After making our wishes with our coins at the beautiful Trevi Fountain, it was time for dinner. Not far from this large Baroque fountain was where La Locanda del Tempio was located.

Even though it was the evening time, we were able to sit comfortably outdoors due to the big outdoor heaters. There were a couple of small tables, but as there were a few of us dining, the waiters happily rearranged the tables to make one that accommodated us. We dined by candlelight! The staff at La Locanda del Tempio were jolly and gave us good service.

Toasted slices of bread flavoured with garlic and topped with fresh, juicy chopped tomatoes made up the starter of the Bruschetta. A few main dishes were ordered including pasta, pizza and vegetables.

The Fettucine ai Funghi was pasta with mushrooms. The ribbons of pasta were really fresh and this made for a simple but tasty dish. Cheese and spinach ravioli with fresh tomatoes was what the Ravioli Amalfi was. The pasta was a bit heavier and we were slightly disappointed with the portion size. It looked more like a starter than a main dish.

Two pizzas were sampled. The Ham and Mushroom pizza and the Diavola pizza both had great crispy bases. The toppings were more generous on the Ham and Mushroom pizza. The Diavola pizza was tomato, cheese and hot salami but it only had two slices of salami on it.

A dish that went down well was the Melanzane alla Parmigaina. The soft baked aubergine slices with the tomato sauce and cheese was really delicious and cooked to perfection.

Now onto the sweet endings of the meal! You can never go wrong with Tiramisu, as long as it is done well! This was the case here at La Locanda del Tempio! The tiramisu was fresh, creamy and had a good strong coffee flavour.

The Cannolo Siciliano was a wafer tube filled with ricotta cheese, chocolate drops and candied orange peel. It was nice enough but it would be too rich for one person. So we were glad that we had shared it!

La Locanda del Tempio does fresh, authentic, great tasting food. We were glad that our first meal in Rome was a success and it made us look forward to sampling more Italian delights on our trip!

La Locanda del Tempio, Via di Pietra 85, Rome

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If you didn’t know that Joe Allen was along this very small quiet side street, it would not be the obvious place to look for a restaurant. It is hidden away from the all the main restaurants in Covent Garden.

Joe Allen is on the lower ground floor and the red brick walls leading to the the restaurant are full of framed posters. The same style of wall decor is continued throughout the whole of the dining area. The restaurant area is quite big with round wooden tables and there are a couple of alcoves as well. The service was good and the staff were friendly and professional.

The menu was interesting and varied with seasonal daily specials. The quinoa and garden pea fritters were just that, as in they were not mixed with any potato. Hence, the fritters had a very crumbly texture to them when they were cut into. The sweetness of the peas was lovely.

The heritage carrots and parsnips that made up some of this dish were roasted nicely. This meal was a vegetarian’s delight! The pea cress and the mint and coriander sauce completed the dish. The side of minted new potatoes were a nice accompaniment to the meal!

Our meal ended with some dessert! The combination of crumble and cake is a match made in heaven! The apple and blackberry crumble cake was a big portion. A thin layer of crumble topped the chunky fruit pieces. The cake portion was soft and light. It was served with vanilla cream.

The only thing that did bother me with Joe Allen was that the restaurant was too dimly lit. It may have just been to the particular place that we had been seated. It was to the point where it seemed that we were eating our meal with the aid of a single tealight. We couldn’t really see what was on our plates and what we were actually eating. So it was a kind of a hit and miss with each mouthful, wondering which vegetables were on my fork!

Apart from that, everything was nice at Joe Allen’s from the quality and freshness of the food, the ambiance and the friendly staff!

Joe Allen, 13 Exeter Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7DT

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When both my friend and I said to other people that we were going for fish and chips in Finchley, all the people independently asked if we were going to the very well known Two Brothers Fish Restaurant. We had not realised until then at how popular this North Finchley establishment was!

There is always something comforting and classic about fish and chips! Two Brothers has a lot on offer including haddock, cod and plaice. They do grilled fish if you are not in the mood for the fried battered variety.

Two Brothers has such a lovely welcoming feel to it and feels quite family orientated. It is a restaurant for everyone: couples, elderly folks, families and friends. The service is personal, friendly, efficient and not at all pretentious.

The fish and chips was a really big portion; a lot bigger than I had expected. The battered plaice fillet made a nice change to the regular cod and haddock. The fish was fresh, tasty and had a light crispy batter. The chips were chunky and just perfect. Fish and chips is not complete without mushy peas. The peas were great too and the whole combination was good with a side of tartare sauce.

Tea was the way to go to end the meal as we were way too full to have dessert. The peppermint tea was great but I really enjoyed the refreshing lemon tea.

Two Brothers is a wonderful fish restaurant which has its fresh fish delivered everyday from Billingsgate Fish Market. This family run restaurant is a place that you should definitely try if you are in North London or even if you are further afield. They also do takeaway if you are in a hurry or just want to enjoy the meal in the comfort of your own home!

Two Brothers Fish Restaurant, 297-303 Finchley Road, Finchley, London, N3 1DP

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