Latest favourites and wishlist by johanna

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by Niamheen

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:48:41 +0000

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.5

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

Phone: 020 7924 6090

On a recent riverside amble, we happened upon Thai on the River. I didn't know anything about it but it had lovely outdoor seating by the river and the menu looked respectable so we thought that we would give it a try.

We got a last minute booking and asked for an outside table, the waiter strongly advised we didn't but we insisted, shortly before returning inside and asking could we have a table inside as it was pretty chilly after all... he handled it very well and gave us his last table indoors.

The interior is very pleasant and the tables well spaced. We ordered some soft shell crabs to start and a thai green chicken curry and singapore noodles with roast pork and prawns for main courses with a bottle of sauvignon blanc. The food was very good, I was really impressed, some of the better thai food that I have had in London. It is more expensive than most regular thai restaurants so, it should be so. The wine list was vast but at Â£17 the bottle we chose was quite disappointing, I would have expected better for that price.

The service was very friendly and efficient and it was altogether a very pleasant meal. The only thing was that, bizarrely, there is a flat screen tv by the bar area, and from where I was sitting, directly in my eyeline. The tv appeared to be be on mute, but regardless, I found my eye being drawn to it. I don't think they need it, and would be better off without it. But, it's only a tv, so I guess not that big a deal unless you are highly distractable, like me!

If in the area, I would definitely go again for the food, and might be more careful about the wine choice.

The Butcher & Grill - review by VictoriaR

Sat, 17 May 2008 19:18:57 +0000

The Butcher & Grill - review by VictoriaR

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 value, crowded, meat, brasserie, expensive

If you're in the mood for a serious steak or juicy burger, this is the place to come: the meat's displayed in the shop in the front, along with a selection of other good-looking deli favourites like fat brownies and tomatoes on the vine, and is served in decent portions, cooked with care. Burgers are worth a trip - nice and juicy, and with the gherkins, tomatoes, onions and lettuce served alongside, rather than in the bun, so you can compile your own mix, instead of fishing around trying to remove any unwanted bits. Other meat grills are good, and while it's not cheap, the quality is very high.

however, don't bother if you're in a rush, because the service operates with all the urgency and warmth of glacier creep. I've been three times now, and each time has taken longer than the last. The first visit was Bonfire Night - the location makes it a perfect pitstop for Battersea Park's annual extravaganza - and I put the hour delay between ordering and glimpsing the first starter down to the crowds. Subsequent meals have proved this to be the standard pace. It's a "loud" room even when half full, and we found, to our gradual despair, that slow service + kid-friendly menu = bored children and a LOT of noise for other diners. If they could chivvy the staff into friendlier and more efficient table-waiting, I'd be a regular customer. Till then, it's a good example of why a great menu alone isn't quite enough.

The Butcher & Grill - review by NickR

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:41:31 +0000

The Butcher & Grill - review by NickR

Rating: 3.5

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

Phone: 020 7924 3999

Website: http://www.thebutcherandgrill.com

Tags: brasserie, british, steak, good value, deli

Great steaks and meats generally, but the Potatoe Dauphinoise was fantastic. Have this instead of chips. Just the right amount of cream and garlic.
After lunch you can then buy some steaks from the butchers on the way out. Very convenient. However if you have some guest that don't know where meat comes from, then maybe distract them on the way in!

The Butcher & Grill - review by ilovelucy

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:45:43 +0000

The Butcher & Grill - review by ilovelucy

Rating: 3.5

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

Phone: 020 7924 3999

Website: http://www.thebutcherandgrill.com

Tags: lively, british, family & home feel, good value

Was the second time I had eaten here but had a lovely Sunday meal here last Sunday courtesy of Flatmate.

Butcher and Grill (situated on the former
site of Cafe Rouge) occupies a great, imposing site. The Butchers shop welcomes you as you walk in- to the right a lovely array of meat and to the left a delicatessen/grocers selling a selection of organic produce. The split-level open plan restaurant is to the back. A heavily stocked bar located to the left, high ceilings and exposed brick work give the place a sophisticated yet homely feel.

Flatmate and I, starving as ever, eyed the menu and decided to forgo the starters (pretty unexciting) and dive into the mains to stop ourselves drooling onto the table. We excitedly ordered 2 plates of the rib eye steak. Sides as do the sauces, come separately so we ordered some green beans, mash, dauphinoise potatoes, mushrooms and green peppercorn and red wine sauces.

Before I was about to chew Flatmates arm off - it all came thick and fast and we were very excited. Meat looked good, potatoes looked good. Veg looked ok - but 4 mushrooms a side does not make. Hmmmm

Amyway, it was great. We loved the organic rib eye - fantastic and flavoursome though a touch overdone. Nevermind we said, we were too hungry to care and i was upset when the last mouthful had gone.

Flatmate pushed the boat out and ordered us puddings - cheesecake and an apple thingy. In preparation, we had to unbutton the top of our jeans to make room. Can't remember but i think they were nice - the steak just keeps coming back to me - steak cheesecake? steak apple thingy?

Not sure how much it all came up to as lovely Flatmate paid (thanks Nic). But it was a great hearty, winters meal - perfect for a cold Sunday afternoon.

P.S. The first time I came here I came with my Dad who wanted to order off the menu so we wandered down to the Butchers and he got the Butcher to cut him a hefty slab of rib eye - must have weighed about a pound! Seriously my dad was eating long after mum and I had finished but he eventually did - I was so proud and he was happily full!

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by ilovelucy

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:06:22 +0000

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by ilovelucy

Rating: 3.5

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

Phone: 020 7924 6090

Tags: lively, thai

Went for Sunday lunch here today for the first time after not being able to find parking for Dim Sum in Chinatown. Arrived at 1pm and it was deserted but by the time we left it was pretty busy. Every Sunday they have the thai buffet at Â£12 per head.

For starters, they offered a vegetable glass noodle soup, tempura vegetables, spring rolls, chicken bites, pork thai salad, vegetarian salad.

After my second stab at the starters I was well and truly stuffed but ploughed on with the mains. Had jasmine rice with thai green curry with chicken, beef in black beef sauce, beef with basil leaves, stir fried vegetables and salmon in sweet and sour sauce. Food with of pretty high standard and didn't seem like it had been sitting around for a long time. I really loved the curry.

Mum and Dad - being pretty experienced at their chinese buffets - were pretty skeptical. In their opinion this buffet didn't offer the choice that they were used to. Dad would have liked to see more seafood at the buffet as apart from the salmon there was nothing else. However we loved the puddings - there was a selection of fresh fruit and also some gorgeous cakes.

On the whole it was okay - bad points were that the buffet lacked seafood and also the jasmine tea was Â£2 per person - extortionate prices! Plus service was added - 12.5% which I don't really see the point of because it was a buffet...!

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by katherine_cook

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 01:18:58 +0000

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by katherine_cook

Rating: 3.5

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

Phone: 020 7924 6090

Tags: jazz, mature, good value, thai, lively

Booked a birthday meal for my boyfriend at Thai on the river and had a really good evening. The staff were very friendly and were happy to recommend a few dishes. The food was very nice and well presented. Would definitely recommend it for a quiet romantic meal out! Try and get a table on the terrace, the view of the river is wonderful (preferably on a clear, dry night!)

Aubaine Restaurant Boulangerie Patisserie - review by johanna

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:31:37 +0000

Aubaine Restaurant Boulangerie Patisserie - review by johanna

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

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 - review by johanna

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:23:08 +0000

El Gaucho - review by johanna

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

When 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.

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by johanna

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:10:33 +0000

Thai On The River @ Battersea - review by johanna

Rating: 3.5

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

Phone: 020 7924 6090

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

I 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 - review by johanna

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:34:28 +0000

The Butcher & Grill - review by johanna

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

A 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.

Aubaine Restaurant Boulangerie Patisserie - review by sokratis

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 09:17:20 +0000

Aubaine Restaurant Boulangerie Patisserie - review by sokratis

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, romance, south ken, business, french

I'm sure the francophones amongst us can help here. It's a very nice place with a distinct tranquil atmosphere, which is helped by the dimmed lighting. Great as a restaurant or café both for friends, romance and business. It can get very busy though so book if you don't want to wait for a table. The staff are incredibly friendly and approachable - really good attitude.

My favourite bit is the tray of desserts that they present to you before selection. I always get a kick from waiting staff that really know what they're selling and they can present the product in a nice way. Makes it very hard to say no of course my sweet tooth makes it hard to say no anyway.