Reviews by Tidy

The Bingham (Restaurant)
29 May 2007

Lovely restaurant - really stately rooms and nicely designed. It's a great spot on a sunny day. The food, on the other hand, wasn't quite up to par. We had to wait ages for our food and then my starter was wrong. Also the parking there is a nightmare. Still, if you fancy a drink with green river views, it's a great place!

Fino (Spanish Restaurant)
16 March 2007

Had yet another great meal at Fino. The food was tasty and the ingredients amazing. The staff were helpful and smiley. Lovely.

Arbutus (Restaurant)
14 March 2007

I've had to rate this restaurant badly, not because of the food, but because of the service (after all, it's the overall impression that counts). For a restaurant so applauded, I couldn't believe how we were treated.

Our party of five snaffled down the delicious starters, then came the main course. It all looked good. My partner and his father both ordered the slow-roasted beef risotto. My father-in-law's beef was deliciously tender and fell apart with the help of a fork; my partner's, however, was tough as old boots. When he complained he was spoken to in a condescending tone and asked if he would like to order anything else, since he didn't like the dish itself. He explained that it wasn't the dish, but the meat quality and inconsistency between servings. We were told that if he re-ordered the same dish, he might run the risk of 'this happening again"! So annoyed was my partner with the way the manager patronised him, it put him off his food and he didn't order anything else.

A good test of a great restaurant is how they deal with a problem, and I am sorry to say Arbutus failed miserably.

Acorn House (Restaurant)
12 March 2007

Lovely place. Really enjoyed my meal here. The ingredients are excellent and fresh. The service was friendly (but not too friendly, if you know what I mean), light-hearted and attentive. The atmosphere was lively and fun. The owner came and said hello too, which is always nice. Go eat at this place, it's great.

Beauberry House (Restaurant)
12 March 2007

My partner and I, plus another couple, ate lunch here last Saturday. I have to say, I was very unimpressed. The main course was fine but no better than a half-decent

gastropub. They didn't have the wine we wanted, which was a shame. The waiting staff didn't make it clear that they had a two-course weekend brunch menu, so we ended up ordering desserts that we didn't really want, when I for one would rather have tried the starters.

Still, the restaurant itself is set in a lovely Georgian house surrounded by parkland. Nice for a stroll after the food.

The National Dining Rooms (Restaurant)
17 October 2006

I ate in the cafe with a friend and we had a lovely time. The food was simple but well prepared, the staff friendly and the ambiance pleasant. It's nice to get out of Soho and the same old hang-outs once in a while. My only gripe is the fact that I wanted a table in the restaurant, but no one answered the phone for me to book it. Still, the cafe turned out to be just the job!

Umu (Restaurant)
17 February 2006

This restaurant had been recommended to me, and having seen it on Urban Path's 100 Nicest I was really looking forward to our meal. Unfortunately my partner and I were extremely disappointed.

The food was less than average, the service was incessant (is there a record for how many times your almost full water glass can be topped up in one sitting??), and overall it was hugely overpriced. I wanted to try one of my favourite Japanese dishes, the Wagu Beef, and at £45 I was sure it would be a winner. How wrong I was... the portion was tiny, and what was on the plate was trimmed with sinewy fat.

However, the wine we had was great and I loved the 'Star Trek' front door. Not enough to warrant going back there though. If you are reading this and thinking of a Japanese treat, I would head straight to Roka... that place is rocking.