Restaurant Reviews - n
Namo
How many restaurants can lay claim to a Banksy on their wall? The answer is probably not many. But Namo, a modern Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of leafy Victoria Park, can boast one. Well, almost one as it's been partially painted over and graffitied on since it's inception.
Nar Restaurant and Bar
This new establishment has a menu offering choices of authentic Turkish and Italian cuisines, not some kind of fusion idea, the dishes are distinct and separately listed on the menu. Nar certainly is offering something a little different, delivering great food, it is well worth the trip to Vauxhall to sample it.
Nara
It’s one of those uninspired, grey London evenings buffeted by chilly pre-Spring winds, when your sluggish, gravy-soaked system simply cries out for a jolt – fierce, piquant flavours, hearty portions of meat and carbs, unfussy, substantial food. We decided to head out West – specifically, to Korean restaurant Nara in the West End.
Nipa Restaurant
It would be a shame to let the hotel atmosphere downstairs put you off ascending to Nipa because the combination of warm welcome, authentic carefully considered cooking and really rather reasonable prices mark this place out as well worth a visit.
No. 20 at Sanctum Soho Hotel
Past 3D cameras and an increasingly famous commissionaire, ‘No. 20’ is the restaurant at Soho’s ‘Sanctum’ Hotel. This is London’s answer to Paris’ boutique ‘den of opulence’, the Hôtel Costes. Chic and shiny, dining room details include crocodile-skin chairs (not crocodilette), taut, bronzed banquettes, glass sheathed pillars and positive photo panels by the MOD’s official artist, Xavier Pick.
Nonna's Sheffield
The Italians know what food is for – it’s for lunch - a meal that can often stretch on until it becomes dinner. The best Italian food is found, unsurprisingly in Italy, but in about the same time it takes for a budget airline to deposit you, cantankerous and queasy from your in-flight ‘snack’, at Pisa airport you could be at Nonna’s in Sheffield.
NOW
NOW is that what I call Chinese? It's Chinese street food for the masses, who probably didn’t know they wanted it until now, not living on Chinese streets themselves.They really do seem to want it NOW though; the queue is snaking out the door. There is no snake on the menu; no doubt someone thought that might not suit the tastes of a customer base largely dressed in Marks & Spencers' suits.
Nozomi, Knightsbridge
Nozomi is battling to bring down costs by offering special Bento box deals at lunchtime as a way of luring in locals. Bento boxes are boxes of of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, originally designed as take out meals or lunch packs prepared at home for people to carry to work or school. In the UK we call them Tupperware Boxes.
Number Twelve
The clergy and food, what is it eh? Across the world priests of all denominations have been traditionally depicted as being as well fed and corpulent as a restaurant critic. It shows in the names of dishes like the Middle Eastern Imam Bayaldi, ‘the priest fainted’; either at the deliciousness or at the thought of how much olive oil went into it. And here on Santino Busciglio's excellent menu at Number Twelve are strozzapreti, or ‘Priest Stranglers’.
