• Added: 13th of September 2008
• Area: Richmond Upon Thames
• Category: Restaurants

Richmond Upon Thames TW10 7AG
020 8940 5230

sue said
Lunch in a Nursery Greenhouse
Just back from an idyllic lunch at Petersham Nurseries Restaurant (not to be confused with the café). The restaurant is open for lunch, six days a week, and is housed in a pretty nursery greenhouse. Your rickety chair wobbles on the dirt floor as you eat some very pricy food, surrounded by pot plants and creepers. But the food was very good, and the gorgeous setting seemed to numb the pain of the bill a little.

We timed our visit to coincide with a 'chef swap' that was taking place - Petersham's regular head chef, Skye Gyngell, had traded places with top Sydney chef Sean Moran for a month.

The menu was small, with only 5 choices per course. We started with the Beetroot Ravioli with Ticklemore Aged Goats Cheese. I really loved this dish - not only did it look fabulous but the flavours worked really really well. Main course was the Milk Fed Veal Chop barbequed with peperonata, sage, runner beans and anchovy butter; and the Hampshire Pork, roasted with fennel, greengages & butternut squash. Both meals were generous in size and flavours. Really happy with our choices.

Unfortunately there was nothing on the dessert menu we fancied, so we paid up, and wandered back across Petersham Meadows, dodging cowpats along the way, and stopped off at our favourite chocolate shop for a sweet treat.

• Added: 13th of September 2008
• Area: Shoreditch
• Category: Restaurants

London E1 6BJ
020 7247 7392

sue said
When you need a more than decent steak
When the birthday boy (BB) requested a meal at a nice restaurant where he could have a decent martini and a more than decent steak, Hawksmoor sprang to mind. From what I had read, it sounded like the perfect place for both. And it sure was.

We arrived early evening and slipped onto a comfy stool at the bar. Cocktails decided on, we relaxed at the end of a hectic week, really enjoying our perfectly mixed beverages. The place was fairly quiet at that stage, but the restaurant filled up as the night continued.

After drinks we moved to our table and had to decide just how big a piece of meat we could eat. We laughed (a little nervously) when we read on the menu - "Some people have mentioned that our cuts are on the big side - we hope you can forgive us."

I opted for the 400g Rib-eye, while BB went for the 600g Bone-in Sirloin. The steak just comes by itself, so sides are required - we ordered the Triple Cooked chips, the Honey-roasted vegetables, and the Macaroni Cheese. The steak was pretty expensive but so worth it. Lovely char-grilled flavour, rare and flavoursome. Very excellent pieces of meat. The sides were tasty too, though I did think that the Macaroni Cheese was over-priced. A big, full bodied bottle of Australian red wine complemented our meals perfectly.

Somehow we managed to clean our plates and still find room to share a dessert - the Chocolate Fudge Sundae. It was so delicious - ice cream, brownie chunks, crispy peanut brittle bits, chocolate sauce. Yum.

The prices at Hawksmoor mean this isn't going to become a regular haunt for us, but the quality of the steaks, along with the really lovely service and the relaxed atmosphere mean that next time we have an occasion that requires a decent martini and a more than decent steak we may well be back.

• Added: 13th of September 2008
• Area: Farringdon
• Category: Restaurants

London EC1R 4QL
020 7812 1488

sue said
Pizza on Exmouth Market
Exmouth Market is a happening place on a weekday lunch time, with market stalls and numerous restaurants and cafes catering to hungry office workers. Santore is an Italian restaurant on this lively strip, and I visited one day for lunch with my work mates.

The restaurant has a relaxed feel, with smiling staff and a large menu. My colleagues all opted to order from the special 2 course lunch menu, whilst I, always the trouble maker, selected from the main menu.

I had the Rucola pizza, which had Parma ham, rocket and parmesan cheese. It was enjoyable, with generous toppings, though the middle was a but soggy. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their choices, and some people continued on to dessert too. I may have sampled the bosses giant serve of Tiramisu (apparently the waitress has a soft spot for him), which was a little too cream-focussed for my liking.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Twickenham
• Category: Restaurants

Twickenham TW1 1BJ
020 8891 0803

sue said
Really good steak
The Grill Room is located close to Twickenham station and is well worth trying if you find yourself in this neck of the woods. The interior is dark and cosy, the type of environment you can imagine indulging in a big juicy steak and glass or two of red wine, which is exactly what we did.

Dining early evening, midweek, in August, we almost had the restaurant to ourselves. This did give us the chance to have a good chat with the friendly and helpful waitress, who kindly let us taste one of the wines before settling on a bottle.

The menu focuses on steak, though there are a decent selection of seafood dishes as well. We were there for meat. I had the 8oz Scottish Fillet and it was buttery goodness - the knife just glided through it. Alex went all out and had the 16oz T-bone. It was a big piece of meat, but he gallantly worked his way through it, declaring it the best T-bone ever. All steaks are served with some very moreish chips, and a side of corn fritters was good too.

Somehow we managed to find the room to share a dessert - the Chock-a-block Stanley frozen chocolate cream slice with Baileys Irish cream. Tasty and a sweet way to end the meal.

My only complaint would be that there wasn't anything on the wine list I wanted to order. Would have been good to see a couple more mid-priced options that weren't French.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Ravenscourt Park
• Category: Restaurants

London W6 0SP
020 8563 0300

sue said
Argentinean & Kiwi Fusion
An impromptu dinner with friends one evening found us at Lola & Simon, near Hammersmith. The restaurant is owned by a couple - he is Argentinean, she is a New Zealander, and the food reflects this, drawing on both countries for inspiration and flavour. The name Lola & Simon apparently comes from the owner's dogs back in Buenos Aires.

I liked the look and feel of the restaurant, but wasn't so keen on the acoustics. Or maybe the table of 6 sitting near us in the mezzanine dining area were just particularly loud and annoying. And service was a little hit and miss, our main waiter didn't seem to be very experienced, but he meant well.

The food was pretty good for the most part. We started with the Argentinean Empanadas; and some New Zealand green-lipped mussels. Next was the Roasted rump of dukkha crusted New Zealand lamb with grilled eggplant and sweet potato mash; the Milanesa Napolitana with crispy potatoes; and the Seared then roasted cod fillet with crispy potatoes and mustard caper lentil dressing. For dessert we shared a couple of Rich chocolate brownies with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.

The main courses were the highlight of the meal - I really enjoyed the flavours in the lamb dish and the cod looked great and was cooked just right.

The friendly Brazilian manager had a chat with us at the end of our meal and we learnt that he was looking after the place for a couple of weeks while the owners were on holiday. Apparently he usually works at the newish Princess Victoria (gastro)pub in Shepherds Bush which is getting rave reviews.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Richmond Upon Thames
• Category: Restaurants

Richmond Upon Thames TW9 1EA
020 8948 5965

sue said
NOT my new favourite local
Fishworks is one of those (supposedly) more upmarket chain restaurants that you have meant to go to for ages but have never made it there. Well, a 50% off food offer finally inspired us to give it a try for lunch one Sunday. We headed to our local branch in Richmond. I liked the look of the place - it was nice and bright with a large sky-light helping to brighten up the grey and rainy last day of summer.

We shared a starter of South Coast Crab Cakes, which had an interesting texture and some tasty dipping sauce. For main course we had the Organic Salmon Fillet with hollandaise sauce; and the Baked Monk Fish with ratatouille.

The most positive thing I can say about the food was that the fish seemed to be good quality - and rightly so as there is a fish mongers attached to the restaurant.

But we thought the food was overpriced, particularly when you have to order sides with many of the dishes. My £14.50 salmon became expensive once I ordered side orders of greens and potatoes, as the menu price just gets you the piece of fish. Coupled with this, the meals were unattractively presented on grotty looking, greasy plates. Not good enough.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Kingston Upon Thames
• Category: Restaurants

Kingston Upon Thames KT1 1HX
020 8541 4757

sue said
Still prefer GBK - sorry Byron!
Finding ourselves in Kingston one lunchtime, I recalled reading a positive review about Byron and was keen to check it out. I am not a regular burger eater, though do enjoy the occasional one at places like Gourmet Burger Kitchen, and was curious how Byron would compare.

Byron in Kingston is a large restaurant with some outside seating and modern décor which reminded me a bit of a Carluccio's, in a good way. There were plenty of smiling staff buzzing around and a smattering of customers.

There is a short burger menu, offering the usual type of burger, along with a "Skinny" (with no bun), a chicken burger, and a veggie one too. We both opted for the "Byron" burger which came with dry cure bacon, mature cheddar and 'byron' sauce.

The meat pattie was juicy and flavoursome. Wasn't so keen on the bun though. And the chips were disappointing - think McDonald's fries. There was nothing wrong with the food, though I probably wouldn't seek out Byron again for my next burger fix as I didn't enjoy it as much as GBK.

• Added: 24th of August 2008
• Area: Marylebone
• Category: Restaurants

London W1U 2PN
020 7486 3644

sue said
The best fish & chips in London?
There seems to be a constant debate in London on where to get the best fish & chips. One place that always gets a mention is the Golden Hind in Marylebone, so I went there to see for myself how it rated.

The Golden Hind is a very cool place, not 'hip' cool, but historic cool. It has been open since 1914, and there is a little board that shows the names of the various owners since then. The simple décor doesn't look like it would have changed much over the years, nor the furniture, which is basic yet functional. This is a lively place, with a constant stream of customers coming and going, along with locals picking up their takeaway. It is cramped, a little noisy, but the food is good, the staff are so smiley and friendly, and to top it all off, it is BYO.

Bottle in hand, we managed to grab a table one evening without having a reservation. In fact we were allocated a luxurious table for 4 when there was only 2 of us. Happy days. We ordered some Calamari to start, which was lightly battered and very soft. We both had Haddock with chips and mushy peas (why are mushy peas so much tastier than normal peas!?). Really enjoyed it all and found the batter very light and not too greasy.

So, were the fish & chips at the Golden Hind the best I've ever had? Maybe not the best (there was this amazing place in North Wales…), but certainly one of the best.

• Added: 24th of August 2008
• Area: Mayfair
• Category: Restaurants

London W1K 1BE
020 7208 4021

sue said
Perfect special occasion venue
Located on the 28th floor of the Park Lane Hilton, Galvin at Windows is the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion. We went for dinner on my birthday and had a magical night. Yes, one of the highlights of a visit here are the fabulous views across London, but we also had mostly delicious food and were served by some very friendly staff which all added to a very enjoyable evening.

We started off the night with a drink in the bar, really enjoying the views and the cocktails. We were then ushered to our window seat in the restaurant, where we looked out over Green Park and Buckingham Palace. The staff were all charming, and I found it very amusing when the sommelier recognised us from a meal we had had 6 months earlier at Latium, where he used to work, and he even remembered which wine we had ordered back then (so did we as it was an excellent Barolo).

The meal started with an Amuse Bouche of Chilled melon soup which was nice and summery. We then had the Salad of summer vegetables, hand picked leaves, walnut vinaigrette & creamed Perigord goat cheese; and the Warm Lincolnshire smoked eel, seared foie gras & caramelised Victoria pineapple. The salad was nice and light and prettily presented. The eel was excellent and combined perfectly with the creamy foie gras.

For main course we had the Confit fillet of halibut, crab pommes ecrasees, courgette & radish puree; and the Fillet of Glen Fyne beef, braised cheek, English carrots & Madeira jus. Only complaint would be that the fish was a little bland, though it was nicely cooked and presented.

Dessert was the highlight for me (ok, when isn't it!). We had the Hot chocolate fondant, Szechuan pepper ice cream & almond milkshake; and the Peanut butter parfait with chocolate pearls & berry jam. Both desserts were superb, but the best flavour combination was to have a mouthful of the fondant and the parfait at the same time, making it one of the tastiest desserts ever!

• Added: 24th of August 2008
• Area: Bankside
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 1TJ
020 7357 8880

sue said
Borough Tapas
Brindisa is a tapas bar located on the edge of Borough Market. They don't take reservations and every time I have walked past they have always been very busy. That said, we did manage to walk in at around 12.30pm on a Saturday and nab a table, well it was more a bench type windowsill than table, but perfect for two.

It was another busy lunch time for them, but our lovely waitress still took the time to check on us throughout our meal which was much appreciated. Speaking of our meal, it was tasty.

We ordered:
Gran Reserva Joselito loin (a type of Spanish ham)
Country toast with tomato
Grilled Sardines
Iberian ham croquettes
Deep fried Monte Enebro goats cheese with orange blossom honey

Our favourite was the goats cheese with honey - delicious. In fact it was all pretty good, though not as keen on sardines when they are as this big. Only real complaint about Brindisa would be that wine is expensive, with only one bottle of white wine for under £20. We just stuck to a glass each - I chose an intriguing white rioja which I would be happy to become better acquainted with in the future.