Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Luc's Brasserie does what generations of politicians have generally failed dismally to do, namely bring the English and the French together into close proximity - and smile. The location for this superb diplomatic achievement is none other than the historic and increasingly fashionable Leadenhall Market, in the City of London, with its picturesque cobbled walkways that have somehow miraculously survived the health and safety process, and its echoes of London past and present, now triumphantly joined at Luc's with Parisian chic.

One of the greatest achievements of the Leadenhall Market project lies within its creation of a classless zone where all sorts and conditions of people happily whoop it up, and it is into this scene that Luc's blends with precocious ease, offering food that is cosmopolitan and appealing. So the city slicker finds himself sitting next to the day visitor from Cheltenham, or the lonely émigré from La France itself, amidst a riot of simple wooden tables casually draped with spotless white cloth.

The décor is indiscreetly French, with a restaurant that seats 100, and an upstairs private dining room that accommodates another 30. To provide before and after space a long elegant bar is backed with a cluster of high tables at which solitary visitors to Luc's can cherish their isolation with a meal and a glass or three.

Chef and Partner, Darrin Jacobs, has produced a menu that signals yet another success for l'entente cordiale, starting with some bacon and potato rösti with poached egg and hollandaise, sautéed foie gras with caramelised apple, calvados, sauce liege and toasted brioche, or some escargots de Bourgogne. Grilled Dover sole offer at least a breath of L'Angleterre and the French attitude to matters of meat is well captured in the duck rillettes with red onion confiture.

Steaks feature strongly; all are served with oven dried tomato, frites and sauces au poivre or béarnaise. Chateaubriand for two invariably makes the best of the cut as well as rolling nicely off the tongue when ordering. Calves' liver Lyonnaise makes a welcome change from our often uninspired methods of making this nutritious meat appealing to a wider public.

The eponymous steak hache burger has all the appeal of a well prepared faggot combined with the flavours of well hung meat, served plain or with beef tomato, cos lettuce and dill pickle.

No French leaning menu is complete without a boeuf bourguignon, or bouillabaisse with rouille, gruyere and croutons, and of course the French are always much more adventurous in their approach to bucolic meat such as wood pigeon, served here with braised endive and wild cherry sauce.

Desserts offer profiteroles with Luc's white chocolate ice cream, tarte au citron, mousse au chocolat and, of course, crème brûlée.

A wine list that leans exclusively towards the Gallic mode should come as no surprise, nor indeed as a disappointment bearing in mind the quality of the 100 plus wines from which to choose. Their Website is well worth a click to find out more about special offers and opportunities for private functions in this central City location.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre.

Hidden behind a Victorian-brick façade in the cobbled courtyard of leafy Charterhouse Square you will find the atmospheric Malmaison London. An oasis of calm in the heart of trendy Clerkenwell yet on the edge of the Square Mile and just minutes away from the Barbican and Smithfield Markets - the best of all worlds. Architecturally superb, in its past life it served as a nurses' residence for St Bartholomew's hospital. The bedrooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing.

The hotel has ninety-seven elegant rooms and one suite, all of which are great for business trips or luxury weekend breaks. A calm yet fresh milieu is created by the understated décor of lilac, dove and earth fabric tones.

Amidst elegant surroundings, with crisp linen, spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, an essentially brasserie menu is offered. The original vaults have been opened up to provide for intimate dining spaces, while cosy corners with plumped silk and velvet cushions create a warm relaxed environment.

Lovers of seafood will be delighted to note at once that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with a delightful mussel, leak and saffron tart or a smoked haddock fishcake. Other choices that seldom fail to please include treacle cured salmon, squid, clam, chorizo and chickpea salad, the assiette of charcuterie, and the chicken liver and foie gras parfait.

Head Chef John Woodward and his team bring to the table inspired choices such as the roast monkfish tail, and braised lamb neck fillet served with carrot puree, cabbage and salsa verde, for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivorous approach. Which leads us neatly to the - wait for it - Mal burger, a 250 grams burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak on the plate has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the 35 day aged rump steak frites and that's it - except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes, but steak and chips on its own takes some beating. Vegetarians are well looked after - the sautéed wild mushroom and truffle risotto sounded appealing, and there is an excellent green salad as well.

Heading the puddings is the Malmaison vanilla crème brûlée, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find apricot and frangipane tart, chocolate fondant or a splendid crêpe suzette with Grand Marnier sauce.

Their wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in London. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

The Orange Tree has been a public house since 1755 and can be found on the long and winding Totteridge Lane, near the village green. The dining area looks stylish and welcoming - done up in warm shades of brown and copper, offset by polished wood - this belies its age and comes as a pleasant surprise.

It's well stocked, spacious bar serves different beers on tap, ranging from standard lagers to European speciality beers and some cask ales. Apart from several champagnes for special occasions, they also have a fine balance of new and old world wines to suit varied tastes.

Contemporary pubs such as these usually share a number of characteristics. An important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have a roomy and well stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella. So expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their treat may be.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, antipasti of Italian meats, dolcelatte, marinated vegetables and warm stone-baked flatbreads, or Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with flatbreads. Amongst the starters, expect to find freshly made soup, smoked salmon with pomegranate molasses, fennel and micro herb salad, or gambas with rocket, garlic aioli and rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day.

The salads offer chargrilled chicken, courgette, fennel, apple, asparagus, hazelnut and balsamic dressing, and for the seafood enthusiasts some prawn and avocado with pecans, mango, bacon, orange and pomegranate vinaigrette tends to please.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; look for a classic margherita of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pomodoro and basil, the rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes, or a piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños. Pastas include linguini with tiger prawns, crab, chorizo, chilli, tomato and white wine, or tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan. For the big event there is always roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes.

Finally, the classic burger joins the ranks of respectable restaurant food and puts in an appearance on the menu with gherkin, onion, mustard mayo, bacon, relish and frites. The spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and frites is another dish worth trying. For hearty eaters there is a good rib eye steak with smoked paprika and tomato butter, watercress and frites.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes tomato and red onions, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and there is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

A well constructed Website enables you to keep in touch with menu changes or forthcoming events.  Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Freshly opened (August 2010) the spears are already waving for Shaka Zulu and its South African style food under the control of Executive Chef Barry Vera at Stables Market in Camden. The whole scale of the place is cosmic, from the open plan kitchen to the exclusive chef's tables, not forgetting to mention the world-class chefs.

From the moment of entry it's clear that Shaka Zulu Camden is a place with, well no perhaps I'd better not say that. Let's just say it's already on the way to becoming iconic. The culture of the Zulu world is assembled round the walls, culminating in the Warrior Wall where King Shaka himself stands amongst a group of warriors sculpted into incredible 60ft statues.

A Seafood and Oyster bar reinvents a time honoured custom and the Braai Grill Restaurant provides the setting for some very serious indulgence. Much of the music follows the African sound and music and dancing comes to a reluctant end at 2am.

The Braai is where the theatre of food comes to life with a range of starters that includes Ethiopian braised chicken in berberé, a spicy red pepper sauce; mussel chowder made with corn and saffron, or Prestige oysters with shallot vinegar, tabasco and lemon. A Cape Malay chicken curry is based on Malaysian cooking with the best of South African food and a generous helping of Indian flavour and style. This is curry with horns. Unlike the carpaccio of ostrich with goat's cheese, peppadew and horseradish.

The virtues of slow cooking are still not fully appreciated, but the spit roasted dorper lamb is marinated before being roasted for 7 hours, then served with a spicy African vegetable relish, chakalaka by name. Fruits de mer never fail to ring the bell and come in various sizes for companionable eating as up to six people pick on lobster, langoustines, fresh prawns, oysters, crevette grises, winkles and mussels. Rather more individual is the half poached native lobster with harissa mayonnaise, lemon and watercress.

Looking for something different? It's not difficult at Braai, and the Shaka Zulu sample board goes overboard with springbok, ostrich, kudu, boerewors with monkey gland sauce, mint and peanut chutney and chakalaka. Moving rather nearer home we find ourselves staring Royal Sandringham in the face as we tackle fillet or a sirloin steak from the Red Poll beef that this old estate breed produces. Its distinctive flavour is superb.

Even the modest sausage is not safe from this invasion of fine food, so welcome the grilled boerewors variety, full of coarsely ground beef and lamb with toasted coriander, pepper, nutmeg and cloves and allspice, served with mint and peanut chutney. After this even a Speyside Highland Rib served on the bone comes as a bit of an anticlimax until those pickled girolles and garlic with red wine sauce start tickling the tasties.

Even the side dishes at this estimable restaurant and club are not without special note. It would never have occurred to me for instance to bring together bell pepper, tomato and curry with cabbage, thereby creating Zulu curry. But, as they say, it works. Boy, does it work.

Shaka Zulu sets new standards at a time when we need them, and it's difficult to avoid the thought we deserve somewhere like this to shake off the last few years and get us through the next few. If that is taken as a political statement you are of course quite wrong. But you could start by giving yourself membership of the King's Club. Don't wait for Christmas.

There's a whole lot more to know about Shaka Zulu, and their Website will do so much, but there's nothing like the real experience.

Recreating the bustling ambience of a classic Parisian bistro this side of the Channel, Elena's L'Etoile in Charlotte Street continues to maintain its identity amidst the flurry of contemporary designer decorated restaurants. Its endearing setting, in the heart of Fitzrovia, is enhanced by elegant art deco lighting and autographed celebrity photographs on the walls. Having seen the passage of more than a century, since opening its doors in 1896, it has evolved to cater to a new generation of diners with its subtly updated French cuisine and a thoughtfully chosen wine list calculated to appeal to all palates.

With dining rooms spread over four floors, this spacious establishment's warm welcoming atmosphere makes it just the place for a family get together or leisurely dinner with a bunch of good friends. Rich red velvet banquette seating and starched white table linen enhances the pleasure of dining here. Named after the venerable Elena Salvoni, 'Queen of Soho' and maître d' at various restaurants for 70 years but now retired, it?s a stand out even in its cosmopolitan locale where rubbing shoulders with media celebrities and theatre stars is par for the course.

The à la carte menu embraces seasonal dishes and updated classics with one or two old favourites still on the list. The choice of starters include chicken liver parfait, rillette of confit duck, baked darne of mackerel, poached cod cheeks or double baked mushroom soufflé all of which makes for a good beginning to the meal. Then you can move on to main course of salmon and leek fishcake with watercress and chive cream, pan roast breast of Gressingham duck with fondant potato and parsnip purée, trio of slow cooked pork with Parmentière potatoes  or rib eye steak with hand cut chips and wild mushroom jus.
 
The dessert selection features tempting puddings of warm carrot cake served with orange sabayon, vanilla crème brûlée, lemon tart with Chantilly cream,  pave of dark Valrhona chocolate with cinnamon ice cream and white chocolate and passion fruit crema cotta, any of which brings the meal to a fitting end.

Alternatively a fixed price three-course meal, chosen from the aptly named mini à la carte menu offers such classic dishes as chicken chasseur with roast potatoes or beef Wellington, while the restaurant's signature lemon tart with clotted cream or a selection of fine French cheeses makes for a perfect ending. A pre theatre menu is also available.

Elena's L'Etoile offers many examples of New and Old World vintage on its carefully compiled wine list with a large selection served by the glass. House wines include Cuvee Duboeuf Blanc, Sauvignon de Gras, Saumur Rouge la Cabriole and Chateau de Parenchere Bordeaux.

Four beautifully appointed classical French style salons located in the Regency townhouse can accommodate small private parties of up to 30 people for breakfast, lunch or dinner while the whole restaurant can be booked for larger events for up to 140 guests with party menus starting at £30.25. Click on their Website for further information.

The Kings Head, sitting atop Winchmore Hill, is a North London presence of the Geronimo group of excellent pubs, who have managed to achieve with elan the tricky task of making that new phenomenen, the gastro pub, traditional. This is no mean feat, but by carefully selecting pubs that have potential character and then tweaking them, in some cases more than a bit, they've done it.

At The Kings Head there is a large bar, a vaulted dining room of potentially gothic aspiration, added to by a covered terrace and decked beer garden. The first floor houses the air conditioned Long Room, a space ideal for gathering of up to 40 people seated, or standing for 70, and has its own bar.

Watch out for the suits of armour and thrones, all adding to the quirkiness of this splendid place, a temple indeed to to Bacchus and Ceres, or as Footloose magazine put it, "there's no stripped pine and designer suits here". Rather is there a feeling of having just dropped in to the junior common room of an Oxbridge college, where style and good company go hand in hand.

The fodder is served from two attractive menus, one each for lunch and dinner. The lunch menu moves subtly from soup and sandwiches, through toasted Cumberland sausage and fried egg sandwich to full blown 10oz rib eye steak, with tomato, mushrooms and chips, and most points between.

For instance you might feel tempted by the fish pie made with smoked haddock, salmon and saffron, or a King's hamburger with streaky bacon and cheese. Such worthy standbys as steak, kidney and mushroom pie with some root vegetables and mash, or chicken Caesar salad with parmesan and croutons does it for many, and for those in a hurry the honey roasted ham and English mustard sandwich in white bloomer is ideal. The point is whether it's three course or sandwich lunch you're after it's all there and it's good ? believe me.

Dinner takes on a slightly more formal approach with pan fried swordfish, a pork fillet with creamed petit pois, bacon and sausage mash, or some very tasty lamb rump with fondant potato, wild mushrooms and a red wine and thyme jus. Penne pasta with chilli, pancetta and parsley and tomato sauce brings a breath of Italy to proceedings and for both lunch and dinner there is always a good array of desserts on the blackboard.

On matters of drink they are fortunate to have the assistance of John Clevely, Master of Wine and father of the founder of Geronimo, who with customary skill has produced a wine list that is comprehensive, tremendous value and explores the world most effectively. There really is something there for everyone.

Do keep The Kings Head in mind when it comes to party time. They know how to do these sort of things and the setting, together with their advice, if wanted, could be just what you're looking for.

Their friendly Website is always available for updates on menus, functions and events.

One of the recent exciting developments in London has been the Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush, and there in the thick of it is Fire& Stone, ensuring that this shopper's paradise has easy access to quality pizzas and pasta with an international twist. Feeling fragile after long exposure to a shopping frenzy? Head for some ravishing and tasty solace, freshly prepared and laced with familiarity.

Some years ago I lunched at the first Fire & Stone, in Covent Garden, with a colleague and quickly realised that here was a restaurant that meant business. The vibrancy of the sparkling new and contemporary retail centre at Westfield is infectious and a decent meal is all part of the experience. A simple but highly efficient service ensures that bookings can be made with ease wherever you are.

Frankly all this rushing about buying things can be pretty exhausting. Give yourself a break and take a close look, for instance, at the lunch meal deal. Book in advance and choose any pizza, pasta or salad from the set menu, currently for £4.95, and  note that lunch starts at 11am, going on to 4pm. Choose from amongst such delights as the Marrakech with cumin spiced ground lamb, mozzarella, mint yoghurt sauce, green olives, raisins and sliced onion drizzle with chilli oil, or the Acapulco with slow cooked ground chilli beef, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, jalapenos, mozzarella, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole.

For a modest extra indulgence there's the Peking, with Chinese Hoi Sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons, or you can go green with barrel aged feta, sliced red and green peppers, cucumber, jumbo green olives, red onion, oregano, vine tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. From which you will note that Fire & Stone spare neither imagination nor scope.

On the main menu consider the myriad choices drawn from five continents preceded by starters that take in a range of dips, sharing boards, calamari, crispy wonton king prawns to name but a few. Their new thin bases still have the same great flavours, homemade sauces and chutneys that top the Original base, but are bigger and crisper. Salads of each and every sort abound. A range of toppings helps in adding individuality to your pizza or you may prefer to head for the pasta choices that include their renowned spicy sausage Rigatoni.

In these difficult times the number of special offers increases and Fire & Stone have that one taped too. Amongst them are the Pizza Passport, so that each time you buy one of their unique pizzas up to six you collect a stamp, ensuring that your seventh pizza is free. The best way to keep abreast of these and other offers is to sign up for their Newsletter, or check up on their Website where offers like Friends Eat Free, 2 pizzas for £10, £10 after 10pm, and Kids Eat Free, are frequently to be found.

You want to eat; Fire & Stone want to help you do that as economically and enjoyably as possible.  It's really that simple. Buon appetito!

Located in Maiden Lane, Fire And Stone Covent Garden, this is the original and it remains the flagship restaurant of their extending portfolio bringing "deliciously different pizzas" into the heart of the West End. For regular Fire & Stone habitués many feel this is the place to be. Visitors to London weaving their way through one of its most attractive areas are delighted to find this 250 seater restaurant, spread over two floors, with a cool and contemporary interior that attracts without deflecting attention from the fine range of fresh and appealing food.

Some years ago I lunched at the Covent Garden Fire & Stone with a colleague and quickly realised that here was a restaurant that meant business. Their subsequent expansion suggests this was a deserved assessment. A simple but highly efficient service ensures that bookings can be made with ease wherever you are. They also specialise here with their party menus for groups both large and small.

Give yourself a break at lunchtime and take a close look at the lunch meal deal. Book in advance and choose any pizza, pasta or salad from the set menu, currently for £4.95. Choose from amongst such delights as the Marrakech with cumin spiced ground lamb, mozzarella, mint yoghurt sauce, green olives, raisins and sliced onion drizzle with chilli oil, or the Acapulco with slow cooked ground chilli beef, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, jalapenos, mozzarella, sliced red onions, topped with sour cream and guacamole.

For a modest extra indulgence there's the Peking, with Chinese Hoi Sin sauce, shredded aromatic duck, mozzarella and spring onions topped with cucumber ribbons, or you can go green with barrel aged feta, sliced red and green peppers, cucumber, jumbo green olives, red onion, oregano, vine tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. From which you will note that Fire & Stone spare neither imagination nor scope.

With not a spot of grappa in sight the way is free to indulge in other liquid excitements from cocktail jugs to a range of uplifting house spirits, and wines displaying a good spread of country and style. Sensibly, many of the wines can be bought by the glass.

On the main menu consider the myriad choice of flavours drawn from five continents preceded by starters that take in a range of dips, sharing boards, calamari, crispy wonton king prawns to name but a few. Their new thin bases still have the same great flavours, homemade sauces and chutneys that top the Original base, but are bigger and crisper. Salads of each and every sort abound. A range of toppings helps in adding individuality to your pizza or you may prefer to head for the pasta choices that include their renowned spicy sausage Rigatoni.

In these difficult times the number of special offers increases and Fire & Stone have that one taped too. Amongst them are the Pizza Passport, so that you collect a stamp each time you buy a pizza up to six, and the seventh pizza is free. The best way to keep abreast of these and other offers is to sign up for their Newsletter, or check up on their Website where offers like Friends Eat Free, 2 pizzas for £10, Kids Eat Free, and a Sunday Special are to be found. One of the reasons they are able to keep their prices so incredibly reasonable is their efficient booking system that enables them to make best use of space and facilities.

You want to eat; Fire & Stone want to help you do that as economically and enjoyably as possible.  It's really that simple. Buon appetito!

In the heart of the shopping capital of England, sandwiched between Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, Browns Mayfair provides a welcome oasis from the stresses, some of them pleasantly self-inflicted, of London life.

In keeping with the tradition established by Browns when considering their restaurant sites, this beautifully converted Georgian tailors has a wealth of history, for those who spent their working days there were responsible for outfitting such dignitaries as Winston Churchill and Clem Atlee into a state of sartorial elegance, before Browns restored the building.

Lunch times are frantic as those working locally wine and dine with friends and clients, while the afternoons and evenings are a more relaxed affair as weary shoppers and ebullient theatre-goers meet for quality food and drink. In addition to the restaurant there is a separate cocktail-wine bar and private dining rooms for a more secluded event. Those who haven't been to Browns Mayfair are missing out on one of the area's classiest restaurants.

The weekends tend to be an oasis of calm by comparison as shoppers, tourists and local residents escape form the hectic bustle of the West End. Saturday has its own buzz as people meet for a spot of supper before going on to one of the many near-by theatres, or simply relax with friends over a cocktail and a bite to eat.

Browns is a classic English restaurant with a menu that has evolved rather than changed over the last thirty years. It offers a genuine value for money experience and can also cater for large parties with a more expansive budget. A plate of appetisers to share comes in vegetarian, seafood or Italian meat form, and there are thin and crisp flatbreads topped with such delights as prosciutto, chorizo, mozzarella and roasted peppers.

Starters cleverly re-invent some of the classic brasserie dishes; expect to find crab and avocado salad, baked Scottish langoustine with spinach, cream and Emmental, and a fine selection of freshly made soups depending on the day.

Fish dishes include salmon fillet marinated and baked in soy sauce, with shitake and button mushrooms served on a char-grilled pak choi. Mains take in beef and olive ragu in a tomato sauce tossed with pennette rigate, and tender roasted four bone rack of lamb with a red wine jus, sprouting broccoli and dauphinoise potatoes. Brioche bread and butter pudding and Pimms jelly with strawberry coulis and apple and fresh mint combine traditional with new classic, but the fact is that after years of experience in the field of what might be termed comfortable eating, Browns have it pretty well stitched up.

There is a full wine, cocktail and champagne list with the champagnes being particularly notable for their sensible pricing. For further information, including their full menu and details on private dining, visit their Website.

The award winning Fire Stables on Church Road has a contemporary feel to it, while at the same time it's also warm and cosy with wonderful views of the garden from the dining room. The pub is a more convivial space with plenty of mismatched wooden furniture for that old world atmosphere and is great for a quick and tasty lunch, while the slightly more formal restaurant is just right for a relaxed and unhurried meal.

The modern British cuisine featured at this restaurant uses fresh and seasonal ingredients, with most of them being organic and sourced locally to ensure that the taste of their dishes is unrivalled. Begin with potted chicken liver and port pâté with crusty bread and move on to roasted haddock supreme on a new potato, broad bean, vine tomato and sorrel salad. Sweet endings could include the likes of mascarpone and pistachio cheesecake with lemon and poppy seed ice cream. The drinks list at Fire Stables includes a happy medley of wines, beers and ales.

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