The Folly is a simply stunning bar near Monument – whoever designed the place deserves an award as its beautiful, very nature inspired with trees around, the plant on the tables were herbs in a pot, you get the picture! Im giving it a decent overall review only for design and atmosphere – this is not a place if you enjoy your food (other than the chips…)

I went with a friend on a Thursday – it was packed out so i definitely recommend booking if you were to eat. Service itself was not as bad as id read on the net – though i noted that the Folly website was recruiting ‘mystery diners’ to review the place, so perhaps this is why service seemed fine. Toilets etc were lovely – i had to mention it as they were the cleanest and trendiest id ever seen!

Now the downside – food is pretty dire. We started with the mediterranean flatbread – but it was accompanied by what looked like taramasalata, humomous, and tomato and feta dip. These were just ok but the bread was stale. I made the assumption that it must be just the leftovers from other diners because it definitely tasted as though it had been there for ages.

My main was fine – a burger – but again, looked like it had been sitting around for a while, rather than juicy and succulent which id hoped for. Finally, the pub favourite, chocolate brownie, but wasnt anything better than the norm.

The Folly bar is stunning in design, food is rubbish. If i were to go again, id maybe have food elsewhere and then head downstairs and get myself a seat there as it definitely looks like a great place to have a night out otherwise!

This was the second time ive been to BBR – but the first time for an actual meal. Prior to this visit, i did wonder how people would pay such a high price for breakfast and so made the assumption that the rest of the items on the menu would be overpriced too. Anyway, i was wrong and i was very impressed. The venue itself is well designed and reminds me of scenes from Titanic, ie very opulent.

Service was very good and not intrusive in the least. As id been overdoing it a bit in the dining out stakes, i went for the set menu which was 3 courses for £24. Mine comprised of eggs florentine, then burger for main and ended with a lovely raspberry cream pudding.

This, in my opinion, is one of the very good places to go to in Soho – the food is good and nothing strays too far from the norm and its a zillion times better than Hix which is the only style place that could compare. But sometimes thats just what you want, nothing fussy, just a decent tasty meal. Also, to an extent, you get what you pay for so its a little pricier than your normal diner type places, but this is catering to a cool, media, business lunch crowd. I cant really fault the place and will definitely be back. If you want something a bit different, try Nopi which is a few doors down, but for some tasty, hearty, stylish food, this is the place to go.

Id heard a lot about Beas – as a great cheap alternative to the expensive afternoon teas in town, so i was curious to see whether this was the case. General reviews on the net are mixed but most say the food is nice.

The place itself is easy to miss – quite far down Theobalds Road so not really walking distance from Holborn. The cafe itself is very small – perhaps 6 or so small tables and at the back is an open kitchen. Im sure the idea is youre meant to be wowed by the constant baking going on – but to me it looked like an industrial kitchen, no sense the homely baking style which i anticipated. There was just one person cleaning and cleaning and cleaning constantly, no baking going on, just piles of cake which looked clingfilmed to perhaps sell elsewhere.

I got there late to meet a friend and found several dirty plates sitting on the table, alongside my friend. She told me she had been waiting for 20m but no one had even bothered cleaning the tables. We had to order at the counter – but despite there being 3 staff there, all were chatting away with their backs to us – no one bothered to acknowledge those waiting to order at all. After several minutes of us trying to gain their attention (ok, we didnt speak, just tried to catch their eye in the small cafe!) but finally we got to order. Service was brusque at best.

Food itself was good – we only had cupcakes, which were very nice. However again, when going to pay, the staff hadnt a clue what we ordered, asked us to remind them what we had – and then had to ask around about prices of the cakes THEY SELL.

All in all – cakes are nice for takeout but service is poor. I only gave it higher than a zero as there was one brunette in a teadress who was relatively friendly when we asked a couple of questions. But the rest, truly awful. Id certainly not recommend this place for afternoon tea as its cheap looking, quirky – without the accompanying decent service. But saying that, try the cakes (takeout only!)

The Alice House is a funky, gastropubby place in West Hampstead. It certainly stands out in the area, with its decking and funky decor – its ideal for after work drinks, or a good night out on the weekend. They have a great selection of drinks including cocktails – both alcoholic and non. Service is very good and informed. One big gripe was that I personally didnt like to put my card behind the bar but this seemed to be the done thing – perhaps they have had many people running off without paying but even buying one drink at the table meant doing this.

Foodwise – i had the burger, which was delicious and extremely meaty, all served on a stylish chopping board with a small pile of chunky chips. There is a selection of 4/5 mains, same for starters like goats cheese or rabbit rillettes. The burger itself would be a 9. Unfortunately the score was let down by the simply awful dessert – they only had two options, a chocolate tart vs a rhubarb food. I opted for the chocolate tart which was thick and stodgy and pretty foul. For me to actually say this about chocolate is a big thing! Even this was served on a small tea plate, which seemed crazy given the obvious efforts they went to with the starters and mains! Bill came to £50 for drinks and 2 course meals so wasnt extortionate.

Id definitely go back to The Alice House as its a well designed, cool hangout and perfect for Saturday night drinks – but id avoid the desserts at any costs, complete waste of money. Otherwise go to the Banana Tree down the road and just hit this place for drinks.

I have recently been able to visit Nopi both for lunch and dinner and had mixed experiences. Its certainly extremely well designed to be a very relaxed and cool interior. The food itself definitely has the Ottolenghi influence – largish tapas style meals where you are recommended to have approx 3 dishes each. These range from £8-£12 each so it isnt cheap. Service is excellent and staff are very informative and friendly.

You are given free still and sparkling water plus bread and butternut squash type humous and bread which was lovely. I was told this is only available at dinner though. As for mains, well you order various dishes and share. The outstanding dish for me was the roasted lamb cutlets, pistachio pesto and mastic cream. Melt in the mouth and easily something i could have each and every time i may return. I also had the twice cooked chicken and the sirloin of beef but nothing special, just well presented. My friends had the prawn dish and loved that. Other memorable dishes were the burrata which was like a large mozarella ball with blood orange and coriander seeds. I enjoyed this alongside the Japanese aubergine but can imagine id have to have something meaty with it! Puddingwise i had the hazlenut ice cream (£6.50) but it wasnt anything more special than ice cream ive had in any of the pop up parlours which seem to have arisen in Soho recently so next time id save my money and avoid pudding.

Downsides were that my friend found the buratta underseasoned and bland. Also, ive heard from other diners that the menu rarely changes so not a huge variety if they expect repeat visits. Finally – hugely expensive. Three dishes plus one pudding was £50 and this was excluding drinks.

Id certainly go again if the lamb was on the menu but i wont be rushing back as again i think there are so many places in central London that i feel are worth trying out. As for the food, some dishes are very good but I think youd get better value in one of the Ottolenghi branches themselves – and a much bigger selection on offer.

It takes a lot to drag me from my north London roots given the array of fantastic gastropubs around however the Princess Victoria certainly was worth the trip. An excellent place to visit despite the hood that is Shepherds Bush. Be warned, its at least 4 bus stops away from Shepherds Bush station so a bit of a trek. That said, this place is a lovely gem in the area, all high ceilings and cosy sofas and a really lovely atmosphere. Got very busy later on so id recommend booking. The barman was also really pleasant and friendly too and made me think what a lovely place indeed!

Starter was a freshly made scotch egg, with a runny middle rather than the usual eggs im used to having in the local pubs which have been sitting around a while! Mains – I had the loin of belly pork, accompanied by mustard mash and caramelised onions (i think) but was pure melt in the mouth deliciousness. Pudding was the traditional sticky toffee pudding and again, delicious stuff. Friends had the shepherds pie and the veggie option of butternut squash and both agreed they were great dishes. I also liked the fact that the waiter AND also the person who took my booking seemed ultra flexible and knowledgeable about the dishes on offer so i did feel i got some informed recommendations before my order. Nothing to complain about though they do need to identify the mens and ladies loos a bit more clearly (*embarrassed look*) – also, could do with a few more vegetarian options for the fussy ones! Otherwise it ended up being approx £30 a head which was a great price for the quality we had. Im definitely going to be heading back if this is an example of what the area has to offer – delicious…!

I went here in advance of a gig at the Clapham Grand due to the number of reviews id read about it being a hotspot in Clapham!

The place itself isnt much to look at – a tired cafe style restaurant on the high street. I was hesitant to go in due to the decor and had to keep convincing my friend that this had great reviews. Foodwise, we had the spring rolls to start – freshly fried and covered in this vermicelli type thing but delicious! Not your usual frozen spring rolls. Mains were huge, i wasnt very adventurous and had the chicken in black bean sauce whilst my friend had the prawns with cashew nuts. Both very tasty though nothing really different to anything ive had before in any other oriental place. Service was ok, they made a few mistakes with the orders and looked horrified when i asked for the correct dish, so i just backed down and said id eat it!

The true outstanding point about Mien Tay is the price. By 7pm, it was packed out – both upstairs and downstairs. Pricewise, our starter, two huge mains and sides came to just £25 for us both. Fantastically good value for some pretty decent food. I think id be hard pushed to get anything near this quality for this sort of price – its not outstanding but it is good. The bookings speak for themselves.

Id wanted to go to Dishoom for ages now given every food blogger seems to have written about the place! The actual place is beautifully designed (in the style of a Prohibition style bar) and the location is ideal – next door to Jamie's Kitchen and just near Cambridge Circus/Leicester Square station. In terms of a venue for pre-theatre or a date night, its ideal.

Foodwise – it was either (big) hit or misses. We decided to have vegetarian samosas and pau bhaji (Mashed veg with hot buttered bread) as starters. The samosas tasted warm rather than hot and did seem to have been sitting there a while – despite our orders coming through immediately. I wasnt that impressed with the bhaji, nothing really to write home about though my friend has it regularly and enjoyed it. To me, it tasted of a tomatoey paste type thing.

Now to the hits – i decided to not have my usual biryani as many reviewers have stated there just isnt enough meat. So i went with the well reviewed spicy lamb chops which were indeed perfect. Well spiced, hot and melt in the mouth. I could have probably had two portions if my greediness took over. I accompanied this with a huge bowl of raitha (yoghurt) – good value for money, rice and naan. I felt the rice was just rice and Dishoom might want to consider making it a bit more special – fried rice, or saffron rice for example. The nan wasnt great – very dry and seemed to have been sitting around again for a while (perhaps alongside those samosas…). My friend had the prawns and roti and thought these were very good indeed.

Pudding wise – i had the predictable chocolate pudding – which although may not have sat well with the rest of the menu, was delicious, and im sure had a hint of spice. More than enough to share.

The bill came to £44 for two people so wasnt cheap. My main (no sides) was close to £10 so you can easily spend a lot. Next time i think id just have mains and pud, and avoid/choose different starters. The lamb is worth it alone. Service wise, the food comes so quickly, you can imagine they want to table turn a lot. Im sure its going to be a hit as the only other nearby indian i can think of is Moti Mahal whereas this place seems extremely tailored towards a hipper crowd. By 8 it was packing out and i can imagine its going to do very well.

Cafe Japan is my local and i am never disappointed. True, i ALWAYS have the tori chicken, rice, and aubergine starter – however its always super delicious and fresh and completely reasonable in price. Ive even been known to get takeout here too – when i really cant be bothered to cook and fancy an indulgent evening! Ive been to the Zumas etc but surprisingly, you pay a lot more there but its the same, if not lesser standards of cooking! Id much rather frequent here and not feel ripped off. The place is always busy – we got a walk in table for half 6 recently, only really allowed to have it till 8 when by then there was a queue of those who had already booked. There is limited space, say 6 booth types and 3 tables for 2 though you can always sit at the counter and watch the friendly chefs do their magic.

Pricewise – i could have the above for approx £15 at most. I could get a full meal here for half the price of a main at Zuma. My friends who love sushi always rave about the food too – plus its often full of Japanese people (always a good sign). Im no sushi expert but there seems to be a decent selection plus the normal black cod or yellow tuna etc etc. I never had pudding but there is the matcha ice cream etc for those who fancy it.

Well worth a visit up to North London!

Recession? what recession! Galvin Bistro was heaving when we got there for Friday lunch. The set menu was an excellent bargain – £17.50 for three courses however i decided on the lamb tagine for my main and the floating islands for pudding. Both delicious and perfectly presented and cooked! My partner had the chicken bouillon, the daube of beef and ended with the tarte tartin. We couldnt really flaw the place and could see why it was so busy. Lots of banker types and yummy mummies!

Delicious food, good service – its a great place for lunch/catching up – ill be back!

Bloody French was quite empty when we got there on a Saturday evening however it was soon full post 8pm and a really nice atmosphere with the fire etc. Its definitely a date place. It seems to be very full of French people which was a good sign.

I had the guinea fowl which was wonderful – creamy mash, beautifully cooked meat – it really was delicious. Unfortunately my friend wasnt so pleased with her meal. She had the duck confit which was essentially a shepherds pie with a tiny bit of duck at the bottom (shredded) – it was tasty in my opinion but she felt she was ripped off due to the distinct lack of duck! Just to warn anyone who might think this is the typical duck confit they are used to seeing elsewhere – it isnt! Im giving it a good mark plainly because my guinea fowl was perfect.

For pudding – we had the tarte tartin and the chocolate pudding – both were again excellent and the overall bill was approx £50 for the two of us with alcohol. I was really pleasantly surprised and would happily go back. BTW – tips are cash only so make sure you bring cash if you want to reward the decent staff.

Love love love this place! Went as an alternative to GBK after an evening at the Electric. You can bus it there on the 7 as its a bit of a walk at night and in a weird location (nearest tube Westbourne Park). Great food, buzzy atmosphere makes it worth it though.

We had the burgers – looked small but were the right size without being a glutton. Onion rings are properly deep fried rings rather than the BK variety – very piggy to eat alone but just right to share. Chips are standard fries but a decent enough portion. The guacamole was massive and does taste authentic enough for you to eat it alone! Boyfriend had the chocolate milkshake which was deliciously creamy – a dessert in itself. I like how you could have it normal, very creamy, thick etc…! Whatever you fancy. We were too stuffed for pudding but ive heard the pancakes are great (only till 5pm unfortunately!). They also offer home made apple pie, pecan pie etc etc…

Its pricier than GBK which is the only comparison to the type of food i can give – this all cost about £36 with service – but its definitely different and has the right cool retro feel to it – only 8 booths so prepare to wait on busy evenings – we got there for 9 and there was 3 booths free – by half 9, it was full so i guess youd need to share…but well worth it – open till 11 i think during the week so definitely going to my late night point of call. MUCH better and more relaxed than the Oak nearby!

I had heard great things about Tosa and was happy these were confirmed. Its a lovely little Japanese grill in between Ravenscourt Park and Stanford Brook so definitely one of those places the locals tend to frequent.

I went with a vegetarian so was worried she wouldnt have a decent enough selection – but the recommendations i had heard had mentioned there was a wide variety for carnivores and veggies alike. We decided on the vegetable tempura – though i additionally had 3 skewers of the pork belly, loin and chicken. All were fresh and delicious – everything i love about Japanese food. I also had the asparagus (which was grilled) and this was fantastic and almost converted me to veggies! My friend had the sushi to follow and enjoyed all of this too. I love the way you can try out so many dishes so its never boring. Quantitywise – my three skewers were just not enough and id say a normal hungry person could eat at least 6+ (without anything to follow) so ensure you order more than less as it gets busier later and you may not be able to get your order in. The pricing for these range from £1-£3 a skewer but you quickly end up taking this for granted and overdoing it! In the end, my bill was £60 for two though we were ‘nicely’ full by the end of our meal.

Service was ok – initially very good but it got very busy (on a Monday night) and orders were forgotten and i had to give a few gentle reminders which was a bit frustrating. I think if this can be polished up – especially given its quite a small place – it would be near perfect.

Laduree

I have now been here a couple times – its a lovely tea room on the ground floor of Harrods – full of delicious intricate desserts but also a few mains on offer like steak, omlettes etc. The set menu is around £26 for two courses but there are various supplement charges so not really worth your while (+£6 for a steak…?) As you may expect – food is very expensive but its Harrods dahling! I paid £16.50 for a club sandwich – which was nice but nothing special. Omlettes are on offer which look lovely but also seem overpriced but then i keep kicking myself that i should realise where i am!

Desserts are on a different level given that Laduree is known for its sweets. A huge array of puddings and ice creams – guaranteed to be a hit with kids or those with a sweet decadent tooth…

Its a great place to relax and have a girlie catchup over cake – as an alternative, the Chocolate Cafe is also great and on another floor and offers sandwiches and chocolate for cheaper prices but doesnt have the opulent atmosphere that Laduree has. if you do want more for your money foodwise – i recommend the Mandarin Oriental down the road where you get a bigger selection and slightly (only slightly) more for your money but much tastier savoury items…ill only be back here for pudding!…

This was my third visit to Bar Boulud – each time ive been, ive been for lunch and the food has always been excellent. Its an extremely buzzy place – completely full each time we have been and much better than anywhere else in Knightsbridge when you just want a place to rest your feet after a day of shopping (though the Park Terrace is also excellent and in the same hotel). Seatingwise – Id actually recommend the seats by the kitchen if you are stopping off for a quick bite – otherwise its always nice sitting near the front. However, it seems to be only for bigger groups unfortunately.

Foodwise – its a good selection of meat/charcuterie – like a slightly posher American diner. They do offer a basket of fresh bread which does fill up quite a bit however the sausages are very lovely and worth trying at least once. Its the salads that accompany them and make them that little more special. For the main, i dont think anything betters the famous Piggie Burgers – perfectly cooked to your requirements – and just the right portion to fill. I couldnt imagine having a full on hefty main in this place – its famous for the burgers so that's what i always have. Puddings are also various twists on cakes or ice cream desserts but depends really if you have the room! We never do…though they are lovely enough.

My bill for a 2 piggy burgers was a hefty £30 so quite pricey but was definitely a cut above your normal burgers/lunches out. This is not meant in a condescending way but its quite like the Knightsbridge version of GBK but well worth the money – i cant see this losing any of its popularity in the near future and ill definitely be returning.