congokid's London british restaurant reviews


Bank revisited 1 Kingsway Aldwych 020 7379 9797 Covent Garden	Lunch £40 ($80)	Wandering around the Aldwych area on a Saturday afternoon looking for somewhere to go after a theatre outing in a few weeks, I decided to give Bank another go. The decor is unchanged, though somehow the dining room seemed smaller than I remembered. Booking wasn't necessary - the restaurant was less than a quarter full. I took advantage of the prix fixe menu, which though short seemed to offer excellent value at £13.50, while my companion chose from the a la carte. Fresh rosemary loaf helped take the edge of our hunger, and set me up for my starter of smoked cuicken fusili. Though it didn't contain much meat, the sauce was exquisitely creamy and the pasta neither overdone nor undercooked. We thought that the red onion and goats cheese tart-tatin starter with honey dressing (£8.45) was rather overpriced - a whole small red onion wrapped in a pastry case and topped with cheese. It could also have been vastly improved had the onion been more caramelised. My prix fixe main course was haddock with black pudding, apple, roast baby potatoes and apple salad and beetroot sauce. The fish was well done, which I quite like though purists might object, though at least the plate was warm whereas my companion's main dish of sea bass with squid ink linguini, orange and fennel veloute had burnt parsnips and the plate was cold. To drink we had a bottle of Ashe Park water and a bottle of Kanu chenin blanc 2003 Stellenbosch (£21) which was excellent with the smoked chicken. I finished with pistachio rice pudding and raspberry sauce. In all we found both meals lacking in flavour, so at lunchtime at least I'm not sure I've invested wisely in Bank.
Zinc Farm Lane Fulham 020 7386 2250 Fulham Broadway	Lunch £25 ($37)	A welcome sign of upmarket movement at Fulham Broadway, which had a seedy ambience in the past but now boasts a brand new shopping centre and loft style apartments. Conran has moved in with Zinc, a trendy bar and restaurant with some outdoor seating in the newly branded 'Fulham Island' pedestrian area. We sat at our wooden table in the large square dining room floor paved with pale stone, and admired the coarse wooden lathe ceiling and huge colourful close up photos of street furniture along one wall and the picture windows overlooking Farm Lane. Opposite us, cooks in the open kitchen churned out food for the diners, whose numbers were possibly swelled by the fact that it was match day at Chelsea's home ground just a few hundred yards away. We took advantage of the promotional Evening Standard 2003 fixed price menu, which offered two courses for £15. We began with a complementary glass of Perrier Jouet champagne each and rustic bread dipped in fruity olive oil, and ordered Roquefort with baby spinach and lardons and cabbage wrapped pork terrine with puy lentil stuffing. The Roquefort was grated and sparse over a small heap of fresh leaves and there were three, count 'em, lardons on my plate, but the cheese was strong and tangy and the lardons loaded with flavour, while a drizzle of dressing provided additional flavour. My companion's terrine was coarse and hammy. For main course I had venison sausages, cabbage and polenta. The sausages were very herby with sage, as was the polenta which otherwise didn't have much taste of its own. The smoked haddock that came with my companion's roasted vegetables and saffron mash was flaky and delicious. To drink we had a bottle of Conran-labelled still water from Hildon and a smooth glass of Rioja each. The toilets were clean, fresh and minimal - white tiled with a grey slate floor, large mirrors, stainless steel fittings and discreet pink lighting. Only opened a short while, Zinc has quickly become a popular haunt for Fulhamites - the dining room was full on my first visit on a Saturday at 1.30pm and I had to wait an hour for my table, which I spent at a nearby Caffe Nero. I also overheard the receptionist tell a telephone caller that the restaurant was fully booked that evening. It's good to see Conran expand to this part of town.
Tate Modern 7th floor cafe Bankside SE1 020 7887 8888 London Bridge	Dinner £35 ($50)	You can't book a table in either the second or seventh floor cafes in the Tate Modern. Instead you must queue. But both the view and the food are well worth the wait. On my visit, a Saturday evening, I was told the wait would be about 10 to 15 minutes but on arrival I found one of my dining companions already seated in the huge and almost empty dining room. Our table was near the glass wall that is the room's north facing side, which affords the best views over the Thames, the Millennium Footbridge (alas, unlit and still closed for repairs) and Saint Paul's Cathedral. I imagine the window seats require a longer wait. The decor is spartan and canteen like with black tables ranged in serried ranks, chrome and leather chairs and wooden floors. To start we ordered spiced crab cakes with soy dip (£7.25), carpaccio of beef with capers and Parmesan (£6.85) and Parma ham with warm potato salad (£8.25). All were competently prepared and attractively served. Among the choice of main courses that included pappardelle with wood roasted peppers, char-grilled pork loin chop, deep fried haddock, roasted organic salmon and rib-eye steak, the one that caught our eye was the mustard baked rump of English lamb with merguez sausage and garlic confit potato (£11.95). The lamb, accompanied by deliciously dark gravy, was tender and moist, while the sausage provided a hint of spiciness. Green vegetables and cauliflower completed the meal. Our bottle of Argentinian Malbec (£17) was so good we ordered another. Service was smart and accomplished and from across the river the illuminated dome of St Paul's gleamed at us through the black night. Wonderful. Note that dinner is only available Saturday and Sunday. Web site
Smiths of Smithfield Charterhouse Street EC1 020 7236 6666 Farringdon	Dinner £35 ($50)	A vast operation run by ex-Mezzo meister John Torode over four floors, Smiths of Smithfield has something for everyone - almost. Located next to the famous Smithfield meat market, Smiths is dedicated to the best of British beef and diners can select from a range of rare breed, organic and additive free meat. Smiths even identifies the farm of origin on the menu. Inside, decor everywhere is stressed industrial, with reclaimed timber, sand blasted and exposed brickwork, raw concrete, steel sheets and cast iron featuring heavily. The ground floor bar, with large bench tables and comfy leather sofas, boasts views over Underground railway tracks at the rear and the market at the front, and offers breakfast from 7 in the morning and brunch at weekends. A martini and champagne bar occupies the first floor and on the top floor, with rooftop views over the market and city, is the specialist meat restaurant. On our visit we tried the brasserie on the second floor. Seating about 130, this is a bustling and glamorous place, with solid oak tables and chairs. We booked, although the flyer says no booking. From the menu of clay oven and char-grilled delights we ordered delicious homemade bread that came with oil and balsamic vinegar, then the grilled lucky squid with broccoli. The squid was scored and quite tender, and the broccoli well flavoured with soy. My Thai chicken, which came with its skin and a coconut dressing, was delicious, although the dressing and shredded vegetables could have been more heavily spiced. For main course I had a succulent rib steak, which was served with a mustard sauce and fries, while my companions had belly pork, and pan-fried calves' liver with horseradish and beetroot. I also had some dollops of mashed potato so good it put me in mind of the mash my mother used to make. All starters were £4.75, main courses £10.50 and grills £11.50. We drank a bottle of Navajas Tinto Rioja (£15) and still water. One companion tried the individual trifle and we finished with espressos and digestifs - Janneau Armagnac for me, Grand Marnier and Calvados. The food was high in quality and loaded with taste, and priced very reasonably, while service was snappy and attentive. It can't be long until a visit to the third floor is due. The only downside was the incredibly loud music from the ground floor bar, which boomed up the open stairwell and atrium, and the fact that neither hand drier in the gents was operational. Web site
Charterhouse Charterhouse Street EC1 Barbican	Lunch £12 ($18)	Filling the first, ground and basement floors of a wedge shaped building reminiscent of New York's flatiron, Charterhouse fuses quality ingredients from around the UK with tapas style presentation and club music. Supplies are sourced from small scale, specialist producers dedicated to providing food of the highest quality and much of it organic. The menu consists of series of little plates, divided into cold meats and summer plates, fish and seafood, pots and bakes (all £3.95), potatoes and vegetables (all £2.75) and puddings and cheeses (all £3.50). The diner is invited to graze from what sounds enticing - and it all is. We chose Eric Phipps game pie with apricot chutney, deep fried Devon squid, beer and onion marinated Lincolnshire sausages, Lancashire black pudding on a toasted muffin with apple relish, cheddar and double Gloucester Welsh rarebit with onion jam and double dipped King Edward chips with tomato jam and sea salt. Portions are not too small, tasty and amazing value. On an earlier visit two colleagues each had a pint of prawns for £3.95. The location, in the increasingly fashionable Smithfield meat market area, guarantees a customer base made up of business suits and trendy young things. In the evenings progressive club music is on offer. My only gripe is that a generator hidden beneath the floor near the entrance provides an unwelcome and irritating buzz.
Hodgson's Wine Bar 115 Chancery Lane EC2 020 7242 2836 Chancery Lane	Lunch £25 ($37)	Set in London's legal quarter this restaurant occupies fine premises that were formerly a bookshop. A couple of steps up from the street, Hodgson's offers the choice of the light and airy conservatory restaurant on the first floor, or the clubby wine bar in the basement. My lunch of salmon was rich and filling. Downstairs the bar provides platters of dim sum based treats to go with the extensive range of wines.
Stanleys 6 Little Portland Street W1 020 7462 0099 Oxford Circus	Dinner £16 ($24)	Arriving at this sausages and beer venue on a Saturday mid-evening felt like wandering into a remote part of the city, even though it's only a few yards from Oxford Street in the West End, so quiet was the area. The oddly furnished dining room with its red vinyl covered diner-style booths and banquets felt bare and chilly, and eerily under-populated. As it turned out, the warmth of the restaurant manager's welcome didn't extend to the food we had ordered. The commendably brief menu offers a magnificent seven different kinds of additive and preservative-free sausage dishes as well as calf's liver. Among the starters are the plate of house savouries with cured meats, chutneys and pickles (£5.50), black pudding salad with mixed leaves, bacon, crispy croutons (£4.95), smoked haddock with poached egg and mustard leaves (£5.50) and steamed mussels with a stilton cream (£5.50). My Caribbean style jerk sausages with plantain, chilli peppers & sweet potato mash (£7.95) were spicy and fine, but all the other meals, including lamb sausage, Simple Stanley pork sausage and liver had to be returned for a more thorough heating. Judging by his glares and gesticulations - aimed at us - the chef wasn't best pleased, although I can't imagine why. The food was cold and since we were virtually the first customers of the evening, he wasn't exactly overworked. An apologetic waiter offered free puddings, but almost predictably the ice cream when it arrived had nearly melted. The cool atmosphere thawed slightly with the arrival of several large parties just before we left, feeling hard done by. The quality is there, but the level of service and control from the kitchen has a long way to go. I've heard it may be bought out by another group soon.
The Greenhouse 27a Hay's Mews W1 020 7499 3331 Green Park	Dinner £40 ($60)	OK - I admit the last time I ate here was when the spiky haired TV chef Gary (absolutely delicious!!) Rhodes still ran the kitchen. It was a timely visit as only months later he had moved on to bigger and brighter things and the staff that remained seemed to struggle to keep everything rosy in the garden. The place itself is tucked off a backroad in Mayfair and attracts a local well-dressed (stuffed shirted?) clientele. The decor was impressive and the ambience relaxing, with professional, friendly aproned staff whisking plates between the tables. After a brief wait near the bar we started with kir royale and one of Gary's classics, welsh rarebit with haddock. Altogether a refined and delicious experience. However only a few months later a friend took some business guests and had a harrowing time and food not nearly so good, although this was after the primped one's departure to City Rhodes with catering giant Gardner Merchant. Note - the Greenhouse has recently reopened after an extensive refurbishment (October 2001) with head chef Paul Merrett combining British food with eastern spicing. Web site
Circus 1 Upper James Street Soho 020 7534 4000 Piccadilly Circus	Lunch £40 ($60)	'Soho's new playground for spoilt media brats', read a review in one of London's many freebie weekly magazines. Launched by the same group that runs The Avenue in St James, the ground floor dining room is large, cool and understated with windows often screened from the narrow streets outside. Starters of pumpkin soup with croutons and prosciutto (£4.50), seared salmon with mustard leaves and potato salad (£6.00), grilled sardines with baked aubergine and salsa verde (£5.50) were all delicious. Main courses included fillet of John Dory with spring onion puree and ceps (£14.50), fillet of beef with roast parsnips in green peppercorn sauce (£15.50), and wild mushroom ravioli with rosemary cream (£12.50), served with mashed potato (£1.75) and bubble and squeak (£2.00). To finish we tried the chocolate and hazelnut truffle (£6.00), lemon tart (£4.50) and the amaretto cheesecake with coffee sauce (£6.50). Everything clearly prepared with care and high quality ingredients and served beautifully.
Chop House Butler's Wharf 020 7403 3414 Bermondsey	Dinner £60 ($90)	One of a row of Conran restaurants overlooking the Thames near Tower Bridge. Window tables offer a spectacular spotlit view of the bridge in the evenings. But at our table near the waiting station we might as well have sat in a corridor, so often were we buffeted by the breeze from passing staff, who were constantly on the move. In spite of this, we found the service professional, friendly and relatively relaxed. The food, although tasty and well cooked and presented, failed to excite, which was a disappointment considering the venue's reputation. We tried the sausage tart, clam cassoulet and Loch Fyne salmon to start, and pork rack, lamb shank and calve's liver for main. Vegetables included bubble and sqeak, carrots and new potatoes. One of my companions finished with a sticky toffee pudding and the meal was rounded off with some digestivs including a couple of glasses of 10-year-old Malmsey and a Ragnaud VSOP. It was rather a boozy meal, and a not insignificant bill was bumped up even further thanks to a Kir Royal apéritif, a bottle of Crozes Hermitage, a half bottle of 1994 Chablis (£19/$29) to complement my main course of scallops, as well as a glass of Alex Bonnet champagne to wash down my apple crumble.
Potting Shed Dorset Square 020 7723 7874 Marylebone	Lunch £30 ($45)	Genteel basement restaurant attached to the Dorset Square Hotel near Baker Street Underground station. Frequented by local business types. I lived virtually across the square from here for almost two years, but only recently found an excuse to venture in. The atmosphere is quiet and service is attentive although not very polished and the food simply presented and adequate, but overpriced. Expect the likes of leek and potato soup with crispy shallots and bacon, tartlet of goat's cheese, roast breast of pheasant with caramelised shallots, chestnuts, wild mushrooms and balsamic jus and roast saddle of lamb.
Bank 1 Kingsway Aldwych 020 7379 9797 Covent Garden	Lunch £40 ($60)	Impressive theatreland venue with a ceiling hung with hundreds of glass panels as conversation piece, a sense of arriving in style and luxurious overstuffed soft red leather furniture, but lamb so tough I could barely get my teeth through it. A colleague from work had some very slushy langoustine claws. Very disappointing in view of the hype, not to mention the price. We should have complained, but didn't as we were entertaining a client and didn't want to further dampen the atmosphere. She enjoyed her meal at any rate. To my surprise, this was a runner up in the 1998 Time Out restaurant awards, large restaurant category, so presumably bad food isn't the rule here.
The Fire Station 150 Waterloo Road SE1 020 7620 2226 Waterloo	Lunch £8 ($12)	Much lauded venue located in a converted fire station, right beside Waterloo station, this was disappointing. We wanted a light, early Sunday lunch and, on paper, Caesar salads seemed just the thing. But the reality was a let down, with a meagre selection of stemmy leaves in a tasteless dressing. Hit and miss service combined with odd acoustics and generally scruffy and basic décor to lower our spirits even further.
Maggie Jones's Restaurant 6 Old Court Place W8 020 7937 6462 High Street Kensington	Dinner £25 ($40)	Country cottage décor in this restaurant on three floors brings you back to the '70s with its predominance of pine. Dishes include baked mackerel and wild boar sausages.
Prices are per head for two-three courses, sharing a bottle of wine or a beer or two where appropriate
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