Restaurant Reviews - t
Tamarind
Tucked away in the money-laden back streets of Mayfair, Tamarind restaurant is by no means the new kid on the block. Established over 15 years ago, despite losing their Michelin star earlier this year, they still remain the original culinary big-hitter of Anglo-Indian cuisine.
Tapas at The Gore
‘The whole area was an orchard before 1892,’ says co-owner Edward Bracken, thoughtfully spearing a warm garlicky olive, part of a large spread of tapas he’s had set out in front of us. ‘It once served as the Turkish Embassy, but otherwise was a hotel almost from the start almost a hundred years ago. As a hotel it was originally run by two descendants of Captain Cook!’ Such links to the past seem to come naturally to this unique place.
Tate St. Ives Cafe
Many art galleries have their cafes tucked down in a basement but the architects of the Tate building, which was opened to great acclaim in 1993, have given over their most prestigious level, the top floor, to the all-important purpose of visitor sustenance with The Café priding itself on sourcing its ingredients from Cornish growers and suppliers.
Tempo
Tempo, with its barley-coloured walls and splendid turquoise upholstered chairs could seem formal when empty. But as a Regency drawing room in a listed building, its cornices, fittings and curves substituted any lack of warmth. Perhaps the waffle ceiling and square arch could be more sympathetic but they also showed boldness- like the food.
Texture, London
The menu is largely straightforward and unpretentious and each dish takes a handful of great ingredients and fuses them together to make something uncomplicated, unfussy but utterly delicious. These are just the kind of things that illustrate exactly why Texture were one of just six restaurants to be awarded a Michelin star this year and deservedly so.
The Anthologist, Gresham Street, London
How the City has changed... it doesn't seem so long ago that the area around the Bank of England had just a smattering of shops and watering holes: these days, the penny has dropped that everyone needs to eat, drink and buy things. In these days of cookie-cutter shops and wine bars, The Anthologist are doing something different, something which has clearly taken a lot of thought and effort.
The Arbiter
Situated in Fulham’s busy North End Road, The Arbiter is one of a growing community of Gastro Pubs that seem to be springing up across the country.
The Avalon
A short walk from Balham station, and very close to Clapham common, the Avalon is a little away from the main shopping drag, but in our view is all the better for it. A popular destination, serving great food, it is well worth a visit.
The Avenue, St James’s Street, London
The Avenue is an impressive place, its long bar with comfortable seating opposite draws you in to the main restaurant area. Clever use of mirrored walls makes this already substantial and spacious restaurant look enormous. Our meal there was excellent and we would highly recommend it.
The Bank, Adamo Hotel, Stirling
The Adamo Hotel in Stirling is an imposing building, having been converted from its previous incarnation as a bank, it seems quite natural that they should give that name to their restaurant, which occupies much its ground floor space, together with a bar and lounge area. The Bank is a relaxed haven serving good food and is certainly a place to visit.
The Big Chill House
The names of some bars and eateries give little away as to the mood to expect inside. The Big Chill House, on the other hand, tells it like it is. Depending on which way you interpret the name grammatically, this is both a place where you can chill – big time – as well as a big house in which you can chill. Either way, you get the picture: chilling is the name of the game here.
The Botanist, Chelsea
With the RHS Chelsea flower show just around the corner, The Botanist is both aptly named and perfectly located for a pre or post show pit-stop and they have even conjured up some lovely cocktails to mark this year’s flower-powered festival and so it would be rude not to try them.
The Britannia
This imposing Victorian pub is cavernous and it is not until you walk through the entrance that you get a feel for the scale of the place. With good quality, well cooked dishes at reasonable prices, The Britannia is certainly worth visiting.
The Bull Hotel Restaurant and The Stable, Bridport, Dorset
The Bull a double fronted Hotel on East Street gives the impression that it is a fairly modest establishment. However, apart from the nineteen guest rooms, there are two bars, a dining room and a rather impressive ballroom. There is also The Stable, which has its own bar, where cider is the focus, together with some interesting and tasty pizzas and pies.
The Bull, Westfield
It is safe to say that The Bull is a restaurant whose success relies upon the convenience of its location. This is not a destination eatery; there won’t be a foodie pilgrimage to the Westfield. The Bull is a pub that does food rather than a ‘gastro pub’. But if you fancy a burger and a beer after conquering the commercial juggernaut, and you don’t go in with any great expectations, then you will probably have a fine time. Hopefully the Ham Hock Hash will still be on the menu.
The Burger Wagon -DIY Carpark
Burgers, it seems, are all the rage. My young friends tell me that Twitter is alive with people chasing ‘the best burger in town’ in the manner of obsessed birdwatchers. No sooner has one greasy Twitcher found a new burger outlet than a score of others, no doubt clad in fluorescent anoraks, hurry round as fast as their Oyster Cards will carry them.
The Chef’s Table
Situated above a grocery store/delicatessen of the same name, you enter the restaurant through the shop. The restaurant itself is a small informal space with some five tables and a counter at which we sat, where you look onto the chefs at work - it almost feels like you are in the kitchen itself. This is certainly a destination restaurant if you are in the Cotswolds.
The Chili Chutney, Streatham, London
Chilli Chutney has three branches; the mothership in Streatham, one next to the London Eye and another one in Croydon. They seem to me to be serious about what they are doing and keen to succeed. It’s not just my desire to see Streatham rise in the rankings, although a house price boom would be very handy, that makes me say that Chili Chutney is worth checking out if you’re looking for an above average local curry house to be your regular.
The Chin-Chin Labs
“Liquid nitrogen isn’t just a gimmick” says Ahrash Akbari-Kalhur as he pushes his safety goggles back onto his head with a gloved hand. “Chin Chin is all about flavour: we just want to make delicious ice cream. London’s first liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour has arrived at Camden Lock market
The Company Shed
If Kirsty Young invited me to name my desert island dish rather than disc, I would probably say “shellfish”, which seems apt. A recent craving for crustaceans took me to Essex, but not as you know it. Colchester’s Mersea Island is just five miles by two of tidal salt marsh
The Covent Garden Market Place, Grocer, Deli, Cafe
The Covent Garden Market Place, Grocer, Deli, Cafe is so new I can still smell wood shavings from the fit out and polenta is definitely for sale, along with a whole host of foody things you lust after, while not always entirely sure what they are or what they do
The Criterion
The menu states that the seafood has been driven from Looe in Cornwall that very day and I imagine a bleary-eyed Cornishman belting his Vauxhall Astra up the M4 at dawn with a glum-faced turbot sat in the back. Is this good for the Criterion’s carbon footprint? Is it good for the turbot?
The Depot, Barnes
Never let anyone convince you to take to the road on a bank holiday weekend; you’re asking for trouble if you live in a city like London, urban or suburban, it really makes no difference these days. Unless, of course, there’s a damn fine meal at the end of it; then, it’s worth the 15 miles = 1.5 hour schlep.
The Double Club by Fondazione Prada
I ventured to ‘The Double Club’ on a double date. The west meets the Congo (and vice versa) in this temporary venture, produced by Prada. Down a dark cobbled alley behind Angel tube, it was an unlikely find. A Victorian warehouse is awning to three spaces woven by artists and graced by fashionistas. The mind behind is Carsten Höller, a German gripped by Congo-mania..
The Drawing Room
Down at the far Western end of Portobello Road things haven’t changed much since I used to do my shopping in the All Saints Road in the late 1970’s. The shopping was a bit furtive and didn’t actually involve any shops though, if you catch my drift maaan. Here is a nice neighbourhood restuarant, The Drawing Room.
The Duke of York, St Johns Wood
Nobody likes to dine alone, but there’s such a warm and friendly atmosphere in The Duke of York that it isn’t an issue. The staff are talkative and friendly without being overbearing. You can genuinely tell that they will go out of their way to make sure you have the best time possible. A really charming venue with a strong talent for cooking
The Ebury
Part of the First Restaurant Group chain, The Ebury has an imposing presence, occupying a prime location at the fork of Pimlico Road and Ranelagh Grove, very near to Ebury Bridge. Recently awarded two AA rosettes, for the fourth year running, this is a good destination to head for.
The Exhibition Rooms
Cross the rubicon of Clapham, regarded by some people as a part of North London that got accidentally cut off by the Thames, and you’re in the deep Sarf proper. Crystal Palace is as south as it gets really and yet only a few stops by mainline from London Bridge or Victoria, as any resident will tell you. It was this closeness and airy height above sea level that led to the great Exhibition Rooms of 1851 being moved here from Hyde Park. The Crystal Palace was a major attraction until the whole lot burnt to the ground in 1936, cheered on by my father who was allowed to stay up late in his winceyette pyjamas. Read more
The Forge, London
Covent Garden isn’t all about jugglers and tourist traps you know, there are some pleasant surprises along the way if you wander for long enough.The Forge is not only a smart, grown up restaurant with chef Andrew Barber at the helm,but it also boasts one of London's most impressive wine lists. So, go there thirsty, with plenty of time on your hands........
The Glass House
The restaurant achieved some fame, or infamy, through its having been featured on the Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares programme some while back. Whilst we imagine that The Glass House is not quite the ‘nightmare’ that it was, it’s not all sweet dreams!
The Goring Restaurant
With afternoon teas and a menu that also includes Welsh Rarebit, vegetables foraged for chef from the Kent countryside, classics like potted shrimps, a beautifully British cheeseboard and even schoolboy scarer prunes, the Goring is a great big Dreadnought of British imperial dining power steaming its own unique track through a sea of mediocre, me too, ‘Modern European’ restaurants. We stand up salute it.
The Grape Street Wine Bar
I seem to have an aversion to dining at restaurants around major museums. It cannot be that hard to devise a lucrative ‘special 2 course meal’ for the tourist in search of a ‘good’ (cheap, low quality) deal. I would like to think that true foodies such as us could never be blinded by such flagrant attempts to entrap.
The Greenhouse, London
Antonin Bonnet has held a Michelin star at The Greenhouse for the four years he has been working there, and it is thought by many that he should have been given a second this year. It certainly fits the French two star mold – silently swooping waiting staff who pull out your chair before you have a chance to reach for it yourself; a seriously priced tasting menu (£80 per person) and a bulging wine list that includes such treasures as a double magnum of Château Lafite‐Rothschild 1er Grand Cru Classé from 1959, which will set you back a tidy £15,500. Certainly one for a special occasion.
The Griffin- Fletching
They apparently used to make arrows in Fletching – the fletch being the bit with the ‘wings’ on. Arrows used by the English at Agincourt were made here and anyone who has seen Olivier’s Henry V will recall that those arrows pretty much saved the day. Is a meal here going to save my day though?
The Grill Room at Wentworth Club
The Grill Room is a decadent culinary haven and definitely has what it takes to hold its own at this infamous golf club. Prices are not as extreme as you might expect for a club with this level of reputation; value for money is very much high on the agenda here and they certainly deliver on it.
The Hat and Tun
Bang off Clerkenwell’s Hatton Gardens at the Hat and Tun (Hatton Tun – punny, no?) is Ed and Tom Martin’s latest addition to their empire, a funny cross between Victorian East End boozer and English country pub.
So we have the ubiquitous dark, wood-panelled walls hosting haphazard stuffed pheasant, wild boar and badger heads. Then – on the counter – a jar of pickled eggs, a tureen of cauliflower soup, mushy peas in a vat.
The Living Room W1
A side road off Regent Street, Heddon Street is a quiet haven amid the bustle of central London. It is home to several restaurants, and The Living Room W1, nestles in a corner of this U shaped street. The double frontage, although substantial, belies the size of this flagship restaurant of the Living Room chain.
The Living Room, Islington
Situated in Essex Road, just a minute’s walk from Upper Street, Islington’s main drag, The Living Room boasts a huge uncluttered space, which belies its double fronted exterior. The large U shaped bar is its central feature with comfortable seating to two sides and the restaurant seating area to its remaining aspect. We went there to sample the new spring menu,that we understand has been rolled out across The Living Room chain.
The Lock, The Runnymede-on-Thames Hotel, Egham, Surrey
The Lock is an excellent restaurant to seek out and go to for lunch or dinner. The decor in the restaurant is relaxing and makes for a great setting in which to sit and enjoy a meal, the patio should you wish to eat outside has a great outlook. With great views and really good food, this is a place worth making your way to.
The Loft
Sitting between Clapham Common and Clapham North Underground Stations, The Loft is a substantial Bar and Restaurant, which, as you might imagine, is on the upper floor of a building containing other businesses and produces some seriously good food up there.
The Lonsdale, 48 Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill
Some things, as good as they are on their own, don't necessarily work in combination so, aware that our evening’s destination, The Lonsdale, specialises in steaks and cocktails, we had some doubts, but were naturally optimistic, off we went to the ever-popular Notting Hill. While their specialities of cocktails and steak aren't an obvious fit, they do both to a very high standard.
The Mall Tavern
All in all, we enjoyed. There did seem to be a tendency to fritterise… were the ‘70s solely a decade of breadcrumbs? But Jesse’s keen, the place is rammed, the menu keeps changing and everyone looks jolly. It’s fun, reasonably-priced and will surely draw votes this election.
The Milroy
This is a chance for us all to see a famous interior and eat in a dining room boasting Murano glass chandeliers, a decorative Georgian ceiling and an internal marble colonnade which leads onto terraces, with views over Hyde Park.
The Narrow
The Narrow is amazingly well situated, set as it is, next to the lock that leads into Limehouse Basin, it has excellent views from the bend in the river, towards central London to the west and Docklands to the East. The Narrow are serving some very good food at reasonable prices, its excellent riverside views it is a great place for lunch or an evening meal.
The Oak
Whilst sitting on the train, on my way over to Teddington to review this restaurant, I wondered how busy it would be. What with the credit crunch clamping us by the jugular and consistent job losses, I was intrigued by how the suburbs were coping. On arrival, at 1 o’clock, it was plain to see. We were the only people there, and for the two hours we were there, three others came in for lunch and two locals enjoyed a pint, on separate tables.
The Old Brewery, Greenwich
I liked the Old Brewery, what they are doing and how they are doing it. The beers are made with care and attention, the beer garden looks promising for the summer, and the food has a cheerful solidity and lack of pretension that fits the restaurant like a well-worn doublet and hose. Henry would have liked it to, but would he have objected to any heads on his beer?
The Old Crown restaurant
The Old Crown in New Oxford Street is one of the older buildings. It probably wasn’t designed to be a pub, perhaps originally a shop, and it is in estate-agent parlance ‘bijou’. That means small. In the summer, though it has floor to ceiling windows that open wide, a corner location and tables outside that look like they were made from old railway sleepers or similar. Chunky chic.
The Old Thatch, Adstock, Buckinghamshire
The Old Thatch in Adstock, Buckinghamshire ,is a bit of a celebrity in its patch - as one local told me, " it’s one of a small handful of places worth going to round here.” So what’s made this seriously tucked-away village pub survive where others have been converted into super-homes?
The OXO Tower Brasserie: Not Afternoon Tea
The sexy mousse, the persistent pigeon and cocktails for two. The OXO Tower Brasserie's Not Afternoon Tea reviewed.
The Park Restaurant, Lucknam Park
I’ll lay my cards on the table from the off: I think Hywel Jones is one of the UK’s most exciting chefs. In fact let me go one step further: last night I had one of the most enjoyable meal of my life (and I’ve darned lucky enough to have been to some of the best). The Park is one of the best (as far as I’m now concerned).
The Parlour
The Parlour is one of four new restaurants that are brought together in a new complex at Canada Square in Canary Wharf. It could best be described as a bar/restaurant, and has a stark, almost industrial feel about it. Delivering really good quality food at very reasonable prices, it is excellent value for money.
The Pear Tree, Margravine Road, London
The Pear Tree pretty much epitomises the archetypal ‘local’. This early Victorian pub stands out, surrounded as it is by somewhat more modern flats and houses. It is true to say that it is a work in progress, with its continuing restorative work. The place is already a popular haunt for locals and I can see that developing, as well as the prospect of attracting those further afield.
The Pembroke
The Pembroke belongs to that ever-growing category of eatery - the Gastropub – providing a welcome culinary alternative to the (in) famous pub grub. Recently re-opened under a new name, you will find the Pembroke sitting majestically on the corner of the Old Brompton Road.
The Princess of Shoreditch
The service here was careful, polished and exacting, we couldn’t find fault with that. And the food – with a few exceptions – was pretty much the same. As long as the mighty Princess of Shoreditch keeps an eye on the salt and other demons, we’re sure the punters will keep coming.
The Queen Adelaide
If only all pubs were welcoming drinking taverns that also managed to knock out robust and hearty British nosh. Unfortunately, far too many ‘gastro pubs’ have forgotten that they were once pubs at all, while the rest of the capital’s locals now seem to now serving Thai food.
The Real Greek
Set in the heart of Hoxton, The Real Greek is serving up traditional Greek food with a calorie-counted menu and new Cretan-inspired dishes that promise to make dining out and balancing a healthy lifestyle easy.
The Refinery, Southwark Street, London
The Refinery is one of three sister bar/restaurants in London that, we understand. have the same standard menu, but have differing daily specials, depending on what's available from local markets. If you find yourself in SE1, it's worth venturing away from the perhaps better known spots close to London Bridge or Waterloo, and spending some time there.
The Regent, Balham, London
We had a really good evening at The Regent, it felt like an old-fashioned pub (in a good way), but with interesting food, and a broad range of drinks on offer, it has a contemporary feel that makes for a good experience. At a time when pubs are reported as facing tough times, places like this deserve support and it certainly has ours.
The Stag
The Stag is the second culinary venture from the Peritt brothers - Andrew and Jonathan - who have already won the hearts of Kensal Green locals with laid-back gastropub, The Regent. The new project follows the same formula but with the added bonus of an impressive outdoor space - open all year round, thanks to cosy heaters and covered cabanas. On a breezy October day, we resisted the temptation to sit outside but the leafy garden will undoubtedly be a big hit with Hampstead's youth and neighbouring hospital staff once the weather improves. Read more
The Terrace, at Grace
This huge venue opened at the beginning of October this year and boasts three separate bars, as well as the Terrace restaurant. The Terrace menu is currently priced at £25 for three courses, which is excellent value.
The Three Tuns, Market Square, Henley
Henley has an interesting mixture of one-off estabishments and 21st century chains, and listed buildings abound. The town combines the old and the new, which is what The Three Tuns are doing under one roof, to great effect.
The Victoria Pub Hotel Restaurant
Approach The Victoria from one direction and you wonder what a nice little pub like this is doing it what appears to be a residential area, albeit one that is rather pricey. Approach from the other direction though and you realise that it’s actually just a stone’s throw from Richmond Park and ideal for walkers, cyclists and anyone to aim for.
The Waffle House
Catching jasmine scents beside a stream, I sipped a thick malty milkshake from a narrow straw, which thoughtfully slowed the flow. Organic flour is ground upstream between French Burr stones. These contain quartz crystals meaning sharp grinding edges which won’t chip into the flour. With every tinkle of the service bell, hungry anticipation grew.
The Warrington
Following our visit to The Warrington, to sample their bar food, back in December, we decided to go along to eat in the main restaurant of this characterful west London pub, which is part of Gordon Ramsay’s empire.
Tibits
I don’t know about you, but when I raid the salad section at the local sandwich shop the name of the game is to force the biggest amount possible into the smallest box available. This is then squeezed shut so that all the way to the checkout it is humming with tension like an over wound spring ready to leap open at the last minute flicking sweet corn in all directions. It’s a situation that Tibits, the gourmet vegetarian restaurant, has found a solution to.
Tike
Ask the average person their experience of Turkish food and they will probably say ‘kebab’, that tasty post-cocktail treat that falls apart when you bite into it, leaving your salad on the pavement and both ears full of chili sauce. The Kebab house, with its elephant’s leg slowly spinning on a spit, rules the suburban multi-cultural high street.
Toby Carvery restaurant
We sample a Toby Carvery and report back that surprise surprise it's really not bad at all, especially when you have a hungry family to feed
Tom's Terrace, Somerset House
I’d visited Tom’s Terrace on opening night when Lanson was free-flowing, meaning bathroom trips were frequent and essential, the slight downfall being they’re located outside of the restaurant, obviously. It’s only a slight disgruntle, as are the other minor hitches with the meal, undoubtedly not worth kicking up a fuss over. The occasion was a perfect fit for the venue, a really fantastic place to grab a quick bite with a friend and enjoy the summer sun.
Trishna
Trishna is a new breed ‘Indian’ with stylish little copper lampshades that hang intimately over each table, bare brick walls painted a fashionable grey and even some of the original wood panelling left to add a bit of tone. So it’s somewhere to fine dine, not a spot to indulge in a post-pub frenzy. That the food hasn’t the coarse kick associated with more traditional British-Indian restaurants is to be applauded; it’s time for the food to come out from under the spice.
Tsuru
Tsuru is a clean bright place with tables outside and inside a kitchen turning out bento boxes, sushi, salads and even Katsu curries all at reasonable prices. Blackboards and signs scream sustainability telling you that the yellow fin tuna is line caught and that the salmon is fresh from the Shetland Isles. Chicken is free range and the packaging is as biodegradable as can be.
Tsuru, Bankside, London
Tsuru is a burgeoning chain, with two outlets so far, one in Bishopsgate and the original in Borough. The food is sushi, and broadly similar to what you might find at the bigger chains on the High Street. But at Tsuru, everything is made in-house, including their curry sauce, egg tamagoyaki and even down to the chicken stock.
Twotwentytwo
In the gorgeous Landmark Hotel in London whilst the menu upstairs in The Winter Garden is all fine dining, downstairs the menu at the intimate and rather chic Twotwentytwo has all bases covered. Steaks for Mr Business Traveller? Check. Burgers for the timid eater and the sullen teen? Check. Caesar Salad for the American arriving in his time machine from 1970? Check.
