Tomato Salad Tomato Salad

Fresh tomato salad with basil, mozzarella, and a drizzle of balsamic dressing.

Portobello Garden

Portobello Garden

269B Portobello Road, London, W111LR, W11 1LL, United Kingdom

Cafés • Pasta • Pizza • Italian


"Out and about on a lunchtime constitutional along Portobello Road last week something interesting caught my eye. Set back from the road, hiding behind vintage clothes in the arcade, was an alluringly attractive Italian restaurant. On my own, without reading material and in a hurry to get back to work, I had no intention of sitting down to eat but I was compelled to go in and investigate. I glanced at the menu and clientele, was charmed by the decor of hanging dried meat and flowers, and decided I would return imminently.<br/ <br/ Thankfully an opportunity arose this week. I had taken it upon myself to arrange a lunch for myself and nine colleagues, and presented them with an option of four restaurants (secretly hoping that democracy would work in my favour). At first, take-up was slow as the more adventurous-sounding alternatives were far more popular, but risk aversion gradually set in and the simple Italian became the winner; a culinary hare and tortoise situation, if you will.<br/ <br/ “What if they don’t cater for big groups? What if it’s awful and I’m forever ridiculed for my restaurant choice?” Such questions were running through my mind, distracting me from my morning tasks.<br/ <br/ An amiable Italian gentleman saw the first sub-group and exclaimed “group of ten, this way please!” so we followed orders and went inside to our long table, immediately looking above us at the conservatory style ceiling and feeling as though we had walked into a Tuscan summer.<br/ <br/ Our charismatic waitress brought over an alternative to a complementary bread basket; a plate of amuse-bouche sized pieces of courgette frittata served on a forest of rocket. I was very impressed by this. They have foreseen that I’m going to be ravenous, having not eaten since my 11:00 AM apple; that I may not wish to bloat up on bread; that I enjoy being surprised, which I most certainly was. I had only been there ten short minutes and these people already knew how to please me more than some people who have known me for decades. If that isn’t customer service, I really don’t know what is. <br/ <br/ The menu is slightly unusual in that there isn’t the usual long list of pizzas and pastas to choose from, instead there were a couple of al forno dishes (baked in the oven), several paninis (with pizza bread), and a list of specials, a few of which were mains. I took from this that a decision had been made to offer a limited number of dishes, but to do them well.<br/ <br/ I had top-notch, considerably portioned gnocchi with bolognese sauce for £11.50, served whilst the tomato sauce was still bubbling from the oven, with fresh basil scattered on top.<br/ <br/ To make the experience even more superior, they should consider investing in a second credit card machine to take two payments simultaneously since this was a bit slow.<br/ <br/ I was really fond of this restaurant and highly recommend it. Now I just need to think up another reason to go back next week.."

Theo Randall at the InterContinental

Theo Randall at the InterContinental

1 Hamilton Place London, W1J 7QY, United Kingdom

Pasta • Pizza • Coffee • Italian


"Having stayed and eaten at a number of Intercontinental hotels and always been impressed, I decided to book Sunday brunch at Park Lane for Father’s Day. It sounded good and varied when booking but when we arrived, the restaurant was somewhat underwhelming (poor decor, dimly lit and not at all fitting of a 5* hotel as was the salad and cold buffet. At £70 a head I would have expected far more variety and a higher quality of produce. The bread rolls were cold and relatively tough (and not with the salad buffet at all but with the sweet buffet! Our waiter was very pleasant but clearly new to the role and not particularly responsive. The beef wellington was delicious and the star of the show and for a buffet the vegetables and roast potatoes were well cooked but the chicken looked unappealing and I would have expected whole chickens roasted and served rather than rather pale and unappealing thighs on a heated trolley for a five star hotel. The sweet section was okay but all very cake based and the cheese was again somewhat standard and without crackers, chutney/qunice or fruit. At an additional £8 a coffee, I felt ripped off for what was standard filter coffee at best and £8 for a small Diet Coke also felt steep. At almost £300 for two adults and two children it massively failed to reach expectations and I am unlikely to return to the hotel for any of its dining options in the future as a result. A real disappointment sadly and a waste of money. There are many, many far better options in London for a fraction of the cost…."

Frascati Pizzeria

Frascati Pizzeria

181 Charminster Road, Bournemouth, United Kingdom

Pizza • Sushi • Asiatic • Fast Food


"There are lots of places near us that serve pizza but they don't serve it up as tasty as this. The service is simply first.class from the whole team. Frascati Pizzeria has only been around for a few months and it was on the list of places to visit that my wife has so we decided as we were walking past to pop in. I've given Frascati Pizzeria 5 stars because I really did love it. The staff (owners) are very polite and attentive which is sincere and genuine. The restaurant itself has a very rustic feel to it. Although small (only about 8 tables if I remember) you aren't crammed in and have an intimate feeling. The owners are planning to expand the restaurant to fit more in and I doubt that they will find it difficult to get bums on seats. The menu is small. I like that as there is nothing worse than looking at a menu with too much to choose from. What they do offer though is a good choice of pizza, pasta and chicken with desert and sides plus a selection of beverages to accompany your meal. Just as you enter the restaurant you'll see where your pizza is cooked fresh and on-site. I love pizza that is cooked this way and that will go some way to how they taste so good. There is also seating area where you can sit whilst waiting for a your table and have a drink. I'd also like to say thank you for the free desert they offered my wife to mark her birthday. A very generous offer that was gratefully received. We've been back and had 4 pick ups from them now and each time the Pizza has tasted simply beautiful. We are aiming to get back to sit in very very soon."