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Tas Firin - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:17:57 +0000

Tas Firin - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.2

Location: 160 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6BG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 6446

Like a moth drawn to a flame, I am genetically pre-programmed to try anywhere serving obscure ethnic cuisine with a silly name, even if said food turns out to be quite inedible and there's a very good reason for its obscurity. I have no idea how to pronounce Ocakbasi, but as far as I can tell from a quick Google it just means 'Turkish grill'. So, essentially a kebab shop then? It's amazing isn't it, how pretention to some sort of trendy "next big thing" can draw rave reviews of even the most mundane place from people desperate to say they were first to discover it. People like me, for example.

The decor treads a fine line between odd and very odd, with pictures of happy Turkish peasants on the wall next to a bizarre tiki-hut bar which is too small to sit at but dominates a good third of the tiny restaurant. There is also an impressive-looking wood-fired oven which looked to be in constant use over the course of our meal and yet all the bread we were served was cold and fairly bland so God knows where the fresh stuff was going.

Being just the two of us yesterday lunchtime, and attempting to get as much of an idea as possible of the skills of the kitchen, we chose a selection of hot starters (lamb livers, hummous, calamari, halloumi) and one chicken shish to see if their grilling was up to much. Livers were tasty but just on the wrong side of dry and had been cooked too long for my liking. They also arrived almost immediately so clearly had been prepared well in advance. The calamari were pretty bad too - greasy and unpleasant batter but the squid inside at least wasn't too rubbery. Halloumi was just as you'd expect - in fact we saw him opening the packet of the bog standard stuff you can get at ASDA. It was nice of course, but Halloumi is always nice isn't it?

Perhaps most disappointing though was the chicken shish kebab, which was mundanely spiced and a little on the dry side. Not exactly bad, just very boring, and again no better than anything you could get at any 2am kebab shop, never mind somewhere claiming to be a specialist grill house. The accompanying veg was equally uninspriring, although the rice was nice and buttery. Hummous was hummous - uniformly pallid and unlikely to have been made in house.

The one saving grace, I suppose, was that it was fairly inexpensive. Just over Â£20 for all that food, and the portions were nothing if not generous, so if you just want to fill a hole and aren't that bothered about quality then why not give it a go. Just don't expect to be blown away - despite the fancy subtitle, Tas Firin is just another standard kebab shop.

Tas Firin - review by cdean

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:51:47 +0000

Tas Firin - review by cdean

Rating: 4.2

Location: 160 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6BG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 6446

Tags: lively, good value, crowded, turkish

Great Place,

Tas Firin - review by cdean

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:51:47 +0000

Tas Firin - review by cdean

Rating: 4.2

Location: 160 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6BG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 6446

Tags: lively, good value, crowded, turkish

4 of us went there on Friday Evening, Waited for about 20 mins for a table.The food was lovely and fresh. the salads and meze looked most apetising.We did our best to order a mixture so we could all taste the menu.The staff were very
nice and pleasant.
We finished the meal off with a glass of Raki each.
Excellant value for money. Will return soon.

Strada - review by HORSCHECK

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:21:51 +0000

Strada - review by HORSCHECK

Rating: 3.2

Location: 2 More London, SE1 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 8321

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

Tags: italian, magnificent views, good value, lively

Strada is an English owned Italian restaurant chain with more than 20 restaurants in the London area. They not only offer pizza, but also other authentic Italian dishes from pasta and risotto to meat and fish dishes. Salads and deserts are listed on the menu as well. Apart from that a large wine list is available.

In February 2008 I visited their restaurant at the More London Place with two friends. It is located right by the river Thames and with its huge windows it offers magnificent views of the area between Tower Bridge and London Bridge. The views and the relatively low-priced dishes make this branch of Strada a must-visit.

As starters we ordered Bar Olives (1,95 GBP) and for the main dish we shared two pizzas: Pizza Fiorentina (8,95 GBP) and Pizza Parma (9,95 GBP). They were yummy and large but in my opinion a bit thin and therefore got cold quite quickly.

I would definitely go there again, but I would make sure that I would get a table by one of the large windows.

Please note that an optional service charge of 12,5 % will be added to your bill. This procedure seems to be quite common in London, but might surprise some new visitors from continental Europe.

DIRECTIONS:
Stada More London can be found at the right bank of the river Thames, just in the neighbourhood of the City Hall. The nearest tube station is London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee line) which is also served by overland trains.

Strada - review by Tastybuds33

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:49:21 +0000

Strada - review by Tastybuds33

Rating: 3.2

Location: 2 More London, SE1 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 8321

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

Tags: italian

I am not usually a fan of eating in chain restaurants, but my first visit to the Strada in Oxford Circus was a pleasant surprise. As was my first visit to Strada in London Bridge.

However, my most recent visit to the Strada at London Bridge was of complete disappointment. The waiting staff couldn't seem to control themselves with the number of times they tried to take our order for each course. When the food did arrive the caesar salad dressing was like a bottle of dressing with some leaves added to it- hardly edible. The pizza tasted of not much more than salt, and after pushing us with the incessant asking to take orders, we then couldn't get someone when we needed them. The saving grace was the dessert, but paying Â£30 for a good dessert is above and beyond what one should expect from a restaurant.

Strada - review by sue

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:02:14 +0000

Strada - review by sue

Rating: 3.2

Location: 2 More London, SE1 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 8321

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

Tags: italian, river views, child friendly, views, pizza, good value, romantic

Strada is a chain of Italian restaurants. They offer a more authentic menu than their competitors (Zizzi, ASK etc). I have eaten in several different Strada's around London and always enjoyed my meal.

My most recent visit was to Strada More London, which must have one of the best bargain views in London! The restaurant is located right by the river, between Tower Bridge and London Bridge, and my comfortable seat offered a magnificent view of Tower Bridge, beautifully lit up as part of the "Switched on London" celebrations.

Dining with two friends, we decided to share a couple of pizza's, opting for the Parma and Fiorentina, which were both devoured happily. For dessert we had the Torta della Nonna which was pretty tasty too.

Definitely a place to bring overseas visitors - for a good value and that amazing view!

The Jazz Cafe - review by melis

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:27:20 +0000

The Jazz Cafe - review by melis

Rating: 4.6

Location: 5 Parkway, NW1 7PG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7916 6060

Website: http://www.meanfiddler.com/displayPage_jazz.asp?PageID=387

Tags: live music, live, reasonably priced, young and fun, trendy, friendly, cool

The jazz cafe is a great place for getting new and different acts, plus it is a decent size where you are able to stand around the stage without getting pushed around like at larger venues.

Always worth checking out to see what they have on. It would be cool if they could open abit later.

The Jazz Cafe - review by sue

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:35:59 +0000

The Jazz Cafe - review by sue

Rating: 4.6

Location: 5 Parkway, NW1 7PG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7916 6060

Website: http://www.meanfiddler.com/displayPage_jazz.asp?PageID=387

Tags: jazz, live music

The Jazz Cafe is a fairly small live music venue in Camden. Many big name jazz and acid jazz bands play here and it is always a great night.

It is pretty much standing room only in front of the stage, but there is also a restaurant on the mezzanine level, where you can sit and watch the band from your table.

I have been here lots of times and these days always book a table in the restaurant (I am getting too old to stand up for so long!). The view is great if you get a table on the long bench overlooking the stage. Be warned though, the food is pretty dire.

All Bar One - review by drumsgemma83

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:58:47 +0000

All Bar One - review by drumsgemma83

Rating: 4.0

Location: 36-38 Dean Street, W1D 4PR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7479 7921

Website: http://www.mbplc.com

Tags: Pub food

This is a great place if you want to chill out after a big shop spree in Oxford street and don't fancy paying a fortune. My other half works in this street so we regularly go in for a bite. The burgers (so i am told) are to die for and i can vouch for their side salad which is large and plentiful.Before i was vegan i was quite into the camembert with bread to dip in...heavenly. Try it, you'll be suprised. The service is great...often table service if they are not rushed off their feet. And it hasn't got it's head up it's arse like you'd expect.

The Jazz Cafe - review by QueenB

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:35:00 +0000

The Jazz Cafe - review by QueenB

Rating: 4.6

Location: 5 Parkway, NW1 7PG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7916 6060

Website: http://www.meanfiddler.com/displayPage_jazz.asp?PageID=387

Tags: jazz, indie, mature, live, young professionals, reasonably priced, young and fun, students, hip-hop, house, sexy, underground, trendy, friendly, dance, cool, live music

No word of a lie!
I LOVE THE JAZZ CAFE!

I have been coming here for years, it combines my 3 favourite things! Music, dancing and socialising!

It is like having a party in your front room - fyou are that close and on a level with the artists and bands.

I've seen the likes of D'Angelo, Common, Jon B, Roy Ayres, James Taylor quartet, Dwele, Bilal, Amy Winehouse, Ben Westbeech, Soul II Soul, Kano, Lynden David Hall (RIP),Lemar, Omar, Eric Bennet, Erro, Terri Walker, Shaun Esscoffery, Peven Everett, Kila Kela - my list could go on!!!
They always have a great line up all year round and really know how to party with great DJ's after the shows.

The food is alright and the club itself is a little dingy (don't get me started on the q' for the ladies loo's) but it's the sounds and atmosphere people go there for and keep coming back.

My advice is book early and get a table upstairs (price includes your main course) this way you get to see the show in comfort, have table service for your drinks and dont get stuck in the crowd!
You will also probably meet the artist as they have to walk past your table and normally come and hang out afterwards!

Tas Firin - review by Umran

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:23:01 +0000

Tas Firin - review by Umran

Rating: 4.2

Location: 160 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6BG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 6446

Tags: turkish, cheap eat, crowded

After wanting to try this place for months I finally convinced her to go about 3 months ago and it has quickly become our Friday night retreat! Am pleased to say that this restaurant passes our 'consistency test' which many places fail miserably!

The lamb shish kebabs are absolutely delicious and you can smell the food cooking from across the street. If you are taking away you can order a wrap (5 pounds) or if you're really hungry you can have your kebab with all the trimmings which includes rice, salad and bread (7 pounds).

I prefer the latter as the rice has a delicious flavour which melds perfectly with the lamb and the bread also has the delicious flavour of the meat and marinade because while the meat is cooking over the charcoal the bread is dabbed on the meat and the bread is also used to hold the meat and push it off the metal skewer...my mouth is watering at the very thought of it!

McDonald's and Burger King eat your hearts out!

Strada - review by Sami

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:46:04 +0000

Strada - review by Sami

Rating: 3.2

Location: 2 More London, SE1 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 8321

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

Tags: italian

... to boot.

I don't like eating in chain restaurants; it makes me feel like a fat American, heading off the freeway exit and having dinner at a tacky restaurant like TGIFridays. Not my vibe.

But some friends were taking the train in from Surbiton for a Sunday night dinner, and we had to find somewhere affordable, decent, that was going to be open on a Sunday night, in the Waterloo/London Bridge area. I literally spent all of Sunday afternoon reading restaurant reviews, and the only place I could come up with that ticked all of the requirements, was Strada.

While Strada is never adventurous, all of the benefits you receive from eating at a chain, are apparent here: good table service, easy for making reservations, a clean venue, and good food. My only complaint is that the manager really needs to learn how to use his food service terminal; these computers are incredibly easy to use and you have to be a complete and total jackass to tell me that you don't know how to do a re-print of the bill; nor would he let me walk him through the procedure on how to do it. Some people need to check their egos at the door, because I will post about it on TrustedPlaces, and other people will (hopefully) laugh at his expense, because it doesn't pay to be stupid.

Anyway - the bill came to 100 pounds for 4 people, including 2 good and cheap bottles of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 2 starters, 4 mains, 3 coffees, and a dessert. Cheap for London, and no one left a crumb on their plate.

I would have no problem coming here again if it weren't for the manager's blatant stupidity, yet I feel that the restaurant deserves 4 stars because the food was, at the end of the day, pretty damn good, and looking through the vast windows of the restaurant out at the twinkling London Bridge and seeing the city's skyline reflecting off of the Thames, under the cover of darkness, was incredibly enjoyable.

Strada - review by JamesBody

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:44:20 +0000

Strada - review by JamesBody

Rating: 3.2

Location: 2 More London, SE1 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 8321

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

Tags: Italian, swift service, excellent crisp pizza, river view

This is the closest restaurant to our office (7 floors directly below)!

This is a good place to go for a rapid lunch. The establishment is located directly on the riverside overlooking Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and HMS Belfast.

Service is always swift and sure here - no waiting around for staff to see you.

Menu is typically Italian - and reasonably priced (considering the premimum location). The comprehensive range of pizzas are freshly prepared to order and are cooked at authentically high temperatures then delivered promptly to the table.

I award a solid 8 out of 10 to this venue.

Tas Firin - review by mundek

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 11:41:56 +0000

Tas Firin - review by mundek

Rating: 4.2

Location: 160 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6BG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 6446

Tags: lively, ocakbasi, family, cheap eat, authentic, turkish

This Ocakbasi (chargrilled kebab) Turkish restaurant on Bethnal Green Road near Brick Lane is up there with best in my opinion. Serving up a wide variety of pides (turkish pizzas) and kebabs cooked on hot coals in front of you that taste as good as anything I've had in Istanbul.

The kebabs come served with homemade breads, salads (try the one covered in Sumac - it's lovely) and rice. The chicken kebab with yoghurt and lamb chops come highly recommended. Everything is reasonably priced and the service is always pretty friendly. It can get a bit busy and smoky (from the indoor charcoal grill) but this adds to the excellent ambience. One of my favourite places.

The Jazz Cafe - review by sattapaal

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 10:41:16 +0000

The Jazz Cafe - review by sattapaal

Rating: 4.6

Location: 5 Parkway, NW1 7PG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7916 6060

Website: http://www.meanfiddler.com/displayPage_jazz.asp?PageID=387

Tags: jazz, vibe, brilliant, mosh, diverse, r&b, hip-hop, meanfiddler, cafe, funky, cheap, cool

you might think the subject title may be a little exaggerated, but it is not.

better give the basics: tis in camden, decent prices for drinks, hard to get your place back in the crowd once youve gone to loo. got an upstairs for eating and chillin' if you can splash money on a date.

i'd like to hit this spot more often than any other. the greatest highlight for me was the beatnuts and talib kweli gig, where me and some friends were in the middle of the crowd, and this little afro carribean guy just pushed us aside and jumped on the stage grabbed a mic and rapped "black...STAR". this little man was Mos Def. One great hip hop artist. something Jazz Cafe is renowned for; i have seen Platinum Pied Pipers, Ty, Estelle, Rhianne Benson, ?uestlove, Jazzanova, Eric Roberson and many other hip hop and r&b artists there. Its not often youd find yourself dancing with one of these people to a michael jackson or marvin gaye song...so get on down and STFU!