No Expert …but I know what I like – Food Blog, Restaurant reviews – Page 49

Lambeth Pier Fresco Cafe (now Riverside Cafe) – AKA “The Hut”

Lambeth Pier Fresco Cafe AKA “The Hut” has to be one of my favorite breakfast locations, it is just a hut on the river at Lambeth Pier with views of the Houses of Parliament.

At first glance you may think tourist trap – they have postcards and cheap trinkets on sale outside. The location is just too good. It’s right next to where the Tourist buses park for River boat trips and Japanese tourists pose next to the red telephone box. Don’t let that put you off, as “The Hut”, which is pretty much a glorified Sandwich Bar with outside tables, does a mean bacon sandwich and is a great place to watch the world go by.

UPDATE : September 2010 – The Hut is now under new management and called Riverside Cafe. It no longer has the souvenir stand and has extended its menu to cover a larger selection of breakfast options.

Marks out of 10

Food 4.5

Service 5

Ambience 5

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Baltic – getting colder!

I used to love Baltic, good tasty Eastern European food and a great selection of flavoured vodkas, plus they had a Jazz singer on Sunday evenings to add some atmosphere (its a big room so it needs it!). My last visit was disappointing, let down very badly by the service, although on the plus side they knew it and gave us both some free vodka’s. The food is not as good as it used to be, but still of a reasonable standard. The vodka list has shrunk and the bar now seems to focus more on cocktails.

I would also say this is more of a winter venue due to the type of food they serve.

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The Ivy – A list or Z list?

Celebrity hang out? I am not convinced. I have been here twice now and if you do spot anyone familiar, it is pretty much a Z lister. Then again I have not really been there on the popular nights. It was so hard to get a table, we just took what we could get. To guarantee a table, you may have to book 3 months in advance.

The venue is not pretentious, it’s actually very cosy, a bit of a refuge from all the hustle and bustle of theatre land. The food is surprisingly simple and Italian in influence. It is not cheap, but neither is it rip off prices. I particularly enjoyed the honeycomb ice cream desert.

They layout of tables is very good for people watching, no facing the wall for the Gents in this venue. On one visit, we were entertained by the chap at the next table (who had obviously just got back from a holiday in Spain) repeatedly shouting ¡HOLA! to get the waiters attention, the amusing part was when his girlfriend got up to go to the loo, and did not return!

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The Waterside Inn – old fashioned comfort

I found the food at The Waterside Inn in Bray to be quite conventional, fairly typical french haute cuisine. I have to admit I expected a lot more from a 3 star Michelin – I suspect at least 1 star applied to the location.

It was also a bit of a struggle to find a reasonably priced bottle of Champagne – the wine list was a bit daunting. That said it was a lovely day out. The Waterside Inn is a very comfortable venue. We made our selves at home, spending hours out on the terrace after lunch drinking brandy that was older than we were, and indulging in a little too much PX.

Here is a short video about The Waterside Inn:-

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Wish list – So many Restaurants to visit!

I am building up a wish list of restaurants that I really should make an effort to visit at some point in the future:-

Barcelona

Can Fabes – CLOSED
Hisop
Moments at the Mandarin Oriental – visited May 2010, see post
Bravo24 at the W Hotel – visited May 2010, see post

Bath

Allium Brasserie

Copenhagen

Noma – maybe, although not so keen on the idea of live ants.

Cheltenham

Le Champignon Sauvage

Edinburgh

Castle Terrace
Martin Wishart
Number One Restaurant at The Balmoral Hotel – Visited December 2009, see post.
The Kitchin – Visited December 2009, see post.

Hong Kong

St Betty

Kent

The Sportsman, Seasalter, Whitstable – Visited July 2010, see post.
Eddie Gilberts , Ramsgate – Visited April 2010, see post – CLOSED

Lake District

L’enclume

London

Bob Bob Ricard– Visited September 2011, see post.
Chez Bruce Wandsworth – Visited December 2010, see post.
Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental visited March 2010, see post.
Hawksmoor – Visited March 2011, see post.
Hedone
L’Anima
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
L’Autre Pied – Visited September 2010, see post.
Le Gavroche
Magdalen – Visited January 2010, see post.
Maze – Visited June 2010, see post.
Medlar – Visited December 2012, see post.
Murano – Visited May 2010, see post.
One O One
Polpo
Pollen Street Social and Social Eating House
Portal
Restaurant Story
Roganic – Visited January 2013, see post
St Johns
St Johns Hotel
Sketch – Visited Septeber 2011, see post.
Texture – Visited May 2010, see post.
The Glasshouse – Visited March 2011, see post.
The Greenhouse
The Modern Pantry – Visited Dec 2011, see post.
Trinity, Clapham Common – Visited July 2011, see post.
The Zetter Hotel – Bistrot Bruno Loubet – Visited March 2011, see post.

Manchester

The French at the Midlands Hotel

New York

Per se

Nottingham

Restaurant Sat Bains

Paris

San Sebastian

If any of our readers have recommendations, feel free to add them as comments.

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The Chop House – good old spot

The Bar in the Chop House in Butlers Wharf is a really civilised venue for breakfast, it is especially lovely on a sunny day when you can sit outside and watch the boats on the river, taking in the stunning views of Tower bridge. The menu is excellent, I would especially recommend the Gloucester Old Spot sausages. It is best to reserve a table for breakfast as this is a very popular venue.

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Marks out of 10

Food 6.5

Service 5

Location 7

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