Come Dine With Me... at The Diner

With restaurants in Camden, Shoreditch and Soho, The Diner is fast becoming a mini-chain in its own right, clearly targeting London’s indie scenesters in their glorious vintage clothing.

The Camden branch, located just off the high street on the slightly nondescript Jamestown Road certainly grabs your attention with its red neon signage and black exterior, much the same as the Soho Pizzeria in fact and inside it’s a similar story with clever black tiling creating a cool, moody atmosphere.

The American influence is most evident however when scanning the vast menu, where ‘fries’, ‘shakes’ and ‘dogs’ abound. Worried that a ‘(hot) dog’ would not suffice, I joined my sister and ordered a medium cooked Cheese Burger at £6.50 and a side of fries to share, from our pencil-thin waitress.

Given that this was a Thursday night at seven o clock, I was most disappointed to find that with the exception of two other tables we were the only ‘diners’ in the place. To make matters worse, the music had been turned down almost as low as the lighting, making for a rather quiet and dark restaurant.

Considering that staff appeared to outnumber customers, the burgers didn’t exactly race out of the kitchen, eventually arriving in rather grubby looking black plastic baskets with Diner branded paper.

First impressions were good however, with cheese melting nicely on top of a thick, juicy ‘pattie’, as those in the burger trade (but certainly not I) like to call them. A decent looking bun sat beneath with the related lid adorned with lettuce, a slice of beef tomato, red onion and a token gherkin.

Quickly seeing off the salad element of the meal I was now left with a manageable burger that could in theory be eaten by hand, without the risk of spilling relish over a fresh pair of cream chinos.

Unfortunately the burger could no longer be classed as medium, having been charred around the edges and ultimately arrived at the table ‘well-done’. This was a shame given the quality of the meat and the excellent sesame seed topped bun, which was obviously fresh and when served warm, tasted fantastic.

The chips were equally delicious with a nice golden colour to them. Heinz tomato sauce bottles are placed on every table as well as a bottle of mustard and cellar of salt, with vinegar appearing to be the elusive condiment. The small pot of relish that arrived with the burgers also proved to be tasty enough.

With room still for dessert nothing seemed to jump out at me from the selection on the menu so we decided to leave it for today and simply ask for the bill. Annoyingly, for what is only a burger joint in Camden, a 12.5% discretionary service charge was added, which I reluctantly chose to pay.

Whilst not somewhere I would rush back to, if I ever happen to find myself in Camden sporting a pair of skinny jeans and looking for something a little more than a ‘Big Mac’ then I would certainly give the Diner another whirl.

Fresh thinking takes a swipe on Great Portland Street

The first thing that you’re asked upon arrival at Vapiano on Great Portland Street is ‘Have you been here before?’ which in London usually means that you’re in for something new and exciting.

The major difference between Vapiano and other Italian restaurants is that rather than being served by traditional waiting staff, you are simply given a card that you need to swipe across a reader when ordering your food from the various food counters.

Pasta and pizza both have their own counters as does salads and antipasti in this vibrant, modern space. Next to the pasta counter is a machine that regularly churns out fresh pasta, whilst in the pizza corner, freshly kneaded bases are regularly thrown into the air by the pizza chefs.

We chose to sit at the high tables on comfortable bar stools and went through the menu, which is divided into groups, with dishes in Group A costing £5.50 and those in Group D for £8.50, reflecting the relative cost of the ingredients.

Having eaten (and reviewed) far too many pizzas recently I decided to go with the Insalata Cesare and Bruschetta, for which I took a visit to the salad counter. I placed my order with the chef behind the counter and as expected, was asked to put my card against the reader, which added £8.00 to the balance.

I then stood back and watched as a good handful of cos lettuce leaves, a spoonful of croutons and a ladle of cesare dressing were tossed in a stainless steel bowl, transferred into a dish and topped with a cherry tomato and parmesan shavings, before being placed on the counter ready for me to eat.

For the bruschetta, two thick slices of ciabatta were again cut in front of me and sent around a toaster before reappearing crisp and golden in colour. Rocket was added to the plate along with two healthy spoonfuls of tomato, onion and garlic salsa, all of which took less than a minute to prepare.

In this time Emily had returned too with her pesto pasta and glass bottle of Coke. All the ingredients used at Vapiano are fresh and this is instantly recognised in the tasting.

The cesare salad leaves were crisp and cool; the croutons had just the right crunch and the wholegrain mustard cesare dressing held it all together perfectly with a real kick that was softened by the mature taste of the parmesan.

The ciabatta for the bruschetta was similarly crunchy with a soft and chewy centre, although the tomato salsa topping tasted a little too similar to that with which you would see off a bag of Doritos. At £8.00 for two superb, freshly made dishes however it is difficult to pick fault.

When it comes to settling the bill in Vapiano, you simply walk over to the till and swipe your card, then pay the balance, there are no annoying 12.5% discretionary service charges and the whole process is effortless. It’s a great concept for London and one I’m sure that we’ll be seeing a lot more of.

D&D London... Second time lucky?!

With its impressive glass frontage onto St. James’s Street and carefully chosen pieces of modern art adorning the white walls inside it would be easy to confuse the Avenue Restaurant and Bar with one of the many art dealers and galleries in this wealthy enclave of London.

Avenue is part of the independent restaurant group D&D London, of which my only previous experience was a dreadful evening of poor quality food and service at the Butlers Wharf Chop House Bar.

Fortunately the service was already well ahead on points, with our coats taken promptly by the restaurant manager before we were led to an immaculate table at the back of this cavernous restaurant. The minimalist interior screams chic and sophisticated, with a beautiful grand piano a pleasing touch.

We were promptly asked if we would like any water, ‘still, sparkling… tap?!’ Tap water was duly requested along with a bottle of Chilean red wine, which arrived together with warm rustic white rolls and butter. The wine was initially poured into the wrong glass but quickly rectified by our attentive waiter.

From the impressive modern European menu the wild mushroom risotto with parmesan shavings was chosen to start, followed by the free range Suffolk chicken breast, wild mushrooms and cep sauce.

If wild mushroom risotto had been ordered it most certainly did not arrive, instead the waiter set down pan fried horse mushrooms, garlic, brioche and red onion marmalade.

Choosing not to say anything I cut into the brioche, which was soft in the middle yet burnt and hard around the edges; the red onion marmalade meanwhile was delicious and an excellent accompaniment to the chewy mushrooms.

Unlike many London restaurants that choose to have their kitchen as an integral part of the main restaurant itself, at Avenue it is downstairs and as such orders are sent via a dumb waiter.

Unfortunately this meant that none of our dishes arrived hot as they should have done and the cep sauce on my main had started to form a wholly unappetising skin.

The chicken breast was terrific, beautifully cooked, wonderfully moist and tender. That was however until I got to the end piece closest to the bone, which rather worryingly was raw.

A side order of chips had also been requested with the mains, which were perfectly golden crisp and nicely salted. The excellent spinach salad and wild mushrooms were quickly finished off with the remaining cooked chicken and cep sauce.

Service was excellent throughout the evening and we were brought dessert menus from which we ordered the chocolate and raspberry cake with ice cream and the hot apple and blackberry crumble.

The chocolate and raspberry cake centre was too sticky and bordering on sickly as opposed to rich and moreish, whilst once again the hot chocolate sauce had started to set by the time it arrived at our table. The crumble was delicious however, if slightly bitter.

All in all we left feeling disappointed by another D&D restaurant, whilst in my own mind I left Catchphrase’s very own Roy Walker to deliver the final verdict. ‘Avenue… it’s good, but it’s not great!’

Soho Pizzeria proves to be Soso good

With its funky combination of black paint and red neon signage, the Soho Pizzeria is visually one of the most memorable restaurants in Central London, yet sitting within the labyrinth of achingly cool streets that is Soho, remembering just which prominent corner it sits on is still something of a challenge.

Meeting my Dad for lunch on a Friday, I was worried of having to wait for a table, yet we were quickly seated right in the thick of the action and given menus by our waitress. The clue should be in the name but pizza is very firmly the favourite dish here and as such I decided against either pasta or salad.

Looking around the restaurant and my immediate impression was that the pizzas were actually quite small, which usually leans me back towards a pasta dish but in this instance only made up my mind to go for the Calzone of ham, olives, capers, pepperoni sausage, tomato and mozzarella in a folded pizza.

Inside, the Soho Pizzeria is every bit as intriguing as it is from the outside, with its many photographs and posters that sit alongside more red neon’s in this large attractive space. There is even a stage area for live music in the evenings, which is surely only another reason for a night-time return to Soho.

After the olives at Paradiso the previous evening, I was dubious as to whether our starter of mixed olives would be able to compete, but yet again they were delicious, with the stones removed and this time with strips of red pepper to compliment them. The larger green varieties were particularly impressive.

The calzone arrived soon after and it was time to swap cocktail sticks for knife & fork. With no side salad the plate looked bare and my earlier concern over portion size looked like coming back to haunt me, yet nowhere have I thought the phrase ‘quality not quantity’ to be more apt than at the Soho Pizzeria.

The folded pizza base was golden brown, marvelously light yet with a nice crisp edge. Cutting into the middle and there was ham and pepperoni sausage spilling out like treasure from a chest, not the usual deflating of air as happens at Zizzi. The tomato sauce was thick and well seasoned with Italian herbs.

The Quattro Stagioni chosen by my Dad was similarly demolished in record time and cleared away before the dessert menu was brought over. Whilst all of the options looked good, it seemed only right to have the Chocolate Fudge Cake, served hot of course and with an extra scoop of ice cream at £1.10.

With the coke long since gone, my tap water was topped up and a latte brought over for my Dad. Whilst this time the fudge cake was huge, the quality remained the same, with a rich and moist cake topped with hot chocolate sauce and accompanied by a scoop of topnotch if extortionate vanilla ice cream.

The Soho Pizzeria proved to be every bit as good as it looks and will certainly be seeing me again soon!

Paradiso doesn't quite make The Cut

Noting the ‘Est. 1934’ that proudly adorns the front of Ristorante Olivelli Paradiso on The Cut, I was very much hoping for a cry of ‘Seniore’ and a firm handshake from a suitably charming Italian owner upon arrival, however the mundane reality was of simply following our waitress in silence to a table for two.

The interior fully conforms to the standard Pizza Express interpretation of what an ‘Italian’ restaurant should look like, with typical grey marble table tops and white tiled floors. Unfortunately these tables are much too close together; removing a coat turns into a complex struggle that would leave even Harry Houdini frustrated.

Paradiso must be doing something right however as the relatively small restaurant was close to full with diners clearly enjoying themselves, which when added to the background music made for a lively if not loud atmosphere.

A small bowl of deliciously large mixed olives was placed on the table for us to enjoy whilst looking over the menus, and enjoy we did. Bathed in oil and perfectly salted, these were olives of the highest quality and set the standard for what was to come.

Having ordered two cokes (in glass bottles) and two tap waters to keep us going it was time for the mains; the menu is a good mix of pasta, pizza and salads with a diverse and extensive selection of vegetarian dishes on offer. Opting for pizza, I chose the Quattro Stagioni of artichokes, ham, mushroom and black olives.

The food was quick to arrive and the pizza was nicely cooked with a crisp base and a generous helping of each of the four toppings. Fresh ingredients abound with the ham more akin to bacon and again of excellent quality.

At £24.00 for two mains and two cokes Paradiso is good value and is a great choice for a pre-theatre meal, with both the Old Vic and Young Vic theatres close by, however my overriding feeling was one of disappointment in that as with the décor, the food was just too similar to that of the larger chains.

A pizza the Goodge Street action

Having been invited to a private viewing at an art gallery in trendy Fitzrovia, my immediate concern upon leaving Goodge Street Tube station, having carried out the mandatory phone, wallet, keys check, was to where I should eat.

Fortunately in this area of London you are spoilt for choice, given the diversity and sheer brilliance of Goodge Street and its neighbours when it comes to choice of restaurant.

On this particular occasion I decided to venture into the Italian Coffee Company, or ICCo as it prefers to be known. Sited on the corner of Goodge Street and Charlotte Street, this place is like a beacon with its cool interior and large windows, aimed at enticing the bright young people of Fitzrovia in to this thriving lair of freshly cooked pizza and Italian coffees.

As a single diner (yet again!) my initial worry was one of where to sit, seemingly looking out of place in my navy blue Zara Man coat and pinstriped suit amongst the skinny jeans and neon t-shirts that abounded, however a seat was spied and quickly claimed on one of the several high stainless-steel tables.

Leaving my copy of Brideshead Revisited on the table as a reminder to people that firstly the seat was taken but more importantly, that I do indeed read classics, I went up to the self-order counter and having previously been studying the menu opted for an 11” Capricciosa to eat in.

I was joined at the table by a group of American students and sat waiting what turned out to be around five minutes for my pizza to arrive, the pizza chefs literally make the bases and top them out right in front of you, so I was able to monitor the journey of the aforementioned Capricciosa from kitchen to pizza oven to plate, with the aid of a large pizza shovel.

‘Oliver’ was quietly called across the PA system and up I went to claim my prize, already planning my escape route in the event that I somehow managed to drop the pizza during transit from one stainless-steel counter to the next. Fortunately that issue never arose, and I even managed to grab a knife and fork wrapped in a plain white serviette with which to eat.

The pizza was piping hot and delicately topped with ham, mushroom, black olives, mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil sauce, although the menu does draw attention to the fact that turkey ham is a substitute for ham! In this instance, I never knew a fusion of pig and turkey could go so well on an 11” dough base.

Despite positively oozing with mozzarella, the pizza was in no way oily and was perfectly cooked, helped surely by the authentic and dedicated pizza oven that commands one corner of the restaurant.

At £5.30 these pizzas aren’t even comparable to the likes of Pizza Express, offering unbelievable value and using fresh ingredients in an environment that is wonderfully individual and offering a real buzz of what should surely be considered Real London.

The Club Sandwich (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Chicken... & Egg)

Finding myself alone on Marylebone High Street, having just been quoted £200 plus VAT for the mending of my badly frayed suit trousers, and with my stomach rumbling for food I thought that I deserved what I like to term ‘a light lunch’, ignoring the many fashionable chains and choosing to head to Bonne Bouche.

Not wanting to draw attention to the fact that I was eating alone, I quickly made for the back of the restaurant – which seems to be somewhat of a recurring theme in these reviews – and sat down at a nice quiet table for four.

Within seconds of putting my coat on the back of the chair the waitress, one of three that would eventually end up serving me, was over to take my drinks order, which after toying with the idea of a coke, decided that if I am forced to eat alone then at least I shall look English about it, and duly ordered a pot of English breakfast tea.

The menu was typical of so many West London cafés and as a distinguished connoisseur of such eateries, I ordered the Bonne Bouche Club Sandwich at a cool £6.95, which sees an egg added to the traditional combination of bacon, lettuce, tomato and chicken. An excellent addition if ever I did see one.

If the pot of tea arrived in two minutes then the food must definitely have arrived within five, and the bill following soon after that, in this expertly run establishment. Black pepper was offered and fittingly accepted before things got ‘a bit saucy’ in the form of a good healthy dose of Heinz tomato sauce to suitably cover the French fries.

All the sandwiches come with chips and a side salad, which included raw carrot, cucumber and mozzarella in a light French dressing, to go with the fries and go against my English tea, of which I was now on my second teacup.

The sandwiches were skilfully held together by the help of a cocktail stick and were far too big to eat whole leaving me with an instant dilemma, do I cut them and run the risk of valuable filling escaping out of the side or do I eat them in stages? Choosing the latter, I went through the layers one by one, noting the egg to be the winning filling.

Apart from the chicken mayo tasting as though it had come straight out of a drum marked ‘chicken mayo’, which it probably had the meal was faultless, and needless to say was cleared away as I was still chewing the last mouthful. Quickly finishing my second and final cup of tea, I paid the £8.45 bill and made my exit.

By now the place was filling up with what appeared to be regulars given the banter coming from the counter and adjoining kitchen, leaving me to wonder if one day perhaps even I could be held in the same regard. On the basis of this sitting I would certainly be happy to go back, so who knows!

A freezing cool bar on a freezing cold night

Having previously enjoyed many a fine cocktail at Navajo Joe, I must admit to having been somewhat sceptical as to whether the food could ever quite match the drinks at what, in my eyes at least, was until the other evening simply a bar, admittedly a very good one, but still just a bar.

On arrival it is difficult not to be impressed by the funky interior, the long bar complete with candles, which look to have been dripping wax ever since the place opened, and the dazzling array of spirits that ensure that the mixologists are able to continue doing their job.

We were quickly seated towards the rear of a now heaving restaurant, blending in nicely I hoped with the many fashionable young couples who clearly also like to eat out on a cold Wednesday evening.

Having scoured the extensive drinks menu I chose the non-alcoholic ‘Drops Like Rain’, a refreshing mix of pineapple and passion juices combined with grenadine and lemon juice and rounded off with a single raspberry that was, after much effort on my part extracted and promptly eaten.

Starters aren’t particularly cheap in Navajo Joe and so we decided that we would go for a couple of sharing plates at two for £7, putting an order in for crunchy catfish goujons with grain mustard mayo, which were suitably yummy even if the mayo could have been stronger, and four cheese nachos.

It is just possible that the people who wrote the menu had only recently watched the Two Ronnie’s ‘fork handles’ sketch as whilst I assumed that we would be receiving nachos covered in four delicious cheeses of the world, what actually arrived was a meagre four nachos covered in a bit of cheddar.

Thankfully, the mains were at the other end of the portion scale with my chicken fajitas arriving as a sizzling plate full of chicken, roasted onions and peppers, four metal pots of guacamole, cheese, salsa and sour cream, and a dish that with the wooden lid removed revealed five warm, soft tortilla wraps.

Flying the vegetarian flag, Emily was enjoying asparagus and oyster mushroom enchiladas ‘loaded’ with sugar snap peas, goats cheese and smoked chilli tomato sauce, which I can only say looked and smelt as good as it reads to you and I.

Having been too conservative with my estimates as to how much filling each early fajita could reasonably hold, the final two had to be packed to the sides if I was to stand any chance of matching the empty plate where once enchiladas had sat.

Finally, and with the full support of a knife & fork – desperately uncool when eating fajitas, I’m sure’ – I was finished!

With both of us feeling decidedly full the option of dessert was quickly passed and the bill summoned from the friendly if a little overworked waitress. With a toptable 2for1 on main meals, nobody could argue with the price and so it was back into the cold, happy to have laid any doubts to rest.

As cunning as The Fox…

Sitting 5 minutes outside of Harpenden on the Luton Road, getting to The Fox is strictly a car-only affair, although in our case that car was a minibus, 2 minibuses infact and sleek black ones at that ensuring an arrival more reminiscent of an episode of The Apprentice than for the celebration of a birthday… ‘Sir Alan would like you all to meet him at The Fox in Harpenden.’

Step inside and it’s immediately apparent that The Fox has managed to succeed where so many other gastro venues have failed, in perfectly combining the warmth of a traditional English pub with the coolness of a top Mayfair restaurant in one hugely appealing and open plan package.

A quick look at the oversized menu and it’s the seared pigeon breast with black pudding and roast cherry tomatoes to start and despite a diverse and exciting menu, I felt strangely compelled to go for the Classic Burger, choosing also to take the £0.95 hit and add bacon and cheese into the mix, something that I would later be suitably rewarded for.

Tap water was ordered without any resistance and brought out with a bottle of the Cotes du Rhone Villages, a ‘hauntingly good wine’ according to the menu, a verdict with which upon drinking, I’m inclined to agree! 2 hearty plates of complimentary rustic bread with balsamic and olive oil were offered, accepted and quickly devoured by the group before the starters arrived.

Quietly pleased with my joke that my pigeon must have had a cracking pair of breasts, I was even more pleased with the starter itself, delictely arranged and expertly cooked, with the yellow tomatoes doing their bit to make the dish look enticingly delicious.

Another bottle of hauntingly good wine arrived just in time for the main course, which was accompanied by some of the most exceptional chips that I have ever been lucky enough to eat, sadly I was robbed of what looked like the fattest and therefore the best of these chips by Emily as my back was momentarily turned. In an establishment like The Fox I didn’t feel compelled to ask for ketchup!

A freshly toasted bun, fresh salad leaves and dressing, red onion and thinly sliced gherkin combined with a melt-in-the-mouth medium rare burger, cheese and bacon to become what I shall call perfection on a plate, shaming the likes of Gourmet Burger Kitchen and leaving me to boast that I could ‘eat the same again’ when infact I already had my eye on the dessert menu.

Service throughout was friendly and professional, with the restaurant staff again taking away a series of spotlessly clean plates, suggesting that it was not only I who had enjoyed my main. A postcard-sized dessert menu was put into my hands and what could I do but order the warm chocolate fudge cake with double chocolate ice-cream, with a richness and warmth that only rounded off what was a truly memorable and altogether enjoyable evening.

The Great Wagamama Challenge 2009

In true Eastenders style we decided to head ‘up west’ and tick Leicester Square off the list of restaurants set to be visited as part of the Great wagamama Challenge 2009.

Head downstairs and it’s definitely one of the smaller restaurants in the group but also one of the best with its exposed brickwork and intimate alcoves.

Ordering is a doddle in wagas, a green tea and a tap water without thinking, possibly even a fresh juice if I have a voucher.

‘Are you ready to order food?’

Given that ordering anything other than a chicken katsu curry is always a gamble too far, I could have ordered as I was coming down the stairs to be honest, just shout ‘number 71’ into the open kitchens in fact… although as it’s all done electronically now, that probably wouldn’t get me very far.

If 8 is a lucky number in China then 71 must be a very lucky number in Japan, as that of course is the number of the wonderful chicken katsu curry.

But what’s this, no yasai katsu curry for Emily?! It’ll just have to be the chu chee snapper special instead then.

I order a side of miso soup and pickles, managing of course to get in my classic line ‘miso hungry’, which is a sure-fire hit in any wagamama.

The food arrives separately as we were rightly told to expect, with the katsu looking good, possibly a little light on the curry sauce front but with a good serving of ‘mixed leaves’, drizzled in its own unique and delicious dressing.

Snap the chopsticks and get to work on the leaves, easy. Not so easy when it comes to picking up sticky rice but then that’s why the good people at wagas always brings you a spoon and fork.

No need for the fork just yet as I saw through the deep-fried chicken fillet with the spoon edge, spinning it in my fingers and shovelling on a good dose of sticky white rice and a healthy coating of curry sauce in one much practised and silky-smooth movement.

As far as katsu’s go this one is right up there with the best of the best and things only get better when a further bowl of lightly spiced curry sauce arrives to make up for the initial ladle ‘not quite’ full.

The miso soup was suitably piping hot and refreshing, with the accompanying pickles as sweet and beautifully neon as ever.

Using the fork to spear the last few grains of rice and I’m finished, miso full! And what about the chu chee snapper? Good, but definitely no yasai!

With a 2for1 voucher the whole meal comes out at just £13.15, which in my book is jolly good value.

The only downer on an otherwise perfect meal comes in the form of my change, finding that the £5 note brought back to me has been defaced with red marker pen, annoying but quickly offloaded in exchange for a Timeout and a bag of Jelly Tots at Piccadilly Tube station.