Amaretto Disaronno
Diciannove No 19

Diciannove No 19

19 New Bridge Street, London I-EC4V 6DB, United Kingdom

Italian • European • Vegetarian • Gluten Free


"We dined at Diciannove 19 at the Crown Plaza Hotel about a year ago and loved the experience. We tried a variety of cicchetti Italian tapas) and home made pastas and enjoyed all our dishes as everything was absolutely delicious. The service was really fabulous as well. So it was with great expectation that we decided to visit Diciannove 19 again. You can read about that previous visit here. The menu hasn’t changed much since our last visit other than the fact that Diciannove 19 are currently offering an exclusive white truffle menu created by Executive Chef Alessandro Bay. There is a starter, pasta and main dish, all accompanied by shavings of glorious white truffles from Umbria and which can be ordered a la carte. To get things started we began our evening with the Il Supremo for 1-2 people £17.50), the antipasta platter. This included fried calamari, fried zucchini, prosciutto Toscano ham, Finocchiona salami, Mortadella di Bologna, sausage, Parmegiano Reggiano cheese, mozzarella cheese and pickles. This was a great cross section of Italian nibbles that did much to whet our appetite. The meats were tasty, and there was a lovely crunchiness to the calamari and zucchini. From the truffle menu, we ordered the uovo in padella con insalatina di radicchio £24), pan-fried egg served with small chicory salad, corn bread crostino with truffle butter, parmesan and white truffle shavings. The eggs arrived scrambled rather than pan-fried) with a mouthwatering scent of truffle, created by the topping of light shavings of white truffles. The eggs were delicious and were fluffy and cheesy. The corn bread crostino was very crusty, creating a nice contrast with the softness of the eggs as it offered up a delicious charred and buttery flavour. The chicory salad was a little bitter, but this was expected given that it was chicory. Capesante su pure di broccoli – pan-fried scallops served with broccoli puree and toasted almonds starter – £11.50) was pleasant but unremarkable. The scallops were plump, delicious and cooked well. But more could have been done with the accompaniments to enhance the flavour of this dish. Tagliatelle al ragu with beef and pork ragout starter – £10.75) was delicious and comforting and cooked exactly how a great ragu should be. It was rich, hearty, fully of body and flavour. It also had a touch of lovely rosemary running the sauce which gave it a great aroma. With the al dente pasta, this dish is highly recommended if you’re in the mood for some hearty home Italian cooking. Spaghettini all’astice – fresh lobster, pigato, thyme and fresh tomato starter – £12.75) was not as refined and slick as our previous experience of this dish. It was tasty enough, but the sauce was slightly too sweet and hadn’t quite struck the right flavour profile. Raviolo di ricotta al parmigiano £33) – ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and parmesan was served with butter, sage and white truffle. The ravioli pasta was cooked al dente, but the filling was slightly grainy in texture and it was difficult to detect the parmesan in the filling. However, the butter and sage sauce topped with white truffles was wonderful and left you wanting more. To finish our meal, we chose the homemade gelato £6.00) with a scoop each of vanilla, hazelnut and chocolate gelato and accompanied by some amarena cherries on the side. The gelato was wonderfully creamy and was a delicious way to end our night. The food at Diciannove 19 was decent, but the cooking didn’t quite offer up the same refined and elevated experience as our previous visit. Some dishes were well executed but we also found errors in others. With some tweaking, we know Diciannove 19 has the potential to be as wonderful as before. Again, the service was steady and assured. Note: Words and pictures by Food Porn Nation and myself. Summary Information: Food rating: 3.5/5 Service rating: 3.5/5 Prices: About £23 to £46 for three courses, excludes drinks and service. From the truffle menu – the starter is £24, the pasta is £33 and the main is £46"

Buenos Aires Argentine Steakhouse - Richmond

Buenos Aires Argentine Steakhouse - Richmond

13-19 The Square Old Palace Terrace Richmond, Greater London TW9 1EA, TW9 1DT, United Kingdom

Sushi • Pizza • Seafood • Asiatic


"After I had made an appetit that runs around the kew garden, my friend and I drove to lunch after richmond. we have reviewed our options and decided to go for this restaurant./ the place is spacious. it made use of black and natural wood colors, which gave it a sophisticated yet domestic look. the outlet also uses a lot of natural light, which gives the feeling of an opener space. I liked the place. I think the interiors were tastefully finished./ it was not busy when we arrived, occupied with only one handful of tables. we need to choose our place and choose a rectangle. the personal was very nice and attentive. they made some recommendations and described the home specialties when we asked. we quickly identified our decisions. we had gamben and calamari fritti for starter and roasted pork bell and steak milanesa napolitana for our net. we agreed to share so that we can both taste more dishes./ the food was served quickly. the calamari was really nice. it was thin, slightly coated and crisp. the accompanying garlic mayo had beautiful aromen. it was a good choice. the gambas looked and tasted differently than we expected. we had the Spanish tapas version in the sense. that said it wasn't bad. it had fine aromas and light acid from the combined wine-garlic-lemon ingredients. the black bell did not see to appetize on the plate. the mushalat looked like wild leaves and the swarm looked boring. it was a thicker cut, slightly dry and a tade too salty. the Bbq sauce was mild tasting and balanced the salt on the pork. it added taste to the court, but there was not enough of it on the teller. I would suggest having it on the side and allowing the guests to determine the amount to put on the court. the sweet potato fries that came with the court were delicious. the steak milanesa napolitana looked huge on the teller. it looked delicious. the steak itself was tender, while the tomato cheese bouncing was tasteful. together, the tomato cheese aroma drowned the steak. we barely tasted the steak. it felt like we were eating margherita pizza. I would suggest the cook to recalibrate the balance. this could be a good dish./ the place looked every bit promising from beautiful interiors, chilled ambiente to good menu choices to reasonable trips, but eating was a bit down. we were underwhelmed by those who we had. I hope the place can improve and live its potential."

The Library Bar and Grill

The Library Bar and Grill

4a Guildhall Hill Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1JH, United Kingdom

Steak • Mexican • British • Vegetarian


"At six and three quarters, being the oldest person in the room affords a certain air of esteem. One can look down on one’s peers with lofty arrogance informed by world-weary experience. *Tch* and *tut*, my little rugrat friends, what little you know of the world! Kathryn White asked me to sit next to her in assembly yesterday, and I said, like, no way lady! Dude, I’m a P-L-A-Y-A, and ain’t no crazy ho gonna cramp my style – HELL NO!At thirty-three (minus one day), the same does not hold true. First of all, sitting next to Kathryn White does *not* mean I’m going to marry her. Second, propping up the bar at the Mustard Lounge, I fear I may well be old enough to have fathered some of the punters. Third, it’s way past my bedtime.Come the morning, I am not feeling sprightly. By the grace of God, however, I’m not hungover, as such, and can at least mooch into town without too much ado.I’ve been meaning to eat at The Library for a while, but have never managed to arrive in time for lunch. Today, however, I can sit there, warm and fuzzy with smugness, if a little woozy from sleep deprivation and the really high ceiling.The fish options look good, but for reasons self-evident to anyone but vegetarians and teetotallers, the curative properties of the lah-di-dah fry-up seem more appropriate. We both order the hand-cut chips, thick-cut bacon and fried egg: it is triumphant, standing us in good stead for another night of acting half our age.The combination of book-lined shelves and purple décor make the place an ideal location for nerdy goths. Nerdy nerds, however, will despair at the filing of said books, which have been lined up with wanton disregard for any established classification system, happily marrying Bruce Lee with crochet and motor racing with Middlemarch.Such irregularity was echoed in the friendly, if erratic service, and the disappointing dessert. The espresso mousse was relatively feeble, with texture like bread in a swimming pool and a flavour more in line with Revels than tiramisu; frankly, I was more excited by my subsequent trip to the toilet.This not to damn the dish unfairly, however, as The Library’s exquisite toilets are perfect for restroom aficionados, and are surely shortlisted among the finest in Norwich."