• Added: 2nd of May 2007
• Area: Mayfair
• Category: Restaurants

London W1S 4NF
020 7499 3033

lucyw said
Great brunch
This place knows how to make a seriously good cup of coffee. And the eggs benedict rocks too - some of the best poached eggs I've had out in a long time. I've been here for breakfast/brunch twice in the last couple of months and really enjoyed every mouthful. It's not just the food that's appealing, the place is modelled on an american diner - not the loud rock and roll variety but a more refined and very sophisticated mix of wood and leather.

I sat at the same table each time - a cosy booth in an area that resembles the inside of what I imagine the Orient Express to be like. At the front of the restaurant is a cafe type area and then at the back is a much lighter conservatory, so three different ambiences in one depending on your occasion.

This is a great place to meet up to fuel a days shopping.

• Added: 1st of May 2007
• Area: Belgravia
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London SW1X 7RL
020 7201 1619

lucyw said
Pret a Portea
If you're looking for something to impress the lady in your life, you can't go wrong with taking her for afternoon tea at the Berkeley. It's a very girly experience that will cost you a pretty penny but it's a great one off treat.

You take tea in the Caramel Room and when your shown to your table there's a place name waiting to greet you. We had the high couture variety which came with a glass of champagne served in special flutes. Then, along came the cake stand covered in little things of beauty, all inspired by the latest fashion collections. The delicacies varied from shot glasses of colourful mousses to handbag shapped cakes to bikini biscuits to a cake/mouse inspired by the heel of a shoe. There's also a selection of savoury snacks which are more traditional in their appearance with their crusts off and cut into triangles.

It's all delicious and there's no need to fight over who gets what, there's a constant stream of replacements - a bit like all you can eat. And if you can't quite finish them all there and then, you're encouraged to take your goodies home in a stylish take away box. Which is exactly what I did for a fellow afternoon tea fan.

• Added: 1st of May 2007
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1D 4SL
020 7813 8010

lucyw said

I'd heard about Barrafina on the grapevine, all very good reports, but had never got round to going along. Then one day Mr Lucy suggested we pay it a visit - he even knew that to get a seat at the bar straight away (you can't book), we should go along on a Saturday afternoon around 5pm. I was impressed, and not just by his planning skills.

We got the last two seats at the bar which is open planned to the kitchen so you if you have a curious streak like me you'll enjoy watching everything being cooked fresh and from scratch. Right in front of us was the fresh fish on ice display, not my thing but I could appreciate the quality and variety of what was on offer. We ordered a range of tapas, all of which came as and when they were ready and were absolutely delicious. The lamb chops are perhaps the most tasty I've ever had. So good in fact that once we finished one round we ordered another straight away!

By the time we'd sampled as much of the menu as we could possibly manage there was quite a queue of people waiting to take our place. Now to the matter of the bill. Considering the quality of the food, it was well worth it. I can't recommend this place enough - next time you're in Soho pop in and see if you can grab a seat at the bar.

• Added: 30th of April 2007
• Area: Fitzrovia
• Category: Restaurants

London W1T 2NQ
020 7637 1122

lucyw said
Go for the spicy beef!
I love Charlotte Street. I'm slowly working my way around all the fine places but there's one place I just can't keep away from... Dim T. Not only do I keep going back but I always order the same thing, the dim sum. There's a whole other menu there which looks delicious but I just can't seem to get past those little parcels. Despite not eating fish I have no trouble finding ones I like - the spicy beef ones are something to behold! And it's all so reasonable too.

One day I will get onto the rest of the menu but in the meantime this is the place to go for cheap dim sum - forget Ping Pong, this place beats it hands down

• Added: 30th of April 2007
• Area: Taplow
• Category: Others

Taplow SL6 0DA

lucyw said
Low Tea
If my Mum has passed on one tradition, it's the art of enjoying afternoon tea. Together, over the years, we've sampled some of the finest places to serve high tea. So, when her birthday came around this year I wanted to spoil her. I took her to Taplow House for afternoon tea and what turned out to be a really disappointing experience.

It all started promisingly: the sun was out; we had a table on the terrace overlooking the lawn; the menu had afternoon tea on it for 12.50 - I should have taken that as a warning sign... Where do I start? The service was slow and came with a 'what do I care' attitude. We were left waiting for five minutes for a jug of milk to go with our stewing pots of tea. We then had a lenghty wait for some clotted cream portions only to have one taken away to another table. But the most upsetting thing was the cakes, I've never had afternoon tea with muffins, cookies and bready cakes before. Im my book the cake part of afternoon tea is a contrast to the scones - meringues, eclairs, tartlets, that sort of thing. Disappointed, we left most of the cakes and just concentrated on the scones, which to be fair were good.

If you're after a nice place to enjoy afternoon tea in this South Bucks area I'd recommend you go to the Compleat Angler at Marlow instead. It might be more expensive but the views are stunning (right on the Thames), the service is proffesional and the cakes are yummy.

• Added: 2nd of April 2007
• Area: Greenwich
• Category: Restaurants

London SE10 8NN
0208 293 9270

lucyw said

This is my 'date' place. Whenever Mr Lucy and I want to spend some quality time together in a place where we know we won't be disappointed we always end up here. The decor is simple and elegant - a true transformation from the chain pub it used to be! It has a nice buzz to it, the staff have the right balance of being attentive but not too fussy.

Speaking of fussy, I'm not the most adventurous of eaters. I do enjoy a good bit of meat but I tend to stick to the usual suspects. Mr Lucy, on the other hand, loves the more challenging dishes and there are a plenty here to keep him entertained. You can even arrange for a medieval style banquet to be held in your honour with suckling pig as the main event.

Getting back to the menu, there's a balanced mix of the safe options (for people like me) and challenging dishes for the more adventurous (everyone else). If you can make room for a desert the crumble is delicious. To wash it all down the wine list makes good reading and it caters for the wide range of dishes.

All in all, this is one of my favourite places. And if you're a member of the Picturehouse cinema next door (which we are) on certain days you get a discount. Everyone's a winner

• Added: 2nd of April 2007
• Area: Greenwich
• Category: Food and Drink

London SE10 8RT
020 8858 4032

lucyw said

I used to live round the corner from this butcher and I loved nothing better than popping down on a Saturday morning and stocking up on meat for the week ahead. They have a great range of meat including stuff you won't get at the supermarket like rabbit and bones to make your own stock. Once I'd picked up my meat I'd head to the next door shops either side - the brilliant Cheese Board and The Creaky Shed (greengrocers). Perfect village living in the heart of London.

• Added: 2nd of April 2007
• Area: Greenwich
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London SE10 8RT
020 8691 7240

lucyw said
doorstep of home made cake?
Nestled amongst the Georgian houses of West Greenwich, Royal Teas is a real gem of a tea shop. I love to while away an hour or so over a pot of tea and a very generous portion of one of the many cakes they bake on the premises. (I often have to ask for a doggy bag to take home the cake I can't quite finish in one sitting). But it's not all tea and cake, they do delicious milk shakes, freshly squeezed juices, good coffee, and a wide range of savoury vegetarian snacks. And it's all very reasonable, which in a tourist hot spot like Greenwich is a joy. The only thing I can think of that would improve it further is a lucious garden out the back with a hammock. That said, there is a patio out front with tables and chairs where you can watch the local Greenwich world go by. Bliss.