• Added: 18th of November 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Take Aways

London NW1 9LG
020 7485 7774

Niamheen said
Clean, quick & cheap
Clean, quick, cheap and does great chips in a wrap, it's my post gig hotspot when in Camden and hungry on the way home.

• Added: 11th of November 2008
• Area: Barcelona
• Category: Restaurants

Barcelona
93 265 85 59

Niamheen said
Great food, service remiss
Whilst on a weekend in Barcelona recently, we happened upon Taller de Tapas in the Born area and gave it a try. It was a beautiful bright November day so we opted to sit outside. Service was quick, if a little brusque bordering on rude from one particular waiter, but the food was, in the main, delicious and the prices reasonable.

As is to be expected in Barcelona, there's a great selection of seafood. Particularly recommended are the clams with white wine, chilli and garlic, salt cod fritters and the slow roast mountain lamb. The nuri goats cheese with honey and pinenuts for dessert was divine. So, if you're looking for a nice relaxed bite away from the madness of La Rambla, I'd stop here.

• Added: 6th of November 2008
• Area: Brondesbury
• Category: Restaurants

London NW6 4BT
020 7372 4699

Niamheen said
Credit Crunch Dining
Little Bay is perfect for that last minute dinner when you can't face the kitchen or a cheap and cheerful catch up with friends. It's very reasonable, and you certainly get value for your money. The decor is extremely quirky, the restaurant is split in two with a big conservatory section to one side. I'd recommend booking as it always extremely busy.

• Added: 6th of November 2008
• Area: Cricklewood
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London NW2 3JX
020 8450 4370

Niamheen said
Cricklewood gastropub
Owned by the same people that own The Black Lion in Kilburn, this is a similar setup, a nice pub set in a lovely old building. There is also a guesthouse with a great beer garden out the back. I've only had snacks there and they were standard spring rolls etc., decent pub fare. I'd definitely try the food if I went back.

• Added: 4th of November 2008
• Area: Bloomsbury
• Category: Restaurants

London WC1H 9EW
(020) 7383 3135

Niamheen said
Heartwarming Sichuan Food in Bloomsbury
London is going through a Sichuan discovery phase. There are old faithfuls like Angeles in Kilburn and Sichuan Restaurant in Acton which have been around for years, but recent times has seen a relevant explosion on the restaurant scene with Bar Shu in Soho, Snazz Sichuan in Euston and Red 'n' Hot near Chinatown. The latest addition to this list is Chilli Cool in Bloomsbury.

If you haven't had proper Sichuan food before, let me prepare you, it's hot. Hot hot hot. Sichuan peppercorns have two types of heat, spicy heat and numbing heat. If you're more familiar with cantonese food, this is a completely different experience, offering spicy hot pots and offal a plenty.

We went on a Saturday for a friends birthday, and were seated down the back at a round table which was really sociable and perfect for sharing. The restaurant was full, and the clientele were predominantly Chinese, always a good sign. The restaurant decor is fairly understated, Cool Chilli is all about the food.

We were fortunate that two of our party were from Chengdu in Sichuan, so we were only delighted when he offered to order on our behalf. Before long the table was covered with a variety of dishes, literally, there was hardly room for our bowls. Indeed we had to keep the rice on a nearby shelf!

Favourites for me were the fish hot pot with fresh chilli and dried chilli, a fabulous and enormous hot pot to share with very fresh and light grouper and tofu. It came with four plates of steamed vegetables, including: green beans, cabbage & yam. It was so very good. Bursting with flavour. Another favourite was the whole crayfish, a cold spicy chicken dish in oil, a tofu dish and twice cooked pork belly.

It was all truly excellent. I couldn't criticise it even one little bit and the prices are very fair. The service was very friendly and efficient. I'll be going back, I'd go tonight if I could.

• Added: 3rd of November 2008
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2H 7JE
020 7376 1160

Niamheen said
Okonomiyaki in central London
I was introduced to Okonomiyaki by an ex-work colleague, who adored it and insisted that we all go to Abeno for her work leaving do. I'd never heard of it before and was intrigued, some googling told me that it was a Japanese style omelette, native of Osaka. Hmmmm. I was wondering what could this Japanese style omelette be like?

So, off we trotted, I keen as mustard with the idea of a new culinary discovery awaiting me. Abeno Too, is situated just off Leicester Square, and has a large centre counter with teppan grills and a few tables to the side with teppan grills in the centre. So, it's warm. Very warm. They offer a variety of dishes from the aforementioned okonomiyaki, to soba dishes and a wide range of starters and desserts. We opted for the okonomiyaki and the prawn yaki-soba and within minutes they were making them in front of use and shortly after, we were eating it.

So what is it? Well, omelette isn't a fair term, the base is cabbage and some okonomiayi flour with a little egg and then other ingredients depending on your choice, mine was prawn, squid and salmon. As can be expected of most Japanese restaurants, the produce was extremely fresh and flavoursome. I really liked the okonomiyaki, although it tended on the heavy side, and having been to Japan since where they're a little more moist, I wonder if they've been adapted to our Western tastes e.g. bacon and cheese doesn't seem all that traditionally Japanese. My other gripe is that, while it's not expensive, it is a little expensive for what you get.

What's going for it? It's fun, sociable, different, central and fresh. That's enough reason to go, and I've gone there again since. I do prefer their sister branch, Abeno, near the British Museum. It's more intimate and cosy, consisting mainly of tables and away from the madding crowd in Leicester Square.

• Added: 3rd of November 2008
• Area: Clerkenwell
• Category: Restaurants

London EC1R 5HP
020 7278 0008

Niamheen said
Delicious traditional Japanese fare
Ginnan is a lovely Japanese restaurant off Exmouth Market, offering a range of dishes from katsu curry to tempura to sushi and sashimi. They offer an enormous menu, which often is a bad sign in a restaurant, as most places can't offer consistency on a wide range of dishes. This doesn't seem to be an issue here.

Like most traditional Japanese restaurants, each meal comes with a delicious miso soup. At lunch there's an express menu, although it's hidden at the back, and can take some finding. It offers gems such as chicken katsu curry for £6.50 and it's as good as I've had in London. Monday evenings there's an all you can eat offer which I've yet to sample, but I've heard it's good. The sushi and sashimi is very good, very fresh and well made.

The service, as with most Japanese restaurants cannot be faulted. It's a very pleasant place and I've become a regular. I would heartily recommend that everyone try the katsu curry at least!

• Added: 3rd of November 2008
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London WC2H 9NJ
020 7836 2955

Niamheen said
Cosy French Wine Bar
I know I've passed Le Beaujolais a number of times over my years in London, and it's testament to how spoiled we are ion this city that I never went in. I've lived in London for almost 8 years now, and my first glass of wine at at Le Beaujolais was only 6 months ago.

That, is a shame, as it's the kind of place I love. Dark, cosy, intimate and selling a quality product at reasonable prices. It's the perfect spot for a hudddle with a friend over a nice bottle of wine. The crowd are the furthest thing from pretentious, this place is the real deal.

They sell food, rustic French fare, which I've yet to sample, but I will, and I'll come back and tell you all about it!

• Added: 3rd of November 2008
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London WC1A 1EP
020 7691 4244

Niamheen said

The Fly has an upstairs bar and downstairs gig venue, both dark and intimate, it's a great place to see a live band, and is sometimes the location for secret gigs for bigger bands. It's a good spot to catch up and coming acts, like it's sister pub, The Barfly, in Camden.

I've only once popped in for a drink without going to a gig and it was a bit loud for my taste that particular evening. Not just me, but the people I was with too. Maybe we're too old! But, that could have been just that particular night, I wouldn't rule it out for future occasions.

• Added: 3rd of November 2008
• Area: Blackfriars
• Category: Restaurants

London EC4A 2BU
020 7353 6170

Niamheen said
Fleet St Gem
I am not a regular in this part of town, but having discovered this lovely pub, I could easily become one. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, bizarre name as it is, is a gorgeous old pub over several levels, all higgledy-piggledy, with a smoking open fire on the ground floor. Rooms seem to lead off in every direction, and the ceilings are very low.

It's definitely different to your normal pub experience. I am by no means tall and at times, I had to lower my head, although not by much, granted! They serve food, and while I didn't sample any, it seems to be rustic, comforting fare at reasonable prices.

There's more! No, really. It's a Sam Smith's pub so it's cheap. As you would expect, given all of the above, it gets pretty busy, so you need to be able to cope with that. I loved it and am looking forward to going back there for cosy winters evenings with friends.