• Added: 24th of August 2007
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2B 5AA
020 7242 0622

Hazzabout said
Covent Garden Gastropub
I was keen to try this place, after all the hype when it opened a few months back - it's run by the people behind the Anchor & Hope and the Eagle - both gastropubs I'm very fond of - but the bonus here is that you can book a table, rather than having to take your chances like you do at the Eagle, or wait at the bar for hours like you do in the Anchor & Hope.

If you can find your way inside (it's difficult to find, being unmarked from the outside), the menu will seem familiar to anyone who's visited any of these other gastropubs - it changes daily and relies on in-season, British ingredients, and all looks so delicious that it's difficult to choose.

The food definitely lived up to its promise - the six of us ordered lots of different dishes between us and there were excellent reviews all round - as did the wine list (wine is served rather bizarrely in little tumblers rather than wine glasses). The staff were extremely friendly and there is the same open-kitchen, relaxed feeling that you get in the Eagle.

I didn't like the atmosphere quite as much as some other gastropubs though. I think this is basically because there is not really a proper bar area (though you can sit at the bar to eat or drink, there's no standing room), and you pretty much have to book - essentially it's not really a gastropub at all, more like a restaurant or brasserie. Also not so keen on all the dark red walls and dark wood floors and furniture - maybe in winter this will seem cosy, but on a summer evening it just seemed unecessarily gloomy. The quality of the food means I'd still visit again, though.

• Added: 24th of August 2007
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London WC2H 0BL
020 8922 6308

Hazzabout said
Fabulous coffee on the Charing Cross Road
A colleague introduced me to this place, knowing that I'm a fan of good coffee. I'd never have spotted it - it blends into the general melee of heavy traffic and questionable greasy spoons on this stretch of the Charing Cross Road. Once you get inside, though, the HUGE gleaming chrome coffee machine alerts you to the fact that they take coffee seriously here.

It's pretty tiny - about 4 small tables and a sofa at the back - so you might have to hover at the bar for a bit before diving for a table (not so good for a serious work meeting after all then - but with coffee this good none of us cared).

The coffee is just fantastic, and comes beautifully presented. The iced mocha coffee is so addictive that, having had it the first time I went, I've been unable to order anything else since. But I have it on authority that the espressos, ristrettos, macchiatos etc are also of gourmet standard. I would guess the place must be owned by Italians, judging by the style of the coffee and the array of Italian pastries on offer.

Best of all, I noticed last week that they've opened a new branch next to the upper level of the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank - hurrah for more good coffee places in my fave parts of London!

• Added: 18th of June 2007
• Area: Charing Cross
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London WC2N 5DN

Hazzabout said
Brilliant brunch
I visited this place on Saturday and had delicious eggs florentine with strong coffee and freshly squeezed juice. I loved the decor and the pile of free newspapers. The prices are pretty reasonable too, especially for this part of town (brunch dishes are around 6 quid).

The entrance is surprisingly unobtrusive, tucked away on the corner of trafalgar square and St Martin's Lane, opposite St Martin's Church. Maybe that's why it was so empty when we were there - it certainly deserves to be more crowded. But it meant we had our pick of the comfy red leather sofas around the sides.

It opens at 8am on weekdays and 10am at weekends, and stays open until 11pm most nights (for drinks, cocktails and bar food). The lunch, afternoon tea and dinner menus looked delicious too (check it out at www.nationalcafe.com), and there's a pre-theatre set menu. I'll definitely be back.

• Added: 9th of June 2007
• Area: Soho
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London W1F 9JF

Hazzabout said
Tranquil Scandinavian cafe hidden away in a Soho corner
Apparently this is the first Finnish coffee shop in London. I think it's got all the ingredients for a perfect shopping break, or meeting spot.

They do good, strong coffee, and a selection of scandinavian pastries, including enormous cinnamon buns and doughnuts (it seems that the latter are called 'munkki' in Finnish which is a much more appealing name, I think). The open sandwiches looked delicious too; hardboiled eggs with anchovies, gravadlax, smoked salmon, herring etc.

The design is pleasing too, all wood-clad walls, simple designer tables and chairs, and dark blue chunky crockery. A chilled-out place to while away an hour.

• Added: 9th of June 2007
• Area: Lewisham
• Category: Restaurants

London SE4 1XF

Hazzabout said
Decent Turkish local
You wouldn't make a special trip to this little Turkish Caff on a fairly barren stretch of Lewisham Way, but if you ever find yourself down in SE13 and in need of a slap-up meal, Meze Mangal is definitely the place to go.

The food is excellent and really cheap, with mezzes around 3 quid, main courses at 8-9 and delicious pides (Turkish pizza-type things) around 6 quid. As a result the place seems permanently packed with appreciative locals. They're really friendly in there, too. The decor is warm and cosy, complete with open kitchen and wood fired oven in the middle. It's also a little bit retro, or maybe that's the Eastern European feel - it actually reminded us of the typical restaurants we saw on a trip to rural Albania last year. (Except there are no animal skins, you'll be pleased to know).

• Added: 8th of November 2006
• Area: Camberwell
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SE5 0RS
020 7735 9990

Hazzabout said
Good local pub with food in Oval/Camberwell
If you ever find yourself on the borders of Kennington and Camberwell - as I do rather often, having the (misfortune?) of working around here - this pub is definitely one of the nicest things about the area.

It somehow manages to be spacious yet cosy, something to do with all the dark wood and squashy sofas, and general ambiance. Friendly bar staff and punters. V good happy hour. They also do decent food - especially the enormous sandwiches (chicken club, steak, tuna melt) which come with fat chips - a bargain at 3.95. The tuna melt is a particular favourite.

• Added: 8th of November 2006
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2H 0HE
020 7312 2490

Hazzabout said
Bargainous afternoon tea and gorgeous views
Right up on the very top floor of the National Portrait Gallery, this is a great place where you can sit and have a pot of tea, scones, jam and clotted cream for about a fiver, while gazing across the rooftops of central London.

It's actually a proper restaurant, but I've only ever tried the afternoon tea, which is served between 3pm and 5pm.

Why not spend half an hour or so perusing the gallery on your way up? A great place to catch up with friends, but also one to take your mum to.

• Added: 31st of October 2006
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 8JD
020 7379 9696

Hazzabout said
Gorgeous restaurant in Covent Garden perfect for a special meal
I have to agree with my good friend Formaggio on this one. My favourite thing is the unusual decor - it's festooned with blossom-laden tree branches, and in the summer the courtyard roof opens so you're dining al fresco. In the winter it's much cosier (I seem to remember they have an open fire).

They serve sophisticated and v delicious mediterranean food. Excellent wines and a friendly sommelier who will suggest a glass of wine to go perfectly with your meal. Go for the set lunch option which is, I think, about 16 quid for 2 courses - very good value for food of this quality.

• Added: 31st of October 2006
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2H 9DP
020 7379 0298

Hazzabout said
The best place for lunch in Covent Garden...
Well, definitely one of them anyway. Wander into the secluded and leafy Neal's Yard - there are a couple of cafes at ground level, with tables outside, but those are best avoided. Instead look for a doorway to your right (between Neals Yard remedies and the walk-in backrub) and head upstairs. It's a big open space, with the kitchen in the middle surrounded by a bar, and the menu on the wall. There are long wooden tables underneath lovely big windows (which in the summer are wide open, letting the flowers from the window boxes spill inside). The food is all vegetarian, and really international - choose from things like indian thali, mexican platter, turkish mezze, or scottish pancakes. There are smaller, light-lunch style plates at about 4-5 quid and enormous platters (if you are very hungry) for about 7 quid. Nice juices and lovely cafetiere coffee. It's open daytimes only, monday-saturday.

• Added: 31st of October 2006
• Area: Bankside
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SE1 9PP
020 7928 6243

Hazzabout said
Laid back South bank venue with tasty food and nice vibe
Have been going here with friends for years - it's always a solid bet if you want to meet up with a big crowd for food and drink (and noisy conversation). It's got a nice al fresco eating area with big wooden picnic tables, and really comes into its own in summer. Inside is light and airy with scrubbed wooden tables and specials chalked up on a blackboard. They do modern european food - burgers, risottos, fishcakes, lamb shanks with couscous, that type of thing. It can get horribly crowded (big queues for the loos and slow service) so best on a weeknight.