Mark A.

Review of Negozio Classica

20 Jul 07, 12:33

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, 12:49

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, 10:25

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 Harper and Toms

21 Jun 07, 17:28

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 The Hummingbird Bakery

21 Jun 07, 11:41

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, 11:06

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 Matches

20 Jun 07, 18:59

Selfridges? Harvey Nichols? Why bother?

If you find London's luxury department stores a bit overwhelming, head to Matches. They go through the trouble of editing through designers' extensive collections and picking out just the pieces you would want. Lines include Lanvin, Prada, Prorsum, Margiela, and more, from casual sportswear to suits. The staff are knowledgeable, helpful, stylish and honest. And if you see the "sale" sign in the window, you'd be crazy not to pop in and have a look!

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Ledbury

20 Jun 07, 18:51

Affordable Luxury

Located on a pretty stretch of Ledbury Road, this five star coccoon exudes sophistication and refined elegance. The choice of carpeting and fabric wall coverings, plus the generous distance between tables, gives the room a "grown up" feeling while muting the sound of other diners, who are seen but not heard. The service tends toward the formal, but not overly so, giving the perfect combination of professionalism and warmth. The wine list is extensive, and the sommelier provided excellent advice on a couple of bottles within the price range we specified. The portions, while artfully composed in a French style, are generous but don't leave one feeling over-full. I don't even know if there's a special name for a second amuse gule! Including the truffles and caramels at the end of the meal, there were three "gifts" from the chef in addition to our three course meal. Everything, from vegetables to fish to fowl to meat, was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. Another plus, which won't matter after July, is that the restaurant is non-smoking, meaning there's nothing to distract from the flavours and aromas on the table!

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.