Kyra K.

Review of Rye Hotel

21 Apr 08, 19:59

My Excellent Local

I have to agree with Kieran and Lorraine on the Rye Hotel. This is probably my nearest pub, and fast becoming a favourite.

On winter evenings it's a warm, cosy haven, bedecked as it is with fairy lights and boasting large roaring fires. In the summertime, the back garden and bedouin-tent style back rooms become popular late-night hangouts, with the pub even putting on the occasional barbeque. The atmosphere changes with the seasons, from lively festival-esque beer tent to laid-back country-pub Scrabble venue, and I like both.

My one reservation would be that as it's such a child-friendly place it can get pretty full of families, babies and loud children on weekend afternoons. But hey. You gotta love 'em, the little darlings. This is (almost) East Dulwich, after all...

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Dehesa

18 Apr 08, 14:16

Please sir, may I have some more?

Ever since I went to The Salt Yard, I have wanted to try its smaller sister restaurant, Dehesa. At the former, I spent an entire Saturday afternoon gobbling delicious tapas, quaffing glasses of exquisite wines, and rounding off the whole gorgeous experience by stuffing my face with deliciously sinful chocolate cake. I whiled away hours with a friend, eating at the bar, the staff politely leaving us to our gluttony and overindulgence, only stopping by occasionally to make measured suggestions.

Dehesa is a different experience somewhat. I know I should try not to compare the two, but I couldn’t help it, given the similarities of their menus and wine lists. Firstly, Dehesa is small. The whole place seats maybe 60 or 70 people, and everyone is perched on high stools and small tables. The place fills up very quickly, and they don’t take bookings, so there’s a definite feel of rushing you in and out.

We ordered the stellar courgette flowers stuffed with Monte Enebro cheese and drizzled with honey (I’d had these at Salt Yard and they floored me), plus mozzarella wrapped in proscuitto, sumptuous olives and grilled, oil-drizzled bread, chicken saltimbocca and grilled tiger prawns. The food is flawless. But there isn’t enough of it. The prawns were more than £6 a plate, and that included a total of 4 of them. Four measly prawns. The wines are spectacular, and the rosé prosecco seemed popular too. I can’t fault the desserts either. We left satisfied, but not overly full, and our bill with two wines by the glass and tap water was just shy of £50, so not incredible value for money. Had I been given more time to savour the goods, and been left to steep in my own juices in a dark corner for a while, I would have happily ordered more and not balked at the price of the prawns.

Quite simply, this place would benefit from more a roomier, more comfortable locale, and a slightly less efficient kitchen and staff. I can’t believe I’m writing that, but it’s true- they need to relax a little. Just a little.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Chi Chi Ra Ra

23 Mar 08, 15:08

Hoorah for ChiChiRaRa!

This place is a real find - one of a kind, just like the pieces you'll find there. The lady who runs it, Heather, is effortlessly helpful (and chic), and you are guaranteed to spot something you like. The stock changes regularly, and your best bet if you see something suitable is to snap it up, as it won't be there next time.

I've found a few great dresses in there, from a vintage MaxMara sundress for £15 to a French Connection sample dress for £20, which I saw in stores for £60 two months later!

Next time you're in the area, pop in. This place offers a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon trawling for original, funky clothes that won't break the bank.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Bam Bou

30 Jan 08, 12:08

My new favourite place!

Oh. My. God. The food here is to DIE for. We had such a fantastic meal here, I'll definitely be going back. It's one of those places that is great for special occasions- it won't disappoint.

The har gau are highly recommended, as was the vegetarian curry, and the pan fried black sea bass. Everyone around the table was rapturous about the coconut rice. And the desserts? Chocolate spring rolls? I mean come on. They must eat those in heaven.

It really isn't all that expensive, either. And the staff are perfect- composed, polite, efficient, but they make you feel a bit special. I loved it.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Dim T

30 Jan 08, 11:41

You'd be dim not to try it

I love Dim T- to the point where I would actively choose to go to one of these rather than, say, a Wagamama. And that's saying quite a lot.

The Charlotte Street branch is cute, petite and funky, and every time I have been there I've been drawn to the dim sum, which are really good value and delicious! You only get three of each kind, which is annoying when you're sharing, but trust me, it's worth getting two baskets of the prawn and chive dumplings. Yum!

It's a great little date place- mind you, you can't go far wrong on Charlotte Street! Maybe I have such a good impression of Dim T because I went on a very successful date there almost a year ago...anyway, it's very good. Try it!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Balfour

29 Jan 08, 16:45

Balfour out of five!

I work really close to this and only noticed it a couple of months ago, because it's undergone something of a transformation and is now quite a cosy, trendy little hotspot for lunch or dinner.

The food is a pan-European mix of Italian, French, and British dishes, and their choices are well-thought for a smaller menu. Their set lunch menu is superb- a great choice of dishes that seem to change daily, and two courses for £6.95. The staff are always friendly and very accomodating. There's definitely a family-friendly feel here as well, although its location means that most customers are business types, or hip young couples checking out the Brunswick centre opposite. When faced with the identikit chain restaurants there, I'd happily choose this place over Nando's, Starbucks, or Strada.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Jasmin Restaurant

28 Jan 08, 15:30

What a great little find!

I really enjoyed this place. We stumbled across it last Saturday as we got off the 37 bus, starving and looking for something quick and cheap on Battersea Rise. It wasn't at all busy, and there was only one other family in there. We were served by one man, in double-quick time, and had a fantastic set menu lunch which included a starter and a main course, plus prawn crackers, for £6.50 per person. The portions were really generous, and the quality of the food excellent, with many choices. We were totally surprised to have had such a cheap and tasty lunch in what is quite a posh area, and left delighted.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Le Chardon

28 Jan 08, 14:47

Comme ci, comme ca

Do you know what? I had been wanting to try this place for aaaaaages. I had heard it was expensive, but worth it. It's a little piece of history on Lordship Lane, and sits on the site of a former grocers which must have been there since the 1930s or before. The restaurant retains many intersting original features, and physically stands out amongst some of the newer establishments on the same street.

However, the staff are less than friendly, there are far too many tables crammed into a small space, and the food, although genuinely lovely, does not account for the other shortcomings. I had a tasty lunch there but the experience as a whole left a lot to be desired.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Tamesa@Oxo

28 Jan 08, 14:04

A Room with a View

I chose this restaurant at the last minute, from a selection of riverside options as a colleague of mine was leaving us to go back to Australia and I wanted to give her one last beautiful view of the city to remember us by. The original plan was to go to Bincho Yakitori, a few floors up in the same building, but that fell through as they were having their staff Christmas party (In January? Go figure).

Anyway, I booked this late on a Sunday evening for the Monday, and prayed that the view would be enough to compensate for the mediocre reviews I'dread almost everywhere- toptable, view London, Time Out. I figured our colleage would appreciate the thought, even if the food was less than outstanding.

Well, I needn't have worried. From the time I spoke to the Maitre'd, Stephan, who kindly sent me sample menus by email and assured me that we would have a table with great views, to the end of the fantastic meal, our experience at Tamesa was second to none.

Apart from being a little empty (hardly surprising on a cold Monday night in mid-January), I couldn't fault this place at all. Their service was perfect- attentive yet not overbearing, and wine suggestions were made gently, to enhance the food. We sank a few bottles of one of the nicest Riojas I have ever had, and couldn't believe the quality of the food, given the reviews we had read.

Many of us sampled the set menu, priced extremely reasonably at £15.50 for 2 courses or £17.50 for three. I had a wonderful tuna carpaccio salad followed by beef fillet with spinach and was left feeling totally satisfied. Around the table, the steaks got many satisfied murmurs, as did the pumpkin and onion soups. I sampled some desserts from around the table and all were warm, rich and creamy- comfort food for the winter.

The views, frankly, were the icing on the cake. We could see all the way from the Tate Modern over to St Paul's and beyond. Even though you're only on the second floor, it's enough to be highly impressive.

I would recommend this place without a moment's hestitation. Maybe the reviewers were harsh. Maybe the restaurant bucked up its ideas. Whatever the case, it's definitely one to watch.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.