rglondon | Entries tagged with new articles

This week's featured article is Hopper And Bean, N10 3DU, a cheerful yellow cafe in Muswell Hill that is easy to access and work in.

A new article: Langley Quarter, BR3 3DE, a cafe in Eden Park where the food side is a bit hit-and-miss, and there are accessibility issues, but it's a good place to work on your laptop.

Updates to Tooting Daily Fresh Naan, SW17 7ER (now shawarma too), Poached, BR3 1AZ (new visits,photos of menus), and Category: Central Line (no longer direct trains to Chigwell et al.).

Square, W1J 6PU, a French restaurant in Bruton Street, Mayfair, has closed after the parent company went into admin, though we're hoping someone will take it on (it has a Michelin star after all). At Adam's Cafe, CR0 2TD, a greasy spoon in London Road, Croydon, the shutters have been down for weeks, but we don't know why.

Now, tap rooms. The Orbit Beers Taproom, SE17 3HD was, as its name implied, the tap room for the Orbit Beers brewery which operates from railway arches in Walworth. Or rather, the tap room attached to their brewery has closed. But they tweeted that a nearby cafe would be "hosting" their tap room. What does this mean though? Beer lines snaking through from the brewery to taps on the cafe counter? Or a few cans on a shelf? Whatever, could one call the cafe a "proxy taproom". On the subject of taprooms, do please opinionate on my blog post about what tap rooms are and aren't, and whether there we should have a dedicated category for them.

Current Mood: indescribable

katstevens

Our first featured article of February is the Devereux pub, just off the Strand. It's had a recent change of ownership so those looking for the usual Taylor Walker menu will be met instead by a variety of toasties. According to the website, they also sell Curly Wurlys!

There's a new article for Harry Morgan, a restaurant and deli in St John's Wood. Expect salmon bagels, salt beef sandwiches and, if it takes your fancy, a bowl of cold borscht.

It's the dawning of a classic sitcom plot in South Norwood as cafe Nico moves premises over the road. Will the old carpet shop be able to squeeze itself into Nico's previous home with hilarious results? We'll let you know if we see them sending passive-aggressive paper airplane notes across the street to each other on our next visit.

Finally, some pub news to report:
- the Fuller's Brewery Tap in Brentford has reopened after a refurb;
- the Royal Exchange in Paddington is temporarily closed after some sad news;
- Walthamstow Antic pub Mirth, Marvel and Maud is undergoing redevelopment;
- the landlords of the Ealing Park Tavern have decided not to renew their lease;
- the Change of Horses in Farnborough has had a Change of Management; the effect on the weekly Orpington Folk Club meetings is as yet unclear;
- the Load of Hay near Brunel University in Uxbridge has also recently had a refurb. Whether this will stop locals referring to it by a slightly different name remains to be seen.

ewan

Hello all, rather belatedly again because I'm a bit rusty at this. Also this will have to keep us going for two weeks, so special DOUBLE EDITION.

This week, our featured article is On the Bab, EC1V 9LA, a Korean street food vendor albeit in an actual building. bob was pretty happy with the bibimbap and expect it to be busy at lunchtimes.

One new article is Brown and Green on the Triangle, an excessively-named cafe catering to all kinds of diets in the Crystal Palace metropolitan hub. Expect kids.

We have an update to Frank's Cafe, still a local caff serving breakfasts near Limehouse. Handy if you find yourself in Limehouse.

Our two reported closures are for Klein's, a haberdashers off Oxford Street, and Yak and Yeti, a Nepalese restaurant in Eltham.

katstevens

Our final blog post of the year takes us to Selsdon for our featured article: all aboard the Golden Ark micropub! There's enough beers to have them two by two (maybe halves?), with a jar in front of each to show its goldenness or lack thereof.

There are two new cafe additions to see you through to 2020: Hopper and Bean in Muswell Hill and Out of the Brew in New Cross. Both are laptop friendly but you'll have to click through to find out which one might have a resident dog.

That's it for 2019 - thanks for reading and see you in January!

ewan

Welcome back, and let's get straight into it with this week's featured article. It's The Rusty Bucket, SE9 5PR, a pub in Eltham. A small pub, mind, but a proper pub. It has real ales, it has bar snacks, and it's attractively kept.

Our one new article is Meydan Sofrasi, a Canning Town Turkish restaurant. You'll probably be wondering if a restaurant is worth a journey to Canning Town for, but perhaps let's just say that if you find yourself in E16, maybe this will be worth a visit.

There's an update to Husk, a coffee shop in Limehouse with a low-key religious connection; feels more like a community space.

Finally, news of the reopening of The Moon and Stars in Romford, a Wetherspoons pub now with added roof terrace.

katstevens

Evening RGL readers! This week's featured article is for Warisan Cafe in Paddington, where you can enjoy some pretty good Malaysian cuisine in a basement setting.

New to RGL is Belle Epoque on Newington Green, a French cafe with some excellent bus-spotting opportunities. It's right next door to the Unitarian Church, which has a massive sign on it saying 'ERECTED A.D. 1708, ENLARGED A.D. 1860'. One of the many delights visible from the top deck of the 476.

There are updates to Affogato in Norbury (find out what an 'eggs hedderman' involves!) and the Manor Arms in Streatham - the latter has had a refurb and the crab shack is no more. I'm not sure where one would go if one wanted a pint of whelks nowadays?

I feel I should apologise for inflicting a soap-based earworm on unsuspecting readers last time I mentioned the wide ranging menu at Perfect Blend in Streatham. Rest assured I will not make the same mistake again for our final update this week, where our reviewer found the music more peaceful that day, it didn't get in the way.

ewan

Welcome back to another week of Randomness.

This week's featured article is Golden Fleece, E12 5DB. It's a pub in Manor Park, which shouldn't be confused with Manor House or Mansion House, something I've sometimes done. The postcode will be a clue, and (depending on where you are right now) it's just on the near side of Ilford, where the postcodes are still London-y compass point ones. If you think that makes it sound like the inner city, then fear not for this very much has 'country pub' vibes. Bring some kids. Take a walk in Wanstead Flats first maybe?

The new article is for The Running Horse, a new pub (yes brand new), built as part of a big new housing development in Aldgate. It's filled with office workers during the week, and it's handy for Curzon Aldgate cinema. Look out for "raw lager" whatever tf that is (I think, unfiltered lager?).

Finally, after a short refurb, The Gunmakers in Marylebone has reopened.

ewan

Hello all!

Like me, you may be scratching your head trying to figure out where exactly Swanley is, though the postcode hints at a Bromley-adjacent location. Well, it's where this week's featured article can be found, The Cotton Mill, BR8 8ET, a micropub! Aha, micropubs, a very Kentish phenomenon, and this one comes recommended but no guarantees their sausage rolls won't have run out. NB Swanley is way out near the M25, so why not use the many map links on the RGL page to learn all about it.

We have one new article, More Flour to the People, and yes you did read that name right, it's a pun! Because! It's a bakery! Do you see? Anyway, you can toast your own bread, even.

Finally, the reported permanent closure of Japan Centre Ceramics and Sushi. Most of the business is now a basement food hall on Panton Street nearby.

rowleybirkinqc

Chennai Dosa, an Indian restaurant in West Croydon

Hello people, new blogger here, so quick intro: I'm

rowleybirkinqc - as surmised previously I stumbled into editing RGL years ago (probably because I liked the principle of wikis). Right, onwards...

This week's featured article is Chennai Dosa, CR0 2RL, a casual South Indian restaurant in West Croydon where you eat with your fingers. The food is usually good, and even though sometimes poor in parts our reviewers just keep coming back.

One new article: Warisan Cafe, W2 1TU, a Malaysian cafe near Paddington Station. It's in a half-basement, but is friendly and welcoming, with freshly made, flavourful food.

Several pubs (and one restaurant) reported as closed (though some temporarily) -- one closed for health and safety!

The Moon And Stars, RM1 1NX, a 'spoons in Romford, is being refurbished (reopening November). The Royal George, SE8 4QD (a Sam Smith's pub, New Cross/Deptford borders) has closed down; it is now up for sale, though we reckon as a going concern. In the West End, the Kings Arms, W1W 7QL, a pleasant pub near Broadcasting House, is being refurbished and is due to reopen next year.

Lewisham Council has closed the Catford Constitutional Club, SE6 4SP because "parts of the building are dangerous". I note that Antic were allowed to continue operating it for another week, so I have visions of "just put this hard hat on if you're going to the loo, and best not to tread on too many floorboards". The council state the pub will reopen, perhaps next year, after the necessary works, but we're not holding out much hope.

The Brewery Tap, TW8 8BD looks like it has closed for good: the area round this Brentford pub is being redeveloped, and Fuller's say it is no longer feasible to keep it open.

The Gaylord, W1W 7SJ, an Indian restaurant in Fitzrovia since 1966, has closed down. It is being replaced by a new restaurant from a New Delhi chain.

Some selected updates:
* "Laptop Friendly" category's criteria slightly broadened
* In Battersea, former cocktail bar Zocalo, SW11 3RA is presently a tapas place "Vinos y Licores"
* Epsom Station has crept into Zone 9

katstevens

Handpumps at the Cotton Mill, Swanley, BR8

Evening folks! It's that time of year again when we investigate pubs in the new edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, leading to a whole barrelful of new pub entries on RGL:

The Cotton Mill, Swanley
The Dartford Jug, Dartford
The Black Dog Beer House, Brentford
The Black Lion, Surbiton
The Tap Tavern, Richmond
The Nonsuch Inn, North Cheam (Wetherspoons)
The Earl Beatty, Motspur Park
The Jolly Gardeners, Earlsfield
The Sir Julian Huxley, Selsdon
The Real Ale Way, Hayes (the Kent Hayes, not the Middlesex Hayes)
The Portland Arms, South Norwood
Suttons Radio, Lewisham
The Morden Arms, Greenwich
The River Ale House, Greenwich
The Rusty Bucket, Eltham
The Libertine, Borough
Draft House Camden Road, Camden
St John's Tavern, Archway
The Golden Fleece, Manor Park
The Coach And Horses, Leyton
The Miller's Well, East Ham (Wetherspoons)
Craft Beer Co., Aldgate

In non-GBG news, there's a new page for the Daily Petit Dejeuner cafe (good bus watching opportunities) and an update for Communitea, both in South Norwood. The Hornbeam Cafe in Walthamstow has had an update, as has the White Hart in Hampton Wick. Finally, the Kings Arms in East Molesey has reopened after a refurb - we've been along to try their breakfast jigsaw.

ewan

People, sorry, I've been slammed at work so completely failed to update you on the goings and comings at the venerable Randomness Guide to London.

Our featured article this week is Vasanta Bhavan, E6 2JA, a veggie Indian cafe in East Ham. I accidentally typed "Eat Ham" there, but I've corrected it, and those of you who want to do that would be best advised not to visit. Actually, probably do visit because they'll do you a nice dosa and idli.

Our two new pages are Las Fuentes, a tapas place in Selsdon, which I surely don't have to tell you is near Croydon. Surprisingly good, I'm reading. Surprisingly good. Oh and there's also The Golden Ark nearby, which is a micropub, with normal human size tables for sitting at, and (as ever) decent ale.

There are also some significant updates to Chennai Dosa, a South Indian in Croydon where they would advise you to eat the food with your fingers as nature intended. I went there not so long ago and it was excellent, v nice. There's The Edward Rayne in Raynes Park, a Wetherspoons, so you know what to expect. And Urban Guj in Thornton Heath, an Indian cafe and tea shop, which sounds like a place to go when next you find yourself in sunny CR7.

mrs_leroy_brown

¡Buenas tardes!

This week's featured article is Tierra Peru, which as its name helpfully informs, is a Peruvian Restaurant in Islington. Reviewers praise the food's flavour and textures, and the portions appear rather generous.

Four new articles have gone up. In the east, we have Familia Cafe, a wee gem of a cafe in Forest Gate which offers up a Spanish breakfast sure to be a hit with garlic lovers. In central London, we have Lao Cafe, a Laotian restaurant in Covent Garden with industrial decor; best to arrive early as it seems to fill up fast. In the south, we have Rocoto Pepper, a Latin American restaurant in New Cross serving perfectly cromulent tea and arepas, along with breakfast choices and a lunch selection that has a vegan option. Just down the road from SE14, Pho Street in Greenwich is a Vietnamese cafe where unsurprisingly, pho and other noodles soups feature heavily.

Updates have been made to:

- Vasanta Bhavan, a totally vegetarian Indian cafe in East Ham
- Compton Arms, a pub near Highbury & Islington Station
- Akari, a Japanese restaurant near Essex Road station
- Parcel Yard, a Fuller's pub inside King's Cross station

Finally, we've two reported closures - China China, a Chinese restaurant in Lewisham and Village East, a bar and restaurant near Tower Bridge

katstevens

Evening RGLers!

This week's featured article is for Hilltribe, a Thai restaurant in Richmond. All the dishes our reviewer tried came with a lettuce leaf/hibiscus flower decoration, which certainly made the Chiangmai sausages look more colourful: like Esther Williams, in sausage form!

There's a new article for 161 Food And Drink, a wine bar just down the road from me in sunny Sydenham. They have a few interesting beers on offer too, plus a small plates menu, however if you're after substantial veggie options for dinner, in my experience you'd be better off at the Azeri chip shop three doors up the hill.

Staying in Sydenham, there's an update for the On The Hoof Bistro, a cafe run by the same people behind the coffee stalls in Sydenham and Forest Hill stations. I must go back there for another Sunday roast at some point.

Finally, down in Croydon there's an update for Don's Cafe, a traditional greasy spoon with proper formica tables. The sausages here may be slightly less glamorous than Esther Williams, but they get the job done.

ewan

Another week of RGL and another week in which I drag my heels and don't get the post out until Tuesday, but we have content so keep reading!

It's nothing to look at from outside, but Kailash Momo, SE18 6ED should be a must-visit when you go to the charming southern enclave of Woolwich. It serves Tibetan and Nepalese cuisines, focusing on the momo (a dumpling) but there's plenty of other options. It's all very cosy.

Our one new article is Good Egg in Stoke Newington, which doesn't sound very vegan friendly, but I bet you could find something. After all it's N16, and you can expect food influenced by Israeli, Middle Eastern and modern American Jewish cuisine.

There are updates to Food for All, a health shop, also in Stoke Newington, and The Cittie of Yorke, a Sam Smith's pub in Holborn.

Finally, a reported closure for Lucky Seven, a record shop/secondhand bookshop in Stokey. It's now a salon.

katstevens

Evening RGL readers!

This week's featured article is for Round Table Books in Brixton Market. It's a small children's bookshop with a focus on inclusivity. It also contains a table (shape unspecified)!

There's a new page for The Kitchen cafe in Lee, which serves breakfast until 11am, bagels thereafter, and banging tunes from Kiss FM throughout. We also have lots of pub updates (and one addition) this week following a successful flaneurs trip:

- The Cricketers, Orpington
- The Hackney Carriage, Sidcup
- Hopper's Hut, Sidcup
- The Greystoke, West Ealing
- The Lemon Tree, Trafalgar Square
- The Elephant Inn, North Finchley
- The Pineapple, Kentish Town

The last time I was in the Pineapple, I got chatting with a dude who said he was the keyboardist in Gorillaz. It was quite an animated discussion! Ahem. Let's draw a smooth Euclidean line under that, and wrap things up with a closure: the Clerkenwell branch of Foxlow.

ewan

Apologies once again for my tardiness in providing you with much-needed London-based updates.

Our featured article this week is Casa Morita, SW9 8LB, a Mexican taqueria in the market at Brixton, which also sells some Mexican groceries. Expect excellent tortillas, and friendly service.

The new article is The Cork and Bottle in Hampstead, which used to be the White Horse pub, and is now a restaurant/wine bar, though they still have ale. The food gets our approval, and may be worth checking out if you're around the area.

Sticking with NW3, there are significant updates to The Enterprise down the hill (possibly not worth your time) and The Duke of Hamilton, returned from its brief stint as a jazz bar.

Finally, The Devereux pub just off the Strand has reopened.

katstevens

Evening RGL crew!

This week's featured article is for the Douglas Fir micropub in Anerley (halfway up the hill, towards Crystal Palace). Expect all your favourite Gipsy Hill Brewing Company beers, and a place to plug your laptop in.

We've been to Orpington! This has resulted in a new page for snazzy Indian restaurant Masala Dabbas (the thali sounds good) and an update for the Orpington 'Spoons, the Harvest Moon, which looks exactly like I'd expect a Zone 6 Spoons to look like. A couple of stops up the line in Bromley we've a new page for gelato emporium Unico, which also does savoury pastries. The Wine Gallery in Purley has tapas plates to accompany your glass of rosé, while you admire the art - very sophisticated.

Keep going south from Purley and you'll reach Coulsdon, home of the Singapore Orchid, an 'old school' Singaporean/Chinese restaurant with lots of vegetarian/mock-meat options. Even further south is the Rambler's Rest in Chipstead, a country pub with open fireplaces, and the Kingswood Arms (in Kingswood), which has had an important fishfinger sandwich update. Before you start wondering if we should rename this blog the Randomness Guide to Surrey, the subject of our final new article is located right by Streatham Hill station: Perfect Blend self-describes its widely ranging menu: breakfasts, small plates, burgers, smoothies, cocktails, coffee, pancakes and an omelette. I defy you not to hum the Neighbours theme tune while reading that list ("breaaaaak-fasts....").

Finally, some closures to report. The Change of Horses in Farnborough is "currently closed for a short undeterminable period of time" (scratching-chin-emoji), the Waterman's Arms in Richmond is closed for a refurb, and Lounge 101 in Ruislip has met its pseudo-Orwellian fate at last, consigned to oblivion by Frank Skinner's comically-oversized lever.

ewan

Hello everyone and welcome to a midweek update for the RGL site.

The featured article this week is Santo Remedio, SE1 2TU, a Mexican restaurant in Bermondsey. It has a bar-like ambience upstairs, while downstairs expect a tulip on the table to provide a bit of colour. Expect enormous tacos and plenty of food on the set lunch menu.

There are four new articles! Four! These are:
* Levan, a cafe/bar in Peckham with annoying loud music (it's Peckham) and slightly underwhelming (European, not Levantine) food.
* Blackbird Bakery, also in Peckham, but in a railway arch which is exciting for a non-brewery enterprise. Anyway, it's busy and buzzy and the music is a lot quieter.
* Plumstead Pantry, and I shouldn't need to tell you where this is, you educated lot. I was there too and it has a nice cafe vibe with a vegan breakfast (heavy on the roasted greens like broccoli and sugarsnap peas).
* Kailash Momo in Woolwich, which looks like a dowdy takeaway from outside, but inside is a wonderful cozy Tibetan/Nepalese restaurant with tasty dumplings (the momo of the name) amongst other things.

Significant updates to our entries for The Old Mill and The Star pubs in Plumstead too, only one of which is still a proper old-school boozer, the other having been given a makeover as a pizza-serving upscale gaff.

Our two reported permanent closures are The Croydon Steak House and The Lukin (now a Guy Ritchie-owned pub called the Lore of the Land, so expect geezers I guess).

katstevens

Pueblito Paisa Cafe, Seven Sisters, London N15

Hello RGL readers!

This week's featured article is for the Pueblito Paisa, a Latin American cafe right by the north-west exit of Seven Sisters station. It's an excellent spot for bus watching - look at all this lot - and you can enjoy a multi-carb bonanza of chips, rice and plantain with your seafood stew. Hmm, maybe it's missing some bread there? I guess we can't all be perfect.

There's a bunch of new articles to peruse: scrambled eggs at Bermondsey Bar & Kitchen by London Bridge Station; hibiscus flower enchiladas at Santo Remedio, a short hop away in Tooley Street; Sichuan aubergine at Sanxia in Deptford, and over in Eltham the new Vue cinema is showing Detective Pikachu (2019, dir. R. Letterman) four times a day!

The Kings Arms in London Bridge and the Crown and Sceptre on Streatham Hill both have updates following a visit: the former will be of interest to lime and soda fans, while the latter is no longer a Wetherspoons, so your opportunity to order a surprise bowl of onion rings to whoever happens to be sitting at table 23 has passed.

Finally, some closures to report: Teapod near Tower Bridge (it's now a coffee shop), SoBo in Bermondsey is now a cafe called Earthsea (presumably full of wizards), and Bubbles and Tea in the Stratford Centre has... burst.

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.