Latest favourites and wishlist by jezirwin

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by Niamheen

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:03:15 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.3

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

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Definitely one of London's worst kept secrets, Gordon's is a gorgeous wine bar tucked away in a cellar in Embankment. It has a great wine selection, a very decent cheese selection, and other bites that will work well with a fine bottle. Service is very friendly, it's a difficult place to leave! Especially if you've managed to get one of those lovely tables by candlelight.

The only downside is that it get's so busy! It can be impossible to get in the door on a busy night, however, there's ample space outside to indulge in your tipple.

Ah, Gordon's, it's a London institution, and, dare I say it, you're not a proper Londoner if you haven't been there.

La Trompette - review by sulin

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:42:20 +0000

La Trompette - review by sulin

Rating: 4.7

Location: 5-7 Devonshire Road, W4 2EU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8747 1836

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

Tags: lively, expensive, french, romantic

Sometimeâ¬"s we all need a little treat - and what better occasion than a birthday! To be specific, two birthdays, as both my and Blaiâ¬"s birthdays fall in the month of July. Iâ¬"d been wanting to try La Trompette for a while after reading such marvellous reviews online, and the fact that they were recently awarded their first Michelin star didnâ¬"t hurt either, and so I booked a table for the two of us last Sunday at 7pm. We turned out to be the second couple in the restaurant, following close at the heels of the first couple. The restaurant did fill up throughout the night with many groups coming in at about 8pm.

After ordering, the bread basket made its way to our table and we were presented with a choice of three breads; there was a walnut bread flecked with bits of raisin, a heavily speckled black olive bread, and a white bread heavy with olive oil. Needless to say, throughout the course of our meal, we managed to try all three. All three were extremely delicious and perhaps we ate more than we should have. Upon inquiring, we were told that they baked all the bread daily on the premises.

I started with the Confit sea trout, crab and cucumber salad, crab croquettes, vichyssoise and pea shoots. There were two generous slices of soft, melting fish sat in a bit of vichyssoise, acting more as a sauce than a soup. Inside the lettuce parcel was the crab and cucumber salad - just lots of crab meat with a bit of diced cucumber in a mayonnaise dressing. While the salad contained white crab meat, the crunchy crab croquettes were made of brown meat. I loved this dish.

Blai had the Soft polenta, English asparagus, cured ham, poached egg, black truffle and olive dressing. While everything on the plate was very well cooked and delicious, Blai did not feel that all the ingredients worked altogether as a single dish. This was the only minor thing we could quibble about. Of the bits I did try, I very much liked the truffle and olive dressing and thought it worked well with the egg and polenta. I can understand though - I feel that some hams can be too assertive when combined with other ingredients.

For my main, I chose the Breast of duck, pastilla of confit leg, hot foie gras, cherry compote and caramelized endive. The breast was cooked as I requested (pink inside) and sat o bed of spinach. It was incredibly meaty and the cherry compote was beautiful with it. I never would have thought of caramelizing endive as they had here but its bitterness combined with just about everything on the plate, especially the foie gras and compote. A gorgeous dish.

After much deliberation, Blai settled with the Braised legs of poulet noir, with potato gnocchi, leek hearts, vin jaune and tarragon. I tried a bit of everything off his plate and I can vouch that that chicken was as soft as it looks. It just fell off the bone and the sauce that went with itâ¬¦.mmmmm. We ended up having a discussion about what â¬Syellow wineâ¬ was and we thought it was perhaps a typo and should be vin jeune, a young, not aged wine. However, it turns out that there is a vin jaune that is similar to sherry. Whatever it was, it made that sauce so wonderful! The gnocchi was chewy and potatoey and reminiscent of a German potato dumpling.

All the desserts sounded good but I chose the one that really stood out for me. This was the Fresh citrus fruits, banana sorbet, passion fruit jelly, Earl Grey tea, financiers. Rarely does a dessert make me sit up and say, â¬SWow!â¬, and this one did. The photo doesnâ¬"t do this dessert justice - it doesnâ¬"t show that underneath that Earl Grey tea granitÃ© was a layer of citrus fruit segments, and under that was a scoop of banana sorbet, and under that was the passion fruit jelly. While all the ingredients sound disparate, together they blend together: the creaminess of the banana, the citrus note of the fruits and the tea, the zing of the passion fruit. Gorgeous. The financiers were equally fabulous, but I knew they would be after the quality of the bread!

Blai opted for another dessert that sounded just as refreshing, the Iced coconut parfait with lime granitÃ©, tropical fruits and lychee sorbet. With the creamy coconut parfait sitting on a pastry base, his dessert was more substantial than mine but still very light and summery. I again only tried a bit of it and it was very good and judging by the way Blai cleaned his plate, I would say that he adored it too!

After dessert, I had an espresso, while they offered some hot water steeped with lemon to Blai as a refreshing alternative. Or as my brother so eloquently put it - â¬Sit sounds like you kinda drank a finger bowlâ¬. But honestly, it was nice and really helped us relax and it possibly aided digestion; who knows? Alongside came a few chocolate truffles.

Looking at the photos again is killing me; I cannot wait to return to La Trompette! Of course, this is unlikely to be very soon as all this deliciousness comes at a price; I would never try to convince anyone that this place is a budget restaurant! Two three course menus, 1 bottle of sparkling water, 1 glass of a red Bordeaux, 1 espresso, 1 hot water with lemon (no charge!) - this all came to Â£100 for the two of us.

Photos at the blog post.

Chez Bruce - review by herb

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:18:35 +0000

Chez Bruce - review by herb

Rating: 4.7

Location: 2 Bellevue Road, SW17 7EG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8672 0114

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

Tags: cheap eat

I choose Chez bruce at the as I thought it has ample area and the bar is really nice for my friends 30th birthday as well as being very central and easy for everyone to locate. There was about 20 of us and the area they reserved was tiny. On one of the hottest days of the year. The staff and service were lovely though and the nibbles I ordered really nice

Algerian Coffee Stores - review by Navajo_Pete

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:24:40 +0000

Algerian Coffee Stores - review by Navajo_Pete

Rating: 4.5

Location: 52 Old Compton Street, W1D 4PB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7437 2480

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

Tags: rare finds

Aromatic and pungent treasure trove of good quality coffees in the heart of Soho. This shop has been here for many years and has only had minor updates or â¬Üimprovementsâ¬". It is still a quiet, relaxed and old-fashioned little retail outlet.

Iâ¬"m not sure whether the â¬ÜAlgerianâ¬" accolade is still applicable, as it stocks coffees from around the world. There are plenty of blends to suit any taste, but the highlight here is the range of specialist and single estate coffees.

Worth trying is the dense and dark smelling Ethiopian coffee. Once youâ¬"re here, buy the beans, at least a whole pound, and store them in the freezer.

The shop has a â¬Ücolonialâ¬" feel to it and is a feast for the senses, including the eyes.

You will also find here every accessory you could possibly need to brew the best coffee at home.

Busaba Eathai - review by Natnat

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:23:33 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by Natnat

Rating: 3.8

Location: 106 Wardour St, W1F 0TR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7255 8686

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: lively, good value, thai

This place is always packed at lunchtime and in the evening, and itâ¬"s easy to see why. The food is fresh and delicious (and healthy too), and thereâ¬"s an interesting selection of teas and juices to accompany your meal. Expect to pay around a tenner for a drink and a meal. Diners sit around large square tables, and thereâ¬"s never a long wait to be served (although you may queue to get in of an evening). The only downside is that it isnâ¬"t somewhere where you might spend a long drawn out evening â¬ itâ¬"s very much eat and leave. This is one of a chain of restaurants in the capital.

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...

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.

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

Busaba Eathai - review by misstravelbug

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:14:04 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by misstravelbug

Rating: 3.8

Location: 106 Wardour St, W1F 0TR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7255 8686

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: lively, cheap eat, thai

Always a line to get here during peak hour, it's a canteen-feel restaurant, quite cosy as you end up sharing the table with other patrons. The thai food is fairly average, the curry nothing to write home about but it's got a good vibe and the service is pretty good. Papaya salad was one of the better dishes here.

Bowler Bar and Grill - review by monkeyslaper

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:55:19 +0000

Bowler Bar and Grill - review by monkeyslaper

Rating: 4.8

Location: 2a Pond Place, SW3 6QJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7589 5876

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

Great cocktails and steaks. Saturday afternoon dream. Recommend !

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!

Taqueria - review by Lacrimosa

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:08:40 +0000

Taqueria - review by Lacrimosa

Rating: 4.0

Location: 139-143 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 4734

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

Tags: mexican

I've just lunched with friends at Taqueria, lured by the special lunchtime menu (a selection all priced at Â£6) and impressed by the positive reviews here on Trusted Places. It's the sort of small, independent place I would have loved to have been able heap praise on, but unfortunately our experience fell a bit short.

We all ordered enchiladas: "Three corn tortillas dipped in a sauce of your choice and rolled around shredded chicken, more sauce, crema, fresh cheese and onion". Now, I'm a HUGE fan of hot, spicy, cheesy, saucy, tomato-y comfort food, so this sounded great. Our dishes arrived and we all tucked in, still deep in conversation - so deep, in fact, that it was a couple of minutes before I ventured to say "Err... is yours cold?". All three meals were no more than tepid, but no one had wanted to be the first to mention it. Now, I prefer my hot food to be sizzling hot, so, with the agreement of the others, went off in search of our waitress to ask for our meals to be reheated. To Taqueria's credit, they were apologetic and actually cooked the dishes again from scratch, although given that this was a weekday lunchtime it might have been a good idea to check whether we had time for this. Second time around it was warm but still not very hot, so I can only assume that authentic Mexican cuisine is supposed to be like that? If so, who am I to argue? Personally, though, I'd have enjoyed my food much more if it had scorched the roof of my mouth off, leaving me begging for mercy.

On the plus side, we enjoyed our drinks - jugs of tap water, Pacifico lager and some really yummy Clamato, which had been presented like a Bloody Mary with black pepper around the rim of the glass and a stick of celery. Meanwhile some chaps on the next table, who clearly knew what they were doing, had ordered a selection of smaller dishes from the regular menu. These looked a good deal tastier than what we had, although I could hardly shimmy over to their table and stick my elbow in their food to test the temperature.

Aside from us, there were very few others in the place during the couple of hours we spent there, and there seemed to be some maintenance work going on which might have been better left to outside opening hours. I'd try Taqueria again, as it seemed good value and all those excellent reviews are still ringing in my ears, but two strikes and it's out.

Busaba Eathai - review by jes1uk

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:10:43 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by jes1uk

Rating: 3.8

Location: 106 Wardour St, W1F 0TR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7255 8686

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: lively, good value, crowded, thai

The positive aspects of this restaurant are:
- Food is delicious
- The staff are polite and efficient
- The restaurant is very central
The negatives are:
- I found the portions to be a little on the small side
- For private conversations sharing a table with loads of other people can be a pain
- You may have to queue on the street for some time at peak times before getting a table

Overall I'd recommend this restaurant if there is a group of you but if you want a something more intimate then this is not the restaurant for you.

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.

Busaba Eathai - review by baks162

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:51:50 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by baks162

Rating: 3.8

Location: 106 Wardour St, W1F 0TR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7255 8686

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: crowded, good value

The long queues outside a sign that the food inside is good! And indeed it doesnt dissapoint. Good value for a 2 course meal, mine came to under a tenner. Their pad thai jay is fantastic!

However, its a very rushed experience - they try and get you in and out within 30 mins (or it certainly felt that way)

Very good for a quick quality meal before the theatre!