Trishna or not to Trishna!

A recommendation by a work colleague led us along the path of another Indian restaurant...hmmm i sense there's a theme emerging!! Pre-dinner drinks was had at the roof-top bar at the Hilton. Must say not particularly user friendly, but that's what you get when you've grown up on the wrong side of the tracks. However, developing a sense of culture for the finer things has always been a trial, but will give it a go nonetheless!

Back to the Hilton....as we were not sophisticated enough, how could we assume we could have a table at the window overlooking the city, Silly us...*the waiter tuts*! Not being particularly fussed, we chose seats in the centre of the room and ordered a few cocktails...and it was not a bad choice. A couple of hours and a substantial amount of pounds later we caught a cab to the restaurant. How else would you get there after the Hilton!

Trishna is a quaint little restaurant and the food was surprisingly delicious, but the portion size leaves a lot to be desired! My fellow blogger laughs and asks if i can remember! Well alcohol does that to you. Of the things that I can remember the bench was quite hard, the company was good and the wine was of good quality. I will need to return to provide details about my foodie experience. The friends that went along really enjoyed the food, only one turned his nose up as he had just been to Nobu the day before. My thoughts....'What does he know anyway!'

Dining at the Ivy!

A friend with some connections (apparently) managed to get a table for 5 at the Ivy on a Saturday night! Seemed like a perfect opportunity to mix with some celebrities and find out what all the fuss was about. Supposedly the Ivy is the place to go pre or post theatre and getting a table in peak times can be a challenge - perhaps the 9.30pm slot of our table was testament to that. Not that we were the last to be seated. Following us there were new arrivals from 10pm onwards. 

Coat check at the door, dressed in our relative best we enter the restaurant. First impressions - our relative best didn't really cut it with the rest of the posh crowd. In particular women who knew their way around a make-up brush. But then further in the room, normal looking people and we were more at ease!

Attentive service at the table, easy to read menu with a large number of choices and surprise of all surprises the vegetarian dishes were reasonably priced! As with many places when presented with the wine list all one can generally do is take a bit of a stab. Given it was arranged in price order we thought we would go with option 4 (of many), we didn't want to look like we were cheap! As it turned out it was a lovely bottle of South American Red which was swiftly scoffed and followed by another.

All decided on entrees - two scallop dishes, one tandoori prawns, one seafood bisque, one squid salad. General impression was good, not fantastic but not scary either. The scallop lovers had eaten at the Ivy previously and had ongoing dreams of the succulent scallops, however on this occasion they were somewhat disappointed. The scallops used to be seared with their roe, but now they are all sanitised and this was to their flavour detriment by all reports. 

But coming to the Ivy is not all about the food. One of the males at the table spotted a celebrity in the toilet - the place where everyone is the same!  Hmmm but really not sure whether John McCririck really consitutes a celebrity spot! So perhaps it's the atmosphere and the service that keeps everyone coming back.......?

The atmosphere is not particularly special. Again, not that it was offensive. Clean tables, low lighting with most of the background noise supplied by other diners rather than a CD player. It was comfortable. The dining chairs with the arm rests were very comfortable and the light was flattering for most people! Indeed the staff all appeared to be very attractive - not sure whether the light is particularly flattering for those wearing white and black, or whether the staff have to pass an attractiveness test to get a job but made for entertaining dining. Especially when one of the other members of our table were enamored of our waiter!

The service itself was also fairly good. Staff were discreet, happy to give advice with no indication that you are clearly a pleb. And in fact if you watch them closely enough you can see their response to the really dodgy clientele - those with more money, and alcohol in their system, than sense. Also entertaining!

So the mains arrived the trofie pasta with morels and asparagus was delicious. Possibly a touch too much salt - but definitely morish. Hard not to lick the plate. The organic trout fillet with cockels and spinach was delightfully light. The thai sea bass was baked in banana leaves and impressed. The steak and lamb dishes though were fairly average as far as real meat dishes go. 

Dessert was a list of dishes tat everyone had heard of - pannacotta, creme brulee, lemon tart, chocolate pudding - so I tried rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb. This was rhubarb 3 ways - as compote on top of a meringue, as ice-cream, and as a baked tart. It was fabulous - and I don't mind saying envied by others at the table who had snorted at the idea of rhubarb! Fresh mint tea rounded off the evening and sometime around 12.30am we casually made our way outside! With others still dining! 

So all in all, it was an interesting night. The food was satisfying, the service was entertaining- especially the waiter with the borrowed grey contacts as he had lost his glasses - and we at no point felt that we were not welcome. Great night had by all.

Thai in a hurry!

Recently on a shopping trip to Soho - forced by the imminent presence of Christmas to head into the city on a Friday night, and lets face it the sales are hard to resist! - I tried again to go to a highly recommended Pizza joint that apparently has the best wood-fired pizzas around. The first time I attempted to go there with three others we were surprised to be told there was a wait of around 40 minutes to an hour for a table. Even then it wasn't guaranteed as we had unknowingly come out on a night when Italy was playing Football and of course they were screening it at the restaurant.

So this time, without the burden of any international football playing as far as we were aware, we thought we were in with a chance! Unfortunately, it would appear that others have also cottoned on to the pizzas at this place and once again we arrived to be told there would be about a 40 minute wait. There were at least three other groups waiting ahead of us - Bugger!

In desperation, after work shopping is a bit fraught without the likelihood of any food, we decided to try a Thai restaurant, which as we walked past looked as though it might be interesting. You know the sort - lots of stickers in the window, having been reviewed by several people who all had good things to say! With luck on our sides for once we found ourselves seated at a table for two immediately! Things were looking up! Well as long as you overlooked the seating location which had three tables for two squished into an area more suited for two tables, and an airconditioning unit that seemed to think it needed to regularly switch on to cool the room -not often needed in Winter when you seat is also close to the door, which is regularly opened by other patrons with decision making difficulties!

Never the less, the service was attentive and the menu looked interesting. Rather unusually we thought a starter was in order and so we went with the corn cakes. Partly due to the description of the fresh herbs and tangy sauce. It had been a while since we had a good corn cake - unfortunately tonight was not to be the night. The predominant ingredient appeared to be potato which coated your teeth as you bit into it. There was corn but even on close inspection the fresh (or otherwise) herbs were non-existent!

The mains of Penang curry, green curry and mixed vegetable stir fry was good but not great. I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again! The rice that came with the meal was in such a small quantity that even for two, not such big eaters, it had to be rationed. We were expecting more to be offered but this was not to be! Our joy with our meal was diminishing rapidly!

When offered the dessert menu - we decided to skip it. From here on the service took a distinct turn. What we had previously thought was attentive became more obvious as rushed. The dishes were removed, the bill arrived and the change returned. Our drinks were not even finished! We had noticed that certainly several other people were enquiring about table availability. With the frequent opening of the door and the fresh breeze that accompanied this it was hard to miss.

So we decided to cut our losses and squeeze past the other two tables to make our escape. With the proximity of the other tables I couldn't put my coat on at my seat and needed to step into the middle aisle. Incredibly, in the time it took me to get my coat on, the table had been wiped down and the next people were being seated. Well the one that could get past me anyway! This did not go unnoticed by the other diners, who were also experiencing the pressure to move on. There was a comment that my seat would still be warm! Perhaps I should have put my coat on in the street!

The food was OK, we were not starving, but the corn cakes were forgetable. Unlikely that we will go there again, although if you want Thai food in a hurry, then maybe it's for you!

Is Easyjet really easy?

If you have been in London for a while then its likely that you will have made some plans to escape it.............and when looking at the prices of various methods of escape it is also likely that you will have looked at easyjet, or possibly even Ryanscare! Its hard to resist these fares which are often cheaper than taking the train, or alternative transport, and be lulled into a false sense of ease.

But is Easyjet really easy?

I've just returned from a 5 day break in Berlin. Unfortunately due to finances being tight I opted to fly Easyjet. I opted to fly out of Luton, for only the second time. The first time, heading to Nice, I had a disastrous trip out to the airport with the train getting stuck on the line, then having to wait 15 minutes for the airport shuttle resulting in a mad dash to the check-in (made it about 30 seconds before it closed) and then further dash to the gate. No food, no rest but lots of sweat! Not so easy, but surely this was a once off and further trips from this airport would be easier??

So I thought this time would be different. It certainly started off well. Tube was at the platform, and although a reasonable walk through the new St Pancras station  the train to Luton was only a minute away, so far so good - although noticing that time was going by faster than expected. No delays on the line this time, but a fair way out of London with that dreaded wait for the airport shuttle - not to mention the pound fare to get the bus for 10 minutes! Outrageous - made to wait, packed in like sardines and charged for the priviledge. Needless to say time was now getting a bit tight, but made it to the checkin 55 minutes before the flight. With various hold-ups at checkin it was just on 40 minutes before the flight by the time I was free to head to the gate. Surely this would be time to get something to eat?

Remembering that last time it was a dash to the gate, thought it would be sensible to get through security before purchasing some food......turns out a wise move. The queue was huge and with everyone getting stopped for further checks it was not moving fast. Needless to say by the time I got through the flight was flashing as final call and had to run through the corridors to make it onto the flight. Once again sweaty, hungry and feeling that it was anything but EASY!

On the flight, whilst waiting desperately for a dodgy, overpriced hot panini, I worked out it took just under two hours to get to Luton Airport from my home. Now I live in North London - does this sound crazy to anyone else?

So now I have made a vow - no matter how cheap the fare 'I am never flying out of Luton again!' I am developing this as my mantra so that in the future I won't be tempted by those low fares, now matter how cheap. 

Hey William,....... what's up?

Having previously only ever tried the Tapas at William IV, I was excited to see what the Sunday Lunch had on offer.

Another birthday party saw the group of us enjoying a lovely sunny day in the Dining Room at William. There were some (should we say - negative?) comments on the restricted nature of the menu. We're all for seasonal produce, but if you have a restrictive diet (even by choice) then eating the same foods for starters and mains isn't the most exciting option! On the upside, given the size of the main meals, perhaps it was better that we didn't indulge in the starters!

Interestingly I started to write this entry some weeks ago, just after the meal, but lost interest. One could suggest several, well at least a couple of reasons for this, although I am most inclined to think that perhaps it was a reflection of the food. Not that it was bad, but perhaps more that it was uninspired and mildly uninteresting!

The strongest recommendation would be for the lamb shanks. I'm reliably informed by the one person who had this for their meal that it was delicious and lip smacking could be heard across the room. But otherwise the recommendation would be - go during the week when the tapas is on order! It's fantastic with a wide variety of choices and some fabulous flavours! And of course a glass of bubbly ALWAYS!

Mason's Arms Happy Days

Have you ever been to one of those updated old man's pubs where you just didn't feel very comfortable - well the Mason's Arms is a happy departure from this trend! Of course it does attract some of the well heeled set, and their accompanying fancy clothes and ideas. However you can still find a nice space on a sunny day, or even a quiet warm space inside and enjoy a pint or two!


Of course if you turn up on a sunny day after a 5 hour bike ride around London, with associated windblown hair and rosy cheeks (and well lets face it less than trendy attire) you can expect to stop conversation. But still it's a great place to hang out for a while.....and as for the Baileys Coffee's late night after some Thai food - well that's another story!

Princess Victoria Dining Rooms and Timeout?

So Friday night saw us all out to sample the Princess Victoria Dining Rooms in Shepherds Bush. This was hot on the heels of a strong recommendation from a work colleague, followed closely by a report that it had been shortlisted for the TimeOut London best gastropub award in its first few months of opening this year!

Scouring the websites it did appear that there were mixed reviews, with most negative comments appearing to be about the service. Although overall people were very positive about the addition of this new version of an old boozer (did someone say Gin Palace?) on the Shepherd's Bush horizon.

The night was a bit of a birthday celebration with everyone in the mood for a good night.

The arrival went well. The decor is very nice with old wood tables and comfortable wood chairs. There was even some room to navigate around the table without having to hold your breath and suck your stomach in! The staff were also very attentive, if not terribly knowledgeable about the drinks menu. But friendliness in service can get you a long way, hmmm ... well for some of us! Hard to please everyone all the time......

We then braved the menu. This is where things can get quite tricky. Two of the group of four are sort of vegetarians (essentially pescatarians - but with a preference for full veg meals when available). Having been unable to review the menu before the visit this was going to be the moment of truth.....there are very few gastro-pubs that give a good vegetarian option. Prices of the meals aside, given the thought that has clearly been put into the creation of the non-veg meals you would have thought a single vegetarian option (main meal) would be more than a butternut squash risotto. It was listed as also being mixed with wild mushrooms and marscapone - but really, is this the best they could offer......It would appear so.

So the scene was set for a sample of the fish dishes, with one of the group trying the T-Bone steak with Bearnaise sauce. It has to be said there were some very tasty parts to each of the dishes tried - but each one was just a bit ....well.....wrong.....or unnecessary! 

Firstly, the fillet of Plaice with a curry broth of macaroni and Mussels.........all we could say after tasting this one was........MACARONI? Just didn't need it. The T-Bone steak had a problem with the Bearnaise (undefinable to anyone at the table) and thrice cooked potato wedges have been cooked at least once more than needed. Finally the fillet of Sea Bass with smoked eel and crushed potato and poached egg. Really delicious - although it had been ordered minus the treacle cured bacon.....again was this really a necessary addition. How many different types of protein do you need on one plate??

The group decided as this was a grown up evening out that instead of dessert, we would opt for the cheese plate - not that the menu tells you how many or which cheeses are up for sampling. As it turns out there were three cheeses, a fig chutney/jam, and a range of biscuits including a piece of sweet bready cake (the highlight!). Unfortunately the cheddar on our friends plate may have been cut from the end which had been left in the sun for a while (dry is an understatement), and the pungent cheese did have an after taste of plastic! The goats cheese was good though!

It might sound like it wasn't a good night - but actually we had a great night. Not sure we would go there again but were all (or at least three of us!) glad we had made the trek out. Which brings us to the Time Out nomination.......not sure about the other pubs that are in the category, but our opinion would be that it is a bit early for this one to win. But it certainly has potential!

Slightly expensive and recommended to people who like protein!