Author: Tim Baros

RESTAURANT REVIEW | Marquis of Wellington

★★★ | Marquis of Wellington

Who is the Marquis of Wellington and what is he doing in Bermondsey?

The Marquis of Wellington was another name for the 1st Duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley), one of the leading military and political leaders of the 19th century. It’s also the name of a pub in Bermondsey down a lonely and dark stretch of road alongside railroad tracks that go into London Bridge. The Marquis of Wellington is not your typical pub – there’s no fish and chips nor sausage and mash on the menu. It is, however, doing things a bit different – it’s a pizza joint that also serves street food!

First off, let’s mention the pizza. There are eight to chose from, from salami to sirloin steak, porchetta and apple to prosciutto crudo, which is what my Italian dining companion had. It was a beautifully-looking pizza, very large (eight slices), topped with sun-blushed tomatoes, wild rocket and of course prosciutto. It was big enough to feed two people! However, it was very oily, too oily for my dining companion to eat with his hands. The pizzas are very good value and priced between £7 to £9.75 – a great deal considering how big they are! I, on the other hand, had that night’s pop-up street food choice. Lucky for me it was Smokin’ Lotus (smokinlotus.co.uk). I had the option of either the 8-hour smoked char siu pork rib, the 10- hour slow smoked beef brisket or the smoked tofu, so it was suggested to me by the manager to have the pork rib salad box (no more sandwiches were available on a Saturday night at 8 pm). The salad box came with Asian style ‘slaw with a creamy sesame dressing and Japanese style mashed potato salad. All I have to say is that it was delicious. The pork was grilled to perfection, the slaw was absolutely tasty, and the mashed potato salad was simply divine. And at £8 it was an excellent deal!
Fresh garlic bread is also a big part of the menu at the Marquis of Wellington. They are massive and excellently priced at under £4.50 each. My companion had the mozzarella, basil pesto and sun blushed tomatoes – he said it was very good but again, the bottom of the bread was oily. My San Marzano tomato with grilled aubergines and parmesan was perfect – the bread was crispy and the toppings were superb.

The Marquis of Wellington is located on the Bermondsey beer mile – a section of Bermondsey where you’ll find lots of local brewers. I drank the Anspach & Hobday Pale Ale beer – blond, delicious, beautiful and recommended. The Marquis of Wellington has other great selections of local keg and cask beers, alongside quality beers from around the world. And it being a pub, the Marquis of Wellington serves all the usual liquids – wines, spirits, bottled beers, etc.

It was a Saturday night at 7:50 pm when my friend and I walked it. It was extremely loud and rowdy and we struggled to get a table even though we had a reservation. It took a bit to figure out how things worked – if you’re eating from the menu, the menu that is supposed to be on your table (ours wasn’t), you need to tick what you want and then take it to the bar to order. We ordered at 8:10 pm and were told that the street food concession was already closing! Early for a Saturday night – luckily I got their last served meal of the day.

The pub was in a bit of disarray, and the empty table the friendly waitress found us was a bit dirty. The food came out fast and furious, but after our meal we were told they had run out of dessert – by 9:30 pm! Also, the pizza and garlic breads are served on cutting boards – I’ve never been a fan of eating off cutting boards because food tends to get into the wood and, if not properly washed, you might be tasting the pizza a customer might have had the day before. Nonetheless, good things are about to take place at the Marquis of Wellington. Just four months old, they plan to have live music on Thursday nights, will soon have a quiz night, and more street food options are planned. They also have free Wi-Fi.

The locals are lucky to have this pub on their doorstep, and visitors to the area will enjoy it as well, but it might not be worth trek all the way to Bermondsey when the West End will do for any type of pub and food option you want. The food = ★★★★, the pub itself = ★★, so it warrants ★★★.

To find out the upcoming street food traders at the Marquis of Wellington, follow them on Twitter @MoWBermondsey or Facebook – Marquis of Wellington

Telephone: 020 7394 0246

http://www.marquisofwellingtonbermondsey.co.uk

Address: 21 Druid Street, Bermondsey, London, SE1 2HH

Opening hours:

Mon – Thu: 11:00 – 23:00

Fri – Sat: 11:00 – 00:00

Sun: 11:00 – 23:00

Food served: Mon – Sun: 11:00 – 22:00

28th February 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | The Girls, Phoenix Theatre, London

★★★★ | The Girls, Phoenix Theatre, London

There are several women of a certain age taking their clothes off in the West End.

No, these women are not strippers – they’re in a musical comedy called The Girls based on the famous calendar girls of Yorkshire who took their clothes off for a calendar to raise money. And it’s no surprise that the brave actresses in this show take their clothes off to pose, just like the real women!

It’s a good time for the audiences in a show written by perennial favourite and Take That member Gary Barlow, along with Tim Firth (who co-wrote the movie). It provides lots of music that carry the Take That sound – top 40 middle of the road – enjoyable even at times when the storyline is a bit uneven and a bit too simple.

Almost everyone knows about these girls (well, they are not exactly girls – they are ladies), and if you haven’t seen the 2003 hit movie (which starred Helen Mirren and Julie Walters), then ‘The Girls’ tells their story again. Anna (Joanna Riding) has lost her husband and she wants to raise money for a memorial couch at the hospital where he was treated to replace the broken down couch. Chris (an excellent Claire Moore) comes up with the idea (after seeing a Dutch women’s stripper calendar) that instead of having their usual bake sale, why don’t they pose, not naked, but nude, for a calendar? She rallies her local women’s club – W1 – but of course there’s dissent – especially by leader Marie (Marian McLoughlin) – who vehemently opposes the idea – she’ll have none of that – she doesn’t want to destroy the reputation and image of the club where they are trying to be role models for the younger generation. Of course, as you can guess the women do eventually disrobe for a calendar and the rest is history.

The Girls is a very lighthearted (and very lightweight) musical which combines hummable tunes with a weak storyline. But it’s credit to all of the actresses who actually disrobe on stage – they do it with such grace and elegance (and lots and lots of humour) that I wished the show would’ve stretched this bit even more (no, not just to linger more at the naked women but to celebrate their openness and non-reserve!). The women are all excellent, but Michelle Dotrice as Jessie really shines as the elder woman who takes if off with such candour. Another storyline in the show goes nowhere – Chris’ son Danny (a good Ben Hunter) and his friend Tommo (Josh Benson) try to impress the rebellious Jenny (Chloe May Jackson) but the storyline gets dropped, and Tommo disappears for most of the second act only to come back with one line. The set is a bit confusing (bookcases litter the stage – piled very high, used as a door as well, and an ugly scary tree pops down every now and then). But the catchy tunes such as ‘Yorkshire’ and ‘Dare’ will have you humming for days afterwards. The Girls will put a smile on your face and will remind you that being ‘nude’ is not a big deal!

The Girls is now playing at the Phoenix Theatre until July, 2017.

25th February 2017
FILM REVIEW | Moonlight

★★★★★ | Moonlight

A tender, heartwarming story of a young black gay man growing up in 1980’s Miami is the story of the critically acclaimed film Moonlight.

I had to see this film a second time to fully relive and understand and absorb the nuances and emotional impact it delivers. Moonlight is about Chiron, and the three chapters of his life. Played as a wide-eyed young boy by Alex Hibbert, as a teenager by Ashton Sanders, and then as an adult by Trevante Rhodes – we get to see him grow up while having to endure lots pain and heartbreak is his life.

Chiron is not like the rest of the other boys in school. He is constantly picked on (he’s smaller than the rest), his father is not in the picture, and his mother Paula (an excellent Naomie Harris) is a drug addict who is slowly spiralling into desperate drug addiction.

The Miami housing project where Paula and Chiron live is controlled by drug dealer Juan (Oscar-nominated Mahershala Ali), who lives there with his girlfriend Teresa (a very good Janelle Monåe). Juan just happens to be Paula’s drug dealer. But Juan also becomes a father figure to Chiron, and Chiron starts spending lots of time at his apartment. He’s looked after there, is fed and cared for by Tereaa, he gets meals there that he never would get at home. But as Chiron grows up, he becomes more aware of his sexuality, and as a teenager has a thing with fellow friend Kevin (Jharrel Jerome), whom he’s known since they were young boys, and it’s this act that changes Chiron’s life forever.

We then see Chiron as a 24-year old ex-convict, muscled up, dealing drugs and still coming to grips with his sexuality. All of a sudden he gets a call from Kevin (now played by a very charismatic André Holland). Chiron still has feelings for Kevin, so he gets up the courage to meet up with him. It’s in these moments where we hold our breath, not really knowing what’s going to happen. All we want is for Chiron to be happy, to be in a relationship, to lead a happy life with someone he cares about and loves – and that’s all he really wants too.

Moonlight is an exquisite depiction of self-discovery, of a disenfranchised young black man meandering through life who is on a personal journey of self-discovery. Moonlight is based on the play Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. It’s a beautifully shot movie (by James Laxton) and its colours are as beautiful as a Miami sunset. The acting is amazing – all three who play Chiron are fantastic, but it’s Sanders whose Chiron has to go through lots of pain and agony, and being beaten up by homophobic school bullies. The music, by Nicholas Britell, is very subtle and sets the right mood. Moonlight has won lots of film awards and is on track to give ‘La La Land’ a run for it’s money at the upcoming Academy Awards. Kudos to director and writer Barry Jenkins for bringing a rich, moving story of a young black gay man to the big screen – it’s a story that’s not been told before – and it works so fine.

Available to pre-order from Amazon

17th February 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | The Boys in the Band, Vaudeville Theatre

★★★| The Boys in the Band

A play that was originally produced off Broadway in 1968 has returned to the West End again, it’s the famous gay play ‘The Boys in The Band.’

Written by Martin Crowley, and fresh from last year’s run at the Park Theatre, the durability of this play is a testament to the crisp and hilarious writing, and the performances of the actors, of the trials and tribulations of eight gay men (and one possibly straight man) which makes this play endure.

The story, in case you don’t know, is about a birthday party for Harold (a very good Mark Gatiss), a posh 42-year old gay man who seems to have everything. The party takes place in the very nice apartment of Michael (Ian Hallard, Gatiss’s real-life husband), with posters of film divas (Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and lots of Judy Garland) that cleverly hang on the walls. The first to arrive at the birthday party is Donald (Daniel Boys), good looking and employed as a cleaner. He seems to be the most stable of the bunch. Then there’s Hank (Nathan Nolan) and Larry (Ben Mansfield), a couple who bring down the mood because of the constant tension between them. Do they really love each other? Then there’s Emory (an excellent James Holmes – the true star of the show). He’s witty, camp, funny and hilarious with the best lines. Emory, incidentally, has hired a not too smart male stripper named Cowboy (Jack Derges) who was supposed to arrive at Midnight (Midnight Cowboy – get it?), but arrives before the birthday boy gets there. He’s as hot and sexy as you would expect, and Derges plays him perfectly. Then there is a straight friend of Michael’s who comes to the party because he happens to be nearby. Throw this in along with a phone game and all of this creates more drama and tension in a play with a multitude of characters that you will either love or hate, though more than likely you will hate them

‘The Boys in the Band’ is a play that is very outdated. It portrays gay men as bitter, angry and more importantly, lonely and outcast, but times have changed. And this show, which has been produced many times, has the same cast who were in the Park Theatre production last October. The actors are all very good (Holmes is really living it up on stage and looks like he’s really enjoying himself), the set is very clever, and the rest of the cast are very good, but it’s time to put this story to bed. ‘The Boys in the Band’ has been done to death. And as one of the characters says in the show ‘show me a happy homosexual and I’ll show you a gay corpse’ – this show is no longer relevant.

‘The Boys in the Band’ is playing at London’s Vaudeville Theatre until Saturday, February 18th.

https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/vaudeville-theatre/the_boys_in_the_band

12th February 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Inamo

★★★★ | Inamo

A beautiful branch of the small restaurant chain Inamo has opened up in a huge beaux arts building right across from Mornington Crescent tube station – and it’s delicious, classy and wonderful.

Inamo, which also has branches in Soho and Covent Garden, and which means being a slave to, is just that, being a slave to it’s food as it’s simply elegant and divine.

On the Sunday of Chinese New Year (the year of the Rooster), a friend and I paid a visit to the Camden branch for dinner. The two story restaurant, neatly tucked away in the massive British Heart Foundation headquarters, was practically empty. We didn’t really care – we were there for the food. And oh the glorious food! But to get to the food you have to order via a computer tablet on the table (with photos of the food – which really helps!), and a little push button device for each diner which enables one to change the color of the table via the lighting system above the table. (You can also change to a ‘tablecloth’ of many different types – bamboo, chinese lanterns, lilies of the field, moving patters or to my favorite a ripple effect). Ping Pong is also an option in case you and your dinner date get tired of looking at your phones.

The starters we had were the Iberico Baby Pork Ribs delicious ribs. The large five were glazed in plum sugar and shredded bell pepper on top – and at £8.75 worth every bite. The Char Sui buns (£8.95) were three very large BBQ pork buns – served with a tangy Thai sweet chilli sauce – very good but also very filling! My dining companion ordered Black Cod for her main course. At £24.95 it’s a bit pricy, but it’s garnished with cabbage and onions and bits of apple – she felt that it tasted very plain and looked too plain. I, on the other hand, was very happy with the Sliced Pork Chop with Yakiniku Sauce (corn syrup, apple juice, garlic salt soy sauce and vinegar), served with rice and Thai Mango Salad. I think this was the best course on the menu – tasty, different, and at £15.95 – good value for it’s money. We really wanted to get a good handle, and taste, of the menu so we had a few more dishes coming our way. The highly recommended Crispy Vegetable Tempura (£9.95) was deliciously-breaded vegetables (courgettes, asparagus, and mushrooms), absolutely yummy with a tempura dipping sauce. Also recommended is the Chicken Poké – a light and lively large bowl of chicken, served over a bed of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and edamame beans and was good but lacked something – perhaps it needs a kick of salad dressing instead of the olive oil it’s served with.

It was very hard to initially chose what to eat, and we tried as many dishes as we could, but there were lots more that I wanted to order. The Wagyu Burgers & Fries (£15.95), Duck with Pancakes (£18.45) plus various tapas (Asian, Sushi and Sashimi) including Tuna, California Rolls, Beef, Crispy seafood, chicken gyoza, etc. etc. etc. – there’s just so much!

I have to mention the drinks because Inamo knows how to do drinks! Wines are categorized in different categories – so there’s pretty much everything for anyone. Sparkling wines add a kick, and their cocktail list is wonderful. My friend had the non-alcoholic Guava Cooler – she found it very refreshing! I had the thirst-quencher Tropical Storm – passion fruit, lime and guava juice with a hint of cinnamon. I loved it, and both were a great deal at £5.95 each.

And the coup de grace was dessert! The Passion Fruit and Mango Dessert was divine! Mango mousse, passion fruit, apricot jelly and a layer of chocolate cake on a crunch base (£7.95) put me over the top! My friend had the Baked Alasparkla – creamy Baked Alaska served with Asian Strawberry and lemongrass soup and served with cherries! She loved it!

Inamo is a classy restaurant with very delicious food. All plates are beautifully presented in a beautiful setting with a very nice and attentive staff. There’s really nothing bad to say about this place – it’s in a non-foody location which will make it a destination restaurant because it deservedly is a good find!

Telephone: 020 7484 0500
Website:http://www.inamorestaurants.london
Email: reservations@inamo-restaurant.com

Address: 265 Hampstead Road, Camden NW1 7QX

Opening hours:
Mon-Thur 12:00 – 23:30
Fri-Sat 12:00 – 00:00
Sun 12:00 – 22:30
Closed from 3PM – 5 PM from Mon – Fri

Photos by Samphire Communications

8th February 2017
FILM REVIEW | Akron

★★★★ | Akron
Two young college men fall in love but are linked to a tragedy that took place years ago in the excellent ‘Akron.’

Hispanic Benny (Matthew Frias) and white All-American Christopher (Edmund Donovan) meet on the football pitch on their college campus. They have an instantaneous attraction to each other, and start dating. Benny still lives at home with his parents which includes his warm loving mom Lenora (an excellent Andrea Burns) and his lawyer father and younger sister. Benny’s parents are very accepting of his homosexuality, but they not quite over the loss of a son who died many years ago.

Benny and Christopher start spending a lot of time together – they really like each other and are a good match. They decide to go to Florida to stay with Christopher’s mom Carol (a good Amy Da Luz) where they plan to spend a perfect and romantic spring break. However, Christopher’s mom opens up to Benny about the tragedy that befell both their families years ago – a tragedy that’s probably worst of it’s kind. It leads Benny to question his relationship with Christopher. He was starting to fall in love with Christopher but the revelation by Christopher’s mom changes everything, enough so to have Benny’s parents forbiding him to see Christopher anymore. Benny has to make some adult decisions, but does he decide with his heart or does he listen to his family?

‘Akron’s’ truly a romantic film about two young men in love and events that make them grow up very fast. It has an undertone of sadness, yet it overcomes this to bring us a film that is heartfelt and emotional. And it’s got a first rate cast – both Frias and Donovan are very good, and Burns is excellent and natural as Benny’s mother. Directors Sasha King and Brian O’Donnell give us a movie, from a script by O’Donnell, that will pull at your heartstrings. Superb music by Bill Snodgrass sets the tone for each scene – creating the music in Dublin, Ireland where he played composed the score and played every instrument himself. Make sure you watch ‘Akron.’

‘Akron’ will be released April 10th on DVD / VOD by TLA Releasing

7th February 2017
FILM REVIEW | Gold

★★ | Gold

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Matthew McConaughey deservedly won an Oscar a couple years back for his portrayal of an AIDS victim in the film Dallas Buyers Club. He definitely won’t win one for his new film Gold.

Gold is the true story of American Kenny Wells – a man so intent on following in his father’s footsteps that he’ll do anything to succeed. His father, played by Craig T. Nelson, founded a mining company, and Kenny wants to keep the company going strong. So he goes in search of gold, a commodity that he hopes is easy to find and which he hopes will make him extremely rich. He teams up with geologist Mike Acosta (Edgar Ramirez), and with Mike’s expertise in knowing where exactly to mine for gold (it is in the unchartered jungles of Indonesia), they easily, perhaps too easily, find gold and become very very rich. Their company goes public and the stock goes up and up and up. Other larger companies start circling around them like vultures trying to buy them out, with investments bankers ready to seal the deal to become rich themselves. It’s all about money and who can trump who, but it comes at a cost. Wells gets malaria in the Indonesian jungle and almost doesn’t survive, his long-term girlfriend Kay (Bryce Dallas Howard) doesn’t like the man he’s become, and to top it off, is Acosta the man he appears to be? It’s basically The Wolf of Wall Street all over again. And if you remember McConnaughey’s excellent cameo in that movie (as a rich and successful banker mentor), well in Gold he is playing a similar character. It’s fine for a few minutes of showmanship but for more than two hours it gets to be a bit too much.

McConaughey, who put on the pounds for this role (he lost the pounds for Dallas Buyers Club), overacts and overacts. Gold, which is set in the eighties, shows Wells as a man who gets everything he wants, and method actor McConaughey plays it over the top. Howard is much much better as his girlfriend – all she wants is a simple life and does not care for nights at the Waldorf Hotel or expensive meals. The standout in this film is Ramirez. He’s charismatic and extremely believable as Well’s business partner, a man who knows his business and can charm both the men and the women. Ramirez was also the lone standout in the awful The Girl on a Train as Doctor Kamal Abdic. Make him a leading man already! Directed by Stephen Gaghan (Traffic and Syriana), in Gold, there’s no excitement, no feeling of happiness or sadness when the characters go through their ups and downs. And the soundtrack is just god awful – the music just doesn’t go with the scenes in the film – it’s tepid at best but belongs in an old cowboy western movie.

Originally scheduled to open wide on December 25, 2016, it was pushed back to open on January 27, with the December 25 release staying a limited release in order to qualify for awards. The film’s limited release was then pushed back to December 30, 2016, four days after its presumed date. Gold has not been nominated for any awards, it doesn’t deserve any.

2nd February 2017
‘Moonlight’ is named Best Picture by Gay and Lesbian Film Critics

After being nominated for 7 Dorian awards, Moonlight has been named Best Film of the Year by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Circle (GALECA).

This coming-of-age drama set in Miami over a span of 20 years was also voted LGBT+ Film of the Year, and won awards for Barry Jenkins for his direction and screenplay. Mahershala Ali was named Best Actor, while Trevante Rhodes, who plays the adult version of the film’s main character, was voted the Rising Star Award.

Viola Davis won Best Actress for her role in Fences.

The late Carrie Fisher was awarded Wilde Wit of the Year (honouring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse) while John Water was named Timeless Star ((honouring an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit).

GALECA is comprised of more than 170 film and TV critics and entertainment journalists across the US, Canada and the UK. The awards cover both film and television.

The winners will be honoured at a special ‘toast’ ceremony to be held on Saturday, February 18th in Los Angeles.

Here is a complete list of the winners:

Film of the Year
Moonlight (A24)

Director of the Year (Film or Television)
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (A24)

Film Performance of the Year – Actress
Viola Davis, Fences (Paramount)

Film Performance of the Year – Actor
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight (A24)

LGBTQ Film of the Year:
Moonlight (A24)

Foreign-Language Film of the Year
The Handmaiden (Amazon Studios)

Screenplay of the Year
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (A24)

Documentary of the Year (theatrical release, TV airing or DVD release)
O.J.: Made in America (ESPN Films)

Visually Striking Film of the Year
La La Land (Lionsgate)

Unsung Film of the Year
Christine (The Orchard)

Campy Film of the Year
The Dressmaker (Broad Green/Amazon Studios)

TV Drama of the Year
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)

TV Comedy of the Year
Transparent (Amazon)

TV Performance of the Year – Actor
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)

TV Performance of the Year – Actress
Sarah Paulson, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS)

TV Musical Performance of the Year
Kate McKinnon, “Hallelujah,” Saturday Night Live (NBC)

LGBTQ TV Show of the Year
Transparent (Amazon)

Unsung TV Show of the Year
The Real O’Neals (ABC)

Campy TV Show of the Year
RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars (Logo)

We’re Wilde About You! Rising Star of the Year
Trevante Rhodes

Wilde Wit of the Year (honouring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse):
Carrie Fisher

Wilde Artist of the Year (honouring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theatre and/or television) (tie)
Kate McKinnon
Lin-Manuel Miranda

Timeless Star (honouring an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit)
John Waters

1st February 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Bar + Block

★★★★★ | Bar + Block

The Kings Cross area, if you haven’t recently been, is buzzing. Years ago it was a warren of prostitution and crime, now it’s gentrified with trendy and expensive apartments and a healthy choice of restaurant options.

Bar + Block, in my opinion, is THE restaurant option in the area. it is, in fact the perfect place to go for an excellent and very affordable meal. Located right next to Kings Cross Station on York Way and past McDonald’s and Nando’s, Bar + Block, right underneath the Premier Inn, is an excellent find. In the space that used to be the dreary hotel bar, it has been remodelled, chomped and changed. It’s now a beautiful restaurant where the bar, dining area and kitchen are all in one superbly designed and spacious large room. But it’s not just the layout that’s fantastic, the food is also amazing.

Immediately when you walk in you feel at home. The very friendly multi-cultural staff (mostly Spanish) are all smiley and eager to show you to your table. There are booths, raised tables, seats along the windows, sitting in the middle of the room or alongside the kitchen and the bar – it’s a cleverly designed space so unlike anything I’ve seen. Tables are not at all close to each other – you practically can’t hear the conversations in the room – but it’s the food that Bar + Block is all about.

Bar + Block bills itself as a Steakhouse, and they sure know how to do steaks. There are all sorts – Sirloin, Fillet, Ribeye, Rump – whatever you fancy, plus other various meat-related items. On the cold Sunday night that me and a friend paid a visit – I had the superb Smoked Paprika Chicken & Ribs, and for only £14.95, is best deal in town. Served with spicy beans and french fries, it was a large half smoked chicken with maple flavoured BBQ pork ribs, a massive meal at an excellent price! My friend had the 10oz Sirloin Steak – it was a generous piece that was tender and delicate and put a smile on his face. At £19.50 it’s a good deal as it comes with chunky chips, and for an additional £1.50 you can add sauce. He ordered the ‘B’ Sauce. But be forewarned, it’s spicy, so much so it almost made him cry. Perhaps go for the Peppercorn or one of their other sauces so you won’t need to pull out a tissue. There are so so many more menu choices that initially I really had a hard time deciding. Their Slow-cooked Pork Belly is a great deal at £13.95. Also, the Steak & Cheddar Pie (£12.95), Butternut Squash Risotto (£9.95), Linguine Arrabiata (£10.50), and the Beer-Battered Fish & Chips (£11.50) are all excellent value. The next time I go to Bar + Block for dinner I will have the Mixed Grill – for £19.95 its ribs, bacon, steak and brisket served with corn on the cob and chips – yummy! And of course there are burgers, all served with chips, and all priced under £11.50. The Eurostar employee next to us looked happy with his large burger!

Bar + Block also has an excellent starters menu. This includes the Beef Empanadas and the very good Mini Meatballs (both at £5.95) that we both ordered. I’ve eaten empanadas before and these ones were perfect! If you don’t like your meat, the Mixed Seafood Pot and Garlic King Prawns are also an option (both under £7.95).

As if we didn’t have enough food, with our mains we ordered the Mac & Cheese with Crab (a nice twist on the M&C dish), and heavenly Roasted Winter Veg (all priced under £3.95). And of course, the puddings menu couldn’t be ignored. I highly recommend the Rum & Raisin Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding – absolutely delightful, and served with warm custard – heavenly!. My friend had the Churros Sundae which was packed with vanilla ice cream, lemon curd, clotted cream and crunchy biscuit bites – he loved it (both at under £5.95)!

If the above is not enough to entice you, Bar + Block does an excellent Sunday Roast – available from midday Sunday and for a minimum of two people. First come, first served – it includes sliced sirloin served with Yorkies, beef dripping roasties, carrots, parsnips, Cheddar cauliflower cheese, seasonal greens and rich gravy, and at only £13.50 pp it’s perhaps the best food deal around in Kings Cross!

Another reason to go to Bar + Block? They do an absolutely excellent and very affordable breakfast & brunch! Steak & Eggs (£7.50), The Works (A thick cut of double smoked bacon, sausage patty, beans, salt beef hash, flat mushroom and roasted tomato, topped with a fried egg and toast – £8.50), a veggie option (£7.50), ricotta pancakes (£6.95).There’s also a children’s menu (for both breakfast and dinner) and an express menu served at lunchtime. Or if you prefer to sit at the bar, bar snacks are available.

However, no steak restaurant wouldn’t survive without an excellent drinks menu. Cocktails are great value-priced at £6.99 (we had the amazing Margarita and Bacardi Daquiri – mango flavored! Totally good and hit the spot). A small selection of wine makes it easy to order whatever may go with your meal, and if alcohol is not your thing, I recommend one of the smoothies (7 to choose from!).

Bar + Block is a perfect restaurant in a perfect setting with perfect food. It’s a must visit whether or not you’re passing through one of the nearby train stations. Heck, it’s a destination on its own!

Reviewed by Tim Baros

Telephone: 0203 889 8888
Website:Barandblock.co.uk
Email: barandblock.kingscross@whitbread.com

Address: 26-30 York Way N1 9AA

Opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 06:30 – Midnight
Sat-Sun: 07:00 – Midnight

Photos by Roche Communications

29th January 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Brasserie Zedel

★★★★★ | Brasserie Zedel – perhaps the best restaurant in London?

Steps away from Piccadilly Circus is one of the most beautiful, elegant and affordable restaurants in London. It’s Brasserie Zedel.

If you walked by the entrance to the restaurant you would have no idea that beyond the front door, and down several flights of steps, is a grand Parisian brasserie, with vaulted high ceilings, marble columns, Beaux Arts/Art Deco decor with dozens and dozens of tables to accommodate you for either lunch or dinner. But not only will you find a restaurant, this huge cavernous complex also houses a cabaret lounge (Crazy Coqs) and the elegant Bar Américain. And if that’s not enough, there’s the ZL Café upstairs which is sneakily and actually the entrance to the entire complex.

The restaurant serves traditional French food at amazingly very affordable prices. In what is perhaps the best dinner deal in London, they offer, for a mere £12.75, a three-course Prixe Fixe meal which includes Carottes Rapées, Steak Haché with Frites, and a Café Gourmand or a Tarte aux Fruits. It’s a very delicious and satisfying meal. Or, you can splash out a bit more by trying their Plats de Jour – Plates of the day (£14.25 each), ranging from Poulet au Curry on Mondays to Cassoulet de Toulouse on Wednesday. Highly recommended, however, is the Boeuf Bourguignon, a delicious and tender beef braised in a red wine sauce with a helping of mash potato – it’s absolutely divine (£12.50). Other meat dishes include a whole roast free range french chicken for two (£14.75 each) – I’ve seen it and it’s huge. Other meat dishes include smoked belly of pork (£14.00) or a massive Rib Eye Steak (£25.75). If fish is your thing, Zedel will deliver. Deep fried whiting, trout, and seabass, among others, are all on offer, and all under the friendly price of £17.75. Side dishes (entrées) are all in abundance – with cheeses, onion soup, endive salad, steak tartare and fish soup and more to allow you to start the evening with a nibble. And to end the evening you can pick from cheese dishes to a Tarte au Citron, a Chocolate Souffle, to my favourite – champagne poured over mandarine sorbet – an absolute steal at £5.50. And the drinks list has top notch wines, biéres and cidres and champagnes to complement any and all the main courses.

As mentioned above, there is also the Crazy Coqs cabaret room, offering top notch talent in the world of cabaret and beyond. Previous performers have included Brian Batt, Steven Brinberg (the world’s most famous Barbra Streisand impersonator), to actress Sally Kellerman and Julian Clary. Coming up is an, even more, star and talent-studded lineup including the comedy cabaret of Coqs favourite Miss Hope Springs, X-Factor winner Matt Cardle, restaurant Critic Grace Dent, drag queen extraordinaire La Voix, and the House of Q, an all new night of cabaret, burlesque, music, mime and more. Have a look at the website as there are a lot more upcoming acts and so the programme really needs to be looked at and studied.

For more about the program and the restaurant, please go here:
https://www.brasseriezedel.com

Reviewed by Tim Baros

Brasserie Zédel opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
20 Sherwood Street
London
W1F 7ED
Telephone: 0207 734 4888
For general enquiries, please email: info@brasseriezedel.com
BAR AMÉRICAIN
Monday – Wednesday: 4.30pm – Midnight
Thursday – Friday: 4.30pm – 1.00am
Saturday: 1.00 pm – 1.00am
Sunday: 4.30pm – 11.00pm
ZL CAFÉ
Monday – Friday: 8.00am – 11.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am – 11.00pm
Sunday: 11.30am – 11.00pm

PRICE: £££ (explained)

STAR: ★★★★★ (explained)

25th January 2017
FILM REVIEW | Lion

★★★★★ | Lion

Photo: Mark Rogers

A young man attempts to trace his roots in the moving and excellent film Lion.

Dev Patel is Saroo Brierley. He’s adopted by Australian couple John and Sue Brierley (David Wenham and Nicole Kidman) and vaguely aware that he had a life in India when he was a very young boy – it’s all just a very distant memory. Now in his 20s, and in college, him and his friends (including girlfriend Lucy – Rooney Mara) have a discussion about their origins, and Saroo tells his classmates that he was adopted and born in India, and probably still has family there, but he hasn’t been there since when he was a little boy. This puts a spark in his head to try to find out where in India he comes from.

There are still a few very vague images in his mind he can recall from his childhood, and especially from when he got separated from his brother (a water tower, a train station). Saroo sets about determined to discover where he’s from and starts to map out India until he can pinpoint an area where he believes he came from.

But this is the not the entire movie. The first half of the film has Saroo as a little boy (played amazingly by Sunny Pawar), who along with his brother Guddu (Abshishek Bharate), are lost, so Guddu goes in search of help, and leaves Saroo on a train platform. Saroo falls asleep, then wakes up a bit disoriented, and calls out for Guddu, but he’s nowhere to be found. Saroo walks around the train station calling out for Guddu, but then ends up falling asleep on a train that accidentally takes him 1,000 miles away to Calcutta, taking him far away from home, far away from Guddu, and far away from his life.

Lion, as mentioned above, is a film with two halves; Saroo as a child and Saroo as a young man. And the first half of the film is simply amazing. It’s all down to Pawar, who as the young Saroo, after losing his big brother Guddu, is lost and confused and scared and aimlessly wandering around looking for food and trying to survive. He knows no one, is totally lost and alone, and is very very frightened. Eventually he is taken in by an orphanage which is where the Brierley’s adopt him and take him to their home in Australia, which is when the second half of the film begins.

Pawar deserves a Supporting Actor nomination or a special child Oscar for his sensitive and heartbreaking portrayal of Saroo (Jacob Tremblay in last year’s award-winning Room didn’t receive either but deserved one). Pawar is excellent. Patel is very good as the grown-up Saroo who is determined to find out where he comes from. Patel here proves that he was not just a one-hit wonder in the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Kidman is fine as his adoptive mother, but it’s hard not to look at her on screen and think you’re seeing Nicole Kidman and not the character she is playing. The screenplay, adapted from the book A Long Way Home, written by Saroo Brierley, and adapted by Luke Davies, tells the story in a way that will tug at your hearts more than any other film this year. Director Garth Davis (who has done mostly television shows) directs with such a fine balance of drama and emotion that it’s a perfect film which tells a true story that truly deserved to be told. It’s the best film of the year.

23rd January 2017