Alex's reviews
Review of Turquoise
12 Sep 07, 12:31
Used to be wonderful 
My fiance and I live just off Chancery Lane and came across this restaurant some while ago, just after it opened in actual fact.
The mixed grill from the set menu offered exceptional value with large portions of excellent, fresh and well cooked food. Starters were lovely, in fact, it was one of our favourite restaurants.
The last three occasions we've visited, it has been utterly disappointing and the portions are now miserly yet prices have remained the same. The service has also gone downhill and it took 35 mins to get the bill after we requested it. Our orders have been botched on each of the previous occasions and the food doesn't seem to be as fresh as it once was. It's a real shame because it used to be such a star.
I would avoid this restaurant like the plague, there are a lot of good restaurants in the area which offer better value and service.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Empress Of India
23 Sep 07, 18:30
Empress Fails to Impress 
The Empress is the personification of those gastropubs which herald the first wave of gentrification in an up and coming area.
It's beautifully decorated inside and has a lovely feel; it's owned by the same people who have The White Swan (Chancery Lane) and The Gun (Docklands).
The food is good but I've had nothing there that I know I couldn't cook as well if not better at home. My partner and I shared a rotisserie chicken stuffed with lemon and garlic - a favourite from Simon Hopkinson. It was moist, well cooked and served with roast potatoes, a lovely bread sauce and accompanied with pigs in blankets. I started with a rabbit salad which while tasty, certainly didn't justify a £7.50 asking price but to their credit, the ingredients were certainly fresh.
Service while friendly was mediocre and slow but I think that was just down to our waiter who looked like he was struggling to keep pace with the Sunday lunch rush and the demands of his section.
The food is good but at £25 per head for a starter, main and a couple of soft drinks each, it didn't feel like it was of particularly good value. I came away feeling like I'd had a decent meal but had paid for something I hadn't got.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Pho Cafe
25 Sep 07, 21:20
Simply Excellent 
Pho is a recent find despite the fact that I work less than than 100 yards away.
The food is excellent and offers very good value. Decor is minimal and treads the line between being too ethnic and authentic.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Tandoori Raj
25 Sep 07, 21:30
Great Indian
The Raj is our local Indian and is such a great curry house. We've never actually eaten in the restaurant, we've tended to just get take away and the food over the past two years has been consistent and good.
Really fresh ingredients, good value and prompt delivery service make this a firm favourite.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Strada
30 Sep 07, 09:42
Excellent Italian
The problem with chains is that they can be hit or miss depending on which branch you visit. The Strada is Brunswick Square is certainly the best Strada I've ever eaten at in my view. The staff are really friendly and service is prompt and efficient. It's also relatively inexpensive and you feel you get good value.
Recommended items on the menu - Aglio, Gamberoni, Spaghetti al Ragu or Linguine alla pescatora.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Black and Blue
30 Sep 07, 09:45
Lovely prawns...
Steak, burgers and prawns are the three things that I associate with Black & Blue. One thing that is particularly good about the restaurant is the space, double height ceilings and American style diner booths provide a welcome respite if you've just done battle with the crowds on Oxford Street.
I'm shamefully addicted to their King Prawns with garlic aioli. I'm making myself hungry just thinking about them.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of $ Grills and Martinis
30 Sep 07, 11:39
Great Martinis
We visited $ (despite the chintzy exterior) for a quick drink on a Saturday afternoon.
They do fantastic martinis and it was pleasant just relaxing in the comfort of the downstairs bar. It has a very boudoir feel actually and we came away very relaxed, if not a little drunk.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Benugo
30 Sep 07, 11:42
Great sandwich shop
One of my favourite sandwich shops, good selection of sandwiches and salads. They also do excellent coffee and I'm a big fan of their mocha.
Timing is everything and if you leave it past 12:20 to get your lunch, expect a lengthy queue.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Carluccios
27 Oct 07, 11:44
Mediocre
I always wondered what the big thing was with Carluccios and this branch does nothing but to reinforce my misgivings.
We had dinner at the restaurant in Brunswick Centre and it was pretty mediocre. The wait for drinks was ridiculous and I ended up going and retrieving them from the bar after 15 minutes.
The food was up there with a ready meal, bland, dull and uninteresting. It tasted like it had dehydrated under the kitchen lights before being reheated in a microwave.
There is a fantastic Strada 30 yards away, you're better off there if you fancy Italian food.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Club Gascon
27 Oct 07, 22:41
Tres superb! 
Club Gascon is a gastromic delight, if you're afraid of nouvelle cuisine this may not be to your taste.
I genuinely believe that you could not put a foot wrong with your menu selections and we elected to have the sommelier 'surprise' us with the wine accompaniment. Absolutely exquisite seletions.
The meal was not cheap at £300 for 2 unlike the particularly common girl in the chav dress opposite our table who did not know how to behave in a restaurant of this calibre. Her lack of breeding was the only negative part of our meal and sadly, an element of which we had no control.
An excellent restaurant worthy of continued patronage.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.