Second Shot is a coffee shop with a difference, serving excellent coffee while helping the homeless. I was invited by Second Shot to write a review. All opinions are my own. I was excited to attend the opening of the new branch of Second Shot in London’s Church Street. This is the second branch of…
London Restaurant Reviews
Checking out the exciting restaurant scene in London - these are my must try recommendations.
Ginza Onodera Afternoon Tea
An elegant Japanese afternoon tea, in association with Tsujiri tea. I was invited to the Japanese afternoon tea at Ginza Onodera in St James’s, London. Ginza Onodera, serves a variety of traditional Japanese cuisine, and have now introduced a rather unique afternoon tea. Ochakai is the traditional Japanese matcha tea ceremony, however the Odonera Ochakai…
An Evening of Italian Olive Oil Tasting
We were recently invited to an evening of Italian olive oil tasting, with a three-course dinner prepared by award winning Chef Theo Randall at his rustic Italian restaurant at the Intercontinental, London. The event was organised by the initiative, Looking for the perfect food, promoting good quality Italian PDO olive oil. (Click here for how to select…
Bistro Mirey – French Cuisine with Japanese influences
A friendly and cosy bistro in Fulham serving French and Japanese fusion food. We were invited to try Bistro Mirey – a rather innovative concept marrying French bistro style cooking with Japanese ingredients. As a fan of both cuisines, I was intrigued to try a combination of the two. NicoleBrowse my site for traditional Indian…
Panzerotto Blues
The panzerotto is not a calzone! This popular South Italian street food comes to London. We were invited to try a new concept of South Italian street food in London; the panzerotto. Panzerotto Blues, was started by Gianni Perillo in 2015, making fresh panzerotti in Greenwich Market. They proved so popular that Gianni has recently…
Antalya Restaurant
Under new management and serving delicious Turkish food, in Bloomsbury, prepared by a chef who has cooked for the Queen. Antalya Restaurant, off Russell Square, was known for its rather ornate interior (apparently it took over a year to decorate the ceilings and walls). Earlier this year, it came under new management and the new owner, Resul Dogan,…
Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea
Vivek Singh’s modern and elegant restaurant by Battersea Power Station, serves delicious modern Indian food. Cinnamon Kitchen, part of the Cinnamon group of restaurants, is Chef Vivek Singh’s sixth and latest restaurant. It is in Circus West Village, along the Thames riverside on the south bank, between Battersea Power Station and Battersea Park. As part of the huge ongoing redevelopment…
Antepliler
Serving dishes steeped in history and rich in flavour, Antepliler offers a taste of the cuisine of Gaziantep, with its incredible diversity and fresh ingredients. Ahmet Ustunsurmeli from Gaziantep, set up a bakery in 1993, making the first authentic baklava in London, before opening the restaurant Antepliler in Green Lanes (‘Little Turkey’), in 2003. Antepliler means ‘from Antep’, the…
Fait Maison Salon de thé
Serving delicious traditional home-made Middle Eastern dishes, and possibly the best Maqluba in town! Fait Maison Salon de thé invited me to try their lunch menu. The restaurant with high ceilings and a bright interior, is decorated in soft pastels and neutral colours. There is a pretty display of chocolates and colourful meringues to purchase, and a huge choice…
Tamarind Kitchen
Tamarind Kitchen in Soho, offers a memorable dining experience with authentic regional Indian cuisine, wonderful service and lovely decor. Having opened their doors in April this year, Tamarind Kitchen is located on Wardour Street, and occupies the site of former Indian restaurant Imli Street. It is part of the Tamarind Collection of restaurants, which includes Tamarind of Mayfair (the first…
Raavi Kebab
Raavi Kebab is a long-established, family run restaurant in Euston, serving Pakistan’s Punjabi cuisine. While there are many excellent Indian restaurants in Central London, one might think it is difficult to find a good Pakistani restaurant without having to travel as far as Whitechapel for Tayyab and Lahore Kebab House, or Tooting for Spice Village. Raavi Kebab, on…
PF Chang’s Asian Table London
PF Chang’s Asian Table opens in London’s Covent Garden. The popular American restaurant which first started over 20 years ago, with over 200 restaurants around the world, has arrived in London. The 138-seat restaurant opened in Covent Garden on Friday. Philip Chiang, the founder of PF Chang’s, has created a special concept for his London…
Hankies café
Delhi street food and roomali rotis at Hankies Café, Shaftesbury Avenue. On a Friday evening, having just had a terrible meal at a restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue, we were still hungry. That’s when I spotted Hankies café, Roomali Kitchen. I had to go in as I absolutely adore Roomali Rotis and the best place for…
Diyarbakir Kitchen
Diyarbakir is a friendly, family run, Kurdish restaurant in the heart of Green Lanes, Harringay. We often travel to Green Lanes, for some of London’s best Turkish and Kurdish restaurants. There are quite a few restaurants along here which are very popular, and although many have doubled, or even tripled in size, in the evenings…
Palm Court at The Langham
The Langham, located at the top of Regents Street, is a perfect retreat from one of the busiest shopping areas in London. Dating back to 1865, it was the largest, most modern hotel in London and home to the first hydraulic lifts in England. The famous Palm Court with its beautiful art deco design interior,…
Zaika of Kensington
Zaika of Kensington is part of the Tamarind Collection, which also owns the world’s first Michelin starred Indian restaurant, Tamarind of Mayfair. Located in a former banking hall in Kensington, with many of its original architectural features still in place and over a hundred pieces of artwork on the walls, Zaika’s dining room is majestic and…
Spice Village
Popular restaurant serving authentic Indian/Pakistani cuisine in Tooting Possibly the largest Asian restaurant on the busy high road in Tooting (a part of London renowned for its multiculturalism and saturated with restaurants), Spice Village has been around for a while and is very popular with local Asian families. The interior has been refurbished, so the canteen style with…
Liman
Round the corner from the busy Chapel Market, Islington, and 5 minutes walk from Angel tube, is this lovely Turkish restaurant. With a hint towards a nautical theme (a compass painted on one wall), “Liman’ means Port in Turkish. The restaurant is small and cheerful, with attractive dried flower arrangements and some zany wall decorations. The owners…
Tamp Coffee & Tapas
You can’t walk a few feet down Chiswick High road without stumbling across a coffee shop, yet Tamp is one of the area’s most loved hang-outs. A relaxing rustic interior, friendly staff, and resident dog (a beautiful Rhodesian ridgeback called Simba) are not all that is good about Tamp. The owner of this Argentinian café, Dorian (himself an Artisan…
Global Street Food Kitchen (GSF)
PERMANENTLY CLOSED Large and spacious, with colourful paintings on the walls; GSF has a bohemian vibe that seems more Camden than Hounslow. Serving a carefully selected menu of cuisines from around the world (America, Britain, India, Italy, Mexico and Oriental), they aim to cater to all tastes. The menu states that ingredients are sourced from reputable and specialist…
Banana Tree
Located in Westbourne Grove, an area dense with restaurants, Banana Tree is normally busy for dinner on the weekend, so we booked earlier in the day. Serving a selection of dishes from the Indochina region, they offer a varied menu, with quite a few vegetarian options. NicoleBrowse my site for traditional Indian & Italian recipes, read about great ingredients,…
Wagamama
Wagamama at Westfield White City, London Wagamama, in Westfield, is normally very busy, but we arrived early for lunch so we were seated swiftly. They have a system in place for fast service; waiters are equipped with handheld devices to take orders which are then directly transmitted to the kitchen where they start making your food…
Band of Burgers
Camden’s new rock-themed restaurant, Band of Burgers (BOB), is just a few minutes walk from Mornington Crescent, and within sight of KOKO. Vinyl discs on the ceiling, and stringed instruments on the walls, the design is a tribute to Camden’s music scene. Amy Winehouse (a former Camden resident) is painted on one wall and the Beatles,…
Rossopomodoro
Rossopomodoro in Fulham. We first tried Rossopomodoro in Venice and loved it. So, back in England, we were thrilled to find it practically on our doorstep. The menu here in the UK is different: there are fewer meat and fish dishes, and the menu is smaller. However, the selection here is good and they change their…
Rodizio Preto
Brazilian Rodizio in Bayswater, serving over a dozen different cuts of roasted meats. Absolutely head to this restaurant if you are craving high protein, and you can’t wait because you are so hungry. Within 7 minutes of arriving, we were seated, had helped ourselves to the extensive salad/starters, and were being served from large skewers…
Novikov Italian
Novikov Italian, Mayfair To find Novikov on Berkeley Street, just look for the rather impressive line of luxury and supercars parked outside. Popular with tourists, alot of the Mayfair crowd, celebs, and usually very busy; you do need fairly deep pockets to spend an evening here. NicoleBrowse my site for traditional Indian & Italian recipes, read…
SAID dal 1923: Best hot chocolate in London
SAID dal 1923, the best hot chocolate in London! SAID dal 1923, is a small café, a few minutes walk from busy Regents Street. As you enter, the smell of chocolate draws you in. To the left is a counter displaying all sorts of artisan chocolate. Displayed in large glass jars or neatly aligned in…
Gokyuzu
Gokyuzu opened in 1999 and has tripled in size since then. Set in the heart of ‘little Turkey”, amongst dozens of other busy Turkish restaurants, you can normally get a table if you are prepared to wait. NicoleBrowse my site for traditional Indian & Italian recipes, read about great ingredients, and get handy tips for…
Mosob
A charming family run Eritrean Restaurant in Maida Vale. For years I have driven past Mosob thinking it looked quite popular. One evening, looking for something different to try, we dropped in. The restaurant usually looks very busy in the evenings, but we were fortunate to find a table. NicoleBrowse my site for traditional Indian &…
La Tarantella
We first came across La Tarantella a few years ago when we moved into the area and, faced with the daunting task of unpacking, decided instead to go out for dinner. Located down one of the side roads off Chiswick High Road, we found this charming little restaurant. We enjoyed the food so much that our next…
