Latest favourites and wishlist by kellytron

Les Trois Garcons - review by CristinaA

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:33:12 +0000

Les Trois Garcons - review by CristinaA

Rating: 4.4

Location: 1 Club Row, E1 6JX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7613 1924

Website: http://www.lestroisgarcons.com

This French restaurant is so unique in itâ¬"s style, the interior is amazing and beautifully coordinated to create a theatrical ambience. Itâ¬"s expensive so a visit should probably be saved for a special occasion, but there is no doubt that the world of Le Trois Garcons is impressive.

Garlic & Shots - review by elytra

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:20:38 +0000

Garlic & Shots - review by elytra

Rating: 3.7

Location: 14 Frith Street, W1D 4RD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 9505

Website: http://www.garlicandshots.com

Tags: lively, british, gastro pub, seafood, international, family & home feel, mediterranean, spanish, portuguese, pretentious, crowded, brasserie, vegetarian, expensive, french

Excellent food let down by poor service indeed. Arrogant waiting staff, more willing to talk amongst themselves than serve you after seating, unwilling to accommodate to any of our requests and an indigent response when asked to take the two additional items of food we never ordered and the -optional- service charge that was wholly undeserved off the bill, stating that it's part of the meal and if we did not like it we should not come back.

The only tip I would leave is to avoid this restaurant and pick somewhere else in Soho instead.

Garlic & Shots - review by CristinaA

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:17:07 +0000

Garlic & Shots - review by CristinaA

Rating: 3.7

Location: 14 Frith Street, W1D 4RD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 9505

Website: http://www.garlicandshots.com

Tags: lively, good value, crowded

Firstly thank you to some newly acquainted friends who introduced me to this place.

Goth metal Swedish style.

I sing a Swedish lullaby, I learnt years ago, to win over the owner to give a quick interview and brief history of Garlic and Shots bar/ restaurant. Independently owned and started by the Olsson brothers in Stockholm over 16 years ago, they bought the concept over to London in 1992 when they secured their place amongst the old Soho scene. It always has been and always will be alternative, but donâ¬"t be scared to step in everyoneâ¬"s welcome.

The hearty food is guaranteed to be laced with garlic, so donâ¬"t go crying and complaining that thereâ¬"s too much garlic in your dinner, youâ¬"ve been warned. Iâ¬"ll be going back to try the garlic ice cream. Make sure you book a table.

Serving 101 shots of all different varieties, I was deceived by the charming bar maids chant â¬ÜHoney & Spice and all things niceâ¬", as I happily knocked back their signature spicy blood shot with a beer chaser (trust me the chaser is essential). If youâ¬"re lucky you and your crew will nab the candle lit alcove, a very private extension of the underground bar with a bare wooden table balancing on a coffin!

All puns aside this place is a dying breed, it has a history theyâ¬"re very proud of, and clearly stood the test of time.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by foodbymark

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:32:35 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by foodbymark

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Tags: delicatessen, jewish history

Little remains of Brick Lane's Jewish past except for the famous two remaining bagel shops that neighbour each other at the end of the street. 24 hours a day you can satisfy your hunger with bagels filled with of mounds of soft delicious salt beef or smoked salmon and cream cheese, and again, 24 hours a day!

Late night drinking at Shoreditch house can often lead to a stumble to the busy bakery and waking up at home with 20 bagels and a shirt covered in English mustard (Have you ever tried to pay a cabbie in bagels... I am told I have more than once). The salt beef here is good, but certainly not the best in London. The Brass Rail Salt Beef Bar at Selfridges ranks highly as does B&K in Edgware. Harry Morgans chain not nearly as good as either but still quality. The staff are typically East London and I love it.

As far as a comparison between the two bakeries, I am a Beigel Bake man.

Garlic & Shots - review by faery81

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:56:02 +0000

Garlic & Shots - review by faery81

Rating: 3.7

Location: 14 Frith Street, W1D 4RD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 9505

Website: http://www.garlicandshots.com

Tags: lively

Garlic and Shots is a fantastic themed bar and restaurant with quirky decoration. We went there last Halloween and it definitely didnâ¬"t disappoint. The food was fantastic: they have the best garlic bread in London, plus some pretty good steak. The garlic nachos were also amazing â¬ everything on the menu is covered in garlic so donâ¬"t go here for a first date or anything like that! They have over 100 shots on the menu and some of them are veryâ¬¦ interesting. The atmosphere is loud, laid back and friendly. Definitely a good place to go if you feel like trying something different.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by Artemidor

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:31:32 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by Artemidor

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Tags: bargain

I love beigels. And this bakery is everything waiting for. The queues can be huge, especially at night. It is full of taxi drivers and late clubbers. But the foodâ¬¦ ah, the salted beef beigel is my best snack in London. The beef is absolutely tasty (not something that you can find elsewhere).

I would like to add that they also sell cakes. I tried a chocolate fudge cake and it almost melted in my hand. It was absolutely lovely. I think I saw some Jewish cakes (or similar), but I had no more cash at hand! So, my advice: go for a salted beef beigel and a cake.

Garlic & Shots - review by Polkadot

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:12:35 +0000

Garlic & Shots - review by Polkadot

Rating: 3.7

Location: 14 Frith Street, W1D 4RD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 9505

Website: http://www.garlicandshots.com

Tags: lively, international, good value, crowded

Have been coming here for eight years now and it never fails to disappoint. The place is split into two - an upstairs restaurant (including outdoors area with heaters) serving a variety of interesting and unusual dishes (all laden with garlic - even the ice cream!) and a louder, downstairs bar for drinking only. The vibe is loud, chaotic but extremely friendly and attracts a wide range of people for tourists to businessmen to alternative rockers and goths. The 100 shot menu is a must-try!

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by abcjess

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:26:06 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by abcjess

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Tags: delicatessen, bargain

especially late at night, after a night out when theres about a million other places around trying to sell you absolute unconsumable rubbish. It's a nice feeling swallowing down their soft bagels knowing that you aren't gonna chuck that up in the morning - your stomach just wouldn't allow it!

I've heard alot about the salt beef here, but have yet to try it myself but I can comment on their quick service - i found it a bit dinner ladie lunch queue ish, which just brings feelings of nostalgia, good nostalgia. With such generous fillings (and prices that reflect how much change you'd probably have in your pocket at 3am) it deserves atlest 6 michelin stars.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by shopaholcleo

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:54:15 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by shopaholcleo

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Tags: bargain

I love this place! Open day or night, it doesn't seem to be affected by the credit crunch and the bagels remain cheap. There can be a queue, but there are always so many people working here, so you'll always get served quickly. I always grab a dozen to freeze and they still taste good once defrosted. The cakes and pastries are also good, and reasonable, so a lunch could cost you less than Â£2, which is rare for London. Smoked Salmon and cream cheese is a must. It's always lively and has a real East End feel, and I shall be having many more visits.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by trinity

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:34:22 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by trinity

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Tags: delicatessen

One of my favourite places to eat, 24 hour yummy, delicious Beigels. My fave is deffinatly the salt beef and mustard, altho My mum like chopped herring and cream cheese (blleurrghh) well each to their own. Great cakes too reccomend the carrot cake.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by moner

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:13:02 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by moner

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

What can I say apart from great beigel. I highly recommended this place. It has clean and tidy premises. They seem to have good hygiend praxctices whilst preparing food. The shop has lots of fillings available and the beigels are freshly baked with a traditional taste. If you like beigels then this is the place for you. Other jewish specialities are also available also. The shop does get very busy as it is extremely popular, so you may have to queue-but as they say all good things are worth the wait..... The staff are very friednly and nice and offr a good service. Beigels are freshly made up to your order specifications in front of you.

Les Trois Garcons - review by toma

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:26:59 +0000

Les Trois Garcons - review by toma

Rating: 4.4

Location: 1 Club Row, E1 6JX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7613 1924

Website: http://www.lestroisgarcons.com

Tags: romantic, expensive, french

just about my favourite for a special occasion. although somewhat a victim of its own popularity; the food remains spectacular and the ambiance is certainly one-of-a-kind. the seared foie gras in particular is do die for. only criticism is how difficult it is to get a table and price- hard to escape for under Â£100pp with decent wine- but what do you expect?

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:07:46 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Hello and welcome to my latest obsession - The Brick Lane Salt Beef Beigel. I feel the same way about these little beauties as I did when I first realised that the outwardly boring little pub at the end of my road actually turned out some of the best food in South West London - namely joy at the discovery, tinged with regret that it had taken me so long to make the effort to do so. God knows how many times I'd wasted the chance to try one whilst trooping up and down Brick Lane, dodging the hawkers for mediocre curry houses. A friend suggested the other day that if Boris Johnston added to his mayoral manifesto that every crappy curry house on Brick Lane had to by law post a sign on their front door reading "Just Go To Tayyabs", then even he'd vote for him.

Anyway, what's so special about salt beef? It's a fair question, and one I have asked myself until recently. It doesn't sound particularly appetising does it, salty beef. But try and imagine half a dozen generous slabs of juicy pink flesh, tasty rather than overly salty, bursting out of a georgeously soft fresh beigel (they churn them out at an incredible rate, so they will generally be very fresh), zinging with fiery English mustard and with a couple of gherkins on the side. There is a satisfying 'squeak' as you bite through the bread into the meat, from the unique texture of the preserved beef, and the fat in the meat oozes flavour.

Needless to say, there are numerous outlets in London purporting to sell 'salt beef sandwiches' that are actually just depressing mass-produced 'beef ham' and nothing like the real thing. Don't be fooled. In my (incredibly limited) experience, as well as Brick Lane the Brass Rail bar in Selfridge's Food Hall also does some great (if overpriced) salt beef, and I'm sure many people will have their own favourites.

Brick Lane is about 15 minutes walk from my workplace; the chances of me making it through the winter without a cardiac episode are diminishing rapidly. But damn it, the salt beef beigels are cheap, gorgeous and uniquely London. They are almost worth dying for.

Garlic & Shots - review by thamshere

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:52:20 +0000

Garlic & Shots - review by thamshere

Rating: 3.7

Location: 14 Frith Street, W1D 4RD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7734 9505

Website: http://www.garlicandshots.com

Tags: lively, garlic, swedish, metal, rock, steak, fun

This has got to be my favourite bar in Soho. Garlic & Shots really has got a lot going for it. It's got one of the few outdoor areas in Soho, giving you a breath of fresh air on a summer evening. They've remained steadfastly unpretentious and still have vodka and beer as pretty much their only drinks. The garlic bread is simply the best I've ever had. Nearly half a loaf of thick, crusty bread lathered in garlic butter and chilli. It's just superb. The other food is respectable, though not fantastic. I'm happy to eat there, but am generally happier just getting the garlic bread.

Avoid the garlic ice-cream and garlic coffee. Unless you're very drunk.

Speaking of which, this is a superb place to get steaming. The bloodshots have to be downed to be believed. The atmosphere in the garden out back is always condusive to having a superb night out. You'll often find big parties out there (I think there has been at least one on every time I've been) but people are friendly and inclusive. You have to be when you're all squished up so close.

Decor-wise the place could do with a bit of work, particularly in the rear courtyard. Still, the slightly ratty style fits in nicely with the laid back, friendly atmosphere.

During the cooler months the basement bar is the place to be, though it's generally a little loud for my taste.

Go, but don't expect a refined dining experience! This is solid food, solid drinks and a solidly good time.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by lenalouise

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:41:34 +0000

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - review by lenalouise

Rating: 4.6

Location: 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Tags: good value, bagel

I've always been a salmon and cream cheese kind of bagel girl but the other reviews convinced me to try out the salt beef. After a lazy Sunday afternoon hanging around Brick lane, I made my boyfriend accompany me to find Beigel bake and promptly ordered myself a bagel with salt beef and mustard. I really enjoyed it, the beef is so lovely, just the right texture and flavour. She did go a bit crazy with the mustard though...a bit much for me but I braved it and finished the whole thing anyway! I think I need to do what the other reviewers are doing and buy loads and keep them in the freezer.