Le profil de CatG sur Qype

Yet another pub which is all right.
The decor is ok, the booze reasonably priced (for central London), there’s a decent number of outside tables (even if you are next to a main road).
There’s also a tempting list of bar snacks on the wall. The sweet potato wedges I would recommend highly. As I would the nachos, but really, how hard is it to get nachos wrong?
What did rather baffle me was the baked Camembert. Also hard to get wrong. Yet it was brought out only half cooked and with no cranberry sauce. Madness.
And shows a massive lack of thought on their part.
-edit-
I went back recently (Dec 2011) and it is no better. The food is rubbish. The roast beef was dry and chewy and barely edible. The yorkshire puddings could be mistaken for portabello mushrooms – burnt and flat. The chips were too few, the food was lukewarm and the steak came without steak knives.
The cider choice is also poor, only Strongbow and Magners and both are rubbish.

This packed restaurant is essentially the Vietnamese version of New Tayyabs. It’s crammed, the service is fast and careless and it’s cheap. Booking is vital if you’d rather not queue for half an hour and they’ll graciously give you a time to have to vacate the table by. They’ve got a license these days but still allowed us to bring our own wine in – though I can’t say how long this will last for. As far as I know they’ve not started stocking their own booze yet.

Like Tayyabs, Mien Tay has built its reputation on its food. Being on Kingsland Road, it’s surrounded by Vietnamese restaurants – none of which are as busy. You don’t go there for a nice romantic meal, you go there to eat and head on.

Personally I’m a fan of the Vietnamese curry – but don’t wear white. It’s splashy.

I've no idea why people like it here. The cupcakes are so mediocre - especially given every man, woman and mouse is selling them these days.

Go to the Hummingbird bakery instead.

When you're faced with your local pub no longer serving food that evening and the recent news that there's a restaurant within walking distance called "Thaitanic" there's not much you can do but go see it for yourself. It was on the 2nd January and and about 10pm when we rolled in. Inevitably the restaurant wasn't very busy but the waitress still seated the three of us next to some poor lass having dinner and reading by herself. So I'm sure she enjoyed listening to three smartarses make name pun jokes all evening. But anyhow.

It took a while for our order to be taken but once it had been the food arrived promptly. Still somewhat giddy from the amusing name I ordered a dish called "Drunken Lamb". Which turned out to be rather chewy lamb in a very tasty sauce. It's not the best Thai restaurant or takeaway I've personally sampled but it certainly did the job on this particular occasion. Except that I had to walk past a motorbike to get to the toilet and the toilet itself was freezing.

Ordered takeaway online - something which is advertised on the menu. The normal delivery time of 30-60 minutes was long surpassed as the food arrived an hour and 50 minutes later. I also called them twice and on the first occasion the person who answered was rude. On the second the man said that they'd had problems with the online ordering service and the orders had come in late. Then he said he'd picked up the order 20 minutes after I'd placed it. Meaning it still took an hour and a half. Rubbish service.

When the food arrived it was bland and lukewarm. I ordered the pad thai and prawn wontons and both were very underwhelming. That'll teach me for not ordering from Chompoo. Never again.

Few restaurants so cheap they can boast such popularity that people will queue for over an hour to get a table. Not that you could ever persuade yourself that you're waiting for a table at an exclusive new haunt. The interior and casual dress of the diners ensure this is nothing more than a cheap and cheerful eat.

The best curry places are rarely glitzy – and certainly not in London where you can find an infinite number of authentic international restaurants. Those who consider their surroundings more important than what's on their plate would do well to aim for a bland Mayfair restaurant. If you've made the journey from Aldgate East or Whitechapel station down this back road (which you would never walk down by accident) then you either know what you're coming for or someone in your party does.

If you have the foresight to book, and I strongly urge that you do – it's the equivalent of a queue jump, then the wait isn't too unbearable and you get to enjoy watching less organised, impatient, hungry people as they form a queue that crawls round the restaurant.

The service is not amazing. But that's also not why you would come here. You are served promptly, which is marvellous if you don't wish to wait 45 minutes for your food. And when it comes it's worth it. The menu is limited and it has every right to be. They know what they do well and I would struggle to order anything other than the lamb karahi as I know I will be more than satisfied. That said, I've never had a bad meal here and have yet to find another curry in London more tasty. Given the option of an Indian (and being able to book) I would plump for Tayyabs every time. There are two types of people in this world: those who love Tayabbs and those who don't know about it.

Just don't forget to bring your own beer (Tiger or Cobra, obviously) as it's unlicensed.

This place is practically on my doorstep and has thus far been overlooked by Qype so I thought I'd pop its review cherry.

It looks a bit scary from the outside, especially if at the time there's a gang of young men sat being noisy on the inside. But the owner is incredibly friendly.

From the dishes I've tried:

Curry goat: this is delicious and I find myself actually having cravings for it. Perfect level of spice (in my opinion), divine succulent meat that just falls off the bone.

Salt fish: another favourite. Salty (as you'd expect), fairly dry, in a good way. Good with the rice and peas (which are actually kidney beans).

Fried fish: A bit hard to get into but still tasty. Not the first thing I'd choose.

Jerk chicken: the good old Caribbean staple. Just chicken in jerk sauce but delicious.

Like in all Caribbeans you get an option for either rice and peas or hard food. Hard food is potato, dumpling and cooked banana. I'm very fond myself.

Overall for grabbing a decent meal on your way home Mr Cee's is perfect.

This is my second afternoon tea excursion in London. The first, about two years ago, was at The Ritz. And I must be honest, The Ritz knocks Fortnum and Mason into a cocked hat.

However, you cannot book The Ritz at a week's notice (you probably can't even book it at a month's notice). You can't book any of the five star hotels at a week's notice. Fortnum and Mason you can. So to Fortnum and Mason we went.

We went for the "Classic Afternoon Tea" which, for £32 a head, gets you a selection of canapes, sandwiches, cakes and scones. And lots of tea. The food is very tasty - with special mention to the clotted cream and jam. However, to drag out the comparison again, I have never tasted scones as delicious as those served in The Ritz and these don't even come close. That said, they are nice.

The room itself is a large, soft-carpeted, bright but basic restaurant which has a bar, waiter/esses wandering about and a pianist tinkling in the corner. It's all very tasteful, if not quite as luxurious as one may expect from a department store like Fortnum and Mason.

The service was attentive and prompt although that's about it. The atmosphere reasonable. For a fairly last minute choice (I booked a week beforehand) it served perfectly well. Though compared to the quality received elsewhere for a similar price this would not be my first choice.

I'm not Caribbean nor have I been there so I'm afraid I cannot comment on the authenticity of the food here. However I can say that it is very tasty.

I ordered the curry mutton with hard food (dumplings, banana and boiled yam) which came in a just-right spicy sauce and the dumpling was amazing. My companions were also very happy with their chicken roti and jerk chicken meals.

It's a small cafe, unlicensed. Probably best suited to lunch although we went for dinner and it served us just fine. The older chap behind the counter was nice and friendly. The waitresses are less so. Best if you care more about your food than your surroundings (which we do). It's also brilliantly cheap (much more so than Savannah Jerk next door) at about £6-7 for a meal that will fill you up.

Very average restaurant which certainly isn't worth it without a Taste London card. The mezzes were tasty but the main courses were dry and dull.

The food is expensive and only costs so much for the location and the shiny interior. Which, as my friend pointed out, without the tables would just look like a car showroom.

The music - a dreadful mix of Lebanese and dance music - was too loud. Possibly to make the restaurant seem trendy. Ideal for those who frequent bars like Mahiki but for those who want to enjoy their food and not be "seen" somewhere then it's very soulless.