Restaurant Spy - Italian

Signor Franco's, 5a, High St Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1UL

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:41:52 +0000

Address:
5a, High St Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1UL

Review:

Signor Franco's is rather much an institution in Tunbridge Wells,with a reputation to suit and having lived in this hallowed town for so long and not sampled their culinery delights was quite simply unacceptable.

So on a delightful Monday evening we decided to pay them a visit and to say they live up to their repution would be a safe statement to make.

Even initial contact was a pleasure, with the booking procedure being nothing but a pleasant experience with a polite friendly person on the other end. My flatmate and I were greeted well and promptly taken to our table which had wonderful views of tunbridge wells and had a wonderful ambience to the whole establishment.

Ristorante Maffei, Piazza Erbe 38, Verona, Italy.

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:07:14 +0000

Address:
Piazza Erbe 38, Verona, Italy.

Review:

I booked the Maffei some months in advance, as part of a trip to Verona to celebrate my wife’s birthday. The online booking system worked well and the web site gave a lot of information with regards to menus, wines and historic location.

The restaurant premises are quite spectacular, being housed in a magnificent palatial building. We were greeted by very friendly staff and shown to our table, as well as ourselves, there was only one other couple in the restaurant, despite this being 9pm on a Friday night. I confess that the alarm bells did start to ring.

Il Bacio 178-184 Blackstock Road Highbury N5 1HA

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:14:45 +0000

Address:
178-184 Blackstock Road Highbury N5 1HA

Review:

Pre match Arsenal v Blackburn on Monday last, I was determined to steer clear of my usual Haddock 'n Chips or a Fat Harry's Hot Dog standing up in the street. So I opted for this rather swish and surprisingly genuine Italian 10 minutes from the Emirates Stadium. I got there about 6.45 and the place was heaving. Had I booked?''No.'' Oh dear ,not sure if we can fit you in'' said the waitress. Anyway I was seated within five minutes and was pleasantly surprised.

Simply Italian, 15-18 East Parade, Hastings, TN34 3AL

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Address:
15-18 East Parade, Hastings, TN34 3AL

Review:

Bracing winds and intermittent rain lash the seafront at Hastings on an in-between-Christmas-and-New-Year family excursion. The crushing disappointment that the fairground rides are closed and the increasingly desperate and ultimately fruitless search for an open fish and chip shop led us to this Italian bistro on the East Parade.

We piled into a booth, kids warned to avoid the expensive chef's specials - there's seven of us for chrissakes - and a variety of pizza and pasta appeared much as we expected. My middle son kept asking for his four cheese pizza to come without mushrooms, but, you guessed it, it did. Some discussion about the desserts on the blackboard was negated because "no sir - they're all off".

Nani's, 8-10 Wigmore Street, London W1H 9DA

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:41:36 +0000

Address:
8-10 Wigmore Street, London W1H 9DA

Review:

Slipped out of John Lewis by the Cavendish St exit and into Wigmore St today and found this gem. It's been there for 25 years, one of those long established, cheerful and reasonably priced restaurants run by generations of Italian families in London. These places are having to either adapt or die. Alfredo's in Essex Rd (est 1920) refused to adapt and we loved them for it. Until the end of 1999 you could still get excellent egg and chips for £1.85, cooked by the proprietor in exactly the same way as his father Alfredo did it. A mug of tea was 25p and neither the premises nor the menu had changed since the early fifties. If you never made it to Alfredo's, you're too late, they have sold up and retired. Nani's have adapted instead. Recently completely refurbished in an unpretentious modern style, they offer the usual list of modern coffee choices -cappuccino, espresso et al plus a good selection of breakfasts and lunches for around a fiver.

Ned's Country Pizza, 74 Bridge Street, Benalla, NSW, Australia

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 01:06:59 +0000

Address:
74 Bridge Street, Benalla, NSW

Review:

Benalla is where Ned Kelly's gang hung out, and very near the town where they had their final shootout. He's celebrated as a tourist attraction in these parts, and almost every outfit refers to him in some way. Hence the name of this establishment. Everybody said Georgina's was the best food in town, but on the door were two notices. The first said "Open Seven Days" and the second said "Closed" Perhaps our visit was not on any of the seven days it was open. So we went a few doors along to Ned's, with little hope, frankly. It's run by a single mum and her teenage son - about 14 I reckon. She bought a franchise, but has also started making and selling her own range of gourmet pizzas, and we each chose one of these, with a side salad. It was one of the best pizzas we have ever eaten, great big prawns and scallops on one, lots of chicken and veg on the other, light pizza dough, crispy base. Side salad of rocket and spinach could not have been fresher. She was also dashing next door, selling take away pizzas. Forget Georgina's, if you ever visit Ned Kelly country, this woman deserves your business. And not expensive, either.

Mosaic, 24 Junction Road London N19 5RD

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 09:50:53 +0000

Address:
24 Junction Road London N19 5RD

Review:

Came across this place when changing buses at Archway. "Hold on, this is new" we cried in unison, and having just sat through The Insider (excellent film but very long) we were ravenous, so in we went. It looks really modern and pretty: coloured neon, bright and fresh fittings, can't have been open more than five minutes. The menu looked pretty standard pizza/pasta/salad but there was a good selection. Only two salads but they both looked interesting. The pizzas turned out to be the real thing: properly made on the premises, and really good. Couldn't finish mine (having overdone the popcorn at Camden Odeon) and the waitress asked whether I liked it. She looked relieved when I explained. It's been a long time since someone has enquired if my unfinished meal was OK as they cleared it - I quite like that. Another thing which shows their attitude towards customers - I noticed a high chair in the corner, waiting for a toddler to come in and treat its parents to a slap up meal. Our bill for 2 pizzas and two beers came to about £15 - not the cheapest in Junction Road, but it's good value and a really pleasant place. You get a voucher for 20% off your next meal - but we would have gone back anyway. DM 2/4/2000

Matriciano, 256 Brompton Road, London SW3 2AT

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 10:39:17 +0000

Address:
256 Brompton Road, London SW3 2AT

Review:

Terrible! Italian restaurant, looked lovely. However all started to go wrong when we asked for tap water to accompany the wine we'd ordered, we were told that they didn't do tap water? We ordered 2 pasta dishes and a chicken salad, each in the range of £7-£10. The pasta was undercooked, so much so that my sister couldn’t eat hers, and just picked out the tomato and mozzarella sauce. My chicken salad was floating in oil and the parmesan shavings were wedges. The size of the portions were also very small for the price. We told the waiter about the undercooked pasta, he could see it’d not been eaten, and he offered us a free drink on the house, but we didn’t want a drink , we were hungry! Bearing in mind that we’d complained, when the bill came they had (as always) added service charge. This upset my sister and she asked to speak to the manager. She started to explain to him about her meal being inedible and he cut in immediately and said “you can pay your f*** bill and never f*** come back”. Then said he was going to call the police and made a play of getting on the phone. 3 very shocked people paid, excluding the tip and left. Needless to say we will never be going back and telling as many people as possible about our experience. sambalini

Made in Italy, 257 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EL

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 10:25:55 +0000

Address:
257 Kings Road, SW3 5EL

Review:

Looks good, but don't be fooled by the apparently cosy / amusingly disorganised appearance. Their menu is very dishonest. Be warned the menu prices are pre VAT and there is a 12.5% service charge that you are not told about when you sit down. Pizza is described as 250g, how do we know it is? It helps considerably if you're Italian as you will benefit from the two tier service system. Dolly Bird and Dave

La Porchetta, 147 Stroud Green Road London N4 3PZ

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:30:12 +0000

Address:
147 Stroud Green Road London N4 3PZ

Review:

We had thought of going to La Ventura in the Stroud Green Rd to sample their gastronomic menu, but we were with our son, who is always hungry and we didn't have all evening, Porchetta usually brings you large portions of good cheap food very quickly and that's what we wanted. Oh look, I can't just go to rubbish places and feed my menfolk ordure just so that I can entertain you lot with indignant tales of hilarious incompetence, naff cuisine and outrageous prices. I've got a life you know. Oh yes. La P employs beautiful young people, dressed in black and they run around smiling, fetching you stuff. One waiter bribed the brat at the table next door with free ice cream if he'd behave - and it worked. We all had risotto - my Nero con Sepia was delish with lots of large and chunky squiddy bits, L's di Mare and T's Primavera also had loads of the named ingredient. It's a swizz when you get a risotto with 3 prawns and 2 mussels, all placed on top, so you think great, only to find that it's all rice underneath. Innit? None of that here. It's value for money, child friendly, noisy and busy. On the way back we passed La Ventura, which was completely empty. Hmm. Recommended. DM 2001

Kettners, 29 Romilly Street London W1D 5HP

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:16:36 +0000

Address:
29 Romilly Street London W1D 5HP

Review:

I'm sure I've reviewed this place before but I can't find it using the search thingy. Anyhow, I've been to Kettner's before and I still like it. The best thing about the place is it's in the middle of Soho and is a great place to take a lady or your mother (not that your mother is not a lady), especially if she has not heard about it. This is because it costs a lot less than it looks like you spent. Kettner's used to be Oscar Wilde's favourite restaurant until he became a permanent guest of Her Majesty. And it looks much the same, I guess, as it did when he was having a mouthfull here. There's a pianist, and Hogarthian prints and a nice carpet, and someone to fawn and look after your lady's muff. The rooms are elegant as hell, but it is really just a pizza house. It's the jewel in the crown of Pizza Express, and you'll get the usual menu here, but with knobs on and linen napery. There were four of us, post Christmas, and we had a lunch there. Blokes had burgers (Proper ones made of meat) with fries. Lady One had a so-called Soho pizza, with shaved Italian cheese and some fantastic ham and rocket all over it. Lady Two had a terrific looking salad. Afters were great, coffee was hot and strong and prices very good indeed for this sort of thing in the middle of London (though it seemed a bit more pricey to me than in the past). Service was excellent from a delightful young lady of ?French/?Spanish/?Italian extraction. My only complaint is that the gents, which used to boast huge Victorian urinals with 45 degree splashbacks, has been completely modernised. Gone is the polished brass and it's hello to stainless steel. Why? But I'm picking holes. Still a great place. APPROVED, Perry Stalsis 2005

Italian Kitchen, 43, New Oxford St, London, WC1A 1BH

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:55:43 +0000

Address:
43, New Oxford St, London, WC1A 1BH

Review:

I've been past this place a million times but never gone in before. It turned out to be slightly better than I expected. It is quite cramped and you might have to book a table in the evening but its worth a look.I had pan fried veal with mushrooms that were genuinely tasty (I can't remember the last time I had mushrooms that were any good) and a side order of mashed potato that was also very good. And you won't go too far wrong if you have the home made tiramisu which is rich, drenched in brandy and covered in powdered chocolate. When the bill comes, be aware that service is included which always slightly annoys me but the service was excellent; friendly and attentive. And for any parents, they have a policy of "Bambini non Pagano" - kids eat free. They also offer 2 course specials that looked promising from 12-7pm but we missed them. Approved King Mob

Il Sorriso, 95, Charlotte St London W1T 4PX

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:47:57 +0000

Address:
95, Charlotte St London W1T 4PX

Review:

In the heart of Charlotte Street in London's West End, Il Sorriso serves traditional no-nonsense Italian food to a loyal (if undemanding) audience.

The owner of the restaurant, Franco, has certainly established himself as a character - brusque but friendly but any nonsense and you're out - and his young, spirited and attentive staff make sure that you are well looked after. Any minor quibbles are petty - some of the bread was a little hard, things are a little more expensive than they really should be - but, on the whole, if you want decently prepared old-fashioned style Italian food this is a good destination. M

Il Forno, 63-64 Frith Street London W1V 5TA

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:46:22 +0000

Address:
63-64 Frith Street London W1V 5TA

Review:

Another FT special, two courses for a tenner. L started with pasta and green beans in a pesto sauce, followed by grilled chicken with a fresh green salad. I had mozarella and grilled aubergine with salad, followed by polenta and dolcelatte. All very nice, and L enjoyed his, but my polenta and cheese was really nothing more than sloppy savoury semolina with cheese melting in it. By the time I was a third through it, I was very bored, and could feel it lying cheesily there, on top of the mozarella. Oh, look, you should know by now how I feel about meals without vegetables. Uncomfortable. The waiters were young, attractive and knew it, pleasant enough but lacking professionalism. OK 31 January 2001 DM

Il Bordello, 81, Wapping High St, London, E1W 2YG

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:26:10 +0000

Address:
81, Wapping High St, London, E1W 2YG

Review:

A monday night stopping at the Tower Thistle Hotel led a large group of us in search of somewhere more interesting than the hotel rstaurant to eat. One of the party had eaten at Il Bordello before and recommended it so we rang ahead and booked then took a short cab ride to the restaurant. Italian run and owned this has to be one of the best restaurants in the area. Packed with people when we arrived at 7.30 this 200 cover restaurant describes itself as 'where fine Italian cuisine, quality, service and ambience meet.' They're not wrong. The menu is huge with another 20 items on the blackboard. All the usual stuff you would expect plus lots of of others. Pizzas, pasta, lobster you name it there is something for everyone. We ordered huge portions of food, endless drinks and the service was top notch. Every need was met and the place was marvellous. The food came in double quick time and was perfect all round. This isn't like the legendary Al Duca, it's a different type of Italian catering to a different market, but it is very very good at about £35 a head with drinks. Approved without question.
The Tallguy