No Expert …but I know what I like – Food Blog, Restaurant reviews – Page 44

Not recommended – Candidates for the worst of the worst award

Here is a list of restaurants based on my experience that are worth avoiding:-

Restaurants in the “Worst of the worst category” that have their own posts:-

Restaurants that do not have their own posts:-

Beau Rivage Palace (La Rotonde) , Lausanne – snooty service and tasteless cooking in a very grand setting.

Marks out of 10

Food 3

Service 3

Ambience 7

Fortunately this place is now gone, replaced by Anne-Sophie Pics new Restaurant.

Casa Calvert, Barcelona– dull, with bad service. My main course arrived with the jus dripping off the side of the plate, the waiter did not even notice. The modernista decor was not enough to justify the visit.

Marks out of 10

Food 3

Service 3

Ambience 3

La Dama, Barcelona – beautiful building, very disappointing food, check out the prices on the La Dama website too, this is most definitely a tourist trap.

The wine list however is first class.

Marks out of 10

Food 2

Service 3

Ambience 5

Restaurant Terrassa, Barcelona – when lit up with fairy lights at night this place looks stunning (from the outside), then you go inside and it looks very dodgy. Eating here was a big mistake.

Marks out of 10

Food 1

Service 1

Ambience 1

At the end of the year I will nominate the Restaurant that qualifies as the worst of the worst for 2009.

For the other end of the spectrum, see the Best of the best.

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Del’Aziz – expanding!

For a bit of everything Del’Aziz the Mediterranean Delicatessen and Brasserie is great, they have their deli counters (of course) and a really good selection of cakes (portion control is a problem though, sometimes bigger is not better!). I have only been to the ones in Bankside and Fulham.

UPDATE : September 2010 – I passed by their new outpost in Bermondsey Square yesterday during the annual Bermondsey Street Festival and it looked good.

IMGP2407 — Del’Aziz in Bermondsey Square

tn_CIMG3211 — Del Aziz – Long Lane entrance

UPDATE : May 2011 – Finally tried the Bermondsey Square branch, it has outdoor seating at the front and in the Square, which is a great little sun trap. Identical formula and quality level as the other branches of Del’Aziz.

Marks out of 10

Food 6

Service 6

Ambience 6

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The Table – by design!

For a late breakfast or brunch away from the crowds, I would recommend The Table.

It is perhaps not somewhere you would find in passing, as it is located a couple of streets behind Tate Modern, housed within an architects’ head quarters. (I found it while visiting the offices as part of Open House London). It is a casual venue with shared tables and a small outside seating area.

There is also usually a small selection of Cakes

The Table – upping its game!

The Table just gets better and better. There was a real buzz during my visit today, see video :-

Buzz at The Table

It was busy when I arrived, but one of the waiters immediately spotted me and found me a space. The service and the food based on this visit was actually better than I remember from earlier visits. My sweetcorn fritters (which the waiter advised me would take at least 10 minutes to make) were just perfect. They were served with two lovely runny poached eggs as well – an addition that had not been part of the dish last time I ordered it. The staff were really on the ball, a glass of tap water was provided within about a minute off asking for it, as was the bill.

The area (Southwark Street – near the Blue Fin Building) is much more lively now too, lots of restaurants and bars with outdoor seating.

UPDATE – The Table’s menu and chef has changed. The interior is slightly different as they have removed the area that used to be used to display cakes, so no longer somewhere to pop in for just coffee and cake. It’s main focus is still breakfast and brunch type dishes, it is also now possible to make reservations.

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Tapas Brindisa – Me gusta!

Just been to Tapas Brindisa in Borough Market again. It’s always reliable.

You can not book, so it is all about timing. We arrived at 7.00 p.m. to be told that it would be a twenty minute wait (what ever they say always wait – have a drink in the rather cramped bar area), we actually got our table in less that 5 minutes.

The menu is tasty and varied, and service is brisk.

The charcuterie is always a good option and they do a nice goats cheese in honey.

The seats are not very comfortable (I guess that is good business practice to ensure a quick turn over), the tables are so close together that you inevitably end up having conversations with the people at the next table, mainly about the food, it’s just that sort of place.

UPDATE – September 2011. Still as good as ever, we sat outside on a warm evening and enjoyed a few old favorites and some tapas dishes I had not had here before. The Ham Croquettes were especially good but the fish plate would have been better with more fish and less apple garnish.

Marks out of 10

Food 7

Service 7

Ambience 7

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Theo Randall – at the InterContinental Park Lane

I discovered Theo Randalls cooking a few years back at the Taste of London – Food Festival, so I was looking forward to something quite special when I visited his restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel, especially since the restaurant has 3 AA Rosettes.

We went for “the cheap option”, i.e., a pre-theatre deal. Thinking that might be an easy way to check out the Restaurant.

I really do not understand it when quality restaurants let themselves down at this stage. My view is that if they make the cheap deal appetising, I am going to want to go back and try more of the menu.

Theo Randalls pre theatre menu was really basic, the pasta was not very exciting and actually a bit messy.

In fact the excitement was just outside the window next to our table, the Paparazzi were there covering some award ceremony in the Ballroom. On the plus side this meant we got good service, as the staff kept popping over to have a look 😉

Marks out of 10

Food 4

Service 6

Ambience 5

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Launceston Place to be…or not to be?

The only regular restaurant we ever visited in London was the Foliage. We have been going there for a number of years. Now that Chris Staines is leaving we have been on the lookout for a replacement regular lunch venue. When I say regular I mean every couple of months. You can have too much of a good thing.

In fact it was a member of the Foliage staff that recommended Launceston Place. I had not heard of the place but made a mental note to give it a try sometime. In the mean time the Great British Menu had propelled its young head chef Tristan Welch to fame. So it was with some anticipation that we visited.

At the start of the meal we were presented with a few spicy crisps tied together with a piece of ribbon bearing the restaurant name. While very cute I didn’t really enjoy starting off my meal with greasy fingers. The food was good, peaking for me with the main course of rose veal and sweetbreads. This was very good. To finish I had my first taste of Cranachan the supposedly traditional Scottish dish (I’m Scottish and had never heard of it or had it while growing up!). It was nicely presented although I suspect a traditional Scot might not recognise it. It was okay not something to rave about unfortunately.

On the way out we bumped into Tristan and had a long conversation with him. He really is a very friendly young guy and we wish him well in the future as he really is a talented chef.

Lauceston Place has 2 AA Rosettes, I suspect a third one is not too far away.

Launceston Place was also a venue on Celebrity Master Chef this year, the winner made a point of mentioning how useful her time there was. Tristan has also been a guest chef on Saturday Kitchen.

Update : October 2009 – This years Professional Master Chef winner Steve Groves is also on the staff.

Update : February 2010 – The Restaurant has just been awarded its 3rd AA Rosette.

Update : June 2011 – Steve Groves is now working at Roux on Parliament Square.

Update : April 2012 – There is now a new head chef at Launceston Place – see Press Release

Marks out of 10

Food 7

Service 7

Ambience 7

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