Richard Bagnold

From Nirmal Save (formerly of Tamarind) this is a homely, kitchen-style restaurant serving family recipe dishes with influences from all over India but using British, seasonal ingredients. Although the title of the restaurant would suggest you need a pint of milk at the ready to soften the blow of the spice, I actually found the kick from the dishes quite doable (and this is coming from someone who does not normally handle spice well). This is because only the roots of fiery plants in all dishes here are used for the spice with no chili or spiced powders of any kind, giving a fresh, cleaner, kick than one might normally get with powders.

In terms of the food I liked the pick and mix nature of the tapas sized dishes and it turned out to be quite reasonable as a result as well (£27 for 5 courses essentially). The rasam ke bom shot glass of tomato soup with spiced potato inside a spherical crisp was a fun little choice and I loved the subtle pickled cauliflower with the steamed fish (and I don’t normally enjoy cauliflower!). The pengus fish steamed inside a banana leaf with mustard sauce was fresh and vibrant; the pulled duck was indeed a good recommendation from the house and I enjoyed the cheese toast (who doesn’t?) complete with Indian twist. The gem at the end was the chai custard to go with the (slightly) spiced chocolate cake (frankly I could have drunk another 3 small pots of the custard it was that good – I probably will do next time!).

In terms of the food I liked the pick and mix nature of the tapas sized dishes and it turned out to be quite reasonable as a result as well (£27 for 5 courses essentially). The rasam ke bom shot glass of tomato soup with spiced potato inside a spherical crisp was a fun little choice and I loved the subtle pickled cauliflower with the steamed fish (and I don’t normally enjoy cauliflower!). The pengus fish steamed inside a banana leaf with mustard sauce was fresh and vibrant; the pulled duck was indeed a good recommendation from the house and I enjoyed the cheese toast (who doesn’t?) complete with Indian twist. The gem at the end was the chai custard to go with the (slightly) spiced chocolate cake (frankly I could have drunk another 3 small pots of the custard it was that good – I probably will do next time!).

I was informed by the staff and the head chef that the people often come in for just the venison doughnut and as a result they had sold out – quite an effective pitch! So, when I am next passing I will of course come in to try and ensure I get by early to ensure I can (remember, the restaruant does not take any reservations). It is rather narrow and enclosed which may not be to everyone’s liking, but I thought added a certain charm as was the whole point of it not trying to be anything other than itself. A very easy-going and unassuming place, with pride and care gone in to its offerings and very worthy of sampling if you are a fan of Indian food. A pleasing visit.

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I’ve been meaning to try here for quite some time and am very glad to be able to now add this to the overall site. Terroirs serves Spanish, Italian and French cuisine, many in tapas format with a menu that changes regularly. I loved the informality and drop in ease of this bistro which is open for dining all day with just a lowered service of charcuterie between 3-6pm. For wine lovers this will be a hit of a place, if you want to quickly have a glass of something with cheese via counter dining and if my experience of this place is anything to go by, you will be well looked after.

My snails on toast with garlic and parsley sauce was simple and wonderful with lovely pancetta (although I could have done with the two bits of bone removed from the pancetta before being served) and the wine (Italian Rosso di Caparsa) was chosen very well as something light to go with this and the cheese. The salted caramel at the bottom of the chocolate pot gave a superb boost to the chocloate and it finished off a highly pleasant meal.

My snails on toast with garlic and parsley sauce was simple and wonderful with lovely pancetta (although I could have done with the two bits of bone removed from the pancetta before being served) and the wine (Italian Rosso di Caparsa) was chosen very well as something light to go with this and the cheese. The salted caramel at the bottom of the chocolate pot gave a superb boost to the chocloate and it finished off a highly pleasant meal.

I did not know of the group’s sister restaurants, Soif in Battersea and ToastE.D. in Dulwich and have no doubt they will be good to try if in the area. Terroirs showed me a good option for a bite or a glass of vino alike and is firmly in the database as comfortable and easy going option with simple quality.

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Although the location and surroundings of this restaurant are not entirely picturesque (a backroad opposite two Aldi and Lidl car parks), the food here was worth the effort for a change of scene on a weekday evening. The service was attentive and the the food in general was wholesome and done well. The highlight of this meal was the lovely sun-dried cherry tomatoes and supporting vegetables that went with the fabulous cod croquettes main. The pea soup was pleasant as was the notion of the opening home made salted crisps and amuse bouche which is always nice to be offered. The negative of this meal for me were the somewhat heavy chocolate desserts which came out a little too quickly, appearing to be prepared long before service. However, all in all this was a good meal, resembling very good value for the overall package for the evening (lunch has the same charge / menu options) and a definite strive towards a michelin star.

Food Grade: 72%

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Another wonderful find as I happened to be passing in between work places. This restaurant has been open since 2014 and has been beautifully designed with its open face kitchen and light, open spaces / high ceiling. An extensive dining area outside is available for the summer season and I was looked after very well throughout the meal. The Windmill theatre is a short distance away hence the pre-theatre menu which was superb value for money (£19 for 2 courses, £25 for three). A very good option if you happen to be anywhere near.

A lovely pepper hummus dip was brought with bread which I have not seen until now and was simple and perfect as a chilled and more interesting addition than the butter for the bread (I thought the butter was slightly oily and had the feel of margarine as butters go). The subtle garlic soup was creamy and a little plain which I was slightly worried about at the start, however the saltiness and oil from the olives cut right in to it perfectly and was a lovely starter.

A lovely pepper hummus dip was brought with bread which I have not seen until now and was simple and perfect as a chilled and more interesting addition than the butter for the bread (I thought the butter was slightly oily and had the feel of margarine as butters go). The subtle garlic soup was creamy and a little plain which I was slightly worried about at the start, however the saltiness and oil from the olives cut right in to it perfectly and was a lovely starter.

The pork main was again really good with gorgeous black pudding and sauce to accompany – if I had one niggle other than the butter I would have personally preferrred to have crackling on top of the pork but the quality of the pig was not in question at all as was highly suculent. And finally, the corn brûlée with milk sorbet and frosted flakes was a fun way of presenting and about as good as you can get as a brûlée – perfectly eggy but soft and warm at the same time with a thin layer of sugar so you are not breaking your teeth trying to get through it.

It finished off what I can only describe as a superb drop in meal finishing at roughly 8pm and making me leave with a huge grin all round as it was a case of 3 out of 3 great courses and all for £25 at michelin starred level I think makes this an absolute keeper and a no brainer if you are anywhere near the area.

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Another visit and another wonderful meal. Sheer quality appears to be at the heart of Smith & Wollensky and means it is a winning equation. Although this is the case, I was a little disappointed with the peppercorn sauce on this occasion being more watery in comparison to my first visit and we had to practically fend off the pressure from the staff to go for more portions of everything. In the end the staff did eventually give way when the individual 285g steak was shared between two guests as was the portion of fries and spinach which comfortably filled two plates.

Convention deems some to think that ‘you must have a starter and main each’ but frankly I don’t agree with this as everyone’s capacity is different and I often break this convention when you know your current stomach levels (probably a bit too much champagne before the meal on this occasion). Sharing the Smith & Wollensky salad with lardons, button mushrooms and a spicy mustard ranch dressing was a perfectly simple, hearty and pleasing way to begin and the Irish medallions of fillet mignon were lovely and with superb béarnaise sauce again. Wonderful, crispy chips and buttered spinach finished the job perfectly with the only element of the food being a let down was the very hard and bland butter at the beginning with the slightly unimaginative bread. The signature Smith and Wollensky Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass from Napa Valley was smokey and beautifully smooth with the meal and produced a very content feeling to the meal as a whole.

Convention deems some to think that ‘you must have a starter and main each’ but frankly I don’t agree with this as everyone’s capacity is different and I often break this convention when you know your current stomach levels (probably a bit too much champagne before the meal on this occasion). Sharing the Smith & Wollensky salad with lardons, button mushrooms and a spicy mustard ranch dressing was a perfectly simple, hearty and pleasing way to begin and the Irish medallions of fillet mignon were lovely and with superb béarnaise sauce again. Wonderful, crispy chips and buttered spinach finished the job perfectly with the only element of the food being a let down was the very hard and bland butter at the beginning with the slightly unimaginative bread. The signature Smith and Wollensky Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass from Napa Valley was smokey and beautifully smooth with the meal and produced a very content feeling to the meal as a whole.

Although not everything was perfect on this visit, it remains the best place I have come across so far in London for meats and grills and is basically guaranteed to please.

For me, one of the main attributes of this visit was that the familiar dishes were simply done so well. My salmon gravadlax was extremely fresh and served with a delightful sweetened mustard sauce – this was superb. Although I didn’t manage to try all the other options, they were presented well and the tomato slices with fig balsamic glaze and smoked burrata cheese was pleasant and simple to eat.

However, these almost paled in to insignificance when the main event arrived. The T-bone steak was shown to us before cooking and looked utterly divine and meant that it held both fillet and sirloin cuts, the latter being the majority of the piece. Both were cooked exactly to order and presented to us whilst resting. Both the peppercorn and béarnaise sauces produced angels singing in my head. Utterly perfect sauce béarnaise and I have not had luxuriously and velvety peppercorn sauce with just the right ‘kick’ (i.e. nice and subtle) to a level better than that anywhere in the world.

These sauces were simply sensational and the cuts of meat were likewise fantastic – just juicy enough, packed with flavour on their own and perfectly salted. They were in fact that good that additional sauce was almost not required – the elements of fat on each cut of sirloin for example, provided the accompaniment to the meat perfectly anyway.

The hash brown was smokey and lovely (not too crispy as with deep fried hash brown and this appeared to be lightly fried). The chips were beautifully crunchy and soft at the same time and I could not fault the creamed spinach. The only real criticism I can point out is that £10 for the small side of creamed spinach was a pretty confident price comparative to others I have had and seen, but, it was delightful so it did, essentially tick that box well.

The meal was accompanied by a fabulously smooth, house recommended Californian Cabernet Sauvignon which was on offer from £140 down to £70 per bottle and it covered the food experience like a warm blanket throughout. The chocolate cake with home made whipped cream at the end (decadent and not too heavy), provided the final polish to the meal very well – an all time favourite of most people’s I’m sure but light enough that you could simply keep going…and this I had no problem doing until I couldn’t anymore.

Smith and Wollensky is one of a kind – quite literally, it is the only one in London (and UK) with only a handful of others in the United States sticking to one venue per primary town with the exception of Boston and Chicago which have 2 venues each. In London it is tucked away from The Strand on the south side and in the Adelphi Building (see map below) so unless you purposefully walk down John Adam Street, you would not really know of this restaurant, unless specifically being referred here – something I have absolutely no hesitation in doing owing to the powerhouse food moments, wholesome and unobtrusive service and elegant feel of the venue. A superb place that I’m very pleased to have had my eyes open up to and a double pleasure to experience over such a lovely occasion as well.

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Ever since I was shown here several weeks ago I have wanted to come back and try properly. On a spare, late afternoon I was very pleased to be able to do so in lieu of missing lunch. The first thing to note however, is how utterly picturesque it is with a entire range of options for dining al fresco in the front or rear gardens, both with water views and a wonderful setting. You simply woudn’t know about this place unless someone had highlighted to you as the advertised turning off the main road is easy to miss and even when taking this side road, you begin to wonder whether it will run out to a backbeat dead end. However, a charming mil pub awaits you.

Aside from the setting, the menu provided stands very reasonably with 2 courses for £11.95, 3 courses for £14.95. I went for the former as still a little full from the previous night, but the chicken liver parfait with vinaigrette drizzled over the bread pieces and balsamic reduction was absolutely superb (better than some I have had in Michelin starred pubs). The battered fish finger sandwich was good but proved a little plain with reinforcement home made tartare sauce required (which was rather good). The pub kindly allowed a side of thermidor sauce that usually goes with the lobster sandwich but this was more like soured cream with chunks of cheese rather than bechamel based sauce I was hoping for. The chips were fine and the pub has chosen its brand of ketchup well – Stokes! I honestly believe this and Tiptree are the best you can get out of the bottle.

Aside from the setting, the menu provided stands very reasonably with 2 courses for £11.95, 3 courses for £14.95. I went for the former as still a little full from the previous night, but the chicken liver parfait with vinaigrette drizzled over the bread pieces and balsamic reduction was absolutely superb (better than some I have had in Michelin starred pubs). The battered fish finger sandwich was good but proved a little plain with reinforcement home made tartare sauce required (which was rather good). The pub kindly allowed a side of thermidor sauce that usually goes with the lobster sandwich but this was more like soured cream with chunks of cheese rather than bechamel based sauce I was hoping for. The chips were fine and the pub has chosen its brand of ketchup well – Stokes! I honestly believe this and Tiptree are the best you can get out of the bottle.

All in all, a pleasant menu, served by communal staff in a lovely setting. This location will be most suitable for drop ins and snack grazing as well as the gems of having a sunshine meal al fresco, overlooking the river from the front garden or overlooking the stream from the back.

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Having finished a spontaneous shopping spree in Bicester Village I was feeling peckish and a radius check of the area alerted me to the Michelin starred Nut Tree Inn only being a 10 minute drive away! A lucky, spare table existed revealing three options: an a la carte averaging £50 for 3 courses, a tasting menu for £60 or classics such as battered fish and chips for approximately £12. As I had time on my hands and not sure how long it would be until my next visit, the tasting menu was a no brainer and this turned out to be simple and enjoyable. Definitely more than just a pub, this is a good spot and is to be done again when possible.

This proved to be a winning choice as the tasting menu proved to be magnificent value for money with 9 courses for approximately £10 more than how much the a la carte would have been. The stand out dishes of the menu for me were the turbot with superb garlic and cream sauce and the melt in the mouth pork belly with celeriac puree, apple sauce and pork reduction. These moments conformed being very happy to have gone for the tasting option.

This proved to be a winning choice as the tasting menu proved to be magnificent value for money with 9 courses for approximately £10 more than how much the a la carte would have been. The stand out dishes of the menu for me were the turbot with superb garlic and cream sauce and the melt in the mouth pork belly with celeriac puree, apple sauce and pork reduction. These moments conformed being very happy to have gone for the tasting option.

Another lovely moment was the wonderfully and subtly pickled shallots to go with the Pea Royale and goat’s curd, which formed a lovely combination altogether, and this was needed to cut through quite a dense, chilled pea blend. There were no real low moments of the meal save to say that the it was all at a consistently mid-pleasing note. I think I will always find however, passion fruit in sorbet or soufflé form an assault on the jaw bone and teeth.

The only other aspect I would have preferred is if the portion sizes were slightly smaller on the tasting menu – it was utterly fabulous value for money as a result but as most of the courses were sized as a mid-large starter, I was almost fearing the next course rather than bouncing with excitement. I would recommend making sure you go hungry.

This is a lovely pub no question and the owners and staff were genuinely enjoying looking after their guests which was easy to spot and made for a good atmosphere. The hospitality was very homely for all those present, who ranged from long standing locals to blazer wearing folk clearly wanting a more notable dinner. A very nice find and marker for the future as well.

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It was nice to be sat upstairs on this occasion (there is a basement too, often used for live jazz evenings) and also to try lunch as opposed to the pre-theatre which I have done several times now. This lunch was an online offer for 3 courses and a blini for £25 which is not only wonderful value but when you are having food that is this satisfying I do have to think where else in London can compare on this sort of Richter scale of return – I’m not sure anywhere else does.

The chicken raviolo with garlic puree and bacon starter that I had was frankly out of this world and one of the year’s highlights so far – and that’s including visits to two 3 Michelin starred restaurants (La Pergola and La Calandre). The crab, mango, elderflower and lemon grass, another starter, was beautifully fresh and original. Both mains were very good, not as explosive as the starters, but still highly enjoyable with a lovely spiced kick in the sauce to accompany the pork and a very vibrant, lemony zing to go with the bream. It was difficult not to be seduced by the array of interesting sides on offer: the triple cooked chips with hollondaise mousse was truly marvellous – utterly indulgent, but what else is the weekend for? The kids menu was enjoyed by the junior diner at the table, the fishcake being that good that another was ordered and was such incredibly value at £5 each – adults came to the rescue for the veg in the jar which I thought was equally pleasant with a drizzle of wonderful stock at the bottom of jar. The blue cheese croquettes were also very good to try – thankfully not too powerful in their ‘blueyness’ and were delicately done.

The chicken raviolo with garlic puree and bacon starter that I had was frankly out of this world and one of the year’s highlights so far – and that’s including visits to two 3 Michelin starred restaurants (La Pergola and La Calandre). The crab, mango, elderflower and lemon grass, another starter, was beautifully fresh and original. Both mains were very good, not as explosive as the starters, but still highly enjoyable with a lovely spiced kick in the sauce to accompany the pork and a very vibrant, lemony zing to go with the bream. It was difficult not to be seduced by the array of interesting sides on offer: the triple cooked chips with hollondaise mousse was truly marvellous – utterly indulgent, but what else is the weekend for? The kids menu was enjoyed by the junior diner at the table, the fishcake being that good that another was ordered and was such incredibly value at £5 each – adults came to the rescue for the veg in the jar which I thought was equally pleasant with a drizzle of wonderful stock at the bottom of jar. The blue cheese croquettes were also very good to try – thankfully not too powerful in their ‘blueyness’ and were delicately done.

The salted caramel soft serve was always going to be enforced to being done by someone at the table and I haven’t had the banana soft serve before which was very good to try with its pecan and bourbon fudge cubes – I still stand by the former, salted caramel soft serve reigning supreme though as the best ice cream I have ever had in London, possibly the world. All in all, a delightful return to Tredwell’s – every single visit here for me has never failed and I heartily believe it is one of the very best places in London for sumptuous dishes and guaranteed pleasure at such good value. Thank you the team again.

I was worried at the start that the slow-cooked eggs would take away the fun of the usual runniness, but actually the fact that they were held together and beautifully soft, meant spreading them was actually easier(!) and their combination with a wonderfully slightly spiced king prawns with a sumptuous hollondaise foam. I happened to be the only one eating breakfast (brunch really as I came after the rush at 1045am) on the ground floor so I had no problems asking for the remainder of the chef’s hollondaise pot as it takes a bit of effort to make and no sense in wasting it(!).

I really enjoyed this breakfast, truly. It was a lovely twist on these dishes and done in a light way, so I didn’t feel bloated afterwards and the staff were wonderful. Even the sausage was done with the perfect level of spice and was gorgeous on its own. This place simply doesn’t seem to be able to do anything wrong and it joins a special place in my ‘arsenal of options’ of being a guarantee to feel good after each visit – what more is an eatery supposed to do and be in making someone feel?

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My second visit to this branch of Dishoom having completed the set of four in London now. I tried the sausage and egg naan (stupidly missed the photo of it) as have had the bacon naan several times and although this was very nice, I would go for the bacon version. The Full Bombay was also had on the other side of the table and this was a fine picture indeed.

I forgot how magical scrambled egg and baked beans are from childhood – the staff very kindly brought out on request a small version of this for me to enjoy after the naan. With unlimited cups of chai tea (I think we enjoyed about 4 each!) the whole bill came to £26 all in, which is pretty amazing for the quality of the food and charm of setting. I booked this table for 2 last week and was the last one available for Sat breakfast and this would appear to be ever popular as a weekend event so my advice is to book well early if you are looking for a quality and original breakfast in London on the weekend. A lovely thing to re-experience and especially on the occasion it was.

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I stumbled across here as was passing on the way back from business and was thanfully steered in to this very nice hotel. A lovely, modern fireplace was enjoyed to have a snack of croque monsieur in the late afternoone having missed lunch and I thought this was a superb version with the bechamel and cheese melted perfectly in to both sides of the sandwich. If I was being picky, I would have preferred the cheese inside to be fully melted, but this was a very pleasant version served with warm hospitality in a hotel that clearly has high standards which were very pleasant to drop in to and enjoy for the brief visit. Only one product tasted so this is the grade of this choice alone and I hope I have the opportunity to revisit.

Food Grade: 58%

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