Manicomio - Duke of York Square, London

It's expensive and a little pretentious, but there again you are in the middle of Sloany Square. The restaurant is just off the main road in a paved little street that sits behind the main King's Road drag.

There is an outside setting area for those that wish to crank up the heating lamp and brave the cold, but my friend and I headed in. The restaurant is narrow with lines of tables to your left and a deli on your right (there's a bigger dinning room in the back but it wasn't open when we went). The deli comprises of cakes, biscuits and a myriad of different vegetable and meat dishes such as roasted butternut squash, marinated grilled aubergines etc... They also have different sorts of pasta dishes on offer. 

If you choose not to order from the deli counter then you can try the 'a la carte' menu or the less formal cafe menu, both of which consist of your typical Italian fare (Antipasti, Pasta, Meat, Fish etc...). It's worthy of note that you can only order from the 'a la carte' when seated in the main dinning area, and the deli/cafe menu in the deli area. A bit silly in my opinion.

I was tempted to have the Longhorn Beef Short Rib with Potato Puree but I wasn't hungry enough to fork out £24.50 and I wasn't seated in the dinning area anyway. I was also tempted with the Antipasti platter after noticing a couple having a right old time tucking into the board (£13.95 for one). However I opted for the Soup of the Day, which turned out to be Chicken (£8.75) and my friend had a Cookie (£2.50) from the deli.

We waited a little longer than we should have but they were busy so we forgave it. My soup arrived pipping hot and with three varieties of bread (I had to ask for butter though). The soup in itself was lovely. It had huge bits of chicken running through it, and was chunky and hearty. The selection of breads (olive, raisin and white) were also very good and I appreciated the variety.

The food is very well done. The ingredients are clearly well sourced and of superior quality, hence the price. The cheapest thing on their breakfast menu is a Croissant with Cotto Ham and Asiago at £4.95. A bit steep in my opinion but I'm sure the quality of the produce is brilliant. 

I only hope that the price is reflective of the high quality and not the affluent area they live in. My cynical side thinks it is, but with that said I would go back if it was a special occasion. I did like their menu and now trust their food.

Manicomio

8/10

85 Duke of York Square

London, SW3 4LY

0207 730 3366

www.manicomio.co.uk

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Leon - In and around London

I first went to Leon when I worked in London's throbbing heart. If you've ever gone to Soho, Carnaby Street etc... for lunch on a weekday you'll know that it's a bustling area that caters to those that need food on the go.

I favoured two places when I had to pop out for lunch and Leon was one of them. I can't remember why I first went in. It was either the promise of healthy fast food or the funky and colourful font they used on their sign. Either way it enticed me.

The Leon ethos is that they serve affordable fast food that is both healthy and delicious. I agree to a certain extent. Some things did look a little fatty but with that said they do include the fat, wheat, gluten, glycemic load and dairy content on every dish, cake, salad etc... that you order.

The first time I went I had Meatballs with Rice and Slaw (£6.30). It was really acceptable (made better by the chilli sauce I had on the side). The second time I went I was at a loss as to what to have as the menu had grown exponentially. Should I have the Falafel and Tangy Carrot, or maybe the Chilli Chicken, and should I have it in a wrap, with Rice and Slaw or a Green Salad? I opted for the Chilli Chicken in a wrap (£4.60). It was decent, but how can you go wrong with a warm wrap filled with grilled chicken and salad?

Since that time I've learnt that Leon has expanded with great success. They even have a branch in Heathrow Airport and I'm sure they'll be venturing out of the UK shortly. Good on them I say, well done Allegra, I always liked you. Their food is a far cry from KFC or that other one that entices you to walk through their golden arches and walk out 10 pounds heavier.

The next time I fancy breakfast out I think I'll try the Bacon Muffin, or maybe the Poached Egg with Chorizo and Truffle Gruyere (both under £3). Yeah, I think I'll do that.

Leon
7/10
In and around London
www.leonrestaurants.co.uk

Tony's - Battersea, London

If you look up the word understated then right next to it you'd probably find a picture of Tony's. Tony's is a brilliant old school greasy spoon that is nestled amid the more fancy restaurants and shops on the Northcote Road. 

There is absolutely nothing fancy about this place though. The booths have peeling leather seats, the tables are very well lived and the walls are adorned with boards and pictures of their specials of the day.

When I went I had a Poached Egg on Toast with a side of Bacon. My partner had a Bacon Sandwich. Both arrived exactly as expected: basic and simple. We didn't go here for Cordon Bleu cooking after all.

I first heard about this place when reading a book written by an adman named Russell Davies. In his spare time Russell would go to greasy spoons, picture them and then write about them. I really appreciated his blog turned book when I first stumbled upon it. The book not only tells you where to go for a good old English fry up, but it also chronicles the fast dying British Cafe.

Aside from breakfast you can also get things like Chilli Con Carne with Rice, Fish and Chips, Gammon Steak etc... When I was there an old lady with a trolley walked in for some breakfast and a cup of tea. You could tell that she'd been going for decades. It was nice to see a local cafe with a loyal customer base.

Our breakfast cost around £3 (cheap I'm sure you'll agree). I would go back again for something a bit more substantial. I just hope it's still there. The Telegraph recently wrote that 'the death knell is sounding for the traditional "greasy spoon' and

'Britons are opting for a coffee and pastry at American-style coffee shops, leaving lorry drivers without the option of white toast, margarine, sausage, beans, chips and a bottomless mug of tea.' I just hope their wrong.

Tony's Cafe

6/10

74 Northcote Road

London, SW11 6QL

0207 228 0929


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Battersea Tandoori - London

This was an off the cuff, out of the blue visit to a restaurant that lives close to home. In my opinion Indian restaurants are all pretty similar. You get your bog standard dishes such as Vindaloo, Madras, Biryanis etc... This place is much the same, however I appreciated that my Lamb Vindaloo was hot (not for people that think heat is a few grinds of black pepper, this was nicely hot). I also loved the fact they served Mulligatawny, which is hardly ever found on Indian menus these days. This curried lentil soup was lovely, it had the perfect balance of hot and sour. My husband was a little disappointed with his Chicken Curry as it was a little sweet (he loves sweet things, but if a curry is sweet then let us know beforehand). The Nan was fine, Pappadoms too and they came with your regular dips consisting of onion salad, sweet chutney and an unknown dip which I believe was tamarind based.

I want to go to a Michelin starred Indian to see if they can do any better. A curry in India costs around 10 pence so I wonder if these fancy chefs i.e. Atul Kotcher at Benares can do any better than your local. I know the presentation would be a picture but is the taste really that different? We'll see when I go.

If I want a curry i'm happy to go to Battersea Tandoori. It's standard Indian food, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Battersea Tandoori Indian Restaurant

6.5/10

515 Battersea Park Road

SW11 3BN

020 924 2712


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Fish in a Tie - Battersea, London

I took my mum here for Mother's Day. We went for lunch on a Friday. When we walked in the restaurant only had a few diners. It took no time at all for the place to fill out though. A good sign we thought, because in this day and age who can afford to go out for lunch in the middle of their work day?

The decor was lovely, yet understated all at once. I can imagine that at night, with the warm light of candlelit tables it can be a very romantic place to go. The upstairs was small, accommodating around 20 people, but there is a downstairs as well.

The service was impeccable. The one waitress working was enthusiastic, polite and helpful. It really made our meal more enjoyable.

You can choose from two separate menus at Fish in a Tie. First there's the 2 courses for £10 menu and then the 'a la carte' menu (both of which are incredibly reasonable). I ordered from the 2 for £10 menu that started with Calamari followed by the Fishcake (all the mains come with a selection of vegetables). My mum ordered from the 'a la carte' and started with the Moules Mariniere in a cream, wine, garlic and shallot sauce (£5.25) followed by the Seabass (£9.95).

My Calamari was lovely. The danger of ordering something like Calamari when you're in a city is it's often fried from frozen. This wasn't, resulting in it being mighty tender. My only qualm was that the Tartare Sauce was effectively mayonnaise and perhaps the coating on the calamari could have been a little crispier. The sauce that came with my mum's Moules was lovely but unfortunately there were around 4 or 5 that weren't open, which as we all know is a big no no with shellfish.

My main was good. I liked the crispy potatoes and the other veg weren't overdone. The fishcake could have possibly done with a little more fish and the texture was a little cakey, but still enjoyable. My mums seabass wasn't filleted which meant there were quite a few bones, however you can't fault them for that as it didn't state filleted on the menu. The fish was very well cooked and came with the same vegetables.

The name of this restaurant does lead one to believe that it's a fish restaurant, however they also offer specials, steak, pasta, chicken etc... I would describe it more as Mediterranean. 

My mum and I enjoyed our meals despite the slight imperfections. There were certainly elements of our respective dishes that I think could have been improved, however at these prices they are doing a great job. The overall experience was lovely and I will certainly be going back.

Fish in a Tie

7/10

105 Falcon Road

London, SW11 2PF

0207 924 1913

www.fishinatie.com


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The Defector's Weld - Shepherds Bush, London

The Defector's Weld near Shepherds Bush station is a typical English gastropub. We went for lunch on a Saturday and it was around 30% full. Decor was very normal, which is to say nothing special. The food was another story. The menu is typical gastropub fair with dishes such as Sausage and Mash (£9), Burgers (ranging from £7.50 to £9.95),  Ribs with Mac and Slaw (£10.50), award winning pies (£9.25), Sandwiches (all at £7 each) and sharing platters. It's also worthy of note that the vegetarian options are as exciting as the meat ones.

Simple food if well done can be a thing of beauty and here they put a little extra effort in. You can taste the sausages are well sourced, the mash is creamy, the veggie burger hearty and the chips chunky, crispy and fluffy.

I wouldn't venture to eat here, but if in the area I'd head over for some sustenance as I now trust the quality.

Defectors Weld

7/10

170 Uxbridge Road

London

0208 749 0008

www.defectors-weld.com

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L'antipasto aka Antipasto & Pasta - Battersea, London

L'antipasto is an unassuming, understated local restaurant. The food is good and the staff are friendly, warm and accomodating. The decor is much like the food, traditional and low key. However what attracts the locals are the deals they put on weekly. On Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday all meals are half price. We took advantage of this and went on a Thursday. We started with a Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil salad, followed by Linguine with Basil, Parmesan and Pine Nut Pesto, Calamari with vegetables, a bread basket, a beer, glass of wine and Tiramisu, all totalling a very respectable £29.

I asked for extra chilli as I'm an avid heat seeker. They brought me chilli flakes, chilli oil and fresh chillies (testament to their attention to detail and desire to please their customers).

The linguine was nice but rather large, however I appreciated the fact they didn't skimp on the portion sizes (it was half price after all). I had them doggy bag the remainder for lunch the following day. My husband liked his calamari, but the veg were slightly bland (ie: not dressed) so some salt and chilli oil was required to vamp it up a bit. For dessert we shared the tiramisu, which we were very happy with. It came in its own bowl (there's something nice about individually made portions) and was rich, creamy, boozy and strong with coffee.

Their only shortfall however is they don't serve pizza.

This was our second time at L'antipasto but we'll certainly be back.

9/10

L'antipasto

511 Battersea Park Road

London, SW11 3BW

0207 223 9765

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