The Bee Menu
| September 25th,2011 Category: Bistro The Riding House Cafe, North of Oxford Circus,is one of the most enchanting places I have been to in a long time. As an all day restaurant it comprises of a more formal restaurant corner,large shared tables perfect for brunch and comfy sofas for the afternoon coffee or pre-dinner cocktail. The overall decor and the attention to detail is remarkable. The generous room shows a number of different textures such as stone,steel,wood and tiles and is filled with antique mismatched furniture interspersed with modern pieces. Wherever you look you can find charming accessories –a grandmother lamp,a weird statue or some other knickknack. Particularly thoughtful I found that they disguised the Dixon hand-dryer at the Ladies’with a fake-antique metal cover.  Riding House Cafe So nothing but praise for the interior of The Riding House Cafe. I just wish they had put as much emphasis on the food as they had on their design. This seems to be a common problem also of the other 2 places by the same owner,namely The Garrison and Village East (both at Bermondsey Street). All three restaurants are pushing the boundaries regarding their design and concept,while staying on the too safe side with their food. The Riding House Cafe has just like everybody else at the moment embraced the small plate concept,serving 5 or 6 dishes each for 3,4 or 5 pounds. Instead of entirely focusing on perfecting its ‘tapas’,it also offers a conventional menu with burgers,steak and fish and chips. We decided to stick with the small plates. The quality of the bread served is very often an omen for things to come and this proved true also for this occasion. Competitively priced for £1.5,the bread was unfortunately bland and starchy. The artichoke puree it came with was ok,but I have no urge to ever eat it again.  Bread selection,artichoke purée £1.5 @Riding House Cafe Our clear favourite was the most low-profile dish we had ordered,namely the roasted butternut squash with sage and chili (3.5). July 10th,2011 Category: Brasserie (£££) After having read No Reservation‘s raving review on Medlar,I hurried straight away to make a booking. And I am glad I did,as I liked almost everything about this new restaurant serving contemporary European food with strong French influence. Medlar is located on the non-posh end of King’s Road,close to World’s End,Vivian Westwood’s first shop opened in 1971. The location is the only communality between these two places:in comparison to Vivian Westwood who has been pushing boundaries for the past 40 years,Medlar feels pleasantly classic and the food as well as the atmosphere is of understated elegance. Medlar which has opened only in April is a joint project of Joe Mercer Nairne,who cooked for gourmet temples such as The Savoy Grill and Chez Bruce and David O’Connor who managed front of the house at Chez Bruce,The Square and The Ledbury. You have to admit,this does sound promising!  Medlar I have to start by mentioning the immaculate and polished service. In fact it was so perfect that it was almost too much and felt a bit awkward at times. I second another review where the author felt that the waiters almost started crying and looked positively depressed when you didn’t finish the food. In the end this speaks for the restaurant,it is a good sign if the waiters believe in the quality of the restaurant they are working for. It wouldn’t hurt though if they relaxed a little bit,I think it would put the diner at easy… For dinner there is only the option of a three course menu compris for very good value 38 pounds. (I kind of like places that force me to eat dessert which I tend to skip far too often…) June 4th,2011 Category:Haute Cuisine (££££) Once in a while you come across a restaurant which deserves to be really trashed. The Olive Tree in beautiful Bath is one of them. If with my review I have saved only a couple of people from going there and spending their hard earned money on this ludicrous and massively overpriced food then I have done my deed. When I was doing my research on where to eat in Bath,I really struggled to find valuable pieces of information. Are there no food bloggers in Bath? This place would seriously deserve some critical eaters… Anyway,we ended up at The Olive Tree. When we got the menu we were stunned. These were London prices,but London high end dining:no starter below 10 pounds and the mains up to 31 pounds. If I pay this I expect exceptional food. Well I got what I wished for,the food was exceptionally bad and pretentious. Always nice to get complimentary bread,in this case it looked better than it tasted. All three varieties tasted remarkably similar,were over-salted and doughy. This didn’t bode well for things to come but we were not discouraged yet at this point. What was also weird was that at a restaurant called ‘The Olive Tree’,bread was served with butter and we had to ask 3 times for some olive oil. It’s not in the name as it seems.
The amuse bouche (some potato and leek soup) was –well –some potato and leek soup. March 18th,2011
I have to start by saying that I absolutely love the original Vinoteca in Farringdon (you can read my laudatory review here),so I was more than intrigued when its sister restaurant opened on Seymour Place in Marylebone about 6 months ago. In short –my expectations on my first visit to Vinoteca Seymour Place were high and were not fully met,at least not food-wise. January 29th,2011 Category:Brasserie (£££) Set menu:18 pounds for 2 courses,21 pounds for 3 courses York &Albany was a very pleasant surprise. You walk up Parkway from Camden Tube Station and it seems endless in wind and cold. You think you must have missed it,when you suddenly there it is:A Gordon Ramsey restaurant in the middle of nowhere (at least it seemed so to me,correct me when it’s a really cool area after all) at the corner of Regent’s Park which is unpretentious and the food is really really good. November 12th,2010 Category: Bistro (££) Once in a while you come across a place you don’t really want to write up and Vinoteca is one of them. Why? Because it is a little gem and it’s already difficult enough to get a table with their no booking policy. But I wouldn’t have found it if it hadn’t popped up in several ‘my favourite London restaurants‘lists of trusted food bloggers (Gourmet Chick, Londonelicious ) and I shall now also be a good and altruistic person for a change and share it with you too. September 29th,2010 Category: Bistro (££) Waterloo Bar and Kitchen is a very bad restaurant. I am just telling you this so that you not,by chance such as me,stumble in there and waste precious money,time and calories on their hideous food. August 19th,2010 Category:Brasserie We were actually trying to go to Zucca but they could not fit us in,so we ended up eating at Village East, a trendy cocktail bar/restaurant roughly opposite Zucca on Bermondsey Street. I like going there for cocktails actually,they do unusual combination with herbs (e.g. thyme,sage) and I love their gingerbread old fashioned. I had never eaten there before so it seemed a good idea to give it a try.
August 5th,2010 Supper Club,35 pounds/head,BYO Can I just start by saying that I absolutely love Fernandez &Leluu. I mean LOVE them. They firstly are seriously talented cooks and secondly,they are also and incredibly lovely and delightful couple. All go to their supper club,no excuses! Mind you they are famous,they already made it into the international media so be sure to get there soon,and book early enough in advance. | 
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