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hand picked restaurants

The wonder of Indian food has taken Britain by storm over the past two decades, to the point where it is a serious rival to other ethnic cuisines. Considering curry was originally created for the British in India this a slightly ironic twist to events, but it could explain why every self respecting town, and many villages now have their own Indian restaurant, and the phrase 'nipping down for an Indian' has taken on a significance that excites the taste buds like crazy.

So no surprise at all to find that South Woodford, historically part of Essex, and located where the North Circular Road starts some kind of uneasy relationship with the M11, hosts one of the best Indian restaurants since 1996, Bhangra Beat. The driving force behind it is Shamim Ahmed Khan, whose aim is to offer excellent food and value for money, if not exactly on the same plate at least in close relationship to each other. Shamim pioneered balti-style cooking in London with his Streatham restaurant of the same name back in 1993, since then he has pursued his passion for food with developing flavours and presenting specialties from various regions of the Indian sub-continent

The décor is a cool setting of gentle colours, with sparkling wooden floors, spotless table settings and gives an overall impression of solid comfort and creates the right mood. On Saturday nights live music and classic Bollywood songs from the 70s and 80s bring some of the best entertainment in London to the restaurant, giving a special lift without shifting the balance of pleasure from the table. Shamim has not been slow to recognise the take-away, and the quality of their meals to take home is superb in every detail. They offer free delivery to the following postcodes: E11, E18, IG4, IG5, IG7 and IG8.

The menu features delicious and unusual starters such as sabji kofta, spicy deep fried vegetable dumplings, and king prawn pepper fry cooked with butter and lots of black pepper. The selection of kebabs is enticing with lemon flavoured shelled king prawns leading the way followed by tandoori chicken, lamb, paneer and duck tikkas.

Curry lovers will find a whole new range of delicacies such as Bengal fish curry stewed in a lemon flavoured sauce; malabari lamb stir-fried with crushed chillies; Cochin chicken in a heavy mix of spices, tomato, mint and coriander; mint chicken, and a whole range of balti dishes. Vindaloo, korma and jalfrezi, well loved favourites, are also present alongside mango chicken, while the speciality would no doubt be the Rajasthan influenced lal jhal, which has chicken tikka with chopped ingredients and spices.

Lifelong carnivores may find that some of Bhangra's vegetarian dishes are worth more than passing consideration. The spicy, hot saag aloo relies on spinach and potatoes to create a distinct flavour while the sabji malai korma balti has an assortment of vegetables for a light and pleasing taste.

Reliability in any restaurant is a cardinal virtue, particularly where a cuisine other than one's own is concerned. The host of compliments received from both regular and new customers at Bhangra is a sure indication this has been achieved.

Find out more by a clicking on their straightforward Website.

The Crown is yet another jewel in the Geronimo collection of pubs with style, traditional British food, worthy beers and an excellent wine list. Located only a short distance from Victoria Park it has something for everyone whether you are looking for a place where quiet meals for two are on the agenda, a group booking or just somewhere friendly where a few friends can gather for a few drinks and a yarn.

Lunch and dinner is served seven days a week with Saturday brunches that blow away any vestiges of the previous night's end of the working week feste, and Sunday lunches where that great British custom can be celebrated in a relaxed and timeless manner.

The Crown is a very outdoor sort of place too, with a beautiful roof terrace and beer garden. Two function rooms, the bright and airy Livestock Room and the more intimate Paper Room both have private balconies overlooking the Park and comfortably accommodate 25 people for a seated event. If it's something bigger you have in mind the entire first floor for you and 79 other people standing is yours, with its own private bar.

So really there's not much excuse for looking any further no matter what your requirements. 'Yes', you say, 'but what about the food and drink'. In the immortal words of the late Peter Sellers, "what indeed!" Let's start with with the wine list created by John Clevely, Master of Wine and driving force behind Geronimo pubs. What with warm hearted reds, cool elegant whites and a visit to most of the major wine producing areas in the world, there really is no contest. Nearly every one is available by the glass, and prices only occasionally stray across the £20 barrier, and frankly if you don't feel that £50 is a fair price for a bottle of Pol Roger Brut Reserve should you really be out?

And so to the rations which are perfectly straightforward, with two menus, lunch and dinner, and no messing about. In case you think that lunch in Victoria Park is not an event, let me assure you otherwise. Cured salmon with herb pancakes, shallot and capers make a good opening event, or perhaps a goat's cheese croustade, with leek, onion and pine nuts is more your way?

Time to spare, friends to meet? A sirloin steak with green peppercorn sauce and hand cut chips takes some beating, but a roasted pork fillet with horseradish mash and smoked black pudding is in the same league. The blessed burger is now respectable and there sure enough is a cheese and bacon burger with more hand cut chips. For the maritime-minded a pan fried seabass is served with risotto cake, baby pak choy and sweet chilli sauce.

Dinner is more of the same with additional dishes such as braised ox cheek, swede and cider, crispy salmon with wilted spinach, fondant potato and pea jus, and a chicken liver salad, pancetta and raspberry vinegar.

Desserts change daily and be on the lookout for some decent British cheeses.

Walk into The Crown and chances are you will feel instantly at home which, in the view of many is what a good pub is all about. Their Website will keep you up to date with special events, menu changes, and private hire possibilities.

Overlooking the Olympic Park, with a splendid view of the stadium, The Cow Westfield offers a delicious range of traditional British pub grub along with a selection of real ales, spirits and wines. Situated in the Westfield Shopping Centre, amidst a host of other restaurants, shops and other entertainment options, it's the perfect place to unwind after a shopping trip or at the end of a busy day at work. Stratford Tube Station is a stone's throw away.
 
Spread over two floors and a mezzanine, guests can chill out in an informal laidback setting with pleasant rustic touches. The Cow serves fresh, seasonal dishes with the emphasis on using carefully sourced British produce wherever possible. 'Cow Night' each Monday offers steak specials while every Friday is Cocktail Night. There are also fortnightly wine, beer and spirits tastings and a variety of traditional roasts every Sunday at The Cow.

The à la carte features a wide range of dishes including delicious small plates of warm sausage roll with red onion jam; smoked haddock kedgeree; cheese pie with apricot chutney; hot smoked trout salad; Welsh rarebit on toast and wild mushroom and leek tart. You could follow with hearty mains of dry-aged rare breed steak with watercress, béarnaise sauce and hand cut chips; sausage and mash with red onion jam and red wine jus or the house signature dish of Cow Pie with pea and mashed potato. Seafood lovers could indulge in Cornish Albacore tuna with onion bhaji, cucumber and yogurt or whole baked plaice with shrimps and peas.

If you prefer a quick bite and a drink, the bar menu includes snacks of pork pie with homemade piccalilli, chipolatas with honey and mustard, Colchester oysters and jellied eels as well as fish and meat boards with Valley Farm smoked salmon, potted prawns, mini fishcakes, roasted chicken thighs, black pudding fritters and chicken liver parfait. Alternatively grab a tasty sandwich, there’s choice of fillings including club chicken with bacon, tomato and fried egg; minute steak with onion jam and Coleman's mustard; and hot salt beef with piccalilli and gherkins served on crusty farmhouse or whole grain bread.

Sweet temptations of Eton mess with strawberry sorbet; warm chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce and crème fraiche or apple blackberry with crumble custard will satisfy diners with a sweet tooth. Alternatively, try the British cheese board with Crosiers blue, Keens Cheddar and Golden Cross cheeses served with chutney and biscuits.

The Cow offers a variety of beers including Young's London Gold as well as local real ales from Tottenham, Greenwich and East Anglia. The carefully selected wine list includes whites and reds from all round the world. Cocktails and soft drinks are also available.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

In trendy Shoreditch, Viet Grill offers a delicious selection of Vietnamese cuisine in a French colonial-style setting. A 3-minute walk from Hoxton Rail Station, Viet Grill London features a sleek, contemporary dining room.
 
Exotic and eclectic, the Viet Grill menu offers starters such as Vietnamese tamarind soup, grilled Red Sea prawns and charcoal grilled beef fillet served with fermented soy dip, and salad of lobster and pomelo or lotus stem with shrimps. For the main course at Viet Grill restaurant, enjoy Dong Du lamb curry, cognac 'Luc Lac shaking beef,' wok seared with whole garlic, cloves and black pepper or banana leaf-roasted mackerel, marinated in saffron, galangal and lemongrass.

A selection of traditional Vietnamese pho dishes and noodle or rice bowls, as well as an express lunch menu are also available. Desserts like banana fritter and coconut ice cream bring the meal to a delightful end. Refresh the palate with traditional sake, beer, spirits or wine from Viet Grill Shoreditch.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Close to the Odeon Cinema, Chimichanga South Woodford on George Lane offers exciting Mexican cuisine in a vibrant modern setting and is perfect for a delicious meal before or after a movie. Just a 3-minute walk from South Woodford Tube Station, the restaurant delivers authentic Mexican food in the heart of this leafy London suburb on the edge of Epping Forest.

Chimichanga's extensive à la carte caters to a variety of palates. A wide range of delicious appetisers includes crab cakes, Buffalo chicken wings and empanadas, a traditional crispy pastry filled with a choice of chicken or chorizo sausage with cheese and served with sour cream. Other choices include piri piri prawns, Cajun chicken with chilli sauce and jalapeno bullets, a dish of deep fried jalapeno peppers with cream cheese and chilli sauce. Appetisers to share include chicken nachos or taquitos, crispy flour tortilla tubes with a range of fillings including cheese and black beans, chicken, cheese and salsa and chorizo and cheese.

Light bites include a range of tortilla wraps including a classic fajita wrap with a choice of char grilled fajita steak or chicken served with peppers and onions in a tortilla with Jack cheese. Vegetarians are catered for with the delicious courgette and Portobello mushroom wraps which comes with chipotle chilli sauce and jack cheese. There's also a number of tempting salad options such as blackened tuna salad with tuna steak coated in a special blend of Cajun spices, blacked on a hot skillet and served over a bed of mixed leaves with roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

For something more filling diners could opt for a tortilla burger, made from 100 per cent fully traceable prime Scottish beef wrapped in a flour tortilla with mayonnaise and served with changa chips.

The char grill section's succulent offerings include barbecue baby back ribs served with change chips and jalapeno coleslaw; sirloin mojo rojo, a centre cut sirloin steak marinated in chilli, garlic and coriander and served with beer battered onion rings and change chips, Santa Fe chicken with rice, black beans and guacamole or flame grilled piri piri chicken.

Sumptuous Mexican specialities naturally include chimichanga, a flour tortilla fried golden brown with Jack cheese and served with your choice of filling - either chunky beef chilli con carne, BBQ pulled pork or bean chilli - sautéed onions and peppers and garnished with sour cream, chives, guacamole and tortilla croutons, as well as a variety of burritos, enchiladas and tostadas. There are also chipotle meatballs, Mexican paella, chilli de la casa and south-western crab cakes. The grande quesadilla is a baked flour tortilla sandwich with your choice of filling and drizzled with sour cream and served with Mexican rice and chipotle chilli sauce.

The lunch menu offers a choice of two or three courses while a children's menu caters to the tastes of the little ones.
Round off the satisfying meal with scrumptious dessert of giant Mexican profiterole, chocolate fudge brownie or honeycomb smash cheesecake. Alternatively, end with a speciality coffee or liqueur. Chimichanga offers a variety of wines, beers, cocktails, margheritas, sangria and soft drinks to quench the thirst.

More information can be found on their Website.

Brewer's Fayre restaurants offer a warm welcome to those who want a reliably tasty meal in pleasant surroundings, with plenty of choice, minimal fuss and friendly service. With a reputation going back 25 years they should have a fair chance of doing that, but don't take our word for it. Give them a try and see if you agree that this is how good quality pub food should be served.

Whether it's snacks, grills, pub classics, fish, Sunday roasts or side dishes they think their way through the options, talk to their guests, and then come up with the goods. Not everybody wants a full meal so they've considered the needs of those who want to keep the gap filled and the children contented, perhaps on a journey or a day out.

Hot filled baguettes are always popular be it sausage and red onion or a classic chicken club sandwich. Jacket potatoes are good on their own but filled with mature cheddar cheese and beans they take on a new dimension.

More paced occasions demand a wide menu, perhaps with starters of breaded butterfly prawns, chicken goujons or breaded camembert bites. Grills are there for the hungry and whole rack of meaty BBQ pork ribs served with extra sauce, chips and coleslaw can be very welcome. The days of the mixed grill are back - or did they ever go away - a 4oz rump steak, two pork sausages, and a gammon steak topped with a fried egg served with all the trimmings will remind you if they did.

Salmon and prawn fishcakes are served with buttered new potatoes, tartare sauce and a lightly dressed salad. A combination of sea and land comes with a rump steak, whole grilled chicken breast and breaded breaded butterfly prawns, served with chips and a side salad or garden peas.

The rise of eating out in pubs has brought into our daily lives a whole legion of what might be termed 'pub classics'. Many of them have their roots in what used to be called 'good home cooking' and include such dishes as sausage, egg and chips, beef and ale pie, chicken and mushroom pie and for the very daring a beef lasagne. Well, all of them and many more are on the menu at Brewer's Fayre, supplemented by such new regulars as vegetable Goan chicken curry, pork chop, chilli con carne and grilled chicken and bacon salad.

It has often been said that chicken tikka masala is now the most popular dish in Britain. Some may not really want to believe that, much as they love curry, but travel, population movement and other factors have widened our scope and they are probably pretty keen on fish and chips in Timbuktu.

What is certain is that the great British Sunday roast is exclusive to these islands, though copied maybe elsewhere or in ex-pat outposts. No surprise therefore that it's on the Brewer's Fayre menu. A trade of three roasts with an opportunity to trade up to a mega roast for a modest sum. With it come two Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and that important element - gravy.

A fine list of immensely tempting desserts may well bring the most ardent weight-watcher to their knees. A short but well thought out wine list offers all choices, except champagne, by the glass. Staying the night - check to see if there's a Premier Inn next door - chances are you'll be lucky.

A quick click on their Website is always worth while. The only thing that stays still permanently is the quality which is helped by a changing menu, and some very special offers.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's, and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's, and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's' and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.

Brewer's Fayre restaurants offer a warm welcome to those who want a reliably tasty meal in pleasant surroundings, with plenty of choice, minimal fuss and friendly service. With a reputation going back 25 years they should have a fair chance of doing that, but don't take our word for it. Give them a try and see if you agree that this is how good quality pub food should be served.

Whether it's snacks, grills, pub classics, fish, Sunday roasts or side dishes they think their way through the options, talk to their guests, and then come up with the goods. Not everybody wants a full meal so they've considered the needs of those who want to keep the gap filled and the children contented, perhaps on a journey or a day out.

Hot filled baguettes are always popular be it sausage and red onion or a classic chicken club sandwich. Jacket potatoes are good on their own but filled with mature cheddar cheese and beans they take on a new dimension.

More paced occasions demand a wide menu, perhaps with starters of breaded butterfly prawns, chicken goujons or breaded camembert bites. Grills are there for the hungry and whole rack of meaty BBQ pork ribs served with extra sauce, chips and coleslaw can be very welcome. The days of the mixed grill are back - or did they ever go away - a 4oz rump steak, two pork sausages, and a gammon steak topped with a fried egg served with all the trimmings will remind you if they did.

Salmon and prawn fishcakes are served with buttered new potatoes, tartare sauce and a lightly dressed salad. A combination of sea and land comes with a rump steak, whole grilled chicken breast and breaded breaded butterfly prawns, served with chips and a side salad or garden peas.

The rise of eating out in pubs has brought into our daily lives a whole legion of what might be termed 'pub classics'. Many of them have their roots in what used to be called 'good home cooking' and include such dishes as sausage, egg and chips, beef and ale pie, chicken and mushroom pie and for the very daring a beef lasagne. Well, all of them and many more are on the menu at Brewer's Fayre, supplemented by such new regulars as vegetable Goan chicken curry, pork chop, chilli con carne and grilled chicken and bacon salad.

It has often been said that chicken tikka masala is now the most popular dish in Britain. Some may not really want to believe that, much as they love curry, but travel, population movement and other factors have widened our scope and they are probably pretty keen on fish and chips in Timbuktu.

What is certain is that the great British Sunday roast is exclusive to these islands, though copied maybe elsewhere or in ex-pat outposts. No surprise therefore that it's on the Brewer's Fayre menu. A trade of three roasts with an opportunity to trade up to a mega roast for a modest sum. With it come two Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and that important element - gravy.

A fine list of immensely tempting desserts may well bring the most ardent weight-watcher to their knees. A short but well thought out wine list offers all choices, except champagne, by the glass. Staying the night - check to see if there's a Premier Inn next door - chances are you'll be lucky.

A quick click on their Website is always worth while. The only thing that stays still permanently is the quality which is helped by a changing menu, and some very special offers.