Cosa mi resta di quella cena... Dove mangio a Londra:

Quella del ristorante è un'esperienza complessa, non è fatta di solo cibo, ed è estremamente soggettiva e sensibile all'umore e al contesto personale. Questa carrellata, in continuo aggiornamento, non ha la pretesa di essere un consiglio, ma un semplice diario di ciò che a me torna in mente, una volta a casa, mentre sorseggio la tisana.

What I remember about where I ate.

Assaggi, Notting Hill. Italian.

One single room, quiet and plainly decorated. There seemed to be too many waiters for a week night.

We had a plate of pasta and a meat dish, two glasses of wine and a dessert. 45 Pounds head.

Alwaha, Notting Hill (several visits). Lebanese.

Small restaurant, kind service, fairly good food. I wouldn't suggest it unless you are hungry or in the area. It's good for a take away when you don't feel like cooking. Not expensive.

Alounak, Notting Hill. Iranian.

Hugely popular, Alounak is a big square room with a big window. It's always full, and if you have more than two main courses it won't actually be any cheaper than other similar restaurants. Average price per head: 30 Pounds. No alcohol served, but you can BYO.

Barrafina, Soho (several visits). Spanish Tapas.
http://ciboforme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/barrafina.html

Bistroteque, Shoredich. French?.
Big white room with open kitchen, you can both sit on a table or at the bar counter. I did quite enjoy the food, but the place was dark, smelly and boisterous. The service at that night was a little bit slow.

Books for Cooks, Notting Hill/Portobello (been twice). Quite French.
Incomparable value for money, good food (one or two courses menu;) and tap water for 5£. Few tables craped in a bookshop, you must try at least once. The service is not included and is very poor, almost rude. What a pity.

Bocca di lupo, Soho. Italian.
Nice place, decent food, not expensive.

Cote Brasserie (Westbourne Grove branch). French.

Nice place although quite noisy. The food was fine but it won't be my first choice for the future.

Cotidie, Marylebone. Italian.
Avevo un'alta aspettativa che è andata purtroppo delusa. Non mi sento di sconsiglialo, non abbiamo mangiato male, ma c'erano alcune cose che io non ho proprio apprezzato. Non lo suggerirei ai più esigenti (e spacca C_apello come me). Il tanto personale, credo quasi tutto italiano, è gentilissimo, ma investe più energia nei sorrisi che nel rendere il servizio efficiente. 2 portate, dolce (escluse le bevande!) circa 50£ a testa.

Dinings, Edgware. Japanese.
Small restaurant with some seat on the counter and tiny room in the basement. Lovely service and good food. We had both row and cooked fish, lovely presentation and new tastes. Really recommend, but I would suggest to ask for the counter seats.

Duke of Cambridge, Angel. Gastropub (Inglese).
Uno dei pochi pub che servono cibo biologico e a chilometro ridotto. Molto più ristorante che pub per il tipo di prodotto offerto (infatti è gastro-pub ;). L'ambiente è luminoso e molto gradevole, il cibo è ben presentato e di buona qualità, buon servizio. Circa 40£ a testa per due portate e vino.

Electric Brasserie, Portobello (several visits). French.
http://ciboforme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/electric-brasserie.html

El Pirata de Tapas, Notting Hill. Spanish.
http://ciboforme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/el-pirata-detapas.html

E&O, Off Portobello (several visits). Asian.

To get a table here at the week-end you need to book at least some days in advance. Simply decorated and with good service, the food at E&O is decent and well presented. It's the westender sibling of Great Easten D.R.

Eyre Brothers, Hoxton (been twice). Iberian.

A friendly, boisterous place with delicious meat courses, unfortunately let down by its starters. Average 40 Pounds.

Fairuz, Marylebone (several visits). Lebanese.

Lovely place, I really recommend it. Large dinner with wine and dessert average 40 Pounds.

Granger & Co., Notting Hill (been twice). Continental.

It's hard to give this place a review. It's always full but they don't take reservations. Sometimes the food was fine and sometimes it was awful. On top of having to queue, the place isn't cheap, plus you never know how your meal is going to turn out. Lovely decor, staff does't smile.

Great Eastern Dining Room, Hoxton (several visits). Asian.

The food is always good here, and the service is good too. Dinner with a few of their cocktails will set you back (average) 45 Pound per head. However, it is a bit noisy, I would go there just for an inexpensive drink.

Hereford Road, Bayswater. English.
Nice place, but there was a bed smell. The food wasn't terrible, I think they had a bad night. Give it a chance.

Kateh, Maida Vale. Persian.

Small restaurant set in the middle of houses, decent food.

Khans, Bayswater (several visits). Indian.
The decor is not so nice, actually, I don't like it at all. We always choose take-away service, good food, great value.

Kensington Place, Notting Hill (several visits). Fish Restaurant.

Nice and informal fish restaurant, lovely in the daytime and for dinner, I always had a great time and good food (both raw and cooked fish). Excellent service.

Le cafè Anglais, Bayswater. Anglo-french.

Nice 20s decor in a large space, comfortable seats, really enjoyable food. Good service.

Le Relais de Venise, Marylebone. Entrecôte.
http://ciboforme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/le-relais-de-venise.html

Momo, Off Regent Street. Maroccan.
Warm Maroccan atmosphere, really good food (although the massive european influences).

Moro, Finsbury. Spanish.

http://ciboforme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/moro.htm

Morito, Finsbury. Spanish Tapas.
I didn't enjoy it. All dishes were too fatty or too much seasoned for my taste, and both the staff and the place itself were...messy. Disappointing compared to its big brother Moro.

Pizza East, Ladbroke Grove (Portobello Branch). Pizzeria.

Always had to wait for a table during weekends, I suggest going during the week, pizza e mozzarella molto buona!!

Polpo, Soho. Italian.
The decor looks like the perfect Italian Restaurant cliché, but it is nice. Very informal and friendly staff. The food is pretty good but all courses come at the same time, food gets cold and table gets tiny. Expensive Prosecco glass.

Rasa Restaurants (Samudra branch), Indian.

Indian restaurant off Oxford street. We sat in a narrow room with no windows and this was a little bit annoying but the food was good. All the walls are painted pink, dubious decor. 

Texture, Marylebone. Continental.
Quite casual restaurant and atmosphere although it is a Michelin starred restaurant. The food was lovely but I wasn't really aware of what I was eating: food is served in dark plates, in a (too) dark room.

The Duke of Cambridge, Islington. English Pub.
Nice place, good service, good food. They serve organic food, that's why (I guess) it's a little more expensive than the average.

The Ledbury, Notting Hill.

Good food cooked in a proper way. Two Michelin stars. It is pricy, so keep it for a very special occasion.

The Modern Pantry, Clerkenwell. New-British-Continental?
http://ciboforme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/non-smettere-di-curiosare-mai.html

Tapa Room (ground floor of The Providores), Merylebone. Spanish?

Supposed to be (I guess I was wrong) a stunning tapas restaurant it serves fusion cooking in cramped seating, quite disappointing to me.

Trishna, Marylebone. Indian.
A very bright indian restaurant with minimal and modern decor, good spicy food and good service.