• Added: 8th of July 2008
• Area: Bankside
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 3QJ
020 7403 4600

Cedric said
A brilliant pearl, hidden in an ugly area
This is definitely one of the best Asian restaurants that I have had the opportunity to eat at in London. The tiny front window with its low-key style could easily turn you down, but as soon as you enter the space, you are blown away: fragrances, carved-wood decorations, hanging masks, smiles on the staff faces... Simply great.

The food was also great, with an extensive selections of SE Asia specialities of different degree of spiciness, for all tastes: I opted for some Chicken serunding and plum tomato paneer and Thai basil salad as a starter, followed up by beef rendang with yellow rice and pineapple pajeri. And the desert? Fresh papaya cubes covered in a mango lassi and a scoop of lemongrass sorbet.

everything beautifully presented with a strong attention paid to details. The waiters are very helpful and do not hesitate to guide your choices, or to introduce the dishes with detailed descriptions.

The main drawback of this restaurant is its location... But that could reveal to be an advantage to protect it. Located a few minutes walk from London Bridge it is in a boring, lifeless area. For the better because it is quite small and require to book in advance to ensure a seat.

• Added: 3rd of April 2008
• Area: Belgravia
• Category: Restaurants

London SW1X 7EQ
020 7823 1888

Cedric said
Fine... in all sense of the term
This is a great thai restaurant serving a very fine thai food. Of course it is a high end place with the prices that come along, but overall if you are after something more elaborate than a quick and dirty pad thai, then this is a great place to go. Service is top notch, even if it can be a bit busy, with a crowd of business people having a semi-casual night out. Interior design is on par with what you are expecting from a restaurant of this standard. Worth the trip to the Victoria area for a dinner.

• Added: 15th of March 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Restaurants

London NW1 0JH
020 7383 7245

Cedric said
Vietnamese with surprises
This restaurant is full of charm: the decoration is made of (pseudo?) ancient woods that gives a very special atmosphere to the different rooms. Staff is friendly, but what surprised me most was the prices on the menu. If the plates are not overloaded, the portions are fine and the prices in comparison quite low. The food is very tasty, and extensive in flavours and diversity. If you are into asian food and happen to be around, I would strongly recommend to have a try.

• Added: 15th of March 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Restaurants

London NW1 1BA
020 7387 2789

Cedric said
Casual top notch tapas
A little Spanish restaurant near Camden, with little charm but a brilliant menue. The venue itself is not representative of the quality of the food you will get from the chef. From sea food to veggie tapas, everything is tasty, surprising... Like every Spanish cuisine it's a bit oily, but you can treat yourself with a great diversity of dishes for every tastes. Not cheap though... but not too expensive either. Worth going there as a group and share. it is a small restaurant, so you'd better book in advance.

• Added: 1st of March 2008
• Area: Bermondsey
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 3JG
020 7357 0244

Cedric said
Somehow deceptive...
It has been a while that I walked past this restaurant, and I while that I wanted to have a go at their menu. The board indeed features some nice and appetizing dishes, and from the outside the restaurant looks smart and top end... So since I had to eat, and was back in the neighbourhood it became my pick of the night. And here is the result.

The food first. I had a three course meal, including as a starter some scallops marinated in beetroot and served on a warm marmelade. Then a monkfish cooked in coconut curry sauce with some maki. And finally an apple pie with mashed bananas and pear anglaise. I told you the menu is impressive. However the plates are deceptives: we feel that the chef wants to experiment and impress, but the result is not homogeneous. The scallops for instance are totally overwhelmed by the other flavours on the plate, which is a pity when you know how delicate these shells can be. Same thing for the apple pie which, although well presented, revealed to be a tasteless desert... On the contrary, the fish was astonishing. The aromas of the coconuts and curry spices were present and were wetting your mouth, whilst the integrity of the fish was totally preserved. And so was its intrinsic taste.

The restaurant itself is aligned with the food, i.e. a balance between great and bad. The staff is very professional, carefull, nice and in great number to pay attention to the customers. The venue is everything but a restaurant. It has no real soul, and sounds empty. And to a certain extend it is, which can be great or bad, as said, depending how you want to look at the semi-empty/full glass. The main room is sometimes used for cocktails and press events which means that it is huge and the tables are consequently not stuck one to the other. You can thus appreciate some privacy even when a large group is dining at the next table. However this art gallery-like space feels cold and distant. It is therefore dependant on what you are looking after.

Overall, I would not recommend this place beyond reason. With a bill reaching the £30+ per person without wine, it is a bit of a stretch for a cuisine which still needs to work on flavour subtilty. But a nice drop out for a business dinner for instance.

• Added: 19th of February 2008
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2H 9NE
020 7010 8600

Cedric said
Fantastic symphony
The best restaurant I have ever gone to. As clearly explicited above, the Atelier is a semi-formal restaurant where you sit around the open kitchen. You can thus appreciate the ballet of the cooks around the plancha, slicing, cutting, seaming...

For your dinner, it is suggested to select two starters and a main. I personaly opted for (sorry if I don't phrase it properly):
- Smoked salmon
- Hot foie gras on seasonal fruits puree
- scallops with truffle and leeks

Everything was extremly delicate and beautifully presented. The savours and scents of the food are enchanting your sense. It is amazing to be able to catch hints of ingredients without them overwhelming the dish.

Since the chef has a direct view on the customers, and vice-versa, he decided to come over and have a word with the two of us who simply extatic... The concept of the exchange and demystification of the cuisine works very well. It becomes accessible, whilst keeping its entire premium.

Since this was our first encounter with Joel Robuchon's cuisine, we were offered a small portion of his iconic truffled potatoe puree which is fucking good (excuse my French).

As a desert, I managed to resist to the temptation to go for a chocolate cake and opted rather for a Chartreuse souffle with Pistacchio ice cream. The liqueur is produced a few kilometres away from my home town... And this is the first time I enjoy it in a souffle. What a surprise, and fireworks of flavours again.

Overall, this was a fantastic culinary experience to celebrate a big event. But no doubt that we will come back again, even if the bill is on par with the heights of culinary arts, it was totally worth it.

And it even inspired me a blog post to be read here: www.mountaindwellerviews.blogspot.com/2008/02/cuisine-like-no-other.html

• Added: 12th of February 2008
• Area: Paddington
• Category: Restaurants

London W2 6EY
020 3214 3000

Cedric said
Japanese alternative
Yakitoria is an alternative: an alternative to the sushi chains like Yo Sushi! in Paddington station, or an alternative to the little Japanese canteens in Soho...

This place is huge, modern, hype, and empty! In this business district, week days are not very busy for dinner, so you are sure to be able to enjoy some delicate Japanese food in a quiet design environment. It is certainly more busy at lunch time.

Noodles, sushi, sashimi, tempura, gyosa, skewers. Everything you would expect from a decent Japanese venue are on the menue. Food is well portioned and fresh, whilst service is kind and of great standard, all of which explains the not so affordable price list. The basics remain acceptable, but the bill can rapidly rocket if you are like me a great fan of sushi.

• Added: 11th of February 2008
• Area: Tottenham Court Road
• Category: Restaurants

London W1D 2DW
020 7287 5953

Cedric said
Fresh Noodles
Amazing show to be enjoyed through the window of this restaurant on Oxford Street... The chef is playing, stretching, punching his dow to make it just perfect for fresh noodles or dim sums. The food itself is fine, without being outstanding, but at least you have the insurance that what has landed in your plate has been made and cooked on premise. It is a mixture of noodles either in soup or dry, and Chinese ravioli. Prices are more than OK, especially for the area.

• Added: 8th of January 2008
• Area: Bermondsey
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SE1 3UB
020 7357 9269

Cedric said
Crowded, no matter when
The woolpack was the unmissable destination when I was working in Bermondsey. Not that the food is excellent or the drinks cheap, but because it was conveniently located a few meters away from the office. And no matter when we went there, either in the winter or in the summer, it was always packed, especially on Fridays evening. What can I say? As a non-drinker, I will pass on the beers and shots, but will focus on the fingerfood and other pub food that can be ordered. Their chips are great, and if you are lucky enough to get them quickly (depending on the above-mentioned crowd obviously) they make a nice side to your lager... If you are after a proper meal, I liked their Lebanese inspired platters with skewers, houmous, pita, etc. Overall this is a pub that delivers what you expect from a pub: decent food, and a lot of social life. The biergarten in the back can accomodate lot of seating to enjoy the summer nights, if you can sit...

• Added: 8th of January 2008
• Area: Bermondsey
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London SE1 3UW
020 7423 1525

Cedric said
chill-out place
This is a nice place to hang around when your internet connection is fallty in the office... I have sipped many teas and swallowed many muffins in their couches. The music can be a bit loud when you try to concentrate on the emails you are writting, but overall the atmosphere is fine. They also serve chilled food (sandwiches and salads), but I tend to think that however good and healthy it was, the prices were a bit stretched.