| Mercadona Actualidad | Atkins Diet | Restaurant Marketing | California Restaurants |

The UK's top writer on food, as voted by readers of Restaurant Spy, talks exclusively to Spy! Click here for details.
Indian restaurants. I suppose there are four main categories which cover the concept:
1) Local gravy houses that fling proprietary brand sauces over relatively recently cooked meat quickly easing your fifteen pints of lager through your digestive system.
2) Places where Indian/Pakistanis eat. Hot (generally a bit more spicy than us whiteys can manage) but cheap and generally brilliant.
3) Posh places with individual spices with top chefs with food totally at odds with what people eat on the sub continent.
4) Places like Coconut Lagoon.
We were deeply deeply disappointed with Coconut Lagoon. It apparently is the "Best of the Midlands". Yes, but this is London and AA Gill says everything outside London is "bilge". Dead plastic budgies and parakeets lean at forty five degree angles amongst the lush and overpowering plastic vegetation in this South Indian restaurant just recently opened in the Barbican.
Fawning toady waiters ask if its our "first visit" and then explain in heart-stoppingly tedious detail how the food is prepared and presented then spend most of the meal upselling - would you like some "nibbles"? A cocktail? Some wine? Our special bread to share?
Coconut Lagoon is awful. The food itself was alright but very expensive, but also lukewarm and in small portions. I can't be bothered to tell you what I ate because I do not want you to go there to waste your money.
And to cap it all - we asked the waiter if the "special lunch menu" was selections from the main menu. He said "yes". No, no, stupid Spies no. You see the thing is that, even although it was lunchtime, we should have ASKED for the lunch menu. This cost us a fortune. Do yourself a favour and avoid this place. M
Alternative search includes archived reviews here
Restaurant insurance specialists. For more details visit the UKinsuranceNET website.
29th September 2008 - Chef Dies After Hot Chilli Dare
An aspiring chef died after eating a bowl of 'super hot' chilli sauce for a dare, an inquest heard. more...
3rd September 2008 - British chefs scoop London awards
British chefs and restaurants have gained the top awards at the 10th London Restaurant Awards. more...
30th July 2008 - Restaurant tipping law to change
Employers are to be banned from using tips and service charges to 'top up' staff pay to meet the minimum wage, under government plans. more...
29th July 2008 - Buxhall Crown owner dies
more...
8th July 2008 - TV chefs 'fail on basic hygiene'
TV chefs are setting a bad example by failing to following basic hygiene standards, public health chiefs say. more...
27th June 2008 - TV chef loses Tesco chicken vote
Tesco shareholders have not backed proposals to improve welfare standards for chickens championed by TV cook Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. more...
Lots more in our Food News Archive.
Click on any of the following categories to see reviews by area, rating or type.
Country/Region
Americas - Canada, Greenland, USA
Asia/Australasia - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, The Maldives
Europe - Austria, Belgium, Eire, France, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland
Other world region
UK, England - Beds, Berks, Birmingham, Bucks, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Glos, Hants, Herts, Humberside, Kent, Lancs, Leic, Lincoln, London, Manchester, Middlesex, Norfolk, Notts, Oxon, Shrop, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wilts, Worcs, Yorks, Scotland, Wales
Cuisine - African/Afro-Caribbean, British - Modern, Traditional, Cafe, Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Meditteranean, Mexican/North American, Other Asian, Other European, Pub, Takeaway
Special type - Ambience, Disabled Access, Families, Large Groups, Romantic, Service, Views
Spy rating - Approved, OK, Rejected
Rose, author of the Savvy Shopper and the New English Kitchen, talks exclusively to Spy. Click here.
Listen to our growing body of interviews with chefs, chocolatiers and food and drink specialists in our Wired for Sound section.
Recent comments
16 hours 38 min ago
1 day 1 hour ago
3 days 21 hours ago
5 days 13 hours ago
5 days 23 hours ago
6 days 21 hours ago
1 week 1 day ago
1 week 1 day ago
1 week 2 days ago
1 week 5 days ago