Category Archives: Restaurant & Hotel Reviews

RIBA Restaurant Review.

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RIBA restaurant at art deco gem 66 Portland Place, London W1

 

I have had many a party at RIBA, it is a wonderful venue. I had never eaten at the restaurant before and was incredibly impressed by the food and the service. No one likes to eat alone so I went to review this restaurant with my friend, New Statesman columnist Nicholas Lezard.

 

The venue is bright and airy, in the summer you can eat outside. There is always a lot going on at RIBA.

 

What I ate.

 

Middle white pork belly

 

Black pudding, quince

 

Jerusalem artichoke and red onion fritters

 

Braised lentils, grilled artichoke hearts

soft poached egg

 

Baby leaf salad, cherry tomatoes, cucumber

 

White chocolate mousse

 

Dark chocolate honeycomb, gold leaf

 

What Nicholas ate:

 

Seared scallops

 

Leeks, candied hazelnuts, black olive powder

 

Braised Yorkshire venison

 

Sautéed girolles, truffled mash, redcurrants

 

Sticky toffee pudding

 

Clotted cream, butterscotch sauce

 

Curly kale, garlic butter

 

The starter comes on black, granite slabs, a touch that I found different and original. They are very good at presentation. My pork belly was done perfectly.

 

The food tasted like heaven, the fritters I had were absolutely delicious. The different consistency of the ingredients of my main meal worked brilliantly. I didn’t know lentils could taste so good. My egg was poached perfectly. The fritters were crispy, as all fritters should be. At first I wasn’t sure how all the ingredients would work together, but they do, beautifully.

 

I had a side salad with my main even though it wasn’t necessarily needed. The main was very filling. I liked that they put balsamic vinegar on my salad. The staff were also attentive and eager to please.

 

My white chocolate mousse was absolutely divine and was a visual treat too.

 

To drink I had port and coca cola. Nicholas had red wine and port.

 

RIBA is a good restaurant, the food is divine, the staff expert and the location incredibly up-market. I highly recommend. I will definitely be eating here again.

 

 

Chor Bizarre Restaurant Review: India transported into the heart of Mayfair.

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London is full of every kind of cuisine you could think of. However, few of these restaurants really give you the true experience of the country they are representing. Chor Bizarre is different. Just as all of the furniture is taken from different parts of India, the cuisine comes not just from one part of the country, but the width and breadth of it.

Chor Bizarre, located on Albermarle Street, Mayfair, captures the infamous Chor Bazaar or thieves market of South Mumbai. The restaurant is a relative Aladdin’s cave, with all the beauty, colourfulness and eclecticism of India.

It’s nothing less than perfection. My starter of Purani Dilliki Papre chaat was a dish both refreshing and spicy – a perfect balanced combination. It’s one of only three dishes on the menu that doesn’t change. It’s Indian street food and a speciality they have had for years.

Next, to a Tandoori special, which had a combination of chicken, salmon, lamb and the biggest prawn I have ever seen in my life. Almost the size of my fist. That was followed with Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Shank, with every dish having just the right amount of spice. And dessert? Tandoori Pineapple. Absolutely delicious with ginger ice-cream.

It is fair to say that the menu has so much good food, it’s almost impossible to choose what to eat. Ask for recommendations instead. The owners are lovely and knowledgeable.

Charles Metcalfe has collaborated with head chef Manpreet Singh Ahuja and they have produced wine to match every dish. In fact, I was incredibly impressed at Chor Bizzarre’s eye for detail.

Very simply, I have completely fallen in love with this restaurant. I’ll be going back again and will also recommend it to all of my friends. The hospitality is first rate, the food is delicious and the staff are first class.

One of the best restaurants in London, if not the best.

Chor Bizarre

One Alfred Place. Restaurant review.

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I love food. Eating out is something I love to do when my purse let’s me. So you can imagine how amazing One Alfred Place must be to reach the very top of my list. I can honestly say that I had one of the best meals I have ever had in London.

The staff in One Alfred Place are pure class. This is no small compliment. I had quite a bad experience with the most appalling staff at the Angus Steak House in Leicester Square. The food was not even up to standard and the bill came to £57.98. The only downside is no dessert. For someone with a sweet tooth it was missed.

[ Editor’s note: One Alfred Place does do dessert. Although this was not in the set menu, it comes highly recommended.]

Eating out in London is extremely expensive. However One Alfred Place is mid-priced. My meal came to £28.12 including service. So, compliment’s to the chef. Below is what I had.

Starter: Saute baby squid, chorizo and shaved fennel salad.

Main: Grilled tuna Nicoise with pink fur potatoes, green beans, baby San Marzano tomatoes & a soft boiled egg.

After: English Breakfast tea.

One Alfred Place. 1 Alfred Place, London, WC1E 7EB

Nearest tube: Goodge Street.

One Alfred Place is a private members bar. Information here: http://www.onealfredplace.co.uk/