London restaurants 1

London restaurants we liked

London restuarants RIP: The sweet trolley at Cosmo

Growing up in North West London, a constant were a few restaurants that catered for the Eastern European Jewish community. These weren't kosher restaurants, but had a menu, a decor and an atmosphere that seemed redolent of a bygone era. Cosmo, in Swiss Cottage, was a large restaurant in a parade of shops which was divided into two parts - a somewhat Spartan cafe and a much grander restaurant with a more ornate, possibly gilded interior and that defining restaurant feature, a sweet trolley. I only went to the restaurant once, preferring the cafe alongside older Czech and Hungarian men playing chess and women returning from shopping. The menu was a mixture of breakfast meals and hefty Eastern European winter warmers. I remember ordering scrambled egg if I wanted a light meal or being partial to calves liver or bratwurst if I was in need of something more substantial. Oddly enough, I could never work out if both cafe and restaurant had a different menu. Despite seeming to be a perennial part of the landscape, Cosmo closed in the 1990s to be replaced by an unremarkable Italian restaurant.

London restuarants RIP: London-RIP gets Proustian over Lindy's

Lindy's was an eatery frequented mainly by older Easter European Jews opposite Golders Green bus station. They were also devotees of the sweet trolley. I always seemed to go to eat there to eat schnitzel with older friends of the family. The customers were more affluent than Cosmo, but it never had the otherworldly quality that Cosmo's had. However, they also ran a bakery next door that served the best jam and apple dougnuts in North London and this was a regular haunt. With Proust, it's a Madeleine, with me it's an apple doughnut. Lindy's bakery closed in the early 90s, with the restaurant ceasing about five years later.

London restaurants RIP: The Bullock Cart

In the days when Indian restaurants seemed to serve dishes of various hues of orange in a flock wallpaper surrounding there was one restaurant that provided high quality Indian cuisine in a sophisticated environment. This was the late, lamented Bullock Cart in Hampstead?s Heath Street. It was decorated in a tasteful turquoise colour with elegantly aged pictures of bullock carts and other aspects of Indian life. The service was always charming from waiters who had been there for some considerable time. I was a regular and was always treated well often ending the meal on a complimentary liqueur. My particular favourite dishes were the lamb rogan josh with tomatoes, a mild, creamy prawn bhuna and a sag paneer with spinach and lumps of cheese in a buttery sauce. Delicious! The Bullock Cart was not state-of-the-art cuisine but did what it did extremely well. It was an unobtrusive star amongst the overpriced bistros and Pizzalands of late seventies Hampstead Village. It closed in the late eighties and is now a Japanese restaurant.

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Message:	15/15
Date and time:	12/02/2010 at 18:41:23
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: Federica

Tamesa had opened a couple of years ago, on the first floor of the otherwise pricey and exclusive Oxo Tower. We came across it via Top Table, and after the first time, we became regulars. The decor was plain but quite nice, with 60's style tables. At the end was the bar, with comfy seats. The main thing was the amazing view to the river, the sunset, St Paul's. The restaurant was often empty but the food was delicious, always delivered. Sadly, it seems to have closed down a few months ago. Sadly missed.

Message:	14/15
Date and time:	12/02/2010 at 18:39:19
Sender:	London restaurants 2 :: Ron D. Hoult

As with everyone we were bitterly upset when Manzi's closed. We visited London five or six times a year and always stayed at Manzi's,yes they had an hotel on the upper floors, very comfortable.Of course we always eat at least once when we were there.My wife loved the grilled scampi,in the days when they were allowed to serve it.We loved the waiters, but they liked to play games,when newcomers asked for grilled scampi they were given Knives and forks instead of pickers and clamps. This highly amused them but in the end they always gave the correct implements particularly if Mr. Lucas, the retaurant manager, was around. The last time we were there the waiters all lined up and shook our hands, my wife even had a kiss from Mr. Lucas. Good memories but a sad ending!

Message:	13/15
Date and time:	22/11/2009 at 23:06:34
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: David

short black aka espresso‏ was going to be my R.I.P. but never found a decent one anywhere, now where I live you can't walk 100 metres w/o tripping over a cafe with great coffee. (wgtn. NZ)

Message:	12/15
Date and time:	22/11/2009 at 23:04:40
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: Pam

The Nosh Bar in Soho Where we used to all meet in our work lunch hours. Jackie Collins of Hollywood fame - who went to the London Polytechnic in those days - used to come and join us.

Message:	11/15
Date and time:	28/08/2009 at 00:32:19
Sender:	London restaurants 2 :: Tom Munzer

Let me join the doleful chorus about Manzi's. Over the years, my wife Patti and I have made more than 15 trips across the pond to visit London--not counting the times we hopped across the Channel when living in Paris. Manzi's was a must for all the reasons others have mentioned. Let me just add one more: the espresso was the best we ever had, including in Italy. We have a business card and postcard which shall be cherished.

Message:	10/15
Date and time:	04/04/2009 at 19:13:22
Sender:	London restaurants 2 :: Tim

The Great Windmill Street salt beef bar with the boxing photos was called Carroll's. The food was excellent and the service marginally more polite than at the Nosh Bar. A waiter called Lou was a great character and wouldn't even blink when punters asked for cream with their apple tart (having had chopped liver and salt beef)

Message:	9/15
Date and time:	31/03/2009 at 19:07:52
Sender:	London restaurants 2 :: peregrine

I miss the old Edwardian Kettners in Romilly Street. The replacement fizz bar and jazz place may be good things in themselves but are no substitute. My father used to take us there in the '50s when he wanted to celebrate a success. The atmosphere was wonderful, still with a touch of the Belle Epoque about it. The waiters were as splendid as the food. I remember eating there once almost half a century ago. While we were eating I overheard an elderly lady and her son preparing to leave. The mother was anxious that they should not be late for the theatre and asked the head waiter to order a taxi. He asked her to which theatre. She thought for a long Pinterian moment then said, 'Oh, I can never remember the names of these places but they're playing something musical. It's called, "Things aren't what they were".' 'Of course, madam'. He withdrew and ordered the cab.

Message:	8/15
Date and time:	31/03/2009 at 11:32:30
Sender:	London restaurants 2 :: William Chichester

I am so so sorry to see the most wonderful fish restaurant in London just... no longer there. I have been a customer for over 40 years and, to be quite honest, want to cry. I have had so many memorable times in their restaurant. It really was an experience to eat there and I just wish places as unique as this would last forever. RIP

Message:	7/15
Date and time:	09/03/2009 at 21:17:44
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: Silver

The Nosh Bar returns to great windmill in or around the middle of march 09. The original site of Phill Rabin's Nosh Bar at number 39 is set to reopen its doors exactly 65 years after it first opened in 1944. With a return to all the traditional values of the original. Great salt beef on rye, cheese cake, lemon teas, the lot... All served up with a slice of attitude. I just thought you all might like to hear that as we are dedicating it to the people who remember it well, and all those who appreciate good honestly priced food and drink, as some of us still do.

Message:	6/15
Date and time:	27/10/2008 at 09:34:24
Sender:	London restaurants 2 :: Rien van Reems from Holland

The last 40 years we went to London nearly every year. November next we'll be there again and I checked Manzi's on the Internet. How shocked we were when we learned that Manzi's has closed. We were taken by an English friend to Manzi's 30 years ago and went back to the place every time. Some evenings we spent hours in the bar at the top floor, till there was a table. When we asked if we could pay for our drinks in the restaurant the bar-lady said ''no, because I dont trust the maffia downstairs. We took many friends to Manzis over the years and we were looking forward to the dressed crab and the strawberry cheesecake with whipped cream. We grew old with the waiters and we were there when the third generation of the family took part in the bussiness. There was champagne that night. How sad. This is a great shock.

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