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The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:39:17 +0000

The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.9

Location: 101 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7089 9355

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

Tags: relaxed, gastro pub, cool & smart, cinema, friendly

I've been to The Garrison a few times for drinks whilst in the London Bridge/Bermondsey area. It's very nice, quite eclectically furnished and decorated, like shabby french country chic :-)

It's quite an intimate and buzzy place, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and, there's a nice selection of wines available.

There's a gorgeous little cinema downstairs and I'll be going back for that alone. I've not eaten there yet but the menu reads well and the food looks lovely. I'm looking forward to trying it.

The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:39:17 +0000

The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.9

Location: 101 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7089 9355

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

Tags: relaxed, gastro pub, cool & smart, cinema, friendly

The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:39:17 +0000

The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.9

Location: 101 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7089 9355

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

Tags: relaxed, gastro pub, cool & smart, cinema, friendly

The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:39:17 +0000

The Garrison - review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.9

Location: 101 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7089 9355

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

Tags: relaxed, gastro pub, cool & smart, cinema, friendly

Barrafina - review by sulin

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:14:26 +0000

Barrafina - review by sulin

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: lively, spanish, crowded, expensive

A good friend of mine happened to be in town last week and so we arranged to meet at Barrafina, one of his favourite restaurants in London and one that Iâ¬"d been meaning to try. We met there at noon on a Saturday and were the second and third people to grab seats at the bar. The place filled up within half an hour so it seems the best thing to do is to get there when it just opens (they donâ¬"t take bookings).

When I saw ham croquetas on the menu, I knew I had to have them! We ordered those while still perusing the menu. They were extremely creamy inside and crisp on the outside and exactly how I like my croquetas!

From the daily specials, we ordered the grilled razor clams with olive oil, garlic and parsley. These were probably cooked a la plancha and were not at all rubbery but tender and so flavourful. My friend recommended the grilled lamb cutlets from the regular menu and so they went into our order. Very soft and we got stuck in with our fingers here. Also from the specials was the cavolo nero, braised with olive oil and garlic. Beautiful! The cavolo nero still had a bite but was tender and had toasted patches that were wonderful. I just bought some cavolo nero at my farmersâ¬" market to try replicating it this week. Another special - this time it was grilled squid, stuffed with tomato and chorizo. Again, this dish was faultless.

We were starting to get full at this point and so focused our attention on desserts! I chose the chocolate tart while my friend ordered the fig salad with creme chantilly and toasted sliced almonds. Both were truly delicious. There was a bit of cream alongside my chocolate tart, which was rich and dense and a little of eating like eating dark chocolate ganache in a thin pastry shell. As for my friendâ¬"s fig salad, it was fresh ripe figs with a huge mound of creme chantilly (I originally mistook it for ice cream). I could have eaten a huge bowlful of this - the almonds and caramel sauce over top made it perfect.

It seems strange that we didnâ¬"t order any of their sliced jamon but though they had a leg prominently displayed on the counter, no one was having any. It was hot food all the way for everyone. Their tortillas looked fantastic too - little individual ones with soft innards - Iâ¬"ll definitely try one next time.

However, it wasnâ¬"t a cheap lunch. For all the food, one glass of wine and all the tap water we could drink, it was Â£50 for the two of us. However, even with the limited seating, we never once felt rushed and our waitress was happy for us to order one or two tapas at a time. Thereâ¬"s a small counter along the wall where you can wait with a drink and a small bite for a seat - but as I noticed above, itâ¬"s probably easiest if you show up when they just open. I canâ¬"t wait to return (after Iâ¬"ve saved up a bit)!

Photos at the blog: http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/a-tapas-lunch-at-barrafina/

The Garrison - review by Jamesarama001

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:17:21 +0000

The Garrison - review by Jamesarama001

Rating: 3.9

Location: 101 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7089 9355

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

Tags: lively, british, good value

The Garrison is a chilled and quirky pub along Bermondsey St and is conviently placed for relaxing drinking and eating (especially in the evenings and weekends). Its a quirky bar / restaurant with lots of odd antiques and objects lying and ahnging around. The Garrison offers a fantastic range of beer, ciders, wines and spirits. Much better than most bars in London. The pub is small and it can get busy but it always maintains a chilled atmoshpere. It's best to call and book a table or an area to sit. The food menu is great if you wish to have a meal. Its not a big meun but it covers all the areas and the food is great. I prefer to drink at the Garrison rather than having a meal, but overal its a lovely atmospheric quaint restaurant / bar and gets the thumbs up from me.

Pret-a-Portea at The Berkeley Hotel - review by expired2008

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:34:28 +0000

Pret-a-Portea at The Berkeley Hotel - review by expired2008

Rating: 4.8

Location: Caramel Room, SW1X 7RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7201 1619

Website: http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/restaurants_and_bars/restaurants/the_caramel_room/the_caramel_room/

Tags: amazing brew, top food

This excursion turned out to be a fabulously delicious, although ultra expensive, afternoon. If you are expecting a run of the mill afternoon tea in a posh hotel, you arenâ¬"t fully prepared for what you are about to experience!

The tea itself was outstanding, as was the coffee my partner had. However where they stand out from the crowd is with their patisserie. They were all mouth wateringly delicious.

We also had a range of sandwiches which were all gorgeous and the tastes were amazing.

The hotel itself is decorated wonderfully, itâ¬"s a perfect place to take someone you want to impress! Just donâ¬"t forget to go to the bank first!

Barrafina - review by bellaphon

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:44:26 +0000

Barrafina - review by bellaphon

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: lively, spanish, crowded, expensive

On the four occasions or so Iâ¬"ve been here, luck often prevails with me securing a seat within ten minutes of queuing. This place has to be one of the highlights for me this year. The food, service and ambience were all pretty much faultless. The catches of the day from the wet fish counter and the Jamon de Jabugo are well worth the expense and repeat visits. Other memorable dishes sampled included Grilled Quail with Allioli, Pork Chop with Cauliflower Puree, Ham Croquetas, Ariston and on and on. This place is good; so good that I feel totally spirited away and it sort of turns me into a happy shiny person. I would have given the perfect 10 for the food except that the acquired blandness of the Classic Tortlla renders the verdict otherwise.

Barrafina is expensive, but then again itâ¬"ll cost even more to go to Barcelona these days.

Barrafina - review by Alita

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:16:43 +0000

Barrafina - review by Alita

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: lively, spanish, crowded, expensive

Barrafina is a little tricky to find since it announces its presence with little more than a word on the front door, but you'll find it easily enough if you look for a small restaurant with a queue flowing down the street. In fact, the second time I visited I was initially turned away but remained steadfast in the queue, was joined by my friend and (eventually) sat down to a very nice meal.

The staff are attentive and serve drinks and small snacks while you're waiting. Be prepared for a long queue, especially on weekends.

The food itself is generally excellent and mouth-watering, though I found the Pan Con Tomate less flavoursome than I hoped. The prawn and pepper tortilla was cooked in front of us and was deliciously runny inside (a personal favourite) and I can recommend the Sardines la Plancha. Though I do have a thing for sardines. The Creme Catalana was nice, if a touch too sweet. Our chef was incredibly jovial and made some good suggestions.

I'm no wine drinker but I managed to imbibe two very nice glasses of red, one at the bar and one during.

Expect to pay over Â£60 for two with wine for a modest tapas meal and far more for a spanish feast.

Barrafina - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:47:35 +0000

Barrafina - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: expensive, spanish, crowded

There tends to be a pattern when new styles of cuisine are introduced to this country. The pioneer restaurants will be toned down, tame versions of the originals, designed to appeal to the masses; think Pizza Express in the 60s or Yo! Sushi in the 90s. Nothing too weird, nothing too offensive to the timid British palette, but due mainly to the novelty factor they are wild successes, at least for the first few years. Then once the novelty wears off, a new wave of more adventurous outlets open that offer something more closely approximating the "authentic" taste from abroad. So then you start noticing things like octopus or squid in your nigiri, or fresh basil and real buffalo mozzerella on your pizza. I'm generalising of course, but with passing time it seems diners, having gotten over the original shock factor and bragging rights of trying something new, will demand a more genuine experience. At least, snobs like me do.

There is sometimes a "Stage 3": Having mastered the said style of cuisine, some brave restauranteurs will take it one step further, and you end up with bizarre fusions like French-Japanese or Afghan-Ethopian. Most of these are hideous, so it's generally in the what I like to call "Stage 2" restaurants are you most likely to get a good meal. So where La Tasca bravely brought spanish tapas to an anonymous shopping mall near you, Barrafina in Soho ups the ante by actually trying to do it well.

However, this is London, and there are certain conditions. Tapas in Spain (at least outside the tourist areas of Catalonia) are little plates of bitesize morsels (chorizo, bread & tomato, croquettas, etc.) that are placed on your drink for free (yes, free!) whenever you order. In Barrafina, you pay Â£7 for a tiny plate of skewered quail and then have to cough up another Â£5 for a glass of Manzanilla sherry. Still, you'd think I'd be used to it by now.

Moaning aside, Barrafina was actually a reasonably enjoyable way to spend an evening. Looking less inside like an authentic tapas bar than a 1950s American diner, there were a dozen or so red leather stools alongside a gleaming chrome bar. The food (at least most of it) was cooked on a hot plate just behind the bar in full view of the diners, which was great fun to watch. Serving staff and kitchen staff all wore the same white outfits and moved around in the same space so you actually felt quite involved in the whole process. We randomly picked a few things from the menu and sat back and watched as they were cooked in front of us.

First to arrive was Pan amb Tomate (tomato bread), which was actually as good as I've had in Spain. Tomato flesh on crunchy bread spiced with raw garlic, it is admittedly a difficult thing to get wrong but even so was very nice. A board of sliced chorizo appeared next, which were only OK but swiftly followed with sweet and succulent whole prawns cooked in salt, the best of all the dishes we tried. The special tomato salad was full of flavour but hugely overseasoned - it was crunchy with salt. I saw the chef loading it with the stuff as I was sat about 3 foot away whilst the dish was being prepared, and I probably should have said something at the time, but never mind. Next, a couple of roast quail were tasty and succulent but with quite a layer of fat and again overseasoned. The accompanying aioli was delicious however, and we kept it back to dip our pimientos in. Finally, a dish of lamb cutlets was well cooked and presented, although I'm not sure how closely this fits the "tapas" brief.

The bill, with a couple of glasses of sherry and some nice Catalan red wine, came to Â£70 for two. This is a lot for tapas (I can only imagine the amount of food you'd have if you spent Â£70 in a tapas bar in Madrid), but not a lot for London to be honest. And we did have plenty to eat and drink. So I can recommend Barrafina - they're doing the best they can providing food such as this in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and they do it with a certain amount of style.

Automat - review by ProfMagellan

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:51:53 +0000

Automat - review by ProfMagellan

Rating: 3.3

Location: 33 Dover St, W1S 4NF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3033

Website: http://www.automat-london.com

Tags: american, buzzy, mayfair, good value, modern, burgers, lively

My friend Polarmarco persuaded me to return and this I did in the company of a top PR person. We were on a mission to see whether or not Automat deserves a chance given a dreadful experience I had earlier this year. This time everything worked well. The staff were utterly in control, the waitress could not have been kinder, and - despite a full Tuesday lunchtime - the food arrived promptly. The PR person enjoyed his lamb confection whilst I opted for my usual burger: not quite as good as that served by Joe Allen, it was none the less perfectly acceptable. The surroundings are very new century. Automat opened about three years ago) in contrast to the retro-look of Joe Allen's (in which personally I feel more comfortable). Acoustics are very poor so not a place for the hard of hearing.
Other punters included the usual suspects: hedge fund managers, venture capitalists and ladies who lunch. Blackberries and cellphones in profusion. Very few real working stiffs.

Barrafina - review by gastro1

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:54:04 +0000

Barrafina - review by gastro1

Rating: 4.5

Location: 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 8010

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

Tags: lively, good value, spanish, crowded

Superb tapas made with excellent ingredients - just like Fino the sister restaurant.

This establishment shows the many Spanish owned establishment in the UK how it should be done i.e no tinned Russian Salad :-)

Comparable to the best tapas bars in Barcelona, Seville , Madrid and San Sebastian.

Royal Teas - review by timwarr

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:16:48 +0000

Royal Teas - review by timwarr

Rating: 4.3

Location: 76 Royal Hill, SE10 8RT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8691 7240

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

Tags: cosy, quiet & relaxed, good brew, quick bite

Tried this for cake and tea on a sunny sunday afo. The walnut and coffee cake was great, pot of tea not bad (although no hot water to top it up) and a nice atmosphere.

Automat - review by polarmarco

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:23:54 +0000

Automat - review by polarmarco

Rating: 3.3

Location: 33 Dover St, W1S 4NF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3033

Website: http://www.automat-london.com

Tags: american, family & home feel, good value, crowded, brasserie, lively

I was one of ProfMagellan's party back in February and suspected that his last review was on the harsh side. What the Prof did not realise at the time was that another member of our party was unbelievably rude and boorish to the staff before he arrived. I suspected it was this bullying (which continued to the end and even included the reception staff) which was responsible for the chain that led to our negative experience. And, it should be said, even then, under the greatest provocation, the staff remained unfailingly polite. I returned to Automat recently with an old friend, whose husband is a leading diplomat (!), and whom I briefed about what happened before. This time the service was immaculate and, although the restaurant was fully booked, a table was found for us at the quieter front of the house. We both had a baked fish, which was delicious as were our desserts. I would strongly urge ProfMagellan (usually a supremely fair reviewer) to give Automat another chance - and perhaps admit that on this occasion he shot from the hip!

Royal Teas - review by foeromeo

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:47:16 +0000

Royal Teas - review by foeromeo

Rating: 4.3

Location: 76 Royal Hill, SE10 8RT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8691 7240

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

Tags: cosy, proper food, good brew, quick bite

Great, healthy choice for lunch, with warm meals and freshly-squeezed juice.