Rump Rump
Skylon

Skylon

Royal Festival Hall London, SE1 8XX, United Kingdom

Wine • British • Italian • European


"I used to really like Skylon it was somewhere you took someone for a special treat a real destination. But times have changed, there is so much more competition around I can’t help feeling that Skylon has faded a little. It still has potential; it still could be great, but on this occasion, it fell short of the mark. Maybe it was just the January blues, or maybe because most people were probably dining on the ES offer menu, but the staff seemed tired and lacking in energy, food service was very slow, and little touches were missing (for example, water wasn’t topped up, and even when we asked, it took over 10 minutes). Our starters were nice almost worth waiting for! and it felt like the mains could have been nice they were well cooked, and generous with ingredients, but all incredibly salty especially the risotto. Such a shame, because this really let it down I managed to eat around half (alongside some bread to offset the saltiness), but then gave up. I hate food waste, so asked if I could take away the rest (a small spoonful with some salad would have done us for lunch the next day). But apparently this is not possible at Skylon... this also shocked me... I’ve not encountered anywhere for a long time which wouldn’t accommodate a “doggy bag” (occasionally places have charged for a box, or occasionally the packaging has been a little makeshift, but people have always been happy to help). As a venue, it’s still nice has a great view, so with a bit of a shake up could be great again, but I won’t go back unless I hear that things have changed."

The Restaurant Bar & Grill Manchester

The Restaurant Bar & Grill Manchester

14 John Dalton Street Manchester, M2 6JR, United Kingdom

Asian • Mexican • Barbecue • Tradamerican


"Restaurant Bar Grill is owned by Individual Restaurants, of which own a couple of restaurants around the city, including on in partnership with celebrity chef, Gino D 'acampo which is one of my favourite Italians in the city, this offers a different type of cuisine in a large, stunning building just off Deansgate on John Dalton Street, it is opposite Salvi 's. Walking in, it doesn 't feel like a restauraunt at all and I did struggle to find this place at first and I had to use Google Maps in my own city and only located it through it being opposite Salvi 's. The place inside is huge, you enter through a bar, upstairs you have the restauraunt and terrace area, keep going up and you have Head Office. The staff were so friendly and kind especially the host who escorted me upstairs and to my seat. The gluten free menu had some good options, I ordered a gluten free greek kebab, I was told it consisted of chicken, peppers, onions and it sounded pretty good so I ordered it, the service, however, was really slow and I must have been waiting over 20 25 minutes only to be served a gluten containing item instead, it was served with a form of bread, I had to check it was gluten free, only to be told No I asked them to remake the dish as it wasn 't gluten free to avoid cross contamination which they had no problem with, again this meant I had to wait even longer which was a pain considering the restauraunt was mostly empty, with only 3 or 4 tables of which looked like staff sitting there, probably from Head Office as they didn 't seem to be ordering food either, I totally understand waiting for food when it 's busy but considering it was virtually empty, I can 't understand why or at least I didn 't understand why until I tasted the food, I couldn 't understand why a stunning, large venue offering 50% off food could be empty, of course until the food. My kebab was awful and if it wasn 't for the staff making it free due to my long waiting time and the fact I didn 't want to spend much longer in the restauraunt, I would have sent it back. The chicken was bland, and it also had halloumi on which I wasn 't expecting, I bit into this and it tasted so bad, halloumi is one of my most hated foods anyway, accompanied by something which tasted like pico de gallo, this just put me right off my food regardless, I do think a better explanation either on the menu or from the staff at what food would be served is warranted, as I didn 't get what I was expecting at all. The portion size for the prize also is laughable, my dish normally would have cost £18.50, with no sides plus a service charge. 1* Considering how great the host and most of the staff were it 's a shame to give such a low rating, but I think it is warranted given the circumstances of the long wait times, poorly described terrible food and the fact I was given gluten by mistake and if I hadn 't of been suspicious and asked to confirm if my food was gluten free, I could have been really ill. By the time my dish was remade, I had lost all confidence in this place to be able to deliver a safe meal regardless."

Hawksmoor Spitalfields

Hawksmoor Spitalfields

157a Commercial Street London, E1 6BJ, United Kingdom

Meat • Beer • Steak • Drinks


"There is just something so satisfying about a quality steak that can't be replicated or replaced by anything else. The thought of looking at a plate while a massive slab of meat stares back is a sight that sends shivers down my primal spine. But it is a risky game; get a bad steak and you'll be regretting your decision till the cows come home. So where does one turn when in need of a steak fix? For me, the search always starts at Hawksmoor. Numbering 6 strong across the UK (with 5 being in London), Hawksmoor is committed to showcasing the best beef Britain has to offer and is uncompromising in that pursuit. Hawksmoor doesn't take shortcuts and the evidence is in the product. Sending me off on my steak odyssey was a starter of fillet steak tartare which was a delight. Fresh and tender mince was combined with capers, gherkin and an egg yolk to produce a pure taste which was incredible. Understandably, tartare may not be everyone's bag but if it is, this is a must. Onto the main event and as a raw beef lover it was the rump steak for me, which at £18 for 400g of protein represented insane value especially considering the quality of the meat and preparation. Dare I say it, it was one of the best steaks I've had in my lifetime; so soft and tender, the beef cooked to utter perfection with a respect to the natural flavours of the beef which shone through. For those with a more refined taste though, a selection of cuts is available from sirloin to ribeye to fillet however don't forgot to check the blackboard of special cuts of the day which for those with a real appetite to satisfy. But a steak alone does not make a meal and at Hawksmoor, this is understood as sides of triple cooked chips and smoked bone marrow more than hold their own. The mac and cheese however, is something flat entirely and to call it a side almost seems to be disrespectful but such is the quality of the beef that it is stuck on the bench. But to miss this would be a crime. Struggling to stand, our meal at Hawksmoor stopped here but what a meal it was. If you love steak, this is your holy ground. Come hungry. Also follow me on Twitter @annixontong and @wetrykai and on Instagram @annixontong."