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