Darjeeling
La Trattoria By Alfredo Russo

La Trattoria By Alfredo Russo

15 Cromwell Pl, South Kensington, London SW7 2LA, United Kingdom

Vegan • Italian • Vegetarian • Gluten Free


"Hidden below street level, this restaurant is as one keen reviewer eloquently put it 'a tourist trap ' for nearby visitors to the museums of South Kensington. In essence it hosts an expensive menu with average tasting food. I 'm sure they 're only surviving because of a guaranteed minimum level of customers who 'll unwittingly stroll in without heeding the warnings of these reviews. In the restaurant 's defence, the decor is homely and the service from staff is very attentive indeed I was asked by two separate staff during my meal whether everything was okay which felt a bit parental but mostly non threatening all the same. I 'd gone for the margherita pizza which at £7 seemed like a bargain. You could easily get full on this, despite tasting rather bland. However, I was feeling somewhat adventurous and decided to add pickled artichokes (nope, not fresh) and mushrooms as toppings for £1.50 extra each. Thinking this wouldn 't be enough, I included a side of spinach into the mix for £5: what I was served with was a small bowl of half boiled baby spinach leaves really should 've been another pizza topping as that 's what it turned into. Overall, disappointingly average, and they 'll include a service charge because they expect you to be one of many money donning tourists sprinkling cash in the already hideously wealthy area. Try your appetite resolving luck elsewhere."

Horton Grange Country House

Horton Grange Country House

Berwick Hill Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE13 6BU, United Kingdom

Pubs • Beer • Wine • English


"Visited Horton Grange several times now over the past few times for dinner and have always found the food to be excellent and the service very good. However, visited for the first time on a Monday and whilst the food was as good as ever, the service was not up to the usual standard. On this occasion my wife and I took a guest with us as we recommended this was a very good local restaurant. On arrival, it didn't seem as though we were expected. Asked if we wanted to go straight to the table or in to the bar for a drink. We opted for the bar as we always do. Took between and minutes before we were offered a drink and only after I asked. Having got the drinks and having waited between and minutes, I had to ask for the menu. I was then asked if I required the dinner or bar menu even though my booking was for dinner. The food was as delicious as ever and all three courses were served in a timely manner. After the final course, it seemed the waitress had disappeared. We were not asked if we required coffee so eventually we decided to leave. Having waited in reception for someone to attend to us so that I could pay, I wandered through into the kitchen to see if there was any member of staff there but found no one. Eventually, some one came down stairs on her mobile phone and asked me to wait whilst she wandered off, presumably to finish her call. I could have easily wandered off without paying! In all, we spent around hours at the hotel, of which about minutes was taken up waiting to be attended to for various reasons. Suffice it to say, we will not be hurrying back and certainly not on a Monday evening."

The River Grille

The River Grille

Prince Street Narrow Key Bristol, BS1 4QF, BS1 4PS, United Kingdom

Beer • Wine • Cafe • British


"It was ok over all. The starters were superb, really good. The main courses were amazingly ordinary and disappointing. My steak was a medium rare fillet. It was accurately medium rare but strangely dry , almost as if it had been sitting under a heat lamp and it had very little flavour. I had a lemon meringue pie where meringue was wet and sloppy and the pastry was as if ready cooked from a supermarket. My companion had a slow cooked lamb shank which is usually an easy winner but again it was dry with a sauce which had been poured over it and then congealed. . A slow cooked lamb shank usually has the wonderful juices in which it has slowly come to fruition. The food came with minimal vegetables . Side dishes were ostentatiously expensive. As is the whole menu. We paid £180 for three people including the tip. Enough for a bargain weekend away somewhere. As a family we have dined in some amazing restaurants and understand the costs involved at times and pay willingly when the experience is special. But the whole way through this meal it was short of great. The waiters were friendly and attentive but far too eager to top up your wine glass. It became a nuisance and a pressure. Half a glass does not need topping up to the brim. To top things off for me I went to the ladies at 10.35 at the end of our meal . There is only one toilet for the whole restaurant. There was a cleaning person in the loo. spraying the most toxic and pungent fumes. Having entered this airless cubicle, two lungs full of Izal or what ever chemical obliterated all memory of the meal and the wine. At 10.35? The inference also being that I was not required on the premises any longer. The Maitr d' was charming and as friendly and helpful as he could be. 5 stars for him! The situation was lovely and we had a table by the window. However the experience did not in any measure add up to the lush advertisement online and was very very expensive at the price."