Restaurant Spy - £££/$$$

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.

Grand Union Bar and Grill, 153 Upper St, Islington, London N1 1RA

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:52:38 +0000

Address:
153 Upper St, Islington, London N1 1RA

Review:

From the road it looks like a fairly ordinary pub but once you go in it is very different indeed. The long single room is like a cross between a carriage on the Orient Express and the Tea House of the August Moon. Lighting is fairly low. There is a mixture of sofas, armchairs and banquettes with a well stocked bar on one side and tall chairs and tables on the other. There are palm fronds, Chinese lanterns, fans and mirrors. The floor is of dark wood with the occasional deep red rug.

Flame, 152-154 High Street, Watford, WD17 2EN

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:42:46 +0000

Address:
152-154 High Street, Watford, WD17 2EN

Review:

My partner and I visited Flame Chinese Restaurant in Watford for an evening meal on Saturday evening last. We were met and shown to our table by a smart member of the staff at the door of the restaurant. Just inside the door, the bar area, together with the squashy leather settee, beckoned – but we decided to eat first.

A waitress was soon at our table to take the order for drinks and the dry white wine that I ordered was a very good standard - and not overpriced at under £3 for a glass.

The Brew House Hotel, 1 Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TA

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:27:26 +0000

Address:
1 Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TA

Review:

I’d read about the Brew House Hotel, Tunbridge Wells soon after it opened a year ago. The conversion of an 18th century building to modern hotel sounded unusual and interesting. It is located at the bottom end of town, just a spit away from the Pantiles.

What I had not appreciated about the conversion was that a modern restaurant was part of the update. So this particular Sunday lunchtime found us at that Restaurant. The one review we had found prior to our visit was encouraging, but we had not set our hopes too high, hotel restaurants are notoriously below par.

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.

The Rajdoot, 11 High Street, Downe, Kent, BR6 7US

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:51:38 +0000

Address:
11 High Street, Downe, Kent , BR6 7US

Review:

After a pleasant walk across the fields from nearby Farnborough we arrived at The Rajdoot in good time. The restaurant has pleasant decor, a relaxed atmosphere and the staff are both friendly and efficient.

I ordered a Meat Samosa starter and Tandoori King Prawns for the main course. The food was cooked to perfecion, the portions were very generous and the price was no more than average, if anything it was on the cheap side given The Rajdoot's proximity to London. All the others in the group were equally pleased with their meals.

Fish 'n' Fritz 9 Market Street, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8DD

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:02:37 +0000

Address:
9 Market Street, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8DD

Review:

Such a shame! This used to be a super little restaurant, a runner-up in a national competition, and winner in the south-west, but it's been going downhill for aome time now. Last Friday we ate there and it was awful - soggy batter, tired chips, and inefficient staff. We had to ask three times for our drinks, which were clearly in view on a tray behind the counter, the plates weren't cleared when we'd finished - in fact, I called the waitress over and asked for an ice-cream while surrounded by dirty plates. She brought the ice-cream and left the plates! The proprietor used to be in evidence and keeping an eye on things, but she's invisible now and the restaurant seems to be staffed by school leavers, who don't look at you, move at a snail's pace, and chat amongst themselves. We will not be going again, or recommending the place to visitors to the town, as we always used to do. budmouthbabe

The Ship Inn Tresaith Cardigan Wales SA43 2JL

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:46:20 +0000

Address:
Tresaith Cardigan Wales SA43 2JL

Review:

Lovely location and decent decor let down by disinterested service and uninteresting food. Last year's meal was good but this year the two meals we had - honey duck and rack of lamb were not worth eating. The lamb was pink all the way through, not just in the middle, and tasted of nothing very much. It's accompanying slop of mashed potato was equally tedious. The duck was over cooked and very tough. Nothing seriously wrong, just disappointing and tasteless. We should have complained but we didn't, I am going to write to the cardiff brewery though. mrve

Wolf Run Restaurant, 3360 Wolf Run, Fairbanks Alaska 99709

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:47:48 +0000

Address:
3360 Wolf Run, Fairbanks Alaska 99709

Review:

This is one of the nicest non-Thai restaurants in Fairbanks. It wouldn’t last three weeks in London, but then it’s not in London, so that’s OK, and if you’re ever in Fairbanks, try it. The interior is small and quirky with vintage mis-matched furniture, and probably feels nice and cosy on an Alaskan winter night. Service is friendly and laid back, and – for Alaska – the menu is quite adventurous. We were with a group who had all eaten there before, and they ordered mains to share between two, or one had the soup and the other the main – wait a minute – I’d better explain.

500 Restaurant, 782 Holloway Rd, London N19 3JH

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:23:18 +0000

Address:
782 Holloway Rd, London N19 3JH

Review:

We’ve eaten here twice, and I’m booked to go again tomorrow. The first time was the day before we left for a month in Alaska, and no time to write a review, although I did quickly email all my neighbours that there was a terrific new Italian restaurant in the Holloway Rd. About six of them replied saying the same thing: “thanks – it’s great, but what a shame there were only about five people there when I went.” As soon as we got back to London, we returned, and it was even better, but (spooky this) only five people. We were welcomed with a basket of hot, home made breads, and settled down with the menu. My bresaola, rocket and parmesan salad starter was an extremely generous plate, and fresh as you like, while L’s asparagus risotto was exactly right, with the asparagus flavour right up front. Asparagus is very easy to overcook, and ruin by destroying the flavour, only chefs who know what they’re doing get it right.

Baskerville Hall Hotel, Clyro Court, Hay on Wye, Powys, Wales HR3 5LE

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:14:06 +0000

Address:
Clyro Court, Hay on Wye, Powys, Wales HR3 5LE

Review:

'Dr Mortimer looked strangely at us for an instant, and his voice sank almost to a whisper as he answered:

'Mr Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!'

As you take your seat in the baronial dining room of the Baskerville Hall Hotel it is not hard to see where Conan Doyle got his inspiration for 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' from. The huge windows give a fine view of lowering forest-covered cloud capped hills. The magnificent ceiling is dominated by a huge chandelier. You approach the hotel through an avenue of overhanging trees and the entrance hall is dominated by a huge double staircase. Exactly as Baskerville Hall is described in the book. The coat of arms over the door is a wolf's head.

The Buxhall Crown, Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3DW

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:05:18 +0000

Address:
Buxhall, Near Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 3DW

Review:

A stalwart of local dining, this charming 17th century pub has seen some recent changes, not just with the owners but the menu also. With vast views over the fields of Suffolk, The Buxhall Crown is well known in the local area for hearty pub grub alongside more contemporary British cooking. It boasts of seasonal cooking from local produce, a point which new owner Wayne Felgate was quick to mention on our arrival. "We've bought four lambs this week - I can see them from my window. I haven't the heart to name them. Besides, I've got dibs on one of the racks!" he says. At least the lamb is more local than the beef, which is sourced from Scotland...Still, mustn't grumble...

Sankey’s, 39 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 8AA

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:35:33 +0000

Address:
Sankeys, 39 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 8AA

Review:

Things did not start well for our spur of the moment Saturday lunch (14th June 2008) at Sankey’s in Tunbridge Wells and did not improve much as the meal progressed. The fixed price two or three course menu displayed outside looked reasonable value, “available every day from 12 to 3”. But after checking the waitress said it was only available on weekdays. Never mind, the sunny terrace was inviting and we decided to stay anyway. The waitress brought menus, but apologised that today’s had not yet been printed (the fish had only just been delivered) and explained the alterations to yesterday’s printout. I ordered fish soup followed by crab, salad and chips. It was the fish soup that I had been looking forward to on the fixed price menu. My wife chose the brown shrimps in mace butter followed by plaice.

The Great House, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:37:06 +0000

Address:
Lavenham, Suffolk CO10

Review:

And so one year left until the full expectation of responsibility rests upon me, I found myself in the corner of The Great House in Lavenham, possibly the finest example of an English Medieval town you'll find, complete with the beamed buildings leaning at wonky angles across narrow thoroughfares. On this dark November night, you would expect it to be a sinister place, but the warm glow of the windows was, well, warming.

The Bildeston Crown, High Street, Bildeston, Suffolk IP7

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:23:50 +0000

Address:
High Street, Bildeston, Suffolk IP7

Review:

Now I hope I am forgiven for my fondness for this restaurant/hotel just a stone's throw away from my parents place in Suffolk - this is where I entertained my future in-laws on our first meeting (only to be interrupted during aperitifs by a screaming blonde transvestite) and where I proposed to my fiancée at New Years Eve. It has great memories for me and is fantastic when it comes to the business of feeding one into a blissful gastronomic daze. But there is indeed a downside.
The building is 15th century, with the wonderful timber frames that often bless the villages of Suffolk in-between newer structures, a cheerful yellow colour and 'landed gentry' interior. It has a homely feel but manages to be elegant with it.