Restaurant Spy - Mediterranean

Barcelona Tapas y Restaurante, 24 Lime St, London EC3M 7HS

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:11:33 +0000

Address:
24 Lime St, London EC3M 7HS

Review:

The Barcelona Tapas Bar y Restaurante is downstairs, but has a bright entrance on the street and vivid colour on the walls, so you don’t feel you’re entering subterranean gloom, and on a humid August evening in the gritty City, it was fresh and cool down there. We were welcomed and shown to our table immediately, and given bread, olive oil and pickled vegetables while we got to grips with the massive menu. There are literally dozens of items to choose from, with specialities from all the regions, but especially Cataluña, of course.

Aphrodite Taverna, 15 Hereford Rd London W2 4AB

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:11:21 +0000

Address:
15 Hereford Rd London W2 4AB

Review:

I've never been to Greece but I do live in a part of London that is really Little Athens, or maybe Little Nicosia, so the local Greek restaurants tend to be plentiful and of a pretty high standard. But at no time have I witnessed any plate smashing. I don't know if it's just me, but I'm sure that Greek restaurants were once famous for this. I've never seen it. Furthermore I've never met anyone who's seen it either. I once asked a waiter about it and he looked at me oddly, so I let it drop. Not my plate, the subject. So I'm none the wiser. But I would like to see it one day before I'm old. Needless to say there was no plate smashing in the Aphrodite. This restaurant is not in Little Nicosia but over near Westbourne Grove. It looks like a proper Greek taverna ought to, as far as I know, and has some seating out on the pavement. It is small to average in size and has wooden tables and nice rustic tablecloths. To fit the name there are two big pictures of Aphrodite, one of which is a reproduction of the Botticelli one.

Shish, 2-6 Station Parade, London NW2 4NH

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:46:05 +0000

Address:
2-6 Station Parade, London NW2 4NH

Review:

It's kebabs gone posh. Shish in Willesden Green, adjacent to the Tube station, is one of 3 Shish outlets that have garnered popularity amongst locals and critics alike. At £20 per head, it's not a cheap meal, but it's definitely worth the pounds. The spinach borek was crisp and fresh, although a little oily but the mains are definitely the highlight of the menu. Skewers of meat and haloumi cheese with potatoes, roasted capsicum and onions, next to a bed of salad and fries is done to perfection. And for dessert, don't go past the halva ice-cream with baklava.

Night Star-Mangal Ockabasi, 149 Holloway Road London N7 8LX

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:08:34 +0000

Address:
149,Holloway Road London N7 8LX

Review:

Another pre- Arsenal match, feeding and watering stop on the greasy Holloway Road. Why does it always look as if the pavements need a good hosing down and a steam clean? The restaurant is the usual set-up of revolving kebabs in the front takeaway part and long queues of punters on match days who prefer the sidewalk eating experience. The inside is fairly basic-tiled floors and formica tables. However the star of the show is the charcoal grill man (there must be a name in Turkish) who sits at the barbecue, expertly rotating the kebabs, and chops, and chicken fillets, like he's playing an instrument, and shouting at the staff.

Pasha, 301 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 2TU

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:50:21 +0000

Address:
301 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 2TU

Review:

It doesn't look like your stereotypical Turkish Restaurant - the recent refurbishment is all clean lines, dark wood and white napery. I'd booked through Time Out, who are currently offering 50% off all food, so the value-for-money-but-not-cheap prices became absolute bargains. Although Pasha's Turkish background is evident, it's modern and international with far more fish than you'd expect. Starters included a generous bowl of good lentil soup; a plate of five huge prawns in chilli and coriander; freshly prepared fried calamari (not from a freezer pack in other words) and Sucuk, a spicy, sausage dish.

Unicorn Inn, Excise Street, Kincardine, Scotland

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:44:56 +0000

Address:
Excise Street, Kincardine

Review:

We ate on a Wednesday evening under a newspaper promotion: 2 courses plus a glass of wine for £10 each.

What should have been an opportunity for the restaurant to showcase their wares turned out to be an exercise in short-sighted penny-pinching. Most of the food was good, although the pate seemed to be plastic stuff from a supermarket, while the sea bass was fantastic. These two cancelled each other out, then.

Mana Greek, 10 St Sampson Square, York

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:34:22 +0000

Address:
10 St Sampson Square ,York

Review:

We visited the restuarant on Saturday the 23rd June 2007. We ordered the vegetarian meze however queried why this included fish!?. We were told that something be done excluding the fish. The first dishes arrived which included a sausage dish!. We were served a selection of greek dips with pitta bread and a cheese pie which was cooked from frozen because it was still frozen at the centre. The next dishes arrived which consisted of a plate each of stuffed vegetables not the lots of little dishes that you would expect a meze to consist of. A greek salad was served with some of the most salty unrecognisable cheese. It should have been feta but it was vile. This was challenged with the waiter who simply shrugged and walked away. I paid the bill "under protest". Overall I found the staff to be unhelpful , dismissive and the food represented poor value for money. I asked to speak to the owner but simply ignored. So rather than spoil my evening any further we left. Broadbean

Olive, 10 Hornsey High St, London N8 7PB

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:12:15 +0000

Address:
10 Hornsey High St, London N8 7PB

Review:

Finding ourselves in Hornsey High St at around lunchtime today, we chose this place at random. As we walked in I overheard a conversation between a customer and a waiter.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, are you a vegetarian?" she asked.
"Well, I'm not now" he replied happily, so I don't know what was going on there, except he went on to say its was great food, but he would never finish it all. Three frocked priests in the centre of the room were also struggling.

Soprano, 56 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Mon, 14 May 2007 15:17:00 +0000

Address:
56 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Review:

I booked a table for myself and my partner at this new Wine and Tapas bar for last Friday. I was told that on weekends they only do sittings and could choose either the 6 - 9 sitting or the 9 to close. I chose the earlier.

It is in the place of what I believe was called Sophies restaurant, which I never got to try before it closed. The renovation has modernised the interior with big leather cafe style sofas along the wall. Although they have kept the exposed brickwork. The only complaint I had of the interior is that the tables are very close together, which isn't ideal when you are ordering a number of dishes.

Pera, 411a Holloway Road London N7 6HJ

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:04:06 +0000

Address:
411a Holloway Road London N7 6HJ

Review:

This was our sixth or seventh visit to Pera, and I thought it was time to review it for you. My last visit, with my friend E, on Saturday lunch time, was fine. Not cheap, but the room is nice, the service pleasant and the food - of the shish kebab and salad type - was acceptable.

L and I haven't been there for several months, and it is now quite different in the evening. Loud music, and lots of people sitting round drinking and smoking. Not talking much because the music is too loud. I ordered one of the special lamb kebabs and and Efes beer, L ordered falafel and a bottle of Perrier. When the food finally arrived, I got chicken - a very dry piece of grilled chicken breast, with a salad and a mound of rice. The waiter disappeared, his colleague said that what the order. I said I was hungry, so would eat it. Four bowls of sauce came on a plate, as they had on Saturday, but to my disgust, the garlicky yoghourt sauce I'd enjoyed three days ago had been finished, and the pot just topped up without being washed, so there was dried crust of old sauce round the inside. The mayonnaise had not been covered and had a dark yellow skin. I dug some from underneath because that was the driest chicken I have ever encountered.

Moro, 34 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 09:47:13 +0000

Address:
34 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

Review:

1) Oh look, I know other restaurant spies have been here, and I've been twice before and it's wonderful, but this is the last week of the FT lunches, and that's all the excuse I need. There were three of us - the other two had Octopus, paprika and caperberry salad: light and tender and I had Chicory and cabralis salad with sweet sherry dressing, which was absolutely amazing. Cabralis is a dry, blue cheese, deliciously reminiscent of stale stilton and it was crumbled over the chicory leaves, with the sherry drizzled over. Doesn't sound too promising does it? Fab, darling, trust me.

Moro, 34 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 09:47:13 +0000

Address:
34 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

Review:

Mem & Laz, 8 Theberton Street London N1 0QX

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 09:27:25 +0000

Address:
8 Theberton Street London N1 0QX

Review:

The bad news is that word is already out. We went in at about 7pm and just got a table, by quarter past, it was full. Mostly with couples but from a strangely wide age range instead of the usual gaggle of 20/30 somethings. As well as full, it's a little cramped, probably a few more tables than there is really space for. But the reasons are obvious; the service is quick, friendly and attentive. The food, although mostly regular Mediterranean fare, is very good. You are offered olives and fresh bread with olive oil, rather than having a pile dumped in front of you. I had a huge portion of sauteed mushrooms with a wholegrain mustard sauce to start and a lovely piece of halibut for my main. If you fancy it, you should probably reserve a table though. Approved King Mob

Mediterranean Kitchen, 127/129 Kensington Church St London W8 7LP

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 09:22:45 +0000

Address:
127/129 Kensington Church St London W8 7LP

Review:

They do a very good onion soup here and this is useful - because there is a theory that onion soup is one of those simple dishes that is really hard to do well. So the theory goes on to say that if a restaurant can dish up a good onion soup the chances are the rest of its efforts won't be half bad either. This certainly seems to be the case here. I think that it's a converted pub - there is a sort of central bar which is surrounded by a seating area and it is all very well designed. It exudes a kind of understated bosomy comfort - at least it affected me that way. Everything is greys, browns, soft seating and sudbdued lighting, with big white wax candle bowls. You could probably cure a migraine just by sitting here.

Med Cafe, 140 Station Road Chingford E4 6AN

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 09:21:11 +0000

Address:
140 Station Road Chingford E4 6AN

Review:

Popped into this fairly new place on the off chance on a Friday early evening - and they just had one table for two un-booked! Initial impressions were quite favorable - reasonable airy decor, and the tables not too close together. Quite small - only ten tables, but I discovered that they also have seating on the first floor - from the number of people who went up there, I assume this must have been bigger. Staff were friendly and efficient - even if one of them did trip and send our starter of bread skidding across the floor! (she wasn't hurt, and our food was replaced speedily - so no hard done!). The kitchen, also on the ground floor, hoot on a hooter when dishes are ready - quite disconcerting at first, but after a while it somehow it added to the charm! The menu includes pasta and pizzas, but my partner and I went for their more expensive main meals - I had Tuscan Chicken (chicken fillet with Tuscan beans (?) on a bed of potato), and she a Saumon Aux Crevett (salmon steak with prawns), both priced at £10.95. Luckily, these were brought to our table without mishap. My Chicken was, I thought, somewhat bland, although the whole dish came over well, she said the salmon was perfect, but wouldn't let me taste it, so we have to take her word! Not too many sweets on the menu, So I decided on a liqueur with my coffee, but my partner went for the "lazy sundae" - which is peach ice cream, cream and strawberries. She did let me have a taste of this - and the ice cream was amazingly tasty - unfortunately, she only let me have one taste - insisting that I had decided against pudding! Service was not included, and they presented me with a closed Credit card bill, so we tipped in cash - not a problem, but somewhat unusual. Overall a very good addition the Chingford repertoire of restaurants - but remember to book to ensure you get a table on a Friday night! Dark Knight