Rate My Bistro

So, as promised we went back to the newly refurbished BFI Cafe.

The original review from August 2008 can be seen here:

http://ratemybistro.co.uk/bfi-film-cafe/

The interior is all new and they have the separated seating areas: one for the restaurant and the other for the cafe/bar. I think that the bar area has tried to become all trendy and I don’t think it works. It has lost its charm, cosiness and its relaxed atmosphere. It is has become more of a bar than a cafe  and I think that they are enough bars around!

The lighting is dimmer, and its a real shame that they have taken away the high window seats that you could sit on and have views of the river. Also, the big wooden tables and benches that made up the outside seating have gone. This has been replaced with a hedge enclosed table and chairs area.

We used to love the hot chocolates from BFI but not any more. The hot chocolate tasted wooden and like cardboard. Not an indulgent drink at all. It was actually not very drinkable. We miss the rich, creamy hot chocolate that would not fail us, especially on a cold winter’s day. They now serve soy milk.

Now onto the restaurant area. This has actually improved and feels a lot cleaner and defined. There are huge wooden communal tables as well as individual seating. You can still see the open kitchen area.

We had the veggie burger which came with salad. The staff were happy to replace the salad with chips. The bowl of chips were good. They were more like chip shop chips which made a nice change. The veggie burger was really tasty and it was in a nice soft white bun. The veggie burger had a really nice tangy taste  and was very moreish. I would actually say that it is one of the best veggie burgers out there.

One major thing that we had a problem with was the hygiene standards that we could see going on in the kitchen area. This particular situation happened after we had eaten our food. There was a tray of fried onion rings on the shelf between the kitchen area and the restaurant area. One of the chefs was just eating these onion rings  and then in the next moment, he was cooking the food in the kitchen. He did not have any gloves on nor did he wash his hands before making the food. I think that this is quite unacceptable. More should be done to ensure good hygiene practice.

Another thing to mention is that we could see our food just waiting on the shelf, before it was served to us. It was there for a real long time and we were surprised that it was still hot when it was served. The service was quite slow. There seemed to be a lot of staff who did not seem to be very attentive.

All in all, we had a mixed experience. This cafe has lost all its charm. The original star rating, as can be seen from our original review was a fantastic 5 stars.

http://ratemybistro.co.uk/bfi-film-cafe/

We feel that this is no longer justified. BFI used to be one of our most trusted and favourite places. Now, we are not sure that we would really return to this establishment.

The Riverfront at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XT

Our Rating:

If you’re looking for reasonably priced traditionally cooked food served in a warm friendly atmosphere, then Bar 163 in Egham should fit the bill. The exterior of the building looks very Victorian to me, while inside you’ve got a good mix of antique and modern furnishing. A strange choice of combination, but it really does go well together.

You’ve got a choice between lunch and dinner menus, including specials of the day which are all freshly cooked. Talking of menus, I’ve been told the meat and vegetables are bought locally, which makes me happy because I’m all for supporting local suppliers. Fancy a glass of wine with your meal? Then you’ll not be disappointed with their huge wine list either, with more than 50 to choose from.

Opposite Bar 163 you’ve got The Red Lion pub and less than a minutes walk you can see Strodes College. Now at this point I should warn you that I’m studying for a psychology degree at Royal Holloway. So there’ll be plenty more reviews from the Egham area to come.

If you’ve got any suggestions for bistros, restaurants or cafes then please let me know and I’ll do my best to review them.

Bar 163, 163 High Street, Egham, TW20 9HP

Our Rating:

The bright orange decor and the big wall sized pictures are striking when you go to Giraffe! The atmosphere was very warm and welcoming. It was great that the staff took the time to recommend dishes.

We ordered the nachos and asked for them to be made with less cheese and no jalapenos. They could have done with more refried beans. The guacamole was great and it was nice that it had sweetcorn in it. The red onion salsa also went well with the nachos. Seen as we were having finger food, it was nice that the staff gave us little wet wipes without us having to ask them for it.

Another item that we chose to snack on was the skin on fries. We were expecting a small bowl and were pleasantly surprised when we were presented with quite a large bowl of fries. The choices of dips that we decided to have were smokey barbecue and bloody mary ketchup. Both went well with the fries!

Giraffe have nice high window seats and they also have seating outdoors. The plastic seats can get a bit uncomfortable after a while. It would be nice if they had some cosy seats!

Giraffe, 19-21 Brunswick Centre, Russell Square, London, WC1N 1AF

Our Rating:

Tootsies had a nice selection of food on the menu ranging from salads, sandwiches, burgers to grills, so we thought that it would be a good place to go to. Initial impressions were that the staff were friendly and it seemed like quite a relaxed eatery.

The soup of the day that we had was carrot and ginger. It was ok but nothing that special. It was lukewarm when it was served to us and within five or so minutes, the soup would have been cold. The soup had to be sent back to be heated. We were waiting a very long time for it to be brought back out to us. At least the soup was piping hot when we got it back.

The wedge of toasted sourdough bread that came with the soup was tasty. It was a nice change to having white bread. The staff were good when we asked them for an extra portion of bread. We got this as Tootsies don’t serve baskets of bread.

The second dish that we had was the mushroom rustica. We had no complaints about these. They were portobello mushrooms topped with mixed beans in a tomato based sauce. It was served with salad. This starter was very flavoursome.

All in all, the staff were nice but the service was a bit slow at times. It is a shame that I have to give Tootsies such a low rating, but I feel that it is justified as we had to send food back to the kitchen.

Tootsies, Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Prince Charles Drive, Hendon, London, NW4 3FP

Our Rating:

The entrance to Victoria Tearooms is shared with a bakery so you have to go down the spiral stairs to get to the actual tearooms. Once down there, it opens out into two rooms with a stone floor. The walls are decorated with old photographs and posters. It was a joy to look at all the photographs and such things as the old rules of Saltaire Village!

Straightaway, what stood out was the friendliness of the staff and the welcoming atmosphere. We felt really relaxed and liked the fact that we could take our time deciding on our order.

So to start with, we were impressed with the range of teas. Something to note is that if you order the Yorkshire Tea, then it comes in a larger pot than the other teas! To accompany the tea, we indulged on the tasty coffee and walnut cake. It was a hard choice to make as the other cakes in the glass cabinet also looked so good. They also had lemon cake, chocolate cake, scones and flapjacks.

If you fancy something a little savoury, then the freshly cooked egg and bacon sandwich in a granary roll does not fail. They also do soups, sandwiches and other lunchtime items. It was quiet when we went at mid-morning, but became extremely busy by the afternoon. If you fancy something to take home, then they also sell jams and chutneys!

It is a shame that Victoria Tearooms is not located at street level as it would be really nice to have the natural daylight. They have tried to deter your attention away from its basement location by using net curtains and cute window displays.

Victoria Tearooms, 8 Victoria Road, Saltaire, Shipley, BD18 3LA

Our Rating:

This restaurant felt quite dark even though we were seated near the windows and we were there at lunchtime. The staff came and asked us a few times, quite frequently, if we were ready to order. But then after that, when we were actually ready to give our order, we had to wait quite a while to get the attention of the staff.

The basket of pesto and tomato pizza bread was really good. They were six big pieces. We could definitely taste the quality of the pesto that was used. I would not recommend having the pizza bread as a starter if you were going to have a pizza for the main meal, as they are very similar.

I chose to have the starter of the gnochhi instead of the main course. The portion was the more like a main dish so I wasn’t disappointed. The gnocchi came with cherry tomatoes, cheese and a tomato sauce. It was a nice alternative to pasta although I don’t think the dish really needed the cubes of cheese.

Originally, one of the dishes that we wanted to order was the green vegetable risotto. But then the waiter came and told us that they had run out of that. So the next best alternative was the pumpkin and butternut squash risotto. This risotto was really tasty and it also had wilted spinach and pine nuts. We had it made without the panchetta so that it was a vegetarian dish.

The other risotto that we got to taste was the seafood one. It was also a good choice and had plenty of fish in  it. A nice side dish was the rosemary roasted new potatoes. A small portion but enough to go with the main meal.

On this occasion, we could not have any hot drinks as both the hot water machine and the coffee machine was not working.

All in  all, I liked the food at Strada but felt that dining here would have been nicer if the decor was a little lighter.

Strada, 105-106 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1QN

Our Rating:

You’ll be able to spot Cafe Irie by its bright blue exterior! Going inside, the walls are brightly painted and the counter area reminded me of an old sweet shop. The only thing is that this is a very small cafe, with the chairs and tables too close together.

The breakfast of scrambled eggs on granary toast was ok but the eggs were a little overcooked. If you are looking to have the full cooked breakfast, then fried eggs are served, so be sure to tell the waitress if you would prefer to have scrambled.

We were disappointed by the juices, as they were not fresh juices. They tasted more like the ones that have been mixed with water.

Along the counter, there were homemade brownies and muffins. It would have been nice if these had been better presented and if they had been displayed with covers. One thing that can be said is that the waitress gave us service with a smile!

Cafe Irie, Thomas Street, Dublin 2

Our Rating:

Tupelo Honey looks ok when you enter but it did not take long to be disappointed with this place. All the food on the counter is open and looked stale. The main dishes in the counter fridge were already prepared and cooked, and would only be warmed up if ordered. Right next to the window seats was a shelf filled with dirty plates and cups. If that wasn’t enough to put us off, then the open bin next to it definitely did.

There is quite a small seating area downstairs; the wooden tables and chairs were wobbly. Tupelo Honey has outdoor seating but it is very narrow and cramped. The whole time we were having our drinks here, we didn’t feel at all relaxed. We were actually quite relieved when we left. 

Tupelo Honey is open till late into the evening. Even though we went there during the afternoon, the upstairs seating was closed. They have two additional floors; one of which is a roof garden.

As for the drinks, the mocha and latte coffee was nice. They serve Illy coffee and they also do soy milk. Some of the staff were friendly. It is a shame that Tupelo Honey hasn’t made that extra effort with the state of its establishment, from the standard cleanliness to the seating and quality/display of food.

Tupelo Honey, 27 Parkway, Camden Town, London, NW1 7PN

Our Rating:

On entering Fig & Olive, there is the ornate seating on one side and the display of its cakes on the other! There was quite a large selection of cakes, fruit pies, cheesecakes and pastries. These were displayed behind a glass front but customers could still reach them. It would have been better for the cakes to be in a closed display fridge.

The cafe/restaurant extends to the light and airy area towards the back. The staff were really friendly and quite efficient. The only issue that we had was that it took a little longer than expected for our food. The food was worth the wait though!

The veggie quesadilla was filled with plenty of vegetables, cheese and feta cheese. It was supposed to be served with salad but I asked the waitress if the salad could be replaced with another side. It was great that I was able to have the quesadilla with new potatoes instead of the salad. I was happy that the veggie quesadilla was not leaking with cheese as I had asked for it to be made with very little cheese.

The bistro burger was made with tender beef and it was served in a multi-seeded bun.  The chips were crisp and not at all greasy. The burger and chips was a perfect combination and was very filling. 

Fig & Olive do a range of coffees, teas and cold drinks. The hot chocolate was perfectly sweet and rich.

I would say that Fig & Olive seems to be a good place to come to at any time of the day whether its in the morning, for lunch, dinner or for a drink and cake!

Fig & Olive, 151 Upper Street, London, N1 1RA

Our Rating:

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen in Hyde Park has been newly renovated. It is a really great spacious cafe/bistro. They do a range of food, from fresh pizzas cooked in their pizza oven, to sandwiches and other hot dishes. Again, it’s a shame that some of their cakes and pastries were left open on display and only a few of their products, such as the brownies and flapjacks were wrapped.

The latte and mocha were both good and of a high standard. They also serve soy milk! It was good that we were made to feel relaxed even though we were just having drinks. The staff let us take our time even though the cafe got busy at lunchtime.

We experienced friendly service, although there did seem to be a lot of staff for the size of the place. This cafe is actually part of the Benugo chain. We have already reviewed one of their other establishments, BFI Benugo Bar and Kitchen on the South Bank.

http://ratemybistro.co.uk/bfi-benugo-bar-and-kitchen-south-bank/

We definitely preferred this cafe in Hyde Park though. The location of this Benugo place is very idyllic as it looks over the Serpentine. It has lots of outdoor seating, perfect for the summer. Indoors, there is a cosy seating area in the central area of the cafe, with comfy chairs and deckchair style seating too!

Serpentine Bar and Kitchen, Serpentine Road, Hyde Park, London, W2 2UH

Our Rating: