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Nobu - London

Nobu - London

19 Old Park Lane London, W1K 1LB, United Kingdom

Sushi • Asian • Seafood • Japanese


"I remember when I was younger the idea of eating raw fish seemed quite strange and at that time it wasn’t hugely popular in the UK but in my late teens eventually sushi boxes started to take the place of sandwiches, Yo! Sushi became a regular haunt and I started to fall in love with Japanese food. My sister was my partner is sushi-crime and we loved the fun of the Japanese ‘Kaiten’ and sharing selection boxes from Marks Spencer and other high street places. But soon our fondness for sushi rolls meant we wanted to try the real deal. Back then there wasn’t the plethora of sushi restaurants in London that there is now but we set our sights on the very best…Nobu, Old Park Lane. Once there we clumsily held our chopsticks and we feasted on the freshest succulent sashimi, marvellous maki rolls and crisp shrimp tempura.And then the black cod arrived, the delicious flesh of the fish marinated in miso, had a sweet, buttery taste on the tongues of us young sushi novices…it was incredible…that was it…we were hooked. I’ve now revisited Nobu Old Park Lane many times, always remembering it was the first time I ever had proper sushi…But Nobu has become a bit of an addiction for me and not only do I also love the Berkeley Street branch in London but I’ve actually visited Nobu restaurants on four different continents. My favourite being Nobu Malibu, a beautiful open restaurant where you can sit nibbling on edamame beans whilst taking in a stunning view of the ocean."

The Gables Restaurant

The Gables Restaurant

14-16 Newgate Street Village Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 8RA, United Kingdom

Steak • Pasta • Italian • Seafood


"Firstly, I am somewhat amazed at the reviews theis venue has based on our visit on Saturday evening. We arrived 45 minutes early for our table for 4 persons at 7.30pm as I had called ahead at lunchtime asking if they had a bar area that we could sit and select from the menu in advance of being seated in the restaurant. I was given the impression that they had a lavish area for this purpose. However, this was not the case and we were shown to our table on arrival which was probably the worst location in the restaurant that was sparse of diners at that time. I will elaborate on our table location as it made for a negative night. It was a circular table placed in a “gap” between the original restaurant area and what appeared to be an extension to the restaurant. This gap did have curtains that could have been closed which would have curtailed guests and staff squeezing between the wall and one of our chairs but when asked the Owner said he would not close them……. In fairness, “Theo” the Owner did offer the choice another two alternative tables but both were in no better location! We sat and ordered drinks and were provided with menus. The drinks arrived in a timely fashion and were made fine. I also ordered some wine which was decanted and allowed time to breath before being served. The wine was an Amorone but the year did not warrant the price he was charging but nonetheless was quite good. We placed our food order and in doing so I asked if chef would add a simple fried egg to top the steak I had ordered. I was told by Theo that he was down a number of staff on the evening shift and could not provide the egg. How many people would we have needed to fry an egg???? To be honest the whole experience was not worth almost £500.00 even though the food fine. We also found it disturbing the way Theo tried to control the waiting staff this may have been because they were young or new to the role but we felt that the staff did a good job and didn’t need micro managing! I am always curious when a front of house individual, who gives the impression he is in total control, loses the plot mid service. I did tell Theo I would give a poor review and he pretty much dismissed me so I dug a little deeper and it would appear the restaurant has suffered financial issues in the very recent past…….. this information is in the public domaine through Google. All in all we were so disappointed with a venue that appears to have a wealth of happy diners from their reviews……. It’s NOT that good Guys!!!"

Bacco Restaurant & Wine Bar

Bacco Restaurant & Wine Bar

25-26 Red Lion Street Holborn London, WC1R 4PS, United Kingdom

Wine • Bars • Pasta • Dining


"Booked a table on Saturday for a simple dinner for 2 before a birthday party. On arrival to the almost empty restaurant, I was promptly given a table by a fire exit, (which I asked to change to a table away from the door and in a more pleasant part of the restaurant). The chair at the first table had also seen better days and sank down as soon as I tried to sit in it, which was another reason I asked to move. On being seated at my new table I was given 1 menu, even though I had booked a table for two. The waiter seemed disinterested frankly. When my partner arrived she was left to sit at the table for quite a while without a menu until we requested one. We ordered our meals and drinks, then had to ask again for bread, instead of it being brought to us. The first course of fried calamari was tasteless and bland, with more breading than squid and at £15 a portion it was not good value at all. When asked if I enjoyed my starter, I told the waiter that I didn’t like it as it was very dry. My £16 spaghetti crab was smothered in tomato sauce and it could have been any kind of protein in there, tuna, sardine, it’s impossible to tell. My partners seafood orecchiette was adequate, but was still £18 Desert was a dark pannocotta which was ok. £8, we asked to share one and two were brought to us, so 1 was sent back. The bill came to £115 (including an obligatory 12.5% service charge), and with a top table discount on the starters and mains knocking £30 off that total to make it £85, I really don’t feel this place is either good value for money or worth visiting again. The food was bland and indifferent, much like the waiting staff and the decor. I feel this is a tired West End restaurant, knocking out overpriced and sub standard food to people on business or shopping. If you are going to spend £100 you should expect a great meal and considerate service. This was very far from that."

Ritorno

Ritorno

442 Kings Rd, London, United Kingdom

Fish • Meat • Steak • Italian


"I recently visited Ritorno with a friend for a dinner. The atmosphere was intimate and the modernized interior was extremely fashionable. The terrace surrounding the restaurant, besides the huge representation of Italian wines behind the bar, there was an authentic feeling. The service was very friendly and friendly. Ritornos specializations presented in small, tapas-style dishes, very elegant. For the starters we had the Pizza Fritta, a charcoal pizza, accompanied by a Camembert cheese fondant, which is an ideal serving size for a entrée and tasted fantastic! The main thing consisted of Fassona beef tars, tuna tars with avocado and avocado cream, grilled octopus with Sicilian ratatouille, slowly baked beef with Ragu Tagliatelle, meerrot salmon and serrated spinach, Turnip Langoustine ragu with homemade cavatelli, pistachios of bronte and one side of the flower coal. All these dishes were freshly prepared and had a real taste of genuine Italian cuisine. There wasn't too much of any court and I couldn't make any mistakes. Then the homemade apple tea came with vanilla ice cream for dessert, which is the perfect sweet to finish the meal. The fact that it is homemade (and tasty) was really added to the general authenticity of the restaurant. We had a nice evening in Ritorno’s and would recommend it to friends! It was warm and welcoming and the food was not disappointed. My only regret is that I no longer tried the famous cocktails they are proud of and that looked amazing. I can't wait to come back soon!"

Oscar Bentleys

Oscar Bentleys

10 Guildhall Street, Canterbury CT1 2JQ, United Kingdom, CT1 2DY

Wine • Cafés • Steak • Seafood


"When we first walked in the staff just didn’t acknowledge us there was no table of 6 available so asked if we could move the table of 2 and table of 4 together as they were next to each other and both free. At first we was told no and then after a bit of explaining we was told we’d have to wait 15 minutes so they could clear the table. There was a tray with a few empty drinks on. 15 mins was up so we all went in and sat down the tray with drinks on was still on the table and the table hadn’t even been wiped. After all getting settled the waitress finally moved the tray and explained they was busy. We ordered drinks and food together. The drinks took 20 minutes to come. I had coke in a bottle and a glass with ice in. My ice was already half melted. Over an hour later our food came out. Burgers were dry. The Mac and cheese was the worst thing I had ever seen. It was like really stodgy porridge and did not taste of cheese at all. Any time we asked the waitress something she just made it seem like we was asking her to go above and beyond for us when really we wasn’t being difficult even in the slightest. At the end we go to pay and they add a 10% service fee without even asking. Why would I want to pay 10% of my nearly £150 bill for a poor and quite disgusting service. The only plus’s side to this place was the decorations, the mayonnaise and the fact they allowed dogs in"

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…."