Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Friendly, very trendy Mediterranean restaurant and bar overlooking the beautiful Hyde Park. With its relaxed atmosphere, it's the perfect place for your business lunches, or a friendly dinner with a drop of wine - our fresh food, friendly staff and good selection of items will make you come back for more; again and again!!

Situated on Clifton Road in the heart of Maida Vale, Raoul's Café has slowly established itself as a trendy and stylish venue to dine and nothing says it better than their mixed clientele who throng its doors everyday, whether it's for full English in the morning, Greek lentil soup for lunch or a seafood dinner.

Even the salads are treated with the same respect and with ingredients like couscous, chickpeas and cinnamon, and green beans, asparagus and artichokes, the choices are notable. The menu changes daily and the kitchen does a particularly impressive job with main courses like chicken tarragon casserole, organic beef lasagne, sausage rolls and arancini.

Raoul's Deli is well-stocked with a wide range of quality items that include barbecued dishes, salads, dips, sauces, breads, cheese, cakes and desserts.

Just when you thought Persian cooking was probably complicated, this Harrow Road restaurant clears the air and prompts diners to leave all their inhibitions at the door to step into a world of imaginative, healthy and colourful cooking. Yes, the team at Pars Restaurant have even got the décor right, outfitted with light furniture and beautiful paintings the minimalist look is just what is needed to shift focus into the food.

Those intent on learning the intricacies of Persian cooking will be happy to know that spices like saffron, diced lime, cinnamon and parsley are delicately combined, resulting in deliciously light fare. Ash-e-reshte is a good way to start, this traditional soup combines vegetables, lentils, red kidney beans, chickpeas and noodles, but take time out to pause between spoonfuls to analyse the interesting juxtaposition of flavours. This could be followed by zereshk polo ba morgh - steamed saffron rice mixed with sour bearberries and pistachio with cooked chicken and a Persian sorbet with a hint of lemon juice to finish.

Situated in the heart of the Paddington Waterside development, Union Bar and Grill makes a great pit stop for those looking for some fantastic food, wines, beers and cocktails. Natural light streams in through the windows and office-goers stopping by for a drink or a quick bite contribute to the buzzing atmosphere within.

The menu kicks off with starters like pan-fried squid and chorizo salad with balsamic reduction, and Spanish and Italian charcuterie with homemade bread. For the main affair, there's plenty of choice ranging from grilled honey lamb skewers with vegetable couscous, tzatziki and mint jus, and red Thai chicken curry with cashew kernels and fragrant jasmine rice or noodles, to matured rib-eye steak with homemade chips, rocket salad and peppercorn sauce.

Finish with a sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream or chocolate brownie with raspberry coulis and crème Chantilly.

Charmingly sophisticated service awaits you at this upmarket venue where a harpist plays on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The menu is an interesting mix of Persian and Indian influences. Very reliable, if a little pricey. The old classic chicken bhuna is especially good, as are a number of the Persian dishes.