Read about this place on Chowhound so took the long trip out to East Ham with a friend. The…read moreneighborhood itself is quite lively and happening -- appears to be mostly Pakistani and West Indian -- just keep in mind it is one of the poorest areas in the UK, so don't expect Mayfair. The restaurant is a nondescript long hall, with about 5-6 tables of varying sizes. It is definitely not clean at all. In fact, there is food just lying around from previous diners. However, I didn't come here for the decor, I came here for the top-notch Pakistani food and I was not disappointed. Had the dal maash, extremely flavorful, the lamb karahi (the highlight) - the meat just falls off the bone, the nihaari and haleem, which were both excellent, and the special nan. Just a standout place. The lamb was one of the best lamb dishes I've ever had in any restaurant of any cuisine and the special naan was one of the most breads I've had in any cuisine. The service was super friendly, and the waiters were quite surprised I had ventured in from central London to check out their restaurant, but they were thrilled. Be careful though, the food is exceptionally greasy and oily; my stomach wasn't built for this sort of experience, so I had issues later.

I've been here a couple of times--the first ordering ala carte and the second the tasting menu…read more They have lovely creative food that is a breath of fresh air from the same old same old in London. And its casual but still elegant enough that you dont need to get dressed up but you wont feel bad if you do. Wish I could remember some of the dishes but it's worth a stop in London

If you find yourself in Dartford between trains, you can find relief by shoving malted beverages…read moredown your gullet at the Malt Shovel. There's nothing out of the ordinary here... just a nice town pub in the country, with nice patrons and staff. 10 of us hiked all day and this was our last stop before the train back to London and I could have stayed for a few rounds. We didn't eat but there were families enjoying Sunday roasts and curries. A splendid pub in the beautiful countryside.

I've seen some bad reviews of this place, but I've always liked it in here! It is a traditional…read morelooking pub, though quite dark inside with dark wooden furniture and slightly gloomy, but I've often eaten here and found the food to be very good each time. There is quite an extensive and varied menu and usually several different items on offer on the specials board too. I can especially recommend the jacket potato with crabs, prawns and toasted cheese - yummy! I always found the service to be polite and friendly, and my second favourite pub in Eynsford. Prices for drinks and food are about average.

I've never been to Kitty Fishers. And I've never been to Coral Pearl…read more People say nice things about both. So the owners have opened a new venture above the Underbelly Boulevard. Underbelly boulevard is a place where people come to see other people stick skewers through their bellends and stuff like that. The place resides in 'sex alley', that piss reeking back passage in the heart of Soho that's a handy cut through to Berwick St and that's the only reason I'm always there. If I'm not selling Cafe Kitty so far, apologies. There are positives. The decor nods to the kitsch burlesqueness of the place beneath. Whilst it all feels a little stuck together by matey with the collars and cuffs, wotsisname Llywellen, it manages to feel fun and frivolous. It may not last long but it's a laugh while the glue holds. The menu also raises a smile. 'Very' Welsh rarebit, Scallops Rockefeller, Cheddar Croquettes, that kind of caper. All designed for sharing. Sides include crispy potatoes, Hipsi Cabbage and Harissa Butter. It feels bold and inventive. Potatoes come pressed and deep fried. Evil stuff. Buffalo chicken and stilton dressing is the perfect zing to accompany. Cured salmon and Autumn Slaw a nice combo of crunch and melting fish flesh. Lamb cutlet, Cavolo Nero and mint sauce is politely sliced up. There are three of us and only one chop you see. One chop one person, that's my rule of life. But I'm with ladies and I'm old fashioned. And one of those bastards each would have cost £36 on its own so slice away. My overriding impression of the food is lots of bold flavours, textures and colours. Anything more subtle would be absolutely monstered by the pink sparkly wall mirrors that surround us. All out is the key here and the food follows suit nicely. We came on a Thursday lunchtime at 1pm and there was literally, and I use the word in its proper sense, no customers. Bit disconcerting. I ask the man what's going on, he tells me evenings are packed and they are only just ramping up the lunchtime service. It's a shame because I'm guessing the point of the place is to play the loudest table game. The one where you identify the loudest table then be much louder than them for no reason other than you're drunk and excited. We tried to be as loud as the walls instead. The walls won. Damn you and your pink sparkles. It didn't spoil a lovely meal with two former colleagues who are no shrinking violets themselves. I can imagine both coming back of an evening and making a right handful of themselves with the cocktail menu. Service was also relaxed and friendly. I was half expecting him off Eight Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown who is Joe matey's servant. But instead he was just standard nice, humouring our jokes about the emptiness of the place and supplying the requisite dishes in an orderly fashion. I myself can only imagine coming back if I'm pumped full of Jagermeister and being dragged around soho by screaming banshees which happens less often now I'm of an age. That's not to say it isn't a lorry laffs because it is, and the food delivers with some kerpow. A perfect spot for an after show bite if you've been downstairs and scrotums with 20K weights hanging from them hasn't put you off.

Stuck in Stockwell? Don't want to go the extra mile-and-a-half to Brixton? You could do worse than…read moreStarvin' Marvin. Decent food, the prices you'd expect (£5 for a small, £7 for a large meal). A range of decent food. Not fabulous, but not bad, either. The folk are nice enough there. And that's about all I can say, unfortunately. Very conveniently located near Kennington Park if you're peckish post football. Or boozing.

With Tooting being branded as the new 'Shoreditch' by some interesting soul, it was only a matter…read moreof time before something with skinny jeans and a beanie would grace its streets. Chicken Shop is a member of the 'Soho House' collection of restaurants, with its sister establishment firmly embedded in Kentish Town life. The restaurant claims to serve up "free-range birds from Banham's Farm in Norfolk, which are marinated overnight, steamed and then cooked over charcoal on our special rotisserie". It was with this promise of rotisserie steamed goods that we embarked upon a much-anticipated chicken dinner. If you are going to make one thing, and one thing only, it should be bloody fantastic. The Chicken at Chicken Shop however, was a little disappointing. The portions were a good size and relatively cheap but the taste wasn't that special and I'm not sure I'd go back for the chicken alone. Deserts however, were a different matter, with the apple pie being tasty, wholesome and satisfying. Maybe it should change its name to desert shop. A slightly frustrating element of the evening was the dining time limit - whilst the food was very fast, being given a fixed time to chow it down and then being bundled off to the bar to make space for other diners can dampen the dining experience. Chicken Shop was certainly better than Nandos, but part of me thinks that was due to the décor. A fun edition to the Tooting scene which takes you away from the downtrodden look of the high-street itself, but perhaps a little more style than substance. Might stick to the original house.

This is the second Chicken Shop location I've been to and I always forget just how amazing they…read moreare. The staff at the Tooting location were really friendly and attentive despite it being as packed as you would expect for a Friday. We arrived around 7pm and were asked to wait about 15 minutes for seating in the back, while the bar is first come, first served. They took our drink orders while we waited and by the time our table was ready in under 10 minutes they were waiting for us at our table, which was pretty fun. Their decent red wine is waaay too easy to drink. Feeling a bit excessive, the two of us ordered the whole chicken, chips and the butter lettuce and avocado salad which is my favourite part. If you order the whole chicken, expect a lot of leftovers as the half chicken is perfect for 2. Leftovers also helps you save room for their apple pie which is a must. No matter how full you are. You gotta do it. They bring out a huge pie dish and scoop a massive mound onto their vanilla ice cream. If you're as indulgent as we tend to be at Chicken Shop, I suggest finishing the meal with a little walk. :)

So I'm not a fan of how long it takes to commute to and from work, but I'm enjoying living in…read moreBeckenham. It just seems to have something for everyone. Every time I have been around the High Street, I've seen Kelsey House and kept thinking that I should check it out... and we did! We had time to kill before seeing a movie, so we walked down to Kelsey House. It's easy to find because it is on the corner. I would suggest walking, if you can because the parking on the street is usually occupied, but the nearest car park is about a 5 minute walk up the High Street. They do have outdoor seating and while it is facing a busy High Street, it is better now because the pavement has been extended, putting a bit more space between the tables and traffic. We chose to sit inside because it was quite a warm day. Inside is very hipster... from the decor to the staff, but it is proving very popular! Based on the number of families inside, I would say that this is a child-friendly place. The menu seems to be focused on 'street food'... and brunch. There are a few salads on the menu, but think small plates, burgers, and sandwiches. If you are a fan of gin, they have a nice list of gins, along with a number of craft beers. Because I didn't want to end up asleep during the film, I went with one of their non-alcoholic cocktails... the Virgin French Martini. It was delicious and I didn't miss the alcohol at all! I just wish it came in a bigger glass ;) I struggled because I wanted to try out some of the small plates, but really had my eye on one of the sandwiches. I ended up ordering the Volcano Sandwich while Mr. Snarky went with the Full House Burger. The sandwiches/burgers looked really good, but they were definitely messy. The buns were lovely and managed to stay together despite all the meat juices they were soaking in. I was worried my sandwich would be a bit too spicy, but I found the spice just right... and the meat was so tender! I was surprised that the slaw was actually on the side rather than in the sandwich... which is where I thought it would be. Mr. Snarky said he also enjoyed his burger... except for the burger. To be fair, I am never really sure why Pulled Pork and/or Brisket has to be ruined by using it as a condiment to put on top of a beef burger. And I think that was the issue, the burger didn't really need to be there and it kind of took away from the rest of the sandwich. We really enjoyed the fries... they said skinny fries and I was worried they would be like shoestrings, but they were a decent size and it was like they twice/triple cooked them because they were quite crispy on the outside. We agreed that they were really good! By the end of it, we didn't have room for dessert. Service is friendly, but a bit on the slow side. The prices... I find a bit mixed. On some items I think they are reasonable, but on other items I think they are a bit pricey... like a hot dog for £10.50. I love a good hot dog, but £10.50... and that's the basic hot dog. It is a lovely place and I'm sure we'll be back again.

Fantastic atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, and quality cocktails. Perfect for a lunchtime…read morework meeting, or an evening out with friends! Now, if only they had a Happy Hour, they'd deserve the fifth star (those cocktails are pricey!!)

This is a fantastic addition to Palmers Green high Street, which, in all honesty, does need a bit…read moreof a pick-me-up. There is obvious demand for nice lunch/brunch places around here and Kiva delivers, almost too well. There seems to be a permanent queue to get a table which can be a bit annoying for the tables near the door, but they can;t be punished for their success can they? :) It is a lovely place with tables, soft chairs, a sofa, children's books and toys for them to play with. A point worth mentioning is that if you don;t like being around children, probably best to avoid. It is so child friendly that every mother with kids from miles around seems to want to come here! The all day breakfasts and omelettes are fantastic value for money and portion sizes are very good. As for the staff, exemplary. Always keeping the queue updated with how long a table should become available, never rushing people who are seated and doing all this with a smile. This will become a regular weekend breakfast and lunch spot for me I think!

A gem in Palmers Green. Kiva is probably the best coffee…read morehouse in this area, with great a good menu, good coffee and good service. The only problem (which is a good thing for the place) is that usually is very busy!