HP's Reviews

Fish Central is a great place if you need to impress guests with your local knowledge. The setting is hardly picturesque…the restaurant nestles on the edge of a concrete plaza surrounded by high rises but inside is inviting, bright and bustly. Most of the clientele are local – no tourists, lots of family groups and always a number of cabbies. The banter between other diners and the waiting staff give you the surreal impression of being on set of some Italian gangster film…the Cypriot mafia, if there is such a thing! The menu is a decent length and there are always specials, reassuring in a restaurant where the emphasis is on the catch of the day. The straight forward fish dishes let you choose how you want it cooked (from grilled to battered) and there are a number of sides, from bead and butter to mushy peas. There is something to suit all budgets, from cod and chips to sole and lobster and the prices are to be reckoned with.

La Taqueria offers a refreshing and decent array of mexican 'street' fare and a great place to stop for lunch. The tacos have a range of decent fillings (meat, fish, shellfish and vegetarian) and there are a few more substantial dishes such as enchiladas, huevos rancheros etc. to choose from. The refried beans and fried plantain were particularly memorable and everything looked and tasted fresh and felt relatively healthy! A more interesting and perhaps more authentic alternative to the other more 'tex mex' openings in London.

A hidden gem round the back of Covent Garden, Grape Street is a great place to escape the hoardes of tourists and impress people with your local knowledge. The wide variety of sensibly priced wine is the bar's real selling point but the food (modern European) is also good and well worth stopping in for; starters, mains and home made desserts are all at a set price (eg. mains at £6.95) and portions plentiful. There is also a daily specials boards and a good choice of cheese for those that want to graze and drink. The use of the waxed paper tablecloths do seem unnecessary and give the place a less sophisticated air…but maybe this adds to the charm?

Considering the number of good Thai restaurants in London, it's hard to find one that stands out but Siam Central does just that. There is a wide range of 'tapas' / starter dishes and the mains cover the usual Thai mainstays as well as some more original dishes. Our meal there last night was very good; salt & pepper squid was both light and tender and the chilli and basil chicken stir fry had exactly the right amount of heat, without overpowering the delicate flavours of the dish. The drunken noodles also come highly recommended! This was our second visit and we will definitely return soon.