Tag: London Restaurant Reviews

The best and gay-friendly restaurants reviewed in London and the surrounding areas. Reviewed by our team of experts from THEGAYUK.com

RESTAURANT REVIEW | Tang, London

★★★★ | Tang, London

There’s a hidden gem of a restaurant right next to the Central YMCA near Tottenham Court Road – it’s called Tang.

And hidden is the key word. You could walk right passed it if you weren’t looking for it. Nestled right between the YMCA and VQ Diner, Tang is identified by its name on the wooden door and its menu to the left, and it’s named on the overhang. And do me a favour, and don’t walk by, go into this tiny venue (maximum capacity is 38) and you will step into a place that does not feel like you’re in London. Welcomed by the friendly staff, the restaurant contains Chinese-style newspaper wallpaper, a cosy space, an open kitchen, and tiny photos that line one of the walls. Its unique feel is akin to being in a restaurant anywhere in Asia, yet it’s the food that make’s it worth walking in.

Southern Asian specialities (Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore) are included in the menu that’s very small yet bursting with lots of appealing courses. We had two starters – the Fried Chicken (£5) and the Black and White – tofu (£4.50). The Fried Chicken (marinated in black bean soy milk and coated in batter) was nine generous-sized pieces which came with a three chilli hot sauce. While we almost all but ignored the hot sauce, the chicken was scrumptious and moist. The ten pieces of tofu were light and soft, and an unusual dish you can’t quite find anywhere else. It was served with white miso sauce that was perfect for dipping both the chicken and the tofu, and both very good value.

We were both pleasantly surprised at our dinner choices. My dining companion had the massive Chicken Tang (a soup in a roast chicken broth with bean sprouts, egg, bok choi, spring onion, and garlic chips) and it was absolutely superb! Flavours that went very well together and was a beautiful-looking dish. She was in heaven with its rich substance – and it’s healthy food as well! (A veggie option of crispy tofu is on offer as well) I wanted something with meat and was glad I ordered the Beef and Rice. Braised beef and tendons served with coriander and jasmine rice was gorgeous, with its bok choi and crispy noodles included. It’s packed with flavour and highly recommended, though it didn’t quite fill me up so I would suggest a wallop more of rice be added to the dish. Both dishes cost £9 each – a great deal.

There was one choice for dessert and it was the only choice you’d ever want. The Sugarcane Shiso Sorbet was out of this world! It was sugarcane (purchased in Brixton) with shiso leaves (tasting like mint) to give an absolutely refreshing ending to your meal – it was perhaps the best sorbet I’ve ever had.

Tang also has a wide selection of perfect drinks to go with your meal, from local beer (London Beer Factory) to soft drinks (from the Karma Cola Company) to the very good juices (Owlet Fruit Juice). I had the delicious pear and ginger fruit juice – apple and elderflower was another option. The drinks on their menu you will more than likely not find anywhere else – they’re that unique!

As I live close to the restaurant, I plan to return and try some of their buns (fried chicken, braised beef or crispy tofu), all at the ideal price of £4.50 or less. And the broccoli salad (£4.50) looks like an ideal small dish to look forward to.

Tang is an absolutely affordable restaurant where two can easily dine for as little as £32. The staff are warm and friendly, and Canadian Jamie will answer any questions you will have about the menu. As it’s an open kitchen any questions you might have the cooks are right in front of you! It’s an intimate noodle bar that’s warm and welcoming – I can’t wait to go back!

Tel: +44 (0) 207 300 3324

https://www.tanglondon.co.uk

Email: hello@tanglondon.co.uk
Twitter: @TangLondon
Address: 111 Great Russell Street
London, WC1B 3NQ

Opening hours:

Monday: Closed
Tues – Fri: Midday -3pm & 5pm – 10pm
Saturday: Midday – 3pm & 5pm – 10pm
Sunday: Closed

22nd March 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | BabaBoom

★★★★ | BabaBoom

BabaBoom is the perfect restaurant in an area of London that shall, and will, embrace it.

It’s a cozy, warm and petite place which serves food a bit different from the nearby Brewdog, Coté Brasserie, and The Breakfast Club restaurants. And the food at BabaBoom is really really good.

Two can dine here easily for less than £50. And while the menu is quite small, the food on offer is varied, large, and delicious!

On a cold and wet Sunday night me and my dining companion found BabaBoom very buzzing. Most of the 44 seats in this small restaurant were full – everyone from the staff to the customers to the cooks looked very very happy – which we noticed while we were led to the quieter back section where we enjoyed a new gastronomical experience.

The Sweet Potato Tahini starter was superb! Served with a nicely charcoaled pita bread, along with beetroot, celery and fennel, it was a perfect dipping meal. The sweet potato gave this hummus-like dish new life – I can’t recommend it more. My dining companion had the Rose Harissa Labneh starter, which also came with the same vegetables and pita bread, yet the labneh was topped with chilli, unusual but it worked! But the best was yet to come.

I had the Rotisserie Lamb Shoulder as my main course. And at £11.75 it was to die for! Served over a charcoaled pita, there was lots of succulent and tender lamb, along with a large helping of cole slaw, and a huge tasty cooked onion. I enjoyed every bite, though it was almost too big to eat as a sandwich. My dining companion had the Saffron & Orange Chicken Shish, as a salad, very colorful and served on a large plate. It came with the aforementioned coleslaw along with red peppers, and extremely tasty crispy flatbread. Though he felt the chicken tasted a bit plain, sauces were served with it to add to the flavor. Still a great deal at £9.25. Other kebabs on the menu include goat, short rib and falafel – something for everyone!

Just so that we can taste more of the menu we ordered a few sides. I can’t explain how delicious the Dukkah Fries were! Small and crispy, and cooked with 25 spices (!!!!) which gave the fries a fabulous kick – different, again, but worked so well! Also recommended is the Harissa Roasted Squash Tabbouleh and the Smashed Aubergine with Pomegranate and Tahini. And to top it off, each side is only £3.50 or 2 for £6.00. An excellent bargain.

BabaBoom calls itself a charcoal kebab kitchen, and that’s exactly what it is, and more. And more is what you get. They also serve brunch! Chose from teas to unlimited coffee and juices, to a boozy brunch with bloody mary’s and mimosas and margaritas (I had one with dinner and it was slush good fun!). For brunch you can choose from a Meat Kebab (sausage, date glazed bacon, tomato, 2 friend eggs & labneh) to a Veggie Kebab to a dish called the Ultrarunner (2 soft poached eggs, labneh, tabbouleh, fattoush salad & flatbread), to and including Eggy Bread (basically french toast)! Yum Yum!

BabaBoom combines middle eastern flavours with quality British produce to deliver outstanding meals at very affordable prices. And well worth a trip to Battersea.

Telephone: 07809903181

http://www.bababoom.london

Email: Hello@bababoom.london
Twitter: @BababoomLondon
Address: 30 Battersea Rise SW11 1EE

Opening hours:

MON 06:00PM – 10:00PM
TUE 11:45AM – 10:00PM
WED 11:45AM – 10:30PM
THU 11:45AM – 10:30PM
FRI 11:45AM – 11:30PM
SAT 10:30AM – 11:30PM
SUN 10:30AM – 10:00PM

BRUNCH: Saturday & Sunday 10:30AM-3:00PM

9th March 2017
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
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
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
RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Laughing Gravy

★★★★ | The Laughing Gravy

A restaurant with a funny name sits between Southwark tube stop and Elephant & Castle – it’s The Laughing Gravy.

Blackfriars Road is a bit of a restaurant no man’s land. Right near Southwark Tube station is the excellent upscale Polish restaurant Baltic, and then a few blocks south is The Laughing Gravy, nestled into it’s spot amidst the new expensive apartment blocks and conversions that have made this neighbourhood upscale.

And upscale you will need to be as The Laughing Gravy is not cheap. Most of the hearty mains are priced between £22 and £24 each (though there are few lesser-priced options as well), while the starters are all above £8 each and the puddings no less than £7.50. The Laughing Gravy has been operating as a restaurant for around 6 years, and they are definitely doing something right. Head chef Michael Facey, along with a very friendly staff, deliver a varied modern British Menu, and it has just been named best restaurant in the Southwark and Waterloo area by Time Out.

There is truly something for everyone at The Laughing Gravy. The starters range from Pigeon and Oxtail Sausage Roll to the Roasted and Pickled Heritage Beetroot and the Wild Garlic Infused Roasted Artichoke. The Beetroot (at £8.50) was an absolute explosion of colours and flavours. Served on a black plate, it was a rainbow of beetroot with goat’s cheese and apple puree, candied cashews and kale. Served as a cold dish, it was sexy and perfect. The Artichoke starter was quite the opposite, a bit bland, though the artichoke puree and potatoes saved it from being a total waste – though at £8.50 there wasn’t a whole lot on the plate.

For the main course, my dining companion and I decided to have meat and fish. I ordered the Lincolnshire rib eye steak (225 grams), and I am glad I did. With onions, plum tomatoes and mushrooms, it was perfectly cooked (I asked for M to MW), and that’s exactly what I got. Both sides were cooked dark brown, and it was tender and scrumptious. It was served, under the meat, with delicious Madeira (wine) sauce. At £23, it was worth every penny. My companion had the Roast Lemon Sole (£22.50), and it was a panoply of seafood. Not just sole, the dish also included Devonshire crab and sweetcorn dumplings, kale, braised celery and sweetcorn curd and crab bisque. She was very happy with her portion, which I thought was a good value considering how much seafood was on the plate. Other menu choices in the lower-priced range include the Aberdeen Angus burger (£13.50), Superfood Salad (£11.50), and the Roast Heritage Vegetables (£14.00). Other higher-priced recommended items include the Roast guinea fowl (£22), Pan-fried seabass (£22.50), and the Lamb Rump (£22.00). Sides are a must and include Hand cut or Truffle chips, or the excellent Salt baked champs (mash potato) (£4-5 each).

I recommend having a dessert as there was quite a selection. My companion had the Plum, quince, Madeira and honey crumble, and it was just as we expected, crumbly delicious. I had the Champagne, mango and lime cheesecake, and it was small yet heavy and came with a tiny doughnut. Next time I will order the Treacle and apple tart or the Salted caramel mousse (£7.50 to £8.50).

The restaurant’s wine, beer and cocktail list goes on for days. There are about 24 cocktails to choose from, my companion was happy with her margarita, while I was happy with my Lemon Drop (Ketel One vodka, fresh lemon juice and Cointreau) – though it was very sweet. Other options include the LG Bloody Mary to the Hazelnut Martini and the divinely sounding Waterloo Sunset (elderflower liqueur and gin topped with champagne and Chambord – and the most expensive drink on the menu at £13.50). With my steak, I had the full-bodied and delicious French 2014 Cotés du Rhone – highly recommended. The Laughing Gravy’s wine list includes wine from other countries including Italy and Spain – it’s one of the most exhaustive wine lists I’ve ever seen.

The Laughing Gravy sits about 50 people, it’s got a small welcoming bar past the entrance, and a room that’s big with high-pitched ceilings. Beautiful wood floors and a smart decor makes The Laughing Gravy cosy and comfortable. Noise levels get a bit high when they are busy (we were there on a Saturday night), but it’s bearable. The staff are very welcoming and our waiter Oliver and hostess Freddi made us very welcome from beginning to end, including when I accidentally put the menu on top of the candle and it caught on fire. Luckily the restaurant survived the fire though your wallet might not be so lucky.

Reviewed by Tim Baros

Telephone: 020 7998 1707

thelaughinggravy.co.uk

RESTAURANT HOURS:
Monday to Thursday: 1200 – 1500 & 1700 – 2200
Friday: 1200 – 1500 & 1700 – 2230
Saturday: 1200 – 1600 & 1700 – 2230
Sunday: 1200 – 1630

Address: 154 BLACKFRIARS ROAD, LONDON SE1 8EN

22nd January 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Mamie’s

★★★★ | Mamie’s

If you’re looking for an excellent crépe in Covent Garden, I’ve got the place for you.

Mamie’s, on Catherine Street, right across the street from the Theatre Royal where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is playing, serves many varieties of crépes – both sweet and savoury (also known as galettes). Nestled in a three-story building, Mamie’s is a cozy place for cozy food and has something for everyone. If you’re looking to make the visit a full meal, then your first course will be a galette – there are 9 galettes to choose from, all made from buckwheat, gluten free, and healthy. If you like salmon, you’re in luck – there is Salmon and Cheese as well as a dish called La Baudelaire, which my lunch companion had, with salmon, mushrooms, a fried egg, and cheese, along with lettuce on top. At £9.50 it’s a bit pricey, but it’s served open-faced (as opposed to rolled up) – and it is large. Other options include the Forest Compléte – egg, ham, emmental cheese, créme fraiche, mushrooms and onions (£8.90), and the cleverly-named L’Edith Piaf – blue cheese, pears, walnuts and mixed salad leaves (£7.90). I had the delicious La Chateaubriand – a rolled galette wth sausage, onions, whole grain mustard and mixed salad leafs – a snip at £7.90 – and very very tasty.

Of course, when I think of crépes I always think of the sweet kind – the ones you buy at markets and, if you’ve been to Paris, you can find loads of créperies that serve them – they’re a French institution! And at Mamie’s they’re delicious! I had the homecooked apples and cinnamon crépe. Talk about perfect, it was so so good, and very large, and at only £4.90 an excellent deal. You can choose from other options including Nutella (£4.90), pears and chocolate (£4.90), La Magritte – home cooked apples, caramel and vanilla ice cream (£6.90) or the La Henri Dés – Nutella, caramel and marshmallows (£5.90). Or if you’re a bit too full from your main course, then a butter & sugar or a lemon & sugar might be best for you (£3.00 and £4.50 respectively).

Mamie’s also has a small menu of starters including tapas and salads (though two were sold out on the day we visited), as well as an excellent beer and cider menu, and a cocktail menu that are specially-made and all at £8.00. But Mamie’s is very unique in two aspects of its business – the way you order and what you order. When you sit down you are given a computer tablet to place your order. Each course and drinks options are on the main page – and each dish has a picture of it – so you know what you’re getting! But even more clever is that for each galette and crépe, you can add additional items as toppings. So in the case of one of the galettes, you can add more salad, honey, an extra egg, ham, or onions, all at a very small surcharge. And in the crépe world, feel free to add jam, chocolate, pears, apples, perhaps turn it into a flambée – almost anything you want! There is also dairy free and vegan options. So if this doesn’t entice you I don’t know what else will!

French born Aymeric Peurois opened Mamie’s in early August and has designed his restaurant in the style of Brittany. As a child, he used to go to his grandmother’s house in Brittany (Mamie’s means grandmother in French) where she used to make crépes. So Aymeric, who is a former financier, decided to leave his job and open Mamie’s, which can seat around 40 people on both the ground and first floor (though five of the tables on the first floor are extremely close to each other). Aymeric is very passionate about the place, and he has plans to turn the basement into a cider bar/cider cellar. It’s a beautiful room, made to look like a speakeasy, and it’s got a see-it-to-believe-it large map of Brittany on the ceiling! Très incroyable! I really wish Aymeric all the luck in getting this business established and successful – it’s a very cute and cosy spot right in the heart of the West End.

Reviewed by: Tim Baros

Address: 19 Catherine St, London WC2B 5JS, UK

Phone: +44 20 7836 7216

For opening hours and to check the menu, please visit:
mamies.co.uk

12th January 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Pho and Bun

★★★★ | Pho and Bun
PR Supplied
We know what a bun is but what exactly is Pho? Find out at the West End Vietnamese restaurant called Pho and Bun.

Its menu is a feast, and a mystery, to the eye. Dishes with names you’ve never heard of (MIẾN TRỘN TÔM THỊT and GIÁ XÀO NẤM) – coupled with ingredients and tastes that you’ve never had (lemongrass tofu and dill mayonnaise) make this for a unique and excellent meal.

‘Bao’ is the new ‘it’ food in London, and Pho and Bun has a full menu of Bao. How to describe it? It’s a very light (and white), and very fluffy but not too heavy or filling bun. And Pho and Bun is using bao as the bread for their steamed bao burgers. You can have honey belly pork with fried shallot, confit belly pork with soy sauce, but I opted for the 28 days dry aged beef. It was, as I told my dining companion, the best burger I’ve ever had in London. The meat was delicious and tasteful, small yet satisfying, and the red onion relish, house pickle and smoky mayonnaise inside gave it a very unique and sumptuous taste (excellent value at £7.50). Our waiter recommended the sweet potato chips with chilli mayonnaise to go with the burger, and they were so so good. My dining companion had the Pho noodle (Pho is soup) with red wine braised beef. It was hearty, with lots of vegetables, vermicelli and the beef, which was nicely soft and moist, and is a dish I’ll order next time I go back. Other pho choices include the corn-fed chicken, seafood or crispy tofu, a spicy imperial version, as well as a stir fry version (beef rump steak and tofu and mushroom), and all under a bargain price of £9.50. My dining companion ordered a fried dough stick with his dinner – it was nicely textured and very soft.

Starters are highly recommend. The BÁNH TÔM HÀ NỘI -Hanio Prawn Pancake with sweet potatoes and lettuce wrap – was brilliant! Sweet potatoes are the base for the prawns, so it’s served pancake-style and chopped up into chunks. It’s crispy, crunchy and oh so good! And it’s served with lettuce so you’re supposed to wrap the chunks into the lettuce and dunk into a fish sauce, but I preferred to eat it on its own – absolutely divine! And at £6.50 it’s a must. Trust me! If you prefer a taste of everything then go for the P and D Special Platter Summer Roll Prawn that includes delicious spring rolls, nicely textured, lite and not too chewy chilli squid, served with onions and peppers, and prawns on top of shredded mango with cole slaw, nuts and basil and lettuce (so refreshing), which was amazing, and summer rolls with tofu and tiger prawns, wrapped in lettuce, served plain but peanut sauce is given on the side which highly complements the dish. All this comes a price of £13.50 but they will let you mix it up if there is something you don’t want or something else on the menu you want to add to it.

Of course, no meal would be complete without dessert. Pho and Bun’s dessert menu is small, which makes it easier to decide what to have. We ordered two to share – the Pandan and Coconut Panna Cotta with Peanut and Pineapple Salsa and the Flan caramel with Vietnamese Ice Coffee syrup. The Flan was hands down the winner; it was rich and tasteful and the coffee flavour gave it a nice kick. The Panna Cotta was a bit tasteless, I was expecting to be a bit more wowed by it but I was not. I’ll order the flan again next time. Also in mind for next time is the grilled banana with coconut sorbet and roasted peanut or a trio bean dessert with pandan jelly – which sounds highly unusual. All deserts are under £5.00.

Pho and Bun offers a nice selection of coffees and teas; the carrot juice was very fresh and elegantly served in a tin cup. The Homemade lemonade was refreshing and good. Wines are also on offer, as is the recommended Saigon beer.

I’ve briefly touched on the menu above, it’s such a diverse food menu and there is truly something for everyone at Pho and Bun. As mentioned above, the burgers are yummy and different, the Pho and Noodle soups are hearty and good value for money, rice and vermicelli dishes (BBQ pork with salad and fresh herbs or the glass noodle with minced pork, tiger prawn, fresh herbs and confit aggs, or perhaps plain beef rump steak or tiger prawns with bean sprouts and stir-fried lemongrass) – all at a good value price of £9.50. There are also salad and vegetarian dishes, a great value set lunch menu (two courses) for a mere £9.50, or a highly recommended 6-course tasting menu that gives you a bit of everything (including a sampling of four starters) at a low price of £22.95.

Pho and Bun is conveniently nestled in London’s West End, right on Shaftsbury Avenue, in the heart of the theatre district and Chinatown. It’s in the location where Young Cheng, a very popular and cheap Chinese restaurant, used to be. The venue has been redone to resemble a Vietnamese cafe, nicely wood panelled and cosy. But now that winter is here, avoid sitting near the front door, it’s very very drafty. Downstairs may be a better option for you as it’s warmer but it still retains a typical restaurant basement feel. Quang our waiter was wonderful, very charming and friendly, and recommended dishes that we didn’t realise we wanted but enjoyed eating! While Pho and Bun is not quite 5 star overall, it’s food is five star. I will be going back very very soon.

Reviewed by: Tim Baros

Telephone: 020 7287 3528
Email:phoandbun@vieteat.co.uk

Address: 76 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6ND, UK

Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday 12:00 – 23:00
Friday – Saturday 12:00 – 23:30
Sunday 12:00 – 22:00

PRICE: ££ (explained)

STAR: ★★★★ (explained)

28th November 2016
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Rudie’s Jamaican

★★★★ | Rudie’s – Great Jamaican food in hip Dalston!

Rudie’s offers what they call a ‘Boss Burger’ – a rare breed of beef chuck patty that is topped with apple wood smoke cheddar, sweet honey mustard, red onion, tomato, pickles and jalapeño chilli – and it’s huge – worth the £12 price. My dining companion ate the whole thing.

Sides were a must to have, and it was the Avocado and Mango Salad that was the best dish of the night. A snip at only £4.25, it’s a big bowl of fresh avocado and mango with dices of onion and tomato in a very nice vinaigrette dressing. Amazing. The Sweet Plantains were also amazing – at £3.00 a great deal – topped with a hint of sugar to give them a sweet flavour.

Desserts are recommended after your meal but they’re very small! I had the Rum Cake expecting a nice portion, but it was quite a small, perhaps the size of the palm of a hand. It was sprinkled with berries and almonds and a syrup sauce, and came with ice cream, but it left me wanting more! My friend had the Banana Brulee, it has a nice crust and underneath the coconut custard créme was heavenly, but again a bit on the small side. Both were £5.50.

It’s all about exotic drinks when going to a Jamaican restaurant, and Rudie’s does not disappoint! There are 10 delicious sounding cocktails to choose from, and while we didn’t have all 10, we did order the ‘Jamaica Nice’ – a nice smoothie with almond syrup, lime, nectarine, rum, with a huge slice of pineapple – it’s as delicious as it sounds! My friend ordered ‘The Colony’ – another rum cocktail that included brandy – he said it was smooth going down. All ten cocktails are priced at a very friendly £8.50 each.

The bill for the meal came to £80 – not too bad considering all the different types of food we ate, coupled with the drinks. Rudie’s is a great place to eat, with large windows so you can watch the passing trade walk by. Service is wonderful, and they’ve been in business for just over a year. With Dalston becoming the hip place to live, Rudie’s will most definitely live up to a similar mantra – it will be the hip place to eat.

Reviewed by: Tim Baros

Telephone: 0207 249 9930

Address: 50 Stoke Newington Road N16 7XB

Opening hours:

Mon – Wed: 18:00 – 22:00

Thur: 12:00 pm – 22:00

Fri – Sat: 12:00 to 23:00

Sun: 12:00 – 22:00

PRICE: ££ (explained)

STAR: ★★★★ (explained)

14th November 2016
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Chicago Rib Shack – Aldgate East

Chicago Rib Shack – Aldgate East – stomach busting food that will do damage to your waist – in a very delicious way!

There have been so many times when I’ve dined in a restaurant only to be left feeling not fully satisfied and still a bit hungry. Well, a visit to Chicago Rib Shack is quite the opposite – I left very full and extremely satisfied, read more to see why.

Chicago Rib Shack has just opened it’s fifth London location, right near Aldgate East tube station. Already with a presence in almost every direction in London (Stratford, Clapham, Camden and Twickenham, and they’re also in Leeds), Chicago Rib Shack is changing the way ribs are eaten in London. Their ribs are smoked over applewood chips for a minimum of six hours in a wood burning oven at 107 degrees celsius. So you have a taste of nicely smoked ribs with the option of adding as much BBQ sauce as you want.

On a Thursday night visit to the newly-opened (two weeks) Aldgate East location, the restaurant was jam packed. Evidently, word had gotten out that on this otherwise unfriendly and bland street a few minutes walk to the tube station was a brand spanking new American-style rib joint. Even when you’re walking by the smell of ribs is so strong and powerful that if that doesn’t lure you in then you’re sense of smell needs to be checked by a doctor.

The beef ribs did not disappoint. The two on my plate were massive, extremely tender and wonderfully large. These particular ribs are smoked for 18 hours and arrive on the plate moist and meaty. BBQ sauce brought to the table is optional, and while the sauce is one of the best I’ve ever had – not too thick and overpowering – I just had to eat the meat on its own to get the full effect of the flavour. Delicious. If this is too much meat for you, then the baby back ribs might be your style. Lean and much smaller, they are light and lovely. The beef ribs are worth every pound of the £19 price, while a half portion is a snip at £10. I had initially wanted to order the £18 Thick Cut Belly Ribs, but they had run out and it was only 8pm! Hopefully, the restaurant will realise that they need to cook enough to last all night! If you don’t fancy ribs then perhaps a burger (classic cheese at £7.50 or shack stack with a double patty, potato cakes, onion rings, egg, avocado and cheese for a whopping £16). Or perhaps the rump steak (£18), cobb salad (£8/£13), griddled chicken (£13) or Catfish (£12).

As sides, we ordered pulled pork spring rolls (£6) and crispy catfish (£6). Both were very good, very delicate, and not too overpowering (especially the catfish, which was nicely breaded and not too fishy tasting). They’re served with a cajun sauce but it’s very spicy – try the BBQ sauce instead – it’s a better accompaniment. The Onion Loaf was the most amazing ever! Baked Caramelised onion, it literally looked like a loaf of bread – crispy, very big and absolutely amazing (only £6). The coleslaw was perfect – not overwhelmingly creamy (£4) and the handmade BBQ beans were tasty and good (£3.5). Also on the side menu were fries, mash, and mac & cheese. When you order expect your food to come all at once. Our table was literally overflowing with dishes!

I had absolutely no room for dessert but stuffed down a Lemon Pot – a lemon curd with lemon biscuit chunks, vanilla ice cream and chantilly cream served in a jam jar – a lovely and sweet dessert, and was an absolute perfect ending to a perfect dinner.

I can’t stress how delicious the meal me and my dining companion had. While she felt that the spring rolls and catfish were a bit flavorless, (they’re probably meant to be because they’re served with a side of sauce) – we were both amazed at how delicious the ribs and onion loaf were, and how reasonably priced it all was, and how thirst-quenching the Nojito (a non-alcoholic mojito) was, at just £4.50. Their drinks menu is, as you would expect, full of many different types of drinks – classics such as cosmos, martini’s, peach teas, among others. Their signature drinks have intriguing names such as Four Roses Milk Punch, Rib Shack Fizz, Jungle Bird, Paper Planes and Cane ’N’ Oil – all that need to be tried during multiple visits! They also serve all sorts of shakes and the usual wines, bubbles, ciders, beers and soft drinks and juices. The root beer float (£4) is a signature American drink that must be tried, either with your meal or for dessert! A must!

The Aldgate branch is smartly designed – open planned, with the bar straight ahead as you walk in and the open kitchen inside on the left. But with the open kitchen comes the issue of the whole place smelling of meat! Don’t be surprised that when you leave your clothes and hair will have the smell of meat. Make sure you don’t have any dogs following you home! The tables are nicely laid out in the restaurant, with free standing tables that I urge you to sit at. We sat in the mashed up back section, next to a table of four rowdy bankers – the tables were a bit too close to each other, enough so that when someone got we had to hold the table down to make sure their bum didn’t knock down our drinks and condiments.

Chicago Rib Shack is stomach-busting food at affordable prices. It’s a trendy hip joint for meat lovers, food that is perfectly cooked and willingly devoured. And some of the branches (including the Aldgate branch) serve brunch. I’ll be back there either again for dinner or brunch once my waistline returns back to normal!

Reviewed by: Tim Baros

Telephone: 0207 426 0218

Address: Wentworth Street London E1 7AL

Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 12:00 pm – 23:00
Sat: 10:00 to 23:00
Sun: 10:00 to 22:30

PRICE: ££ (explained)

STAR: ★★★★ (explained)

6th November 2016