rglondon | Entries tagged with sw9

Hello RGL community. I got back from a three-week holiday Down Under on Saturday (it was lovely!) and I've been a bit jet-lagged since, and a bit busy at work too, hence the delay to this post, a very special episode of the Randomness Guide to London.

You'll be aware of the news. Therefore the first thing to mention is that after this post RGL will take a break for a while. Most of us are now working from home, and avoiding going out as much as possible (some entirely). The latest government and Public Health England advice has been to avoid group socialising and non-essential travel, so it's likely that many of the pubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas will be closed at this point, and given the way things have progressed on the continent, it feels like only a matter of time before that is enforced more strictly. We cannot in all good faith, as of Wednesday 18 March, advise you to go out to any of the places on this list either; if they are still open, you will have to take that decision yourself, but find ways to support them however you can.

The list below was compiled on Sunday, and even in the few days since then, the public health advice has taken a much harder line.

Restaurante Santafereño, Brixton, London SW9

With all that in mind, the featured article is Restaurante Santafereno, SW9 8PR, a popular restaurant in the Brixton Market supporting the Colombian community. Perhaps make it a place to visit when we are able to move freely again.

There's an update to Sala Piquin, also in Brixton Market, formerly Casa Morita. It's moving from just Mexican to regional fusion, with friendly staff, so why not help them out with a visit when it's safe again to do so.

Two reported temporary closures (that aren't related to coronavirus) are: Mirch Masala in Norbury (for hygiene reasons); and Joy King Lau in Covent Garden.

Well, that's our last update for a while. We don't know how long things will go, but it's likely to be for at least the length of the Summer, which is sad. Some places are still offering takeaways or deliveries so please do your best to support small businesses wherever you can in any way that is safe to both you and them, and spare a thought for those businesses who were gearing up to open or rebrand or refurbish in March and beyond. More than that, spare a thought for the many people working in the hospitality and tourist industries who will find life much harder now. Life will get hard for a bit, before things look up.

ewan

Hello and welcome back to another random week.

Harry Morgan, St John’s Wood, London NW8

This week our feature article is Harry Morgan, NW8 7NH, a restaurant and deli in St John's Wood. Expect Jewish (albeit non-kosher) comfort food in a NYC style. Expect good size portions and attentive staff.

A temporary closure reported for The Constitution pub, for refurbishment apparently, so fingers crossed that goes well.

A more permanent closure for The Blue-Eyed Maid pub in Borough. Who knows if it will return...?

Finally we've got reports of a "possible" closure of Casa Morita, SW9 8LB in Brixton's trendy market. It might be back but the website and socials are all a bit vague.

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.

mrs_leroy_brown

Listen all ya'll - we've a slew of tasty news in this week's RGL update!

Our new featured article is the Rising Sun, a Sri Lankan restaurant in the Sudbury area of Harrow, not to be confused with Sudbury, Ontario. Weird lighting aside, the set lunch menu looks a great bargain and comes with friendly service to boot.

New articles added include:
- Round Table Books, a delightful children's bookshop located in Brixton Village Market selling all manner of books suitable for humans of all ages.

- Pintadera, a small Italian cafe in my personal favourite of the Norwoods (West). It's got homey decor which is work/laptop friendly; you may need to ask for spread for your toast, though.

- Still in West Norwood, there's Hobby's, a small craft and hobby shop; it's best to go knowing exactly what you want first.

- Mama Dough in Sydenham is a part of a small chain of pizza restuarants which also has a punny menu; the topping combos seem to offer the classics as well as some more nontraditional offerings and vegans & gluten-free dudes rejoice, they can cater upon request. I'm definitely hitting this one up!

Updates were made to Food House, an Indo-Chinese restuarant in Wimbledon, Fred's, a cafe in Brockley, Bridge House, a pub in Penge, O Cantinho de Portugal, a (shock!) Portuguese cafe/restaurant in Brixton, and Casa Morita, a taqueria in Brixton that also offers a selection of Mexican groceries.

Two permanet closures this week - Abuja Connection, a Nigerian restaurant in Crystal Palace, and Angel Road station which has been replaced by the brand-spankin' new Meridian Water Station just half a kilometre away.

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

Hello RGLers!

This week's featured article is for the Crown and Pepper in Caterham, a pub that incorporates an Indian restaurant at the back. They also have a bar menu if you don't fancy the full sit-down experience - try the okra.

New this week, we have the Union Jack pub in Southwark, that perhaps isn't living up to its potential beer-wise, and the French House restaurant in Crystal Palace, a cheerful establishment themed around '60's Francophone pop music (the drinks menu looks pretty good too).

There's an update for the Prince George (just off Queensbridge Road in Dalston) following a visit, which reveals its all-important lime and soda pricing to be significantly cheaper than the Union Jack's.

Finally, Fujiyama in Brixton has closed: lovers of spinach ohitashi will have to venture elsewhere.

katstevens

Bonsoir, RGLers!

A quick update this week to let you know about our new featured article, for Carioca in Brixton. It's a small Brazilian restaurant in the covered market, whose owners, judging by the decor and the website, are extremely keen on fruit-adorned singer Carmen Miranda.

There's also a new page for Vietnamese cafe Banh Mi 108 on Feltham High Street. The significance of the 108 is a mystery to me - perhaps the name is a tribute to the atomic number of the transactinide metal hassium? I'm more of a seaborgium fan myself. Anyway, bubble tea and banh mi await you in Feltham!

katstevens

Evening RGL crew!

This week's featured article is for the legendary Stuffins Unlimited in Croydon. This sandwich shop is clearly inspired by the great 2 Unlimited not just in name, but in its cheerful personnel, quick-moving queue, boshing specials and hardcore rave breakfast baps (maybe). Get Bready For This!

First among a bunch of new articles on RGL this week is a new branch of the Nordic Bakery in Seven Dials. I am still recovering from the last time I had one of their extremely strong coffees at the Golden Square branch (approx 8 years ago). The coffee strength at Coffee Express in Belvedere is as yet unknown, but they'll do a weak cup of tea if you ask for one. (If you're after something stronger in DA17, the Belvedere Hotel pub has reopened.)

Elsewhere, in Brixton's Market Row there's Brazilian food at Carioca, while Earlsfield's Cah Chi will do you a decent beef japchae. Last but not least is the Running Horses pub in Erith. Where is Erith, I hear you ask? Well, I was at that pub myself just yesterday and I ate a large sausage roll, but it was dark outside and I got lost on the way, so I couldn't tell you exactly how I got there. Erith: shrouded in mystery! Or you could get the train.

ewan

Hi there welcome back to another week of interesting things to drink, eat and do south of the river (and maybe like one or two things to the north -- though that lack is entirely my fault by the way).

So the featured article this week is Senzala, SW9 8PS, which is a creperie in Brixton Village Market, that burgeoning community of little foodie units. There are sweet and savourity galettes and crepes served up by Brazilian chefs, and if you're vegan you'd usually steer clear of this kind of thing, but fear not for they do some vegan options too that sound great.

The new articles are: We Brought Beer, a branch of a craft beer shop/stall in Tooting, where you can drink on the premises as well; Frydays, a fish and chip restaurant in Norbury (do you see what they did with the name eh?); and Som Saa, a well-reviewed Thai place in Whitechapel/Spitalfields, so do go read Kake's review, as it sounds great.

There's an update to The Old Dispensary pub in Camberwell.

The Shooting Star near Liverpool Street is now temporarily closed for refurbishment and will reopen under a new name.

Finally, one reported permanent closure is Maotai Kitchen in Chinatown.

katstevens

Bushwacker Wholefoods, Hammersmith, London W6

Evening all! A bumper week to catch up after the Bank Holiday.

This week's featured article is for Bushwacker Wholefoods in Hammersmith, which stocks a whole range of vegetarian groceries including Taifun tofu (I wonder if they have curry and pineapple flavour?

New new new! Craft Tooting is a small craft beer shop by Tooting Broadway station. Further up towards Wimbledon Park we have more beer at the By The Horns Brewery Tap, while the Pear Tree pub in Purley has little jars of beer in front of the pumps so you can see what colour it is (I love it when pubs do this). Not quite so new but existing under a different name: The Aleksander in St Margaret's is now The Alba.

The page for Lion Inn in Thornton Heath has had an update, as have ones for the Sugahill cafe in Sydenham and Imperial China on Chinatown's Lisle Street (which seems to be *the* place to meet your blind date?). Places *not* to meet your blind date, unless you want to hang around outside a now-closed pub: the Red Herring pub near St Paul's, and the Devonshire House Wetherspoons in Crouch End.

Finally, pre-gig Brixton favourite the Trinity Arms is temporarily shut for a refurb. It's planned to reopen in August, hopefully in plenty of time for any attendees of 'Progress Wrestling: Chapter 36 - We're Gonna Need a Bigger Room Again' wanting a pre-bout pint of Ordinary.

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.

ewan

Welcome back! This week's featured article is The Willoughby Arms, KT2 6LN, a pub on the north side of Kingston. Of course, you knew that from the postcode, so I need hardly say. It's a handsome building from the photo, though what were once separate rooms seem to have been knocked through somewhat (as is the style). Go to drink Twickenham ales and watch cricket on the TV, still lovely despite a musty smell.

Two new articles are Sun Luen Snack Bar in Chinatown, with eggy egg tart; and House of Bottles, an off licence in Brixton.

There are big updates to veggie favourite The Gate (their Angel Islington branch), and post-work vertical drinking favourite The Hope Fitzrovia, which used to be a nice pub once upon a time. Still, sounds like it might just be fine on a weekday afternoon if you're ever there at such a time.

Finally, just to mark the reopening of Camberwell's The Bear pub, for which our write-up is sadly rather out of date.

katstevens

Evening everyone!

This week's featured article is for the Brixton branch of the Craft Beer Co, where you'll find the usual vast selection of keg and cask beer. There's seating space on the first floor but be careful when carrying your drinks up the 'fool of a' staircase: your correspondent's other half suffered an Exciting Injury in this manner a couple of years ago. Readers may also wish to note that the excellent Kings College Hospital A&E is but a short bus ride away!

Our RGL crew has been hard at work of late investigating the delights of Tooting - this week we bring you Saravanaa Bhavan, a veggie-only Indian restaurant whose menu includes the intriguingly named 'Business Meal'. There's also a new page for Affogatto, a modern coffee shop in Norbury. Some closures to report too: the miniscule Oriental Chinese Shop in Surrey Quays, and Chinese Family in Greenwich.

Finally, I'm sad to hear of the closure of HK Diner by Leicester Square - the first place I ever tried bubble tea.

ewan

Hello, it's that time of year, time for the new Good Beer Guide and all the new pubs it brings. The category page for this book is therefore, of course, the featured article.

Before we get into that, there's one new unrelated article, which is Banh Mi Hoi-An in London's trendy Hackney, which will do you a decent noodle salad.

Now this leaves us with all the new pubs for this year, so brace yourselves:

* The Aeronaut in Acton (also a brewpub!);
* The Argyle in Clerkenwell (Hatton Garden area);
* The Black Horse in High Barnet (also a brewpub!);
* The Clarence in Mayfair;
* The Constitution in Pimlico;
* Craft Beer Co. in Brixton (ell, can't complain about the beer selection I guess);
* The Crooked Billet in Upper Clapton;
* The Crown in St Margaret's, Twickenham;
* The Elephant and Castle in Kensington;
* The Flying Pig in East Dulwich;
* The George in South Woodford;
* The Grapes in Sutton;
* The Grove in Ealing;
* The Hops and Glory in Canonbury (Essex Road);
* The Hour Glass in Brompton;
* The Huntsman and Hounds in Upminster;
* The King's Head in Tooting;
* The Leyton Technical in Leyton;
* The Lighthouse in Battersea;
* London Fields Brewery Tap Room by the park of that name in Hackney (really a brewery);
* The Lord Aberconway by Liverpool Street;
* The Misty Moon in High Barnet (ex-Spoons, obviously);
* Oaka at the Mansion House in Kennington (the Oakham Ales pub);
* The Old Bell on Fleet Street;
* The Old Loyal Britons in Greenwich;
* Old Tom's Bar under the Lamb Tavern in Leadenhall Market;
* The Pig and Whistle in Southfields;
* The Prince of Wales in Clapham;
* The Railway Bell in New Barnet;
* The Royal George by Euston Station;
* The Shortlands Tavern in Bromley;
* The Sporting Page in Chelsea;
* The Station Hotel in Hither Green;
* The White Lion in Warlingham;
* Williams Ale and Cider House in Spitalfields; and
* Woodin's Shades around the corner on Bishopshate, by Liverpool Street Station.

There are also two stub entries which will be filled out by Kake in the next week or two:
* The Door Hinge in Welling (a micro-pub!); and
* The Hare and Billet in Blackheath.

ewan

This week's featured article is Shortwave Cinema in the Bermondsey Square development. It opened a few years ago and is a small single-room cinema with a similarly-sized cafe/bar area out the front. All very pleasant, and it shows some decent films.

Our one addition is Mama Lan, a Beijing street food cafe in "Brixton Village" market. The chicken wings come with bob's special recommendation.

Two reported closures are Puji Puji on Balls Pond Road, and Eurasia grocery in Croydon.

katstevens

Happy Monday, RGLers!

This week's featured article is for Villagers Sausages in Beckenham. This butchers specialises in sausages, as you might have guessed from the name. There are plenty of varieties on offer for sausage-lovers - including duck! I don't think I've ever seen a duck sausage before, except for a brief glimpse on one of those specialist Freeview channels. They'll also sharpen your knives for a reasonable rate, if you're worried your cutlery might not be up to handling your mighty sausage.

There's a new article for Blue Turtle Oasis, a coffee shop in Loughborough Junction that's bigger on the inside. Reports that Peter Capaldi has been fiddling with the espresso machine inside have been completely made up by me just now.

Finally, the excellent Viajante restaurant in Bethnal Green is closing at the end of this month, as head chef Nuno Mendes is opening up a new place in Marylebone (which apparently will be very different menu-wise and atmosphere-wise).

katstevens

This week's featured article is Dirty Burger in Kentish Town. This tiny emporium serves the currently-trendy style of semi-posh burgers crammed full with Stuff, but also does fried breakfasts (in a burger bun) until 11am.

New to RGL is Just Falafel, a small, vegetarian-only cafe/takeaway in Covent Garden. I love the menu pictures on their website, there's something very comforting about seeing different combinations of falafels, halloumi and chips photoshopped onto the same background. They even have a picture of some water in a cup in the drinks section, which you can 'share on Facebook'. Amazing.

There are three closures to report this week: Speedy Noodle, a noodle bar in Brixton (now a branch of Foxtons) the Goldhawk pub on the Goldhawk Road near Shepherds Bush, and to finish off this week's theme of unimaginitively-named places, The Bar in Gants Hill is no more.

ewan

Sorry for the lateness, an extended holiday weekend means that we're a bit late getting this out.

This week's featured article is The Crown and Anchor, another "craft beer" pub, this one from the people behind Stoke Newington's Jolly Butchers, but situated between Brixton and Oval. There are plenty of beers both keg and cask, and it seems promising.

New articles are on: The Atlas, a gastropub near West Brompton station; The Holborn Whippet, another craft beer bar from the Euston Tap people; and Patterson's, a fine dining restaurant in Mayfair.

Reported closures are: Sagar, a South Indian vegetarian restaurant in Twickenham; and Chennai, a South Indian cafe in Barking.

One impending closure is Langton's Bookshop in Twickenham, due to close at the end of June.

ewan

This week's featured article is an excellent pub in Leytonstone, The Red Lion, E11 3AA. Lots of good ales and beers, and tasty food. Heartily recommended.

Three new articles are: The Crown and Anchor, a new "craft beer" pub in north Brixton from the people behind The Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington; The Hatchet, a Greene King pub by Mansion House station largely catering to vertical-drinking City workers; and Store Street Espresso, a well-regarded coffee shop in Bloomsbury.

Three reported permanent closures are: The Ivy House pub in Nunhead; The Northumberland Arms pub on Goodge Street (set to become a Draft House pub in July); and Amano, a cafe not far from London Bridge.