• Added: 1st of October 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1D 4NB
020 7437 0973

thamshere said
Better than Buda
The big problem with Hungary is that it just isn't very Hungarian any more. I challenge you to find good, solid, traditional Hungarian food within a mile of the center of Budapest. Sure, there's some excellent Italian grub to be had, and of course there are all those awful 'restaurants' along the tourist strip, but where oh where has all the *real* food gone?

To the Gay Hussar. That's where.

Unpretentious and unassuming. Rich, heavy and powerful. You're not going to need a dessert at the Gay Hussar

We came here after a play at the Soho Theatre, just around the corner. Arriving late we found the restaurant to have a fair few empty chairs, a surprise for a Friday night even at nine thirty. I guess the Hussar just isn't very hip.

Service was good. Attentive and helpful and the food came quickly. The restaurant is not large, so I don't imagine they would be over-taxed even with all seats taken.

The food is not fantastic and it is not stunning to look at. There are no diva-chefs prancing in the kitchen here. Still, it is good and there's a lot of it. You can expect to be well fed and experience a few flavours and combinations you might not find elsewhere.

Big hunks of meat attended by rich sauces and simple side-dishes are the name of the game. It's exactly what I wanted but could never find when I was in Hungary. Over there it's all street-cafes and rocket. What do they do in the winter, when the rocket's frozen and the streets are full of snow? I don't know, but I know I would prefer to be eating at the Gay Hussar.

• Added: 9th of September 2008
• Area: Westminster
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London W1B 5DH
020 7287 2129

thamshere said

In the style of Dunkin Donuts, this cafe sports racks of American-style donuts in a big variety of flavours. It looked to be maybe twenty or thirty different types.

It's missing a little of that American service culture, but the donuts seemed fresh enough.

The prices seemed a little inflated, but I've no idea what an average donut costs these days. 12.99 for 12, 6.99 for 6. Sugar rush ho!

• Added: 5th of September 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W1D 4TQ
020 7437 7820

thamshere said
Lab's had its day
Popped in here on Thursday night with a friend from out of town on the basis of the previous reviews here and was very underwhelmed. The place is in need of a radical refurbishment. It looks old, tatty and dirty. I was asked to take my tie off, which annoyed me as it was part of my outfit. It's not like I was wearing a business suit. This gave me the impression that I was rather over-dressed for the place, which certainly appeared to be the case. It's not a place that anyone should ever bother dressing up for.

The cocktail menu is large and in the dim light almost unreadable. I found a pomegranate martini which seemed acceptable but proved rather dull with very little depth after the first sip. A couple of ladies at the bar ordered a shot each only to find it was some sort of flaming thing. Both of them looked quite disgusted before, during and after drinking it.

The music was overly loud given the small number of people in the bar, making conversation difficult.

If this bar was ever hip and fashionable it certainly isn't now. It's got no style, no elan, no... well, no anything much.

All in all, Lab is a bit of a mess.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2H 9EP
020 7240 9095

thamshere said
Just like the rest
I don't really understand the supposed difference between Rossopomodoro and Pizza Express, except for the rather trickier name.

I found the pizza at Rossopomodoro to be slightly bland in comparison to that of Pizza Express and it was certainly no better. I'd say it was slightly less well cooked, the base being less crisp and tougher. I'd love to see really good Italian pizza in London but this isn't it.

The restaurant is rather better than the average Express. It's a lot less crowded with tables, making it a more pleasant place to sit for a while, though is also noisy and rather soulless with its bland, modern design.

For wine we had a bottle of the red Lacrima Di Christi which was quite palatable though unimpressive. This took the total bill, including a couple of bottles of water and service, up to £50 for two which I think to be rather over-priced for a slightly-above-average pizza.

Service was good, though I wasn't entirely impressed with being led to a table beside the toilets in an almost empty restaurant.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: London
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London N19 5LB

thamshere said

The Hideaway is a lovely little bar that does rather good pizza to go with its select range of beers. It's populated by a friendly, international, arty crowd and has regular special events.

Happy hour is from 5-7 and on Monday nights pizza is half-price from 6-8pm. Four quid for a super pizza is a deal I'm not going to forget about.

There's an unusual range of bottled beers including the Aussie Cooper's, a Mexican Pale Ale and others in addition to Amstel & Heineken on tap. Staff are friendly and helpful.

There's a nice covered area out the back for the warmer days, though the interior is very pleasant and comfortable too.

The Hideaway does its bit to support local talent with Open Mic, Music and Comedy nights at the downstairs bar. See their website for a schedule.

I'll certainly be coming here more often - I've been twice already in the last week and it's perfectly sited on my way home. Coolest bar in the area by a country mile.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Southwark
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 9AN
020 7928 2228

thamshere said

Obviously still young, this place suffers from the staff's confused behaviour. On entering the cafe it is not obvious how to continue. A cash register sits at the back, at which one can order food and booze, but the waiting staff will also come to your table to take orders. This confuses the staff as much as customers and we were repeatedly asked if we had ordered, as were those people sitting around us.

The food was good quality sushi with some tasty moments, but I wouldn't say it stands out above anything else I have had. I might try the sashimi if I visit again to get a better idea of the chef's prowess.

The wait for food was long, but this was perhaps due to the place being unusually busy. Wednesday nights at Tsuru are currently home to music and arts. We were treated to a series of small peices from a string quartet, followed by performance art accompanied on violin. It certainly makes the sushi more interesting and it would be interesting to see it continue.

I wouldn't recommend it as a destination, but if you're in the area it's not half bad.

Currently Tsuru

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Southwark
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 9AN
020 7928 6867

thamshere said

Dropped in here yesterday for a quick bite and a glass of wine. It's well decked out and very modern with a fantastic light fitting in the ceiling in the shape of a ten-foot-wide rose. The space is quite clinical - rows of tables and chairs don't leave much space for imagination or large groups. It's essentially a posh after-work or lunch-time venue for local business folk.

Saying that, it works extremely well as such. They have gone to lengths to make it a little more intimate in the evenings with low, red lighting, but I still felt very exposed.

The wine and food are good. I've not been exposed to high-quality Italian ham before but I would have to say what they have is not quite comparable to the good Spanish hams (Jamon Serrano & Iberico) I have had in the past. Still, at a less than a fiver the Parma ham plate is pretty good as a snack.

• Added: 4th of August 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1D 4RD
020 7734 9505

thamshere said
Best garlic bread in town
This has got to be my favourite bar in Soho. Garlic & Shots really has got a lot going for it. It's got one of the few outdoor areas in Soho, giving you a breath of fresh air on a summer evening. They've remained steadfastly unpretentious and still have vodka and beer as pretty much their only drinks. The garlic bread is simply the best I've ever had. Nearly half a loaf of thick, crusty bread lathered in garlic butter and chilli. It's just superb. The other food is respectable, though not fantastic. I'm happy to eat there, but am generally happier just getting the garlic bread.

Avoid the garlic ice-cream and garlic coffee. Unless you're very drunk.

Speaking of which, this is a superb place to get steaming. The bloodshots have to be downed to be believed. The atmosphere in the garden out back is always condusive to having a superb night out. You'll often find big parties out there (I think there has been at least one on every time I've been) but people are friendly and inclusive. You have to be when you're all squished up so close.

Decor-wise the place could do with a bit of work, particularly in the rear courtyard. Still, the slightly ratty style fits in nicely with the laid back, friendly atmosphere.

During the cooler months the basement bar is the place to be, though it's generally a little loud for my taste.

Go, but don't expect a refined dining experience! This is solid food, solid drinks and a solidly good time.

• Added: 4th of August 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W1D 4RQ
020 7494 3878

thamshere said
Oh dear
Karaoke Box is everything I don't want from an evening out. This place needs a total overhaul - new staff, songs, equipment, decor, furnishings... it feels seriously old-school Soho. I wouldn't wonder if they just threw out the beds and carted in the sofas & sound systems.

The staff argue with eachother and the customers at every available opportunity. They are inefficient and generally unhelpful. They misled us about the amount of space available, then turned half our party away at the door. At the end of the night we discovered that they had given the credit card we left at reception to someone else. I'm not quite sure why they would need to keep the card anyway.

The rooms are badly in need of redecoration. The drinks selection is basically non-existant (choose between wine & beer where wine = random semi-sweet white and beer = some brand you've never heard of). Over the course of two hours our microphones failed twice.

Really. Just don't go. Pay that little bit extra and head to Lucky Voice.

• Added: 29th of July 2008
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2B 5JS
020 7836 6354

thamshere said
Classic English Italiana
The food here is reasonably priced and the service friendly, but that's the best I can say. My Parpadelle San Francesco was poorly flavoured - a mess of uninspired ingredients - and in a very poor showing for a place that claims to be Italian, the pasta was slightly overcooked.

Nothing was bad, as such, but nothing was particularly good either. For some reason they decided to charge us for the bread which was given to us on arrival, which led all three of us to decide that a tip was right out the window.

Small, cosy, comfortable with a classic theatre feel - this place has definitely seen better days.