Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

This award-winning restaurant on Stoke Newington's Church Street has been serving up consistently good Thai food for the past ten years, in which time it has earned itself a well deserved reputation for both excellent food and great service. From the appetizer menu plump for treats such as vegetable spring rolls with plum sauce, chicken satay or deep-fried vegetables. Of the salads som tum, a mix of spicy grated papaya with palm sugar, Thai herbs and peanuts is particularly good. Main course options include the usual curries, as well as sliced beef with ginger and black mushrooms, or steamed fish with lemon, ginger and pickled plum.

Reviewed by Linda Buttle

Rafkins Bar and Restaurant at the Quality Maîtrise Hotel in Kilburn High Road, Maida Vale is defined by an urban chic comfort theme. Pop in anytime and relax in its charcoal and cream interiors, be it for breakfast, a light lunch or just a drink.  Guests can choose from a menu that incorporates classic British fare and Asian fusion food.

An open kitchen sees chefs at work, preparing fresh meals that could include dishes such as grilled free range chicken breast marinated in spicy Indonesian flavours or stir-fried prawns and broccoli served with mixed vegetables and jasmine rice. The dish that could well make your day might possibly be the 21-day aged sirloin steak marinated with crushed pepper corns, dry parsley and thyme and served with season vegetables and thick cut potato chips with béarnaise sauce. After a hearty main course, you may consider passing up on dessert, but then who can resist warm chocolate fondant with creamy vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. A range of specialty cocktails adds customary fizz to the evening.

Carluccio's was started by Antonio and Priscilla Carluccio as a small café and shop stocking Italian food and ingredients in 1991, and grew into a restaurant serving authentic cuisine at sensible prices in 1999. Antonio is an expert on food and has been a wine merchant, restaurant manager and owner, cookery expert on television and author of twelve cookery books. It is therefore not surprising, that today Carluccio's has over fourty-nine outlets across the UK.

Antonio believes Italian cookery involves minimum fuss and maximum flavour. This is exactly what his restaurants try to do by using fresh produce, and working largely with families who make things the traditional way - with care. Their passion also translates into special events like hands-on cookery classes and recipe sharing, Antonio and his team regularly organise for interested guests. They also offer takeaways and a catering service.

The breakfast menu offers croissants and breads served with butter and preserves or honey and free range eggs, either scrambled or fried and served with pancetta or ciabatta. They also have long cured Parma ham and healthier options like muesli and fruits. These are best had with coffee, tea or freshly squeezed juice. Carluccio's offers an impressive list of white, red, rosé and sparkling wines which complement your meal.

The restaurants offer a range of soup and salads which give your meal a nutritious start before moving on to the mains. If you like pasta, enjoy the small filled parcels served in a ham and cream sauce, or sample the Neapolitana spaghetti with whole fresh clams, garlic, herbs and chilli. The branzino con salsa e patate, fillet of pan fried sea bass served with tomato salsa and sautéed potatoes and Somerset rib-eye steak with rosemary potatoes, called bistecca di bue con patate, are good options too. If you are looking for something lighter, you could opt for the numerous sides called contorni and panini.

In the Tuscany region of Italy, meals end simply with almond biscuits dipped in a sweet local wine, Vin Santo and eaten. You can enjoy that experience at Carluccio's, or settle for a more conventional dolci of tiramisu, warm chocolate and kahlua pudding, your choice of Italian cheeses or gelatos in different flavours.