Latest reviews by jo104's friends

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:33:24 +0000

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Rating: 4.0

Location: 137 rue Pasteur, 39220, Les Rousses, France

Phone: +33 0384600262

Tags: lively, raclette, good value, outdoor seating, french

In October 2008 we went on a daytrip from Zurich to the Jura Mountains. We mainly spent the day in Les Rousses in France.

The Fromagerie des Rousses consists of a cheese dairy with a shop and a restaurant. They are specialised in all sorts of cheese dishes like raclette or fondue.

We had lunch here after our hike from La Cure in Switzerland to Les Rousses in the French part of the Jura Mountains.

They have an outdoor terrace facing the street, but as it was end of October we prefered to sit inside. The interior is kept basic and decorated with all kinds of souvenirs related to milk and cheese.

All raclette and fondue meals are for at least 2 people. After perusing the menu we decided for a raclette with 3 different cheeses. Among them was a blue mould cheese (bleu de Gex). The dish came with a plate of dried meat (charcuterie), a plate of cheese, a green salad and a few potatoes for each person. An electric raclette oven was provided at our table.

We really enjoyed our lunch here as it was interesting to taste the different cheeses with the meat and potatoes. To drink I had a bottle of light Montbeliarde beer (3,50 Euro).

The raclette was 16,50 Euro per person which seemed a reasonable price to us. Only we didn't get a proper bill as the till had allegedly ran out of paper.

DIRECTIONS:
The Fromagerie des Rousses is located about 200 m west of the St. Peter Church (Eglise Saint Pierre), right in the heart of Les Rousses.

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:33:24 +0000

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Rating: 4.0

Location: 137 rue Pasteur, 39220, Les Rousses, France

Phone: +33 0384600262

Tags: lively, raclette, good value, outdoor seating, french

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:33:24 +0000

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Rating: 4.0

Location: 137 rue Pasteur, 39220, Les Rousses, France

Phone: +33 0384600262

Tags: lively, raclette, good value, outdoor seating, french

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:33:24 +0000

Fromagerie des Rousses - review by HORSCHECK

Rating: 4.0

Location: 137 rue Pasteur, 39220, Les Rousses, France

Phone: +33 0384600262

Tags: lively, raclette, good value, outdoor seating, french

The Princess Victoria - review by sue

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:51:47 +0000

The Princess Victoria - review by sue

Rating: 4.2

Location: 217 Uxbridge Road, W12 9DH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8749 5886

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

Tags: friendly, gastro pub, different pub food, gastropub, wine, pub

Sunday lunch at the Princess Victoria with friends was bound to be goodâ¬¦. I hoped. Well, it had recently been voted "Best Gastropub 2008", so I figured it must be pretty special.

It looked the part, with an attractive, high-ceilinged bar at the front and separate dining area to the rear. The dining area turned out to be noisy and I wished we were sitting in the bar area as it had a better atmosphere. Service was friendly and efficient, though attentiveness dropped off as the place filled up. Didn't attack the wine list, but it did look interesting - not many bottles under Â£20 though. Oh - I did like the complimentary sparkling water!

For lunch we started with the Crab bisque with rouille, gruyere and croutes, and the Terrine of confit rabbit with chestnuts, Serrano ham, celeriac and apple remoulade. Both dishes were nice, but we'd had better examples in other gastropubs.

We all chose the same main course - the Roasted belly of Gloucester Old Spot pork, with roasted potatoes, apple sauce and crackling (though I don't recall any crackling). Again, nice flavours, but nothing special. Shame. For dessert we shared the Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and the Steamed apple sponge with cinnamon ice cream. Both desserts were simple but tasty.

All up, the meal was fine, but didn't live up to the "best gastropub" hype IMHO. Prices were reasonable though, and if you lived locally you could do a lot worse.

Latium - review by Sarah_W

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:56:35 +0000

Latium - review by Sarah_W

Rating: 4.7

Location: 21 Berners St, W1T 3LP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7323 9123

Website: http://www.latiumrestaurant.com

Tags: italian, good value, elegant, expensive

We came here a couple of weeks ago to celebrate my birthday as I'd seen a couple of good reviews. The reviews proved to be spot on - we had an excellent meal and a really nice evening.

The restaurant is a little off the beaten track, though only a stone's throw from trendy Charlotte Street. We liked the modern decor (though the old wardrobe by the door for customers' coats and bags is a nice touch) and got a friendly Italian welcome from the waiting staff. We ate fairly early so the restaurant was quiet when we arrived, but it soon filled up - however, it never got too noisy and we enjoyed the view of the bustling room from our table in the window.

The menu here is a set one, with a small number of choices for each course and a flat charge of Â£24.50 for two courses or Â£28.50 for three, which in my view is excellent value for the quality, especially when you add in the various extras. We enjoyed a wonderful selection of bread and rolls, eating far more of it than we normally would because of the variety (the parmesan flavoured slices were the stand-out but the walnut and rasin came a close second, and there were also sundried tomato and black olives rolls, and crispy Sicilan flat bread). This came with a dish of good olive oil for dipping. We were also given a plate of small canapes and a bowl of fantastic olives - Chris, who is a real olive fan, pronounced them among the best he has tasted! And this is all before we've even started on the food we'd ordered :-)

So on to the menu. Latium specialises in ravioli, and a whole page in the menu is devoted to it, with several choices for each course. We both sampled something from this, with me choosing the taleggio, Swiss chard and walnut starter and Chris the ricotta and lemon ravioli for his mains. His starter meanwhile was the beef tartar with wild rocket qualis' eggs and my main a lovely piece of salmon in a pumpkin sauce. Chris then indulged in the tiramisu and I had a wonderful dessert of wafer thin pineapple slices wrapped around indulgent lime semi-freddo. I can't pick a favourite out of this list - everything was really delicious! My only tiny complaint was that my pumpkin sauce was almost cold, but when I pointed this out the waitress was very apologetic and replaced it without question (and I am sure it was a new dish, not simply reheated).

We turned down coffee but they still brough a plate of gorgeous petits fours - the white chocolate truffle rolled in cinnamon was truly miraculaous, and luckily for me Chris doesn't like white chocolate ...

With water and a bottle of wine we paid about Â£85 which was really good value for such a wonderful meal. We will be back!

Cantinetta Luca - review by sue

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:34:59 +0000

Cantinetta Luca - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Dolores Street Between Ocean and 7th, 93921, Carmel By The Sea, United States of America

Phone: 831.625.6500

Website: http://www.cantinettaluca.com/

Tags: italian, lively

Carmel is filled with so many great sounding restaurants it was hard to choose where to dine out when we had one night only. We decided to go to the latest place the locals seemed to be raving about (well in the Carmel magazine in our hotel room anyway), Cantinetta Luca.

This is a modern Italian restaurant and bar, apparently more San Francisco style than Carmel. The large restaurant was full and I think we were very lucky to walk in and get a table without having made a reservation.

Cantinetta Luca specialises in antipasti, and cure many of the meats on the premises. After reading this on the menu, we decided to start with the Artisan and House Made Salume, along with some Caseficio Gioia Burrata Cheese and some bread. The generous servings were well presented and loved most of the meats, which went so well with the cheese (which was up-sold to us by our helpful waitress).

For main course we had the Tagliatelle, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Organic Peas and Pecorino Toscano Cheese and the Grilled Baby Octopus, Salame Calabrese, Broccoli and Potatoes (starter size). Both dishes were very flavoursome and plates were cleaned. We shared a Chocolate & Hazelnut Tart for dessert.

Katy's Place - review by sue

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:25:57 +0000

Katy's Place - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Mission Street between 5th and 6th, 93921, Carmel By The Sea, United States of America

Phone: 831-624-0199

Website: http://www.katysplacecarmel.com/

Tags: cosy, proper food, average brew, brunch, breakfast, quick bite, friendly

After having breakfast one morning at our hotel we weren't that keen to repeat the experience, so on our second morning in Carmel we headed to Katy's Place. Katy's is open daily, from 7am - 2pm and serves up giant breakfasts and lunches. I had read it was 'the' place to have breakfast in Carmel, and we certainly enjoyed it.

It was already busy when we arrived around 7.30am on a weekday, and there seemed to be plenty of locals dining, along with fellow tourists. Service was very friendly and efficient and the dÃ©cor eclectic.

They specialise in versions of Eggs Benedict - with 16 different combinations to choose from! We had the Classic Eggs Benedict - Tender Canadian bacon layered between eggs and muffin; and the Sonora Benedict - poached eggs and Canadian bacon with guacamole. Both were delicious, with copious amount of creamy hollandaise sauce and a pile of crispy country potatoes.

Taqueria de Amigos - review by sue

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:18:40 +0000

Taqueria de Amigos - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: 1999 Pescadero Creek Rd, 94060, Pescadero, United States of America

Phone: 650-879-0232

Tags: takeaway, burrito, burritos, take away, good value, mexican

Taqueria de Amigos is a small Mexican take away located in a gas station shop. You will find it in the small town of Pescadero, a short detour off Highway 1 (3 miles East). We stopped in for some lunch on our way down the coast from San Francisco to Carmel.

It looked a bit dodgy from the outside, but on entering the shop our fears were quelled as there was a queue of people waiting to order lunch from the taqueria, and a few tables of people happily eating.

The menu above the counter showed a list of tacos, burritos and specials. After a quick perusal we both decided on a burrito - a chicken and a pork one, with various fillings. We took a seat and a couple of minutes later our giant burritos were bought over. And they were really good. And cheap. Well worth the detour.

Cafe Kevah - review by sue

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:12:48 +0000

Cafe Kevah - review by sue

Rating: 3.0

Location: Highway One, 93920, Big Sur, United States of America

Phone: 831-667-2345

Website: http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/kevah/kevah.html

Tags: quick bite, quiet & relaxed, views

Cafe Kevah is located on Highway One in the Big Sur region of the Californian coast, just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Look for the signs to Nepenthe restaurant, and you will find its cheaper sister, CafÃ© Kevah.

The open-air cafe sits on the edge of a cliff offering stunning views of the coast line and the Pacific Ocean. It is a good option for a light meal, but if you are after something more substantial head upstairs to Nepenthe.

At Cafe Kevah you need to choose your table and then go up to the counter to order. Your food will be brought out to you when ready. We had the Black Forest Ham Panini and the Reuben Panini, both served with a side-salad. The food was fine and filled the gap, but we were really there for the views.

Chilango - review by walid

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:40:49 +0000

Chilango - review by walid

Rating: 4.3

Location: 142 Fleet Street, EC4A 2BP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7353 6761

Website: www.chilango.co.uk

Tags: Mexican, burrito, good value

I love this place for so many reasons. The venue is funky, well laid out, and clean. The staff, are friendly, efficient and great to practice my Spanish with ;-)

Now as for the food, well so many places claim to offer authentic burritos, but too often they end up to be tasteless and soggy. The burritos at Chilango's are definitely tasty, fresh, and have a great texture. Without a doubt they are some of the best ones I've eaten in London.

It's amazing what the co-founders of Chilango have done, I'm really happy that we celebrated our "Day of the Dead" Party at Chilango and can't wait to go back there for my favourite burritos.

Chilango - review by sue

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:58:08 +0000

Chilango - review by sue

Rating: 4.3

Location: 142 Fleet Street, EC4A 2BP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7353 6761

Website: www.chilango.co.uk

Tags: friendly, burrito, take away, mexican, takeaway

Chilango is a bright, modern Mexican restaurant/take away on Fleet Street, and as per the reviews below, I was also at the TrustedPlaces 'Day of the Dead' party there. If I worked in the area I am pretty sure I would become a regular at Chilango, either for a quick meal at one of the communal tables, or a take away burrito or taco to sneak back to my desk.

The menu consists of tacos, burritos and salads. I can never resist a burrito, and this one didn't disappoint. The soft but sturdy tortilla, the flavoursome chicken, lime-rice, re-fried beans (how I love you), cheese, sour cream and voila - the perfect burrito, well made to my specifications anyway. I loved that I could tell them exactly what I wanted in it. And it was delicious.

The Thai Elephant - review by sue

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:26:22 +0000

The Thai Elephant - review by sue

Rating: 3.0

Location: 1 Wakefield Road, TW10 6SD, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Tags: thai, family & home feel, good value

I fancied a Pad Thai, and checked the 'Scores on Doors' website to see how the Thai restaurants in Richmond fared. Hmmm... let's just say there are a couple of them I won't be going to again. Thankfully Thai Elephant scored well enough so that is where we headed one Sunday for lunch.

Thai Elephant, located next to the Richmond Bus Station, looks old-fashioned from the outside and the inside is much the same. Simple, comfortable decor and family friendly from the looks of our fellow diners. We were greeted at the door by a smiley waiter, though our waitress was less smiley, more surly. Loved their elephant t-shirts though.

I ordered the aforementioned Pad Thai, with chicken, and Alex had the Beef Jungle Curry with Coconut Steamed Rice. Dishes were served piping hot, portion sizes were good and flavours as expected. Nothing amazing, but honest.

Restaurant Vrelo - review by HORSCHECK

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:16:06 +0000

Restaurant Vrelo - review by HORSCHECK

Rating: 4.0

Location: Blagaj bb, , Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tags: lively, bosnian, outdoor terrace, international, good value

In September 2008 we travelled through Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. On this trip, we went on a sidetrip to Blagaj from Mostar.

The city of Blagaj with the source of the Buna river is situated about 10 km southeast of Mostar. It seems to be very popular for eating out, as many large restaurants can be found here.

We chose Restaurant Vrelo for our dinner, due to its excellent location on the river bank. Numerous tables are located outside on types of artificial concrete islands enabling everybody to dine just by the water.

They serve a large variety of international as well as local Bosnian meals. Fish dishes, especially trout from the Buna river, are among the specialities.

I ordered a beefsteak (Biftek) with egg, french fries and vegetables, which was good. To drink I had a local beer: Sarajevsko pivo.

The beefsteak cost 16 KM and the beer was with only 2,50 KM surprisingly cheap. Our waiter was attentive and helpful. Payment was possible in both Convertible Mark (KM) and Euro. The latter was even calculated at a very fair rate.

DIRECTIONS:
The Restaurant Vrelo is located on the left bank of the Buna River. It is the last restaurant in the direction of the source of the river.

Restaurant Vrelo - review by HORSCHECK

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:16:06 +0000

Restaurant Vrelo - review by HORSCHECK

Rating: 4.0

Location: Blagaj bb, , Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tags: lively, bosnian, outdoor terrace, international, good value