Nandos One New Change

• Half chicken, Chips with PERi-PERi salt and Corn on the Cob (£9.10)
• Chicken Livers & Portuguese Roll (£5.45)

14/20

One New Change
Level 1 South
Upper Cheapside Passage
London
EC2V 6AG
Phone +44 (0) 20 7248 0651
Website

Golden Pagoda 3

• prawn dumplings
• prawn cheung fun
• pork cheung fun
• scallop cheung fun
• preserved duck tongue
• chicken feet
• chicken bun
• chive dumplings
• pork ribs
• pork dumplings
• shark fin dumplings
• glutinous rice parcel
• custard bun
• lotus bun
• egg tart

12/20

15a Gerrard St
London
W1D 6JD
Phone+44 (0) 20 7434 2888

Pizza Express Clerkenwell Rd 2

• Baked Dough Balls (£2.50)
• Margherita - tomato mozzarella

13/20

1 Clerkenwell Road
London
EC1M 5PA
Phone +44 (0)20 7253 7770

Website

Docklands Diner 2

• Lasagne with chips and salad (£5.50)
• Hot tea

14/20

76 Cannon Drive
West India Dock
London
E14 4AS
Phone +44 (0) 20 7515 7160

Thai Thai East 6

• Tom Yum Gai - The famous Thai spicy and sour chicken with lemon grass and fresh herbs soup
• Kang Ped Yang (Duck Curry) (£ 8.95) - Slices duck cooked in coconut milk with pineapple, tomato and Thai basil leaves

14/20

110 Old Street
London
EC1V 9BD
Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 5230

Website

Smithfield Bar and Grill 2

• Warm Baked Loaf with balsamic and olive oil (£3.00)
• Garlic Rub bread (£3.00) - rub the chargrilled bread with raw garlic then drizzle on the virgin oil
• Duck Spring Rolls (£6.95) - with a hoi sin dip
• Beef Carpaccio with Thai asparagus and truffle oil (£7.50)
• Chateaubriand (£50) - Succulently grilled fillet steak with home cut chips, French beans and béarnaise sauce
• Hereford Sirloin Steak

15/20

2-3 West Smithfield
London
EC1A 9JX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7246 0900
Website

The Drapers Arms

• Roast Elwy Valley leg of lamb, roast potatoes & kale (£13.50)
• Confit duck, lentils & chanterelles (£13.00)
• Lardy cake, creme fraiche (£6.50)

11/20

44 Barnsbury St

London

N1 1ER
Phone +44 (0)20 7619 0348
Website

Jamie's Italian Canary Wharf 2

• Fish Baked in a Bag (£15.95) - Fantastic sustainable fish of the day from Devon and Cornwall. Baked in its own juices with clams, mussels, smashed fennel, chilli and anchovy. Served with Sicilian scented cracked wheat
• Cornish Plaice with clams, mussels
• Pomegranate juice
• Funky Chips (£2.85) - With fresh garlic and parsley
• Awesome Chocolate and Espresso Tart (£4.95) - With sticky glazed figs and orange creme fraiche

13/20

2 Churchill Place
London
E14 5RB
Phone +44 (0) 20 3002 5252
Website

Maze

• Soused mackerel, mackerel tartare, salad of beetroot and coriander
• Ham hock rillete, golden raisin purée, slow cooked quail’s eggs, radish
• Roast poussin breast and leg, maple jelly, sweetcorn risotto
• Rump of salt marsh lamb, fennel, samphire,sorrel cress
• Pistachio cake, Kentish raspberries, pistachio crumble
• Rice pudding, bitter chocolate, orange and thyme marmalade, orange ice cream

10/20

10 - 13 Grosvenor Square

London

W1K 6JP

Phone +44 (0)20 7107 0000
Website

54 Restaurant 2

• Cucur Badak (£5.50) - Prawns wrapped in sweet potato, grated coconut, turmeric, lemon grass and chilli, deep fried and served with chilled natural plain yogurt (pronounced Chu-chur-ba-dak)
• Bergedil (£6)
• Assam Pedas Ikan (£13.50) - white fish simmered in a mild sour and spicy aromatic curry
• Stir-fry noodles (£11.50) - shredded chicken stir fried with yellow & rice noodle & vegetables
• Pandan brulee (£5.00) - served with pandan sorbet

14/20

54 Farringdon Road
London
EC1R 3BL
Phone +44 (0) 20 7336 0603
Website

Attilio's

• prosecco
• avocado prawns
• fried whitebaits
• spaghetti carbonara
• pizza parmigiana - parma ham, parmesan, rocket
• armaretto and biscotti

15/20

1 Cowcross Street

London

EC1M 6DR
Phone +44 (0) 20 7253 8369

The India

• Mango Lassi (£3.50)
• Samosa (£3.95) - Triangular pastry filled with mixed vegetable.
• Sheek Kebab (£4.25) - Char grilled sheek of minced lamb with a delicate sprinkling of fresh herbs and aromatic spices mix
• Chicken Tikka Masala (£8.25) - We present our exclusive recipe of succulent chicken tikka in a smooth sauce, mild & creamy!
• Chicken Madras (£7.95) - Boneless chicken cooked in hot curry sauce, fairly hot

12/20

21 College Hill
Cannon Street
London
EC4R 2RP
Phone +44 (0) 20 7248 5855

Website

Cafe East 4

• Banh Cuon (£4.80) - Famous Vietnamese steamed rice pastry filled with savoury Chinese mushroom and minced pork. Topped with meat loaf, poached bean sprouts and shallots. Served with Café east fish sauce
• Pho Chin (£6.50) - Well-done beef with flat rice noodles (Ho Fun). Also available in spicy soup base
• Bo Kho (£6.50) - Homemade beef casserole served with French Baguette or boiled rice or dry Pho (Ho Fun)

15/20

100 Redriff Road
London
SE16 7LH
Phone +44 (0) 20 7252 1212

Website

Launceston Place

• Potato Chips
• Bread with Butter and Herrings
• Beef, beetroot and wild garlic risotto
• Duck egg on toast, Somerset truffle
• Pork crubeens, onions, capers, mustard
• Salt Marsh Lamb, Garlic Mash
• Buttered Carrots
• Buttered Beans
• Plum Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Dark chocolate and raspberry mousse
• Lemon Creme
• Rhubarb Sorbet
• Madeleines with Vanilla Cream

15/20

1a Launceston Place
London
W8 5RL
Phone +44 (0) 20 7937 6912

Website

Arbutus

• Classic Fish Soup with Rouille and Croutes
• Duck Rilettes, Trunip Remoulade
• Crisp Pork Belly, Potato Puree
• Grilled Mullet, Fresh White Beans
• Creme Caramel
• Brie de Meaux

14/20
63-64 Frith St
London
W1D 3JW
Phone +44 (0) 20 7734 4545

Website

Viajante

• House Sashimi - Watermelon, wasabi, soy, seaweed, sesame
• Grilled Broad Beans - broadbean, vinegar, breadcrumbs
• Thai Explosion II - chicken, Thai flavour
• Razor Clam, Red Pepper and Pumpkin Seeds
• Baguette and brown butter, panchetta and purple potato powder
• Botan Ebi, Smoked Yogurt and Rosemary - Canadian Prawns, pea puree, garlic powder and yogurt
• Tomatoes, Water, Mozzarella nad Strawberries
• Quercus Pinot Grigio, 2008 Slovenia
• Scallop, Picked Cucumber and Celery Juice - dashi ice
• Artichokes and Honey Wine, Cured Belly and Pine Nut Milk - Mushroom roasted on a bed of rosemary.
• Charred Leeks, White asparagus, Hazelnuts and Milk Skin
• A &P De Villiane Bouzeron Aligote 2008
• Braised Salmon Skin and Smoked Aubergine
• Domaine Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2008 France
• King Crab with Chicken Jus and Spice Paste - chicken skin, rosemary chicken jus
• Iberico Pig Neck. Langoustine and Broth - lardo with archichoke
• La Rioja Alta "Vina Arana" 2001 Reserva, Spain
• Halibut, Confit Yolk, Courgette Ribbons and Sofrito
• Davaid Traeger "Maranoa" Verdelho 2008, Victoria
• Squab, Beetroot Yoghurt and Pistachio Praline
• Howard Park "Leston" Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Margaret River, Australia
• Green Tea and Shiso
• Blueberries, Goat's Curd, Lemon Thyme and Caramel
• Horacio Simoes, Moscatel Roxo 2004, Portugal
• Panna cotta Ice Cream, Yoghurt, Crumbled Oats, Hazelnuts, Thai Basil and Apple
• Petit Fours - truffle truffle, marshmallow, catalan creme

16/20

Patriot Square
Bethnal Green
London
E2 9NF
Phone +44 (0) 20 7871 0461

Website

Plateau Bar & Grill

• Salad of smoked chicken, spring onion, ginger and chilli dressing
• Gazpacho
• Roast corn fed chicken breast, garlic butter, baby carrots
• Day boat fish with Stewed tomatoes and olives

12/20

4th Floor Canada Place
Canada Square
London

E14 5ER
Phone +44 (0) 20 7715 7100

Website

The Square

• Squid ink crisps with talamasalata dip
• Smoked Foie Gras Cones
• Squid ink mousse with shaved parmesan
• Walnut and Raisin bread, Brown bread
• Sweet Pepper Jelly with an Artichoke and Olive Oil Emulsion, Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomato
• Saumur Scherzo, Domaine de la Paleine 2008, Loire Valley, France
• Tortolleni of Dorset Crab with a Cappuccino of Shellfish and Champagne Foam
• Sauté of Scottish Langoustine Tails with Parmesan Gnocchi and an Emulsion of Potato and Truffle Butter
• Terrine of Smoked Foie Gras with Semi Dried Apricots and a Camomile, Honey and Sauterne Jelly
• Fillet of Halibut with a Purée of Peas, Lardo di Colonnata, Glazed Lettuce and Red Wine
• Loin of Lamb with Semi Dried Tomatoes, Crushed Olive, Charolais Gnocchi, Thyme and Rosemary
• A Tasting of Chevrotin
• Crème Brûlée with Cherries
• Raspberry Ripple Soufflé with Yoghurt Ice Cream
• Petit fours - apple jelly, pineapple jelly, grape jelly, swiss roll, honey and salted caramel truffles

17/20

6-10 Bruton Street
London
W1J 6PU
Phone +44 (0) 20 7495 7100

Website

The Albion

• Black Sheep Ale £1.75
• Adilstons Cider £1.75
• Slow Roast English Pork Belly with Brambley Apple Sauce £14.50
• Spit Roast of Free Range Chicken with Bread Sauce £15
• Rare Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Trimmings £17
• Eton Mess £6

14/20

10 Thornhill Road

London

N1 1HW

Phone +44 (0) 20 7607 7450

Website

Vacharin at Whitechapel Gallery

• Duck Parfait
• Mackerel with Prawn toast
• Duck Medallion
• Pork

13/20

76 - 82 Whitechapel High Street
London
E1 7QX
Phone +44 (0)20 7522 7896

Website

Shayona Restaurants

• Faluda
• Mango Lassi
• Shayona Platter - A selection of Samosas (Spicy mixed vegetable folded in triangle pastry served with chutney), Paneer Satay (lightly marinated Indian cottage cheese cubes uniquely prepared in clay oven served with special salad), Batetawada (Deep fried specially prepared spicy mashed potato ball in batter) and Methi Gota (Deep fried spiced dumplings with fresh fenugreek)
• Dosa - Masala - South Indian Crepe made with rice flour & urid flour stuffed with spiced potatoes & served with lentil soup & coconut chutney
• Bhindi Masala - Mildly Spiced dry Okra Curry
• Stuffed Aubergines
• Tarka Dal - Lentil Curry north Indian style
• Plain Nan - Plain wheat bread made in tandoor
• Chilli Nan - Plain wheat bread made in tandoor with chilies
• Tandoori Roti - Thin plain wheat bread made in tandoor
• Plain Paratha - Flat wheat bread
• Methi Thepla - Flat wheat bread with fresh fenugreek leaves

14/20

Meadow Garth

Neasden
London
NW10 8HD
Phone +44 (0) 20 8965 3365
Website

Golden Pagoda 2

• prawn dumplings
• prawn cheung fun
• salt and pepper squid
• preserved duck tongue
• fried taro balls
• fried meat dumpling
• chicken feet
• BBQ pork bun
• chicken bun
• chive dumplings

12/20

15a Gerrard St
London
W1D 6JD
Phone+44 (0) 20 7434 2888

Hibiscus

• Parmesan puffs
• Watermelon Sorbet with Pineapple Foam and Basil
• Royale of Crozier Blue, New Season Broccoli & Fresh Almonds
• Foie Gras
• Norfolk Rabbit stuffed with River Exe Devon Mussels,English Peas, Confit Apricots, Fresh Almonds and Spanish Chorizo
• Slow Cooked Cheek of Somerset Veal, Caramelised Baby Gem Lettuce, Roast Garlic and Lemon Puree, San Marzano Tomatoes Cooked in Salted Butter
• Cherry Compote with Celeriac Mousse
• Lemon Cheesecake
• Pea Tart with Coconut Ice Cream

14/20

29 Maddox St
London
W1S 2PA
Website

The Lion

• Seafood Paella with Salad (£8.50)

13/20

132 Stoke Newington Church Street
London
N16 0JX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7249 1318

The Ship Inn Burcombe

• Toulouse sausages with Red Onion Confit and Mash
• Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas
• Fish Cakes with Chips
• Pan-Fried Salmon with Couscous

15/20

Burcombe Lane

Burcombe
Wiltshire
SP2 0EJ
Phone +44 (0) 17 2274 3182

Website

Sedap 2

• Penang Char Kway Teow (£7.25) - Famous stir fried flat rice noodles with prawns, beansprouts, Chinese sausages, egg, fish cake, soy sauce, chive & chilli paste
• Singapore Laksa (£7.35) - Rice vermicelli, prawns, fish cake, chicken, fried beancurd, boiled egg & beansprouts in light spices coconut soup
• Prawn Mee Soup (£7.35) - Yellow noodles, prawns, fish cake, boiled egg, sliced pork & beansprouts in spicy prawn soup
• Sambal Brinjal (£5.30) - Pan fried brinjal spread with homemade chilli shrimp paste & prawn

12/20

102 Old Street
London
EC1V 9AY
Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 0200

Website

The Ledbury

• Pan-Fried Mackerel with pickled Cucumber
• Crisp Chicken Wings with Milk Skin, Morels, White Asparagus and Broad Bean Flowers
• Hereford Snails in a Mousseline of Herbs with Pickled White Carrots, Cepe Marmalade and Roasted Oxtail Juices
• Biodynamic, Heritage Prime Dorset Hogget Served in 3 courses:
  • Breast with Lamb and Herb Consomme, Cauliflower and Kromeski
  • Shoulder Cooked for 24 hours with Brolotti Beans, Smoked Artichoke and Marjoram
  • Saddle Baked in Hay with Aubergine Caviar, Green Tomato Juice and Dried Olives
• Cherry Compote with Lemon Verbana Cream
• Eucalyptus Honey and Gingerbread Soufflé with Thyme Ice Cream
• Caramelised Banana Galette with Salted Caramel and Peanut Ice Cream
• Hibiscus Parfait with Blueberries, Frozen White Chocolate and a Warm Shortbread Biscuit
• Petit Fours

18/20

127 Ledbury Road

London
W11 2AQ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7792 9090

Website

Thai Thai East 5

• Kah Nom Pung na Goong (Prawn on Toast) (£ 5.50) - Marinated minced prawn and chicken with selected fine Thai herbs deep-fried on toast served with sweet chilli sauce
• Vegetable Tampura -A selection of mixed vegetables deep-fried in light batter served with sweet chilli sauce
• Sweet Corn Cakes - Slightly deep fried sweet corn cakes served with sweet chilli sauce.
• Chicken Satay - A famous skewered of chicken well marinated and char-grilled served with satay peanut sauce
• Kang Ped Yang (Duck Curry) (£ 8.95) - Slices duck cooked in coconut milk with pineapple, tomato and Thai basil leaves
• Green curry with fresh green chilli and coconut milk with sweet basil leaves
• Sweet and Sour Thai Thai Chicken - Specially prepared mixed vegetables, tomato, Thai sweet and sour sauce
• Stir-Fry Mix - stir fry with mix peppers, spring onions & garlic

12/20

110 Old Street
London
EC1V 9BD
Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 5230

Website

Aria

• Tuna - sashimi of yellow fin tuna with shaved fennel and radish, spicy puffed rice and yuzu purée
• Goose - cured goose breast with chicken liver parfait, poached rhubarb, black pepper and ginger bread
• Scallop - roasted, shaved Brussels sprout salad, pumpkin purée and a raisin and caper dressing
• Peking Duck Consomme - with dumplings, shaved abalone and mushrooms
• Pork Belly - Kurobuta sweet pork belly with pickled watermelon and crackling
• Lamb - basil scented lamb fillet with red capsicum, baby artichokes and a green olive and lavender sauce
• Pina Colada - pineapple with piña colada sorbet and coconut tapiocaoa
• Coffee
• Petit Fours

14/20

1 Macquarie Street
East Circular Quay
Sydney

NSW 2000

Phone +61 (0)2 9252 2555

Website

Club Gascon 2

• Scallop Carpaccio, Piquillos, Frosted Watermelon and Berries
• Suckling Pig Variation, Barley & Savora Jus
• Escabeche of Octopus & Sunflower
• Roast Mackerel, Rhubarb and Seaweed Tartare
• Pastrami Veal Onglet, Smoked Tomato Compote and Aromatic Celeriac
• Aligot, Artichoke a la Barigoule and Crisps
• Lemon Lemonade
• Praline Ganache, Crunchy Jivarra and Coated Macadamia
• Coffee and Armagnac Granite, Almond and Chocolate Cigar

16/20

57 West Smithfield
London

EC1A 9DS

Phone +44 (0) 20 7796 0600

Website

Caravan

• Coconut Bread, Strawberries, and Lemon Curd Cream Cheese £7.50
• Cornbread, Bacon and Rocket £8.50
• Flat White £2.40
• Banana and Malt Milkshake £3.50

12/20

11-13 Exmouth Market

London

EC1R 4QD

Phone +44 (0) 20 7833 8115

Website

Byron Canary Wharf

• Chicken Fillet Burger (£8.25) - Corn fed chicken fillet with tomato mayo, baby spinach
• Home Made Skin-On Chips (£3.00)
• Strawberry Milkshake (£3.50)

13/20

Second Floor
Cabot Place East
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4QT

Phone +44 (0) 20 7715 9360

Website

Bentley Restaurant

• Tuna Tartare with Avocado
• Sliced Serrano Jamon
• Smoked Eel Parfait with White Soy and Seaweed Salad
• Calamari with Squid Ink Rice and Green Chilli
• Cucumber & Herb Gazpacho
• Crisp Potato and Chorizo with Harissa
• Pullet Egg with Pork Bubble
• Pressed Lamb Shoulder with Harissa Emulsion and Parsnip Puree
• Chickpea Chips
• Toasted Banana Marshmellow with Warm Banana Milk

16/20

320 Crown St
Surry Hills

NSW 2010

Australia
Phone +61 (02) 9332 2344

Website

Assiette

• Seasonal oyster with Vietnamese dressing and baby coriander
• Cured Malborough salmon with prawn beignet, pink grapefruit, mandarin and fennel
• Seared tuna with smoked eel, beetroot jelly, wasabi cream and baby basil
• Terrine of Macleay valley rabbit with celeriac, raisins and Waldorf salad
• Ballontine of quail with proscuitto, chestnuts, white asparagu and crispy quail's egg
• Pan fried dory with seared scallop, onion bhaji, cauliflower puree and mango chutney
• Braised wagyu beef cheek with roasted heirloom carrots and horseradish cream
• Selected cheese with pear puree and toasted fruit bread
• GrannySmith apple jelly with vanilla syrup and apple granita
• Banana mousse with white chocolate ice cream and peanut brittle

16/20

48 Albion St
Surry Hills

NSW 2010

Australia
Phone +61 (02) 9212 7979

Website

Apsleys

• Tasting plate
• Fish “Crudo” (£30.00)
• Carbonara fagottelli (£17.50)
• “Cod nero”, broccoli puree and red pepper jus (£30.00)
• Loin of veal ,wild mushroom, apple and aged balsamic (£39.00)
• Rum Baba
• Mascarpone fondant with vanilla ice cream (£10.50)
• Milk… (£10.50)
• Petit Fours

17/20

The Lanesborough
Hyde Park Corner
London

SW1X 7TA
Phone: +44 (0)20 7259 5599

Website

Cafe East 3

• Com Suon Bi Cha (£7.50) - Vietnamese Lemongrass pork chop, meat pie and shredded pork skin
• Bun Ga Nuong (£6.50)
• Che Dau Trang (£3.00) - Delicious Vietnamese Pudding. Black-eye bean cooked with glutinous rice topped with coconut cream
• Che Ba Mau (£3.00)

15/20

100 Redriff Road
London
SE16 7LH
Phone +44 (0) 20 7252 1212

Website

The Brew House & The Steward's Room

• Free range pork and hop sausage, Beetroot Chutney and Today's Vegetables
• Lamb Shanks with Onion Jus and Today's Vegetables
• Gooseberry & elderflower cheesecake
• Hot Chocolate
• Clotted Cream Vanilla Ice Cream
• Strawberry Cream Ice Cream

13/20

Kenwood House

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Lane

London

NW3 7JR

Tayyabs 3

• poppadom
• salad
• Seekh Kebab
• Tandoori Chicken
• Lamb Chop
• Karahi Bindi (Okra)
• Karahi Chicken
• Karahi Dhal Tarka
• Kofta
• Alloo Saag
• Peswari Nan
• Mango Lassi

14/20

83-89 Fieldgate Street
London
E1 1JU
Phone +44 (0) 20 7247 9543

Website

Giraffe Islington

• Pomegranate Juice
• Chorizo Sausage and Potato Quesadilla - black bean chilli, melted cheddar cheese, mozzarella, salsa piccante & sour cream
• Cappuccino

12/20

29-31 Essex Road
London
N1 2SA

Phone +44 (0) 20 7359 5999

Website

The Modern Pantry

• Miso Roast Cod with Potatoes and Samphire

15/20

47-48 St John’s Square

London

EC1V 4JJ

Phone +44 (0) 20 7553 9210

Website

The Queens Head

• Confit Duck and Pigeon Terrine with Homemade Chutney. Toasted Crutes £6.95
• Pan-Fried Scallops with Artichoke Puree, Rocket Salad and Balsamic Reduction £8.50
• Steak Sandwich with Blue Cheese Mayo on Toasted Ciabatta, with French Fries £8.50
• Fish & Chips with Pea Puree and Tartare Sauce £9.95
• Orange and Vanilla Pannacotta with Passion Fruit Syrup £5.75

15/20

Pound Lane
Little Marlow
Buckinghamshire
SL7 3SR

Phone +44 (0) 16 2848 2927

Website

The Old Queens Head

• Peppered Tempura Cornish Squid with Black Olive Tapenade and Crispy Parma Ham £6.75
• Pan Fried Lambs Kidneys with Oak Smoked Bacon and Pan Juices on Toasted Granary £6.50
• Stockings Farm' Spring Lamb Rump and Braised Lamb Shoulder Parcel with Fondant Potato and French-Style Peas £15.25
• Confit Barbary Duck Leg with Roast Beetroot, Jersey Royals, Beetroot Leaves and Madeira Dressing £13.75
• English Pink Rhybarb and Ginger Fool with Brandy Snap £5.25
• Treacle Tart with Walnut and Maple Syrup Ice Cream £5.50

13/20

Hammersley Lane

Penn
High Wycombe

HP10 8EY

Phone +44 (0) 14 9481 3371

Website

Cafe Ginkgo

• Cappuccino
• Latte
• Sun-dried Tomato Quiche with Tomato, avocado and Mozarella Salad and Tomato and Feta Salad

11/20

Ginkgo Gardens

Ravenscourt Avenue

W6 0SL

Phone +44 (0) 20 8563 7112

Website

The Roastery

• French toast with Bacon and Banana
• Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs with Doorstop Toast
• Flat White
• Cappuccino

14/20

789 Wandsworth Rd
Lambeth

SW8 3JQ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7498 5630

The Nags Head

• Eggs Benedict with Halloumi Cheese Marinated in Smoked Paprika and Nag's Hollandaise £6.95
• Salt Beef Salad served with a poached egg and piccalilli dressing £7.45
• Slowly Briased Leg of Duck served with a Sage and Apple Jus £14.95
• Medallion of Veal Fillets served with Pan Fried Foie Gras and Veal Jus £19.95
• Potato Dauphinoise
• Lemon tarte served with Panacotta with raspberry ice cream £6.45
• Hot chocolate sponge pudding with Strawberry Ice cream £5.45

17/20

London Road
Great Missenden
Buckinghamshire
HP16 0DG
Phone +44 (0) 14 9486 2200

Website

Thai Thai East 4

• Kah Nom Pung na Goong (Prawn on Toast) (£ 5.50) - Marinated minced prawn and chicken with selected fine Thai herbs deep-fried on toast served with sweet chilli sauce
• Por Pia Pak (Vegetable Spring Rolls) (£ 4.50) - Mixed vegetables and glass noodle spring rolls served with chilli sauce
• Kang Ped Yang (Duck Curry) (£ 8.95) - Slices duck cooked in coconut milk with pineapple, tomato and Thai basil leaves
• Pannang Pak - Cooked in coconut cream, presented relatively dry and garnished with shredded lime leaves. This curry has mild and rich taste
• Thai iced tea

13/20

110 Old Street
London
EC1V 9BD
Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 5230

Website

Hand and Cleaver

• Grilled whole Lemon Sole, Herb Butter, New Potatoes and Green Beans (£13.50)
• Char-grilled, 28 Days matured 10 oz Rib-Eye Steak from Paul Boston's Farm in Longdon, Staffordshire, served with proper chips, roasted tomatoes, field mushroom and balsamic glazed onions (£15.95)
• Warm Chocolate Brownie, Butter and Cream Ice Cream (£4.95)

14/20

Butt Lane

Ranton Green

Stafford

ST18 9JZ

Phone +44 (0) 17 8582 2367

Website

George and Dragon

• Chicken Livers (£5.95)
• Anchovy Nicoise Salad (£5.95)
• Blue Cheese Risotto, Purple Sprout Broccoli (£10.95)
• Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Vegetables (£10.95)
• Rhubarb crumble (£5.95)
• Chocolate Nut Brownie (£5.95)

15/20

Clifton
Penrith
CA10 2ER

Phone +44 (0) 17 6886 5381

Website

Iglu

• Vegetarian haggis spring rolls -Served with home made sweet chilli sauce
• Oxtail and Cheek Terrine - Served with a fig and Madeira chutney
• Wild boar burger with game jus - Served bun-less with hand cut chips & mixed leaves.
• Herb battered Hake & chips-Served with lime tartar sauce

12/20

2b Jamaica Street
Edinburgh

EH3 6HH

Phone +44 (0) 13 1476 5333

Website

The Townhouse Restaurant

• Smoked Salmon Salad
• Saffron Mussels
• Salmon Fillet, Asparagus
• Lamb Loin with Beetroot
• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Berry Shortcake

13/20

Grosvenor Street

Haymarket

Edinburgh

EH12 5EF

Phone +44 (0) 13 1226 6001

Riverfront Bar & Grill

• Haggis Neep
• Smoked Salmon and Potato Salad
• Salmon with Cream Sauce and Pok Choy
• Venison Stew
• Strawberry and Honey Cheesecake
• Orange Chocolate Fondant

12/20

Earl Grey Place

Dundee

DD1 4DE

Phone +44 (0) 13 8222 9271

Mussel Inn Glasgow

• Creamy Seafood Chowder -Served with freshly baked crusty bread
• Pan Fried Squid with Chilli
• 1/2 kg Mussels Moroccan - Chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin
• 1/2 kg Mussels Smoked Cheese
• Chips

13/20

157 Hope Street
Glasgow
G2 2UQ
Phone +44 (0) 84 3289 2283

Website

Babbity Bowster

• Cullen Skink
• Salmon and Mussel Pie with Curry sauce
• Stovies
• Misty Stove Glasgow Beer

12/20

16–18 Blackfriars Street

Glasgow

G1 1PE

Phone +44 (0) 14 1552 5055

Oscar's French Bistro

• Baguette
• Celeriac Soup
• Fishcakes with Lemon Butter Sauce and Spinach
• Aberdeenshire Rump Steak with Chips & Café de Paris Butter
• Coq au Vin

15/20

39 Chandos Street

Leamington Spa

Warwickshire

CV32 4RL
Phone +44 (0) 19 2645 2807

Website

My Dining Room

• Passionfruit and Lime Muddle
• Berry Martini
• Traditional Terrine with pickles and bread
• Crayfish and Prawn cocktail
• Open Lasagna of grilled garden vegetables with mozzarella and fresh basil pesto £13.50
• Snoked Haddock and Salmon FIshcakes with samphire and lemon sauce £11
• Treacle Tart with Passionfruit Sorbet £7
• Poached winter fruits with cinnamon spice ice cream, £5.50

14/20

18 Farm Lane

London

SW6 1PP

Phone +44 (0) 20 7381 3331

Website

Sedap

• Malaysian Chicken Satay (£5.20) - Tender chicken skewers marinated with spices, barbecued & served with peanut Sauce
• Roti Prata with Chicken Curry (£4.80) - Indian Bread with Chicken Curry
• Roti Prata with Lamb Curry (£5.50) - Indian Bread with Lamb Curry
• Kerabu Vegetable (£4.20) - Salad with freshly made special lime sauce
• Malaysian Blachan Chicken (£6.00) - Tender crispy fried chicken marinated with homemade prawn paste & served with sweet chilli sauce
• Sambal Okra (£5.20) - Stir fried okra & prawn in homemade chilli shrimp paste
• Malaysian Tofu (£4.50) - Deep fried tofu in peanut sauce
• Penang Char Kway Teow (£7.25) - Famous stir fried flat rice noodles with prawns, beansprouts, Chinese sausages, egg, fish cake, soy sauce, chive & chilli paste
• Nasi Lemak (£7.60) - Steamed fragrant coconut rice served with chicken curry, deep fried mackerel, boiled egg & homemade sambal sauce

13/20

102 Old Street

London

EC1V 9AY

Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 0200

Website

The Gun

• Ham hock ravioli, morteau sausage, smoked bacon and choucroute
• Pan fried fillet of red bream, braised baby gem, pod peas and pancetta crisp
• Chocolate moelleux, crème fraîche sorbet

14/20

27 Coldharbour

London

E14 9NS

Phone +44 (0) 20 7515 5222

Website

The Compass

• Crab and crayfish cocktail £7.50
• Apple and Pork Terrine £8.50
• Angus Cheeseburger with Triple Cooked Chips £11
• 8 oz Ribeye Steak with Tomato, Watercress and Triple Cooked Chips £11

11/20

58 Penton Street
London

N1 9PZ

Phone +44 (0) 20 7837 3891

Website

The White Swan

• Slow cooked Middlewhite pork belly, black pudding, radish and apple (£16)
• Yorkshire venison loin, heritage carrots, soured turnips (£20.50)

4/20

108 Fetter Lane
London
EC4A 1ES

Phone +44 (0)20 7242 9696

Website

Pavilion Cafe

• Fresh squeezed orange juice £1.70
• Salmon Fillet with Puy Lentils and Rocket £8

13/20

Highgate Wood

Muswell Hill Road

N10 3JN
Phone +44 (0) 20 8444 4777

White Star Tavern

• Chicken terrine, homemade Apricot chutney, door stop toast £7
• Local wood pigeon breast, roasted chicory, Serrano ham, sherry vinegar emulsion £6.50
• Asparagus and Duck Egg Tart £12
• Whole Bream in Butter Sauce with Potatoes (£17)

13/20

28 Oxford Street

Southampton

Hampshire

SO14 3DJ

Phone +44 (0) 23 8082 1990

Website

The Chequers Inn

• Bread
• Potted Shrimp and Toast
• Chequers scampi with pea shoot salad & lemon mayonnaise 5.95
• Red Mullet, Chickpeas, Artichoke, Tomato Sauce
• Cod and Salmon Fishcakes, caper buttered spinach

13/20

91 Banbury Rd

Ettington

Warwickshire

CV37 7SR

Phone +44 (0) 17 8974 0387

Website

Bricklayers Arms

• Bricklayers Home Smoked fish plate Served with a Lemon Coriander Butter and Tomato Chutney £7.95
• Goat's Cheese, Walnut and Smoked Chicken Salad
• Roast Sirloin of 21 day aged Beef £13.95 served with Roast Potatoes & Seasonal Vegetables
• Roast Loin of Oxfordshire Sandy Pork (from Micklefield Hall Farm, Sarrat) £13.45 served with Roast Potatoes & Seasonal Vegetables
• Lemon tarte served with a Grapefruit Sorbet £5.95
• Maple & walnut, pannacotta & raspberry, pistacio ice cream £4.95
• Green King IPA

15/20

Hogpits Bottom
Flaunden
HP3 0PH
Phone +44 (0) 14 4283 3322

Website

Cawdor Tavern

• Seafood Platter (£5.75) - Featuring Smoked Trout, Salmon Mousse andMarinated fillets of Orkney Herring
• Pan seared Arisaig Scallops (£8.95) - Served with rocket, Parmesan, Black Pudding and Bacon Salad with Chilli and Sesame Seed Dressing
• Chicken Culloden (£13.75) - Breast of Chicken stuffed with our Prize HaggisServed on a Potato Rosti with a Drambuie & Mushroom Sauce and Vegetables of the day
• Roasted Loin of Prime Borders Lamb (£14.95) - Served on Dauphinoise Potato, with Rosemary & Garlic Jus, Fresh Vegetables of the Day

14/20

Cawdor
Nairn
IV12 5XP

Phone +44 (0) 16 6740 4777

Website

The Cock & Bull

• Cullen Skunk
• Crab Tart
• Aberdeen Angus steak with Chips
• Confit of Lamb Shoulder, Smoked Haggis, Cauliflower Puree
• Creme Brulee, Shortbread
• Treacle Tart, Apple Compote

15/20

Ellon Road
Blairton
Balmedie
Aberdeenshire
AB23 8XY

Phone +44 (0) 13 5874 3249

Website

Thai Thai East 3

• Kah Nom Pung na Goong (Prawn on Toast) (£ 5.50) - Marinated minced prawn and chicken with selected fine Thai herbs deep-fried on toast served with sweet chilli sauce.
• Tom Yum Gai - The famous Thai spicy and sour chicken with lemon grass and fresh herbs soup.
• Beef in Black Pepper - Thai green vegetables stir-fried with Thai chilli and garlic.
• Phad Ke Moe Chicken - Stir fried Thai rice noodles with bean sprouts, spring onion and in house sauce.
• Young Coconut

13/20

110 Old Street
London
EC1V 9BD
Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 5230

Website

La Creperie de Hampstead

• Crepe Complet - ham, cheese, egg

12/20

77 Hampstead High Street

London

NW3 1RE

Smiths of Smithfield 2

• Hot Salt Beef, Spring Onion Mash, Buttered Carrots & Pickles £13
• 9oz South Devon Rib Steak, Chips & Mustard Mayonnaise £15

14/20

67-77 Charterhouse Street
London
EC1M 6HJ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7251 7950

Website

Ginger & White

• Goats Cheese and Caramelised Onion Quiche
• Flat White

12/20

4a-5a Perrins Court

London

NW3 1QS

Phone +44 (0) 20 7431 9098

Website

Indiana

• Chicken tikka (starter) (£3.00) - chicken breast marinated in a special blend of spices and cooked in the tandoor, resulting in a most delicious and succulent kebab
• Vegetable Samosa (£2.40)
• Chicken Korma (£5.05) - mild with almond, coconut and fresh cream
• Lamb Jai Puri (£5.60) - cooked with ground onion, green pepper, mushroom and fresh herbs and Indian spices
• Basmati pilau rice (£2.35)
• Naan (£2.05)

13/20

129 Salmon Lane

London

E14 7PG

Chilango Islington

• pork burrito, with guacamole
• chicken taco with hot (chilango) and medium (roasted tomato) sauce
• agua fresca - traditional Mexican fruit cooler

14/20

27 Upper Street

London

N1 0PN

Phone +44 (0) 20 7704 2123

Lahore Kebab House 2

• Seekh Kebab £1
• Vegetable Samosa £1
• Lamb Samosa £1.25
• Grilled Lamb Chops £7.50
• Bindi (okra) £5.50
• Sag Gosht £7
• Chicken Haleem £7
• Peshaweri Naan £3
• Butter Naan £1.25
• Garlic Naan £1.5
• Pilau Rice £3
• Mango Lassi

15/20

2 Umberston Street
London
E1 1PY
Phone +44 (0) 20 7488 2551

Website

Comptoir Gascon

• Fresh Orange Juice £3
• Gascony pie £7.00
• Pollack with Roast Tomato Tarte £12.50
• Home made French fries £3.50
• Citrus Mystery £3.50 a lemon meringue filled with lemon cream, citrus jelly and raspberry sauce
• Scrambled Eggs
• Omelette with Red Pepper

17/20

63 Charterhouse Street
London
EC1M 6HJ

Phone +44 (0) 20 7608 0851

Website

Café East 2

• Bi Cuon - fresh rice flakes rolls with shredded pork skin, crushed bake rice and herb salad
• Pho Tai - rare beef with flat rice noodles
• Com Curry - Traditional Vietnamese spicy chicken curry cooked with potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots in delicious coconut cream
• Sua Dau Nanh - fresh homemade soya milk with no preservative, no colouring or flavouring

17/20

100 Redriff Road
London
SE16 7LH
Phone +44 (0) 20 7252 1212

Wet Fish Cafe 2

• chicken stew with mushroom and bacon in cream sauce and bread (£8.50)
• fresh lemonade (included in price)

12/20

242 West End Lane
London

NW6 1LG
Phone +44 (0) 20 7443 9222

Website

Pizza Express Clerkenwell Rd

• Baked Dough Balls (£2.50)
• Al Tirolo (£9.95) - Creamy fontal cheese with a medley of mushrooms; porcini, portobello and closed cup topped with crispy speck ham, garlic oil and a sprinkle of parsley
• Capricciosa (£8.75) - Prosciutto cotto ham, anchovies, red pepper, capers and olives, topped with a free range boiled egg
• Garlic Bread (£2.55)
• Giardiniera (£8.50) - Asparagus, artichokes, mushrooms, fresh red peppers, santos tomatoes, olives and garlic oil on a tomato and pesto sauce
• ETNA (£10.05) - Scorching hot soft sausage, fiery roquito peppers and speck ham, finished with grated grana padano

13/20

1 Clerkenwell Road

London

EC1M 5PA

Phone +44 (0)20 7253 7770

Website

The Green

• Bacon and sweetcorn chowder £4.50
• The Green’s spicy fish cakes with beurre blanc and curry kale £7.50
• Duck Breast with Carrots, Parsnip and Greens £13.20
• Lambs Liver with Mash and Bacon Sauce £11

16/20

29 Clerkenwell Green
London
EC1R 0DU

Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 8010

Website

The Well

• Lamb sweetbreads and white onion tart, sage beurre noisette £9.50
• Half Kilo clams and Mussels with cream, white wine, garlic and rocket £12.50
• Loch Duart salmon and crayfish boudin with buttered leek, tarragon, beurre blanc £14.50

15/20

180 St John Street

London

EC1V 4JY

Phone +44 (0) 20 7251 9363

Website

The Ambassador Cafe

• Blood Orange Juice £3.20 - very nice
• Chocolate and Banana Smoothie £3 - with real chocolate and banana lumps
• Eggs Royale - good hollandaise sauce, nice and runny yoke
• Big Breakfast - good quality ingredients cooked nicely, but nothing special, can easily be whipped up at home

14/20

55 Exmouth Market

London

EC1R 4QL

Phone +44 (0) 20 7838 0009

Website

China Garden

glutinous rice, prawn dumpling, prawn chung fun, sie mae, veg dumpling, turnip cake
(£8 per person)

6/20

6 New College Parade

Finchley Road

London

NW3 5EP

Phone +44 (0) 20 7722 9552

Website

Planet Hollywood

• Blackened Chicken Sandwich - Grilled Cajun spiced chicken breast with melted cheese served on a fresh baked bun with Creole mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onions, served with chips.
• Classic Cheeseburger - Fresh 100% ground beef patty or bread crumbed potato patty with carrots, peas, sweet corn, seasonings and spices. Served with cheese if requested and lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on our fresh baked bun
• Homemade Cheesecake - Our traditional, creamy cheesecake with a digestive biscuit crust
• Ice Cream - Our creamy Vanilla Ice Cream served with velvety chocolate sauce
• Pretty in Pink (£4.95)- Pineapple, coconut, orange and cranberry.
• Strawberry Milkshake (£4.95) - topped with whipped cream.

5/20

57-60 Haymarket
St Albans House
London

SW1Y 4QX

Phone +44 (0) 20 7287 1000

Website

Thai Thai East 2

• Tom Khar Gai - The traditional creamy coconut chicken soup spiced with galangal, lemon grass and lime leaves and chilli paste.
• Sweet Corn Cakes - Slightly deep fried sweet corn cakes served with sweet chilli sauce.
• Pad Thai Chicken - Stir fried Thai rice noodles with bean sprouts, spring onion and in house sauce.
• Green curry with fresh green chilli and coconut milk with sweet basil leaves.
• Sweet Osmanthus Flower (£3.20) - Silver Needle Tea, Sweet Osmanthus, Lily

13/20

110 Old Street
London
EC1V 9BD
Phone +44 (0) 20 7490 5230
Website

Baozi Inn

• baozi Set B (£6.80) steamed bread filled with pork, radish or egg, typical of northern China, Hot salad, Milled Rice soup
• dan dan noodles (£6.10)
• lemon iced tea

12/20

25 Newport Court

London

WC2H 7JS
Phone+44 (0) 20 7287 6877

A Change

Sadly, I don't have time to upkeep this blog anymore, so from now on the format of the entries will change. I will just record the food I have eaten and given the overall experience a score out of 20.

Sri Nam Thai Canary Wharf 7

One last journey to Sri Nam before I leave Canary Wharf.

Food

It was cold outside, so I went for another soup, the Classic Won Ton Noodle Soup with BBQ Pork. A generous bowl arrived, filled with wonton and almost a whole pig. I was surprised at the generosity of the dish, and even more surprised at the springy egg noodles, tender and succulent pork, and flavoursome wonton. This is easily the best dish I’ve had at Sri Nam!

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

The place was very quiet compared to normal on Christmas Eve.

Rating - 1.5

Service

No people, plenty of waiters, so they were eager to please. Did I mention that our food arrived in about 3 minutes?

Rating - 3

C-factor

For this dish, well worth the money as they were so generous with the servings.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 14

Info

10 Cabot Square
London
E14 4QB
Phone+44 (0) 20 7517 2898
Website

Spice Merchant

Food

I ordered off the Christmas menu:

• Nepali Chingri - Larger Prawns steamed with tamarind bay leaf and garlic, fairly hot with a sweet and sour taste - there was only one prawn, and it sure was large. However, the sauce was more on the sweet rather than the sour side
• Kalyanji Gosht - Tender pieces of lamb cooked slowly with kalyanji (a fragrant herb) in a home made style spiced sauce fairly hot and truly traditional in its flavours - definitely not hot, and the lamb not tender. I didn’t detect said herb, the sauce being very tomato based
• Broccoli Bhaji - Broccoli stir fried with light spices - best dish in terms of flavour, although the broccoli is very soft from the cooking
• Peshwari Nan - the nan was cold by the time it got to me, and was not something to write home about
• Pistachio kufti - did its job, but not really much flavour, more like a palette cleanser.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

Situated right by the DLR, this is in a modern building split into 2 levels. We were seated on a long table upstairs, with posh tablecloth, cutlery, and high class Christmas crackers. It’s good to get away from the corporate Canary Wharf, and if you get a seat by the window on a sunny day, it would be very nice.

Rating - 2

Service

To be fair, they did warn us since we did not all want to order off the Christmas menu, the food would take awhile… still, the restaurant was mostly empty, and it took a long time for our food to arrive. And when it arrived, it was in drip and drap, so that if you got your food early and was waiting for other people, your food was pretty much cold. I give them points for trying, but the execution was not well done.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

The x’mas menu was £19.95 per person.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

38 Salter Street
London
E14 8BL
Phone +44 (0) 20 7987 8779
Website

Viet Garden

Any restaurant with the word “Viet” in the name pipes my interest, so I had to go in to test things out, and was quite surprised by the result.

Food

True to form, ordered the small size Pho flat rice noodle in a light fragrant soup with beef (£4.30) was surprisingly tasty, as I definitely was not expecting much from this out of the way place in Islington. The stock was very good, good flavour, a bit tangy. Noodles of a good consistency. I only had problems with the beef, which was a bit tough and tasteless, and they definitely don’t give you enough herbs for your soup. Bun thit nuong char-grilled pork (£7.25) was not quite what I expected. You get some noodles with no soup, cucumber and lettuce, and a sizzling plate of pork. Flavours were generally good, could do with a bit more contrast besides salt, otherwise, very pleasant.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

It was virtually dead on a cold and rainy Monday lunch. It is situated on the inside of an old house, and the whole place reminds me of a pub in its layout, and they could do with some more light to make the place appear warmer.

Rating - 1

Service

One smiling waiter who was very gracious and seemed amused at our group of pregnant women and their partners, but was kind to explain everything to us. Surprisingly the pho took the longest time to come out, so I guess they weren’t just reheating it.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

Reasonable price for quantity and quality.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12

Info

207 Liverpool Road
London
N1 1LX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7700 6040
Website

The Regent

Food

As soon as we walked in and saw the oven, I knew I was going to have pizza. There were a few not typical flavours on the list, but I couldn’t eat the ingredients on a lot of them, so we had Buffalo (£9.25) - mozzarella, cherry tomato, olives & basil, which had a beautifully done crust and nice tomato sauce, the mozzarella was not the best quality, the cherry tomatoes not that sweet (and too little of it), and I don’t think the olives really went with it. The Vegetable (£7.95) - aubergine, courgette, peppers, mushrooms & mozzarella was much better. The same crisp base and tasty sauce, with some soft vegetables oozing flavours.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

The place is great, with heavy wooden furniture, high ceilings, a gorgeous looking bar and toys for the kids. Now, just need a way to get rid of the people so there is actually room to sit.

Rating - 2

Service

It’s a pub, so you order and pay at the bar, they bring the food to you, you help yourself to cutlery and drinks. It took a long time for the food to arrive though, understandable as they only had one small oven for the pizza. Just don’t be in a hurry.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

Good quality pizza, a little expensive, but this is a rich area.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12

Info

201 Liverpool Road
London
N1 1LX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7700 2725
Website

Ten Ten Tai

On the hunt for ramen again… after asking all our London based Japanese friends and lots of goggling, I have concluded that good ramen just doesn’t exist in London. Still, when you have the hankering, you have to accept what is out there.

Food

I liked the place straight away, because as soon as we had settled into our seats from the cold outside, we were given complementary green tea. There were a few ramens on the menu, but I went for the Miso Ramen (£5.40). This came with scattered corn, one piece of pork, seaweed. Not the greatest, with a red miso stock, pleasing noodles, and the pork was fatty enough in places, but nothing to get me excited either. Quite acceptable for the price really, but not somewhere I would be hankering to go back to. The Tonjuru Set (£7) - with potato croquette and chicken skewer was definitely more pleasing. This is a very homely soupy dish, dominated by turnip flavour. Very nice on a winter’s morning, but definitely not refined. The potato croquette and chicken skewers were both piping hot and had a nice coating, but both lacked flavour, and we had to rely on the brown sauce and mustard provided to add flavour.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

There are a few restaurants on the street, we chose this because of the sushi bar and the appearance of some Japanese people eating there. We were seated in the downstairs area. Minimalist décor, but with some Japanese screens and cloth. It’s a small and cosy, and casual sort of place. There were a mix of both Japanese and western clientele, usually friends or couples.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Typical London Japanese, if I can call it that. They were very polite, however, it took awhile to pay the bill. Certainly not the standard of Japan. There was one waiter serving downstairs, and she was excellent. Efficient, polite, and managed to keep everyone’s tea filled up too.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

The price is bang on for the food and the area.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

56 Brewer Street
London
W1F 9TJ
Phone +44 (0) 20 332 8399

Docklands Diner

I’ve had 2 outings now to the Dockland Diner, and still cannot believe this kind of place still exists

Food

On the first visit, a meal of pie and chips (£5) was the deal. The pie was cooked from frozen, chips were also from a packet, and the whole thing reheated. Not much taste, but plenty of flavour. But this sort of food is exactly what you expect from a place like this. The 2nd Christmas outing was also pleasant. The Christmas meal consisted of a series of Iceland style vol-au-vents, chicken fingers and sandwiches which I didn’t really touch. The prawn cocktail had a pleasing thousand island sauce and crisp lettuce, and was a nice start to the meal. The turkey with roast potatoes, pea, carrots, Brussels sprouts and stuffing tasted like processed meat, the gravy was very salty, carrots and Brussels sprouts overcooked, stuffing bitter, however, much like the pie, exactly what you would expect. The surprise, however, was the Christmas pudding, mince pie with brandy sauce which was not too heavy in the fruit or alcohol or spices, so I was very happy.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

You can’t beat it. Imagine an old style diner, football memorabilia, and add to that tacky Christmas decorations from 10 years ago, and you get the drift. Nothing in terms of style has been added, which makes the place quite charming really. It certainly helps that the clientele is mainly male, from the blue collar worker to what looks like your stockbroker.

For Christmas, we got festive table cloth, Christmas crackers, oranges and chocolate, and best of all, snow outside the window!

Rating - 2.5

Service

Resembles the atmosphere really. They call you move, and you pay via an old fashioned cash machine.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Main meals are £5, drinks are 80p, the works Christmas meal was £15.50. Bang on for your money.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12

Info

76 Cannon Drive
West India Dock
London
E14 4AS
Phone +44 (0) 20 7515 7160

Sri Nam Thai Canary Wharf 6

Meant to go to Jamie’s Italian today, but there was a huge line already when we got there at 12pm, and was told that there was a 2 hour wait for a table, so alas, we went back to Sri Nam.

Food

After having a few nice meals, I hit another miss with the Tom Yum Noodle Soup (£7.50) - with prawns and chicken… so disappointing. Basically the only thing about this soup was that it was a bit sour. The soup had no discernable taste. It was not spicy. The chicken was bad and the vermicelli noodles had no flavour to soak up. The only good thing going for it were the generous and juicy prawns.

Rating - 4.5

Atmosphere

It’s Christmas, so lucky we arrived early. There were heaps of people after 12:15.

Rating - 1.5

Service

The usual. The food arrived very quickly though.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Still £7.50.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 10

Info

10 Cabot Square
London
E14 4QB
Phone+44 (0) 20 7517 2898
Website

Tamarind 2

I wasn’t thinking about coming back here, since it’s not the best Indian restaurant I’ve been to, but it was December, and I couldn’t get a booking at both Cinnamon Club and Cinnamon Kitchen, so this was available.

Food

We were given complimentary poppadums this time around, but it wasn’t very exciting as always, but useful to pass the time when ordering and waiting. I had a Sweet lassi which was not sweet, and not very aromatic, and not really needed as the food was not spicy.

We ordered from the limited pre-theatre menu:

• Spiced potato cake with a filling of spinach with garlic and dried fenugreek leaves, drizzled with tamarind chutney - the texture of the potato cake was like eating mash potatoes, but I do like the addition of the spinach and the yummy tamarind chutney.
• Elwy valley Welsh lamb cutlets marinated with garlic, royal cumin, chillies and turmeric; served on mint chutney - good quality lamb, good sauce, not too much that could go wrong there
• Tandoori broccoli marinated with honey, nigella seeds, ground spices, chilli and lemon; Skewered ground lamb kebab with garlic, green chilli, cheese and spices, finished with mixed peppers; Supreme of chicken marinated with ginger, green chilli, cream cheese, coriander stem and cardamom - sounded like a lot of stuff going on, but in actual fact, was not a huge dish. Surprisingly my favourite was the broccoli, beautifully marinated, soft on the inside but not to the point of being mushy. The lamb kebab was a bit dull to be honest, certainly packing a punch with the strong favours, but too strong for my liking. The worst of the three was the chicken though. A tough piece of chicken breast, too dry and not much flavour to it.
• Supreme of chicken marinated with ginger, green chillies and fenugreek leaves - the curry choice. Very mild sauce, reminds me of butter chicken. Good with all the accompaniment though
• Yellow lentils finished with garlic, cumin, tomatoes and fresh coriander - - like the lentils dish from last time, not very special
• Seasonal vegetables with onion, tomato and freshly ground peppercorns - I like this as the vegetables were still crunchy and had a nice fresh flavour with some heat
• Naan Bread - dull, but does the job
• Braised rice with browned onions and saffron - ditto
• Warm pudding of basmati rice with milk flavoured with cinnamon and cloves - I didn’t like this. Way too sweet and too much spicing.
• Indian Ice cream flavoured with mango - nice, but it’s only ice cream
• Chocolates - a nice touch to finish things off, I especially like the clove (?) flavoured ones

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

Well, the crowd is certainly different to the Sunday lunch crowd. There were a lot more people, quite a few with American accents surprisingly, but they still couldn’t fill up the restaurant. We had a nicer spot this time, off to the side with the banquet seating, and with a better view to the kitchen. They still didn’t manage to fill the whole restaurant though for a Friday night, so I wonder why they imposed a 2 hour turnaround policy for our table?

Rating - 2

Service

Because of the 2 hour turnaround, we felt pretty rushed again. They were very keen to take away all our dishes as soon as we put our utensils down. Otherwise they were very polite, and we had the crumbs dusking ritual as well as the hand towels.

Rating - 3

C-factor

£25 for the pre-theatre menu. A lot of food, as usual, with some stand out dishes, but certainly not outstanding. Either way, we didn’t pay, so I guess cheap for me then.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13

Info

20 Queen Street
London
W1J 5PR
Phone +44 (0) 20 7629 3561
Website

Que Viet

We found ourselves in Shoreditch on a rainy Saturday night, so decided to venture to the Kingsland road strip for a quick meal. Que Viet, formerly Au Lac, was buzzing with people, so we gave it a go.

Food

The menu is quite varied and covers a mostly Vietnamese, but also other Asian influenced dishes as well. Since we were testing out the new restaurant, we opted for our standard tester. Vietnamese Spring Roll was not my favourite. Instead of your usual spring roll filling, you get a dumpling stuff minced meat filling, so felt like you were eating a big meat ball coated with some oily pastry. The redeeming grace is only the nicely balanced nam chun sauce.

Pho with well done Beef Flank flared better. The soup was not too bad, in that it was not too salty, but was quite light in flavour. Not a notch on Café East, but much better than Song Que. After putting in all the herbs and chilli, you finally got some taste. The noodles were well done though. The Lemonglass Pork also suffered from a lack of complex flavour, with although the texture of the pork was very pleasant. All in all, not a bad meal, but really not somewhere where I can’t wait to go back.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

They really squashed us in. We were sitting so close to the next table I could hear every word in their conversation. The décor is very cheap, and their Christmas decorations even cheaper.

Rating - 0.5

Service

There were lots of waiters hanging around. One opened the door and sent you off. They folded all your umbrellas for you, and there is always someone there to clear your plate. So the place is great for a quick feed, and the waiters are efficient, if intrusive.

Rating - 3

C-factor

£19.03 altogether. Very cheap for a quick feed.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 11

Info

104 Kingsland Road
London
E2 8DP
Phone +44 (0) 20 7033 0588

Sri Nam Thai Canary Wharf 5

Sri Nam is impressing me more and more each time I go…

Food

Decided to explore more of the menu, so I put their Laksa (£7.50) - with prawns, bean curd and fish cakes to the test. The soup was surprisingly good. Not too hot, but full of flavour. The prawns were generous and juicy, while the noodles, bean curd and fish cakes soaked up the goodness of the sauce.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

We went very early, so was able to pick a good spot. There were lots of big groups there, as expected around December, for their Christmas lunch obviously.

Rating - 1.5

Service

The usual, nothing really to comment on.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Good value for Canary Wharf.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

10 Cabot Square
London
E14 4QB
Phone+44 (0) 20 7517 2898
Website

Canteen Canary Wharf

I was sceptical about coming here for lunch, as I am not a fan of chains, and especially not going to chains for Christmas lunch, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Food

Canteen serves traditional British food, and believe it or not, there were not too many things I could eat on the menu. I started off with a very nice drink. The English Rose – apple, cranberry juice with hint of rosewater, refreshing, not too sweet, and made special with the added rosewater. For entrée, I had the Pint of prawns with mayonnaise (£7.00), which was beautiful. It was just prawns and sauce really, so they couldn’t really muck it up. Yup, you have to peel the prawns yourself, but they were fresh, and I enjoyed sucking all the innards out of it. I opted for the Daily roast served with potatoes, greens and gravy, which was duck today. It came as two generous duck legs, nicely roasted with crispy skin and still juicy flesh. I didn’t really get the addition of apple sauce, but oh well. There was not much of the aforementioned gravy to be seen, so the potatoes, while well roasted, were too dry, and the cabbage very plain. No room for dessert, but I heard that it was not that nice.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

I like the fact that there is lots of glass and lots of light in the space, and you can look out to the park. It’s very noisy and packed in there at lunch time though, and the banquette seatings are quite uncomfortable..

Rating - 1.5

Service

Well, they were quick considering we were quite a big group. I really didn’t like the fact that they were hovering around waiting for me to finish my prawns though. As soon as I was done, I hadn’t even wiped my hands clean, and they whipped the plate away.

Rating - 3

C-factor

£28p.p… which is to be expected when dining out in a group and you split the bill.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12

Info

The Park Pavilion
40 Canada Square
London
E14 5FW
Phone +44 (0) 84 5686 1122
Website

The Waterway

Situated in “Little Venice”.

Food

They had a few deals going. We decided to pick from both their set and a la carte menu. We started with 2 pieces of some nice, dense textured bread. We had:

• Cauliflower Soup with Cep Mushrooms – the soup was very thick, and tasted quite mild, and was paired with some perfectly cooked mushrooms
• Chargrilled Squid with chorizo, Rocket and Sweet Chilli Sauce – the chorizo was definitely a very nice touch, the squid was cooked perfectly, and the sweet chilli sauce works very well with it.
• Roast Lamb Neck with Parsnip Puree and Roasted Chestnut – done pink, with a pleasant sauce. The parsnip puree paired perfectly with the juicy lamb. The chestnuts were nice, but really didn’t have much flavour or add anything to the dish….but I do like chestnuts – however, they need to be paired with some strong sauce.
• Tagine of Lamb with Toasted Almonds and Apricot and Raisin Cous Cous – the lamb was fall off the bone tender, with the tendons all melted into a glorious mess. The tagine was not too sweet, and had plenty of cous cous on the plate to soak up the wonderful juices.
• Blueberry and Almond Tart with a Blackcurrant Ice Cream - beautiful ice cream, nice pastry for the tart and not too sweet.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

It was too dark to check out the canal that runs right next to the pub, and too cold to sit outside to enjoy anyway. The inside is still very inviting, with an open bar, a nice log fire going, and people to make the atmosphere special. A really nice, relaxed place to have a drink and a bite.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Also excellent, attentive waiters who explained to us all the different deals, and was thoughtful enough to bring 2 spoons for the shared dessert.

Rating - 4

C-factor

We ordered one set menu at £13.50, and then 25% off the a la carte price. Relatively good value for good food and good service.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 15

Info

54 - 56 Formosa Street
Little Venice
London
W9 2JU
Phone +44 (0) 20 7266 3557
Website

The Cinnamon Club

We came here for the Bombay Burner, supposedly the “hottest” curry in the world, but was dismayed to find that they have taken it off the menu. Nevertheless, we had a very enjoyable meal.

Food

There was a pleasing list of cocktails, but we stuck with the good old lassies. The Perfect Lassi (£6.00) - Lassi yoghurt, peach, orange blossom, cardamom, honey was beautiful, well balanced and fresh. In contrast, the Very Berry Lassi (£6.00) - Fresh berries and cranberry juice, lassi yoghurt was very boring, tasting like a not so sweet smoothie.

We all settled for the set menu, as it offered enough appeal and variety. I was surprised that we were given an amuse to start, not that I am complaining. The Dried flour ball with yoghurt and sauce was nice, with tangy sauce to get the taste bud going. The sauce again was the highlight to the Tandoori chicken thighs with fenugreek leaves, but the chicken was also very tender. The Braised pork sparerib with garlic and honey was melt in the mouth soft, with a pleasant and not too sweet sauce. Char grilled baby peppers filled with spiced cabbage and raisin actually turned out to be my favourite, imaginative, sweet and spicy, and a bit unusual.

Mains brought more surprises, I was pleased that thePan seared grey mullet with Bengali ‘dopyaza’ sauce was not another piece of fillet, but actually had some flavour. Fiery Rajasthani lamb curry with pulao rice was not really that fiery, but had some heat to make it very tasty. As with the entrées, the best dish turned out to be the vegetarian Selection of char grilled mushrooms with green pea pulao the mushrooms were juicy after soaking up that wonderful sauce.

Desserts kept the vibe going. Sorbet of the Day – guava, green apple, berry in a tuile basket was probably the most boring, there was nothing outstanding about them, but they weren’t done badly either. Saffron poached pear with cinnamon ice cream was more special. The pear was poached so that it still had bite, and the cinnamon ice cream was lovely. The best of all was the Chocolate and cumin tart with ginger ice cream, very rich chocolate, made special with the addition of cumin, add to that great pastry. Creamy and luscious ginger ice cream. You can’t ask for any better.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

I really like the setting, inside an old style library. The ceiling is very high, with the top level filled with walls of books. There were quite a few groups there, so noise level was quite high.

Rating - 2

Service

The waiters were all very nice and friendly, some seemed to have more of a grasp of things than others though. Our drinks took ages to arrive, and they calculated our bill wrong. It took ages before we got their attention to order. But the delivery of the food and the manners of the waiters were very professional.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

2 courses for £19 and 3 courses for £22, for an excellent meal, including a free drink!

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 14

Info

The Old Westminster Library
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BU
Phone +44 (0) 20 7222 2555
Website