Mark A.

Review of Mogador

18 Mar 08, 12:57

Cosy neighbourhood gem

There are two tagine restaurants near the intersection of Golborne and Portobello Roads.

Moroccan Tagine on Golborne Road has a certain ambiance of authenticity. Prices are reasonable. Food is decent. In fair weather they put a few tables on the pavement. Alcohol of any description is strictly prohibited.

Around the corner, at the northern end of Portobello Road, is Mogador. The interior is painted deep, rich red, with a few tile accents. Illumination emanates from colourful Moroccan lanterns, and a warm glow is cast by candles on every table. Service is welcoming and friendly. We were informed that the kitchen might be slow because there were two large parties in the restaurant. We didn't mind waiting, though, as we were given a second helping of our delectable starter (a "salad" of red bell peppers and preserved lemon) on the house.

There's a limited selection of wonderful Moroccan wines, as well as Moroccan and international beers. The food isn't as stunning or inventive as might be found elsewhere in London (probably at a much higher tariff), but it is delicious and comforting, with a home-cooked feel. In fact, we were told that the chef has had no formal training. Nevertheless, our lamb tagine with prunes, dried apricots and almonds was moreish and very satisfying, the meat lean and extremely tender.

I've only been once, but based on my experience, I'll be back again soon!

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Review of Lisboa Patisserie

20 Jul 07, 11:42

Mmmmmm, egg custard tarts...

The atmosphere of the place is nothing to write home about, and during busy times it can be a bit chaotic. But those egg custard tarts are weirdly addictive. In my opinion flaky crust beats short crust. Also strangely delicious are the teardrop-shaped chicken croquets (also available in tuna). The most mysteriously yummy item, though, has got to be the under-two-quid ham & cheese on croissant. On the surface, there's nothing to it. Certainly nothing fancy. Yet I could eat one of those puppies for lunch every day! Oh, and the coffee's good, too.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Negozio Classica

20 Jul 07, 11:33

Best coffee, great wine, tasty nibbles

I'll just start off by saying this place is on the pricey side. Witness rock stars (Giuseppe the manager discreetly claims they're look-alikes) hopping into their Aston Martins and zooming off down Westbourne Grove...

But...

The coffee is from Sant'Eustacchio (renowned coffee mecca worthy of a pilgrimage to Rome). The shop has a great selection of (mostly) Italian wines and specialty food & drink items for sale (including special seasonal items like killer Panettone at Christmas). The bar offers a dozen or so excellent still & sparkling wines by the glass, plus a menu of light sandwiches, cold cuts, cheeses, soups, and the like.

The sleek venue is divided by a corridor into two sections. The front has large windows on Portobello Road and Westbourne Grove (where there is outside seating in fine weather), a couple of tables, and the espresso/wine bar. The back is more cosy, with upholstered armchairs and a fireplace.

Negozio Classica is handy, comfortable, has great service. So, in the end, it's an experience worth the price.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Banger Bros

18 Jul 07, 11:49

Bangin' Bangers, No Mash

The tagline of this new Portobello Road sausage purveyor (that's a fancy-pants hot dog stand) is "portable porkers" -- a bit of a misnomer since they've got German all-beef frankfurters and I heard vegetarian talk as I munched on my smoky Polish links yesterday (17/7/07, their second day in operation). The butcher-like tiled interior is clean and pleasant, with their philosophy (high-quality, artisanal, sustainable, etc.) and menu written out on small framed blackboards, a row of condiment dispensers, a chiller with drinks, a couple of salads (see below) and puddings, and three low stools along a counter by the window. There were four varieties on offer: British bangers, Spanish chorizo, German frankfurters, and smoky Polish sausages (the one I had). The idea is that the selection will change "seasonally" (however seasonal a sausage can be -- but maybe I'm just a ignant American). You have three options: plain, on a roll (tasty, but I would prefer my bread hinged and more elastic rather than cut in two and crumbly), or sliced up over one of the salads that you put in a cardboard takeaway container yourself (one with large white beans looked particularly interesting). The kitchen can add aioli and/or crispy onions (both of which I had), but you get your own ketchup, mustard (two kinds -- I tried the German), or mayonnaise from the dispensers. They also sell sausage rolls (a "sweet" variety of which I'm guessing is some kind of dessert). Back in SF there were a couple of sausage grills I patronised regularly. They did offer a greater variety (that's America for you: more, More, MORE!) and beer to wash 'em down, but I'm happy enough with this place. It's super-delicious, and I wish them great success. In fact, I may go back again today...

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Firezza

22 Jun 07, 09:25

Did somebody say "Pizza Party"?

Pizza by the metre. Kinda like if Homer Simpson was Eurotrash... The All Saints location has a high narrow table with ten or so stools in a white room and cheezy rock music playing at full blast -- which I guess could be considered authentically Italian. If I were basing this review solely on eating in, it might be three stars -- what you'd expect -- because I think the jarring restaurant experience detracts from the deliciousness of the food. But what sets this place apart is their delivery service. In the comfort of your own home or office, getting above-average wood-fired pizza delivered by the metre is fantastic! Tasty toppings and thin flavourful crust, plus great organic mixed green salads, guarantee Firezza a place on my pizza party speed-dial.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Yauatcha

21 Jun 07, 20:37

Venison puffs! Tea cocktails! YUM!!!

Christian Liaigre designed this place, probably the most stylish dim-sum restaurant and tea room on the planet. For dinner, head downstairs. Dark, moody, with electric tea candles filling niches in the stony walls and a star-flecked night sky of a ceiling, this room is high glam. Upstairs is cooler, brighter, airier, and perfect for mid-day refreshment. Now that dim-sum is served upstairs as well, you can have your cake and eat it too! And speaking of cake, don't choose from the menu. Take a walk over to the patisserie case for a personal explanation of the day's selections. Highlights include baked venison puffs, a sparkling rendition of Peking duck, and an array of weird and wonderful tea-based cocktails. True, it'll put a bigger dent in your wallet than one of those places on Queensway, but for the quality of experience, presentation, food and surroundings I'd say Yauatcha is worth it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Wolseley

21 Jun 07, 17:15

An instant London institution

Though relatively new, it's hard to imagine London without the Wolseley. Reminiscent of (Brit) Keith Mcnally's establishments Balthazar and Pastis in New York, this restaurant WORKS day and night. Let's just dispense with the fact that the food, while competent and well-executed from a bewilderingly-yet-reassuringly extensive menu, is nothing to write home about. Let's also dispense with the fact that the service can be WAY off at times, with impossible-to-find waiters and dishes that never arrive. That's not the point. Somehow, the experience adds up. A good measure of happiness and satisfaction can be chalked up to the space (you can't really call it a room -- it's too grand!): the assortment of bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling at different heights, the chinoise wall decorations, the low-slung furnishings affording unobstructed celeb-sighting... On Piccadilly are the bar (to the right) and "tea room" (to the left). The intimate bar is absolutely perfect to the last detail, but unfortunately is only available to diners -- so no stopping in for a quickie. On the tables, linens, cutlery and china are all funky yet correct: tea is served in heavy antique hotel-style pots of various shapes and sizes. Having disparaged the food, I must say that it's possible to assemble a meal tailored to your specific whims by choosing from starters, salads and side dishes in a way you never could at a more formal restaurant or even at a traditional pub or gastro-pub. Also, it's the kind place you can come at any time of day or night, from breakfast to a late-night snack, and be assured that you'll get the kind of buzzy feeling you'd expect in the world's greatest city. My best Wolseley celeb sighting? Gael García Bernal.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Windsor Castle

21 Jun 07, 16:51

A classic

Serving better-than-average gastro-standard food, this pub near Notting Hill Gate is a standout because of its cozy evocative interior, which is divided into separate rooms connected by munchkin-sized doors (each accessible from the outside via its own normal-sized door). Oh, yeah, and the ginormous garden with big shade trees, vine-covered pergolas, potted herbs and fairy lights...

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Review of Opuz Kitchen

21 Jun 07, 16:35

Quick, healthy, reasonably priced

So you're on your way to Rupert Street, The Yard, Profile, Compton's, or Bar Code in Soho and you need to pack in some protein before your marathon binge drinking -- um, I mean carb loading. Right. Cuz you're bulking up. At the gym. Anyhow, Opuz serves up fresh, tasty, healthy kebabs, etc. in an above-average setting featuring small high tables and a narrow counter, all with high stools. Checking out the hotties at the next table is facilitated by strategically placed mirrors. In fair weather they put one or two tables out front, and during London and Soho Pride they take over their stretch of Old Compton Street.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Harper and Toms

21 Jun 07, 16:28

It's a flower stand PLUS

More accurately known as Harper & Tom's. Though compact, this stand offers a pretty good selection of fresh cut flowers. There's always something seasonal and different. In spring, they've got big branches of apple, cherry, etc. They know what they're selling (whether, for example, the peonies are from Holland or England). And they've always got a small -- and sometimes very good -- selection of potted plants for home, garden, or window box. BTW, they have an actual storefront on Clarendon Road with some larger plants & containers, and can deliver stylish bouquets & arrangements for all occasions.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Ginkgo Garden Centre At Ravenscourt Park

21 Jun 07, 15:45

Better than the rest

I've been to the Columbia Road Flower Market (Jones Dairy Cafe sure is characterful), Clifton Nurseries in Maida Vale (with their swanky Daylesford Organic cafe and shop), Wheelers in Chiswick (um, well, it's long and narrow?), and the Chelsea Gardener (adjacent to a miniature replica of the Farmer's Market in LA). Ginkgo Garden Centre beats 'em all on quality, selection and price of plants, containers, and just about anything else you'd need for your garden and/or outdoor summer living. If you're serious about gardening and you've found a better source in central London, I want to hear about it!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Hummingbird Bakery

21 Jun 07, 10:41

Magnolia schmagnolia

Modeled on New York's famous Magnolia Bakery, this tiny shop was a pioneer in bringing cupcakes (fairy cakes) to London. In every way, this establishment is far superior to that place in New York, where tourists inexplicably cue around the block for ho-hum cakes and abuse at the hands of grumpy staff. Hummingbird, by contrast, is cheerful, friendly, efficient, and consistently produces tasty high-quality -- if a bit too sweet -- cakes. To impress guests (or hosts) on a special occasion, you can't go wrong with the "bling bling" cake, covered with white frosting and a generous sprinkling of silver balls!

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Neighbourhood

21 Jun 07, 10:06

Cab-Free Clubbing

I'm not sure if I'd travel across London to go to Neighbourhood (unless founder Benn Watt was gonna be spinning there), but boy am I lucky I can walk there in ten minutes! The cover is usually reasonable, the eclectic crowd is fun, the music's kinda iconoclastic in a groovy way, the room is low-key yet hip, the light show is up to snuff, and best of all, the sound system ROCKS!

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Palki

21 Jun 07, 09:35

What would we do without it?

Palki specializes in Bangladeshi cooking, with excellent Chicken Sylhet (along with other "Chef's Recommendations" and "Bangladeshi Fish Dishes" on the menu). Golborne Road is home to one of London's best fishmongers, so consider venturing beyond the safety of kind prawn this-or-that if you like seafood! When we order takeaway, our guests are consistently impressed with the quality and flavour -- often requesting that we order from Palki on subsequent visits. But after months of our ordering takeaway, the proprietors prevailed upon us to visit the restaurant in person. Then it was our turn to be impressed, as Gabriel Byrne was at the next table!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Whole Foods

21 Jun 07, 09:16

Whole Foods, dialed up to 11

After much anticipation, this first overseas flagship of the US-based upmarket eco-grocer has opened for business. But instead of offering Londoners a carbon copy of an American store, those responsible for this emporium seem to have done their homework on this side of the pond. It's clear that they'd like to take a chunk out of the business at M&S and Waitrose. But it also looks like they've studied -- and emulated -- such London institutions as Harrods, Selfridges & Harvey Nichols Food Halls, the Fromagerie in Marylebone, Fortnum & Mason, and even a few bits of Borough Market. If there is one slight disappointment, it is the size and selection of fresh produce. Otherwise, this is a complete market with every imaginable convenience (for example, alongside baking ingredients are rolling pins and cookie cutters). The butcher, fishmonger and prepared foods sections are excellent. The encyclopaedic wine selection includes what might be Europe's greatest variety of American product. The cheese department includes an affinage room (for aging fine cheeses). There are wine, oyster, tapas, and dim sum bars, artisinal gelato, and other restaurant-style offerings upstairs, where the soundtrack is provided by an in-house DJ. Downstairs, in addition to food, there are a variety of dry goods: organic cotton clothing and accessories, health & beauty products, cosmetics, kitchen gadgets, and more. It will probably undergo a few adjustments as it settles into its expat life, but this store should be a huge success.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Taqueria

21 Jun 07, 08:54

Authentic Mexican Flavours

I lived in San Francisco for 11 years, so the first thing I must say about Taqueria is that it's not a San Francisco style establishment. Rather, it serves the kind of food you would find at the best street stalls in any major Mexican city. The clean no-frills rooms face Westbourne Park through floor-to-ceiling windows. Many items on the menu are "antojitos" -- basically Mexican tapas. The tacos de pescado (fish tacos) are some of the best I've had -- on par with those in San Diego or Mexico's coasts. The mole dishes (with chocolate-and-chili sauces) are wonderfully comforting. Larger plates include chilaquiles, which are basically a sort of stew comprised of vaguely pasta-like tortilla chips softened in red or green salsa (or both, if you like) with chicken or egg. In Mexico this dish is eaten for breakfast and constitutes their version of a fry-up (i.e. national hangover cure). They've got a range of tequillas and Mexican beers, and can mix up a refreshing Michelada -- a sort of Mexican shandy with fresh lime juice, salt, and optional worcestershire and tabasco sauces (which lend a bloody mary-esque kick). Non-alcoholic beverages include aguas frescas in a variety of fruit flavours.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.