating: 3.3

Location: 45 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7851 6969

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: chinese

Food tastes OK, but not fresh, food like you buy in supermarket,then put in microwave......

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.

Ping Pong Dim Sum - review by chrisp

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:22:39 +0000

Ping Pong Dim Sum - review by chrisp

Rating: 3.3

Location: 45 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7851 6969

Website: http://www.pingpongdimsum.com

Tags: lively, good value, chinese, crowded

It's not world-beating, the food isn't stellar and the prices aren't rock-bottom. But for good-enough dim sum in a central location, washed down by some rather nice cocktails, you can do a lot worse. Of the two major dim-sum chains in London I'd say Dim T just about has the edge, but I've always enjoyed my experiences in Ping Pong. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's perfect for a boozy lunch or evening with a group of mates (it's huge so you're likely to get a table, at least) and if you treat the dim sum like glorified bar snacks and don't worry too much about their providence, you can't go far wrong.

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.

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.