Crispy fried calamari served with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
Pizza • Pasta • Coffee • Cheese
"Service you could not fault : we were seated promptly, orders taken as soon as we were ready and food arrived quickly with a smooth transition between courses. The winner of the night was Caccia e Pepe a simple dish but excellently done (with a generous heap of truffle cream, of course). Pizza and starters were all enjoyable. Very reasonable prices (especially considering the location). Would highly recommend. Note: we had booked but they were taking walk ins, there was a bit of a queue the whole time we were there (mid week dinner), but turnover is pretty quick."
Kebab • Pizza • European • Fast Food
"Overall excellent, live duo (Thursday) great but performance area position could be better for diners not to have to sit next to PA speaker! Service food decor all great. I’d like to see table cloths or something to smarten up the tables as they look a bit dull but this is just a little feedback, we had a fab dinner, will recommend and look forward to our next visit. Thanks"
Tea • Wine • Coffee • Italian
"The food was great (had a very lovely afternoon tea) but unfortunately the service was poor; although polite when speaking to us the service staff pretty much ignored us once we had ordered our food. My friend and I wanted to order another hot drink but had to wait 45 minutes for someone to take our order (despite attempting to get someone’s attention several times) and then again when wanting to get the bill it took standing up and putting our coats on after another long time waiting (and asking several people) to actually get the bill. I want to blame it on how busy the restaurant was however we saw several tables around us come and go in the time we were there."
Beer • Wine • Indian • Italian
"I arrived on time and presented my self to the receptionist saying I had a reservation for afternoon tea. A waiter immediately popped out and greeted me by name and led me to my prepared table. As well as a dessert plate with cutlery my table had a small side plate and butter knife, a selection of 6 jars of jam (raspberry, strawberry, apricot and marmalade (all Wilkin , salt and pepper mills and a bowl of sugar.My order was taking promptly and the requested glass of tap water and pot of tea arrived promptly. A small jug of milk and some pats of butter were also brought.Soon my sandwiches arrived. There were six sandwiches; two each of grilled aubergine and cream cheese; chicken and salad; smoked salmon and cream cheese. The grilled aubergine and cream cheese isn 't something I would have thought of creating my self but it was surprisingly tasty. Along with my sandwiches were nine fancies; a small pastry cup of vanilla custard with strawberry, a small pastry cup of vanilla custard with a fresh mint sprig and a small pastry cup of chocolate custard with cranberries as well as two each of three different biscuits. All were excellent with the chocolate custard being particularly memorable.A few minutes later my scones (one plain, one fruit arrived fresh from the oven along with two little pastries and some cream.A requested hot water top up for my tea was no problem and I was offered more sandwiches which, as the food originally brought was so plentiful, I regretfully had to decline.This was an excellent tea and I enjoyed it very much. The food was very good and the staff attentive but discreet.My only niggle is the discretionary service charge . It 's not mentioned on the website and it 's not mentioned on the menu posted outside. I 'm not sure if it 's on the table menus as I didn 't really look at it, knowing already what I wanted. In the UK I 'm used to paying the price quoted for goods and services so to have 12.5% added without warning is a step in the wrong direction. I 'm guessing management will say that, as I don’t have to pay it, they don 't have to mention it beforehand.Anyway, the meal would be good value at £26 service but I had a offer so got it for £16 service which made it exceptionally good value."
Kebab • Pizza • Cafés • Fast Food
"Such a family friendly place! Very Lebanese Atmosphere, with the lanterns hanging! The hummus was rich in taste, the cheese rolls and the fries were very detailed by their flavor! And the chicken shawarma was to its excellency! Amazing staff, great prices, and such presentable food!"
Sushi • Lebanese • Japanese • Mediterranean
"Food was good, service was efficient. The restaurant offered 30% discount, so this made it affordable, otherwise, it is quite pricey compared to similar restaurants in nearby edgware road. Its was a bit distracting around 830 pm when they start to shut down the restaurant, moving tables, etc, so that you can no longer have a conversation due to the noise. perhaps this only happens on Monday night?"
Cafe • Cafés • Coffee • Diners
Kebab • Halal • Turkish • Fast Food
"Excellent food, freshly prepared by the owner chef of this independent little gem set amidst many restaurants and bars. Clean place, friendly service and great food at a good price. We had the 3 course meal for 2 including a bottle of wine for £50 so enjoyed many new tastes and finished with delicious Turkish tea and a chat with some of the regulars. Unfamiliar with the area we had walked up and down Old Christchurch Road for 30 minutes trying to decide which of the many restaurants we should dine in; Trip Advisor reviews, FSA ratings and the menus on display were helpful. We picked Saray for all those reasons plus seeing seemingly Turkish diners eating there which seemed a good advert for authentic, traditional cuisine. We were delighted with our decision, enjoying friendly, personal service from the waitress plus the owner chef who’s been running it for 14 years. Don’t be put off by the basic decor the room and company were warm and welcoming. We had a great evening and felt happy to have supported a local business. We would 100% recommend Saray."
Pizza • English • Italian • European
"The evening was totally spoilt by the service. Arriving at 7.20 for our 7.30 table we waited an hour for three starters our party was for 7 people. 25 minutes later we are told our mains would arrive in 5 minutes, 35 minutes later the waiter came and told us that they had run out of chips! Absolutely unacceptable. We had been there over two hours and 5 of us had not eaten anything now being told that they had run out of , what should be staple item on any menu is unbelievable. We paid our bar bill and left. Unfortunately we would not go back ,nor recommend to anyone else. Our party had met from different areas for a pre Christmas meal so it was a big disappointment."
Pizza • Cafés • Asiatic • Italian
"The food was of excellent quality and very authentic. However, the service was subpar, as the waiting staff were not particularly attentive. For instance, one of my guests follows a gluten-free diet and informed the waitress of her allergy. She ordered the chicken liver, but it was served with gravy. When she asked if there was flour in the gravy, the more senior waiter confirmed that there was. My guest then began discussing with another guest, who had ordered a rib-eye steak, the possibility of swapping dishes. The waiter overheard their conversation and must have recognised the awkwardness of the situation, yet did not offer to rectify it. Discreetly, I approached the waiter and asked if the chicken liver could be served without the gravy, but he insisted that the dish would not taste right without it. I explained that my guest really wished to have the chicken liver without the gravy and offered to pay for a replacement if necessary. As the waiter agreed my guest returned the dish (untouched), yet I was still charged for both meals. Despite this, we left satisfied, as the staff were generally friendly and I did offer to pay for the replacement! However, in most restaurants, the dish would have been replaced, especially given that my guest had specified her inability to eat gluten. The price was reasonable for eight guests, even though I paid for ten mains, along with some starters and desserts."
Sushi • Asian • Drinks • British
"Had a nice meal here. Ordered the salmon teriyaki bento box which was a lot of food. Lots of different things so pleasantly surprised. Couldn't eat all of it. Comes with a soup too. Reasonable price so happy. Seemed like a nice venue. Saw people working there or just having coffee and cafe. The only thing that let it down was the dirty cutlery and grubby toilets. The tap water was taken from a tray of already poured glasses of water uncovered so I wasn't too keen on drinking it. Service is included in bill. Not keen on that either tbh, I always like to leave my own tip for service. The restaurant is located in the Green Rooms which is an hotel."
Delis • Indian • Chicken • Ice Cream
"We dined at Southern Spice on Saturday, April. Four of us had a pleasant evening meal there. The appetizers were fantastic, particularly the soft shell crab and lamb samosas. The main dishes were also delicious, with the Chicken Korma standing out. The desserts were lovely as well, especially the ice cream with cooked corn and the brûlée. The service was excellent, with discreet and attentive staff who were very friendly and accommodating. We plan to return soon and would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a quiet evening in a nice, no-frills restaurant with great food. The wine selection is reasonably priced and the Malbec was excellent."
Meat • Pizza • Salads • Turkish
"We have ordered from The Best Mangal several times as a take away, and I must say the food is delicious (even if a little over priced). However, I am unfortunately one of the many neighbours of the establishment, for which they hold no care for. They have an area out the back which they frequently hold loud parties in until 1am on weekdays and the weekends are even worse. I have no issue in these parties, but this back room has only a piece of material (which stays open in summer is even louder) as the ceiling, they instead could have the loud music in the other part of the restaurant! Meaning our whole building is kept up with loud music drunken screaming until it ends. Despite calling asking for the music to be turned down on several occasions after my young son has woken up for the 3rd time in a night, nothing changes! I’ve even had an extra layer of glass put into my window to try and block it out, unfortunately I can still hear it! And don’t even get me started on the parties that happened during lockdown, when we were all stuck inside and had to listen to it all! A total lack of respect for your neighbourhood, you’ve definitely lost some local customers, myself included."
Pubs • Tapas • Spanish • British
"I'm not sure where to begin. Our original evening wedding reception venue cancelled with a week to go. Cue Melvin and The Black Pig with White Pearls. These guys stepped in and totally saved the day. Melvin made our day so incredible I cannot thank him enough. Nothing was too much trouble. The food was amazing and all of our guests couldn't stop coming up to me to tell me so. They were also raving about Melvin (safe to say he stole all of our hearts). We even had a drag queen come and perform in the stunning space downstairs. All of the rest of the staff were also so friendly and hardworking. If you're looking for somewhere to book a party/wedding this is it. If you see Melvin buy him a drink for me! Huge love Mr Mrs Green Xxxxxx"
Kebab • Fast Food • Fish-chips • Delivery Services
"Chippers is my favourite restaurant and I have been a regular customer for many years. On every occasion, I am always very happy with the level of service provided from all of the staff members, and especially the lovely owner of the restaurant who always works very hard to ensure that every single customer who visits Chippers is provided and presented with the best quality fresh food and the best quality service. The food is always perfect and on every occasion presented and tasted to a 5 star standard, the restaurant is always very clean and whenever I take friends and family members to eat at Chippers my guests are always very happy with the lovely food, service and cleanliness of the restaurant. Chippers is definitely highly recommended to all"
Soup • Wine • Drinks • Lebanese
"Extremely disappointed with this restaurant and seriously concerned about their (lack of) adherence to government guidelines around social distancing. Upon arrival (I had made a booking for 2), we were ushered to the tiny back area of the restaurant which was absolutely rammed with tables. The person leading us to our table actually asked another customer to stand up to give us his chair as 5 people were sitting on a 4 seater table. We were sat around 30cm away from the other customers so no distancing in place whatsoever. We waited at the table for around 15 minutes without menus or anyone paying us any attention. Seeing as there were only 3 people manning a VERY packed restaurant, it was no wonder they could not keep up with their service. That, and the fact that no consideration was given for our safety, led us to just leave the restaurant and look for something else. Thankfully there are lots of other lovely places to eat around Balham, otherwise it would have ruined our evening."
Fish • Pizza • Turkish • Seafood
"We had a reservation for a birthday party with 7 people on a Saturday evening. We ordered a set menu but the food was disappointing. It was heavy and lacked flavor, with an overuse of cumin spice. Most of the dishes seemed like ready-made takeout and fried food. The main course consisted of only two plates for 7 people, with an insufficient amount of meatballs and falafel, which were left uneaten due to the overpowering cumin taste. It seemed like the oil hadn't been changed for a long time. We were only given 3 35cl raki and tap water for the table, without any Salgam, tea, or coffee service. Despite paying £80 per person for the set menu, we were only served Turkish mezes followed by a disappointing stuffed meatball. Although they claimed there were 3 main courses in the set menu, dessert was not provided when requested. We spent nearly £500 for 7 people and felt that it was not worth it. The set menu offered no choice and the portions were small and lacking in quality and taste. There was no entertainment, just a generic Turkish Spotify playlist. Overall, I cannot recommend this place for a celebration on a Saturday evening."
Sushi • Asiatic • Seafood • European
"I have been dining here for a number of years, fairly regularly. The personalised service by the family run business is always outstanding. The food is the main draw...and boy is it worth it. Having experienced many of the restaurants offering what would seem like a simple cuisine...only few have really mastered the consistent quality and taste. The recent change to their Chip supplier has propelled the chips to a whole different level... The battered Cod and haddock are absolutely super light and crispy on the outside with succulent white flesh on the inside. To round up....the traditional apple crumble with warm custard....will remind you of the glorious days of your youth....or be a pleasant surprise if you are tasting this British desert for the very first time... All in all a super place to enjoy the best fish and chips in London And oh....don't forget the pickled onion and gherkins!!"
"Great quality Italian Meal with very friendly staff and great value for money. Complimentary doughballs and olives to start followed by plentiful Monkfish and a delicious tortellini, washed down with half a carafe of white wine. Just to cap it off, the cheeseboard was amazing for £5.80, with 4 cheeses plentiful for 3 people let alone one and came with a complimentary glass of port. We have never had a cheeseboard for such a great value anywhere else. We will definitely return."
Cafés • Pizza • Pasta • Seafood
"The night we had dinner, we were happy to get a table without a long wait, as we found in greater London. The restaurant was clean and comfortable. It was raining that night, otherwise, they would have their front windows open to the outdoor dining area, making it more like a sidewalk cafe experience. We ordered lasagna, veil and seafood marinara and all dishes were made to order. It was obvious as you could see and hear the kitchen as it is open to the bar. I could smell everything being prepared and it was lovely. The chef is Italian and her cooking is top notch! The waiter was wonderful, can't recall his name but he was from Bangladesh. Very personable and attentive, but provided us ample time to enjoy our dinner and dessert without interruptions. If you are in this area of London, I would suggest you check it out for a wonderful Italian meal. Prices are very reasonable, too."