rglondon | Entries tagged with british food

On The Hoof Bistro, Sydenham, London SE26

Good morning folks!

This week's new featured article is On the Hoof Bistro, a cafe/restaurant in Sydenham. Reviewers were impressed by the quality and size of the Sunday lunch on offer, and it appears to be a good place to work as well.

And that's all she wrote, as we've no new articles, updates or reported closures.

mrs_leroy_brown

New Asian Tandoori Centre (Roxy’s), Southall, London UB2

Wassup ya'll, or in the parlance of Bill McNeal - Gaziza, dlznoofuses!

This week's featured article is New Asian Tandoori Centre, a Punjabi restaurant in Southall. Our reviewer enjoyed a rich and flavourful breakfast and appreciated the good service. Check out the bhatura if you fancy a change from the greasy spoon style fried slice!

Three new pages went up: Sambal Kitchen and Diner, a Sri Lankan restaurant in South Harrow featuring set meals at an affordable price; Momo and Roti; a Nepalese restaurant in Houslow where you can get a generous portion of chatpate bursting with well balanced flavour; and Hilltribe, a Thai restaurant in Richmond which might not melt your mouth with Thai-hot spice but impressed overall.

Updates have been made to The Prince’s Head, a Fuller's pub in Richmond; KKs Bar and Grill, a cafe-bar in Woolwich; and The Royal Standard, a pub in Blackheath.

We've one reported closure, Great Queen Street, a modern British restaurant near Covent Garden.

mrs_leroy_brown

Good morning and welcome to a bumper edition of RGLly news!

Blythe Hill Tavern, Forest Hill, London SE23

This week's featured article is Blythe Hill Tavern, a Good Beer Guide in Catford within waving distance of of Forest Hill. As would be expected from a GBG pub, there's a good selection of well-kept ale. There's also a large beer garden with a children's play area, and an Irish music session on Thursday evenings. With an atmosphere described as warm and welcoming, it sounds like a cracking good pub to quaff a beverage.

Four new articles have been added:

Oscar’s, a cafe in Ladywell serving pastries and sweets along with stew from The Soulful Food Co. in Deptford.

Rising Sun, a Sri Lankan restaurant in Sudbury, Harrow that delivers value for lunch money with its £5 set menu.

Cobb’s Corner, a cafe in Sydenham on the site of the former Blue Mountain Cafe serving British and Caribbean food.

Brown and Green, another Sydenham cafe in the local chain serving a few mains and light meals in a child-friendly setting.

Updates have been made to the White Hart pub in Harlington and the The King William pub in Sipson.

In closure news, Croydon's Brasserie Vacherin is closed for a few weeks for refurbishment, though we're unsure when or if it will reopen. We Brought Beer, a specialist beer shop in Clapham, has permanently closed, though the Balham and Tooting branches remain open for business.

ewan

Welcome back to another week! Just a short update this time.

Our featured article is Family Bistro, SW16 4EU, which is a Polish restaurant in Norbury. The pierogi are handmade and worth the wait, for all dumpling fans.

Our one new addition is Byrnes Pie and Eel House, a pie and mash shop in Wallington, with trad styling but relatively recent to the area. Our RGL explorer judges the food to be fine.

katstevens

Hi RGL crew! I’m back after an unforeseen shortage of working laptops in the Sydenham area. We've had a productive week, so let's crack on with our featured article Itadaki Zen, a vegan Japanese restaurant in King's Cross. It's a solid, reasonably priced lunch option for the area with good tempura and bento boxes.

In Lloyd Park, Croydon, a morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as Parklife Cafe! As our new page for it describes, it's open for breakfast and there are plenty of tasty alternatives to soup, enough to give you an enormous sense of well-being.

There's a new page for GT Flavazs "N" Spices, which is not in fact the newest grime remixer on the block but a friendly Guyanese bakery and takeaway in Anerley. Thirteen stops up the Overground to Shoreditch, you'll find Lyle's, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the vein of St. John, which our reviewer enjoyed a great deal.

Also new to RGL is Brixton's Booma, a restaurant whose gimmick is curry-and-craft-beer pairing. A match made in heaven? You'll have to read the article and find out. Meanwhile down in Beckenham we have new pages for Indian restaurant Chai Naasto, and Poached, a small cafe where you have one (1) guess as to what sort of eggs our reviewer had for breakfast.

There's an update to the page for Bombay Burrito in Angel (now with vegan options!) and the Indian YMCA canteen in Fitzrovia (now with Rice Krispies!).

Lastly, Salt & Pickle in Crystal Palace has closed after less than a year - the final outpost of the Good Taste empire has now left the Triangle.

katstevens

Evening all! We're back after a week off, with another featured article: Hasi is an Albanian restaurant and bar in Barking, with no discernible menu. Sounds like the food was tasty though, so certainly worth checking out if you're in Barking and/or want to brush up on your Albanian current affairs.

Two new pages this week! The Pan Tao Garden stall in Tooting Broadway Market serves boxes of extremely good value (if not particularly adventurous) Chinese food, while the Oasis Cafe in Thornton Heath has both British and West Indian menus (including a West Indian breakfast) - no Gallagher brothers sighted on our visit however.

Sydenham's best vegan cafe, the Honey Hive, has had an update following a visit (alas featuring the most terrible vegetable of them all, in 'rice' form), as have the Fox On The Hill Wetherspoons in Denmark Hill and Brasserie Vacherin in Croydon.

The Japan Centre has moved (yet again) just round the corner to Panton Street - its previous home in Shaftesbury Avenue now specialises in ceramics and books. Meanwhile further down Panton Street, the Odeon has closed, and is due to reopen at some point as a rather more 'luxurious' cinema. London Bridge's cinema/bar combo Roxy Bar and Screen has a less glamorous future: it is turning into a KFC. Finally, Croydon's fine dining scene is mourning the closure of Albert's Table (it's currently unknown whether or not it will become a fried chicken emporium, but if so they are welcome to take "Albumen EinstHEN's" as the best name I could come up with in 5 minutes).

ewan

Hello and welcome to another week of RGL.

Flavours of Paani Puri, Kingsbury, London NW9

The featured article this week is Flavours of Paani Puri, NW9 9EG, a vegetarian Indian cafe in Kingsbury. It looks from the outside like a convenience store but don't be fooled! It's great value too.

There are three new articles this week. We have for you Tea Cosy, a cafe in Upminster, like an upmarket greasy spoon I suppose, is that what "British cafe" means? There's also Ashley Brook Fabrics, a rare article about something not food- or drink-related, this one being a Romford fabric shop. Finally, there's Little Coffee Shop in South Croydon. I have a small quiz for you: guess what it is. Those who answered "it's a little coffee shop" win!

We have an update to the Crumpled Horn article, a pub out Upminster way.

Finally a bunch of reported closures for you: Muncho cafe in Croydon; The Case Is Altered pub in Harrow Weald; The King's Arms pub in East Molesey; The White Horse pub in Hampstead Heath (this one is always opening and closing); The Railway Wetherspoons pub in Putney; The Goldsmiths' Arms in East Acton; and The Duke of York in Chiswick.

ewan

Welcome back, with another bumper crop of updates, although this one is not directly related to the Good Beer Guide.

Our featured article is Tip Top Cafe, BR8 8ES in Swanley. It's not quite a greasy spoon, instead it's a full-fledged British cafe, but not posh. Can't fault it if you ever find yourself in, or indeed find, Swanley.

Right then, plenty of new articles. We have Flavours of Paani Puri in Kingsbury, a casual Indian cafe with a good line in Pani Puri, masquerading as a shop. Then, not far away in Colindale, is Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall, the successor to the late lamented Oriental City, with loads of options, variable quality. A bit further out in Wembley is Krishna, a small and okay Indian vegetarian restaurant. And also in the north-west is Delisserie in Stanmore, a New York-style deli (which is to say, more of a cafe I guess) with a bunch of NW London outlets.

Moving out east is Hasi, an Albanian restaurant in Barking. You may not find a menu, but you'll have options, and while they may seem basic, they turn out to be worth eating. Swinging down across the river is Kitchen Counter, a vegan restaurant in Herne Hill run by "Deliciously Ella"; we only visited for breakfast, but it may be worth exploring. Over to West Norwood for Frangipani, a cafe with a cozy bright style and including vegan options.

Continuing west we get to Orange Pekoe, a tea shop in Barnes, so expect them to brew your tea properly at least, and they're happy to talk you through it. Still west, but north of the river in Ealing is Kiraku, a Japanese restaurant in the izakaya style, which gets busy and serves excellent (if pricy) food. Bringing us back towards the centre is The Bull and Last, a well-known (and also pricy) gastropub in Dartmouth Park, but the food is top notch even if it's only vanishingly pub-like. And on Highbury/Canonbury borders is Prawn on the Lawn, a silly name for a very likeable fish restaurant (and fishmonger).

I'll just list the significant updates:
* The Robin Hood, a Young's pub in Sutton;
* YBR Cake, a Thornton Heath cake shop;
* Finch's, another Young's pub, this one in Moorgate;
* The Volunteer, a pub in Bexleyheath;
* The Belvedere Hotel, in Belvedere;
* The Eel Pie pub in Twickenham;
* The Fox pub, not far away also in Twickenham; and
* The Norbiton pub in Kingston's Norbiton.

Three reported closures are: The Haandi Lounge in Edgware; L'Autre Pied in Marylebone; and Tigris in Waddon.

katstevens

Evening RGLers! This week's featured article is for Simpson's, a venerable old pub in the City which is even older than Jonathan the tortoise. It's closed on weekends but makes up for it by opening early for breakfast during the week - worth a visit if you're after a fry-up in EC3.

A trio of new pages to report: Maria and Aldo's Coffee Bar in Beckenham, a pleasant local cafe with a vintage feel; De-Lites, a small Bengali cafe/takeaway near Shadwell station, and Crystal Palace Market, which is not a market at all, but a busy gastropub-style restaurant and bar. Apparently they do oysters! (I did not try the oysters.)

Finally, in lift refurbishment news, the lifts have now been refurbished at Lambeth North tube, and it's fully reopened.

The blog is taking a short break next week - we'll be back in a fortnight!

ewan

Hello, and after a bit of seasonal break, welcome back to a new year, 2017!

Lulu's Caribbean Cuisine, Finsbury Park, London N4

This week's featured article is Lulu's Caribbean Cuisine, N4 3EN. It's pretty small and colourfully painted, and if you're there for a weekday lunchtime you may find yourself the only one. Generous portions and flavourful too, worth checking out we think.

There are three new pages: A&N Brothers Cafe in South Croydon (decent breakfast); Steakout in Norbury (neon pink, but decent steak); and The Fox pub between Coulsdon and Caterham (more a restaurant than a pub, but you can drink there, and the food is... decent).

Our two reported permanent closures are Bottledog on Grays Inn Road, and The William Jolle pub (a Wetherspoons) in Northwood Hills.

katstevens

Sun Luen Snack Bar, Little Newport Street, London WC2

Hullo RGLers!

This week's featured article is for Sun Luen Snack Bar in Chinatown, which sounds like a nice quiet place for a breather (and an egg tart) in the centre of town.

A bunch of new articles have appeared! There's a branch of the Franco Manca pizza chain in Wimbledon; long-established dining spot Joanna's in Crystal Palace; the organisationally-challenged Tartine Artisan cafe, and Lebanese restaurant Meza, both in Tooting Broadway. The Bond Street branch of Rasa has had an update following a visit, by me! Spoiler: it's still great, and you should all go.

Lastly, after what seems like aeons, the Waterloo Tap is finally open, and ready to sell you some craft beer.

ewan

Welcome back! As Kake notes, RGL is becoming increasingly RGSL, which means I need to pull more weight and actually make some North London updates. I can only apologise for this oversight!

Anyway, the featured article is Lambert's, SW12 9AZ, a British restaurant in Balham. Service is efficient and the food is appetising. Plus they have a good value lunch offer, should you find yourself in South West Twelve.

The one new article is for The Gorringe Park, a pub in Tooting with those classic gastropub vibes.

katstevens

Evening all, hope your Bank Holiday was pleasant! I spent mine looking at my local supply of anatomically incorrect dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park.

This week's featured article is for Dexter Burger in Purley, home to interesting veggie burgers with a high rating on the all-important Bun Structural Integrity scale.

We've got new pages for Lamberts in Balham, a restaurant specialising in seasonal British produce, and Tandoori Naan And Chapati, a bakery in Walworth with a seemingly slapdash attitude to food hygiene. I think I'd rather go to Lamberts, myself.

There are Vietnamese food updates in the form of Dat Cang Supermarket and Mama Pho, both in Deptford. Also updated following a visit is vegan-friendly creperie Senzala, over in sunny Brixton.

Closures to report: the Breadroom bakery in Brixton has literally ended up in Valhalla, while the Cineworld Hammersmith is to be demolished. I cannot confirm or deny that the last film to be shown in this (admittedly rather run-down) Art Deco building was Kung Fu Panda 3.

katstevens

Evening all!

This week's featured article is for the Cat's Back in Wandsworth, a small Harvey's pub with lots of lovely beer and tasty snacks. It's the second closest to the North Pole of all the Harvey's pubs, after the Royal Oak in Borough.

Our intrepid RGL team have paid a visit to Dartford and there's a whole bunch of new pub articles as a result: the Paper Moon (a typical Wetherspoons), the Wat Tyler (traditional old pub with a Tudor-style exterior), the Ivy Leaf (a large Good Beer Guide pub), the Foresters (a back street local's pub with a few decent ales) and the Malt Shovel (a Young's pub and CAMRA hangout).

Our non-Dartford additions include BG Zakuska Bulgarian Breakfast in Barking, a small cafe which will zap you some pastries in the microwave, and Great Queen Street, a great little bistro restaurant in Covent Garden run by the dudes behind the Anchor & Hope (but crucially you can book tables).

Rounding off a busy week, the Wych Elm in Kingston has had an update following a visit (the soup sounds good!) and the Ruse bar in Borough has closed.

ewan

Welcome back, another week another delayed Tuesday update for you. I was on holiday is my excuse.

This week's featured article is Simplicity, SE16 4JJ, one recently updated following a visit from a prominent RGL administrator. It's a British restaurant by Rotherhithe station. It may not be worth a special trip, but for the area it's pretty decent.

There's a new article for Xi'An Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant in Deptford which features a special menu of food from Xi'an, capital of the Shaanxi province. (I'm sure you know where that is, but if like me you drew a momentary blank, it's in NW China.) Kake's been getting through a fair bit of the food there, and it sounds like a nice place for some interesting dishes. Go for the cold-skin noodles, which you can't get anywhere else in London that we know about.

There's also a reported closure for The Great Wall restaurant near London Bridge, soon to be a Chilango.

katstevens

Afternoon RGLers!

This week's featured article is for Bruce Castle Museum in Tottenham. As far as we know Bruce Springsteen doesn't live there and it's not actually a castle, but misnomers aside it's a great resource centre for local history, with unexploded bombs and Roman artifacts.

New on RGL is Kenya Coffee House, a more logically-named Kenyan restaurant and coffee shop in Romford that serves Kenyan speciality dishes such as ugali and mukimo. There's also a new page for Albert's Table, an allergy-friendly bistro in Croydon, serving modern British cuisine.

Finally, there's an update to the article for the Golden Lion pub in Romford, which has TEN handpumps - one for each dot in a tetractys! Pythagoras would be chuffed to hear it, I'm sure.

ewan

This week's featured article is Moyo-Ma, SE17 2AL, a Nigerian restaurant in Walworth.

The new articles are all pubs: The Only Running Footman, in Mayfair; The Prince of Teck, in Earl's Court; and The Man on the Moon and The Randall Tavern, both in glamorous New Addington.

Three closures, the last two possibly quite some time ago: branches of S&M Cafe, dedicated to sausage and mash, in Islington and the O2 Centre; and Chakalaka, a South African restaurant in Putney.

kake

Image © Ewan-M

This week's featured article is Books For Cooks, W11 1NN, a Portobello Road bookshop and cafe devoted exclusively to books about cooking and food.

Recent additions to RGL include Deli Felice, a nice little local cafe near Rotherhithe Station; Bermondsey Brazilian Shop, a small Brazilian cafe and grocery shop on the Bermondsey/Rotherhithe borders; Canteen, a British restaurant in Canary Wharf; Preto, a Brazilian rodizio restaurant in Putney; and New Aroma, a Sichuan/Fujian restaurant on Gerrard Street in Chinatown.

Only one reported closure, but it's a big one: Pacific Plaza in Wembley, mooted as the replacement for the much-missed Oriental City, has now closed in its turn.

The Pacific Plaza website claims that the closure is temporary, but problems have been evident for some time. The supermarket failed to materialise despite being promised as "opening soon" for over a year, their PR agency reported repeated non-payment of invoices last December, and at the time of writing the Doki (crockery shop) website states that although all Pacific Plaza tenants had been paying their rent, Pacific Plaza was not paying their own rent to Wembley Retail Park.