17th June 2004
It was a bit of a bizarre evening, we got invited to the Portland Gallery in Bury Street in St James's, London for the opening of Jack Vettriano’s exhibition. It was stange being “normal” people in an Arty world with people trying to catch Jack’s attention and all the air kissing – Maybe I shouldn’t have gone in my trainers … But I was wearing a shirt (for a change!)
Any way is was a nice experience drinking champagne and looking at the original picture as close as you want. The brush stroke and attention to detail are just amazing!
After a couple of glasses of bubbly and a good look at all the pictures we headed off for some food.
As usual we used toptable to find us a place to eat, and we chose Strada just of Leicester Square. I must admit, that for a chain restaurant it was quite nice inside. As you walk from the street you had the bulk of the tables, but if you took the stairs down, you discovered a few more tables and the kitchen.
The menu was impressive and so was the wine list. We predictably chose garlic bread with pesto and onion (they actually created it for us, was we want a combination of the two garlic breads on the menu!) to start with, and it was very nice. We had a bottle of Soave with an ice bucket (nice to see that we didn’t have to ask … I have warm white wine, it has to been really cold!) to help wash it down.
We asked for a bit of a wait before we ordered our main course, as we didn’t want “fast food” but a nice relaxing evening. For our mains we chose “Linguine Alla Pescatora” and “Rigatoni, Speck E Gorgonzola”. Again for a chain restaurant, the portions where very good, and there was plenty of seafood in the Pescatora.
Over all the service was good, the food was very tasty and the wine nice and cold.
When the bill came it was good to see that you could eat in the west end and not have it cost you the earth. Things actually got even better; as we had booked with toptable we got 50% of the food … Result.
I would recommend eating here, now I just need to check some of the others in the chain!
Strada, Panton House, 39 Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4EATel: 020 7930 8535, Email: pantonstreet@strada.co.uk
http://www.strada.co.uk/
http://www.toptable.co.uk/details.cfm/qs/rid|1914/
7th July 2004
So, it was a very, very wet evening, and we finished up at the Gym and met Nina & Dave for Dinner.
We had seen Fish Works before, at the front of the resturant is a Fishmongers that basically sells what they serve, and from what we had tried before it looked promising.
From the street you walk through the shop and then past some glass door into the resturant. They have some tables on the ground floor and then up a couple of stair they have the main part. Also they have a small seating area outside.
The first thing I noticed was the flys. Yup that right, flys, buzzing around the main resturant. Now I know the fishmongers is at the front of the resturant, but flys - why not buy one of the fly killing machines, you know the ones with the blue light.
Anyway time for the menu. Well it was a bit sparce, lots of fish (to be expected), boiled potatoes, mash and only one veg. Yup, one veg an no chips.
The wine list was limited too, but okay, and the starters looked okay too.
So, they gave us bread to when we arrived, and by the time we got to ask for our wine, we need another basket of it!
** More soon **
Fish Works. 6 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, London, W4 (020 8994 0086) www.fishworks.co.uk
5th June 2004
On a muggy Saturday, we headed to Anthony Warrall Thompson's latest venture in Kew.
The Kew Grill is located on the far side of Kew Green, and is a small long resturant with a menu that mirrors Anthony's other Resturant Notting Grill.
Review to come
Kew Grill, 10B Kew Green, London, TW9 3BH. (020 8 948 4433)Notting Grill, 123a Clarendon Road, Holland Park, London, W11 4JG (http://www.toptable.co.uk/details.cfm?rid=1136)
3rd June 2004
Okay it was a Wednesday Night, we finished our Aqua class and fancied some Pasta. So into Chiswick we headed, and after being offered the worst table in the world at Café Uno, we thought we would give That's Amore a go. We had it seen it before and it looked nice.
It's a small restaurant with the kitchen and some seating on the ground floor. Upstairs is tiny and has the smoking section!
As usual we had garlic bread to start with, and then two pasta dishes. I had Veal with spaghetti, while T has a sea food pasta. Add a bottle of wine and a bottle of water and that was it ... well apart for the salad that we ordered, but didn't make it :-|
The staff are friendly and the restaurant had a busy buzz, not bad for a place that hasn't even been open for a year. But the real surprise was the bill, a few quid short of £50.
To be brutally honest, it was not worth the price!
That's Amore: 4 Elliot Road, Chiswick, London,W4 1PE (020 8987 8877)