Crispy Squid Crispy Squid
James Street South

James Street South

21 James St South, Belfast BT2 7GA, United Kingdom

Steak • French • British • Vegetarian


"enjoyed our evening in james st it was the best culinary experience of our trip! we had been happy to see this evening as we had a few hit-N-seals in the course of our trip to belfast. we were not disappointed and had the fabulous evening. we were quickly welcomed and sitting. the place is beautiful and spacious. revitalized and environment. the bar is great and would like to come back, only for drinks at the bar sometime. we ordered cocktails immediately. an Irish gin negroni and a traditional old fashion. my neger was absolutely excellent. I think the old fashion could have been done with real sugar cubes and not sugar syrup, but it wasn't too bad. we were quick to choose our wein. we chose a beautiful juicy red, the cline, the old vine zinfandel, 2019. to begin we had the ham hock terrine with piccalilli champ bread and some scallops with boar bell. the hanging-hock court was the best ham-hock I had. the homemade piccalilli was something else. really nice crispy and sharp sharp to help cut through the hammock and the champbrot was delicious crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. the scallops and black bells were disappointing, as they lacked no salt or genuine aroma or texture between them. we still ate it and shared the rest of my hammock. we both decided to go for the co. tyrone 270g fillet steak with sides of champ and truffle parmesan chips. red wine and pfeffer sauce. they were fantastic steaks. Actually, I didn't think I would finish mine, but I did. I have met the right choice with the jus and the truffle chips. they went so well together, the dryness of the parmesan and sweet, slightly greasy of the jus. the steaks were perfectly cooked. a medium and my medium rare. fantastic aroma on the grilled outside of the steak and beautiful texture when they pierce. we both agreed that the champ was the best champ we ever cost. it was hot, soft, so well aromatized with hot butter on the top of the copper serving pot melt. it was really the most incredible champ. I was too full of dessert. but my sample ordered the sticky toffee pudding sundae. the team was friendly enough to make me an espresso martini that was both decaf and not a sugar syrup. it was brilliant. we both managed to work our way, although a surprisingly light sticky toast desserts on Sunday. the team was fantastic. very friendly and chatting to us. the bar team did not stop, I had the pleasure of standing and watching them make a great selection of drinks and cocktails. the waiting staff were also very friendly when they check in with us at comfortable places to ensure that we were in order. we felt very well looked around. the service was very good, we didn't feel any hurry, it felt like such a free time in this restaurant. when we come back to belfast, we will be back in absolute terms and we will definitely recommend others. Thank you."

The Orange

The Orange

37-39 Pimlico Road London, SW1W 8NE, FSA Food H, United Kingdom

Pub • Beer • Wine • British


"Yesterday afternoon, I visited The Orange Pub for the first time. It had been on my list for a while due to all the great things I’d heard about their food. Unfortunately, the poor service has left me unwilling to return. Our group of six was served by a waitress who, despite not using a notepad to take orders, managed to get one of the drink orders wrong in the first round, though she did apologize for it. When it came to the main course, she still didn't write anything down. Five people at our table received their meals, while I waited around 20 minutes for mine. When the waitress eventually approached, she informed me that I would have to wait even longer. I asked how much longer, but instead of answering, she walked away. Later, she asked my tablemates what I had ordered—while I was in the bathroom—clearly forgetting my meal, which could’ve been avoided if she had just used a notepad. A friend had to ask about my food again as I continued waiting. Despite knowing she had forgotten my order, the waitress only apologized to my friend, who had raised the issue, not to me directly. The constant uncertainty around my meal became a major distraction throughout lunch. Half the time I watched five people eat, and the other half, they watched me. The experience was frustrating and completely avoidable. The staff handled the situation poorly, and I never received a direct apology or any gesture, like a snack or drink, to make up for the delay. It's such a shame, because the food was fantastic."

Jamie's Italian Covent Garden

Jamie's Italian Covent Garden

11, Upper St Martin's, City of London,Westminster, United Kingdom

Pasta • Steak • Pizza • Indian


"When in London, you can find an Indian restaurant to visit and try. There are many, especially with the history of the two countries. And for dinner there are some places in each area to try. But this time on the visit we wanted to try a place that we knew of when we first tried to have dinner there over two years ago but could not get in. It was packed. The line was long and you had to wait. We could not wait that long since we had an event that night. Yet, this time we were prepared and we went. Welcome to DISHOOM. It is the style of Mumbai, but the history of Bombay. And it is based here in Covent Garden area in London. Which, in any way you think about this, it is exceptional. Within a few minutes they brought us to our table by the window so we could see what was happening outside besides the line of people waiting to get in. The hostess was helpful when she gave us our menus and asked if there were any requests. It was a good discussion since she was also from New York (upstate) and living in London for the time. It is a small world to meet from the same area but in another country. Naturally, we were able to make a few requests while looking at the menu. The first thing to have was a LASSI. A typical yoghurt-drink from India, that was mixed with mango. It is smooth and has a flavor that is special. You can find it in several Indian restaurants and establishments. But here, in Dishoom it was different. This was the type of Lassi I would normally get when working in Delhi. It was smooth and creamy. It also had a touch of fennel on top. With the Lassi, the first item we always order, VEGETABLE SAMOSAS. It is a great way to start a meal. And here it was pure vegetables. It was a short-crust pastry mixed with potatoes, vegetables of the day including peas, spiced cinnamon and other spices. It came with a tamarind style chutney for dipping. It was smooth and crunchy. The flavor was fresh and ideal. Once the samosas were finished we sat and waited to see what would come next. Per the recommendation, we had MURGH MALAI. This is a combination of bite size pieces of tender chicken thighs cooked in a creamy marinade with yoghurt, cheese, ginger, garlic and chili. It has been steeped overnight for that special taste and aroma. There is a balance of flavor from the creamy yoghurt along with the heat of the ground chili paste and warmth from the garam masala powder. It is a special taste of flavor and spices and is creamy and warm. There were also special spices and dips on the side you could always add to enhance the taste even more. Next came the CHICKEN RUBY. This is a house specialty, and it is. It is tender chicken in a rich and silky makhani sauce. It is in a proper currey with a mix of spices including garlic, chili, cumin, garam masala, yoghurt, and a makhani sauce. The chicken is flavored with a marinade that makes it special and tasty. The sauce is the combination of spice and technique that makes it different from what you could find anywhere else. This is a special dish I have not seen in New York, but only in Delhi. It was spicy, sweet, savory, and something you could not give up. With this combination came something we never even considered, but again was recommended. This is CHILI BROCCOLI SALAD. It is not as simple as you imagine. Instead it is a bowl with fresh broccoli, fresh red chilies, and pumpkin. It was topped with sunflower seeds, line, honey, shredded mint leaves and even toasted pistachios. his too could have been a meal to itself. It was a good compliment to the other dishes which were creamy and had some spice to the flavor. This was a taste to compliment everything you had. The dishes were served with NAAN and rice. Both what you expect to have when eating a meal like this anyplace you are. Typical of India is to finish the meals with a cup of CHAI. It is everywhere you go in India, but reminds you of what it might have been like in Bombay. It is rich and warm and has a flavor and taste you might know but did not expect. The team and the service is unbelievable. They are there to help and give suggestions if you are looking for something different. It is different as it is based on what you would normally find in certain regions of India itself. The more options the better. Order a variety to consider and share. There is a mix of meats and vegetables and tastes and styles. The food is excellent. The proportions are just right. This is the way to eat and share the entrees and dishes so you can experience the variety it does have. This is an ideal way to eat and have a conversation at the same time. The variety is a good selection. There is something for everyone. And ask for the recommendations. Step into Dishoom. Step back into India. See what you might have been missing in many ways. Dishoom is a port to experience."

South Place Chop House

South Place Chop House

South Place Hotel 3 South Place London, EC2M 2AF, EC2M 2EF, United Kingdom

Steak • British • T-bone Steak • Casual Elegant


"Fawlty-towers-esque is the only way to describe our experience!! We were there for a business dinner, there were 8 of us. We arrived shortly after 6pm, sat down, and ordered some wine and food from the set menu (they mandated that everybody order from the set menu, or nobody could order from the set menu). After a short while, the person tending to our table began to approach the guests, one by one, in the most unusual fashion. His tactic was to lean in between the guests putting his forearm on the table. This was mildly comical. Each time he was informing the guest that their first choice for starter/main was not available. In some cases he told the guests what he would be replacing the dish with, and in some cases he asked for their opinion. This happened repeatedly over the course of 30-45 minutes. Almost an hour and a half later, still no food. We complained and waited a little longer, until it became obvious that no food would be arriving. We spoke to the manager one final time and he informed us that they the situation was due to an unfortunate event. Somewhat sympathetically I asked what the unfortunate event was, maybe the chef had been taken ill, or had a family emergency. Nope, the reason the manager gave was that they had a busy lunch service!!! At that point the manager offered us the opportunity to leave the restaurant, and gave us the wine we had drank for free (hence the high score for value). So off we went to Haz on Bishopsgate where they accommodated us, fed us, and we had a great time."