Ocho Blanco
Megaro Bar

Megaro Bar

23-27 Euston Road London, NW1 2SD, United Kingdom

Wine • Vegan • Cocktail • Vegetarian


"Karpo, located a stone's throw from King's Cross St Pancras station, is an all-day independent restaurant serving food from 7am until 10pm. Dimly lit with a rustic wooden design, Karpo also uses foliage on the walls to give it a fresh vibe making one forget the hustle and bustle outside the front door. There is a balcony with extra seating upstairs and the atmosphere is relaxed with quiet background music rather than the pulsating beats often heard in other London eateries. It is possible to book private areas in the restaurant which is great to know considering the very convenient location. Would I Want Seconds? We dined in the evening however the breakfast menu is wholly tempting with everything from eggs benedict to buttermilk pancakes being served up until 11am on weekdays. I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the food was at Karpo considering the fact I did not have much choice in their offerings. My starter was pumpkin soup which was well seasoned and warming. If served alone, perhaps it would have been a little dull however it was greatly improved as it was served with great thick slices of granary bread with sunflower seeds and salted butter. It made for a tasty and filling starter. For my main course, I had the wild mushroom risotto which was creamy and flavoursome and went down a treat. As I like risotto the fact that this was the only option was not a huge problem for me however if the option had been a goat's cheese tart or something of that ilk then I might have had issues. At Karpo, the desserts change regularly so they aren't published on the website. I would encourage you to try the recommended wine that is allocated to each dessert in order to enhance the flavours. My dining companion had a delicious and attractive strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake but being a self-confessed chocaholic I opted for a chocolate and hazelnut praline. It was artfully presented however the dessert was so rich that an accompaniment of ice cream or cream would not have gone amiss. Could I Afford Seconds? Depending on what you are eating, you could afford seconds. Notoriously vegetarian dishes are cheaper than meat dishes and at Karpo you could be spending a hefty £60 on the Cote de Boeuf. The veggie dishes are a little more reasonable and you would be spending around £25 for three courses excluding drinks. Overall: I had an enjoyable meal within pleasant surroundings and with good service. Obviously more vegetarian choices would be preferable but if you like flavoursome food with delicious desserts then you won't be disappointed with Karpo."

Casa Brindisa

Casa Brindisa

7 - 9 Exhibition Road London, SW7 2HE, United Kingdom

Beer • Wine • Tapas • Casual


"As a Spaniard myself, I wanted to take my friend to a Spanish restaurant, so after a visit to the V&A museum, we went to this place. We didn’t have a reservation, however we were quickly placed on a table inside. The service was fast, we were attended by 4 different members of the staff during our meal, but all of them were nice. We ordered some dishes to share, since I wanted her to try different things. Be aware that the portions are tiny. We literally got 3 croquetas, 4 prawns in garlic sauce, 2 small eggs with a bit of pisto, and some mussels. Except for the mussels, everything was delicious. The mussels on the other hand, were bland, just boiled, the sauce was tasteless and we didn’t like it. We got 4 small pieces of bread in total, priced at £4, so it was £1 per slice. As a dessert, we had some orange and chocolate cake, which was more like a tart. Apart from the orange on top, it didn’t taste like orange at all, which I didn’t mind, overall it was very nicely prepared. We also had a couple of pacharán. The bill came up to nearly £100, which we thought it was a lot for the amount of food we got. I understand this is London and the restaurant is in one of the poshest areas, but still…Be also aware that VAT is calculated later in the bill, and also service is included, which I’m not a fan of. I have also worked as a waitress when I was younger, so I appreciate the hard work, especially in a busy place like this, but I prefer to decide how much I tip I would like to leave, depending of how good or bad the service is. We both thought, as an experience, it was ok, but we wouldn’t be returning any time soon."