Twist, 42 Crawford Street, London W1H 1JW

Twist, 42 Crawford Street, London W1H 1JW
www.twistkitchen.co.uk
07/03/2015

She said: He was dubious about an Italian-Spanish fusion tapas place. I was keen to try a new local. He was right. Twist in short sells overpriced, average tasting little plates of food in a forgettable space a walk too long from the Marylebone heartland. £9.50 was a silly price to pay for a few spoons of ‘homemade’ fettuccine in a tomato sauce as it was for a deep fried ball of cheese. I really wanted to prove his wrong and that decent tapas at decent prices is not the preserve of Middle Eastern cuisine. But as of yet, the evidence remains to the contrary. If you want Italian – go somewhere that will give you a proper plate of pasta and if you want fusion tapas, pick another on our list as this place should be renamed Twisted!

He said: For me Twist encapsulates exactly all that is wrong with many restaurant openings in trendy neighbourhoods: it’s high on concept, often one you would never dream off (Italian tapas dining), high on pretension and design, low on delivery and quality, and low on customer comfort (‘you get your food when it suits us’). The kitchen no doubt thinks that it is dishing out the most sublime creations, using the finest produce. But really it’s just expensive rustic fare, like some Italian interpretation of Ottolenghi, except with miserly portion control. Just in the same way that 99% of people could not tell you if they're drinking a £100 or a £10 bottle of plonk, most people would not know, or care, if the burrata was flown in that morning (was it? Who cares!).  Twist must be popular because it's been going for a little while now; which confirms that just because a bad idea lasts, like Crocs or Scientology, doesn’t make it any more right.

L’Anima Café, 10 Appold St, London EC2A 2AP

L’Anima Café, 10 Appold St, London EC2A 2AP
www.lanimacafe.co.uk
11/10/2014

She said: It was one of those yucky, rainy London days and we were in the East End suit shopping for him. After some cultural adventures we were hungry and happened upon L’Anima Café which is next to the fancier restaurant which I have been wanting to go to for a while. The restaurant was closed for lunch but the café was welcoming so we went in. The café space is a large, warm, colourful place with a wood fire oven for pizza, clearly what you should really order here. But I wasn’t in the mood for pizza so ordered a cannelloni which was really delicious and great value at £8.50; in fact because of the price he got twitchy about me ordering it thinking it would be a tiny portion but alas he was wrong and I would have struggled to eat anything else – as proven by my failed plans to raid his pizza. I did squeeze one slice of pizza in which again was delicious. L’Anima was a good accidental find and worth coming to if in the Liverpool Street/Shoreditch area and prices are much better value than the restaurant next door and the atmosphere relaxed but chic – though I remain keen to compare.

He said: We stumbled into L’Anima somewhat by chance but next time I assure you it will be by design – I enjoyed pretty much everything about it. Given its location (at the foot of a brand new skyscraper in the city) you might guess that this isn’t going to be the candle-in-chianti-bottle variety of Italian. It’s bright, sleek, smart but laid-back, and modern; well, modern in design at least: Italians being fussier eaters than just about anyone else I’ve met, every dish is the survivor of generations of Italians bickering about its precise constituents and preparation. Lucky for us too: I had a delicious chick pea soup to start, followed by a garlic pizza which was exactly as advertised: with at least a whole head of garlic cloves, their heat mellowed by slow caramelizing. L’Anima is around the corner from its ritzier, fine-dining sibling, but being partial to big portions and small prices, I’d quite happy keep coming back here instead. The drinks list is good too; this would be an excellent choice for a night out with a bunch of people.

Caffe Caldesi, 118 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2QF

Caffe Caldesi, 118 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2QF

03/01/2014

www.caldesi.com

She said: Been wanting to come to this one for over a decade and today was the day we finally made it. Despite the risk that the fame around Caldesi and his cookbooks, cooking school and culinary virtuoso would have made this place stale, Café Caldesi was well worth the wait. I had booked the restaurant upstairs which is the more formal dining space at slightly higher prices than the downstairs more informal bistro-bar space. He wanted to eat downstairs and took his seat and started to peruse the menu but after wandering upstairs and seeing a room still decked out for the festive season, with romantic white table cloths and windows overlooking Marylebone Lane, I moved us back up! Glad I did. I can see why this place has lasted; it’s a classic. Creative but still reliable dishes, great service in a restaurant that managed to create that neighbourhood Italian feel without the cheesy chequered table cloths and hanging candle-waxed wine bottles. I had a large, delicious espresso martini which was well worth the caffeine headache I had after and kicked off with a juicy mushroom filled with some sort of cheese and breadcrumbs followed by a perfectly cooked penne with salmon in a vodka sauce which was impossible to stop eating despite the decent portion size. I really wanted dessert but was just too stuffed. Having chosen from the set lunch menu my food was great value at £15.50 and the cocktail prices are also reasonable for the area. It’s a shame we didn’t discover Caldesi sooner but now that we have it’ll be a local we’ll return to. Besides, he wants to make it passed perusing the bistro-bar menu I tore him away from (though he seemed happy in our romantic, window-table of the festive first floor).

He said: What stands out for me about Caldesi is the old school, genuine, neighbourhood restaurant vibe. Caldesi is not trying to be the kool kid, or reinvent the wheel with desiccated Bohemian snail's antler carpaccio, or other new-fangled techniques and ingredients. There's something really compelling about the tucked-away setting, the attentive care from the tie-wearing maître d', the shared pepper mill (is pepper still a precious commodity?) and the large, communal bowl of pre-grated Parmesan. That last detail alone tells you what you need to know about what comes out of the kitchen: the food is good, nothing particularly memorable, but perfectly fine. Caldesi reminds me a lot of what fancy (ie. no pizza) Italian restaurants used to be like when I was a kid, and it's that blast of nostalgia that I liked most. I also liked that the house cocktails are priced nostalgically. There are plenty of better alternatives in London, but I liked knowing that Caldesi is there and I look forward to going back - even if it takes us another 10 years to book; that's the great thing about nostalgia: it only gets better with age.

Union Street Cafe, 47-51 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BS

Union Street Cafe, 47-51 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BS

09/11/2013

www.gordonramsay.com/union-street-cafe/

She said: Despite the ridiculous hype around ‘that’ footballer and billions of people trying to get a booking we had no trouble getting a table on the day at Ramsay’s latest offering. Union Street Café sits a short walk from Southwark station, occupying a corner with, yes, Union Street. I was immediately pleased with the lovely warm room which contrasted with the cold, wet outside – especially given the industrial-chic interior. We were warmly greeted and shown to our table with comfortable, rounded leather chairs. The room felt intimate yet open, with lots of dark wood, pop sculptures and a smart bar. The semi-open kitchen was on a platform up a few stairs where additional dining tables were available. I think I liked the fact that Union Street Café hadn’t tried to ram in as many tables as possible and the dining room felt very well spaced out without feeling empty. I say ‘think’ because it is unusual for business to not try to maximise capacity without some impact on pricing. The menu was presented in pretty printed calligraphy which I found illegible so had to ask the waiter to read and interpret but found him incomprehensible, though I must say service was friendly and attentive. I managed to order a starter of artichoke, olive and pecorino which was subtle but a good intro and finished with a perfectly delicious ravioli with ricotta, rainbow chard and walnuts. I had read complaints about portions being small but they were the right size for me and I was glad I ordered the ‘main’ ravioli size which was a real highlight for me. At just under £30 per head I enjoyed Union Street Café and it’s a great new addition to the constantly transforming Southwark area.

He said: You see where it is on the map, and hear the name Union Street Café, and you’ll be forgiven for thinking that you’re going to that greasy spoon from The Apprentice, where all the losers go to recriminate over Styrofoam cups of builder’s tea. But no, this is a Ramsey joint! And a very good one at that. Potty Mouth did a great job matching his brand to the area, which is more murder alley than Mayfair. The designer somehow managed to deliver a posh urban dining room, and Gordon cleverly settled on an Italian menu: the most democratic of cuisines that you can also charge a packet for; everybody knows they like Italian, even if, like me, they have no clue what Ovuli Crudi or Guazzetto might be (I liked both). And because Il Duce is behind it, everything works smooth as silk. My only gripe is that the portions are small for Italian, a cuisine famed for generosity, and the prices on the high side. It all feels a little bit greedy given the postcode. But I suppose that is Union Street’s unique proposition: there are not many upscale eateries so close to Tate Modern (millions of visitors a year), and Ramsey just plugged that gap. If you’re not hungry, there’s a very good basement bar.

Massimo, Corinthia Hotel, 10 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AE

Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Corinthia Hotel, 10 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AE

07/09/2013

http://corinthia.com/hotels/london/

She said: We tried coming here a few weeks ago on a Sunday but alas it is not open on Sundays…So we returned on a Saturday with our dining card 2-4-1 discount in hand. Massimo is a stunning, palatial dining space. Imposing Corinthian columns, bold yet elegant lighting, brown leather banquettes, crisp linen table cloths, shimmering bar, and a golden hue throughout the room. I was excited to get stuck in to the menu. I jumped straight into mains and after finding it difficult to choose from so many delicious sounding options I picked a tagliolini with crab and chilli which was perfectly cooked pasta with a juicy chilli oil and succulent crab flakes. I was so impressed, wondering why the place was practically empty and already planning a return. Although tight on time the dessert menu was too tempting so I ordered the chocolate fondant and was assured it would take 15 minutes. 25 minutes later a very dry lump of sponge looked up at me from a large plate and when I took a spoon to it hoping that the molten goodness would flow out my heart sank as a tiny glue-like chocolate sat stuck to the crumbling sponge. Clearly this was overcooked and I was sorely disappointed. The minor consolation was 50% off the bill so we paid £42 for two courses and soft drinks – not the best value if paying full price. Dining at Massimo was like dining in two different restaurants – 10 out of 10 for the first half and a classy experience, 0 out of 10 for the second half and I wish I had got a coffee and cake at any one of the many nearby patisseries instead. Incidentally, customer responsiveness could do with some work; when I informed the waiter the fondant was overcooked and barely edible which was a shame given how good the mains were, he didn’t know what to say – literally, he just stood there nodding as he took payment. The friendly greeting we received on arrival was marked by any acknowledgement whatsoever as we left our table and the restaurant to a hum of silence.

He said: 99% of restaurants included in Discount Dining cards, like Gourmet Society or Taste London, are chains or run-of-the-mill places. But it pays to look hard at the membership list, because every so often a Destination Restaurant slips in: the kind of place with that ‘wow’ factor, where you take someone to celebrate, propose, or break-up (because it’s just too nice to make a fuss in). Massimo is a hell of a good looking restaurant: cathedral-height ceilings, huge windows, flash but still just the right side of classy. We were on our way to see a show, so had time for a main and a desert. I opted for ‘organic barley penne with borrage and shaved ricotta because’: 1) what is borrage? 2) you can shave ricotta? 3) why is this pasta dish so expensive yet vegetarian? I’m none the wiser about the price: the ‘taste to price’ ratio was all wrong. In the 50+ posts written to date I don’t think I dissed the food very often – I generally give the kitchen the benefit of the doubt. But this dish made no sense to me. It’s bland, health-freak type stuff – the kind of dish loved by the likes of Moby, I imagine. So I decided to balance this out with a blow-out, indulgent desert. ‘Mont Blanc Pavlova’, that will do it. Doesn’t that just conjure up the best vision of a mountain of meringue, floating on a giant cloud of cream, and scattered with red fruit symbolizing the crushed bodies of fallen climbers? But no, instead my hopes were crushed, when the saddest pavlova I have ever seen was plopped on the table. It’s like Tommy being promised an Xbox by drunk Santa at the mall, but getting a book of Sudoku Christmas morning. It took me a while to get over the disappointment; in fact I ate the whole thing without actually tasting a single spoon. But you know what: that room is so great, I would still go back, armed with a 2-for-1 card, now that I know the menu is written by a fantasist. Stick to the tried and tested and at that price you can’t go wrong.

Cucina Asellina, Melia Hotel, 336-7 The Strand, London WC2R 1HA

Cucina Asellina, Melia Hotel, 336-7 The Strand, London WC2R 1HA

19/05/2013

www.asellina.com

She said: After attending a fantastic talk on Humiliation at Conway Hall we were hungry and needed to find somewhere close. I remembered this Italian in the new Melia hotel sitting at the top of The Strand. I was a little hesitant on entering to find not a single diner inside – and from the outside it looked closed probably due to the darkened windows and lack of activity inside but we decided to stay. I’m so glad we did. Asellina is a large contemporary dining space to suit any occasion. I ordered a prawn flatbread pizza which was heavenly and good value at £12. I tried some of his lasagne which was equally good. The service seemed a little haphazard or inexperienced (we were served by four different waiters – that last one proactively asking if we wanted to bill rather than the option to see a dessert menu so we accepted his forthright offer) but it is especially a great pick for lunch or a pre-theatre meal that sets itself apart from the tourist offers inside Covent Garden. As a fortunate bonus, on leaving Asellina I remembered the Melia has a rooftop bar ‘Radio’ and asked the maitre d’ if we could pop up; not only was she super courteous in leading us there, she brokered two free cocktail vouchers from the Concierge so we immediately fell in love with her. Radio has the genuine ‘wow’ factor – the lifts open into a glassed restaurant leading to a wide open terrace with magnificent views of the best of London’s skyline. We took a seat at a perfectly positioned table and I enjoyed a heavenly Martini as we spent an afternoon thumbing through the Sunday Times. Speakers poured out a slightly strange mix of tunes from perfect Sunday soul and ‘lounge’ music to over hyper dance and 80’s nostalgia. However, the experience was made even more perfect as the sun decided to shine down despite reported rain. This was a wonderful, special afternoon and we will definitely be back – both to the Italian but also to try to rooftop restaurant and enjoy more drinks on one of the best rooftops in London. But don’t tell anyone as I don’t want it to become over-run.

He said: The Melia Hotel recently landed like a futuristic spaceship of cool right onto the dull and forbidding traffic island known as the Aldwych. The contrast with the rest of the neighbourhood is pretty startling when you first step in: it’s definitely more Dubai than London, but that’s no bad thing. The dining room at Cucina Asellina was built on an ambitious scale, which on our visit only highlighted the fact that we were the only dinners. It’s a shame because it’s actually a nice open space done in a very spare style, and which would have a really nice buzz to it when full. But somehow I think this place is destined to never quite getting there -- its location on the edge of Theatre Land is that little bit too awkward. That suits me fine in a way, because there aren’t too many places to eat in the area that don’t get mobbed by tourists or that you could just waltz into without a booking. The food we had was very nice; her pizza was in fact very, very good. I wonder if it would pass the ‘Italian Friends’ test;  these people are so unbelievably fussy, but to me this tasted authentic enough for even the pickiest Neapolitan.  Service was a little tentative, but balanced out by the quality of food, setting and price: a main and drink each was £38 including service; not cheap but good value. On the way out She put us in the way of opportunity, having remembered the roof top bar; Fortune was smiling on us, bestowed comp drinks vouchers upon us, and delivered us onto Central London’s best rooftop bar. It’s called Radio, check this place out quickly before it’s colonized by the hordes of obnoxious Holborn professionals that work dangerously close. On a sunny Sunday afternoon it seemed like our own little secret spot – and we all know how short-lived that is in London.

Banca, 30 North Audley Street, London W1K 6ZF

Banca, 30 North Audley Street, London W1K 6ZF
[AUGUST 2013: NOW CLOSED]

04/05/2013

www.bancarestaurant.com

She said: Banca is an upmarket Italian housed in the former NatWest bank on a corner in Mayfair. We were greeted with lots of smiles and offered to sit wherever we like on entering which was both welcoming but had a slight feel of ‘wow we have customers’ to it. He wanted to sit at a table for four which I thought was inappropriate so opted for a table for two by the window which allowed me to see the whole dining room but he the frosted street window behind me…At first glance the menu seemed pricey for what was on offer but Banca also has more reasonably priced pasta and pizza dishes. For a chi chi restaurant, when I ordered some fresh juice from a long list of great options on the drinks menu I was told that only about three of the eight options were actually available – pretty poor. I decided to skip starters and ordered the risotto with gorgonzola and courgette flowers at £18. I’m not sure the blue cheese worked and the two deep fried courgettes sitting on top were an odd choice but it was fine. I had been planning on dessert but with so many good patisseries in the neighbourhood and not being blown away by the experience I decided to give it a miss. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely room, friendly and prompt service and good range of options on the menu but for the price, I think there’s just too much competition to make this one worth coming back to.

He said: the Maitre d’ seemed genuinely delighted to see us, and gave us a typically-Italian warm and friendly welcome into an equally typically-Italian stylishly appointed room. Good start, I thought. Could this become our local Italian, where we rub shoulders with the Italian glitterati, and eventually house-swap with Monica Bellucci? But the magic soon slowly fizzled-out. With the menu we were told about various things that were off that day including, strangely, about half the extensive list of fresh juices. Minor, you think – but, by lunch time on Saturday, you’d expect a serious kitchen to have all the holds barred in readiness for the big bun fight on one of the week’s most valuable nights. Never mind, these things happen sometimes. The menu had something for everybody, including pizza, and enough well-described options to cause some soul-searching. I took the plunge on a lentil salad to start, following up with monkfish and broad beans, sun-dried tomato etc. The salad was excellent, with enough pomegranate and apple to keep a generous portion interesting all the way through. But the presentation was a little unimaginative – here you go, a bowl of lentils. The monkfish made a much better impression on the plate, vivid green bean puree, deep red tomatoes, and plump white fish. I was looking forward to diving into my edible Italian flag, but at the back of my head was also the thought ‘my fish looks lonely on that big plate, could’ve been a bit more of it for £23’. It was delish, but my first bite was already lukewarm. In a way this sums up what’s wrong with Banca. The attention to detail wasn’t there; the appearance says ‘sophisticated’ but it’s not backed-up by the delivery. This would be OK almost anywhere except Mayfair where if you’re going to promise and charge like a big boy, then you’ve got to roll like a big boy. Rents are too high here to get it wrong for long. On the way out I noticed just one other table occupied, which could explain the effusive welcome…

Briciole, 20 Homer Street, London W1 4NA

Briciole, 20 Homer Street, London W1H 4NA
13/05/2012
www.briciole.co.uk/restaurant

She said…I read that a local pub had been turned into a neighbourhood Italian so in an effort to support local business we dropped in for a weekend lunch. Set on a corner near the edge of Marylebone, Briciole has a welcoming, casual feel. Wooden floors, a deli counter at the entrance which you pass by to enter an open, contemporary dining space with exposed brickwork, lots of windows to let light in and dark wooden furniture. The concept seemed focused on smaller dishes so we ordered a mix of cheese, vegetable and bread-based dishes. The breads were disappointing and stale to taste (not great for an Italian with a focus on ‘fresh’) – I had gone for a bruschetta with aubergine and cheese, and the goats cheese, walnut and beetroot salad was surprisingly plain – lumps of hard beetroot and a few bit of tasteless cheese. The saving grace was the tagliatelle with artichokes which was simple but the pasta well cooked and the flavours of the artichoke worked well. At £33. for 6 small dishes and a medium plate of pasta the prices were okay but I wouldn’t be rushing back to Briciole unless I was in the immediate area. It’s a nice enough setting but the food was a let down – plain, edible but unmemorable.

He said… I don’t really see what all the fuss is about. Yes, Briciole is right on trend with the small plates formula and gastro-pub vibe. But for me Italian food is simple dishes made with the best, freshest ingredients. I couldn’t shake the feeling that some of my dishes had been prepared earlier and in some cases  microwaved.  Either that or there simply wasn’t much love coming out of the kitchen. But the owner/manager is clearly passionate and hopefully he will crack the whip. It would be a nice addition to the neighbourhood, if it worked.