The Sitch
One of my best friends has moved to London and weirdly has ended up living about ten minutes away. Considering she was first thinking of South London and I live in North-West, this was a very nice surprise! She's just started a new job - welcome to the real world, Hannah! - and to celebrate her first full day, we decided to go and do din dins.
Pizza Express has this mystical - as in I can never normally find it - 2 pizzas for £10 deal and I decided to use our vouchers and go to the Pizza Express on Abbey Road. We - once again stupidly - walked from Kilburn park but for all those who are clever and can remember to use a bus, the 189 and 139 passes right by the restaurant.
Of course, I should add that it's really not a bad place to walk to. Abbey Road is beautiful and I have to admit that when I'm on the bus going into town on a weekend - thanks so much Jubilee line - I like to have a sneaky peek into the gardens of the houses I will probably only long to own.
The Place
The restaurant on Abbey Road isn't like your usual Pizza Express; there's a huge black conservatory on the side of the building and it's a period building from the outside. From the inside it's decorated quite funkily but the acoustics are terrible; one table told another to shut up because the laughing and talking carried really badly.
The waiters know their menu well; they were more than happy to explain some bits of the menu to my friend when she asked about a type of pasta and when I asked them to recommend a wine. They helped to create a friendly, buzzy atmosphere which was great for a cold, dark and windy Monday night.
The Food
Starter:
- Formaggio Bread - Baked dough topped with creamy fontal cheese, tangy caramelised onions and a sprinkle of fresh parsley
Main Course:
- Pollo ad Astra - Torn chicken breast and peppadew sweet peppers, mixed with cajun spices, garlic oil and red onions
- Diavolo - Devilishly hot with spicy beef, pepperoni, onions and Tabasco, with hot green or jalapeno peppers
Dessert:
Lemon Gelato - This creamy gelato will really get your taste buds racing. Served with a dark chocolate straw
The starter portions were embarrassingly small. We had a Formaggio bread between two of us and received a small slate platter with a piece of bread no larger than an A6 postcard. Considering it cost £3.50, I was expecting something a little bigger to be honest.
The pizzas were tasty and well-flavoured but slightly overcooked as I pointed out to the waitress who apologised. If I hadn't been so hungry - thanks to the small starters - I would have sent it back and ordered a new one. I really don't enjoy a blackened pizza but the flavours, ingredients and freshness more than made up for it.
My lemon gelato was lovely and there was plenty of this; a great way to digest and breakdown all of the carbohydrates I had just consumed! The wine wasn't bad either which was a huge plus considering I'd cheaped out and gone for the cheapest on the menu.
The Decision
I was more than happy with the size of the bill after the 2 pizzas for £10 offer and I'd go back; I think with Pizza Express, the food is of a middling-good standard and you kind of have to pick and choose the ones you go to.
I'd definitely go back to the Abbey Road Pizza Express as I assume the black-topped pizzas were an anomaly and not a regular thing. The clientele were mixed; families, young professionals and older couples and it helped to create a great atmosphere in which I could chill out, relax and catch up with a friend.
The Vitals
Pizza Express - Abbey Road,
39, Abbey Road, NW8 0AA
Tel: 020 7624 5577
Website: http://www.pizzaexpress.com/
Nearest tube: St John's Wood
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Gilgamesh, Camden, London
The Sitch
A friend and I (god this is a recurring theme) decided to go for dinner. Although we work for the same company, we're in different projects and catching up can be a lesson in endurance. Therefore we finally agreed upon a day and as she's a complete foodie - hurrah - she sent me lots of lovely restaurants to look at.
We decided on Gilgamesh for several reasons: our first choice was full for that night, it had good word of mouth reviews and they had a taste menu on toptable.com (getting sick of that yet?) for £20 each. We thought this was too good to be true and booked it then and there, both of us getting quite excited about the night ahead.
The Place
The building is incredibly funky, there's no denying its charms. Its entrance is dominated by a huge sign and an escalator takes you up to the restaurant level. The main restaurant is huge and open-plan with Thai wooden engravings and amazing tables and chairs that are very solid and Thai-looking in appearance. The restaurant is on a few different levels which is a nice touch and the bar and kitchen faces the tables. There's also a sort-of lounge behind the bar and a private room fenced off on the way to the toilets.
The staff were rude which, unfortunately, I feel I must point out. The man on the front desk didn't even deign to speak to us on arrival or departure, merely pointing us in the direction of his colleagues who were also very dismissive. It almost felt as if we weren't as good as those who were paying full price which seemed rather ridiculous to me.
The Food
Taster menu:
Starter
- Duck spring roll with hoisin sauce
- Salmon sashimi salad
- Steamed prawn & chive dumplings
Main
- Thai Green crispy fish curry, Thai basil & lime leaf
- Grilled beef Japanese chive mash, sweet soy glaze
- Jasmine rice
- Stir-fried Asian greens
Dessert
- Chocolate & lemongrass brulee
The food was lovely in flavour (can't comment on the dumplings; I'm allergic to shellfish) and very well presented. The sauce on the sashimi salad was a tad fishy for me but Michaela lapped it up.
My biggest problem with Gilgamesh is the portion-size. We're two girls with a decent appetite and we were both mostly hungry when we had finished our meal. There wasn't nearly enough and I didn't feel happy parting with my money afterwards. I refused to pay the service charge because I felt as if a. the staff had been dismissive and b. I hadn't had a good dining experience. I didn't want to go back.
The Decision
I wouldn't go to Gilgamesh again unless I could afford to have a non-set menu. I feel it's overpriced, overhyped and worse, it believes in its own hype. The staff are very cold, not very welcoming and almost intimidating. Asking them for anything felt as if I was inconveniencing them which shouldn't be the case.
If the chef ever reads this - which I doubt - double your portion sizes for the set menu and you'll double your clientele. People like to feel as if they've gotten good value for money and in this case? I most definitely didn't.
In short: don't go to Gilgamesh if you're hungry!
The Vitals
Gilgamesh Restaurant Bar & Lounge
The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH
Tel: 0207 428 4922
Website: http://www.gilgameshbar.com/index.htm
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=2947
Nearest tube:
Camden Town, Chalk Farm
A friend and I (god this is a recurring theme) decided to go for dinner. Although we work for the same company, we're in different projects and catching up can be a lesson in endurance. Therefore we finally agreed upon a day and as she's a complete foodie - hurrah - she sent me lots of lovely restaurants to look at.
We decided on Gilgamesh for several reasons: our first choice was full for that night, it had good word of mouth reviews and they had a taste menu on toptable.com (getting sick of that yet?) for £20 each. We thought this was too good to be true and booked it then and there, both of us getting quite excited about the night ahead.
The Place
The building is incredibly funky, there's no denying its charms. Its entrance is dominated by a huge sign and an escalator takes you up to the restaurant level. The main restaurant is huge and open-plan with Thai wooden engravings and amazing tables and chairs that are very solid and Thai-looking in appearance. The restaurant is on a few different levels which is a nice touch and the bar and kitchen faces the tables. There's also a sort-of lounge behind the bar and a private room fenced off on the way to the toilets.
The staff were rude which, unfortunately, I feel I must point out. The man on the front desk didn't even deign to speak to us on arrival or departure, merely pointing us in the direction of his colleagues who were also very dismissive. It almost felt as if we weren't as good as those who were paying full price which seemed rather ridiculous to me.
The Food
Taster menu:
Starter
- Duck spring roll with hoisin sauce
- Salmon sashimi salad
- Steamed prawn & chive dumplings
Main
- Thai Green crispy fish curry, Thai basil & lime leaf
- Grilled beef Japanese chive mash, sweet soy glaze
- Jasmine rice
- Stir-fried Asian greens
Dessert
- Chocolate & lemongrass brulee
The food was lovely in flavour (can't comment on the dumplings; I'm allergic to shellfish) and very well presented. The sauce on the sashimi salad was a tad fishy for me but Michaela lapped it up.
My biggest problem with Gilgamesh is the portion-size. We're two girls with a decent appetite and we were both mostly hungry when we had finished our meal. There wasn't nearly enough and I didn't feel happy parting with my money afterwards. I refused to pay the service charge because I felt as if a. the staff had been dismissive and b. I hadn't had a good dining experience. I didn't want to go back.
The Decision
I wouldn't go to Gilgamesh again unless I could afford to have a non-set menu. I feel it's overpriced, overhyped and worse, it believes in its own hype. The staff are very cold, not very welcoming and almost intimidating. Asking them for anything felt as if I was inconveniencing them which shouldn't be the case.
If the chef ever reads this - which I doubt - double your portion sizes for the set menu and you'll double your clientele. People like to feel as if they've gotten good value for money and in this case? I most definitely didn't.
In short: don't go to Gilgamesh if you're hungry!
The Vitals
Gilgamesh Restaurant Bar & Lounge
The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH
Tel: 0207 428 4922
Website: http://www.gilgameshbar.com/index.htm
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=2947
Nearest tube:
Camden Town, Chalk Farm
Carluccio's, Covent Garden, London
The Sitch
A group of people were going for dinner to discuss a new project and I was invited to a free meal. By now you've probably figured out that just the word 'meal' gets me to a restaurant; making it free only gives me more of an incentive to go!
I didn't pick the place but Carluccio's at Covent Garden seemed central for everybody and Covent Garden is a nice area of London to wander around. It's not somewhere you mind getting lost in per se.
So Nikita (told you you'd be mentioned!) and I, armed with the trusty iPhone, headed to Garrick Street to meet the rest of the group and this is kind of how it went.
The Place
Quite small and noisy were my first impressions. The staff seemed very nice - our waiter was attentive and sensitive to the fact that we were waiting for 9 people to arrive from different places - and eager to please. He brought us over wine, topped up our glasses without us having to ask and brought us jugs of water, starters and olives. Yummy!
The restaurant is of a middling size, no real privacy unless you have a booth however. We were on a table near the bar and there didn't seem much room for the staff to squeeze past us which was quite off-putting.
The Food
Food choices (that I remember):
- Chargrilled garlic bread
- Chargrilled garlic bread topped with provolone cheese
- 10oz Bone in rib steak, chargrilled and served with rosemary potatoes and pepolata
- Fillet of sea bass pan-fried with a tomato salsa and sautéed potatoes
- Pumpkin risotto
It was of a middling standard to be honest. Despite ordering my steak medium, it was very well cooked and very thin considering it was 10oz. I was expecting more of a juicy steak than the thin frying steak I got on my plate but then this isn't a meat restaurant; I perhaps picked wrong. Those in my group who ordered pasta seemed to get very good portions of lovely food.
We also had some starters which were very nice and easy to share: great when you have a group of nine people who need to talk and eat at the same time.
The Decision
It's not somewhere I'd hurry to go to again but this is mainly because I'm a little wary of Italian chains or chains in general. Whilst I can generally predict the standard of Zizzi or Pizza Express, Carluccio's is not somewhere I've been before and I'd have to go to a few others before I could really make an informed decision.
However with the wealth of restaurants in London, I doubt I'll be making a return visit any time soon.
The Vitals
Carluccio's Covent Garden,
Garrick Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9BH
Tel: 020 7836 0990
Website: http://www.carluccios.com/
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
A group of people were going for dinner to discuss a new project and I was invited to a free meal. By now you've probably figured out that just the word 'meal' gets me to a restaurant; making it free only gives me more of an incentive to go!
I didn't pick the place but Carluccio's at Covent Garden seemed central for everybody and Covent Garden is a nice area of London to wander around. It's not somewhere you mind getting lost in per se.
So Nikita (told you you'd be mentioned!) and I, armed with the trusty iPhone, headed to Garrick Street to meet the rest of the group and this is kind of how it went.
The Place
Quite small and noisy were my first impressions. The staff seemed very nice - our waiter was attentive and sensitive to the fact that we were waiting for 9 people to arrive from different places - and eager to please. He brought us over wine, topped up our glasses without us having to ask and brought us jugs of water, starters and olives. Yummy!
The restaurant is of a middling size, no real privacy unless you have a booth however. We were on a table near the bar and there didn't seem much room for the staff to squeeze past us which was quite off-putting.
The Food
Food choices (that I remember):- Chargrilled garlic bread
- Chargrilled garlic bread topped with provolone cheese
- 10oz Bone in rib steak, chargrilled and served with rosemary potatoes and pepolata
- Fillet of sea bass pan-fried with a tomato salsa and sautéed potatoes
- Pumpkin risotto
It was of a middling standard to be honest. Despite ordering my steak medium, it was very well cooked and very thin considering it was 10oz. I was expecting more of a juicy steak than the thin frying steak I got on my plate but then this isn't a meat restaurant; I perhaps picked wrong. Those in my group who ordered pasta seemed to get very good portions of lovely food.
We also had some starters which were very nice and easy to share: great when you have a group of nine people who need to talk and eat at the same time.
The Decision
It's not somewhere I'd hurry to go to again but this is mainly because I'm a little wary of Italian chains or chains in general. Whilst I can generally predict the standard of Zizzi or Pizza Express, Carluccio's is not somewhere I've been before and I'd have to go to a few others before I could really make an informed decision.
However with the wealth of restaurants in London, I doubt I'll be making a return visit any time soon.
The Vitals
Carluccio's Covent Garden,
Garrick Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9BH
Tel: 020 7836 0990
Website: http://www.carluccios.com/
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Kings Road Steakhouse and Grill, Chelsea, London
The Sitch
What can I say? Another day, another excuse to go out. This time two girls who work on the same project (Laura & Olivia) came down from Leeds and so the four of us - it would have been five but Phil refused to join us because of the football - Men! - decided to meander down to the Kings Road Steakhouse and Grill, courtesy of 50% off from toptable.com
A word to the wise however: The restaurant when I rang said that the offer only counted until 7.30 at night whereas toptable states 7 - 10pm. Make sure you check because you could be in for a nasty shock when your bill comes. The time refers to the time of ordering, not when you get the bill so as long as your food is in for then then you're set!
One of the reasons I went to this restaurant was the word-of-mouth from my boss and when I saw the offer I jumped at it. The restaurant used to be known as Jimmy's and became one of Marco Pierre White's Restaurant (I think) reasonably recently.
The Place
Firstly? Get a taxi and do not walk from Fulham Broadway as we did because it really is about a twenty minute walk which, whilst great for setting up my appetite, isn't great for my feet in heels! This restaurant is on Kings Road in Chelsea which packs a punch to start with.
The restaurant is smaller than expected but cosy, with a nice decor and good lighting. There's a mezzanine level and a sub-level with one large table which I assume is for groups. The waiters were really kind as two of our party didn't get there till quite a while after the booking and were happy to bring us bread and wine (the most important part of a meal) whilst they arrived.
The Food
As with most toptable.com offers, we had to have two courses. I was the sole orderer of a starter, the other three girls opted for desserts and our experiences were all fabulous. One of our party was a vegetarian and there wasn't a lot of choice (i.e. only one) for her.
- Smoked Salmon with lemon blinis and horseradish cream
- 8oz Fillet steak with a small side salad
- Triple Cooked Chips
- Chargrilled Chicken - half a chicken & caesar salad
- Steamed Fillet of Halibut with marsh samphire, lemongrass, chilli, ginger
- Stuffed Artichoke Globe with provençale ratatouille and parmesan
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Strawberries & Cream
It was all very good and I really couldn't fault the meal: the quality of the ingredients and the freshness of the food was undeniable. Our food portions were of a very decent size and I struggled to finish my main which is always a good thing in my book! We also didn't have to wait too long between courses and yet we didn't feel harried to finish and get out, despite the 1h30 minute turnaround on tables.
The Decision
Brownie points for it a. being a Marco Pierre White restaurant and b. maintaining a very high standard of food despite having a very busy restaurant with plenty of people coming in and out of the door. It's one I'd go back to but only with people who are easily impressed by names. It is a bit of a trek and not really in my usual hunting ground restaurant-wise. From work it took almost an hour to get there with that 20 minute walk!
The Vitals
Kings Road Steakhouse & Grill (formally Jimmy's)
386, Kings Road, SW3 5UZ
Tel: 020 7351 9997
Website: http://www.kingsroadsteakhouseandgrill.com/
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=8048
Nearest tube station: Fulham Broadway / Earls Court
What can I say? Another day, another excuse to go out. This time two girls who work on the same project (Laura & Olivia) came down from Leeds and so the four of us - it would have been five but Phil refused to join us because of the football - Men! - decided to meander down to the Kings Road Steakhouse and Grill, courtesy of 50% off from toptable.com
A word to the wise however: The restaurant when I rang said that the offer only counted until 7.30 at night whereas toptable states 7 - 10pm. Make sure you check because you could be in for a nasty shock when your bill comes. The time refers to the time of ordering, not when you get the bill so as long as your food is in for then then you're set!
One of the reasons I went to this restaurant was the word-of-mouth from my boss and when I saw the offer I jumped at it. The restaurant used to be known as Jimmy's and became one of Marco Pierre White's Restaurant (I think) reasonably recently.
The Place
Firstly? Get a taxi and do not walk from Fulham Broadway as we did because it really is about a twenty minute walk which, whilst great for setting up my appetite, isn't great for my feet in heels! This restaurant is on Kings Road in Chelsea which packs a punch to start with.
The restaurant is smaller than expected but cosy, with a nice decor and good lighting. There's a mezzanine level and a sub-level with one large table which I assume is for groups. The waiters were really kind as two of our party didn't get there till quite a while after the booking and were happy to bring us bread and wine (the most important part of a meal) whilst they arrived.
The Food
As with most toptable.com offers, we had to have two courses. I was the sole orderer of a starter, the other three girls opted for desserts and our experiences were all fabulous. One of our party was a vegetarian and there wasn't a lot of choice (i.e. only one) for her.
- Smoked Salmon with lemon blinis and horseradish cream
- 8oz Fillet steak with a small side salad
- Triple Cooked Chips
- Chargrilled Chicken - half a chicken & caesar salad
- Steamed Fillet of Halibut with marsh samphire, lemongrass, chilli, ginger
- Stuffed Artichoke Globe with provençale ratatouille and parmesan
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Strawberries & Cream
It was all very good and I really couldn't fault the meal: the quality of the ingredients and the freshness of the food was undeniable. Our food portions were of a very decent size and I struggled to finish my main which is always a good thing in my book! We also didn't have to wait too long between courses and yet we didn't feel harried to finish and get out, despite the 1h30 minute turnaround on tables.
The Decision
Brownie points for it a. being a Marco Pierre White restaurant and b. maintaining a very high standard of food despite having a very busy restaurant with plenty of people coming in and out of the door. It's one I'd go back to but only with people who are easily impressed by names. It is a bit of a trek and not really in my usual hunting ground restaurant-wise. From work it took almost an hour to get there with that 20 minute walk!
The Vitals
Kings Road Steakhouse & Grill (formally Jimmy's)
386, Kings Road, SW3 5UZ
Tel: 020 7351 9997
Website: http://www.kingsroadsteakhouseandgrill.com/
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=8048
Nearest tube station: Fulham Broadway / Earls Court
The Diner, Shoreditch, London
The Sitch
You'll get to hear a lot about Kirsty: she's my sidekick in pretty much everything. We work together, party together and eat together which is why we ended up going to The Diner in Shoreditch where her housemate Cyd (best waitress ever!) works.
It's a bit of a star-spotting venue: Keira Knightley and We are Scientists were in the day before us and Dirty Pretty Things and Mark Ronson have been in since our visit. It's a friendly, busy diner just off of Old Street and serves amazingly cheap food.
The Place
It's quite small and TGI Friday-ish in menu but without the kitsch decoration. Think chic and slick with a view into the kitchen as the team prepare everything with a minimum of fuss and a maximum attention to detail. The menu consists of all-American favourites and all are tasty and delicious.
The Food
We decided that instead of having a main course each - we weren't that hungry - we'd have a mixture of side dishes. They didn't mind us doing this and so we ordered the following:
- Onion rings
- Potato Skins with Cheese and Bacon
- Diner Fries (cajun seasoning)
- Macaroni Cheese Side
The food was out very quickly and it was absolutely scrumptious. I especially liked the Potato Skins although Kirsty preferred the Macaroni Cheese. The food was very cheap (£26 for all of our food and a bottle of wine) and the atmosphere and attitudes of the staff were really upbeat and positive.
The Decision
The Diner is a chain of sorts: there's five of them around London and I believe that they're all of a similar standard. I'd definitely go if American 50's dining is what you're looking for but prepare for a queue; there's a bit of a wait at the Shoreditch branch of this fabulous dining experience!
The Vitals
The Diner in Shoreditch
128 - 130 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC21 3AQ
Tel: 020 7729 4452
Website: http://www.goodlifediner.com/
Nearest tube: Old Street
Mango Tree, Belgravia, London
The Sitch
Last night me and a friend decided that enough was enough and we would meet and go out for dinner. This shouldn't have been as hard as it was but our schedules are both pretty messy and we tend to go for a couple of weeks at a time without seeing each other. Of course then the obvious question was 'where shall we eat?'
I'm a big fan of toptable.com and I've been wanting to try out the majority of their restaurant offers for quite some time. To those who are new to toptable, a bit of history about how their reward scheme works.
It's really very simple: you book a restaurant with their special offers (50% off, 2 courses for £15 etc) through their website by choosing the time, date and number of people. You then add on the offer, put in a name and contact number and it reserves the table for you. After you've dined at the restaurant, you get points for reviewing it - 200 per restaurant. After you've accrued 1,400 points you can eat for free in certain restaurants and as it's a free service to begin with, this is a very good deal!
Anyway, back to the review. We decided last night to go to Mango Tree, a restaurant in Belgravia, as there was a 50% off food offer on toptable.com. I know it's a bit of a celebrity haunt (as shown by the OK! magazine pictures on the way to the loo) and we thought it would be fun so we met up at Victoria and wandered our way over.
The Place
We weren't disappointed. The decor is chic and the room is large and open-plan, making dinner conversation a bit noisy but the atmosphere was buzzy and great. There was an abundance of waiters (always a plus) and the food that was coming past smelled delicious.
The Food
We decided to play it relatively safe and order well-known favourites of ours:
- Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai (Green curry with corn fed chicken)
- Nuer Pad Nam Man Hoi (Stir Fried Sirloin Beef with ginger, garlic and spicy soy sauce)
- Pad Thai Jay (Stir fried Thai rice noodles in house spicy sauce served with Chinese chives, peanuts and bean sprouts)
- Sticky Rice
- Sorbet (Coconut Lime / Lavender Rose / Exotic Fruit)
- Ice-cream (Vanilla Pandan, Chocolate Lemongrass, Very Berry)
(All descriptions taken from the menu)
The food was wonderful. The portions were large and definitely enough for two. It was tasty, spicy and hot: everything I look for in a Thai meal in short. They were more than willing to give us jugs of tap water (not such a guaranteed thing in some London restaurants where getting tap water feels like drawing blood from a stone) and to accommodate our every need.
The Decision
I'd, without a doubt, recommend going back and I'm planning on dragging another friend there asap! The only downside for me was that the 50% off deal only applied to food and therefore the cheapest bottle of wine at around £40 seemed very expensive. However the cocktails were at a much more reasonable price at around £7-8 and were yummy to boot!
Definitely head there soon and experience a bargain meal at one of London's best Thai restaurants!
The vitals:
Mango Tree
46 Grosvenor Place, London, SW1X 7EQ
Tel: 020 7823 1888
Website: http://www.mangotree.org.uk/index.php
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=1313
Nearest tube station: Victoria (3 mins walk)
Last night me and a friend decided that enough was enough and we would meet and go out for dinner. This shouldn't have been as hard as it was but our schedules are both pretty messy and we tend to go for a couple of weeks at a time without seeing each other. Of course then the obvious question was 'where shall we eat?'
I'm a big fan of toptable.com and I've been wanting to try out the majority of their restaurant offers for quite some time. To those who are new to toptable, a bit of history about how their reward scheme works.
It's really very simple: you book a restaurant with their special offers (50% off, 2 courses for £15 etc) through their website by choosing the time, date and number of people. You then add on the offer, put in a name and contact number and it reserves the table for you. After you've dined at the restaurant, you get points for reviewing it - 200 per restaurant. After you've accrued 1,400 points you can eat for free in certain restaurants and as it's a free service to begin with, this is a very good deal!
Anyway, back to the review. We decided last night to go to Mango Tree, a restaurant in Belgravia, as there was a 50% off food offer on toptable.com. I know it's a bit of a celebrity haunt (as shown by the OK! magazine pictures on the way to the loo) and we thought it would be fun so we met up at Victoria and wandered our way over.
The Place
We weren't disappointed. The decor is chic and the room is large and open-plan, making dinner conversation a bit noisy but the atmosphere was buzzy and great. There was an abundance of waiters (always a plus) and the food that was coming past smelled delicious.
The Food
We decided to play it relatively safe and order well-known favourites of ours:
- Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai (Green curry with corn fed chicken)
- Nuer Pad Nam Man Hoi (Stir Fried Sirloin Beef with ginger, garlic and spicy soy sauce)
- Pad Thai Jay (Stir fried Thai rice noodles in house spicy sauce served with Chinese chives, peanuts and bean sprouts)
- Sticky Rice
- Sorbet (Coconut Lime / Lavender Rose / Exotic Fruit)
- Ice-cream (Vanilla Pandan, Chocolate Lemongrass, Very Berry)
(All descriptions taken from the menu)
The food was wonderful. The portions were large and definitely enough for two. It was tasty, spicy and hot: everything I look for in a Thai meal in short. They were more than willing to give us jugs of tap water (not such a guaranteed thing in some London restaurants where getting tap water feels like drawing blood from a stone) and to accommodate our every need.
The Decision
I'd, without a doubt, recommend going back and I'm planning on dragging another friend there asap! The only downside for me was that the 50% off deal only applied to food and therefore the cheapest bottle of wine at around £40 seemed very expensive. However the cocktails were at a much more reasonable price at around £7-8 and were yummy to boot!
Definitely head there soon and experience a bargain meal at one of London's best Thai restaurants!
The vitals:
Mango Tree
46 Grosvenor Place, London, SW1X 7EQ
Tel: 020 7823 1888
Website: http://www.mangotree.org.uk/index.php
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=1313
Nearest tube station: Victoria (3 mins walk)
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