• Added: 15th of September 2008
• Area: Fulham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SW6 4UL
020 7731 2183

gourmand said
Best real ale pub in London
Have been to a considerable number of real ale pubs in London but The White Horse serves the best range of beers in perfect condition. New management have added a range of micro-brew beers and increased choice adding a regular mild (Moorhouse Black Cat, Hobsons, Jennings, JW Lees, Crouch Vale, Harveys or Timothy Taylors Golden Best or Dark Mild) and frequently a regular porter. Excellent bitters seen here for the first time have included Bowmans Swift One and Abbeydale Matins. Cheapest and best pint of Harveys in town (£2.60)- far better(and more hospitable!)than The Royal Oak in Borough!
I do tend to avoid visiting before and after Chelsea home football matches but otherwise my visits have always been most pleasurable - enhanced by a very friendly, hard working and welcoming staff.
Good food here too - far superior to the Duke On The Green or Aragon House opposite.

• Added: 26th of June 2008
• Area: Chelsea
• Category: Restaurants

London SW3 3QP
020 7349 0202

gourmand said
Mammoth disappointment
My wife and I visited this establishment with great expectations - probably too high!(although I do not think that our expectations were unwarranted in view of all the reports that we had read and received from friends who had visited Tom Aitken's restaurants).
We both chose the Gloucester Old Spot pork chop expecting it to be at least as good as that which we had experienced at The House in Islington - but Tom's dish was nowhere near as flavoursome or indeed as large as that at The House - in fact Tom's dish was very average and somewhat tasteless in comparison (and not dissimilar to a standard pork chop), although at least not bad enough to send back.
The bottle of wine that we had was good although overpriced.
Although we were invited to return (to give it another chance and try something different!) we shall not bother as we have other restaurants which we frequent where the quality and/or value for money is far better.

• Added: 3rd of May 2008
• Area: Battersea
• Category: Restaurants

London SW8 3RH
020 7622 0555

gourmand said
Booking conundrum
Beware in respect of confirmed bookings at this restaurant. Following receipt of an E-mail confirmation of our booking through Top Table we were subsequently advised that the restaurant was fully booked shortly before our scheduled arrival there!

• Added: 5th of February 2008
• Area: Bankside
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SE1 4JU
020 7357 7173

gourmand said
Royal Oak Rage
Oh Dear! What in Harvey’s name has happened to this pub? Has it changed hands? It has always been a pleasure to visit this pub and receive a warm welcome from the hospitable landlord, Frank, and swap the occasional story and beer with him.

However shock and horror upon my return here with my wife yesterday (Sunday afternoon at 5pm) for another anticipated pleasurable visit only to be confronted by a surly foul-mouthed man across the bar professing to be the Licensee and repeatedly shouting at us to “f….off, and get out” whilst I was trying to politely explain to the barmaid that the bottom of a glass retains the heat for quite a while after the glass has come out of the glasswasher. My explanation was regrettably necessary as the barmaid (whom I had never seen in here before) had accidentally served me a pint of draught mild in a hot glass despite my request when ordering for her to please make sure that the bottom of the glass was cold – a request which the barmaid unfortunately did not appear to understand.

Apparent attempts by the other barman to calm down “the Licensee” were to no avail and my wife and I accordingly departed amid further tirades of “f….off and get out” from the professed “Licensee” who refused to supply his name or cease swearing. A most unpleasant experience for my wife and I tinged with sadness at the rapid decline in the standard of service at this hitherto much-loved pub.

• Added: 21st of May 2007
• Area: Willesden
• Category: Restaurants

London NW10 2RX
020 8459 0340

gourmand said
CLOSED
Travelled there for dinner last night only to sadly discover that the place has closed permanently - looks more like a building site! Tried telephoning beforehand but incoming calls not accepted. Local enquiries revealed that apparently the people running the restaurant have given up as it is uneconomic to continue under the landlord's rent review. This is regrettably not our first experience of this scenario in London with a restaurant who has toiled for years to build a good reputation only to suffer an exhorbitant rent increase from the landlord thus forcing it out of business!

• Added: 14th of May 2007
• Area: Winchester
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Winchester SO23 9NQ

gourmand said
Unique rambling characterful pub serving excellent real ales & food
This is every real ale and food lover's dream pub that they would love to find! Rambling, quirky, friendly with excellent selection of well kept real ales and good value home cooked food with fresh ingredients. We have had many medium rare roast beef Sunday lunches here and the best fresh haddock & chips & ham hock the other evening which proved that the same high culinary standards are maintained during weekdays. Parking only available in nearby municipal car park on main road (short walk). We really wish that this pub could be our local.

• Added: 14th of May 2007
• Area: Fulham
• Category: Shops

London SW6 5HA

gourmand said

My favourite bookshop - but be prepared to lose yourself in the ambience for a whole afternoon.

• Added: 14th of May 2007
• Area: Putney
• Category: Restaurants

London SW15 1SL

gourmand said
Closed
Sadly long closed (used to serve the best pizzas that I have had in Putney and around) and recently re-opened as Bar Brazil!

• Added: 23rd of April 2007
• Area: Putney
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SW15 3TU
020 8788 2011

gourmand said
The Country Pub in London
A country mansion/pub in the middle of Putney Heath recently lavishly refurbished. Easy unrestricted parking. Varied selection of excellent real ales (6 handpumps), good food by a French Chef and friendly service. Beers more expensive than some other pubs but then I do not know of anywhere else where one can enjoy Jennings Cumberland Ale or Weltons Pride-n-Joy in such opulent surroundings. Weekly quiz & film nights plus excellent live acoustic blues nights every Friday.

• Added: 16th of April 2007
• Area: Hammersmith
• Category: Restaurants

London W6 7PB
020 7603 2142

gourmand said
Value for money
My benchmark restaurant in London that I compare all others to in terms of value for money (I hope this will not lead to price increases!), quality of food and tempting dishes offered on the menu. The fixed price 2/3 course lunch/dinner takes some beating especially in view of the inclusion of dishes that you would otherwise not find on a fixed course menu. And then there is the a la carte menu which includes pan fried foie gras with a fried egg and brioche in addition to other delectable choices. The restaurant itself is well set out (not cramped and with elegant minimalist decor) and the staff are well trained. We have never had anything but a superb meal here and had a memorable wedding dinner here three years ago.