While cockapoos sniff each others' bums, the Chiswick Set gossip. "I heard The Silver Birch is…read moregetting a star". "Oh it's already got one hasn't it?". "Pisses all over La Tromp darling". Chiswick is bursting with good places to eat but if you're a star gazer, there's only one to follow and it leads you to La Trompette where you'll eat refined French food in soft elegance. The Silver Birch feels less elegant as you walk in. It's much smaller. They've done nice things in there but it doesn't quite manage to transport me somewhere else once inside. Luckily, the food does that instead. Pretty as a picture each plate that arrives and wonderfully considered flavours every step of the way. My starter of Mevagissey Mackerel (answers on a postcard please), Porthilly Oyster, Pickled Turnip and Dill looked like a beautifully hand pained Wedgwood plate with no food on it at all. Mackerel doesn't lend itself to subtlety though and congratulations to chef Nathan Cornwell for a producing one with a properly burnished skin. If ever a fish was made to be burned around the edges, this is the one and the pieces duly complied. The skin was glazed and crunchy and protected the soft flesh underneath. The surrounding pickles and sauces set the mackerel off perfectly. Devon Crab with Pickled Apple, Sourdough Crumpets and Caviar, another work of art. If it had a pin I would've worn it as a brooch. The caviar sat in a lily pad of pickle with beads of unctuousness dotted around it. This floated on a foam bisque which hid soft crab. The crumpets gave this delicate dish substance. Superb. None of this came as a surprise as we had already amused our mouths with the morsels they delivered soon after we were seated. So often these bits feel chucked in for the sake of being seen as fine dining. Often they are old and tired. These zinged off the plate and in our mouths. The bread that followed continued in the same vein. Bacon bread was soft and smokey. The choice of butters felt not like overkill but like maximising our enjoyment. Poached Newlyn cod with Brassicas and smoked Roe Sauce was a lesson in simplicity. A perfectly cut and presented mealy white piece of cod with a stark and dark fried Cavolo Nero leaf to cover its head and a creamy, oily sauce for satisfaction. Squab pigeon delivered more of the same beauty with its plum and organic beetroot. Puddings weren't an afterthought. Chocolate and cherry with a milk sorbet, rich and wicked. Berries with 'meadow sweet', Granola and Meringue felt light, airy, natural, good and bad for you in equal measure. I could go on but the word count is giving me dagger eyes. Suffice to say this is cooking of the highest standard from Nathan Cornwell. The name deserves a second mention here. A quick squizz reveals he has worked at a host of great places and all his experience is being brought to bear in leafy West London. He certainly believes we eat with our eyes before our mouths and he engages both brilliantly. And yet the whole experience at The Silver Birch doesn't quite add up to something greater than the sum of its parts. Service is attentive but we detect nerves. Perhaps they think we're from Michelin. The site is small and has been designed to be warm and comfy with lots of natural wood. The colours all work but it does feel beige. And that's because a lot of it is. Is the pursuit of the twinkle twinkle shackling them we wonder? A happy accident here or there would certainly be welcome. Prices (my five course set menu was £97 including supplements) felt more than reasonable for such loveliness. We whisper our delight at the food and we leave happy to have eaten so well. But The Silver Birch does lack a bit of dazzle dazzle aside from the good stuff on the plate. Too small to be sumptuous but too buttoned up charm the pants off you. It feels a little restrained. If a star is incoming like the streets are saying, maybe it might relax relax them enough to turn up the music a little.

My local friends treated me to a leisurely lunch here. The resturant frontage, entrance and…read moreinterior are all fairly understated. It has a comfy and light vibe rather than a setting for grand fancy gourmet experience. The menu is simple and I'd say doesn't fully prepare you for what's to come! Allow yourself plenty of time to be surprised by the delicious, delicate flavors of multiple "amuse bouche" between main courses, each innovative in their own way. The food was cooked to the highest standard and the service was very attentive and helpful too. This is a place to be savoured and not hurried...The final bill was expensive but reflected the quality of the experience.

I would give it 4.5 stars, apparently the most authentic Chinese-Japanese restaurant near…read moreBrentwood, UK. Food was spicy as requested.

Tried this one today as take away and was really impressed. Went there from the Holiday Inn Hotel -…read more5 min. foot walk. The place does not look very inviting from the outside, but inside it is very nice, the staff was friendly and my order was turned around very quickly. And the food is very good. I am sure I will come again...

This is our new favourite restaurant in Muswell Hill. We've had breakfast there twice and it's the…read morebest English breakfast I had. Everything comes out fresh and hot. The coffee is good the desserts are homemade and delicious (we had Banoffee pie) and the prices are below average for the area. The service is very good - super nice and attentive.

Used to lunch here frequently before its refurbishment - good points: nice decor, warm,…read morecomfortable seating with nicely spaced tables. Mega bad point: I ordered the vegetable soup. Manager came back saying it was minestrone and was that OK. No, I said: I definitely did not want anything with pasta in it, he recommended the chicken soup instead. It arrived, obviously freshly made with chicken, courgettes and carrots AND with a mountain of fine spaghetti in it. Spaghetti = pasta.... And this was the manager who took the order! Not wishing to cause a fuss as the two of us were both in a rush, I ate just the veg and stock. And not a word was said by he manager when he cleared away the bowl which contained a mountain of spaghetti. I will not be going back.....

Friendly welcome (like the one ages ago was a common habit of every restaurant) into a restaurant…read morethat seems a family run business. This place is small and nice inside, and I'm glad I didn't stop to the exterior appearances to decide whether to enter or not. The menu offers a generous selection of dishes, some of them are part of the Malaysian culture. I went for some classic, though I regret having not picked some other specialties served to the tables close to us. Food is generally OK; I thought there were an excessive note of salt, which seems more an impression than anything else. The only negative, but not to class as a three star, is the fact my drink was brought sheaf poured in the glass. I'd like them to be served as they are, or eventually opened and poured in front of me. Price wise, this place is a great value so will definitely come back.

The food here has always been excellent: well-cooked, professionally presented, and with service…read moreattentive to necessary detail (that is, neither servile nor officious just ensuring each diner was comfortable and pleased). Some excellent starters are on offer many if not all of them bearing the mark of individual attention (very much a rarity these days). Among the mains, I would single out the delicious soft-shelled crab, which came on a bed of crisp ginger and spring onion which most chefs would envy; some of the Chinese dishes (for example, beef w ginger and spring onion); the rendang (!); and any of the noodle dishes (we have tried four, and all four were well above average). We have eaten here four times now in the past month or so, always at lunchtime, sometimes Wednesdays, sometimes Sunday. The quality and value of the food compares well with what is served in London.

Buenos Aires is the busiest brunch spot in Greenwich. During the week it is filled with young…read moremothers and pushchairs, and at the weekend it is full of groups of friends and young couples. Don't be put off by the queues or the apparent lack of space in the restaurant-it is surprisingly spacious and light and the comfy sofas are worth waiting for. There are also tables and chairs outside if the weather is fine enough for you to sit outside. The breakfasts are really special- freshly baked pastries and the Mediterranean platters are all amazing, as are the selection of fresh fruit juices. The coffee is phenomenal- 100% Arabica coffee- and is the main draw of the place- you can also purchase bags of it to take home with you. Buenos Aires also has an excellent outside catering service. I once used them for a photo shoot and they served the crew the best on-set buffet we had all year.

This is the "star" breakdown:…read more ***friendly service **super weak loose leaf lapsang souchong tea that I let steep for 4 minutes and it still looked and tasted as if someone had just dunked a tea bag in and out of the tea pot two times. I could have flushed 2.40 down the toilet and had a better experience. ** "fuck" and "shit" heard escaping the counter dude's mouth as he berated himself (or the cake?) for letting a huge chunk of pound cake fall to the ground. This place is "buggy brigade" central and mama doesn't want to hear that sort of language spoken in front of the children. ***nice-looking joint with sofas, communal tables and cozier round tables. **four employees behind the counter on a slow shift actually creates more problems than it solves. ****outside seating

Like London could use another quick takeaway shop, but Appetite sandwiches and stuff and pretty…read moregood. The shop itself is very clean and cute and I believe the prices are even more reasonable than Pret. I picked up a couple sandwiches since I knew I would be at school all day and they toasted my tuna sandwich and gave it to me piping hot. Service was friendly and the sandwiches were good so no complaints!

After a long day spent in Covent Garden walking around and shipping, I usually am up for a snack. I…read morego to Appetite for, so I don't spoil my appetite for dinner. Here I can dash in and out and get a fresh juice or a snack bar to hold me over for dinner. The shop is small, but packs a lot in!

Not sure about their 15-minute service pledge. It took them at least that long to take our order…read morefor dinner. And the guy didn't come by to check onnus unless we flagged him down. I started with the halloumi cheese sticks and a glass of merlot. The cheese sticks were about half the size of an average mozzarella stick, but they were pretty good. The Merlot was mellow and smooth... much like how I felt after a few glasses of it. For dinner I ordered the chicken schnitzel any side of spinach and kale. The veggies were completely unseasoned.... nothing that a little (ok, a lot) of salt couldn't remedy. The schnitzel was delightfully crispy and perfectly cooked, and topped with fried capers (which were great, and I hate capers!) but again, no seasoning. For dessert I ordered the lemon tart (which, strangely, was delivered with my entree). It was the perfect balance of tart and sweet, and otherwise a great way to end the meal. Great food; painfully slow service. Only dine here if you have time to kill.

Quick stop here in transit to Denmark. Good over medium eggs, bacon, potatoes, and tomatoes. I…read morewasn't crazy about the sausage. It had a "gamey" taste that I didn't like much. The service was good. My waiter was friendly and got my food out quickly. The atmosphere was nice and they played great music as well. Overall, a decent spot while you're in the airport.

Formerly a fairly poor pub called Angie's of Holloway Road. This old pub has been transformed into…read morea café/restaurant now called 'The Spoke' a name to reflect it's apparently bike friendly nature. Being just around the corner from my house I was excited to see what the pub was going to be turned into and was pleasantly surprised when it was not just refurbished as a pub. I visited the place about a week after it opened and was pleased with what I found. A nicely decorated space with many tables and a open to view kitchen with seating around it so you can watch your food being prepared. The menu is not overwhelmingly large and hopefully this means that everything they do, they do well. I opted for the full English breakfast at £8 is rather on the pricey side, however what you get is a large breakfast with quality ingredients and you really can taste what your eating is great food. The place offers only free range organic type food and for that reason is slightly higher price than most places in Archway. They have a range of food on the menu burgers etc and offer wine and some nice craft beer too. I'm not really sure why it's bike friendly, a friend told me it's supposedly is. There is the addition of two bike posts on the pavement outside on the junction and maybe these were installed at the request of the owner?? Certainly didn't see anyone with their bike in the place. Overall I'm please to see an establishment of this sort come to the Archway area, and hopefully it is a success. It certainly deserves to be.

Nice place to go out 4 a bite to eat,go for a hot drink or alcohol/ cocktails, a bit to eat/lunch…read moreor dinner or a cake! Very friendly staff who have allowed my dog in. Good service along with a good atmospher.