Restaurant Reviews - e
El Faro
if you want to have a taste of authentic Spanish cuisine, without jumping on a plane and then having to seek out the right place, it is well worth a trip to El Faro.
El Pirata Detapas, Westbourne Grove, Paddington
What does the name mean? The Pirate of Tapas? Does the chef look like Johnny Depp and have a cutlass clamped between his teeth? Are the prices High Seas’ robbery? Do staff say ‘Ahh harr matey!’ in Spanish when chef calls a ticket? Who knows, what is certain is that this second branch of the Mayfair original is a modern tapas restaurant all the way from its cool interior to its Bulli boy food. Tapas reconstructed in a way that marks it out from the patatas bravas brigade so prevalent in London.
El Pirata, Mayfair
I did panic at first when I walked in and it appeared that nothing had changed in 14 years, but perhaps this is exactly why they are still open, doing great trade and serving locals as they were years ago. Sometimes change isn’t such a good thing, as the old adage goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and El Pirata most definitely ain’t broke.
Empress of Sichuan, Soho, London
There’s a trend to big up Sichuan food right now. It’s all about having the guts to eat tripe, as well as the testosterone taste buds to take on fearsome amounts of chilli and the mouth-numbing effects of the Sichuan pepper itself. What helps the trend is that some of the better Sichuan restaurants are cheap and cheerful places that appeal to the post-backpacking, job-in-New-Media, type of person. What’s missing though is somewhere a bit posher, and located a bit more centrally, somewhere that we older chaps can take the good lady wife. The Empress fits that bill nicely.
Enoteca Turi, Putney, London
Enoteca Turi is situated in Putney High Street, close to Putney Bridge, just a short walk from the main line station. As you enter the restaurant you are struck by its crisp but stylish homelike decor, it has a warm comfortable feel to it that is very inviting.This an excellent local restaurant, serving good regional Italian food and certainly an enjoyable place to visit.
Entree, Clapham
'You know that you can see right up the girls' skirts when they climb those stairs?' asks P, pausing for a moment from sucking on her colourful cocktail. Really dear I hadn't noticed. Well, actually of course I'd noticed, that's why I was busy looking anywhere but in that direction. Being thrown out of a restaurant for noncing before the starter could be viewed as unprofessional behaviour in some quarters.
Equilibrium at Fawsley Hall
Dating back to the 7th century, this beautiful and historic country house once welcomed a very special guest in the shape of Queen Elizabeth I in 1575 and her suite has now been named the “1575” to commemorate the visit. More recently Sabin Ghayour went to dine. No news on the Gahyour suite just yet, though
