I spent a dinner in the private room at Bumpkin the other weekend and I had a very pleasant experience. So pleasant, that I'm not sure whether we had dessert or not. Either way, the atmosphere was really nice, although admittedly I was in a group of 30+ people, all celebrating a friend’s birthday, so no surprises there.

We had a kind of buffet-style dinner, with the starter being an antipasti platter and the main a choice between meat and fish, with a potato gratin and salad on the side. All dishes were good and there was nothing to complain about, although I wasn’t in complete awe either.

I thought Bumpkin was a great place to have an event like this. It felt a bit pricey, but the atmosphere, good food and kind service definitely made up for it.

I thought Defune was an ok sushi-place, but not great in any way. The décor was very bright and felt quite unwelcoming. Downstairs is a bit better, but still a bit of a hospital feel to it. The personnel, however, were very accommodating and service was as good as can be expected. I even had my ignorant sushi-questions answered in a friendly manner. I finally now know for sure that you’re supposed to dip only the fish part, not the rice, in the soy sauce. Apparently it’s not a life-or-death issue though.

Speaking of the food, I truly enjoyed the teriyaki, actually one of the better ones I’ve had. The sushi and the other food we tried, e.g. tempura, were good, but not spectacular.

What surprised me the most with Defune was the bill. It is truly expensive, and not really worth it in my view. However, if you’re not fazed by the recession, if you live in Marylebone and if you feel like having some sushi, then sure, why not? That said, I have yet to try the other sushi-places around the area so I might be adjusting this shortly.

I’d actually never heard of the Anchor & Hope before I went there the other day. Luckily in a way, it wasn’t as packed as it says here in the Squaremeal review and our party of five only had to wait 5 minutes before our table. The atmosphere was definitely very pubby with rickety tables and slightly worn-down interiors. In fact, just the way a proper pub should be in my view.

I understand why people go here for the food. Everything is presented very simply, but tastes great and fresh. We shared the crab on toast and some small fish (whose proper name I can’t remember), which were both very good. I followed up with a sizable portion of rump steak with vegetables and a tasteful potato cake. It’s maybe not the most difficult dish, but it’s always a joy when they manage to make one properly, which they did.

I thought it was a really nice place to hang out at with a few friends. On the negative side, I found the usually very helpful staff, quite slow. For us it didn’t mean that much since we weren’t really in any rush. But then again, you wouldn’t go to a place like this if you were.

I happen to be a big fan of gastro-pubs and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered one in my neighbourhood. I've had dinner and lunch on both floors at the Duke and I have yet to be displeased with any of the dishes tried. The fish dishes are very well prepared, using fresh ingredients, but they have also served me some excellent meat dishes.

If you're looking for something a bit buzzy and between gastro-pub and pub, I strongly recommend this for a laid back week night, or for a Sunday roast. The prices are surprisingly high though.

As I’ve mentioned in my earlier reviews, I really enjoy the British pub grub type places. I’m obviously not referring to the smelly boozer hang-outs, but the slightly more polished pubs. The Cod is probably one of the best examples and has been one of my favourites for a long time, not so much for the excellent food, but more for the atmosphere and the pleasant staff. That said, I really do enjoy their menu. As I am a big meat-fan, I went for the steak tartar as a starter and the rump steak to follow. The steak tartar was excellently spiced, and although the actual portion was quite small, I liked the fact that enough bread was served with it, which usually isn’t the case at most places. The steak didn’t have any flaws and the peppercorn sauce was great, admittedly a difficult dish to fail with.

I was surprised to see that the dining section of the pub was quite empty. In fact, we were probably the second or third company of people when we arrived at around 8-9 pm. My memory tells me that this hasn’t usually been the case, at least let’s hope it isn’t a new trend. The interior is fairly simple and straight-forward, just like you would expect from this type of venue. Compared to my local favourite, the Duke, the Cod is slightly more sophisticated, and the sound level more akin to a “normal” brasserie-style restaurant, rather than a loud pub.

As a conclusion, this is a great, although not super-cheap, place to go with a bunch of friends who appreciate simple but well-executed food. I wouldn’t dismiss it as a good date place either as it is quite laid-back and usually has a buzzy atmosphere.

I was really looking forward to re-trying La Poule au Pot since it had been ages since my last time. The whole experience started off in a slightly negative tone since the person I booked with was appropriately rude, à la Francaise. I was also concerned that the dimmed lighting and the ‘romantic’ atmosphere I remembered had clouded my food judgement.

Luckily, my fears were unfounded. I had asparagus as starter and the veal escalope as main and both were delicious. I also tried my girlfriend’s foie gras and her garlic lamb, and although the lamb was served a bit too cold, it was really tasteful and tender. The foie gras outshone my asparagus, which was good, but appropriately straight forward.

Most people rave on about the atmosphere, but to some extent I must say it’s all in the dim lighting. The actual place is getting quite worn down, a bit more than the customary “French” brasserie style interior should allow for. That said, I’m still a fan, both of the atmosphere, the service and most importantly the food.

On the minus side, and although I truly enjoyed the food, it is slightly overpriced, with most mains around or above the 20 mark, but I would definitely recommend a visit. Finally, as if it’s not clear already, this is a place to go to with your girl- or boyfriend, not as a group of friends..

I don't know if it is a commonplace concept to have belly dancers and club-like North African music pumping in a restaurant, but so far, I've only experienced this at Levant. It should be said that this restaurant is not a place to bring a first or second date, as the music and ambience can sometimes be deafening, almost literally, (maybe a relief for possible embarrassing silences..). That, and the fact that there will be a lot of semi-naked belly dancing going on might make it a better venue for a group of friends or maybe a third date?

The one thing that has amazed over the 3-4 times I've been there is the amount of food I've been served. I've almost literally had to roll home after a full meal there. Last week, however, they seemed to have adjusted that, unfortunately without any price adjustment.

The food is good but not outstanding, especially given the price, as mentioned, but the real reason you would go there is for the atmosphere. I keep coming back as it is a fun place to take people visiting the city. Also, I've always found the service to be friendly and accomodating.

Another one of my local places. I have hesitated to visit this place since it looks like a proper tourist trap from the outside. A big, tacky sign and a slightly worn-down exterior in general. I went there recently and apart from the fact that they seemed to have a bit of a leakage from the ceiling (!), it was alright. The place is small and felt very much like a “couples” only restaurant with dimmed lighting and a pleasant atmosphere. The food is north-african/Turkish, and I quite liked it. We tried the lemon chicken which was delicious, as well as the many starters we had. The owners informed us that they thrive of very loyal and local customers, and I have no problems in seeing why. Especially if they have a take-away service (which I didn't ask about).

This place could do with an extreme make-over, but as a local, it's definitely worth going to. Especially if you're into this type of food.

Hardy's is one of my local restaurants, but I haven't been more than a few times. There's nothing much to complain about, but it doesn't surprise much on the upside either. The atmosphere, when full, is cozy and vibrant, but they seem to have a hard time filling the place. In fact, I've been one of only clients there at, what I would assume to be, prime dining time. The food is alright and priced thereafter. I personally quite enjoyed the steak, even though it was presented in a very straight forward way.

All in all, I would never recommend non-Marylebone inhabitants to travel to here, but if you're in the area, it's a good option. The personnel have always been very friendly and the place has everything for a nice quiet dinner. However, there are better options in the area if you require something more.

I hadn't been to Crazy Bear for over a year when I recently returned. Already a year ago, I had been impressed by the different style, good atmosphere and the quality of the food. I must say that despite that, everything had improved. What pleased me the most was the excellent service which was shown, not only through timely delivery and discreetness, but also through the willingess to do something extra with the dessert since it was someone's birthday. It might sound like something you might and shoudl expect, but these expectations are so often unfulfilled.

The food itself is very good and well done. I can agree with some people I've spoken to who think that the kitchen is a bit too ambitious in its mixing between Asian and European, but I didn't mind much. The black cod was great, while the lamb was a bit greasy, but overall the food was in deed of very high quality.

After the dinner we spent some time trying the cocktails in the downstairs bar, which is an excellent place to finish or start your dinner experience. Also there, the service continued at its initial high standard. I'm not sure, however, how well the cocktails were made, by this time, it was late..

Overall, a great place that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. The only significant chink in the armor is the time slot system, but that seems to be unavoidable in London.

Luckily, I live close to Galvin and have been there on numerous occassions. One shouldn't expect anything overly fancy, but the way the restaurant is laid out, the consistent quality of the food and the general buzz is exactly my view of how a French bistro should be. I have never been disappointed although the one minus is that the menu hasn't really changed in quite some time, and I would suggest for them to maybe try something different now and then. That said, it is consistent and always delivers.

I'm a big fan of the menu-less concept of just having dishes coming in now and then. At Hunan, these have always been of very high quality and I'm consistently pleased with the food. However, I've been with a group of people as well as a couple and the former is more suitable than the latter since the atmosphere is something you'll have to create yourself. Unfortunately, the decor is quite boring and outdated and could use some care as well. On a final, slightly negative note, the service has occasionally been a bit patchy but it usually delivers.

Having re-read this, the review might sound more negative than positive, but I would like to stress that the food definitely makes the place worth going to.

When the waitress answered me that no, “we don't serve walkie-talkies”, I knew two things; one, my gin & tonic wouldn't arrive and two, the service personnel might be a bit unexperienced.

Apart from numerous, quite funny, experiences like that, I really liked the place. It's quite far away from everything, but I would say that the cosy decor, decent food and generally nice atmosphere make it worth a visit. The service wasn't slow but had clear issues with remembering who ordered what and when to bring the different items, but still friendly and not unaware of their mistakes at least.

A big favourite among many of my friends but I have always failed to understand the buzz about the place. The usually long wait for a table can be quite alright if you're a group and are able to pass time at the bar. The food itself isn't that great although passable and sometimes fairly alright. Service tends to be sub-par most often. I guess that it is a steakhouse and should rated as such, but I still think this place has a lot left to do to impress me. The big upside is that the atmosphere is usually lively and energetic and it's therefore a pretty good place to start an evening.

This is one of my favourite places in London and I keep coming back. The food is simply great, as are the exotic cocktails that I tend to, in the American fashion, drink through-out the meals. I definitely suggest booking downstairs as I once ended up on the ground floor which feels less exciting.

Now, in spite of all the positives surrounding the food and drinks, the one major flaw about Yauatcha is the service. I dare to say that I have never experienced a more un-even service in any restaurant in London. Sometimes average or even ok, and sometimes appalling. The sad thing is, and the reason for my high overall rating, that one gets used to it when having gone a few times.