Restaurant Reviews - m
Madame Zingara
It is undeniably lovely inside; the rich colours, the way the mirrored walls reflect back on each other and the small stage at the centre is wreathed in clouds of dry ice Costumed theatricals and grotesques amble about and I think I spot my dear friend Giles among their number, but it turns out to actually be the Bearded Lady.
Malcolm John's Fish & Grill
They’re going to rename my home town of South Croydon to “Malcolm John’s South Croydon “I reckon, his empire is spreading so fast. His French restaurant ‘Malcolm John’s Cassoulet’ has already won hearts and stomachs in the area and now he’s opened another place, “Malcolm John’s Fish and Grill” about 400 yards away. Quite possibly he has a secret tunnel linking the two so that he can get back and forth, plus a helicopter to travel to his Vacherin in Chiswick..
Mango Tree
It’s a big space is Mango Tree but one that always seems to be full, an indication of the consistent pulling power this restaurant has. The restaurant seems particularly popular with young TV actors, sports stars, divas and rappers. Prada handbags are in evidence, as are bare shoulders and WAG tans. It all adds a nice bit of glamour to an evening.
Masala Zone Bayswater
The Panjabi sisters’ latest Bayswater offering epitomises what the expanding Masala Zone chain excels at – tantalising thalis, tribal-styled interiors and cheap chow. And its bouquet of wet-saried women (on posters, not at the pass) is sure to enchant the average solo male diner. But while its starring dishes twinkle, can it afford to let its standards slip on those that don’t?
Massala, Cobham, Surrey
Massala is an excellent Indian restaurant with great dishes on their menu, certainly worth making an effort to seek out and undertaking a bit of a journey for. We would definitely recommend it.
Massis
A short canal-side walk past the bustling bars and eateries left our abstention seeming ill founded as, in the middle of the after-work crowd, we spotted our destination, Massis. A curiously subdued venue set amid towering hives of industry the food here is simple, tasty and a wonderful conduit for easy bonhomie among friends.
Me Love Sushi
Me love Sushi – I don’t generally, though J – my friend and dining pardner for the night, swears by its protein content. So away we tubed to Swiss Cottage on a miserable, rain-blasted evening to a Brutalist restaurant whose sheet glass windows leaked in all that cold.
Meat & Wine Co
Knowing my fondness for frippery and resistance to retail, I was surprised when Foodepedia’s Führer posted me to the ‘Meat & Wine Co.’. Established on the approach to Westfield, London’s latest shopping juggernaut, it represents a South African firms first stake (and steaks) in the U.K.
Medcalf, Exmouth Market, London
Medcalf’s home is in the middle of the trendy Exmouth Market. I’ve already become a fan of the strip, which possesses a great selection of bars and restaurants that let their produce do the talking. That’s the essence of the market, no frills or pretentiousness here, and Medcalf is a brilliant example.
Mehek
Just a five minute walk from Moorgate station, Mehek nestles under the overhanging office buildings just short of where London Wall meets Moorgate. A modern, but comfortable and popular Indian restaurant..
Mela Restaurant Redhill
My understanding of Indian food is largely based on years of always-the-same-order telephone takeaways (`yes, that's right, the usual ... chicken dhansak please`) or crouching in the funereal silence of a high street curry house exchanging sidelong glances with the waiter, who regards you with that finely-honed mixture of caution and contempt perfected through years of doling out lager and baltis to rowdy, over refreshed men in outsize sportswear.
Melati, Peter Street, London
This popular Malaysian restaurant has been in business for some 30 years now. Melati is a short walk from west end theatreland, and is a great place to grab a tasty meal before the curtain goes up, or to meet friends and have a relaxed informal meal, particularly if you are excited by mouth tingly zingy dishes, we enjoyed it.
Mennula, London
Charlotte Street is second only to Soho for the number of Italian eateries in and around it, many long-established and semi-legendary. Mennula is a new kid on the block, squeezed by the surrounding buildings, but delivering cooking that is already flexing its muscles and threatening to kick sand in the faces of the local competition
Mestizo, Hampstead Road, London
A short walk from Euston station, Mestizo adds a vibrant splash of colour to the rather grey part of central London in which Hampstead Road sits. It is a popular restaurant, serving great authentic Mexican food in a friendly atmosphere.
Min Jiang
Min Jiang is definitely a room with a view. This space used to be called, rather unimaginatively, The 10th Floor Restaurant, and while the cuisine may have changed the wall of windows still look out over Hyde Park. Drink in the view at leisure in the bar with a cocktail or speciality tea, or turn into the new airy space that is understated yet crisply luxurious, clean and fresh and with staff that seem genuinely pleased to see you. Go at lunchtime and you get the see the view at its best, but even at night the twinkling lights of London landmarks invite you to play guessing games, “Is that Canary Wharf? Is that the Eye? Is that your ex-husband’s house on fire?” Read more
Mint Leaf Lounge & Restaurant - Bank
In a TV commercial a few years back a grumpy old lady bitterly complained that her local bank branch had been turned into ‘a trendy wine bar’. Well here around Threadneedle Street there’s hardly a bank branch left that isn’t now a restaurant or bar and while Mint Leaf may be the only ‘Indian’ it is rather trendy.
Miss Q’s, Earl’s Court Road, London
Although the most immediately obvious aspect here is perhaps the pool bar, there's much more to Miss Q's than that, making it a great place to meet, drink, eat or dance and what the heck, maybe even have a game of pool.
Momo
There’s a nagging aura about Momo of the popularity tide having gone out and everyone waiting for it to come back in again, but with the Heddon Street area now finally free of cars and incessant road digging the whole square has a buzz about it once more and Momo is well placed to be back on the A list.
Mon Plaisir, London
Her guest pulls a sicky, but Anita Pati soldiers on alone in the oldest London French restaurant amidst Covent Garden theatre goers, tourists and regulars. Sometimes dining is a solitary pleasure
Monsieur M, Shoreditch, London
There’s a parade of rickety cutesy and authentic Vietnamese restaurants clustered down the Shoreditch end of Kingsland Road in London’s Hackney. They’re cheap, run by Vietnamese people – many originally refugees – and functional. Shoreditch’s fashion pack use them to chow down before drinking or just as a reminder of their hols to far off lands. But round the corner, in the beautiful Grade II listed Shoreditch Town Hall, Monsieur M is mounting a challenge to them all.
Mooli's, London
Great wraps, honest and healthy and fresh. Could be served hotter both in cooking and spice terms, but then to be fair it was actually snowing outside when we ate them. The décor is a bit like a suburban health centre, cold and rather heartless, but then most people will be in and out before they notice that. Probably easier for the young team to clean, too.
Morgan M
Spring is still in the air at Morgan M, the fine dining restaurant in Islington and the eponymous Monsieur M has generously invited us round to sample the Spring Menu, just as it is about to end. It has to be done at lunch though; the restaurant is far too popular with the well-heeled locals to be able to sacrifice an otherwise productive table in the evening.
My Dining Room, London
In terms of value for money, if you go for one of the home dishes at My Dining Room you are onto a winner and the al la carte is fairly priced. The food was very good; the idea of sharing plates a quirky addition that make it worth seeking out. This style of eating is especially suited to occasions when you want to encourage group interaction; birthdays, reunions, mandatory work outings; anytime when you might be stuck for conversation or need to build camaraderie.
