• Added: 14th of August 2007
• Area: Fitzrovia
• Category: Restaurants

London W1T 2LT
020 7636 2833

Liz said
Passione
A small buzzy Italian in Charlotte Street (I want to live in this street!). Very traditional inside - nice touch of bowls of cherry tomatoes and the biggest olives I have ever seen on tables. It seems very traditional in here (the sort that does HUGE portions) no pretentiousness. I had a bread and tomato salad to start which was ok, nothing special, a bit bland. Then I had the sword fish which was their fish special. It was good, with a tasty pesto sauce and green beans. My favourite part however was the dessert, I had a rhubard panne cotte, which was so good - right mix of creaminess and the tartness of the rhubard went down a treat. The wine was good, they had a good list with a good range of prices (a good Sardinian red for about 20 I seem to recall).

Service very friendly and happy!

Quite expensive, I would recommend for a family meal as the food is tasty and appealing to all ages.

• Added: 14th of August 2007
• Area: Pimlico
• Category: Restaurants

London SW1P 3BU
020 7222 2555

Liz said
The Cinnamon Club
I have been dying to try this place for ages - I think it was good, but I expected more - perhaps I had hyped it up too much in my head. I started with some prawns. They were really tasty, not too much overpowering flavour, just right. For my main course I had the smoked lamb - it was delicious, but such a small portion (two small chops) - I was desperate for more. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the smoky taste rather delicate (as opposed to charcoal bbq flavours). For my desert I had their chocolate concoction which was very good. The service was good, the wine was good. The bill was very expensive, I don't think I would rush back (however that smoked lamb was a winner...) but the experience was a good one and I would recommend it.

If you go make time to have a drink at the bar first - I had a martini with vodka, lemongrass, chilli and watermelon. It was one of the best cocktails I have ever had, I could identify all the flavours and the combination was perfect.

• Added: 14th of August 2007
• Area: Bloomsbury
• Category: Restaurants

London WC1N 3LW
020 7405 1717

Liz said
Cigala
Popped in here for lunch on a Sunday. The place was so quiet which was sad as it was such a great find (but good if the sun is out and then you are guaranteed a seat outside!). The waitress told us that during the week the place is heaving so the weekend is the best bet for some relaxation there.

The food was very good. I tried the albondigas (which were lamb with a small bit of mint) in a rich tomato sauce. Also had chicken croquettas which were lovely with a rich creamy texture. The pimentos del Padron were excellent, with the obligatory 1 in 10 being a scorcher. I also had grilled chorizo which was tasty with the right amount of saltiness. The tortilla espanola was excellent, cold, as it should be, with chunky pieces of potato - it was prepared in the morning, as it should be, leaving time for the flavours to strenghten although it did need a bit of salt. The wine list was excellent. I had a summery glass of tempranillo rose.

The only reason why I haven't given a five star rating to this was because the albondigas were not as warm as they could have been and the bread was a tad stale. But these were minor things and overall the meal was outstanding. The service was excellent and we sent our compliments to the chef who apparently was one of the founders of Moro down the road. The bill came to around 25 per head for lunch which included one glass of wine. A bit of the expensive side but there was so much to try and we went for it. Left the restaurant feeling stuffed and highly satisfied. I will be back!