Out door seating – Page 6 – No Expert …but I know what I like

Bar Lobo – slow and moody

Went to Bar Lobo (part of the Grupo Tragaluz) for drinks. It is a pleasant enough venue (although the drains do smell a bit when sitting outside). The service is the main problem here, staff did not seem very friendly and the service was slow and inconsistent, i.e., later arrivals getting their food and drink before we got our rather simple drinks order.

We returned again a few evenings later for Tapas (to give it a second chance!). It was quite lively but not packed, and we got a table more or less straight away, but after that it went down hill, it took ages to get our order taken. Bar Lobo could take a few lessons from Inopia on what it means to provide good service.

Marks out of 10

Food 4

Service 4

Ambience 5

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Tram Tram – pulling out all the stops!

For reliability and good value for money, Tram Tram has always been a real winner. It pulled out all the stops on our most recent visit however. The weather was so good, rather that sit in the small room at the front of the restaurant we were taken through the restaurant, past the attractive private dining room into the courtyard. It was just lovely, the food was also among one of the highlights of our trip.

So glad we returned this time as it reinforced my belief that Tram Tram is somewhere very special.

Marks out of 10

Food 7.8

Service 7

Ambience 8

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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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City Cafe – Summer in the City!

The City Inn’s restaurant is called City Cafe, it has an attractive covered outside seating area, great for the summer, even when the evenings get cooler as there are plenty of heaters.

A large screen TV is usually wheeled out for Wimbledon and other major events. The food is above average for a Hotel Chain Restaurant and reasonably priced. It has 2 AA Rosettes, which sounds about right. It was also recently featured on Celebrity Master Chef.

Art Street - The City Inns outdoor space — Art Street – The City Inns outdoor space

There are two bars, one next to the City Cafe and the main one on the first floor, the Millbank Lounge. The Millbank Lounge has waitress service and focuses on whiskeys and pretty good cocktails, food there can be a bit hit and miss.

I love the fact you can actually use the excellent Tate to Tate boat service as a means of getting to/from this hotel.

Marks out of 10 – for City Cafe

Food – 5.8

Service 5.5

Ambience 5.5

Marks out of 10 – for Millbank Lounge

Food 5

Service 7

Ambience 6

UPDATE : November 2010 – The City Inn has been rebranded and is now the Mint Hotel.

UPDATE : January 2012 – This hotel has now been rebranded as a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel,

UPDATE : May 2013 – Not sure if Hilton are paying much attention to the restaurant now, when I have passed by it at lunch times during the week and weekends it has been completely empty.

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