Latest reviews by lenalouise's friends

19 Numara Bos Cirrik II - review by chrisp

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:42:59 +0000

19 Numara Bos Cirrik II - review by chrisp

Rating: 3.5

Location: 194 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7JD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7249 9111

Tags: lively, family & home feel, cheap eat, turkish, romantic

In the ten or so days since my last review, Iceland has declared itself bankrupt. I was understandably quite pleased when I heard this news - how nice to be spared those gratingly irritating Kerry Katona ads designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator lazy parents who couldn't be bothered doing anything more worthwhile for their offspring than heat up a batch of chicken nuggets and oven chips. Sadly, it wasn't to be - the Iceland going bankrupt was in fact the country, not exactly known for its culinary output and therefore of little interest to me, and the curse of what Andrew at Eyedropper.co.uk calls "brown food" - sealed plastic packages of greasy processed food - is here to stay. In fact given recent global events the chances are we might be seeing a lot more of Miss Katona and her ilk. For as many Gordon Ramsays and Jamie Olivers there are telling us that it really is easy - and most importantly cheap - to cook fresh, tasty food in your own homes there are as many others who will try to make a living out of convincing the population that all you really need for a balanced diet is a packet of spiced potato wedges and a microwave. And when times are tough and money is tight, I have a feeling that it's easier to make a 99p pack of spring rolls look like the budget option next to the effort of chopping an onion and crushing a garlic. I hope I'm proved wrong, but Mssrs Oliver and Ramsay really do have their work cut out.

It is, I've mentioned before, the restaurants which make you feel like you're getting value for money that will thrive in the current climate, even if it is just a "feeling" rather than a genuine generosity of spirit. The Giaconda wasn't anything more than a competent gastropub serving food at standard prices, but little tricks with the bill and the table charge made you feel much better about parting with your cash. The "trick" employed by the oddly-named 19 Numara Bos Cirrik 2 is far more straightforward - gut-busting portions for not very much money. The menu was also of a generous size - about 8 pages - although closer inspection revealed quite a bit of duplication and nothing really that unique in terms of ingredients or dishes. But Ocakbasi is what it is - tasty, filling comfort food served without pretension, and to this end 19NBC2 fills its remit very well.

19 Numara Bos Cirrik 2 was filling up rapidly when we arrived at about 8:00pm on Saturday night. The crowd was I think a mixture of families, young couples and old Turkish men reading the paper, although it was a bit difficult to tell as the room seemed to be lit only by small tea lights on each table and the focal point of the room - a huge grill near the door - kept the air thick with charcoal smoke and steam.

We started with a huge selection of mixed mezze, most of which was slightly on the dull side but included a nice bean salad, homemade hummus and some cheesy samosa thingies. Hardly mind-blowing but at about Â£3.50 each we weren't complaining, and there was a lot of it.

My mixed grill was a decent enough example of its type - the highlight being small sections of lamb ribs, an unusual cut for a Western restaurant but juicy and attractively bite-sized. The best you could say about the other bits and pieces was that they were cooked properly and weren't too dry, although I think in most cases I could have done with extra seasoning and/or spicing. The problem with Turkish food, similar to Spanish food, is that it relies upon zingingly fresh ingredients cooked quickly and simply, and if your ingredients aren't quite up to the task, as so often happens in this country, the end product suffers. But it was just what the doctor ordered for a relaxing Saturday evening and I should also mention that the house bread was some of the best of its type I've had in this country, fluffy and rich and - of course - barely minutes out of the oven.

Another nod to authenticity (and our wallets) was the Â£12 bottle of Turkish wine we had with the meal. There were a few funny faces pulled around the table on first tasting, but I didn't think it was too bad. Given a choice between cutting back on the food or the wine, I would always choose the wine - most restaurants worth their salt wouldn't ever serve anything completely undrinkable, although having said that I know I'm just setting myself up to be proved wrong.

What my visit to 19 Numara Bos Cirrik 2 proved, again, is that the tiniest bit of research can prove the difference between throwing away your precious pennies on somewhere cheap and rubbish and getting real value from a small local restaurant. And what the food we were served that evening proved is that it is possible to create a substantial, tasty meal from budget ingredients in little to no time at all, and without a plastic packet of brown food in sight. Kerry Katona take note.

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

Tags: thai, good value

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.

Bellagio - review by sue

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:53:44 +0000

Bellagio - review by sue

Rating: 4.5

Location: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/

Tags: pool, vegas, 5 star, strip, casino, luxury, hotel, views

Bellagio - review by sue

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:53:44 +0000

Bellagio - review by sue

Rating: 4.5

Location: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/

Tags: pool, vegas, 5 star, strip, casino, luxury, hotel, views

When I started planning our time in Las Vegas my priority was to stay in a fabulous hotel, with a view from our room of the Strip. When I looked into the Bellagio I read that not only could we have a room with a Strip view, but it would also have a view of the Bellagio Lake and dancing fountains. Sold!

The Bellagio is a massive 5 star hotel and casino located in the middle of the Strip. The design and dÃ©cor was inspired by Italy's Lake District, and it is a lot classier (IMHO) than some of the other Vegas theme hotels. At the front of the hotel is the aforementioned lake, with regular fountain displays. Inside, the lobby is marble filled and there is a very impressive glass sculpture on the ceiling - 2000 hand blown flowers in bright colours.

The casino is vast, and seemed to cater for the higher-stakes gambler. There are several restaurants, cafes, bars, and a night club. The pool area is stylish and there are private cabanas for hire if you are so inclined. Art lovers may want to visit the Fine Art Gallery, and if you are into Cirque du Soleil then the Bellagio is home to their water show "O".

Our check-in went as planned, and we were appointed the requested 'Deluxe Lakeview Room'. To get to our room we had to walk through the casino, which really helped us to get into a Vegas state-of-mind. Our room was great, spacious and tastefully decorated and fabulous views of the lake and Strip. So bizarre to see the Eiffel Tower out the window!

We very much enjoyed our time at the Bellagio - loved the room, sampled and enjoyed a few of the restaurants and bars, enjoyed the atmosphere of the casino, and thought the location on the Strip was perfect.

Torre d'Alta Mar - review by foodbymark

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:16:48 +0000

Torre d'Alta Mar - review by foodbymark

Rating: 4.0

Location: Passeig de Joan de Borbo' 88, 8039, Barcelona, Spain

Tags: romantic, seafood, business, spanish, pretentious, expensive

The 360-degree view of Barcelona that can been seen from this ex-light tower sets your head spinning with its magnificence. Rising to 75 metres above sea level by way of a private lift from ground level, you have spectacular views of the city, the beaches, and the sea all below you and rising and rolling hills that surround the city.

The luxury restaurant has a modern and cosmopolitan feel and attracts a more discerning clientelle but during lunch service is perhaps a bit more relaxed. Typically the restaurant gets busy at around 3pm on a Friday afternoon.

With such an array of dishes ordered between the three of us, the highlight starter was the Futomaki de bogavante azul - Tartar Stew of Royal Crab. A superbly fresh tartar of crabmeat with a curiously refreshing melon gazpacho and mint caviar, spherication for a touch of molecular gastronomy. And one of the main reasons for the dinner, the Arroz de langosta, a paella rice dish with deshelled succulently cooked sea fresh lobster served in a fish soup added at the table. Such perfect rice, with grains that fall away from each other with ease, cooked to the right level of al dente. With so much food between the three of us, the dessert was a little too much but beautiful nevertheless.

The cuisine is high-class, high-altitude Mediterranean cooking, with modern interpretations of Spanish and Catalan classics, mainly seafood, with international influences. The view is spectacular and during the day you are able to see the rolling hills, gothic architecture and shimmering blue Mediterranean. With a view to match the excellent food. This is one of the top restaurants in Barcelona and worth a visit if you have a heavy wallet to unload. Expect to spend around Â£90 a head here.

Cafe Espana - review by foodbymark

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:55:18 +0000

Cafe Espana - review by foodbymark

Rating: 4.0

Location: 63 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7494 1271

Tags: spanish

Having just come back from Barcelona I felt the urge to eat Spanish food and a quick net search pointed us at Cafe Espana. Cafe Espana certainly has a lot to live up to - The reviews on lots of sites were glowing, apart from some tell tale reviews from various sites. With expectations set high, it is easy to be let down. The restaurant itself is extremely cramped and we were levered into our tiny area by the stairs upstairs. I had to be careful not to knock the table behind my chair as I skillfully squatted and slid into my seat.

We chose the seafood paella. Paella is the quintessential Spanish dish perhaps one of the best ways of judging a restaurant. Whilst we were able to order very quickly, the dish took 55 minutes to arrive and all we had to quench our hunger was some freshly cut stale bread and a little butter.

When the food did finally arrive, the dish was certainly impressive looking and enough to feed a family of four. But we were quickly disappointed. Whilst seafood ingredients were seemingly plentiful, there were only two king prawns and the rest were tiny shrimps in their shells so small that after you had gone through the effort or deshelling them, there was only smallest crayfish sized shrimp - the effort was hardly worth it. The mussels had been so cooked that they had shrunken and become chewy, the fish was full of bones, the calamari was tough and chewy and we had an assortment of peas ranging of brilliant fresh green to dull brown and mushy. And worst of all the rice had become mushy. Paella rice should be dry and separate when done, not creamy like risotto.

Risotto di mare, with two glasses of house white came to Â£27. Perhaps in hindsight we should've ordered tapas and perhaps it was a bad day for the restaurant's kitchen. The cooking is standard Spanish fare and there are certainly no culinary flares. Their home style food at knock down prices has certainly won fans but I dare to disagree and unfortunately the Paella here gets two thumbs down.

Picasso - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:02:01 +0000

Picasso - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 866.259.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/picasso.aspx

Tags: romantic, mediterranean, spanish, expensive, french

The Bellagio is filled with excellent restaurants, and of the fine dining options, one called Picasso caught our eye, so we pre-booked a table for our first night in town. The restaurant is accessed via the Bellagio casino, and looks out over the lake. It has been awarded 2 Michelin Stars, and a AAA Five Diamond Award for seven consecutive years.

The dining room is grand and beautifully decorated - it is filled with Picasso paintings and ceramics. The professional but amiable service made us feel welcome and relaxed from start to finish.

The food is "French cuisine seasonally prepared with a Spanish influence". There was the choice of a degustation menu, or a fixed price, four course menu. We chose from the fixed price menu, and also opted for the Sommelier's wine pairing. This was not a cheap meal, but a memorable one.

To start, we had the Poached Oysters, garnished with Osetra Caviar, Sauce Vermouth; and the Warm Quail Salad with Sauteed Artichokes, Pinenuts. Both dishes were beautifully presented and the oysters were so good they earned a place in Alex's "Top 5 Oysters I have ever eaten" list.

Next up we both opted for the Sauteed Filet of Black Bass with Saffron Sauce and Cauliflower Mousseline - really delicious. Then for the 'main' course we had the Roasted Milk-Fed Veal Chop with Rosemary Potatoes and Au Jus; and the Sauteed Medallions of Fallow Deer with Caramelized Green Apples and Zinfandel Sauce. The deer was certainly the winning dish, I found the veal a little over-cooked.

Desserts were happily devoured, in particular my Warm Chocolate Fondant with Carmel Chocolate Ice Cream. The fondant was good, but the ice cream was exceptionally good and I could happily have eaten it all night.

Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:52:10 +0000

Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 866.259.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/yellowtail.asp

Tags: lively, bellagio, cocktails, sushi, japanese, expensive, romantic

While staying at the Bellagio, one evening a lighter dinner was required in-between drinking cocktails and hitting the casino, so we ventured to Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant, which is conveniently located in the casino area.

A fairly new addition to the Bellagio restaurant directory, Yellowtail is a very stylish looking place, with very attractive staff who seem to have shares in push-up bras.

We were seated at a high table in the front section of the restaurant, so unfortunately didn't have views of the lake and fountain. We weren't ravenous, so just ordered a few things to share. The stand-out item was the Salmon Nigiri - wow, the salmon was so melt-in-your-mouth that we promptly ordered another serve.

We also ordered the Grilled eggplant skewers with sweet miso, some Tuna sushi rolls, and the Popping spicy crab, which was a sushi roll with crab, cucumber, asparagus and a sprinkling of those pop-rock candies that pop and crackle in your mouth. Interesting.

Fontana Bar - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:38:39 +0000

Fontana Bar - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7089

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/nightlife/fontana-bar.aspx

Tags: jazz, bellagio, cool & smart, live, views, cocktails, friendly, relaxed, cool, live music

Fontana Bar is located lakeside in the Bellagio, accessed via the casino. There is a large bar area inside, with a stage and dance floor, and a terrace that looks over the lake and Strip. We visited early one evening and of course headed straight for the terrace, and a prime fountain watching position.

There was a band playing inside, and speakers outside so we could still enjoy the music. Every now and then the bands music would be replaced by the various backing soundtracks for the dancing fountains, and we would enjoy the eruptions from our seat.

We ordered mojitos (really good!) and martinis and felt pretty content. I can highly recommend the combination of a terrace table, a cocktail or two and watching the colours of the Strip change and those fountains dance.

Jean Philippe Patisserie - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:27:41 +0000

Jean Philippe Patisserie - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89190, Las Vegas, United States of America

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/jean-philippe.

Tags: quick bite, bellagio, ice cream, top food, average brew, cakes, crowded

Jean Philippe Patisserie is located inside the Bellagio, and is well worth a visit if you have a sweet tooth like me. Not only are there beautifully created (and tasting!) pastries and cakes, but there is also some very good ice cream on offer.

Also of interest is what claims to be the "World's Tallest and Largest Volume Chocolate Fountain". The photo I took only shows the bottom half of it. It certainly looked impressive, but was behind glass, so it was not the type of choc fountain you could dip marshmallows in.

We sampled a couple of the cakes - a Lemon Tart, and a chocolate concoction that had choc mousse and nutella and praline crispy biscuits. Yes, it was good. Another day we returned for a small serving of ice cream, which was creamy and full-flavoured.

The Buffet at the Bellagio - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:12:18 +0000

The Buffet at the Bellagio - review by sue

Rating: 2.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89190, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7089

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/the-buffet.asp

Tags: lively, bellagio, all you can eat, international, family & home feel, buffet

I don't really 'do' buffets, basically cause I can't eat that much in one sitting so I never feel like they are good value for me. Oh, and nothing compares to the brunch buffet I once had at the Delano Hotel in Miami. Anyhoo, that said, it seemed like having a meal at the Bellagio Buffet was one of the 'things to do' whilst in Vegas, so we did.

We turned up at around 11am on a Sunday and there was a queue out into the casino. Thankfully it moved quickly, so our tummies weren't grumbling for too long. You have to pay before you are seated, and they ask if you want to leave your tip in advance, or at the table. We opted for the table option, unsure how much service we wanted to pay for at a 'self-service' restaurant.

We were shown to our table and then sat there waiting till eventually our waitress arrived and took our drink orders. Service was pretty non-existent after that.

So, the buffet. There was a massive selection of food - everything from cornflakes to pizza to scrambled eggs to sushi to cakes to roast beef. There were chefs cooking dishes in front of you, so you knew that (some) things were nice and fresh.

We didn't pile our plates too high, though after a couple of visits to the buffet we were pretty much full and unfortunately didn't sample anything worth mentioning.

Canaletto - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:54:47 +0000

Canaletto - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89190, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.733.0070

Website: http://www.venetian.com/Pages.aspx?id=838

Tags: italian, venetian, romantic

Canaletto is an Italian restaurant located on "St Marks Square" inside the Venetian Hotel. We had dinner there one night and opted to sit on the terrace in the square. It really did feel like we were back in Venice at dusk. The restaurant was lively and had a real Italian feel, helped along by the Italian staff, and the gondoliers and carabinieri walking past in the square.

We started with a glass of prosecco and reminisced about our last time in Venice. Then it was dinner time. We started with the Calamaretti Fritti and the Minestrone soup. Main course was the Veal shank braised in a marsala wine with porcini & shiitake mushrooms, served with saffron risotto; and the Fillet of seabass with tomatoes, artichokes, prosecco and saffron, served with organic sautÃ©ed spinach and roasted Yukon gold potatoes.

All the food was very enjoyable, and the couple of glasses of wine we had were very good value.

Carnegie Delicatessen - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:08:29 +0000

Carnegie Delicatessen - review by sue

Rating: 3.0

Location: Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 866.339.4566

Website: http://www.mirage.com/restaurants/carnegie-delicat

Tags: american, jewish, cake, good value, deli, lively

Carnegie Delicatessen is located within the casino of the Mirage Hotel. It is apparently quite like the original Carnegie Deli in New York.

The main draw card here seemed to be the "overstuffed sandwiches" - they were so massive. Think two average slices of bread with a filling of pastrami, and when I say filling I mean a 25cm high tower of meat! Then add sides including a big stack of fries, a tub of coleslaw and a giant pickle, and you will get the idea of what a meal here entails.

But we ignored all that and just shared a giant slice of Cheesecake instead. And a pot of tea to wash it down. And tried to take sneaky photos of people with huge sandwiches.

Deliverance - review by foodbymark

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:03:34 +0000

Deliverance - review by foodbymark

Rating: 2.0

Location: 8-10 Warner Street, EC1R 5HA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 0844 477 1111

Website: www.deliverance.co.uk

Tags: expensive

Ordering online with Deliverance is an convenient and easy as can be. The website is well designed although there are some features missing or hidden. We placed our order at 19:22 for 20:15 (ASAP) delivery and it did in fact arrive at exactly the right time.

The Deliverance Special pizza had good quality toppings and was rather good. But it wasn't hot. The Chicken Tikka Masala was a slightly different affair. Whilst the chicken chunks are substantial, they are not "Tikka" marinated Tandoor oven cooked but just large chunks of chicken breast meat cooked in a Masala style sauce, it was not what I was expecting. The same went for the Pilau Rice which was flavourless and ultimately both were very disappointing. We finished with the Â£6 ice cream, not made by Deliverance but by Jude's - Dark chocolate with Chocolate Chunks.

Let's not be mislead. Deliverance is purely for ease and convenience. The food is so terribly inconsistent that any item of the menu could be inedible to plesantly surpringly and sometimes with hints of inspiration. Not this time I'm afraid and paying Â£28.50 for this stamps "mug" all over my face.

Almirall - review by foodbymark

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:45:44 +0000

Almirall - review by foodbymark

Rating: 2.0

Location: AragÃ³ 625, 08018, Barcelona, Spain

Tags: cheap eat

Cafeteria Almirall is in an area of rapid redevelopment also known as the Innovation District (previously known as the Catalan Manchester). With its location very much out of the tourist area, it's very unlikely that you will randomly come across this place by chance.

Lunch is a set menu in Spanish and unfortunately neither of the waiters was able to speak English. As soon as I had ordered my food and bottle of sparkling water a basket and slightly tough bread arrived. First course was spinach tagliatelle with bolognese sauce with accompanying plate of freshly grated parmesan cheese, pleasant and filling. This was followed by Calamares - whole baby squid with garlic butter and a side salad. Another good dish. I chose a Mandarin Tart from the trolley to finish with. Certainly pleasant.

At 10 euros the meal is an absolute bargain especially when I went to pay for my meal and found that my drink was also included in the deal, in addition to a coffee. I was amazed at the sheer value and the food wasn't bad. Not great but good for 10 Euros. You would be very hard pressed to find a comparison in London.