Helen's reviews
Review of Olleys
05 Feb 08, 13:13
Good, but not quite worth it 
We hadn't planned to go to Olleys but just wandered past when hungry and decided to give it a try.
The service is great, before our starters turned up we got given little fishcakes to try. This wasn't because our starters were late, in fact the whole meal was served promptly.
The range of fish is interesting, though there is no advice on how ethically the fish is sourced...
The food was ok, nothing amazing but not really worth the prize. It's about £12-15 for a piece of fish, and that doesn't include chips, mushy peas, potatoes etc... that's all about £2-3 extra. Our meal came to £50, which is a bit much for very standard fish and chips for two.
The additional of local radio (with commercials) blaring through the stereo meant that more than once I wished we'd just got take away.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Basilico
05 Feb 08, 13:07
Cold pizza 
Basilico has had some amazing press reviews, there are plenty of people out there who seem to love it. Maybe we caught it on an off night, but the pizza we ordered was really rather terrible.
We went for the Proscuitto Dolce - which has proscuitto, dolcelatte, rocket and figs. It arrived within 30 minutes but was stone cold. I'm not sure - is this type of pizza supposed to be like that? There was no sign whatsoever of any figs or dolcelatte and the ham and rocket had been plonked on after cooking.
The base would have been nice if hot, it was a nice thickness and beautifully floury.
Needless to say, I won't be giving it a second try. x
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Little Portland Cafe
29 Nov 07, 13:31
Rather nice jacket potatoes
Another on my quest to discover all the good lunch places around Oxford St.
This is a little Italian cafe serving up the usual jackets, paninis and pastas for lunch.
My jacket potato was lovely, and about the size of a small car - so I'll probably fall asleep at my desk in an hour's time.
You can eat in, but if you're looking for peace and quiet you might want to go somewhere else. This is busy, busy place. The staff shout at each other, the kitchen is noisy and the customers are all sat near each other. It all adds to the atmosphere though, its a great fun cafe to visit. Even just standing in the queue makes your ears bleed. In a good way, of course.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Harry Morgan
22 Nov 07, 13:45
Wonderful chicken soup 
I've just moved jobs and so am trying out all the little cafes around Oxford Circus. I think Harry M's is the nearest place to my office door, but thankfully that doesn't mean it is also the most rubbish.
I've only tried the chicken soup, but that's only because its so blimmin good that I don't want to try anything else. I always have the chicken kreplah soup, which is filled with noodles, chicken, carrots and strange dumpling keplah things. They look like tiny brains, but are apparently beef dumplings. They're delicious, so I don't mind that they look a bit creepy.
The soup tastes like its made from proper stock, and is nice and oily like you'd hope. Its also one of those places who chop up the noodles before they whack them in the soup, so you can eat it in the office without looking like you have the eating skills of a toddler. Hurrah.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Shampan
07 Nov 07, 15:42
Best curry house on Brick Lane
There are an awful lot of terrible restaurants on Brick Lane, I'm still not 100% sure that there isn't one kitchen underground serving out food for the entire road. Shampan is a gem though. It's not snazzy, it's not modern and it probably isn't worth a trek to - but if you're walking up Brick Lane, being hounded by the curry hawks outside then you should definitely duck into this place.
The menu is earthy with an emphasis on traditional cooking, there are lots of pulses and stew type dishes on the menu, as well as all the standards you'd expect. It definitely has enough to offer the more adventurous curry explorer though, there are plenty of unusual options to pick from.
The service is good and quick. The toilets aren't wonderful and the place is always noisy - but that's what you want from a curry house. The noise that is, not rubbish toilets. x
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Hope and Anchor
07 Nov 07, 15:21
One of the best beer gardens in the area?
OK, OK. This place looks a bit rough from the outside, I'd walked past it for months before even considering going inside. But... its actually a bit of a haven of tranquility when you go in.
Its got your standard low slung leather seating that you expect from most posh-ish pubs, but the beer garden is what makes this place so special. Not only does it have an outdoors bar serving cocktails but it has its own treehouse! It is tucked away at the back of the long garden, raised up from the ground and covered in tiny fairy lights. Climb up into it and you'll find a bit of a Lebanese feel, with low chairs and a big low table. Very comfy and super romantic.
They also have a big fire table (I'm sure there's a proper word for it) but it is basically a bonfire in the middle of a huge round stone table which people can sit around, lovely for those cold winter nights. x
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Dim T
07 Nov 07, 15:09
Good for a quick lunch
Dim T's is a fairly modern thai restaurant in a handy location. They pack the tables in, so don't go here if you're after a romantic lunch!
The food is standard thai - soups, thai green curry, lemon breaded chicken etc... but they do a Build Your Own service which allows you to choose type of noodle, type of meat, type of sauce and if its stir fry or soup.
The food arrived quickly, but service was slow once we'd finished eating. But at the £8 mark for lunch it does the job nicely. x
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Mildreds
07 Nov 07, 13:00
Scrumptious and healthy
This place is great when you're feeling like you've over indulged recently and need to eat your weight in beans and veg.
The food is wonderful, with a great specials menu that changes often. The burgers are superb, as are the smoothies.
But as Grace said above, not being able to book makes things a bit tricky, but I've never had to wait more than five minutes or so at lunchtime.
I just wish they did take away boxes! x
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Opus
07 Nov 07, 12:46
Great for a morning coffee
It's never busy in the morning before 10, the service is super fast and their teas are wonderfully strong.
I love the decor, its all very retro with giant space age lights and old shop signs hanging from the walls.
The cakes look great but I've yet to indulge.
They've usually got all the papers in if you eat in. x
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Upstairs Bar and Restaurant
07 Nov 07, 12:41
Possibly my favourite London restaurant 
I have to agree with both the reviews above, this place is wonderful. The decor is beautiful and simple - I love their brown and turquoise paisley wallpaper, which I promise is better than it sounds.
It is tiny upstairs, but then that's what you'd expect from a converted terrace flat.
The food is always from a set menu, with three choices for starters, mains and desserts; there's usually a couple of specials too. I can't remember exactly but its about £20 for two courses, and £25 for three. Something like that.
I had pumpkin soup, followed by duck breast with red cabbage then hot chocolate pudding to finish. Yum yum! it's all seasonal French food, so the menu changes very regularly.
Oh and the service is great. x
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.