Latest reviews by gourmand

The White Horse

gourmand — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:57:05 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 1-3 Parsons Green, SW6 4UL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7731 2183

Website: http://www.whitehorsesw6.com

Tags: relaxed, excellent pub food, cool & smart, young professionals, beer garden, traditional pub, friendly

Best real ale pub in LondonHave been to a considerable number of real ale pubs in London but The White Horse serves the best range of beers in perfect condition. New management have added a range of micro-brew beers and increased choice adding a regular mild (Moorhouse Black Cat, Hobsons, Jennings, JW Lees, Crouch Vale, Harveys or Timothy Taylors Golden Best or Dark Mild) and frequently a regular porter. Excellent bitters seen here for the first time have included Bowmans Swift One and Abbeydale Matins. Cheapest and best pint of Harveys in town (Â£2.60)- far better(and more hospitable!)than The Royal Oak in Borough!
I do tend to avoid visiting before and after Chelsea home football matches but otherwise my visits have always been most pleasurable - enhanced by a very friendly, hard working and welcoming staff.
Good food here too - far superior to the Duke On The Green or Aragon House opposite.

Tom's Kitchen

gourmand — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:12:33 +0000

Rating: 3.2

Location: 27 Cale Street, SW3 3QP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7349 0202

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

Tags: expensive, british, crowded

Mammoth disappointmentMy wife and I visited this establishment with great expectations - probably too high!(although I do not think that our expectations were unwarranted in view of all the reports that we had read and received from friends who had visited Tom Aitken's restaurants).
We both chose the Gloucester Old Spot pork chop expecting it to be at least as good as that which we had experienced at The House in Islington - but Tom's dish was nowhere near as flavoursome or indeed as large as that at The House - in fact Tom's dish was very average and somewhat tasteless in comparison (and not dissimilar to a standard pork chop), although at least not bad enough to send back.
The bottle of wine that we had was good although overpriced.
Although we were invited to return (to give it another chance and try something different!) we shall not bother as we have other restaurants which we frequent where the quality and/or value for money is far better.

Tom Ilic

gourmand — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:29:20 +0000

Rating: 3.5

Location: 123 Queenstown Road, SW8 3RH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7622 0555

Website: http://www.tomilic.com/

Booking conundrumBeware in respect of confirmed bookings at this restaurant. Following receipt of an E-mail confirmation of our booking through Top Table we were subsequently advised that the restaurant was fully booked shortly before our scheduled arrival there!

The Royal Oak

gourmand — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:02:47 +0000

Rating: 1.0

Location: 44 Tabard Street, SE1 4JU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7357 7173

Royal Oak RageOh Dear! What in Harveyâ¬"s name has happened to this pub? Has it changed hands? It has always been a pleasure to visit this pub and receive a warm welcome from the hospitable landlord, Frank, and swap the occasional story and beer with him.

However shock and horror upon my return here with my wife yesterday (Sunday afternoon at 5pm) for another anticipated pleasurable visit only to be confronted by a surly foul-mouthed man across the bar professing to be the Licensee and repeatedly shouting at us to â¬Sfâ¬¦.off, and get outâ¬

Sabras - CLOSED

gourmand — Mon, 21 May 2007 22:07:38 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 263 High Road, NW10 2RX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8459 0340

Tags: vegetarian, CLOSED, family & home feel, good value

CLOSEDTravelled there for dinner last night only to sadly discover that the place has closed permanently - looks more like a building site! Tried telephoning beforehand but incoming calls not accepted. Local enquiries revealed that apparently the people running the restaurant have given up as it is uneconomic to continue under the landlord's rent review. This is regrettably not our first experience of this scenario in London with a restaurant who has toiled for years to build a good reputation only to suffer an exhorbitant rent increase from the landlord thus forcing it out of business!

The Black Boy

gourmand — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:53:18 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 1 Wharf Hill, SO23 9NQ, Winchester, United Kingdom

Tags: independent pub, excellent real ales & food, The rambling country pub in Winchester, excellent pub food, beer garden, traditional pub

Unique rambling characterful pub serving excellent real ales & foodThis is every real ale and food lover's dream pub that they would love to find! Rambling, quirky, friendly with excellent selection of well kept real ales and good value home cooked food with fresh ingredients. We have had many medium rare roast beef Sunday lunches here and the best fresh haddock & chips & ham hock the other evening which proved that the same high culinary standards are maintained during weekdays. Parking only available in nearby municipal car park on main road (short walk). We really wish that this pub could be our local.

Nomad Books

gourmand — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:24:34 +0000

Rating: 4.3

Location: 781 Fulham Road, SW6 5HA, London, United Kingdom

My favourite bookshop - but be prepared to lose yourself in the ambience for a whole afternoon.

El Pepperoni

gourmand — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:19:40 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 26 Putney High St, SW15 1SL, London, United Kingdom

Tags: italian, Sadly closed, cheap eat

ClosedSadly long closed (used to serve the best pizzas that I have had in Putney and around) and recently re-opened as Bar Brazil!

The Telegraph

gourmand — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:50:43 +0000

Rating: 4.2

Location: Telegraph Road, SW15 3TU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8788 2011

Tags: live music, The Real Ale Country Pub in London with Live Acoustic Blues, sport pub, late license, beer garden, different pub food, traditional pub

The Country Pub in LondonA country mansion/pub in the middle of Putney Heath recently lavishly refurbished. Easy unrestricted parking. Varied selection of excellent real ales (6 handpumps), good food by a French Chef and friendly service. Beers more expensive than some other pubs but then I do not know of anywhere else where one can enjoy Jennings Cumberland Ale or Weltons Pride-n-Joy in such opulent surroundings. Weekly quiz & film nights plus excellent live acoustic blues nights every Friday.

Snows on the Green

gourmand — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:41:28 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 166 Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7PB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7603 2142

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

Tags: Value for money, elegant decor, quality cooking & ingredients, international, business, good value, friendly staff, romantic

Value for moneyMy benchmark restaurant in London that I compare all others to in terms of value for money (I hope this will not lead to price increases!), quality of food and tempting dishes offered on the menu. The fixed price 2/3 course lunch/dinner takes some beating especially in view of the inclusion of dishes that you would otherwise not find on a fixed course menu. And then there is the a la carte menu which includes pan fried foie gras with a fried egg and brioche in addition to other delectable choices. The restaurant itself is well set out (not cramped and with elegant minimalist decor) and the staff are well trained. We have never had anything but a superb meal here and had a memorable wedding dinner here three years ago.