★★★☆☆ / Chinese / Sichuanese

San Xia Ren Jia review – mouth numbing spiciness

Cheap and cheerful Chinese chilli chow There are few Chinese restaurants in Fitzrovia with the exception of a dilapidated-looking buffet on Goodge Street. This is due of course to the close proximity of Chinatown, but one interesting option is San Xia Ren Jia (no, I don’t know how to pronounce that either) on Goodge Street, … Continue reading →

★★★★☆ / Thai and Lao

Busaba Eathai review – have standards slipped?

Is Alan Yau’s Thai chain still serving quality food as it expands relentlessly across London? The Picky Glutton visits a couple of them to find out…  For many Londoners Busaba Eathai needs no introduction. Alan Yau’s series of Thai restaurants are known for their sleek, stylish looks and low prices as much as for their food. What … Continue reading →

★★★☆☆ / Eclectic

Archipelago review – zebra and scorpion for lunch

Grizzly gourmet or gastronomic gimmicks? Most business lunches are rather staid affairs full of talk about quarterly results and brand actualisation strategies, but one sure-fire way to spice it up a little is to have it at Archipelago, a smaller, rather unusual restaurant in Fitzrovia just around the corner from the BT Tower. Archipelago is … Continue reading →

★★★★★ / Spanish / Tapas

The Salt Yard review – The best tapas in Fitzrovia?

In my review of Goodge Street tapas restaurant Barrica, I frequently mentioned the neighbouring Salt Yard. Although I visited sister restaurant The Opera Tavern a couple of months ago, I have only just had the chance to revisit The Salt Yard dragging along The Flame Haired Squelchie, Weyoun and January to help me out. The Salt Yard … Continue reading →

★★★☆☆ / Lebanese/Jordanian/Levantine

Fakhreldine review – Lebanon on Green Park

Long lived Lebanese lives up to legend? Update: this restaurant has now closed. Posh-as-corsets Mayfair may seem like an odd place for a Lebanese restaurant, but Fakhreldine isn’t some dodgy cafe with more hookah pipes than customers. It’s a years-old establishment with an attractive, elegant decor even if it does verge on resembling an inoffensively … Continue reading →