Latest favourites and wishlist by giorgiov

Bar Kick - review by chrisp

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:08:15 +0000

Bar Kick - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.3

Location: 127 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7739 8700

Website: http://www.cafekick.co.uk/BK_location.html

Tags: jazz, sport pub, pop, indie, excellent pub food, young and fun, rock, friendly, relaxed

Like its sister bar in Exmouth Market, Bar Kick is a cosmopolitan, friendly and trendy place to spend an afternoon or evening. Bar staff are approachable and (in most cases) can mix a decent cocktail. The food menu - a much expanded version of the tapas at the other place - looked tempting but I have to admit I wasn't there to eat. We spent an hour and a half in the darkened basement watching the footie, and were grateful for the expanse of seating and thoughtful placing of flatscreen TVs. Always popular and never dull, Bar Kick is the pick of the drinking holes on Shoreditch High Street.

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by tigerhobbes

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:11:41 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by tigerhobbes

Rating: 4.3

Location: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Tags: posh, modern pub, excellent pub food, cool & smart, friendly, relaxed

Every time I'm in London I make sure to head here on the night before I leave. It's absolutely perfect for de-stressing (well, after you've found a table, anyway!) and will leave you relaxed and hopefully a bit tipsy at the end of the evening. The biggest boon of this place is its fantastic wine selection - excellent value bottles and equally good vintages if you're willing to spend. They also serve sherry which is a refreshing change, too. The atmosphere is undoubtedly the second greatest attraction - it's got a candlelit, almost Victorian style essence to it, and if it weren't always very busy it would be pretty easy to stay all night in peace. Other wine bars tend to focus on young people, with music, noisy crowds, etc. but Gordon's seems to attract an older bunch which is good in my book! The bottom line: go here if you're after a relaxed evening - not a noisy night out.

Arancina - review by bellaphon

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:58:25 +0000

Arancina - review by bellaphon

Rating: 4.4

Location: 19 Pembridge Road, W11 3HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7221 7776

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

Tags: italian, sicilian, top food, proper food, pizza, lively

The lure of that sawn up orange Cinquecento is a great marketing exercise.

I donâ¬"t normally care much for pizzas in this country but at Arancina the Paletta (to all intents and purposes; by the slice) portion of parmacotto ham and mushrooms was outstanding. It tasted fresh, utterly Italian and the total absence of the dreaded stodgy thick crust. This portion was more than enough for lunch, but if you can fit it in and not be too conscious of the Atkins Diet the delicious arancinas (Sicilian rice balls) belong to the dangerous â¬Übingeingâ¬" category.

I included fast food as one of the things I love when I played the TasteMatcher, Arancina upholds the inclusion without fail. Bravo.

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by tapdancingcat

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:22:22 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by tapdancingcat

Rating: 4.3

Location: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Tags: relaxed, young professionals, beer garden, underground

Always packed, i find i spend half the evening waiting to ponce on a table as soon as it is vacated, but this is made up for the atmosphere once you have the table, and the amazing wine. The stoney arches and the dim candle light makes this busy little bar feel like a diffeant world, well worth a visit

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.

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by Alba58

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:26:35 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by Alba58

Rating: 4.3

Location: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Tags: posh, mature, cool & smart, young professionals, sexy, underground, friendly, relaxed

What can I say? Was introduced to this bar ona romantic meeting :-) Can't wait to have another! But back to the task in hand!
This is such at an atmospheric place with the added bonuses of good wine and food! As a previous reviewer said..No lager louts..superb! Close to the river for a romantic walk before or after visit...... it's perfect! The cellar is so cosy and subtle.... blokes ...if you want to impress...this is THE place to go without breaking the bank!!!! take me take me!
having said all that...I'd happily go with mates fro a lunch time drink/food as a break from the shopping...though would probably end up staying there for rest of day ( now there's another idea blokes! lol)
I just wish there were more of these places around!

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......

Arancina - review by shopaholcleo

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:29:55 +0000

Arancina - review by shopaholcleo

Rating: 4.4

Location: 19 Pembridge Road, W11 3HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7221 7776

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

Tags: cosy, quick bite, cultured

While wandering around Notting Hill with an empty stomach, I noticed this bright and inviting deli, and after seeing it had been reviewed already, I thought I may as well try it. I was pleasantly surpised, the pizzas were not too expensive and they had some nice looking pasta dishes as well. I ordered a mini calzone thing to take away, not bad for Â£2.50, would've liked a bit more filling, but it was nice to eat anyway. Will definitely try to come back before my next visit to Portobello market, to try some more of their dishes, as the reviews look good.

La Porchetta - review by patheticshark

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:54:38 +0000

La Porchetta - review by patheticshark

Rating: 4.0

Location: 33 Boswell Street, WC1N 3BP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7242 2434

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

Tags: italian, good value, lively

I have a lot of love for La Porchetta. It's tucked away down a street with basically nothing on it, so not easily found unless you're actually looking for it (though it is a very central location). It's often full of savvy students and young couples on cheap dates - and downstairs there is usually a birthday party going on with 20 people around a table (if you are lucky enough to have your birthday party here, the waiters will drop some pizza dough on your head to celebrate. Ace!). It's usually pretty crowded but service is pretty efficient and the pizzas are really, really tasty, as well as being huge. Also: dead cheap house wine and the bruschetta is brilliant. A Bloomsbury gem.

Arancina - review by theonlyone

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:20:59 +0000

Arancina - review by theonlyone

Rating: 4.4

Location: 19 Pembridge Road, W11 3HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7221 7776

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

Well, I come from Italy and I've tried several pizzas across the UK in the last years. This is definitly the best one. I've always took it "take away" and it was also cheap, don't know if you'll eat in, anyway really good pizza, don't miss it!

Blue River Cafe - review by Lacrimosa

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:59:35 +0000

Blue River Cafe - review by Lacrimosa

Rating: 3.0

Location: Riviera Hotel, The Bridge, SL6 8DW, Maidenhead, United Kingdom

Tags: over-priced, blue river cafe, small portions, berkshire, maidenhead

I took a group of 26 walkers for lunch at the Blue River Cafe on Mothers' Day, March 2008. A hotel bar and restaurant rather than a pub, it wasn't our usual choice of venue but, as one of the few places available to us along the 14 mile route, I apprehensively went ahead and booked us in.

To cut a very long and ugly story short, most of us were finally served our food one and a half hours after arriving - this despite having complied with their request to get there extra early so they could serve us promptly, and despite my having phoned our food order through at 10am that morning. Most people, of course, had finished their drinks well before their meal arrived. A number of other things went seriously wrong, but on each occasion the staff seemed more interested in pointing the finger of blame at each other (or even at me) than resolving the problems as they arose. Moreover the portions were so puny that, when we finally left two hours later, at least four of my group were still so hungry they went straight over the road to the petrol station for sandwiches. Other portions didn't emerge from the kitchen at all and were finally given up on, yet they still tried to charge us for them. My own meal was cleared away when I got up to sort out someone else's missing meal... I had been sent an out-of-date menu, so the prices came as a nasty shock.... and so on. Absolutely dreadful.

This is a guess, but I was left with the impression that the chefs had decided to sabotage my booking, perhaps thinking that it shouldn't have been taken in the first place. From the safety of their kitchen they then left the front-of-house staff to deal with the resultant chaos. Not only was this very unprofessional, it was an unbelievably short-sighted way to treat 26 locals, none of whom will ever go back.

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by sparklepants

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:28:44 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by sparklepants

Rating: 4.3

Location: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Tags: relaxed, cool & smart

I love, love, LOVE this place. It has absolutely bundles of character! With a fantastic wine list comprising of affordable (starting at around Â£14) bottles right through to pure indulgent ones! They have a great selection of cheeses, cold meats, pickles and breads to accompany a bottle or two! Perfect for a relaxed afternoon, away from the hustle and bustle of central London. The candle lit cellar makes a perfect romantic setting. Get there early so you can grab a table, they donâ¬"t allow bookings unfortunately. Itâ¬"s very easy to miss as itâ¬"s so make sure you keep your eyes peeled!

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by rich42uk

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:54:04 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by rich42uk

Rating: 4.3

Location: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Tags: posh, mature, cool & smart, young professionals, standard pub food, beer garden, young and fun, pretentious, underground, friendly, relaxed

Now this is a date venue if ever there was one... The wine-only bar ensures that the usual lager jackasses aren't in attendence and the dark, candlelit cellars are conducive to getting close...

Beyond that though, it's one of the few places that serve Port, Sherry and other fortified wines by both the glass and bottle and what's more doesn't break the bank. The wine list in general is so wide as to be a little bit intimidating but the bar staff and knowledgable and helpful when it comes to ordering.

If the hot and sometimes sweaty cellar is too much, it's also got a nice outdoors area overlooking the park by Embankment tube. Food is served too and looks good, but I've not actually sampled it myself.

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.

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by chrisp

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:03:50 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.3

Location: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Tags: posh, young professionals, different pub food, underground

If you are ever lucky or early enough to get a table, Gordon's is a fascinating slice of grimy London history and a fantastic place to bring timid foreign tourists, if only to freak them out so much they'll want to get on the next plane home. It's literally a shallow, sweaty cave underneath Charing Cross station which sells port, wine and cheese by candlelight, and has to be seen to be believed. Trusted Places' "underground" keyword has never been so apt.