Posts Tagged ‘restaurant reviews’

The Garrison Public House, 99-101 Bermondsey St, London, England

I visited London recently to take part in the Festival of Learning at Eltham Library, Greenwich. In the evening one of my daughters and her partner met up with me and we had dinner at The Garrison Public House, 99-101 99 Bermondsey St, London, England. The establishment is conveniently situated for those travelling into the city through London Bridge Station.

The Garrison Public House

The focus of this chic little restaurant is on fresh British produce with the chefs changing menus frequently to highlight the best seasonal offering, sourced from local Bermondsey suppliers, and predominately from British farms and fishermen. The pride in their food is justified. My daughter and I both chose the spinach and riccotta cheese ravioli and shared a side order of broccolli and asparagus. Her partner went with the viener schnitzel with a side order of fries. As it was a school night, we all chose soft drinks. Our server came back to ask if we wanted other drinks more often than I felt was necessary, and that was a bit intrusive.

the garrison inside

However, the food was delicious and the quantities sufficient for an evening meal. We shared the cheese board afterwards and my daughter had a mint tea while I chose the earl grey tea. The selection of British cheeses was tasty, but the serving of crackers was rather mean.

the garrison foodThe meal I had at The Garrison Public House was very tasty, the service let the restaurant down a little, and the lay-out is not perfect for those with mobility issues. Despite that, I would visit there again and do recommend it.

Val Penny

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One Square, Sheraton Hotel,1 Festival Square, Edinburgh, Scotland

one square outsideRecently, I had to organise a festive family lunch where I could be sure my mother and her wheelchair would be accomodated and my granddaughter would have access to a highchair all on the Sunday before Christmas. I chose the centrally situated Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh as the restaurant, One Square is highly praised. It was years since I had eaten at the Sheraton, but my mother was delighted by the choice but unfortunately she was belatedly unable to join us.

Nevertheless, many people had had the same idea and there were many with mobility issues and wheelchair users there, but the tables were too close together making access for these guests difficult.

one-square-restaurantOur servers were pleasant and helpful and brought drinks but yhey were not efficient about refilling water glasses. The meal was buffet style. The buffet was set in three parts, starters, mains and deserts and cheese. Access around these areas was virtually impossible for those who were not able bodied.

The starters were tasty and varied, but portions very tiny: the real disappointment was the mains. The mains were served in the buffet area by people in chef outfits. There was very rare beef, turkey roll with a strong tasting stuffing and a good looking roast of gammon. However, I am vegetarian: I asked a female in a chef uniform if there was a vegetarian option. I was told she could give me a butternut squash ‘patte’ and I could help myself to vegetables. I am not partial to butternut squash. When I mentioned this, the woman shrugged and turned her back on me. I feel retraining may be required. Had my daughters not been there, I would have called the manager. As it was, I did not want to cause a scene.

one square 2The deserts were delicious and the selection of cheeses varied. The coffee was provided by a machine which needed cleaned when I went to use it, but there was nobody to ask about this. No provision was made for tea and, again, no member of staff was anywhere to be seen to ask. Even getting my bill was a struggle and I did resent the 10% service charge. However, I paid it, but did not add a further tip. It was not deserved.

I had a wonderful time in the company of my husband, our daughters, my son-in-law one square outside 2and our granddaughter, but the food was mediocre and the service far too variable for such a feted hotel. Would I book lunch as a family treat in One Square in the future? No. Would I return to One Square in any other circumstances? Not voluntarily.

Val Penny

Caffe Creme Cafetaria Store 13, Torre da Medronheira, Olhos de Agua, Albufeira 8200-374, Portugal

It is always nice when on vacation to go for a walk to explore new surroundings and to give yourself a reward at the end of the venture. My husband and I like the village of Olhos de Agua near Albufeira in Portugal very much. On a recent visit, we walked in a different direction from usual and found the most delightful gift shop A Tulipa where we found many unusual gifts for family and friends.

cristina photos cake

cristina cafe insideOn our way back from the shop, we stopped off at the Caffe Crema Cafetaria for coffee and cake. What a find! The coffee is mellow, the cakes are delicious and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. As I say, we only stopped in for coffee and cake but at no time were we made to feel we had to hurry away. The waiting staff spoke good English and German and the restaurant is spotlessly clean.

The choice of cakes, pastries and pies is excellent. There are far too many to choose from than you could imagine. I chose a cream eclair with fruit on the top and my husband went with a couple of the smaller custard tarts. All were lovely.

cristina photos coffee & cake

The Caffe Crema Cafetaria does offer meals as well, including a full English Breakfast. However, although we did visit the place three times during our vacation, we never got past coffee and cake.cristina outside

If you happen to be in the village of Olhos de Agua, I highly recommend some shopping time at A Tulipa and then a refreshment stop at the Caffe Crema Cafetaria.

Val Penny

 

Ristorante Tre Scalini, Piazza Navonna, Roma,

I have always loved Piazza Navonna in Rome, Italy. I am entranced by the proportions of the square and fascinated by the artists who display their talents there. My daughter enjoyed watching the ‘silver man’ living staue who performed while she was there with me and, years later, when my husband treated me to a week in this fabulous city, we were keen to re-visit all the sites.

trevi fountainThe day we visited the Trevi Fountain.The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini. Standing 26.3 metres high and 49.15 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. Tourists toss coins into the Trevi Fountain to guarantee a return visit to Rome. For many years now, the monies retrieved from the fountain have been collected, sorted, and donated to Caritas, the non-profit that provides food to the poor and homeless of Rome.

trevi teaAfter our visit to the Trevi fountain, my husband and I walked through the streets of Rome to Piazza Navonna where we treated ourselves to afternoon tea in the Ristorante Tre Scalini. 

Dave & cakeThis is a delightful restaurant where the staff are smartly dressed and formally courteous. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his coffee and banana split. He hadn’t had one for ages, so it was a special holiday treat. I chose a nice cup of tea and we had a lovely time, chatting about our day and planning our evening. We probably stayed far longer than an afternoon tea stop would normally justify, but at no time were we pressured or rushed or made to feel like we had overstayed our welcome.Trevi Restaurant

We enjoyed our visit to Ristorante Tre Scalini and would deiniftely stop there again. It is not a cheap restaurant, but it is lovely and it is in a premium situation in Piazza Navonna. I would certainly recommend it.

Val Penny

 

 

 

Azzurro, 255 Eltham High Street, Eltham, England

I do enjoy Italian food! So when my daughter and son-in-law booked dinner for us at Azzurro in Eltham, I was looking forward to the meal as well as the company. The restaurant is quite small and very busy but everything is spotlessly clean and the service is attentive, but not intrusive.azzurro out

Azzurro in Eltham is a family run restaurant and the food is freshly cooked to order, so it is not fast food. But it is delicious food. My husbad and son-in law shared a garlic bread pizza for starters while my daughter and I nibbled on some marinated olives. azzurro-italia

For our main courses my son-in- law and I chose pizza while my daughter had pasta and my husband tucked into an Italian lamb dish. Only my husband had room for a pudding and enjoyed the tiramasu and we all had teas and coffees to round off the meal.

The restaurant is not austentatious, but it is good value. I highly recommend Azzurro, if you are in the area.

Val Penny

 

Gerrard’s Corner Chinese Restaurant, 30 Wardour St, London, England

On a recent visit to London, my daughters treated me to a theatre visit, something I miss now I live in a village. We went to see The Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess Theatre. It was an extremely funny comedy. I have rarely laughed so hard. The cast were fabulous and we enjoyed the experience greatly. Afterwards, it was only fair that I treated us to dinner.Apple Duchess Theatre

I do not know London well, so, having decided that we would have a Chinese meal, my older daughter suggested a restaurant she has been too before and enjoyed. She chose Gerrard’s Corner Chinese Restaurant on the corner of Gerrard Street and Wardour Street. For the omnivores amongst us, it was a good call. chinese out

Gerrard’s Corner is obviously a popular restaurant as we had not booked and, although we were early for dinner, there was a short queue. We were told we would have to wait about five minutes, and that was about right. We were shown to a table downstairs in the large, cosy basement. Service was friendly and prompt without making us feel rushed in any way.chinese in 2

I started with the Deep Fried Crispy Greens, and my daughters had the Satay Chicken on Skewers. We all enjoyed our starters. They were delicious. I am vegetarian and was surprised at the number of bean curd and vegetable dishes that contained meat, fish or fish paste. So my choices were limited. I chose the Fried Bean Curd with Salt and Pepper. It was tasty but a bit dry. My older daughter had the Fried Chicken in Lemon Sauce whch she very much enjoyed and my younger daughter ordered the Crispy Shredded Beef in Chilli sauce. She enjoyed that too. As a vegetarian, Gerrard’s Corner is not a restaurant that I would recommend. However, the omnivores amongst us thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Val Penny

 

 

ZeroZero100 Via del Verano, 27, Roma, Italy

On a recent trip to Italy, my husband and I found ourselves in the gritty student neighbourhood of San Lorenzo.This district is immediately east of Termini train station and is where we found the boutique restaurant that is Zero Zero100 Via del Verano, 27, Roma, Italy. It was close to our hotel, the thoroughly unsatisfactory Hotel Vibel, reviewed on this site at https://hotelandrestaurantreviews.com/2016/10/25/hotel-vibel-viale-dello-scalo-s-lorenzo-97-rome-italy/.

The staff at ZeroZero100 are all quite young, very polite and extremely efficient. They are certainly kept busy as a wide variety food and drinks are available both at lunch time and in the evenings. Access is good if you have mobility issues.  We only visited this restaurant at dinner time, but we liked it so much we went back three times during our short trip.zero-zero-out

The restaurant offers an a la carte menu, but it also offers a buffet. The system for calculating the cost of your buffet meal is ingenious. The cost includes a drink, for example beer at 6 euros or a (large) gin and tonic at 7 euros then the buffet brings your bill to 10 or 11 euros respectively. We were amazed by the selection of salads, breads and pizzas on the buffet so we never saw past that.zero-zero-buffet

Salads are continually refreshed: platters included cold meats, fresh vegetables, eggs, tuna and grains as well as breads, quiches and mini pizzas. Above the salad bar a wide selection of paiizas were on offer. These included some without cheese, magherita pizza, various vegetarian pizzas as well as pepperoni, chicken and tuna. The pizzas were constantly freshed, like the salads and everything was delicious.zero-zero-in

The atmosphere in ZeroZero100 was great. There was lively music, but not so loud as to prevent conversation. It was relaxed and even when the place was busy we never felt forgotten or hurried. I highly recommend ZeroZero100 and look forward to dining there in the future.

Valerie Penny

Lune Town, William Street, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Lune Town, William Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, has been my favorite Chinese Restaurant in the city centre of Edinburgh for years. I regularly used their competitively priced lunch menu regularly when I worked in the city. The menu is lune town tablewide and varied

Access to the ground floor is relatively easy for those with disabilities (just a couple of steps from the pavement). However, the lavatories are downstairs and the steps and the steps are steep. There are many more tables downstairs than at ground level, however, I do not like sitting downstairs much as it is a bit dark and the table are quite close together. LT

I have also used the restaurant regularly for family meals. There is a reasonable choice for vegetarians. The evening menu is so varied and interesting both adults and children. Every one in the family always found something tasty to eat and as meals are served on platters it is easy to have a taste of what others have chosen! The restaurant is licensed.

lune town foodNow I use this restaurant often when I am in Edinburgh. It is central. The food is delicious and the staff are always courteous and attentive but not obsequious or intrusive. If you plan to go on on Friday at lunch time, or on Friday or Saturday evening, I suggest you book a table as it tends to get busy. I have never had a bad meal in the Lune Town. My mother enjoys it, my children enjoy it and I enjoy it. I highly recommend the Lune Town.

Valerie Penny

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