Tibits – Heddon Street – London UK.

Tibits from the outside

I am not vegan, but I love exploring what is made available to me. When I heard that there was a vegan restaurant not too far from my work place, I was really excited. Like many people, thinking of vegetarian or vegan food tends to conjures up a mish-mash of very green or overly cooked vegetables or unidentified brown nutty stuff.
When Tibits popped on my screen with its Vegan Tuesday, I googled it. The location of the restaurant and Swiss origin all got me thinking for some reason that I could dine there a la carte despite the very unnavigable website. It had not crossed my mind that it could be otherwise. I hate buffets and will not go to dinner in central London for a buffet… oh no!

I arrived earlier to take a look at the location… Unless you are looking specifically for Heddon Street, you will walk pass this hidden food quarter. This street has 2 entrances and of course I took the unglamorous one near the Lagerfeld store in Regent Street. This “crescent” built like a 3 sided rectangular hides 9 restaurants

View of the food quarter

and bars with beautiful and attractive outside seating for most. Tibits fitted right in from the outside.

I had expected a very simple but elegant inside for this restaurant. I couldn’t quite make it up as I entered. The wall straight opposite the entrance was grey and depressing with a very basic stair case leading to the basement. The Wall opposite the buffet looked like Nick & Linda Carter's Eatsenders' bedroom... no wall looked alike here...

I was not greeted at the door and as I was meeting a friend, I twirled on myself few times before finally going to the counter at the right hand of the main entrance. Asking for my friend, I was told to check downstairs; a very dimly lit space with 3-5 cantina-like large naked tables with a couple of people having dinner. Thankfully my friend was not down there and I had to go back up and look at the left side of the entrance where there are seats for about 50 people. That is where I noticed the buffet but was still hoping for an “a la carte” option…

My plate

My friend who’s been waiting for a while had already worked out the system… No one was going to come and ask me what I wanted to eat. We had to go to the buffet to help ourselves. We did. Once the food is in the plate, one has to go to the counter and get the plate weighed… I still can’t tell if the weigh includes the very heavy plate or just the food… I was still fuming that it was a buffet and didn’t really try anything that looked off colour to me. After paying I realised that everything I had placed on my plate was all cold dishes… Everything that appeared off-colour to me was hot food which lost colour because of the heat… Oh well, I should have looked closer. I did like the Japanese glass/green vermicelli and the green juice; could have had those at Yo-Sushi much cheaper.

Vegan food is already difficult to navigate without information and I think if a restaurant is going to start serving it, they should have an easily navigable website - not the case here - with better laid information for the “meat-free-days” brigade who are really trying hard to find alternatives.

Having had few tasty vegan dishes cooked by an acquaintance, I don’t think I’d be recommending Tibits to any vegan friends. Neither would I to someone who is trying veganism because it might put them off… As for me, I’ll keep looking for my preferred Vegan hangout. The search is just starting...

This is how I felt about Tibits, don’t take my word for it, make your own opinion. Good luck.

Heddon Street is an interesting little street which, I’ll surely visit again to try Aubaine which seems a much more attractive setting for me.

See you next time!

Homage Restaurant - Hilton Waldorf hotel - London

Waldorf from outside - Photo from EPR architects

For my great friend Han this year I decided to treat her with dinner at the Homage restaurant in Hilton Waldorf, central London.

I have always loved the idea of having dinner at the Waldorf. In the TV series, Gossip girl, there is quite a lot of mention of the Waldorf hotel and it looked like where the rich kids hang out or just hide.  When an offer came through from Bookatable.com. I could not resist 3 courses dinner with a glass of fizz for 2 for £50.00.

If you live in London and have never taken a walk between the Strand and the Aldwych, you must! Believe me, me it is one of the greatest walk. Behind you, there is Trafalgar square, to your left Coven Garden, to the right the Savoy hotel, then, Somerset House and Waterloo bridge, the big theatres AND the Hilton Waldorf hotel. This one complete with portiers and their wide warm smiles.

Dining hall - Sorry for the bad quality

As you walk into the hotel, you are welcomed by the warm yellow lighting of the reception desk up the step and to the right, a small corridor leading to the restaurant and ball room the corridor is darted with comfortable drinks table for 2 or 3. 

It felt a bit off having to go pass people drinking get to the Homage Restaurant which, is tucked that the back of this ground floor. We are welcomed by two Mainland European sounding waiters who sat us immediately into to this beautiful beautiful dining hall.

Despite having informed them from the off that we were dining at reduced price. We were treated as full price clients which, I find made a great difference. We were allowed to choose our meals from the carte rather than having a set menu which has happened in the past when I have used Book a Table reduced offers.

Our waiter was excellent although not completely focused. 2 or 3 times we asked him for extra drinks without ice and he insisted on giving us the drinks with ice. Though those requests were not very important, it was still important that he got those right as ice for example is not great for someone with sensitive teeth.

My camera died on the night, so I can’t remember what I had for dinner… I think it was beef with broccoli and potatoes, nothing I have not had before. 

Here is picture of my dessert… can’t remember what it was either… I was too enchanted by the venue to focus on my plate.

I was most impressed by the great ambiance and decors. This is definitely a place I would visit again. My fellow dinner on other tables seem to be either theatre goers or people staying in the hotel. They had all made an effort to dress up for dinner… I liked that. Yes, there are still people out here making an effort for dinner. The age range when from about 70 down to 30-35yo… 

Function hall - Photo from Homage's website

I guess when you have passed 35 you don’t want to see those noisy kids around you in such place. Beside, a too young person or underdressed person would really feel out of place here.

After the dinner, my friend and I asked to see function room that was just behind us...as we are into events… oh my gosh what a room… you can clearly see history in this room and imagine those people in the 1930s-1930s waltzing around this amazing room.

The Waldorf is full of history and if you want to revisit to 1930-50s that will be the place to start from. I am sure to have seen this room in black and white films before. The various photos darted in this post do not give the restaurant or the ballroom credit. The best you can do is actually step into that building and take it all in yourself… more about the Waldorf is here…

Thank you for reading. Next week we are going to Leicester. See you then!.

Flemings - Mayfair - London

This is in the ladies at Flemings

A friend and I recently celebrated a milestone by having an afternoon tea at Flemings Mayfair, London.

I had seen an offer in Emerald Street and had decided to check out their recommendation. Having checked my friend avails, I booked a table for 2.30pm a Saturday 3 weeks in advance. Given the location of Flemings, it seem to be a very busy place to go for an afternoon tea.

Sandrine and I work in a homeless day centre once a month and that day was our turn. We had decided to make it a lazy day and hang out in Mayfair after the shift, then, have the afternoon tea. After our shift we changed into our day frocks, flat smart shoes on with our heels in the bag just in case the portier at Flemings was sniffy and uptight.

Having walked the length of Piccadilly and stopped from time to time to check out some small galleries and shopping arcades along the way, we arrived at a semi-derelict street… double checking and surprised that such a street was located in Mayfair… Looked a bit like a part of Croydon or Tooting to me if you asked. But, yes we were in the right street, Half Moon Street… To my right, we had Flemings to my left we had a Hilton hotel this street from afar looks like a cul-de-sac closed by a beautiful church edifice which was built between 1908 and 1911… This church is in fact on Curzon street…Must go have a tour of that church the inside must be as fascinating at the outside.

Arriving at the Flemings, the portier was very welcoming and our flat shoes were suitable and elegant enough to fit right in. The entrance on Half-moon Street is also the entrance to the hotel…and there were few arriving and departing guests in this reception area which, although well decorated was starved of the beautiful daylight that we had been enjoying so far. There wasn’t enough artificial light either to show off the dramatic details of the decoration.

Upon reporting to the reception, we were send downstairs to the tea rooms just below this beautiful Pendant ceiling chandelier from which, yellow lights reflected on the golden rimmed mirrors gave an added impression of luxury to this hidden side of the reception.

The tea room was the same décor as the reception area, dramatic in some sides and way too busy on other sides, the abundance of mirrors in this room lacking of daylight helped to reflect the few points of light darted in this room full of contrary lines.

The Maître D was very welcoming, accommodating and sat us despite the fact that we arrived earlier than our booking. We were served within 10 minutes, the sandwiches and mini cake came another 10 minutes after that…

I am not a sweet tooth person so, I very much liked the sandwich selection and especially the rye sandwich… The scones were too dry almost biscuitty, I hate cupcakes and was not impressed with the macaroons. To sum it, the only thing I enjoyed in terms of food was the sandwich selection and the Rooibos tea. My companion on the other hand had a field day, but did not like the scones either.

The offer on Emerald Street was “afternoon tea for 2 for £25”.  I would have paid more for the ambiance which, is very favorable for friends relaxing during a lazy afternoon. Flemings is a good venue to chill. The staff is welcoming and visible at all time. I’d definitely recommend it, more for the atmosphere and proximity rather than the munching in my opinion. The best afternoon tea I ever had was at Harvey Nichols at £40 per person and I have not found a match yet.

I did check out the ladies at Flemings. The deco was different and did not reflect the restaurant at all… the only quirk was the statue which made me smile.

I hope that you will hop into Flemings for a drink or an afternoon tea. I will mark it 7/10 but, don’t take my word for it, try it yourself.

As we continued our aimless wanderings, we found a little gem of a bookshop on Curzon Street, Heywood Hill were we spent more than an hour… book lovers MUST check it out. Then we said hello to the statue of Churchy below!

I love London!

Ciao!

The Criterion - Piccadilly, London

We are in the last week of February and the memories of my sunny Barbados are long forgotten. We are back here in London where it is a celebration when the sun decides to grace us with its warmth and allows us to see where we place our feet as we walk to and from work. Winters in UK seem to be longer than anywhere else on the universe and to forget about the cold and gloom, some prefer to down alcoholic drinks while others like me attempt to dine in places that make us think that we are transported in some European mainland location.

One such place is the Criterion restaurant in Piccadilly, London. Up until now I had not realised that the Criterion was also a restaurant as all that can be seen is the adjacent theatre … the Criterion Theatre.

Up stepping into the small unassuming brown doors you are immediately taken aback by the luxurious décor of the room (click here to see the interior). The lights are very low in the entrance area where people can have drinks. As my friend and I left our coats and extra bags at the cloak room, one of the waiters was called to take us to our seats in an area that had a much better lighting. Looking closer, the decors, it did reflect by its opulence the period it was built in. With all its gold lines on emerald ceilings, the bronze statuettes, multiple cutleries and glasses for each settings…This is only the second time ever that I felt that I was not in my place.

The restaurant is on he left

Having never been in the Criterion, a quick check on the website made me conclude that it was a high end place and as a part time chav, I should make an effort to not appear lost it the beautiful décor and clientele. I was already using a special offer and not dressing appropriately could get us thrown out… just never know with places where the head chef is French.
The waiters were very courteous, that made us feel relaxed and welcomed. We were brought the menus and asked what we wanted to drink and that is when I had to make it clear that we are using a special offer from Topstable.com. For some reason the head waiter had some real difficulty understanding that we were using a special offer that it included a free cocktail. I had to repeat in 3 different occasions… well, they placed the offer there… Had it not been for the offer I would have known there was a restaurant there for one and I wouldn’t have thought I could afford to eat there…

For my starter I had the Blakeney Point mussels with cider very lightly seasoned… with nothing to write home about, but the nice touch was the bowl of water that was brought to rinse our finger as we ate the mussels. Loved that.

My main: Salmon, Samphire, beetroot

My main was a melt in the mouth pan fried salmon steak with a puree of beetroot & horseradish and steamed Samphire which I really enjoyed. I only discovered the Samphire, a stringy vegetable last year and had never tasted it before. It was a nice surprise to find it on my plate although I could have read the menus online beforehand. The portions served where just the right quantities to fill you up without weight you down. My friend had a just right and again beautiful steak that was cooked to perfection… she likes her meat “well dead”.

Our desserts arrived just 5-10 minutes after the plates for our main were cleared away. Mine was a Mini brioche calvados presented with blackberry sorbet which I thoroughly enjoyed and cleared my plate.

We ended up spending £68.00 instead of the £50.00 expected, but it was a well worth experience. One lesson I am learning again and again as I visit various restaurants is that, there is no place you cannot afford. Do not judge a restaurant by it outlook, use special offer, go in and make a note to visit it again if you can afford its full prices. I certainly enjoyed the Criterion and will go back.

If you do go, tweet me your thoughts @beenthererevs.

Thank you for reading J

The Royal Albert Hall – Cloudy bay Wine bar

I recently went to see Charles Aznavour in concert in at the Royal Albert Hall. I have never been at the Hall and was looking forward to seeing the inside... and, of course Aznavour. This guy is one of those French musicians who was always on the TV every Sunday afternoon as we relaxed waiting for a new week of school to kick off.

My friend and I arrive a bit too early for the concert and decided the grab bite before the event. So, we headed up to the Cloudy Bay wine bar on the top floor of the Royal Albert Hall.

The place was jam packed with Aznavour’s fans and French people bien sure. The Cloudy Bay wine bar is a very low ceiling narrow curved shaped space with soft lighting and all white decoration.  The lighting is very very soft to the point where you might be at risk if not recognising what is in your plate; I’ve got 4 eyes and still can’t see well…lol.

We went straight to the bar to order before seating and were blanked both by one of the chap serving behind the bar and by a circulating waiter who then, started to talk to us and then completely turn his attention to two older ladies who had just walked in…. aaarrrrgggggh! RUDE!

I found this really amusing; get this, my friend and I were two black 30+ year old ladies in a sea of Caucasians and other light skinned folks. I just thought these two clowns assumed that our cash wasn’t good enough… I do not actually enjoy being serve by such ignorant people. So, we stood there amused and watching the floating waiter trying to avoid us.

Another waiter whose it was the first day came to our rescue and showed us to some empty seat. He was much kinder and we really appreciated his manner and care. Hopefully he will never be tainted by the preferential treatment that his colleagues offer to walking clients depending on their skin colour.

Having wasted time waiting to be seated, there was only 30 minutes left for us to eat something before the show and we ordered the cheese platter, a glass of fizzy wine and a glass of Sauvignon blanc. Cost us £35.00. With quality of service received from the young Caucasian male we could not help but give a good tip while thanking him and wishing him good luck in the job.

It goes without saying that I will visit that bar again so that ignorant people like those waiters will get in the habit of treating EVERYONE in the same manner no matter their skin colour.

The concert was great and Aznavour even at 90 years still got it and his voice has not changed at all. His voice fitted really well with the décor of the Hall. I had never hear him live nor seen the hall before… Both were wow! Other than the wine bar incident, I had a great evening…

A bientot!

 

Abeno Japanese Restaurant - London

Abeno. Museum street. London

 When I hear Japanese restaurant, I can see with my mind eyes a crazy chef cutting raw meats with his machete, rolling and slicing sushi in an open kitchen and me, staring from other side of the room and appreciating the display of skills.

So, I was really excited when I was invited to dinner at Abeno restaurant in Museum Street. I have never been to a Japanese, but I am a big fan of Itsu and Wasabi. My feet always drag me to the branch near house of Fraser in in Victoria Street.

Table setting with cooking plate

Now. I am someone who believes in authenticity. If I go to an Italian restaurant, I expect to be served by Italian, Spanish, French, I expect to be served by someone who understands what is written in the menu and hat puts me at ease. As I walked in Abeno, I was greeted by someone who was not Japanese and had already decided that I will not like it. Even though he was the only non-Asian amongst the staff.

The restaurant was dimly lit and were I was seating, the rooftop was all glass with a view of the flat above the restaurant… really comical as when I lifted my eyes, someone was on the phone on their balcony.

Sat and waiting for our waiter to appear, I started running my hand on the table and that is how I discovered that the silver looking thing on the table was in fact the cooking plate. Question: why is there not a message of caution on these tables? Don’t they know that I could sue them for that?

Abeno staff cooking

The waiter finally came with the menus. My party had vegetarians and meat eaters. Since all 4 of us sat at the same table it occurred to us that all our meals were going to be cooked in front of us on this hot plate. The vegetarian seating near me was submitted to full sight of raw meats and the fumes of same when it was being cooked. Then, it came to cooking his meal, the other side of the plate was used. I am sure that he had some additional flavouring in his meal from the previously cooked meat dish as there was not real separation on the cooking plate.

Having already been disappointed by the fact that there was no sushi theatre and resigned to the fact that I will be stinking of cooked food when I leave theses premises, I limited myself to a simple stir-fried vegetable with some lotus roots. They got my dessert order wrong and gave mine to someone else. Since they had taken so long to serve me. All I wanted to do is pay and leave.

My main meal at Abeno - Safe

The entire restaurant seem to seat north of 40 people and there is only one toilet per gender, which I refrained from using as I had become really suspicious and doubtful.

I ended up spending £24 at Abeno and did not enjoy the food nor the samurai cocktail which I was told was the best... twaddle.

Abeno in Museum Street is nothing less than another version of a Chinese takeaway with food being cooked before you while you are being perfumed with the fumes from the stove/table.

Don’t take my word for it, give it a try and from your own opinion. I didn’t like it, my co-dinners who can’t boil an egg were impressed. Well. Each to their own.

The Reviewer

The Refinery, Southwark Street - London

THE Special offer

Can you see the photo above? Yes! That made me trek out of my town in Surrey onto Southwark on a Sunday afternoon after church!

Sunday afternoons are times to cook warm cosy dishes and chill out watching rubbish TV while desperately wishing that tomorrow wasn’t Monday  (I HATE MODAYS!)

So, as you know two weeks ago I went to the squaremeal event and it is there that I pickup up this leaflet for steak, half lobster, chips and bubbly all for £15.00.


The back entrance

So two friends and I, having reluctantly agreed to meet up and try this offer /this restaurant, we all agreed that the offer indeed would have been a waste not to have been tried it.

I  of course arrived late… Finally finding The Refinery at 110 Southwark street,  Looking from the outside, it seem like the restaurant was empty… weird. As I pulled the door I was thinking “oh my gosh, am I going to eat seafood and mad cow in a restaurant that is empty?”... I had entered by the back door. LOL

The empty side

Luckily, as I entered, it appears that only on side of the restaurant was being used. The Drunchers*, about 40 or 50 of them seem very hip and between 20-45 years old… I really like the look of the customers here. As for the décor of the restaurant, about 90% of the tables and chairs were bear wood, simply decorated with a candle and an actual pot of living herbs at the centre of the table. All around the room, were darted bunches and baskets of fresh fruits & vegetables which created a certain reassurance that all meals prepared were freshly sourced.

I am not a big fan of meat especially in the UK… In France, British meat is referred to as “Vache folle” which means mad cow… Diseased cows. So I have developed this thing in my mind imagining that most red meats carry these gremlins still growing. The only way I have learnt to eat meat in this country it to cook it to deaf in order to kill the gremlins too. The only thing is, cooking beef to deaf means chewy AND I am a very lazy chewer and have therefore kind of parked meats generally.


My food

Having seen this place, I felt reassured that their reputation was important enough not to want to poison me. I then proceeded to order my steak medium rare as part of the above deal with as side some house sundried tomatoes.
What you can see here is what my plate looked like when it was delivered… yes! It as tasted as delicious as it looked! The service was excellent and I ended up spending £25.00.

The only down side to the meal was that the lobster came full of water and nearly drowned the rest of my meal. I suspect the lobsters must have been frozen as the claws were as soft as fish cheekbones… that was minor…

the ladies

Having had to use my finger quite a bit, I needed to get rid of the fishy smells off my hands to avoid the “looks” on the tube, so I visited the ladies… All I can say is that I could have just pulled up a chair and have my food serve there if there was more light! I think that is the first beautiful loos I have encountered so far…

I really recommend The Refinery if ever you find your feet dragging you around Southwark or Blackfriars. I am sure that, even without the special offer you can end up with a feast at your table including drinks!

The refinery provides a great environment for a group of friends and family. There was a baby there when I visited, which was very refreshing to see as it seems the British society likes having children but they are barely accepted or seen in public/convivial spaces as part of the society...
The Refinery get 4.5 out of 5 from me!

Do let me know what you think after your visit!

Ciao!

The Reviewer.

TOZI Restaurant and Bar - Victoria, London

TOZI menu by the door

Few weeks ago we planned a lunch do for one of my colleagues who is about to give birth. Unfortunately Two days before the planned lunch the mother to be got sick and we cancelled lunch…

I had my heart all set to going out for lunch so I convinced two other colleagues to join me for at TOZI Victoria.

As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted and seated immediately. It was early lunch so, the restaurant was a bit empty.

Just as we sat, our waiter came to speak to us…

“Hello, I am Raphael, I am your waiter. Have you been here before?”.  Nope, we have never visited TOZI. Raphael proceeded to explain to us what the type of restaurant was, in the process we learnt that Raphael was Brazilian… All I can say is that he made us feel welcomed, he dutifully explained to us how to order the dishes on the menu, what was in each dish etc etc

We ordered our drinks as we waited for our food to arrive.

While we waited, Raphael brought us 2 baskets of bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Pizza's station

View of the main kitchen

Looking at my surroundings to my left, I could see that open kitchen and further to the side there is a pizza station… with all sorts of cured meats and chopped ingredients to make fresh pizzas live on request ( suspect their Pizza must be better than that of my previous outing)… the boys at the station kindly answered all the questions I had … I am sure they found it strange, but I just wanted to hear them roll their tongs as they spoke English in that beautifully thick Italian accent… they even posed for a photo… Ask and you shall receive. Right?


In all we must have waited 20 minutes for our meals to appear in sizzling cast iron dishes.

I had ordered some Ox Cheeks with wild mushrooms and jus with a side of buttered wilted spinach and parmesan. One of the girls ordered smoked mackerel and the other asked for the swordfish.

Add caption

My Meal

I cannot remember the last time I ate Ox cheeks … it would have been in France and not in the UK. This was the first time I was seeing this on the menu in the UK and I wasn’t disappointed. The cheeks were melting in my mouth and I could also taste some red wine in it. I would have love to order another portion of this, but we were on a timer… Next time, I should order 3 portions for myself and just have some slices of bread with it. I quiet liked the spinach too... lightly flavoured, wilted in butter and topped with parmesan cheese.

My friends’ also enjoyed their food. There is not much to say about the presentation, but the environment and the service was really and relaxed. After our meal we ordered some coffees and they came with some amoretti biscuits free of charge… Appreciated touch.

This is definitely a place for a light lunch with colleagues. My lunch cost me £20.00 included drinks and service charge. I feel the prices on the card are correct.

As we walked out I stopped to take in the entrance of the restaurant which is a bar… the black and white photographs, the chairs, the glass wall and that Chesterfield looking sofa against the far wall was screaming my name… I promised that I would be back just for that sofa and a glass or two of wine… I think I should make this appointment a Friday after work type of affair…

Friday after work hang-out! Perfect!

I really recommend TOZI if you are visiting or working near Victoria.

TOZI is in the same building as the Park plaza hotel at the bottom of Vauxhall bridge road.

For further info click or copy this link http://www.tozirestaurant.co.uk

Asked to be served by Raphael. He is great! Don’t forget to tip!

See you there. :-)

The Reviewer

Dim T Restaurant – Victoria. London

The exterior of the restaurant

Last Monday, few friends and I were trying to break up what I call the “strict Monday code”. The “strict Monday code” means you do not go out on Monday evening as it is the first day of the week and usually the busiest. This outing was completely unplanned and I really need de some convincing to join the group for dinner.

Inside the restaurant

The girls wanted to go to Nandos… Who goes OUT TO NANDOS?… I can cook chicken at home thank you! If I am going to enjoy an evening out it has to be in a place where I cannot cook any of the meals thank you…

As we walked towards Victoria in search of something different, we stumbled across Dim T. I had seen this place before, it didn’t look very inspiring. Funny how some places look good in the sun.

THE taepot, sticks & basket

We decided to go in. The inside looked very Japanese inspired… all darkish and wooden…

I almost expected to be served by Japanese or at least Oriental waiters. Nope, it didn’t happen. Our waitress and the other staff seemed to be of Eastern European descent. I asked our waitress what the influences of the restaurant were, she wasn’t too sure… and I wasn’t impressed.



Steamed dumpling & soy sauce



‘I was able to order white wine here as there was nothing original on the drinks list. Check it out at http://www.dimt.co.uk/

For starters we all had some kind of steamed dumpling with fried pork… very stodgy and dry. I didn’t like it and will not order it again. One thing I did like was the fact that the dumplings came in some kind of wicker covered basket.  My friend’s Jasmine tea was presented it one of the cutest heavy duty teapots I have seen so far… I was slightly disappointed that the eating sticks came out of the paper wrappers as you would at a common Chinese restaurant… not that I visit them often.  



Salmon Salad



For my main meal, I ordered a wasabi and salmon salad… which I rally enjoyed. The portion was really generous and I was given extra greens at no cost at all. The salad was very filling and generous in fried salmon. I really enjoyed it. If I was to visit this restaurant again, I will definitely order the same salad, which at £9 is a good value for money.

My friends ordered some coconut noodles with green beans and chicken and Nasigoreng (what’s that!) chicken prawn with chilly.

Can you see the prawns?

Since we all ordered very different dishes we did as you do, taste each other’s, meals.  The coconut noodle really tasted coconutty…  if I liked noodles, I would definitely order this dish. As for the prawn dish, there was a LOT of prawns in it. What I‘d say for this restaurant is that the portions are very generous. I am not sure whether I should appreciate their generosity or be suspecting of the source of their ingredients.

The restaurant seem busy enough for a Monday night, this tells me that they might be consistent in the quality of their meals and service. So, I should give it another try before letting my suspicious mind run riot.

The service was great and we didn’t wait too long for the main meals to be delivered at our table.

By the time we finished our mains, there was no REAL space for dessert. Besides, the desserts list wasn’t inspiring nor original. Otherwise, I am sure that I would have found some space in my stomach for some.

For now, I will give Dim T 3 stars minus 1 for the non-authentic staff. I didn’t have time to check out the loos as we spent way too much time yapping. Well, the loos visit will be for another time.

Dim T is situated at 56 - 62 Wilton Road, London Victoria; Opposite Nando’s and the big Sainsbury’s and next to patisserie Valery.

Do post your thoughts after your visit would you?!

C ya!

The Reviewer

Ristorante Gustoso - London

The full name of the restaurant is Gustoso Ristorante & Enoteca - London

Inside of the restaurant - Restaurant's own photo

To welcome a new colleague this week, we decided to go check out a new restaurant that opened in Wilton Place between Pimlico and Vitoria.

I saw this place being renovated throughout last year and was really looking forward to eating there. Wilton place is full of offices and private residences; it is also a very quiet street not far from the Queen Victoria Sports centre. It is almost a surprise to stumble on a restaurant here. Only people who use this street as a short cut towards Victoria Street will know there is an Italian restaurant here.

Ladies that lunch

4 of us went to launch and I had booked the table prior to leaving the office. An Italian lady’s voice took my booking making me even more curious than I was already. When we got there, we were welcomed by the smell of a big and very beautiful bouquet of flowers placed in the anti-chambre of the restaurant. We were attended to fairly quickly by a very smiley Italian waitress.

Once seated, another waiter, equally agreeable and Italian too presented (not given, but presented) us with menu boards. I was impressed! The menu and drinks list was beautifully presented on a brown varnished wooden slate… (can you tell? I love artisty and beautiful things). I am easily excited about original things… While we considered what to order, he brought and served us water with ice…Nice touch.

Taking a look around us, the restaurant was beautifully laid, with red light shadings, beigy-brown wooden tables with very darker patterned lines running through, a little pot of flower on every table. The walls had these beautiful Italian drawings and caricatures. Another wall behind me had a big black board with the menu du jour handwritten with chalk. The clients during this lunchtime seem to all be professionals from the area... no lost fans of liquid lunches.

my food order order

Since it was my first time here, I wanted to taste a lot of small dishes so I can make my mind up. I ordered Bruchetta & wild boar pâté, green olives, prawns with Chilli mayonnaise dip .My colleagues tried the fried sardines, spinach, lasagne and other things. The food presentation was really good and would have all tasted really really good had it not been for the amount of salt in the food. WOW!

The most beautiful olives

My wild boar pâté was so salty that I had to scrape the pate and eat the bread on its own. Tut tut. I was really impressed with how it all looked though. Even the green olives really looked like straight-from-the-tree green and glistening with olive oil. We all made the effort to finish our food… It would have been a sin not to.

I hope the salt was just a blip and will return to the restaurant again. If the food is less salty then, I think we may have found a new lunch time hangout.

the rolled towers are in the middle

Two of us did check out the ladies and liked them too; clean, modern with some character given to it by the mirror on the wall. To dry hands there is a choice between a dryer and some actual small real (not paper) hand towel, which I suspect are steamed and cleaned daily…

On my way up from the ladies, I spotted a small private room in the basement… I think I may have my next birthday lunch there.

Over all, I will give the place 4 stars out of 5. They lose 2 points because of the salt, but gained one on the authenticity and the accent of the waiters. The food is very fordable and there is something to eat from £1.50 on the menu. Just pop n to feel the atmosphere.

See you there!

Gustoso Ristorante & Enoteca is situated 35, Wilton Place, London, SW1P 1JH

The Reviewer