• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Park Royal
• Category: Restaurants

London W5 3AQ
020 8991 9900

evarley said
Not as good as it used to be
I used to live just up the street from Sorrento and loved it for the delicious, thin-based pizzas, the hearty pasta and the cute decor and romatic atmosphere.

It's now changed hands and become Toscana, and I visited last weekend. The 18mths absence has seen a change in management and decor and it's lost that lovely, intimate feeling (though I went at lunch time and it could be better in the evening with candles).

My friend and I both had pizzas and they were tasty, but not as good as they once were. Vanilla ice cream for dessert ordered by my friend came as toffee, but as it was tasty he didn't mind and made no comment.

Well priced and good pizzas, but just not quite the great experience I remembered.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: East Dulwich
• Category: Restaurants

London SE22 9AX
020 7732 7575

evarley said
Pleasantly surprised
I visited Locale last week for the first time. After reading mixed reviews on a local discussion forum, I was pleasantly surprised with both the food and the delicious cocktail I had (can't remember the name, an apple and mint vodka martini type thing). My boyfriend didn't particularly enjoy his capirinha as it hadn't been made with dark sugar and wasn't quite up to scratch.

We shared the bruschetta to start and it was lovely - the tomatoes were perfectly ripe and very tasty, and not enough restaurants get the simple things right by having excellent produce.

I followed this with a gorgonzola gnocchi which was good, though the sauce was a little thin for my taste (needs to be thicker to stick well to gnocchi), but I enjoyed the flavour very much. My boyfriend enjoyed his straightforward lasagne, and vanilla ice cream to finish.

The staff were friendly and attentive, and overall I really enjoyed the experience and would definitely go back.

The bill came to £54 for two cocktails (which may have been half price for happy hour - though i'm not sure), two small glasses of wine, one starter, two mains and one dessert.

• Added: 11th of June 2008
• Area: Peckham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SE15 4HY
020 7635 7048

evarley said
Fab as usual
I love the Gowlett! Went there last night after not having visited in a while and pleased to see it's just as good as ever.

My friend and I shared a half-and-half Gowlettini/Funghi pizza (£8) and a tricolore salad (£4). Both really good servings and the pizza has a great, incredibly thin stonebaked base. We finished with the brownie and ice-cream which was dark and cocoa-ey and very tasty indeed.

Service was friendly, if a teensy bit slow, and the football was on the big screens, but you can sit around the corner if you don't want to be distracted by it so it wasn't a problem.

The only things stopping it getting a five star is that they could do with sprucing up the decor slightly, and the loos definitely.

I'll be checking out their Thursday night vinyl night (bring your own 7ins) soon!

• Added: 11th of June 2008
• Area: Kensington
• Category: Restaurants

London SW7 4SF
020 7835 0840

evarley said
Not really worth it
Went here on the weekend as it was round the corner from where my parents are staying and we wanted something quick and easy. Both my step-mum and I ordered the special - an asparagus and pea risotto. We sent it back as it definitely wasn't risotto (they hadn't used arborio rice), and was tasteless mush. The four seasons pizza we shared instead was pretty tasty, and I was happy with that.

The service was average and the restaurant was playing weird disco music and didn't have much ambience, so all in all I wouldn't bother going back.