• Added: 18th of November 2008
• Area: Reading
• Category: Food and Drink

Reading RG1 4PS

mrsevans101 said

Excellent kebab shop, very busy at the weekends (especially when the After Dark is emptying out). The lambs kofte is particularly good - good enough to eat when sober!

• Added: 18th of November 2008
• Area: Reading
• Category: Restaurants

Reading RG1 2LN
0118 959 7191

mrsevans101 said
CLOSED
This cafe is now closed and has been replaced by a newsagent.

• Added: 18th of November 2008
• Area: Reading
• Category: Restaurants

Reading RG1 3EY

mrsevans101 said
Reliable Italian with a cracking breakfast
You know pretty much what you're going to get from Carluccio's - well made pasta, decent cappuccinos and a few interesting ingredients and this one does not disappoint.

The menu is short and perhaps a little limited but what is on there is very good. It changes seasonally plus has a handful of specials which changes roughly every couple of weeks.

One thing that most people have not tried here is the breakfast. This is a real shame as the breakfast here is very good. The Colazione Magnifico has a eggs (scrambled or poached), mushrooms (cooked with a few chives and often a touch of garlic) and lightly fried pancetta served on a slice of toasted ciabatta. You also get a tea or coffee and a juice and all for £8.50. Now I know you can get cheaper breakfasts in Reading, but not of the sort of quality that you'd get in Carluccio's.
It's perfect for a weekend morning recovery AND it is served all day. Very rare.

As has already been mentioned, service in the deli can be rather erratic - if you're caught behind the person buying 2 or 3 sliced meats or chilled items then you may be in for a long wait as there is usually only one person serving.

Anyway, go there, have some breakfast and maybe pick up a nice fresh loaf, a cake or some truffle oil on the way out. Lovely.

• Added: 18th of November 2008
• Area: Reading
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Reading RG1 2JR
0118 956 0666

mrsevans101 said
Great for cocktails
Great venue for cracking cocktails from a very extensive menu. Service is good, with staff bringing the cocktails to your table rather than making you wait at the bar.

The only drawback is that is can be really noisy at the weekend.

Expect to blow £20 or £30 without even trying because they are that delicious. Better cocktails than The Mix, in my opinion.

• Added: 18th of November 2008
• Area: Reading
• Category: Restaurants

Reading RG1 2AG
0118 951 1599

mrsevans101 said
Fast, cheap and informal
Great place for something quick and relatively light.
The restaurant is laid out canteen style, with new arrivals seated wherever there is space - you may end up sharing with someone else, but it is never cramped or awkward.

The food is tasty and arrives as it is cooked, though it is normally only a couple of minutes between each dish arriving. Service is quick but friendly.

I'd recommend the yaki udon and the plum wine. Lovely.

• Added: 18th of November 2008
• Area: Reading
• Category: Restaurants

Reading RG4 8JG

mrsevans101 said
It's all Greek to me!
Lovely authentic Greek restaurant in Caversham.

Food is really delicious and varied and the quality is really good. The meze is especially good with a wide variety of dishes - excellent value for a group or if you're hungry (as the dishes just keep coming) plus you get to have some dishes that you might not typically order (the beetroot salad is very tasty). If you prefer not to share then the Souvlakia (monkfish) and Kleftiko are scrummy.

There are plenty of Greek wines on the menu (the Naoussa Grand Reserve and Cava Boutari are excellent) and bottled water comes in big plastic bottles, just like on that holiday you have such fond memories of!

Definitely worth a try if you like tasty Greek food, but make sure you book as it does get very bust, especially at weekends.

• Added: 17th of July 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1D 4TR
020 7439 3309

mrsevans101 said
Pancakes and bacon and syrup - Oh my!
I had breakfast / brunch here two mornings in a row last weekend (return visit after a failed trip to nearby Amato's).

I'll keep this short.

Service was friendly (with a hint of California) and very efficient (without making you feel rushed.
I had amazing pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. Fluffy and light and gooey all at the same time with properly cooked bacon. Hubby had the cooked breakfast and was disappointed. He sent it back the first time because it was cold and was overall a bit disappointed that the sausage was not fab quality and the bacon a little underdone. I suspect that it didn't help that my pancakes were so delish.

And when I went back the second day they recognised me. Which was a nice touch but how embarrassing to be seen in the gay area of London tucking in to pancakes AND syrup AND bacon two days in a row, when all the other punters are so fit!

• Added: 17th of July 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London W1D 4TH
020 7734 5733

mrsevans101 said
How the mighty have fallen
I've eaten here plenty of times but not for a while, so I was quite excited to be in London for the weekend to have chance to enjoy their wonderful breakfasts.

Sadly it was not to be.

We arrived on Suday morning about 11 am to find a pretty empty dining room. We ordered breakfast (mostly eggs on toast and eggs benedict, as no one could face a full English). Our complimentary fruit juices were brought over. And we waited. And waited. And waited. Oh my goodness.
The large table next to us complained about the wait (despite many of them arriving after us) and somehow their food was magicked up.
We were not so lucky. 45 minutes after ordering and repeated promises of food on its way we gave up, told them to cancel our food and that we would pay for our drinks. The waiter took the food off the bill and told us that the cost of our drinks (4 fruit juices, one tea and one coffee) would be £14. £14! We argued that we only ordered the fruit juice because it came with the breakfast that they had not been able to supply so they relented and charged us only for the hot drinks.

I have so many good memories of eating here. This has been burst like a soap bubble by this terrible experience. Worst of all, we had brought friends from out of town with us and told them how marvellous Amato's is. Or was, I should stay.

We left, went to Balan's (along the road) for their cracking American style pancakes and friendly, efficient service.

• Added: 16th of July 2008
• Area: Clerkenwell
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London EC1V 4PH
020 7336 7726

mrsevans101 said
Delicious food, nice venue
Having eaten lunch here some time ago in the downstairs gastro pub we decided to make a return visit for an evening upstairs in the restaurant proper.

The pub was full of wedding revellers so it was a little surreal to wade through the crowds to go upstairs to the sombre-by-comparison dining room.

The upstairs restaurant is beautifully decorated with vintage cinema posters and the furniture is very much of the French brasserie style (with a wonderful high ceiling, proper napkins and French waitresses).

The menu is short and concise with half a dozen choices for each course.

Of particular note was the squid with mini stuffed peppers, a salad dressed with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and little pieces of gently fried chorizo. The best dessert (which I can only recommend second hand as there was no way my husband was going to share) was the assiette of chocolate - a chocolate parfait, chocolate mousse and (I think) a white chocolate milk thingy. I also enjoyed the pan fried haddock which was served on a delicious bed of crushed potatoes, flavoured with mustard and plenty of butter (making the additional mash we'd ordered rather superfluous).

Service was excellent - friendly but laid back - and the selection of wines available both by the glass and by the bottle were excellent.

All told, three courses with wine (including a delicious red dessert wine) came to about £90 including service charge.

I'd definitely recommend a visit, especially at the weekends when this neck of London is pretty quiet.

• Added: 5th of June 2008
• Area: Reading
• Category: Restaurants

Reading RG4 8JB

mrsevans101 said
Wonderful British place
So happy to find this place in out of the way Caversham. We happened upon it when visiting another restaurant in Caversham and was amazed to find out it had been there for a year.

The restaurant has a really Brighton-esque feel to it, with a smart but laid back vibe. The decor is in muted shades of green with dark wood tables. One of the owners (Matthew. The name Mya is a mix of his name and Yasmin, his sister the chef) is an experienced hand from London Street Brasserie in the centre of Reading (and it was nice to be recognised when we arrived - a nice touch).

Now, on to the food. The food is all British, with as much sourced locally as possible. The menu changes seasonally (the night we were there the broccoli was off and was replaced by new season asparagus) and they promise that 80% of waste is recycled. So all good.
Finally the food is delicious. I had the asparagus starter, with hollandaise sauce and boiled egg, then I the fillet steak with a peppery potato rosti, braised shallots with a delicious sticky sweet gravy. And finally a light-as-a-feather treacle tart with a hint of lemon, vanilla ice cream and cream. It was all beautifully done. The only complaint I could make is that my steak was medium rare rather than rare, but it was such a delicious cut that it was hard to care.

Service is excellent - friendly and informal with just the right amount of presence that is so hard to get right.

I shall be returning later this month for the British Tasting Night. I can't wait.