London Restaurant Tips by Jenniflower

Brioche Doree: A little French to start the day :) Brioche Doree Review

This little coffee shop has become a Friday tradition for us!

It is a Franch chain, although there they call is 'La Brioche Doree'.

My husband and I usually get to work about an hour earlier than everyone else. Yes, we might sound mad but we enjoy this timealong in the office at this time (get a lot done!), plus it invariably means we have far less traffic coming into work in the morning! We travel in by bus (tired of commuting with tubes and trains), and its a really pleasant experience - going through Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge etc early in the morning.

On a Friday though, we leave even earlier!

Why? So we can have our 'Friday coffee' together to end the week :)

This coffee shop is in Piccadilly Street, close to where I work, and we enjoy coming here.

Favorite Dish: I always have their black coffee, so cannot comment on the other food delights they serve, or hot drinks.

Hubby has tried a range of coffees and their hot choocolate and always enjoyed them

He also tried their pastries (the REAL reason for coming here!haha). He has tried nearly everything that 'goes with coffee' in the form of cakes, croissants and patisseries! Later in the day they do serve cold meat rolls, brioches and sandwiches too (by the time we are there in the morning these have not been made yet).

I have come here once with Andrew (alucas) too, and we sat at the front of the cafe, watching the passers by - usually I sit at the back with my hubby.

The service is always good, albeit a tad slow at times.

Address: Piccadilly Street

Comparison: about average

Directions: It is found btwn Caffe Nero and teh Abbey Bank, across the road from the St James Craft & Antiques Market

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Coffeehouse

22 Below: Lovely cocktail bar for a VT meeting :) 22 Below Review

Woohoo, another VT meeting, organised this time by JulesH, a Londoner born and bred and a great gal to boot!

We were walking along and Jo was SURE we were going in the wrong direction... I wasn't ;).... '22 Below' is a nondecript kinda place, that doesnt have a huge flashing sign outside... if you walk past the chalkboard with it's name on it.. you walk past it! :)

As we started going down the stairs we suddenly heard this chap say ' Are you from VT? Oh yes I recognise you!' haha. That was Pat... 1st to arrive at his 1st VT meeting :)

Decor is trendy and contemporary.. leather couches and dark wood, maroon walls with men in boxes singing away.

Service was good and bathrooms clean, modern and tidy.

Favorite Dish: These were some of the delicious martinis and cocktails they serve 22 below! :)

They are:
French martini
Zombie cocktail
Porn Star cocktail
Watermelon martini

The platters were delicious, full of delectable and moreish food.

Breaded king prawns, Duck spring rolls, Chicken on a skewer, veges on a skewer and quite a few mezes... absolutely delicious... just a pity we had to share it between so many people! haha

Only downer?? VERY smokey after a while. When I got home I stank to high heaven - even my woolen Irish bag stank and I had to wash it :(

Address: 22 Great Marleborough Street W1F 7HU London

Comparison: about average

Directions: Closest tube station: Oxford Circus

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Wine Bar/Wine Tasting

The Anchor Bankside Bar & Restaurant: A South Bank gem :) Anchor Bankside Bar & Restaurant Review

We sat in the non-smoking section (which is located next to the carvery), and thoroughly enjoyed our meals!

I am really glad we came here. I have heard about it and looked forward to trying it out.

This is one of Londons oldest and most historic pubs, it was around during the Great Fire of London in 1666. It itself succumbed to fire later on and was rebuilt in 1676.

We went on a cold and rainy day, so could not sit outside (which is unfortunate, as they have a dedicated decked patio area for the pub that overlooks the Thames!) On a sunny day this must be absolutely fantastic!

They have a big dining room which has gorgeous views over the Thames. They also have a Shakepeare Room which has pine panelling from the 18th century. This room is used mostly for functions and the like.

An interesting titbit of information for film buffs (as film makers love the surrounding area of alley ways...) Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible had a pint of beer outside the Anchor, on the patio.

Favorite Dish: 3 of us had the carvery and one of us cod and chips. The cod was succulent apparently, the chips, salad and peas fine too. Nothing to write home about, but good value for money.

The carveries were the best I thought. There are three choices. Pork, beef or lamb. 2 of us had lamb and 1 had pork. It came with roasted (I love cooking veges this way!) pumpkin and potato, roast potatoes, a good helping of meat, a Yorkshire pudding and a ball of stuffing.

Service was efficient – staff courteous and the manager gave special treatment to my father in law and served his meal himself! :) Not sure why. It just shows that it pays to be friendly and chatty!

Update June 2007:
We recently went again, for a VT meeting. We met up and had a few drinks together, prior to going to dinner at Nandos.. it was a sunny day, perfect for sitting and basking in the sun with a beer and some terrific company... thanks everyone!

Address: Bankend, Bankside SE1

Comparison: about average

Directions: London Bridge is the closest tube station

Phone: 020 7407 1577

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Al Fornos: You after a looooooooong pizza???? Al Fornos Review

What don't I like about this restaurant? It is ALL smoking. They are not interested in anyone needing a non-smoking area, even if there are kids with them, which I think is terrible.

So due to this, I hardly go there at all.

The also play their music too loud, so it's hard to hear one another above the din!

But the food is generally very good.

Favorite Dish: A unique meal that this restaurant makes is a long, oblong shaped pizza.

What I really love is the spinach they pop on top.. not many pizza places do this!

Address: 349 Upper Richmond Rd, Putney SW15 5QJ

Comparison: about average

Directions: Closest train station is Barnes. Located on Upper Richmond Rd toward Putney High Street.

Phone: 020 8878 7522

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 2

Theme: Italian

Outdoor pavement 'cafe' ? :): Hotdogs with the pigeons near the eye!

This is not a proper restaurant, I just thought to mention that when you are doing the touristy thing in and about London, there are many mobile vans that sell hot food.

We got hotdogs from one of these places near the London Eye... and were pleasantly surprised as to how good they were! Fresh rolls, not too much sauce, and a decent tasting vienna!

Just beware of the pigeons though, they are everywhere...

Address: Near the London Eye

Directions: Near the London Eye

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Other

Monzels: Feeling like some HOT curry??? Monzils, Barnes Review

Monzels. Tucked away in Barnes in South West London, this is the best Indian restaurant we have come across in London.

The decor is absolutely awful - pinks and maroons just dont go with gold gilt-framed mirrors... - service is very good, and the food is TOP notch.

Absolutely superb!

A warning re the curry heat though - it is VERY hot! My brother (who is currently living in the States) enjoys hot food and had their vindaloo curry... and LOVED it.

Favorite Dish: We have had a variety of dishes here and never not been sated. The chicken korma and lamb curries are my personal favourites though.

Address: Barnes High Street

Comparison: more expensive than average

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Indian

H20 Floating Restaurant: Dining on the Thames! :) H20 Floating Restaurant, Richmond Review

This restaurant is upmarket, expensive but lovely in summer for that brunch with the girls, or a romantic dinner with your partner.

Service is good, booking essential!

The river is often very busy in summer, and it is great fun sitting here and watching the barges and boats going by.

You can hire a rowboat nearby for a few pounds an hour, so at least you can also have a chance on the river! :)

Favorite Dish: I loved the salad I had, a Caesar salad. I have only been once so am not sure what the other meals are like. My friends seemed to enjoy their meals too.

Continental in flavour, the pastas look great, as do the pizzas.

Next time we go I will try one and give you more feedback :)

Address: Richmond Bridge, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1TM

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: On the bank of the river in Richmond. Richmond main line train station is five minutes walk from H2O.

Other Contact: Contact@H2ORestaurant.biz

Phone: 020 8948 0220

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 4

Theme: Italian

Tootsies: VERY special Tootsies chain! :) Tootsies, Richmond Review

Tootsies is another favourite place to eat. We usually go to the Richmond branch (as in the photo) or the Putney branch, both of them are alongside the river. Tootsies will always hold a special place in my family's heart and here's why :)

On 18 September 2004, I had arranged a surprise birthday party for my sister here. All friends had arrived and drinks were ordered. Then suddenly...my sister-in-law went into labour!!!! Baby wasnt due for another 3 weeks yet so this was a huge surprise! Her waters broke and we all dashed out - us paying for the undrunken drinks - to get her to hospital.

To cut a long story short, we ended up eating Mexican takeouts in the waiting room and baby was born by emergency caesarian section at 10:05pm that night. Baby was breach. The amazing thing was that my brother and his wife dont have a car (as many people in central London dont), and they would not have been able to get to the hospital as quickly as they did had one of friends not been wiht us.. with her car! :)

Baby and ma were fine, and my little niece is living back in South Africa now and is growing into the most beautiful little kid.

Favorite Dish: The burgers are really terrific, lots of salad and good beef in the burger... but our all-time favourites here are the waffles with strawberries and icecream.... they just melt in your mouth :) We even got some blueberries and raspberries with them once!

UPDATE April 2007!
We have been here a couple times since, once with dear friend Kat and her long-time friend Kris, my sister and hubby. We had a wonderful time, service was great, albeit the waitress not knowing what French mustard was... and bringing out 'French's' mustard instead!

We had a variety of burgers between us, and I had chicken skewers with a small portion of ribs, and salad. VERY good food indeed, and the sunset reflected over the Thames was gorgeous, but the company topped it all :)

Address: Hotham House, Richmond Riverside TW9 1EJ

Comparison: about average

Directions: Various branches, this one is on the Richmond river bank.

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: American

Chakalaka!: South African traditional fare Chakalaka, Putney Review

This restaurant used to be called 'Madiba'... until Madiba's own lawyer phoned the owner and asked him to change it... Nelson Mandela's nickname is not copyrighted but they are trying to protect it from any kind of overuse or possible abuse.

Hence the birth of 'Chakalaka'!

This restaurant is top notch... the food, decor, service... and *gulp* the prices. But for a special occasion (ours was Christmas Eve dinner), it is worth every penny! To eat traditonal South African food whilst listening to traditional South African music, with wildlife paintings on the walls... I was in heaven! haha

Favorite Dish: This place is expensive and we only come here on special occasions, but for the ambiance and home-from-home feeling, those extra few £ are worth it.

UPDATE February 2009

They have a special running for *recession times*, which is two courses plus a glass of wine/beer for £15. This is a good price for this restaurant, which is usually quite expensive!

I have been to this restaurant three times since December 2008, the first being for a Christmas meal with my sister and hubby, which was fabulous. Service was top notch, food was delicious (crocodile skewers, kudu steaks, milk tarts and peppermint surprises!), and there was a complimentary round of Springbok shooters!

On Thursday 29 January (2009) we went again for a little pre-birthday celebration with my sil from Kent, the food was great for the others (they had steaks and spatchcock chickens), I had oxtail potjie, which is a naturally fatty meat, which I didn't enjoy. They gave us two rounds of complimentary springbok shooters (the owner's initiative!). We had a waiter who's first night it was, so service wasn't what I am used to here unfortunately.

Last night (4 Feb 2009) I was there with a few girlfriends and I have to say it was the worse I have ever experienced there. I wasn't happy with the service and the overall evening, although I did enjoy my crocodile skewers, spare ribs (hubby enjoyed his share too!), and whisky dom pedro!

There were no complimentary springbok shooters and it just wasn't up to par, with haphazard waitering, plus being sat near the door with an icy wind every few minutes as people came and went. Because of this I have changed my rating to 'satisfied', taking into account my past experiences, which have all been very good. Maybe they just had a bad night? I hope so.

They seem to have the better staff on the weekends I have concluded, if the last few meals are anything to go by... and service is also always better when the owner is there.

Address: 136 Upper Richmond Rd SW15 2SP Putney

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Travel: East Putney tube

Phone: 020 8789 5696

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 3

Theme: African

Thai Square, Putney Bridge: Tremendous Thai! Thai Square, Putney Bridge Review

The Royal Institute of Architecture, the Wandsworth Corporation and the American Institute of Architecture have each given this restaurant an award for its stylish and sleek design.

There are eight buddha figures scattered here and there, which continue with the Thai theme.

It is a feature of Putney now, lying alongside the Thames river. A beautiful piece of architecture in a beautiful part of Greater London.

During the day it is an upmarket and quiet haven for lunch, during the evening an occasional venue for special birthdays (like my sister's!) in the upstairs restaurant, with a bar that moves onto being a night club downstairs.

Favorite Dish: We have eaten here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, and both times have been thoroughly enjoyable!

For lunch we had a platter and a salad... and loved it. No room for dessert! The restaurant was quiet (mid week), and we had a lovely table overlooking the Thames river. But then nearly all the tables overlook the river! :)

For dinner we had the Mixed Golden Seafood Starter, which we shared btwn three of us (altho should have only been two!), there was so much. Variety of nice little goodies! With the likes of mixed seafood satays, prawns dressed up, crab claw tempura and Thai fish cakes.

For our main we had the Gang Dang (Red Curry). With a choice of beef (we had this!), chicken, or prawn; red curry uses dried long red chillies and is not so hot (is 2 chillies worth, not 3 as some of the green curries are). Cooked in coconut milk with bamboo shoots, lime leaves and garnished with shredded red chillies. This was very tasty and tangy!

For dessert I had a Pyramide Chocolat Blanc, which is a white chocolate ice cream, covered with cocoa powder and decorated with white chocolate slabs in the shape of a pyramid! I felt like a tomb raider :) Absolutely delicious!!!

Hubby had the Lemon Cheesecake, which is a smooth, creamy cheese with freshly squeezed lemon juice on a digestive biscuit base, topped with lemon zest and icing sugar. I had a taste and it was also yummy!

In most Eastern restaurants we dine at they usually only offer their traditional type desserts which are not usually to our liking, so to find some desserts that we can enjoy is lovely. We do sometimes like to be daring and try new desserts, but too often we haven't enjoyed them and just want something plainer, like ice cream or cheesecake. Here they have that, but they dress it so well!!!

The only thing I would not have here again is the strawberry dacquiri.. it was delicious... but cost £7,50!!!

Service is quiet and unobtrusive. Highly recommended restaurant!

Address: 2-4 Lower Richmond Rd, Putney SW15 1LB

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Putney Bridge, Putney side

Phone: (0)208 8780 1811

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Website: http://www.thaisquare.net/