Latest reviews by johanna

Aubaine Restaurant Boulangerie Patisserie

johanna — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:31:36 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 260-262 Brompton Road, SW3 2AS, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7052 0100

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

Tags: relaxed, outside seating, patisserie, good brew, bakery, breakfast, french, lively

Unfussy and friendly. Can it really be a french restaurant? :-) I am afraid I am one of life's organisers. I am not proud of this, it is a trait I inherited from my mother. When she organises it drives me mad, but yet I find myself compelled to frantically seek out venues on appropriate dates to the point I am surprised my boyfriend is still with me and my friends answer my calls. Constant co-ordinating of everyone's social lives is exhausting; I should really have joined the army. Firstly one needs to categorise; people who will a) have something to talk about b) do not have uncomfortably conflicting social/sexual/moral views c) are in the same price bracket d) are at similar stages of couple/baby-dom e) live in the same part of town or are prepared to travel. However one also has to consider the truly annoying friends who insist on hanging out with entirely incompatible lunching buddies. Consequently I love restaurants which no-one can really object to. You may now hear warning sirens blaring and have hideous words such as bland and mediocre whirling through your head&but don't worry. I have a solution. Aubaine. It falls neatly between antonyms like smart/shabby, expensive/cheap, Le Gavroche/McDonnalds, groupy/couply. The menu is diverse but not too long or haphazard. You can have a fabulous langostine salad whilst your companion has a good coq au vin (very different but very compatible). There is the Aubaine burger with chips or the wonderful (but sometimes disappointingly small) scallops with a dainty leek garnish. Everything looks like it is made in the same kitchen but one in which they have more than 3 ingredients. I am not really a pudding person but the tray of delightful cakes, which is paraded to the table to tempt you at the end of the mea,l is certainly pretty and apparently irresistible. Indeed breakfast, lunch and dinner are equally at ease in the surroundings. There are tables outside, and since the removal of the atrocity that was Tesco's Local opposite they are pleasant but limited. If these are full or it is raining the painted white and oak interior has a wonderful way of making the inside feel light and airy too. The final plus (and in my view almost an essential) is they serve food through out the afternoon, so whilst you may have someone like me trying to dictate your Saturday at least get some stuff done first.

El Gaucho

johanna — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:23:07 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: The Chelsea Farmers Market, SW3 6NR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7376 8514

Tags: good value, Steak house, South American, Outside Seating

People watching with steak on the sideWhen the sun comes out in Chelsea the locals, by whom I mean the wealthy Ferrari-driving-oversized-shades-wearing French, Swiss and Italian ex pats, queue around the block for a seat at El Gaucho or the fabulous pizzeria next door. On an almost weekly basis, dressed in obligatory white jeans and hiding behind fake tan I try to blend in with the other thinner more glamorous diners. El Gaucho has become such a regular addition to our weekends mainly because it is one of the only places we can all agree on. The boys think eating steak is manly and the girls are secretly following a modified version of Atkins. The wine list is limited and cheap forcing our more extravagant friends to stay under control and they don't stop serving lunch at an irritatingly early 2.30pm meaning the late risers amongst us can still come. Oh, and we have no vegetarian friends.
Bread, olives and The Best Bit, otherwise know as Chirichiri, are brought to the table when you sit down. You will need to ask for more of these, not just because they are good, but because on hot days when they are busy it can take ages to get your steak. Main choices are limited to steak, steak kebabs and char grilled chicken but this is fine because that is the point of the restaurant. Steak sizes vary arbitrarily and requests for rare, medium or well done are infrequently observed (expect a medium rare steak on all occasions) but the beef is from good quality Argentine cattle. Sit in the passageway to watch the entertaining catwalk show which rolls by, sometimes complete with Paris Hilton-esk dogs. A pleasant way to spend an afternoon, although be warned that many a Sunday lunch has turned into a Sunday session we have paid for on Monday morning.

Whole Foods Market

johanna — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:40:24 +0000

Rating: 3.2

Location: 63-97 Kensington High Street, W8 5SE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7368 4500

Website: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/uk/kensington

Tags: expensive, large range, healthy food, delicatessen

Keep walking....M&S is just down the streetUntil a few hours ago I had happily been surfing the organic tidal wave which has swelled over the last few years. I eat porridge for breakfast (which I like), I went on a yoga detox retreat (which I hated) and I mercilessly question the waiter at the local indian take-away as to the origin of the chicken. I am however no longer prepared to be treated as the dumb overpaid city hippy i had apparently become. Walking past Whole Foods this lunchtime i decided to pop in for a salad. I filled my box, admittedly with enthusiasm, full of leaves, lentils, roasted vegetables and chickpeas. I grabbed a box of chopped pineapple and naively joined the queue. £17 poorer and slightly shell-shocked I emerged onto Ken High Street. £17 for some fruit and veg. Every market stall owner in london is chuckling into their non-organic satsumas. I admit Whole Foods does offer variety and quantity (you could feed Africa for a week with the contents of the Ground Floor alone). The food was also tasty and of reasonable quality BUT a time arrives when my bank manager has to over-ride my nutritionist. This time has come.

Thai On The River @ Battersea

johanna — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:10:32 +0000

Rating: 3.5

Location: Groveside Court, SW11 3RQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7924 6090

Tags: romantic, riverside, outside seating, thai, friendly staff, restaurant

Really ugly building, really quite good foodI have two friends who met in Thailand, this is relevant in so much as every year they choose one of the better known Thai restaurants in London to celebrate. Nahm, Mango Tree, Blue Elephant to name just a few, Thai on the River however has never hit the radar...which is a shame. As you approach you will be no doubt be dissapointed. Hopefully once you get inside the front door you will be a little more reassured but it is the food which will convince you it was worth the visit. The ingredients are fresh and authentic (Tom Yum, and Prawns with Chili and Thai Basil are my personal favourites), and whilst it is not a cheap alternative it is certainly not on a par with those aforementioned premium priced venues. It is not trendy either but ask one of the charming staff if you can dine in one of the traditional wooden tables or sit outside watching the sun set over chelsea and you won't regret the cab fair.

The Butcher & Grill

johanna — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:34:26 +0000

Rating: 3.5

Location: 39-41 Parkgate Road, SW11 4NP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7924 3999

Website: http://www.thebutcherandgrill.com

Tags: lively, good wine selection, butchers shop, outside seating, british, good value, delicatessen, restaurant

Great restaurant but that is not the best bitA little tucked away, one street back from the river in Battersea, this relative new comer is a welcome addition for all the locals. The restaurant offers a good selection of execellent meats (although my favourite starter is the moules marinere), and although vegetarian options are limited and side dishes a little too expensive, it is well worth the walk over Albert Bridge. The highlight however is the fabulous butchers shop at the front. The knowledgable and helpful staff will make you look like Gordon Ramsay when you have your friends over for sunday lunch.