Latest Entries
The Cornwall Project at The Newman Arms review – Orwell’s pub is worth watching
★★★★☆ / Gastropub

The Cornwall Project at The Newman Arms review – Orwell’s pub is worth watching

Not a Cornish pasty in sight A lot of gastropubs are restaurants in all but name, but The Newman Arms in Fitzrovia stands apart from that annoying trend. It’s actually a boozer with a tiny downstairs drinking den that gets so packed out (especially on Thursdays and Fridays), that the crowds spill out onto the street … Continue reading

Paradise Garage review – the best value tasting menu in London
★★★★☆ / British / Eclectic / Modern European / Modernist

Paradise Garage review – the best value tasting menu in London

This railway arch restaurant will set your heart racing Update 12/02/18 – this restaurant has now closed Unless you walk around London, it’s hard to appreciate just how close many of the city’s neighbourhoods are to each other. Bethnal Green has the City and Shoreditch directly on its western border, while Mile End and Stratford sit … Continue reading

Red’s True Barbecue review – the North brings US BBQ to Shoreditch
American / ★★★★☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Burgers

Red’s True Barbecue review – the North brings US BBQ to Shoreditch

Red Alert! Update 10/5/18 – this restaurant has closed Thanks to restaurants, I now detest the word ‘concept’. In restaurant management and public relations speak, ‘concept’ generally refers to the restaurant’s overall feel from cuisine and service style to atmosphere. Unfortunately, the word has now, in many cases, devolved to simply mean ‘gimmick’. Far too many … Continue reading

Pidgin review – tiny Dalston restaurant with an equally compact set menu
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Modern European / Modernist

Pidgin review – tiny Dalston restaurant with an equally compact set menu

Don’t just look at the star rating and move on, read the words If anything symbolises the obstacles London’s insane property market throws in the way of budding restauranteurs, then it’s the location of Pidgin. Located in a mostly residential area on a side street with a handful of other shops, passing trade is probably … Continue reading

Oldroyd review – Polpo-lite comes to Islington
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Italian

Oldroyd review – Polpo-lite comes to Islington

Finally, a good restaurant in Islington Oldroyd might sound like a wizened, unwanted hanger-on in an unmentionable anatomical structure, but it’s actually a new restaurant in Islington from one of the brains behind Polpo. Although independent from that burgeoning empire, Oldroyd’s menu immediately feels Polpo-esque – small plates, as well as a few larger dishes, with … Continue reading

The Perfectionists’ Cafe review – Heston does Heathrow breakfast
★★★☆☆ / Breakfast

The Perfectionists’ Cafe review – Heston does Heathrow breakfast

Heathrow Terminal 2 comfort food This review was originally published on 13/7/2015 and has since been updated, most recently on 06/6/2016 There are many annoying things about flying from Heathrow. Its distance from just about anywhere else in the city. The absence of electrical sockets. The unbearable delays in take-off and landing. And then there’s the … Continue reading

Muga review – Panton Street tonkotsu ramen worth sweating over
★★★★☆ / Japanese / Japanese Noodles

Muga review – Panton Street tonkotsu ramen worth sweating over

Showing Ippudo and Shoryu how it’s done I’ve always considered ramen to be a cold-weather dish, as it’s so hearty and warming, so it was therefore a surprise to discover ramen restaurant Muga opening during the height of balmy June. This minimalist restaurant is spread over two floors in an unassuming premises on Panton Street and was … Continue reading

Taberna do Mercado review – food so good the City doesn’t deserve it
★★★★★ / Portuguese

Taberna do Mercado review – food so good the City doesn’t deserve it

Sophisticated Portuguese food satiates the cravings you never knew you had If Spanish and Portuguese cuisine were human siblings, then Spanish food would undoubtedly be the attention-grabbing overachiever. From paella, jamon iberico de bellota and Cantabrian anchovies to the heady heights of modernist Basque and Catalan cooking, Spain has it all. Portugal, on the other hand, rarely … Continue reading

The Duck and Rice review – Alan Yau’s sleek Chinese gastropub in Soho
★★★☆☆ / Chinese / Chinese Dumplings / Chinese Noodles

The Duck and Rice review – Alan Yau’s sleek Chinese gastropub in Soho

Shiny gastropub shows everything that’s wrong with the new Soho Soho is changing. The redevelopment of what was once one of London’s most bohemian (and most seedy) areas is showing no signs of slowing down. This restaurant reviews website isn’t the best place to talk about the myriad issues surrounding urban regeneration, but it’s difficult … Continue reading

Berber and Q review – Middle Eastern barbecue in Haggerston
★★★★☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Eclectic / Jewish / Lebanese/Jordanian/Levantine

Berber and Q review – Middle Eastern barbecue in Haggerston

The incredibly satisfying BBQ you never knew you needed If you’re a superficial knee-jerk reactionary, then you’ll hate Berber and Q before you even step through the front door. It’s located in Haggerston, near the epicentre of horn-rimmed plaid-shirtedness that is Shoreditch. Heck, its next door neighbour is a board games cafe. Everything is ‘reclaimed’ from the premises, a … Continue reading