Som Saa review – eye-opening pop-up Thai settles down in Spitalfields
★★★★★ / Thai and Lao

Som Saa review – eye-opening pop-up Thai settles down in Spitalfields

Some say it’s the best Thai in London. All we know is that we call it bloody brilliant. It’s very easy to become jaded and disillusioned when covering London’s restaurants. From the devised-by-committee initiatives to the cynical tourist trap theme parks, from overwrought concepts and dull chains to the atrocious bandwagon jumpers, there’s no shortage of mediocre and down … Continue reading

Hoppers review – the Sri Lankan verdict on Soho’s new Sri Lankan restaurant
★★★★☆ / Sri Lankan

Hoppers review – the Sri Lankan verdict on Soho’s new Sri Lankan restaurant

To queue or not to queue If you hear a deep, guttural howl of despair echoing across London, then fear not. It’s probably just me triaging my email inbox. If they gave out monetary prizes for inbox restaurant buzzword bingo, then I’d be swanning about the Maldives in a hover chariot made of moonrock. ‘Seasonal British … Continue reading

Nanban Brixton review – Japanese food with a West Indian edge
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Japanese / Japanese Noodles

Nanban Brixton review – Japanese food with a West Indian edge

Masterminded by a MasterChef Disclosure: upon asking for the bill, my fourth meal here was given free of charge by the management in light of my repeated custom. This was not asked for and was accepted out of politeness.  There’s no shortage of casual Japanese restaurants in London, but Nanban is different. Although headed up by … 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

A guide to Harringay Market – street food review
★★★★★ / ★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / ★★☆☆☆ / Street food/food court

A guide to Harringay Market – street food review

Pasta, pizza, katsu curry, jerk chicken and more North London’s Green Lanes is best known for its Turkish restaurants and grocers, but there’s another culinary reason to visit the Harringay area. Harringay Market runs every Sunday afternoon from 11.00 to 15.00 with very occasional extended seasonal opening times. Alongside a butcher, baker, fishmonger, patisserie, vegetable … Continue reading

Rosa’s Thai Cafe review – Carnaby Street Thai surprise
★★★★☆ / Thai and Lao

Rosa’s Thai Cafe review – Carnaby Street Thai surprise

Thai mini-chain sprouts again in Soho Restaurants, especially those serving foreign cuisines, have a funny relationship with names. They will often have a cliched name related to the mother country – a disproportionate number of Thai restaurants, for example, will have some combination of ‘Thai’, ‘Siam’, ‘lotus’ or ‘elephant’ in their name.  Then there’s the … Continue reading

Tayyabs review – Whitechapel curry praised in Haiku
★★★☆☆ / Pakistani / South Asian

Tayyabs review – Whitechapel curry praised in Haiku

 Classic cheap curry consumed cheerfully For most Londoners, Tayyabs needs no introduction. Away from the tourist trap that is Brick Lane, this Whitechapel stalwart has been serving up inexpensive, quality curries and grills for years. A lot of words have already been written about Tayyabs, so rather than my usual prose I’m going to experiment … Continue reading