Continental Diner's Reviews

The pies here are next to none and great value too! Not so much a Gastropub as a Pub with a dining room, the Windmill offers a sit-down meal at a reasonable price for Mayfair and doesn't disappoint. Why can't more pubs be like this?

A great place! So laid back and friendly that one can forget all the stresses of the capital. The food is good and fresh, while it can get busy and slightly cramped at times. Yet the opening hours are as good as the variety of dishes on offer. The atmosphere is hard to be beaten and reminds me of the bohemian cafés of Paris and Vienna. A great place well worth a trip to this slightly less known part of Chelsea.

The Wolseley is a very special place. Apart from the acoustics there is very little wrong with it, even the price tags are acceptable given the location and standards. Food is seasonal and ususally very well executed, but in recent times a fault or two have occured. Still a dependable option and one which should be considered for a special dinner. The opening times make it all the better for post-theatre or post-Opera dinners.

A case of black and white. The food is good. The service too – sometimes. But it all doesn't matter because of the shere wow factor of Mr. Branson's signature Restaurant/Private Member's Club. Recently the menu has changed and taken on a more sophisticated tone, which has seen prices rocket. This is a pity because before it used to be refreshingly reasonable. Yet on a recent late dinner apart from slightly shakey service – which one half expects – it performed nicely. The views are among the best in the capital and as a diner one can shake off some calories at the nightclub!

The Bluebrid Café has its own rules. It is a seriously trendy spot, but if you get a table most things are possible. In summer this is one of the nicest terraces in west London. The food is good, but not the reason to come. The wine list could be a bit more “fun”, but a recent off bottle of Chablis was not charged to our bill. A truly nice place.

Belgo are fun places. Untypical for London, very good value is met with truly unique surroudings. The “all you can eat” mussels are fun. Unfortunately the crowd can get a bit noisy as this type of restaurant will always attract thirsty groups. Yet this doesn't mean that it is worth a try, especially if you like mussels.

The Bar at Galvin is a very special place, but unfotunately the restaurant fails to keep up. Service is OK, but the atmosphere is disappointing. In a room which has the view of one of the world's great cities, it is interesting how one can make three fundamental mistakes. 1) paint the walls in a dreary shade of beige 2) fit windows which refelct whatever little and cold lighting there is and thus spoiling the view in the evening and 3) fitting a ocean-liner inspired “railing” to sections of the restaurant which are exactly on the hight of the eyes of most normally tall diners. A mystery to me.

Hakkasan is all it is made out to be. Few places make as lasting an impression as this interesting space in a side street in Soho. I was quite sceptical that the high standarts would persists after Alain Yau sold Hakkasan, but it is almost unchanged.