Latest favourites and wishlist by simonB

Annex 3 - review by chrisp

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:58:14 +0000

Annex 3 - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.5

Location: 6 Little Portland St, W1W 7JE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7631 0700

As the previous (excellent) review pointed out, there are plenty of bars in London claiming to serve cocktails, and very few that do it particularly well. On the one hand it's nice that you can nip into your local and order a Mojito and it will generally be made with fresh mint and Havana Club rum. On the other hand, we're in danger of losing the craft and excitement that early cocktail pioneers like the Match Bar generated when they first opened over ten years ago. A visit to Annex 3 at the weekend reminded me what is so great about a good drink, as the focal point of a superb evening out.

It is a surrealist masterpiece of a drinks list. Some eyebrow-raising ingredients included wasabi, avocado and rhubarb - not all in the same drink, thankfully, but still unusual enough to wonder what on earth they tasted like. Fortunately, all the examples we ordered on Friday were delicious - particularly a short drink made with ginger and cinnamon, and a martini with pomegranate seeds, the names of which unfortunately escape me. The flavours were as bright and fresh as they were unique and clearly indicated a bar staff determined to put their mark on the London cocktail map. Most impressive.

Tying our evening together impeccably was some sterling service. We hardly had to look up from an empty glass before our gaze was met with a friendly face. Perhaps this was understandable given that a 12.5% service charge was added to the bar bill (even Claridge's only adds 10%) but it was hard to complain given how well our experience was handled. I can heartily recommend you save your pennies for a visit to Annex 3 one evening - you're almost guaranteed to love it.

Timo - review by jethro

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:38:01 +0000

Timo - review by jethro

Rating: 4.0

Location: 343 Kensington High St, W8 6NW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7603 3888

Website: http://www.timorestaurant.net/

Tags: italian, good value, expensive

This is a time-proven and well-established, professional restaurant of very high quality indeed. From the initial 'Buona Sera' to the farewell the client is treated as a welcome dignitary. This place has style.

Style and substance. The standard is very high and the ease of presentation belies the efforts to produce meals of this level of enjoyment. Calm grace and smooth efficiency are the trademarks.

An interesting wine list and a tantalising menu deserve an aperitif, such as Campari & Soda, whilst mulling over one's choices.

Intimate enough for a romantic get-together, efficient enough to impress a business associate as well as being relaxed enough to enjoy an hour or so of culinary delights.

Dukes Hotel - review by simonB

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:53:09 +0000

Dukes Hotel - review by simonB

Rating: 4.0

Location: 35 St James's Place, SW1A 1NY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7491 4840

Website: http://www.dukeshotel.com

Tags: posh, mature, friendly

A mate recommended Dukes Hotel for its martinis so I went their before dinner on a Friday evening with 3 friends.

The bar is cosy, quite small and with a pleasant 'old world' rather than trendy feel. It's hidden just off St James's and it's not somewhere you're likely just to chance across.

There was a mix of well-heeled 30- and 40-somethings when we got there at about 8pm and it seems to be a great place to relax and have a catch up with old friends/business colleagues over a cocktail or two. I probably wouldn't recommend it if you were looking for a romantic 'first date' kind of venue though.

Part of the theatre of the place is that they prepare the martinis on a small trolley by your seats...its a nice touch. I agree with the other reviewer that their cocktails are leathal in their size and strength!

It's a gem of a bar and definitely one I'll return to.

Chandos Sandwich Bar - review by simonB

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:35:46 +0000

Chandos Sandwich Bar - review by simonB

Rating: 5.0

Location: 60 Chandos Place, WC2N 4HG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7836 0060

Tags: lively, amazing brew, crowded, quick bite

This place is a daily stop for me....A proper workman's cafe in the heart of Covent Garden

Chandos is an Italian-run place that's been there for over 20 years and it's a bit of an institution. It's just changed hands and had an extensive refurbishment (February '07) but the quality of the food and the prices are still as good as ever.

Opens at 6am and is winding down by about 4.30pm...in the mornings you can get a full english fry up and at lunch their pasta dishes (generally £4.80 - and you can get them to take away) are tasty and you're given enormous helpings. It also does very tasty sandwiches (e.g. the special today was duck with spring salad in Ciabbata).

Great place if you want a meal that's a bit of a change from the usual lunchtime fast food eateries.

L'Etranger - review by simonB

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:05:19 +0000

L'Etranger - review by simonB

Rating: 4.0

Location: 36 Gloucester Road, SW7 4QT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7584 1118

Tags: posh, business, expensive, romantic

Went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago and wish I'd known about it before!

Food was amazing....the "Hamashi Sashimi with Bonito Crisp" was a work of art on the plate and tasted equally as good, whilst my main of caramallised black cod with miso was a melt in the mouth affair.

I was a little dubious about a Japanese-French fusion restaurant but this place certainly pulls it off. Btw...The diners also seem to keep French eating times...we arrived at 8.15pm on a Tuesday evening and the place was fairly empty but it was packed by the time we left at 11pm...so expect to eat alone if you arrive at 7pm!

My only slight negative of this place was the attitude of some of the staff; it's french and it's expensive but sometimes the staff appeared to veer over the line from professional to just plain haughty. Other than that, however, we had a perfect evening.

Timo - review by simonB

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:39:40 +0000

Timo - review by simonB

Rating: 4.0

Location: 343 Kensington High St, W8 6NW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7603 3888

Website: http://www.timorestaurant.net/

Tags: italian, business, expensive, romantic

This little gem of a restaurant is perfectly suited for the designer-clad masses of Kensington. Whilst it is thankfully not a place 'to see and be seen' it is always faultless in its welcome and the food rarely disappoints.

Went there again last Tuesday with a friend. (Be warned...the bread-basket is highly addictive!) The place is a not huge and a party of 20 at the back unfortunately made the place noisy, but my daily special of grilled tuna with sweet & sour vegetables was simple and done to perfection whilst my friend's duck was also beautifully cooked.

On previous trips I've also sampled some of their varied pasta dishes and they've always been wonderful.

Not the cheapest place in the world (meat/fish mains are £18-22 generally) but you can be fairly sure of good food, sophisticated atmosphere and great service. Good place for a special date or to business meal.

L'Etranger - review by sue

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:06:32 +0000

L'Etranger - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: 36 Gloucester Road, SW7 4QT, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7584 1118

Tags: romantic, excellent wine list, japanese, french

L'Etranger is a small restaurant located on Gloucester Road. The cuisine is a combination of French and Japanese and the flavours of the meals there are amazing. It is a great place for a romantic meal, with mood lighting and professional service. There is a good wine list, which features plenty of French wines, but also some great Australian ones too.

They also have a bar/club downstairs from the restaurant where you can go before or after your meal....though it may not be to everyone's taste as the decor is a little cave like&.and I must admit it felt most unwelcoming when we were the only ones there for a pre-dinner drink!

One of the most amazing things I have eaten ever was their Tuna spring roll with ginger and coriander - a truly amazing taste sensation. The Confit shoulder of lamb with grilled aubergine was also delicious. And they have one of my favourite Australian red wines on the menu - bonza!

Annex 3 - review by Jimmy_James

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:35:02 +0000

Annex 3 - review by Jimmy_James

Rating: 4.5

Location: 6 Little Portland St, W1W 7JE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7631 0700

Tags: friendly, exciting, glamorous, interesting, sexy, fun, pretentious

There seems to be an endless stream of cocktail bars in London these days; a deluge of below-par Mojitos and caipirinhas populate the drinks menus of every blanch wood and aluminium establishment claiming (but never delivering) cocktail status- However mint drowned in ice and low grade rum, does not a cocktail make...

Thankfully, amid these pumped up pretenders, there are those that still manage to do something special and interesting. London is filled with gem's in unusual places. Annex 3's sister, Loungelover, is tucked away on an otherwise deserted street off of the dingiest part of Commercial Road and still provides some of the most creative and tasty drinks around. It's decor throws a harsh parellel to its' surroundings; a true Narnian affair of Hippopotami, enormous candles and fairytale cottages, surrounded by rubbish-strewn streets and low built commercial premises.

Annex 3, the newest venture of Hassan Abdullah, Michel Lassere and Stefan Karlson, creators of Le Trois Garcon and the aforementioned Loungelover, is a new adventure in interior frolics, coupled with equally adventurous cocktails.

When I say adventurous- think Wasabi martini's, Sake with rhubarb and fresh passion fruit coupled with chestnut liqueur. Beyond this Annex follows the standards well- the martini is good (although a tendency towards the overdry) and the other stalwarts stand up just as well; the champagne beer is a gimmick, but not the worst tasting.

In all honesty the only thing that lets this place is location. It provides a thankful replacement for Mash round the corner, but it's precisely its accessability that let's it down, attracting a crowd of Media Agencies and Media owners seeking to impress. As much as this crowd is a part of London (and I'm sure a necessary one!) it's a surefire killer for a bar, driving out the patronage of perhaps a longer term punter, in favour of a momentarily higher value, but all together more flighty, crowd.

Dukes Hotel - review by guy

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 15:16:24 +0000

Dukes Hotel - review by guy

Rating: 4.0

Location: 35 St James's Place, SW1A 1NY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7491 4840

Website: http://www.dukeshotel.com

Tags: relaxed, mature, friendly

Dukes Hotel is a hidden gem in St James's; club-like with excellent and friendly staff, it is the only place I go to descetely meet people.

This is not one for the young'uns, but the martinis in the bar are lethal - ask the staff for a demonstration.