The London Restaurant Review

Algarve Restaurant Special Offer

The Algarve Restaurant, in Wandsworth South West London, is offering 10% off the food bill to all readers of The London Restaurant Review (just mention us).

The Algarve Restaurant offers an extensive A La Carte Menu offering a mouth watering selection of Portuguese Cuisine. We have a wide variety of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes freshly prepared to order. Seafood and Cataplanas are  our speciality. When available on the market, we serve sole, monkfish, halibut, sea bass, red snapper, lobster, crab, tiger prawns, king prawns, clams and mussels. We also serve a wide selection of steaks, veal, chicken, and lamb. If you have a sweet tooth, you will enjoy the choice of delights displayed on the sweet display and you should try Moulotof made with the egg of the white and caramel…and it just melts into your mouth. Compliment your meal with a bottle of reasonably priced wine from our wine list.

I was impressed when I went there.  You can read my review here.

THE ALGARVE RESTAURANT
AT 314 TRINITY ROAD

WANDSWORTH SW18 3RG

Stanza Restaurant London

Stanza, a contemporary British restaurant and lounge bar is situated in the heart of Soho, London.
The 80 cover first floor restaurant features a panoramic window display that overlooks Shaftesbury Avenue and contains a private dining area, suitable for functions and meetings.
An adjacent bar, including banquette seating for up to 50 people with a total capacity of 150, features an impressive cocktail list created by Filippo Lari.

Head Chef Stuart Tattersall moved from being Sous-Chef at the Michelin starred Pool Court in Leeds to take a Head Chef post at its sister restaurant Brasserie 44.

His extensive experience has seen him cook across continental Europe, Australia and the Caribbean and his most recent post prior was at the Match Bar group in London, where he successfully introduced an impressive food offering to mirror outstanding cocktail outputs at venues including Milk & Honey. 

His menu at Stanza focuses on British classics with a modern interpretation. He sources ingredients from a variety of suppliers and the varied provenance of his ingredients includes fresh asparagus from Secretts Farm, Surrey, Herdwick lamb and an entire charcuterie board from Cumbria.

Stanza
93 - 107 Shaftesbury Avenue
London W1D 5DY
T : 020 7494 3020
E : reception@Stanzalondon.com
www.Stanzalondon.com

Zebrano Restaurant meets the Establishment

Zebrano at The Establishment has opened its doors on the 6th of March 2008 with a coveted launch partyk.  The guys behind this new bar, restaurant and Club have already built up a successful Zebrano bar on the other side of Soho and now they are to unleash themselves at one of Soho’s most famous buildings.

18 Greek street, where the legendary “The Establishment” was founded by Peter Cook and his partner in the early sixties holds many rare and warming secrets.  Back in the days of the Peter Cook, Dudley Moore partnership no one was safe from comedic humiliation – the politicians in particular.  Imagine a scene where a man named David Frost practices his satirical delivery in the balcony, the ground floor is a hive of activity and from the basement come the repetitive drills of the typewriter.  Here the first ever issues of Private Eye were conjured up in the waiters changing room and the writers thrown out at the turn of half past five with their portables.  Cook of course bought the publication for £500 – a small price considering the success we see now.  The Club had many regulars such as John Bird and John Fortune, guests like Barry Humphries and controversially, the American Lenny Bruce.  The venue was named The Establishment because “everyone wanted to be a member” of this private members club.

As with Zebrano in Ganton Street, Zebrano at The Establishment will now be a venue to excite everyone. And even though the venue has a past to be immensely proud of, Zebrano at the Establishment will step into the present and is sure to become a new favourite hangout for the après work drinkers, the dinner crowd and not forgetting later night party people.

Licensed to 3am, Zebrano at The Establishment believes that a location should cater for all needs and with a laid back but professional team, Zebrano at the Establishment will become a home from home for the savvy Soho patrons. DJs will spin across the week playing familiar, classic and latest tunes facilitating that classic mix of dancing and drinking.

The exceptional drinks menu has been put together by operations director and TV mixologist Chris Sheldon who has taken inspiration from classic cocktails served in Peter Cooks era fused with modern flavours which have been in high demand over the last 3 years at Zebrano on Ganton Street.
The food will be unfussy, uncomplicated but hugely tasty. Head Chef I. Chikuendu (Chico) has created a Mediterranean and Asian menu that can be dressed down or up depending on the occasion.  Chris Sheldon says ‘the customer is king at Zebrano and we have built up a reputation and a top business by putting them first and delivering a great product without emptying the pockets of our customers.  Zebrano at the Establishment will be no different with our policy being: not charging minimum spends, for booking tables or drinking areas - keeping drinks and food prices at a reasonable level without sacrificing quality.
Whatever your social requirements, it is distinctly possible you will find the answer at 18 Greek Street and the new era for this old Soho building.

Zebrano at the Establishment is open 6 days a week 12pm to 3am.
Zebrano at the Establishment 18 Greek Street W1D 4DS
Zebrano at the Establishment is the 2nd Zebrano, the first being Zebrano 14-16 Ganton Street, Soho, W1F 7BT.  You can read reviews of the first one on The London Restaurant Review here.

   

The Loft Restaurant in Clapham, London

Historically dominated by chains and cheap eats, Clapham High Street can now celebrate The Loft, a dining experience on another level.

Whether feasting, brunching or just bar snacking, diners at The Loft will enjoy seasonal British produce courtesy of head chef Marianne Wit. Formerly of Michelin starred The Glasshouse in Kew, Marianne's aim is to deliver delicious dishes that are 'familiar but with a twist.' To this end, the braised oxtail in the endive salad has been crisped and is complemented by walnut oil and mustard dressing; the cream sauce for the rope grown mussels is spiked with dill and star anise and the toad in this hole is chorizo.

Careful sourcing is of paramount concern: pork comes from outdoor reared Gloucester Old Spot pigs; all fish is from sustainable sources, including line-caught sea bass; all beef has been hung for nineteen days and marigold-hued yolks stand testament to the quality of eggs from acorn fed, free-range hens. This responsible attitude is continued after the meal is over, with waste oil being sent for processing into bio fuel.

Away from the main menu, The Loft maintains the same high standards. Brunchers have the agony of deciding between delights that include buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and fresh blueberries; kedgeree with smoked mackerel and a poached egg; and a Full English that boasts Stornaway black pudding, Macken Bros. sausages and Guinness and black treacle cure bacon. The Loft's roasts provide the perfect reason to venture out on a Sunday. Indulge in roast beef with Yorshire pudding and all the trimmings or roasted Gloucester Old Spot pork belly with roasted vegetables, caramelised apples and homemade chutney. Bar menu dishes available every day include watercress salad with soft goat's cheese and a good, old-fashioned homemade burger with chunky chips.

Complementing the food is a strong but succinct wine list, encompassing a range from great value Mendoza Valley house red and white, through the likes of Puligny Montrachet Chavy 2005 and Reserve de Leoville Barton 2001, to Louis Roederer Cristal 2000. Excellent international draft and bottled beers, such as Sleeman Honey Brown Beer and Coopers Sparkling Ale and a lengthy catalogue of premium spirits complete the picture.

As Plan B cognoscenti will have anticipated, diners at The Loft eat to the beat of a cutting edge
soundtrack. Friday evenings bring rare grooves, northern soul, eclectic beats and funky breaks, while Saturdays nod to NYC disco combined with party classics and Sundays feature forgotten favourites with 80's classics and easy listening.

The Loft: reaching new heights in casual fine dining and drinking.

The Loft, 67 Clapham High Street, London SW4 9TG
T: 020 7627 0792 www.theloft-clapham.co.uk

Santini Restaurant London

29 Ebury Street, London

Tel: 020 7 730 4094

Santini is a smart Italian restaurant located on Ebury Street, not far from Victoria Station. My colleague described it as a Russian hangout and certainly the diners in there were dripping in gold and speaking something other than English.

The place is a little ostentatious but once you get over the initial bling, the place is really rather nice.
Service is swift and efficient but the food is on the expensive side. Starters are in the region of £15 and the Lamb Shank special that I had for main course was £25. It was nice but nothing special.
My colleague asked for some truffle shavings on his Pappardelle starter and the waiter brought ouot a whole truffle to show him, supposedly, we assumed, to show him from what specimen his shavings might come from. Imagine our surprise when the bill came at the end of the evening and we had been charged a whole truffle at £35!

Apart from that, which took the average spend over the £80 mark with service, it was a perfectly good meal. I just don't think I'll be back anytime soon.

The great tap water debate

Asking for tap water in restaurants may be losing its stigma.  Safe in the knowledge that they are saving money AND being eco-friendly, diners are feeling more confident about choosing tap water over expensive bottled mineral water when they are dining out.

Does this mean that restaurants up and down the country are going to struggle now that they can't rely on heavily marked up water to swell their profits?  I don't think so. In fact, I see it as a great opportunity for UK restaurateurs.  Their colleagues in the USA have been happily serving iced tap water to their customers for years.  Diners in the States expect a glass of iced tap water as soon as they sit down. It is a free aperatif.  Indeed in some restaurants there are specific water staff whose job it is to just top up diners water.

Why do I think restaurants will be better off?  Because matching a glass of iced water with a glass of wine throughout the evening will leave you in fine fettle to drink more wine throughout the evening or to enjoy a post dessert whisky or brandy.  Restaurants have an opportunity to offset that lost £4 water sale with a couple of large 'digestifs' at £6 a pop.  Net result - £8 profit.
So iced tap water should become the norm in all UK restaurants, not just for the benefit of the customers, but also because it may well benefit the restaurants.

YO! Sushi Mondays Special Offer

If Mondays are starting to get you down, and your purse strings are a little tight, YO! Sushi’s Blue Mondays at their Poland Street branch, will put a smile back on the faces of all hungry Sohoites.

This celebrated conveyor belt of culinary delight is sweeping diners off their feet with an amazing offer where a selection of YO! Sushi’s favourite dishes are all £2.20 each – the price of a blue plate!

So, just when you think the weekend is over, fear not with an impressive variety of Japanese inspired dishes to choose from the conveyor belt - exclusive to our Blue Mondays promotion - including classic treats like the YO! Roll and salmon sashimi as well as tofu, wakame and cucumber salad for vegetarians, there’s something for everyone.

YO! Soho ‘Blue Mondays’ offer – starts Monday 3rd March until Monday 28th April 2008.

YO! Sushi
Soho
52 Poland Street
London
W1F 7NQ

Tel: 020 7287 0443

New Fado Night at Algarve Restaurant, Wandsworth

Saturday 15 March 2008 starts at 19.30
Artistas: Barra Lopes, Sousa Matos, Xico Fragoso

Set Menu   £25.00 per person

Bread, Butter, olives, Cod Fish Cakes, Crab Sticks, Fresh Cheese, Pates.

Starter

Traditional Portuguese Fish Soup

Or

Traditional Portuguese Grilled Sausage 

Main

Special Stew Lamb with roasted potatoes 

Or

Sun Dry Cod with Cream and new potatoes

Dessert

Traditional Portuguese Pudding

Or

Traditional home made Chocolate Mousse

www.thealgarverestaurant.co.uk

Book now 0208 875 0313 /07947483126

Taste Thai at Benja London

Thai Royal Family chef ML Kwantip is hosting the first in a series of Thai cuisine master classes and tasting sessions – on Friday 7th March 2008 at Benja London.

The workshops are free to attend for kitchen novices and potential master chefs alike – Benja Culinary Consultant ML Kwantip will be sharing her favourite recipes and delicious dishes.

A renowned celebrity chef in Thailand, ML Kwantip writes a regular column for the country's biggest women's consumer magazine, Ploi Gam Petch.

She has created dishes tried and tested on Thai royalty, from her family's role as official chefs to the Palace, and has since spent much time travelling across Thailand and beyond, learning and discovering as many different tastes, cooking cultures and experiences as possible.

ML Kwantip is available for interview to discuss her unique Benja recipes and give her top-tips on how to cook fine Thai cuisine in advance of the event. 

The Benja experience is based on hundreds of years of Thai tradition; the opulent restaurant is spread over three floors of and old Soho town house, and has been awarded the Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide 2008.

WHEN: Friday 7th March 2008
WHERE: Benja London, 17 Beak Street, London, W1F 9RW
TIME: 12pm – 2.00pm
ENTRY: FREE

Awana Lunch Promotion

Say goodbye to leftover sandwiches in the supermarket and the microwavable monstrosities that pass for a midday meal – it’s time to take your light lunch to new heights. From the 15th - 30th March 2008, fine-dining Malaysian restaurant Awana will tempt you with their unmissable Satay and Roti offer…

Simply choose

· one of six sensational satays,

including original delicacies of wild venison, shark, okra, mushroom and pepper, duck and salmon

· one of four delicious roti canai (Malaysian crispy bread),

filled with cheese, sesame seeds, egg and pepper or sweet chilli,

· and either a fruit cocktail, Anchor beer, or glass of house wine

for a totally irresistible price of just

£12.00 per person

Available from 12pm – 3pm and 5pm – 7pm, diners can choose to savour their satay and roti canai in the main restaurant or take a seat at London’s only Satay Bar, where the remarkable view of Awana’s chefs freshly preparing dishes is sure to mesmerise,

With executive chef Mark Read and Malaysian-born head chef Lee Chin Soon at the helm, Awana has become synonymous with first rate Malaysian food. Expertly executed, dishes demonstrate the depth and diversity of this relatively overlooked cuisine, with Awana’s signature peanut, and spicy peanut, Satay sauce widely celebrated as the best in London.

So if you want a light bite with a difference, head to Awana and make the most of this delicious offer.

Available 12 midday to 3pm and 5pm – 7pm

from 15th – 30th March 2008

Awana Satay and Roti menu is just £12 per person.

Open for lunch and dinner everyday, awana unlocks the mysteries of Malaysian cuisine.

www.awana.co.uk