Latest favourites and wishlist by mrsevans101

Pepe Sale - review by picklepaws

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:52:23 +0000

Pepe Sale - review by picklepaws

Rating: 5.0

Location: 3 Queens Walk, RG1 7QF, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 959 7700

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

This is my favourite restaurant ever! From the outside, Pepe Sale looks rather uninviting but take the plunge and walk through the door - you'll soon find that the restaurant has a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and the staff will make you feel right at home.

Attention to detail is fantastic. From the nibbles on the table when you are seated, to the friendly (but not over friendly) banter from the staff, and the considered advice and recommendations by your waiter.

I don't remember having a single meal at Pepe Sale that I wasn't completely happy with. The pasta is simply divine. This is not a 'cheap eat' (though it is not expensive either) but it is worth every penny, especially for a special occasion or if you are trying to impress someone!

Enjoy!

London Street Brasserie - review by lutik

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:27:51 +0000

London Street Brasserie - review by lutik

Rating: 3.4

Location: 2-4 London St, RG1 4PN, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 950 5036

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

Tags: lively, british, business, pretentious, crowded, brasserie, expensive

Went there with my husband having read a few good reviews and wanting an oasis in Reading's dessert of identikit chains.
Sadly, I was dissapointed by LBS. On the positive side, the food tasted quite nice. Our mains were presentable and generous. Unfortunately the venisson was a bit too rare, and not very fresh. The desserts were better though as some fo the others have pointed out, clearly not made at the premises.
But what really was a let down was the sloppy service and the non-existent ambiance. We sat in the downstairs area where the lack of any kind of cushioning to absorb some of the noise, meant that i could hardly hear anything except the general cacophony. The service did not help - there were 2 waitstaff trying to serve us, so they asked us twice what we wanted for starters and then didn't know which of them should bring it. When our mains arrived, the waitress stood over us expecting us to move our starter plates so she could put down the food because no one came to clear those plates away first. Not very impressed at all.

Forbury's Restaurant - review by funki_munki

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:04:18 +0000

Forbury's Restaurant - review by funki_munki

Rating: 5.0

Location: One Forbury Square, RG1 3BB, Reading, United Kingdom

London Street Brasserie - review by Wriggler

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:46:19 +0000

London Street Brasserie - review by Wriggler

Rating: 3.4

Location: 2-4 London St, RG1 4PN, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 950 5036

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

Tags: expensive, crowded, brasserie

My girlfriend and I visited LSB for the first time this week for my birthday. Having read a number of good reviews I was looking forward to the experience. We visited during the evening and chose from the full A La Carte menu. Setting was great, we managed to get a seat outside on the terrace which was a result as our original table upstairs would have been unbearably hot. Definitely go for the downstairs tables (or outside if weather nice). The menu has a good choice. I went for the salt & pepper squid as a starter. The squid was beautifully cooked and tender in a light spiced tempura type batter. No discernible salt & pepper element to the dish though, a little bland in terms of flavour if I'm honest. My girlfriend went for the scallops. Scallops were once again cooked well but for Â£11 I'd have expected a lot more than four small scallops. The cauliflower puree was a good texture but lacked seasoning and was also a bit bland. Definitely not value for money. Main course for me was the pork cutlet. An outstanding piece of meat. Huge chop, beautifully cooked. Let down by the accompanying items. A celeriac fondant was nothing of the kind, more a mush. The parsley carrots were large and undercooked and I got no sense of calvados from the apple. The cornichon sauce added nothing to the pork and I felt it was wasted. Crackling was superb though. The seared tuna steak was what my girlfriend went for. Could have done with another 30 seconds each side but the tuna was fresh and tasty. Severely let down by the pak choi and fennel it was served with, a very unattractive looking dish in a watery soup. Too much green veg on the plate - it looked unappetising and devoid of imagination. Desserts were ok, my chocolate fondant was home made and was good but not spectacular. Like other reviews I have read you got the sense that the sticky toffee pudding we also had was not made in the kitchen. It was once again nice but not amazing. Strange choice to serve chantilly cream with it.
Nice wine list, pretty much what you would expect although a little on the pricy side, we paid Â£42 for a Gigondas that you can get for around Â£13 in Majestic. But thats restaurants for you, so no real complaints on that score. Staff were friendly, service was good and although busy that night we didn't have to wait too long between courses. All in all it was a pleasant night. Was it value for money? At Â£130 for all of the above I would have expected more quality in the food. No doubting the quality of the ingerdients but how they arrived on the plate was disappointing. Would I go back? No, I don't think I would. There are much better places in Reading.

Thai Corner - review by mrsevans101

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:11:45 +0000

Thai Corner - review by mrsevans101

Rating: 5.0

Location: 47 West Street, RG1 1TZ, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 959 5050

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

Tags: lively, cheap eat, crowded, thai

Fab place for late night meals or a cheap bowl of something tasty and hot.

Thai Corner serves a wide variety of dishes and all for Â£5 to Â£7 for a main. Excellent food (though I'd recommend avoiding the prawn dishes as they are uncharacteristically stingy) and very friendly service.

Try the mixed starters for a bit of everything. The green curries are good. The Pla Chu Chi (a big salmon fillet with red curry paste) is excellent - crispy, tasty and generous. The coconut rice is divine. The massamun curry (with cashews and little potatoes) is always good.

Desserts, as you would probably expect, are frozen and not really worth bothering with.

Try the thai red wine - very tasty and goes well with the spicy food, for only a tenner a bottle.

Book ahead for peak weekend times and be prepared to be a little cramped as it's very popular.

Pepe Sale - review by mrsevans101

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:56:47 +0000

Pepe Sale - review by mrsevans101

Rating: 5.0

Location: 3 Queens Walk, RG1 7QF, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 959 7700

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

Tags: italian, sardinian, family & home feel, good value, mediterranean, romantic

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Reading.
Located on an ugly side street behind Argos and looking on to the side of the Renaissance hotel, the restaurant itself looks a little odd and can be a little cold, but this is soon forgotten.
The restaurant serves a wide range of Sardinian food and sources wine from Sardinia too.

The staff are really lovely - warm, friendly and good humoured and opinionated on the food and wine.
Oh, and the food! First on the table is a basket of bread - the flatbread studded with rosemary and salt and then dipped in olive oil is scrummy, and the crusty bread that is also in the basket tends to get ignored until the flatbread is gone.

The specials include such simple dishes as crab ravioli in a tomato, cream and herb sauce (divine), monkfish with leeks and butter (and more but I can't remember) - again, just gorgeous. Of note on the main menu is the roast suckling pig, only available on weekends and only if you get in quick - it's succulent, tasty and plentiful. And if you ever see tagliatelle with cream and mushrooms on the special menu I urge you to try it - it is heavenly.

The wine list gives a wide range of choice and are very affordable. Forgive my spelling and memory but the Raim is very good and they also do a carignan wine (whose name I forget and which is not listed on the website) which is rich and smooth and delicious.

Finally, I must mention that the restaurant is a family business and therefore only opens for one Sunday every year - Mothering Sunday.

So, book now. You will not regret it.

Forbury's Restaurant - review by mrsevans101

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:19:35 +0000

Forbury's Restaurant - review by mrsevans101

Rating: 5.0

Location: One Forbury Square, RG1 3BB, Reading, United Kingdom

Tags: romantic, expensive, french

This is a lovely formal style restaurant in one of the prettiest areas of Reading, looking into Forbury Square and then out onto Forbury Gardens.
The dining room is well laid out, with penty of space between tables, crisp white linen and plenty of flowers and room dividers to give a more initimate setting.

The market menu is well worth a try if you want to sample Forbury's whilst keeping the price down. The food on the menu is simple and perhaps a little limited, but the portions are large and the quality of the dishes is excellent.
The a la carte menu is where things really start to get interesting. Dishes are small and interesting and the choices are quite wide. The food is stylishly presented on an array of different plates with foams, purees and neatly placed ingredients. The food is of the quality where you will insist that your dining companions try out your dishes as they are so delicious.

The wine list is very extensive and can seem a little intimidating, but the sommelier is incredibly knowledgeable and happy to talk through any of the wines you may be interested in, or to suggest something to go with your food.

Service is perfect. Perhaps this will upset the Brits, but no one does service like the French. It is at once discreet and friendly, leaving you to your conversation unless the wine needs pouring or plates clearing.

This is a really special place for a romantic meal or special celebration, but it can make an affordable Sunday lunch or quick evening meal if ordering off the market menu.

London Street Brasserie - review by mrsevans101

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:07:55 +0000

London Street Brasserie - review by mrsevans101

Rating: 3.4

Location: 2-4 London St, RG1 4PN, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 950 5036

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

Tags: lively, british, good value, crowded, brasserie, french, romantic

Over the years I find myself returning to LSB again and again. It has a relaxed, informal atmosphere with friendly staff and accessible menus and the food is almost always excellent.

The two menus offered both have their highlights.
The set menu (available until 7pm) is only Â£13.50 for two courses and offers a bit of everything. Of particular note on the current menu is the duck with noodles (which is enough confit style duck to feed two people) and the fish and chips is perfect for those who like something simple and familiar.
The a la carte menu can be quite expensive but the selection makes it worth it for a special treat. The fillet steak with foie gras butter and the venison with haggis are particular treats for meat lovers.
Deserts are also something special with a good selection of cheeses plus cold desserts (the meringues and cheesecakes are very good) plus puddings for those of us with a leaning towards school dinners (the sticky toffee pudding is my single favourite dish in the whole of Reading, I think).
And if you don't have room for dessert try the petit fours.

The wine list is simple and doesn't really offer any surprises, though the local dessert wine (Chiltern Valley Luxters Noble Bacchus) is rich and treacly and well worth trying.

Service can be a little erratic, particularly if you're upstairs and the room is a little empty. However, it is always friendly and the staff are, rightly, able to handle questions about the food without needing to refer to the kitchen.

London Street Brasserie - review by londongiirl

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:23:24 +0000

London Street Brasserie - review by londongiirl

Rating: 3.4

Location: 2-4 London St, RG1 4PN, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 950 5036

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

Tags: Expensive, Tiny place, Out door eating

Was in Reading on Monday and decided to stop and have lunch at the London St Brasserie. Its a tiny little resturant but very clean and a sort of place that would have a really good vibe on a saturday night.
We sat outsite as it was a beautiful sunny day, under one of the heaters and it was so lovely looking out over the water. We ordered from the lunch time menu - the food is very well presented, looked too good to eat but once we tucked in it was fab. I had the cod fritters which were perfectly cooked and the cod was very tasty and moist. my sis had the goats cheese parcels - her plate did look better then mine but it didnt taste as nice as my fritters.
For the main meal i ordered the salmon which was so lovely and again beautifully presented and my sis had the stuffed augerine which she really enjoyed eating.
We then ordered desert (had to be done) i had the cheesecake with a rasberry sorbet - unfortunatly i have had the pleasure of having cheescake at the savoy and now nothing measures up - but this cheesecake was lovely and was a very nice portion too. My sis ordered the creme brulee which was amazing. the texture and the flavours - making my mouth water now.

Its a lovely little place but im sure you would have to book well in advance for a fri/sat night. they do have a bar area and a larger room for larger groups of people.

The only downside was the staff. they were pleasent to the fact that they were not rude but i didnt find them to be very friendly. Also, while we were there only 3 other tables were occupied yet it took them forever to bring out the main meal once we had finished our starters (and we had ordered the starters and main meal at the same time) and when i asked for a refil for my drink - she disappeared and only came back when she bought us the main meal and i had to remind her of my drink.

So we had the lunch time meal at Â£13.50 each, side of chips, soft drinks and desert all came to about Â£50 which was reasonable.

Overall, it was a wonderful little place, would definatly go there again.

London Street Brasserie - review by RaymondLee

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:46:33 +0000

London Street Brasserie - review by RaymondLee

Rating: 3.4

Location: 2-4 London St, RG1 4PN, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 950 5036

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

LSB (as we call it locally) is probably the best restaurant in Reading. However, this popularity costs and trying to get a table for a saturday night is often a task beyond my patience. However, once in the food is always good, the view not bad (if you sit upstairs) and the service better than average. The owner knows his stuff and always a great menu.

London Street Brasserie - review by alexandros

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:45:37 +0000

London Street Brasserie - review by alexandros

Rating: 3.4

Location: 2-4 London St, RG1 4PN, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 950 5036

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

Tags: lively, river view, reading, gastro pub, family & home feel, good value, brasserie, great food, romantic

This is the apotheosis of the power of word of mouth and, of course, the power of TrustedPlaces!
I went to Reading last weekend and I searched TrustedPlaces for any good places there. So I found Hazzabout's review of the London Street Brasserie which I found really cool.
It is indeed a hidden gem, just think that my friends who live in Reading didn't know it!
Anyway I proposed to go there for lunch, we were there at 14.00 but it was packed so we made a reservation for 15.30.
London Street Brasserie is located in the centre of Reading, by the River and just opposite the big shopping centre.
The food was great, I had a spicy Thai chicken with noodles, and the set menu is really good at 13 pounds or so.
If you go there you should definitely try the desserts, I tasted the cheesecake and it was fantastic!
I am planning to go back there in the summer, they have a sitting area outdoors, just next to the river which should be lovely.
Thank you Hazzabout! Thank you Trusted Places!

Forbury's Restaurant - review by walid

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 10:45:13 +0000

Forbury's Restaurant - review by walid

Rating: 5.0

Location: One Forbury Square, RG1 3BB, Reading, United Kingdom

Tags: relaxed, red wine, reading, business, good value, traditional, beef, sophisticated, French

Forburys Restaurant is a new French restaurant situated in the central square of a modern development opposite Forbury Garden in the centre of Reading. The restaurant has been created by Xavier Le-Bellego and he has done a wonderful job.

Forbury offers traditional French food that is very well presented and simply delicious. I had ordered a fillet of Angus beef that was perfectly cooked and served with a gratin dauphinoisthat simply melted in your mouth. Along the meal we had a bottle of Santenay Les Champs Claude Jean Marc Pillot that was simply divine.

The staff at Forbury give excellent knowledgeable advice and very attentive without being in your face. Some of the best staff I've seen in a long while.

An average starter price at a la carte ranges from £7 - £10, the main dishes from £15 - £28 and deserts from £6 - £10. At that price you get great food, great staff, and an elegant atmosphere.

Forbury truly deserves its 5 star rating

London Street Brasserie - review by Hazzabout

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 21:21:43 +0000

London Street Brasserie - review by Hazzabout

Rating: 3.4

Location: 2-4 London St, RG1 4PN, Reading, United Kingdom

Phone: 0118 950 5036

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

Tags: brasserie, good value, high ceilings

Yes, if you can navigate past all the identikit chain restaurants and retail outlets in Reading town centre you will be rewarded indeed! In a really quite beautiful spot on the river, with lovely big windows, lots of exposed brick and wood and all in all a very nice place to spend a couple of hours.

It could be quite expensive, but they do a set lunch (available 12pm-7pm) which is frankly amazing value at 13.50 for two courses. The food is quite 'restauranty' (by which I mean - the menu offers things like 'crispy skinned salmon escalope with saffron potatoes, baby spinach, steamed mussels, parsley and white wine') but very well done indeed. Make sure at least one of you orders desert as they are awesome.