Jan's Reviews

went for my birthday in september after hearing raving reviews from my wife and others.

thoroughly disappointed.

To begin, we arrived at 7.30 on a Thursday and were told that the days special, suckling pork, which I was looking forward to was already finished along with two other mains. Starters were boring and uneventful: some buffalo mozzarella (in itself quite good quality) lacked any kind of dressing (i.e. a bit of good olive oil perhaps?) and looked a picture of biblical desolation amidst four quarters of unpeeled figs. The other starters were so uneventful I can't even remember them. No to the mains: one of us had roast pork. It was overcooked, dry, and the apple sauce seemed sourced from McDonald's apple pie; my filet was both overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside (I had asked for medium done) as well as being oversalted. At this point we needed to remind ourselves of the restaurant's name and the fact that they ‘specialise’ in meat. ahem.

Atmosphere was amazing if you're the kind of person who enjoys the company of testosterone-heavy bankers who roll over London Bridge in droves to this establishment to spend corporate cash. Extremely loud but devoid of any good atmosphere, which is in itself an achievement, surely.

The only redeeming feature was the service: attentive, but unintrusive and friendly.

Verdict: if you're at borough market during the day join the queue of tourists and office louts for the roast takeaways which are good value and frankly tastier than a sit down meal upstairs. If you want quality meat go to Hawksmoor et al.

Went to Colchis for my wife's birthday (on a Tuesday) and was not disappointed!

Absolutely impeccable starters: the aubergine really stood out for flavour and texture amongst the assorted pkhali; the khinkali (dumplings) were cooked well, sumptuous and fragrant; the khachapuri, however, was slightly idiosyncratic (more like pizza dough than what we are used to, but nonetheless tasty).

The mains of chankhi lamb stew and baby chicken in Georgian spices were cooked to perfection; full of flavours but surprisingly not too heavy. The side of ghomi with cheese was rich and wholesome, perfect for the winter months.

The meal didn't really need a dessert, but we did treat ourselves to a delicious pear and apple concoction that was delectable and very kindly illuminated by a pair of celebratory birthday candles (thanks!).

In terms of drinks, the Saperavi 2004 Georgian red was a welcome change from the usual French, italian, Spanish etc wines and I can only recommend it! Likewise commendable is the Georgian Borjomi water, which, with its rather ‘salty’ mineral-rich flavour, is somewhat of an acquired taste, but definitely worth a try. The whole meal was rounded off by a chacha (Georgian grappa).

Overall very good and charming restaurant. Definitely a place for repeat visits with or without the wife!