Kazan Cafe

Kazan Café
Wilton Road
£20
When this was Caramel it was the first brunch review we did. Now it is operating under the Kazan banner and what’s not to like? We went on a Sunday morning and it was busy but still had a nice relaxed atmosphere. Nobody was trying to rush us. I had an orange, carrot and ginger juice. You feel healthy just thinking about it and even MP admitted that the ginger gives a good kick. I was thrilled to see that BLT with fries was under the healthy eating section. Who are they kidding? Maybe it is all relative – anyway I had it! I’m getting a bit ciabatta’d out so I was pleased that it was just ordinary toast filled with BL and T. The mayo had a mustard taste and it was just what I wanted. Washed down with green tea and I’d like to think that we won’t need to eat again for days. But of course we will and now we know that Kazan café does a great brunch. HP

Gee, a brilliant clear day in London and we went out for breakfast. Kazan Café is situated on a corner and the light flooded in. I knew what I was going to have even before we arrived: pot of black tea and an omelet. Most omelets you get two filling and I was pleased to see that I could have three. I went for bacon, cheese and olives. I was a bit disappointed that I only got a mug of tea. The omelet when it did arrive looked good. The fries and the side salad were also tempting. I find that most restaurants when they cook with olives usually have black ones. My omelet had a mix so a bit of a plus. The bacon was also properly cooked and not at all limp. OK, the critique is that the omelet was slightly dry. The fries were crispy (good) and the side salad did have a slight Turkish hint which I think reflects well on the place and expected given the owners also run a Turkish restaurant.

Thai Cafe

Thai Café
22 Charlwood
£37

We have been meaning to try this place for ages. MP has been traveling so we were blown off course but here we are eating again! This place gets busy so we got here early. We both had the spicy mushroom soup we love – tom yum hed is just about the only dish we would both choose because we usually eat differently. It was a good soup. I liked the tomato in it. MP doesn’t always like that touch but I didn’t hear any complaints. I like noodles so I went for the dark version pad thiew rather than pad thai for a change. So egg fried noodles, veg and prawns – a great combination. I really enjoyed it but didn’t have room for any more since it was filling. Lots of fizzy water and we walked home feeling very happy. HP

I’ll say I have been traveling. And you are right, we have been meaning to try this place for some time. We went the week before but, surprise, the place was stuffed. Clearly a good sign and it made us more determined. This time we went early arriving at about 6pm. The tom yum hed was a quick choice by both of us and then our paths diverged. I was still itching for something spicy. I went for the chili squid salad. I asked the friendly staff about the salad and how hot it was and then encouraged them to make it just a bit hotter. I was not disappointed. I was however on fire. The ingredients were fresh and the squid well prepared. The chili was an exquisite for of hell for the tongue, so in an odd sense I was happy. MP

Sri Suwoon

Sri Suwoon
44 Hugh Street
$47

This used to be the Blue Jade but it has ceased to be, it is an ex-restaurant. They cleaned up the interior, painted and brought in new chairs. Enough of the décor, we are interested in food. I started with Tom Yum Hed. This was a well done soup – not a tomato in sight as some restaurants are want to add to the soup. Also, they were pretty adventurous with the mushrooms, using two types. For the main, I had one of my favorite Thai dishes, which was not on the Blue Jade’s menu, Sia Rong hi. I was disappointed. It was actually sweet instead of spicy, even when you added the sauce. The veg was fresh and well cooked though and I think there are plenty of things on the menu to go after aside from this dish. MP

I had already been once to this restaurant but when MP returned from Canada we decided to give it a whirl. We both had our favourite soup and I would put it down as one of the best recipes we’ve tried. MP’s tiger cry arrived with lovely presentation but I hardly paid any attention because I was face down in a prawn red curry, which was sweet and very delicious. Loads of prawns, aubergine, French beans and pineapple washed down with egg fried rice and I couldn’t eat another thing. I had lashings of fizzy water and MP hit the singha. I see they do take aways so it makes me think about working my way through the menu. I like a challenge! HP

Great Eastern Indian Dining

Great Eastern Indian Dining
Sussex St
£35

It was a Friday night and we’d both had a killer week. Only a curry would do. This was our first visit to the Indian restaurant which is closest to home (we never get there because we always end up in Contented Vine). I had been a bit put off by the fact that it was underground but the fact you couldn’t see it from the street shouldn’t be a deterrent. There were a few people in and it all smelt good. We had spicy papadams as well as the usual. Not spicy enough for Meaty but worth a try. Despite the lack of spice issue I noted that MP had dodged the worst excesses of vindaloo (or worse) so I am pleased to report there were no ‘repercussions’ to this meal. Meanwhile, I plumped for my favourite veggie biryani. All good. I liked the rice and the sauce was nice and full of a random selection of vegetables which kept me happy. We didn’t have room for yummy Indian ice cream which is a shame but the bill swept in with After Eight mints and I was very pleased we’d come. I think they do take-aways so it is a useful ‘local’.
HP


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I agree with HP that it’s a bit disconcerting that it is downstairs. In any event, when we went down there was cheerful noise and chatter. The waiter was exceptionally attentive and event put up with my silly questions. Is vindaloo hot? Do you have beer? Oh, on that front, I went for a chicken balti. Great choice on my part: flavour, heat, depth which were an excellent compliment to a beer. Highly recommended for those who like flavour and the ability to notice their tongue at the end of the meal. I know I will be back, evn if its just for a cheeky take-away on a rainy eve. MP

Flying Pigs in Hong Kong

Flying Pigs
Hong Kong

We haven’t reviewed a Pimlico eatery for a couple of weeks because we have been avoiding the worst of the British Winter with an escape to Honkers. Needless to say that we were in hog heaven as far as foodie opportunities were concerned. The time passed too fast to get nostalgic for the tastes of home but if we ever did there is always Stanley where you can find good chips and a lovely cake shop called Saffron. We were staying in Kowloon which is virtually a food mall for fantastic Asian food. We pigged out at noodle bars, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian. There were many and varied foodie adventures eg Meaty eating vegetarian (and enjoying it) at a Buddhist monastery. We also had some seriously memorable meals – the cruise and dine at the Peninsular is on until March 2011 so we were pleased to get our snouts in that particular trough and highly recommend it. But my piece of piggy heaven was when we went to a wonderful dim sum restaurant on Observatory Road – it makes me realise what a pale imitation everything we’ve tried here has been. Yummy! We owe that lovely treat to our erstwhile Pimlico neighbour who we hope to welcome back to SW1 for a bit of guest reviewing before too long. HP.

Indeed there was food for all and at exceptionally reasonable prices. The noodle bar on Granville Road was such a success we went back twice. You can order your type of noodle, what veg you want in it, how sour and how spicy. I went for very medium spicy which is a nice way of saying 7/10 on their scale. If I went hotter I would have lost colour vision. The dim sum was divine. So many excellent examples of tasty parcels I would go back in a heart beat. Now, to get to the food mall as HP puts it on Hau Fook Road we went through a little alley way that served up frozen yogurt with ‘house crumbs’ as a toping. I will post a picture. The Peninsula was a stunning evening of a harbour cruise and a three course meal that was just lovely. What HP did not say was that we went down to a hotel bar for some drinks. In a mad decision I choose a ginger gimlet. HP had a strawberry on the rim of her cocktail glass and I had some exotic fruit. I chomped on the fruit in only to discover that it was no fruit but a peeled slice of raw ginger. I am certain my liver, or kidney or some other essential organ will benefit…my tongue sure suffered. MP

The Marquis

The Marquis
£27
Everytime we go past this pub we have an argument about how to say the name. It is one of those tomato tomayto things where one of us says it like a member of the British aristocracy and the other says it like a big tent used for weddings and circuses. Anyway we had to put this squabble behind us and sailed in for an early Saturday evening pub dinner. MP was not optimistic and the menu isn’t particularly long but I saw lots of things I fancied. I went for the (large) veggie platter. It was one of those things where it might have said ‘serves 4’ but fortunately didn’t so I had a guilt free treat. Just lots of yummy things – humus, chips, veggie pancakes, onion bhajis, artichoke, grilled halloumi and (toasted) pitta. Really pleased about the toasted pitta because it tastes so much better warm and garlicky. MP did frequent raids on the chips and cheese and is definitely up for a meaty platter next time. The pub was busy so we were lucky to get a table (a few yapping sloanies next to us but everyone was very friendly and the service was good). MP ordered the wrong beer and had platter-envy but we both had a nice time. HP


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So we went off the Marquis (pronounced Mar-kee) despite what HP says. It was rather cold and threatening rain so relatively happy that it was close by. (is anything not close by in Pimlico?) We went in and got the last table. The place was heaving and had a really fun atmosphere. They have some pretty funky wall paper on two of the walls. OK, on to food and drink. I ordered 1664. Acceptable beer but I find it a bit too hoppy and sweet. Only after I ordered and it arrived that I learned they had Staropramen which is a much fuller, richer beer befitting a cold evening. I ordered a plate of chilli con carne and rice. I saw the platters, but went chilli instead. It was served up quick, hot and tasty. The chilli tasted like it was made on the site as opposed to a canned product. You can tell by the kidney beans. They are firm and not all mushy and watery. In fact it did not take me too long to get through it all and then move on to HP’s platter. Frequently we (read MP) get competitive when ordering. I will say something like “I won” after we have ordered as I subjectively compare what we have ordered. In this case I lost. The platter was really good. I liked the thin and crispy fries and the grilled halloumi was a treat. I am going back and this time I am ordering a platter. Then HP and MP will be 1-1 in the competitive ordering stakes at the Mar-kee. MP

Kym's

It has taken MP quite a long time to recover from the Trip of 100 Chinese Banquets but now that the recovery is complete we were able to head to this Chinese restaurant that we hadn’t visited before. And very nice it was too. On this occasion we really lived up to our Piggy name because we started with 2 starters each. MP was adventurous as ever with jelly fish and scallops whereas I was very boring with prawn sesame toast and veggie pancakes. I love the toast because it takes me back to my childhood before we knew what cholesterol was and regularly had fried bread with a full English breakfast. The toast helping was generous and better still it hadn’t gone all dried up like it can if the restaurant isn’t on form. The pancakes were probably too big even for this little piggy so MP had to help me out and pronounced it a non greasy example of the art. So thumbs up for the starters. I wanted a main I hadn’t had before so I had scampi Peking style. I love scampi and the Peking bit was a clear sauce with ginger and garlic so I was very happy with my choice. It is a big menu so something for everyone in nice surroundings with the offer of health giving teas to follow. Will definitely come back. HP


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I think we were the first guests that evening. The staff were very attentive, soft spoken and very pleasant. Having had jellyfish in a recent trip to China, I though I would see how they do it in England. Excellent. Crunchy (now what you would expect with a name like jellyfish) and a wonderful ginger flavour. The scallops were also very good. In fact I should have had more. They were perfectly cooked, tender in the centre and with soya and green onions adding a bit of zip.
For the main I ordered beef with black bean sauce. I would have liked a bit more spice to the dish. That was probably my mistake in ordering because there was a lot to choose from and I chose something I didn’t really fancy. Having said that, it was still good. Now, the unfortunate part is the fortune cookie. I read it, but having forgot its contents I cannot tell if it came true or not. I guess we will just have to go back. MP

New Jomuna

New Jomuna
Wilton Road
£30
We hadn’t had an Indian meal for a while so I was ready. There was a very long menu so no excuse not to find something to like. But the décor isn’t quite right – pastel colours and Jack Vettriano prints so we were on the verge of thinking we’d strayed into an Italian bistro - but then the carpet is red so it must be ok. We munched our way through four popadams while MP got stuck into a large bottle of kingfisher. Then I went for my old favourite veggie biryani and it was bloody good. I didn’t get through all the rice (not for the lack of trying). What I really love about veggie biryani is that they just sling in any passing vegetables – in this case lots of broccoli which I really like – so it is a pimlico interpretation of Indian food. Fab. HP



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Why I look at the menu is beyond me. Of course this means that I have to have Sunday off. The order of the day is chicken vindaloo and pilau rice. First bite is always mild and the only one I can taste. The heat builds predictably but not painfully. This time around I did not break a sweat. I had a bottle of Kingfisher which I get conflicting reports on its heat fighting efficacy. Some tell me to let the tongue burn, others insist on beer. I’ll take the beer. Before leaving I asked the waiter if they make faal. With a knowing and appreciative he said they do. I will go back and order with out looking at the meun. Faal is never on the menu

The Warwick

Sole Mio

Sole mio
Belgrave Road?
£45

The thing that caught Meaty’s eye was the 1980s supercar poster that every teenager had in their bedroom. And it is still here! The décor is not a tribute to the 80s it IS the 1980s. We arrived early on a Saturday evening and there was a regular flow of customers so they must be doing something right and one of the good things was that the prices are almost 80s – especially the booze which might not be the stuff of legend but they certainly weren’t ripping anyone off. We had very generous starters off the specials board. Mine was calamari with a generous dollop of tartar sauce. MP stormed through some very large grilled sardines - they got good reviews. For the main I was on home-made fussili with veggies. Very delicious and I saw that they also did gluten free pasta which is great news for our mates with allergies. We don’t eat out for the décor so we’d definitely come again and look forward to swooping in for a take away pizza soon. HP


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This was fun and a complete throwback to the 80’s. I will forgive them for not having a poster of The Gipper. That would be Ronald Regan to you. When we walked in the first thing I saw was a poster of three cars which I asked HP to ID. Failure. FYI they was a Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 308 (think Magnum PI) and a Porsche 959. Ok, food. I had the sardines to start. I had this before so I am getting adept at critique. There were three of the grilled critters. They were really good; fresh, slightly salty and perfectly cooked so much so that you could filet them. I then moved onto the main which, oddly for me was a pasta dish. I wanted spice and I had arrabiatta or something like that spelling. Al dente and full of flavour. Damn, I am good at ordering. This was a fun family run restaurant and we will go back. What is even better is that they do pizza for a takeaway and considering that Dominoes knows what we order before we do this is a welcomed bit of competition. MP

Giraffe

Giraffe
Wilton Road
£20

Saturday morning breakfast. We were about to go on an expedition shopping mission so a fuel stop at Giraffe was called for to build up MP’s strength (MP is not a keen shopper). There aren’t many chains in Pimlico and Giraffe is a relative newcomer that seems to be going down well. I had a breakkie bap with fried egg and veggie sausage. I have to confess the veggie sausage isn’t as good as Caramel’s but it was still very nicely done with a bonus of potato wedges. I also caffeined up with green tea. MP got the wrong sort of egg but the waitress was so keen to apologise and make amends that it would be very mean to hold this against them. HP
Meaty got a Mexican thing and was still digesting it 3 days later. Result!


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Boy did I get a Mexican thing. It’s called a Mexican omelette. I think its more akin to a Mexican pizza; tortilla on the bottom, fried egg, cheese, peppers, olives etc and then I had to add some hot sauce. I was in a spicy mood and the sauce really helped. Now, I got the wrong egg. The Mexican pizza really called for scrambled and I got fried. This was not the waitress’ responsibility. I told her to yell at the cook. I followed that up by saying that if I could not hear her, her tip was in jeopardy…your tell me what happened.

Oh, I was digesting for several hours…like til dinner. MP


OK google messed up. It really is behind the building condom...go there you'll see

Giraffe

Wilton Road

Saturday morning breakfast. We were about to go on an expedition shopping mission so a fuel stop at Giraffe was called for to build up MP’s strength (MP is not a keen shopper). There aren’t many chains in Pimlico and Giraffe is a relative newcomer that seems to be going down well. I had a breakkie bap with fried egg and veggie sausage. I have to confess the veggie sausage isn’t as good as Caramel’s but it was still very nicely done with a bonus of potato wedges. I also caffeined up with green tea. MP got the wrong sort of egg but the waitress was so keen to apologise and make amends that it would be very mean to hold this against them. HP

Preto

Wilton Road
£60

I cannot recall if there was more rain or more meat on my plate. I probably had a slice or two of each type of grilled, rotisseried, broiled, backed meat they had for every rain drop there was. This is a really fun place to go with a few very hungry and carnivorous friends. I thought I went there hungry but after about 30 min I hurt like I ate Christmas dinner. The beef is really good as is the bacon wrapped chicken. Then there is the marinated beef which is really good. How do you get all of this? Simple, sit down, put the little disk on green (green for go) and then a man with a large skewer comes round and carves off some of the latest to come off the grill. Before you know it, then next man with a skewer and large knife is by your table carving the next bit of grilled wonderfulness. My only issue, sometimes it’s a spot salty. Speaking of which, I had one beer with my meal. Really, that is all I could mange. I had to clean my plate before the next skewer came round. Eat, sip, eat, eat, si...not quite, eat. Well, you get the idea. Go, but go hungry. Oh, there is a salad bar with some green things available. Why bother. Cows eat enough greens then you get to the cow…MP

Normally ‘as much as you can eat’ restaurants lose money if they feed piggies like us so Preto is dicing with death. We went early and watched a monsoon outside. I had fizzy water and MP drank Malbec. Meaty went for the endless meat option and I stuck with the buffet. I really liked the buffet – there’s a salady bit which I grazed around for starters. Then I got stuck into rice with all sorts of bits and pieces. The fried onion rings were a big hit with both of us and I also pigged out on the beans and broccoli and cheese. They don’t hassle you so we took our time and showed that we can eat quite a lot but Preto was upto the challenge. We were entertained by a video of a latin American diva but left before the live music – which looked like it was going to be far better than the usual! HP

Seafresh

Seafresh
80-81 Wilton Road
£60
16 July

I must admit, me and the old plant of fish and chips don’t get along. In fact, every time I have had it, its done me damage. On this occasion I chose wisely. I started with pan fried scallops which were really well done. They were tender and flavourful with some garlic and olive oil. I then went on to order grilled sardines. The dish came with four, but to be honest, I think three would have been sufficient because of their size. In any event, they were perfectly grilled. I ate everything but the heads. I am certainly going back. Also, a special word about service. I think in this very busy restaurant there may have only been four front of house staff. They were quick, organised and efficient. MP



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I was very surprised that MP suggested this because of the dire after-effects of previous attempts on fish and chips. But we steamed in and the place was packed and there was a lively atmosphere. The scallops were one of the pricier dishes on the menu but they were worth every penny so we were just about licking the dish after that. Our waitress talked MP into trying the bottled beer from Cyprus and it went down very well. I had scampi and chips for my main. One of my fave dishes and it didn’t disappoint. Our waiter just said “tell us if you want more chips” which was quite dangerous really but we had more than enough and no room for pudding. I’ve been there for a take-away but I now know that MP has got over prejudice over this place so we’ll be back. Good night out. HP

Dim T

Dim T
53 – 56 Wilton Street
£33

Just across from a Starbucks is an unassuming late 80’s building with a purple look to it. In side you will find a very calming décor of running fountains some rock walls and even a wooden hand. However, given that it was the second hottest day in London we sat outside as I think did every one else. I ordered spicy edamame as a nibbler. They were tasty and stayed on the table til the very end. They were not that hot, just an upgrade from soya and rock salt. One thing I was not fond of was my fingers getting a mess. I also ordered two dim sum dishes. The rationale is flavour not a lot of bulk. I choose spicy beef and chicken with wasabi. They arrived at some point in time and then at some other point in time the sake arrived. The service was not great unfortunately. However, the dim sum was good. Little parcels perfectly steamed and at only £3.65 per dish very good value. I liked them so much I followed up the order with chicken with Asian vegetables and port with shrimp. On a return trip, which I would make, I think I would concentrate more on the chicken than the pork. Hopefully the new staff members are better trained by then. MP


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It was a gorgeous summer evening so we sat out on the street and enjoyed fresh air and people watching. I haven’t had Chinese food for a while so I was very keen to try dim t for the first time. I kicked off with veggie springrolls with chilli dip. They were very good – not like the grease-fest we once had in china town. I had a tom yum noodle bowl with prawns. It was lovely but armed with chopsticks and a big wooden spoon it took me forever to get through so I was grateful for MP ordering bits and pieces at various times – MP’s service issues didn’t really get in the way of my enjoyment. I tried the lemonade and mint but made the mistake of trying a bit of MP’s warm sake so I lost the sense of taste for a while. I was completely spoilt for choice on the menu so I would like to come back to try more. HP

Spicy World

Spicy World
Wilton Rd
18 June 2010
£41

I have a head cold and the football is killing me so we decide to seek consolation in spicy world. As far as the interior is concerned it is a palace of red-ness but we aren’t there to eat the décor so we launched into the very ample menu and were spoilt for choice. We nibbled popadoms and Meaty hit the draught beer. I went for a Nepalese aubergine dish with veggie rice. I loved my aubergine but MP says ‘eggplant’ is a mistake. I couldn’t finish the rice but MP had a lot of dishes and just added it to the pile of goodies. We will definitely be back to pig our way through more of this menu – preferably when I haven’t eaten for a while. HP



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Yes, it is red inside. And unusually, the bathrooms are upstairs. OK, now down to food. The menu is extensive and tends to go by geographic region, India, Pakistan, Nepal, northeast, west, south etc…so if you have fond memories of a gap year or your last long haul then this is a good stopping place. Usual starter or three poppadoms and assorted chutney. Normally there is a spicy one with mushroom in it. On this occasion it was similar but had, what I think were large capers in there that gave a good salty kick. And instead of a cool refreshing mint sauce, there was a different one. I am at a loss for the flavouring but it did go well with the onions. For my main I went for a garlic, chilli chicken. No, this was not a Chinese restaurant but it’s a number 33 on the menu. It came with some pilau rice, a bowl of chickpeas and a garlic sauce and nan bread. Normally I go for something with a bit more kick but this worked really well. Great flavours, bit of garlic and some heat but not too much says the pig who orders off menu just to get some heat. I would go back for this dish. But it would be difficult to choose it because there are so many others to choose from and if this is anything to go by, then you could spend a lot a good evenings there. Two kingfisher just to round out the bill. MP

PS: Sorry about the bus in the map, but it really is behind that bus but I think the red of the bus gives you an idea of the interior colour scheme

The Queen's Arms

The Queen’s Arms
Warwick Way
13th June 2010
£55

We’ve only done a couple of pubs on our gastronomic tour of Pimlico so it was time to head for the Queen’s Arms. This pub has had the gastro treatment and the menu lives upto the décor. I went for the mussels with a side order of big chunky chips. The mussels were really big and juicy and I really liked the salty creamy sauce. I think if there was French bread on offer I would have been in hog heaven but as it was I was slurping up the juice with a fork – so sophisticated! I followed up with a chocolate lava pudding which was one of those molten things that everyone loves – Meaty approved my choice due to the classy vanilla ice-cream sitting on the top of the little volcano of indulgence. The cost is accounted for by a £25 bottle of black, yes black, shiraz which got the thumbs up. There was big screen footie but it wasn’t obtrusive so you can avoid the sport and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a friendly pub. Queen’s arms we embrace you. HP



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It a good looking pub on the inside and can easily be a drinking or an eating pub in a very relaxed and cool atmosphere. I ordered a burger with fries. This time I thought I was a champion as I requested the bun be toasted as I have learned from earlier disasters. The perky waitress said they are toasted and bounced away. Aside from a bowl of crispy fries with the burger I could not stop myself when I saw Head Over Heals black shiraz. It did exactly what it said on the label…it was a very dark near black purple. I could more than holds its own against the burger and the several spoonfuls of mustard I put on it. Since there was wine left post burger, I ordered up a plate of cheese from Rippon Cheese. I said plate. I don’t want crackers, mince or anything else, just a plate and some cheese on top of it. The waiter said how do you eat your cheese then. Chew then swallow. If you are in the area, then you should also try to get to Rippon Cheese Shoppe. They are literally just around the corner and have some really very good cheese and things to go with…but not many plates for sale. Don’t let the bill put you off. Half of it was my bottle of wine. MP

Goya

Goya
Lupus Street
£43

Still occupied by builders we decided to go for a leisurely lunch. The weather was Mediterranean so it seemed like an excuse for tapas. We spent 2 hours and got tapas dishes in twos so that we could take our time and graze. I think we chose well – tortilla is always a favourite standard fare but we always aim for a couple of things we’ve never had so artichoke and ham was a winner. Meaty got me into piementos so lots of them plus some octopus in paprika. I eyed some very delectable apple strudel when I arrived but they had run out so we had manchega and still felt contentedly full. It feels authentic and appropriately unhurried so I can’t think of a nicer way of spending a couple of hours on a sunny Saturday. HP


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OK, I am not a great fan of lazy lunches and letting time slide languidly by, however, as there are builders, painters and sanders in the house, its time to get out. We saunter down to Lupus street, check out a small hardware store for supplies to aid in the inevitable clean-up. After the hardware store we make it to a busy Goya. Most of the patrons are outside getting slowly roasted under a British sun. We go in. Its much more pleasant as a breeze goes in one door and out the other. A couple fans spin over head. The walls are a lightly burnt ochre and accented with a terracotta wainscoting. The bar is well stocked (even the menu says so). This is the most Spanish I have heard since being in Spain and that is by the patrons; OK the staff speak it too. Artichoke with ham, and fried jalapeños start the first round. Remember, we had to take up some time until the builders absquatulate some time around 5pm. Oh, I ordered a Castarel. Oh my, that was delightful. Make sure to have some rock or sea salt on the jalapeños. Next, order another beer. Wait a few minutes and watch the locals out order us. Round two was octopus with paprika and the Spanish tortillia. Both were good. I can quite easily see myself sitting at the bar, ordering many dishes and a bottle of red on a Saturday. It would be fun and I know I will do it…I’ll keep you posted. MP.

Paradise

Paradise Indian Restaurant
5 Denbigh Street
£35

There are 2 reasons we don’t eat Indian food more often. Firstly MP is still in love with his fave Indian restaurant but it’s in Covent Garden. Secondly Meaty often has vindaloo (or worse) so we have to have periods of gastric recovery before our next meal. Anyway when our flat was in chaos due to renovation by a crack squad of Poland’s finest it seemed like the situation called for an Indian meal. The Paradise was est 1965 which makes it a venerable institution and it was busy with a mixture of regulars and tourists. The papadams were light and tasty and I had my veggie biryani (it is my favourite Indian dish and I love the fact that it is different everywhere you go) which had lovely rice. In honour of the vaguely summery weather I followed with kulfi (Indian ice-cream) and it was all excellent. Attentive service and yummy food – fantastic end to a busy week at work. HP


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It had to happen that we ate at an Indian restaurant. Yes, I do have a favourite in Covent Garden and there will be the inevitable comparisons. We ordered three poppadoms which were good, but I must say that the spicy mushroom, while good, could have been better. Also, the onion and herb did not have a lot of herb. Onto the main which arrived after two bottles of Tiger beer. I ordered, as I always do, vindaloo (chicken) and pilau rice. When our waiter returned with the dish, the smell was fantastic and HP made some mention about spicy. I asked the waiter, do you do ‘fall’ which as I understand it, it’s the hottest Indian dish going and it’s typically not on the menu. He said of course with a devilishly wicked grin. So, the vindaloo. Spicy, a decent amount of tomato and moist. Typically I have the first fork full and think, I can eat this no problem. I get about half way though and notice that I am getting a bit warm and sweat is starting to accumulate on my temples and just under my eyes. Then, the waiter returns with the ‘fall’ sauce. I get right in putting two spoonfuls into the rice. It was dryer, smokier and not as sweet as the vindaloo. By the time I am done the vindaloo and about 1/3 of the fall, I am a bright pink and my skin is leaking. I did take my time cooling off with a couple more beers. For this I am sorry. There were other people coming in to the restaurant and had to be turned away. Its popular, busy and a friendly staff, even if they take a perverse delight watching me self immolate.
For a quick Indian, I am going to go back. If I am on a mission to have an Indian, I am going to Covent Garden. MP

About Thyme

About Thyme
82 Wilton Road
£87

It was a beautiful late spring early summer in London (finally). We wanted a place that would compliment the weather. So off we went to About Thyme. The large front windows were open and a few lucky people could sit out. I started with a daily special of octopus in paprika and a few potatoes. While I was enjoying this more and more people came in and filled both the floors of the restaurant. The highlight for me was the main. I had grilled tuna. When asked how I wanted it I replied “sandwich” and the waiter had a double take thinking he had offered me a tuna sandwich. What I meant was pink in the centre and white on either side, kind of like a sandwich. What I got was exactly that. The tuna steak was laid out on a bed of potatoes, green beans, tomato and black olives. Similar to a nicoise but much much better. I also had a lovely bottle of Inurrieta Crianza (£25). The atmosphere was great and so was the food. I would consider making a reservation and going back several times as the menu does turn over frequently.
MP

Interestingly the Canadian doesn’t call it aboot thyme. Talking of nationality, it is sort of international Spanish and brings back happy memories of great Barcelona eateries we’ve enjoyed. It is our Friday ‘date’ treat after a brutal week at work. I have formed an attachment to the herb salad. Normally salad is something I feel I have to do to from time to time to stave off scurvy but this has all my fave things – asparagus, tofu, salmon and lashings of sesame. It will convert any salad refusenik. We grazed on the yummy tomato bread, oil and vinegar. We were seriously thinking about ordering 4 starters between us because we were so spoilt for choice but that would have robbed me of the seafood risotto. It was just like a posh paella and if I could have licked the plate I would have done. MP thought that I might have won on the ordering stakes but if I had been better with meat then the lamb shoulder for 2 would probably have transported MP to carnivore heaven. Maybe it was just a rocking night but the staff were so good that it felt like you were at their dinner party – I distinctly remember complimentary cava top-ups and lots of jokes. If you don’t love it you need to rethink your life choices. HP

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