• Added: 25th of May 2008
• Area: Edgware Road
• Category: Food and Drink

London W2 2AZ
020 7706 2770

bombaybeauty said
Fashionable chocolate
This is a chocolate shop for the fashion set, in two senses. First each piece is beautifully constructed with a range of exotic and subtle ingredients -- they look great! Second, each piece is really small, so if you're someone who would rather have one small taste of heaven rather than a big dose, this is perfect for you.

It's not cheap -- each piece is 1.50 or so. But the people at the shop are very friendly and will often let you try more than a few while you are there.

• Added: 11th of February 2008
• Area: Shoreditch
• Category: Restaurants

London EC2A 3DZ
020 7729 7053

bombaybeauty said
A great spot for drinks or food in Shoreditch
I've walked by many times and the place has always exuded a relaxed but quality ambiance -- nice people, relaxing nicely. Not to contradict the first statement, but it tends to really fill up for meals on weekends, giving it some real buzz. I haven't tried it on weekday evenings.

The food... I tried only 3 items, all from the starters menu, but the quality was high enough to give the confidence to recommend the place to others, given of course the nice vibe.

I wouldn't travel to this part of town just to go here, but if you're in this part of town then a visit would be rewarding.

• Added: 14th of January 2008
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 9JP
020 7379 3444

bombaybeauty said
Pre- or post-opera drinks
This place is perfect for what it is: a nice spot to get pre- or post-opera drinks. As noted by others, this place is in the basement below the restaurant. Pre-opera it is quite, almost too much so, but still a good place to get a little glass of wine before the opera. Post-opera it does liven up, and has the virtue of staying open late. If the opera is a part of your life, then this is a convenient spot to know. Also good to avoid over-crowded Covent Garden spots.

• Added: 14th of January 2008
• Area: Aldgate
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London E1 6QL
020 7247 3137

bombaybeauty said
Oustanding pizza
Truly outstanding pizza in the Spitalfields Market area (just opposite Rough Trade). Paper thin, crisp crusts, piled with the best ingredients. It's not authentically Italian (as sniffed one of the Italian friends I brought along), but even they had to concede when it's this good you throw authenticity to the winds. It is also not cheap, despite the very casual environment: 10 quid for the pizza, plus a little glass of wine. But truly worth every penny.

• Added: 6th of September 2007
• Area: Marylebone
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W1U 2QE
020 7969 3900

bombaybeauty said
At last, a late night bar in the area
An update on my previous review (below). The place remains very unpredictable: some nights packed with a great crowd, other nights dead. But as mentioned below, the bar stays open till 1 or 2 am. The trick is to walk around the block and enter through the hotel. The place is often open, even though it looks closed from outside. They've lost some of their friendlier staff, but the food menu is decent (sourced locally in Marylebone) and the room pleasant.

* * *

This place is newish and has been trying to drum up business by offering 2-for-1 dinner specials. The decor makes it feel a bit clubbish but it's not crowded (at least for the moment) and well lit. Think of it as a quiet, elegant spot. I've only ever tried one bit of food here - the grilled cheese - and it was more than fine. But best till last: though the restaurant closes at 11 the bar stays open till 2 am. At last a civilized refuge after all restaurants in the area have kicked you out.

• Added: 10th of August 2007
• Area: Marylebone
• Category: Restaurants

London W1U 2PS
020 7486 3862

bombaybeauty said
Reliable, cheap South Indian food
This is what Indian restaurants used to be, before they got aspirations to greater things: reliable, cheap, unfussy, albeit a bit drab.

Let's be clear: this isn't great Indian food. But let's also be clear: sometimes you just want a decent, tasty meal without the fuss. And if in such a mood you happen to want Indian then this would be a good choice.

Also of note is that they serve South Indian food, in addition to the usual things you would expect. South Indian food uses a different set of spices and configurations (try the dosa, a thin rice and lentil crepe, eaten with sambar, a spicy lentil soup with vegetables).

• Added: 9th of August 2007
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2H 0HE
020 7312 2490

bombaybeauty said
View, view, view
It's a tiny space, which you have to traverse the gallery to reach. But exactly because it's a bit compressed inside the view outside seems all the more spectacular.

This is an excellent spot for: (a) any meal or snack whilst visiting the gallery, (b) an after work drink if you're in this part of town, or (c) indeed a romantic evening.

Food and wine do well by the spot.

• Added: 9th of August 2007
• Area: Kings Cross
• Category: Restaurants

London N1 9NR
020 7841 7331

bombaybeauty said
Passable tapas for a quiet night out in the area
It's a hard place to find, hidden in the courtyard at the corner of Caledonian and Pentonville, and the idea of a hidden (not so little) tapas place right across the street from Scala is appealing. The space is divided into two sections. The bar/tapas section includes a large courtyard and interior bar space. The space is a little too large for the crowds this place currently attracts. Filled with 100 people it might be a lot of fun. Currently it's a good spot for a heart-to-heart.

The tapas selection is limited, but decent. The classic tortilla was slightly below par, the spinach croquettes not too flavorful, and the Manchego cheese, well, good (apparently they can wield knife pretty well).

If this placed served really cheap drinks it would be spot on perfect. But as it stands the pieces of the puzzle don't fit together.

• Added: 9th of August 2007
• Area: Farringdon
• Category: Restaurants

London EC1M 3JB
020 7404 4422

bombaybeauty said
Over-priced, under-vibed
I had read many positive things about this place but found it disappointing on two dimensions. First and foremost the vibe. I was there on Wednesday at 8 pm. It was dead! The space is very nice as a grocery store but too cavernous to make a cozy dining spot. Second, the prices were a little high. For a side salad, a first, a glass of wine, and a dessert shared with a friend I paid 40 pounds. I know that's not a crazy number but for a cafe and for this quantity of food it's a bit much. In the wine list they list everything from the most expensive to the cheapest. This to me emblematic.

Having said all of this negative, the food was good. Simple, but very good ingredients.

So if money is no object and you specifically want a (very) quiet place, this would be the spot for you.

• Added: 7th of August 2007
• Area: Marylebone
• Category: Restaurants

London W1U 4RX
020 7935 6175

bombaybeauty said
Great good, unfriendly service
Perhaps this place is a victim of its own success. Outstanding food. The restaurant (upstairs) is expensive. I'm told it's good but haven't tried it. The tapas, bar area is at ground level. The menu consists of a dishes ranging from small bites, to soups, salads, to small mains. The ingredients are fresh, the choice of flavors unconventional but delightful. There's something of a new world/ fusion orientation to the menu and an emphasis on New Zealand wines.

The downside to all this joy is the service and the space. Unless you reach early, it gets crowded. And they have always been unfriendly, always. Granted some of this has to do with the tight space, but even then being coldly asked to wait outdoors till a table opens up could be done with more humour, charm, or good grace. It's enough of an issue for me that I tend to avoid the place unless I there's no choice, which happens from time to time when I'm looking for a place that services really good small bites, as this place does.