Sunday Roast
Bluebird Restaurant

Bluebird Restaurant

350 King's Road London, SW3 5UU, SW3 5UH, United Kingdom

Fish • Soup • Coffee • British


"We went for a few drinks here the other day. Upon arrival, there was a small problem with the booking, whereby they thought it was for 2 people but was actually for 8. That was resolved relatively quickly, and the lady was very friendly, but was a little awkward as we were sat at an interim table for a few minutes. The pricing is what is to be expected of an upmarket place in Chelsea: £12 22 for cocktails and house wine at £8 a glass. The cost of beer is extortionate at £7 per 330ml bottle, so we steered clear of that. Table service is mandatory, so you have a 13.5% service charge on top of that. All of the above aside, the atmosphere is alright a bit pretentious, but that’s to be expected. Our real issue came where my partner and I went to leave at about 11.30pm, whilst the rest of the party remained. My partner collected her bag from the cloakroom and the waiter came across and slapped the bill on the counter (of the cloakroom, in the main entrance exit area), stating in an obnoxious manner ‘you need to pay’, essentially insinuating that we were potentially going to do a runner. She pointed to the table, showing that most of the party was still there, and he said that it should still be paid now, which was weird, uncomfortable and resulted in everyone else moving on shortly after also. We asked for the service charge to be removed and will not return as it creates a lot of needless anxiety and whilst not their highest spending customers, we still spent £20 30 a head."

The Restaurant Bar & Grill Manchester

The Restaurant Bar & Grill Manchester

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

Sushi • Cafés • Asiatic • European


"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."

Hawksmoor Knightsbridge

Hawksmoor Knightsbridge

3 Yeoman's Row London, SW3 2AL, SW3 1LA, United Kingdom

Wine • Steak • British • Seafood


"If you’re a London foodie, the name Hawksmoor is likely to be familiar to you. Regarded by many as the best steak restaurant in London, there are now five branches in the capital and one in Manchester – a homage to the popularity of the brand. The concept has grown a long way since friends Huw Gott and Will Beckett opened the first Hawksmoor in Spitalfields in 2006 with the straight forward attitude of providing excellent produce cooked well.I’ve mentioned before that it’s not always easy to find a restaurant to please all my family members but I knew that Hawksmoor would fit the bill and having eaten before at their Air Street branch (pre-blog) I was keen to try the latest outpost in the one of London’s most fashionable areas; Knightsbridge. Hawksmoor Knightsbridge is located in a subterranean cavern on Yeoman’s Row just off Brompton Road. I recognised the venue as soon as we arrived, it used to be Frankie’s – a garishly glitzy New York-style dining room that was a collaboration between Marco Pierre White and jockey Frankie Detorri. But the mirror balls and tacky checked table clothes have all been cleared out to make way for clean lines, bright lighting, charcoal grey banquettes and a semi open kitchen. I had no doubt already that food was also much improved from the days that 3 Yeoman’s Row housed Frankie’s.When Mr S and I arrived Susan SilverSpoon and Dr SilverSpoon were already there, perusing the menu and looking hungry! I quickly gave my dad his birthday gift so we could order our food promptly.I chose a raw sea bass to starter, perfectly prepared and beautifully finished with chilli and ginger. I love raw ginger and plenty of it, though this isn’t one for you if you don’t like the slightly pungent taste of the spice. I also dived in (not literally) to Mr S’s steaming pot of mussels and was pleased to see big, fat sea food in a delicious light wine sauce, enhanced with bay leaves and chilli.It was a pretty, light beetroot and goats cheese salad for my mum."