Soho is smokin'

Bodean's

Location: Soho
Rating: Three and a half stars

Vegetarians beware, Bodean's will tempt even the most devout of meat dodgers. Tender steak, spare ribs, baby back ribs, pulled pork and sausages are all the order of the day if you visit this popular chain of BBQ smoke houses.

I headed to Bodean's Soho branch for a pre-theatre dinner, and I wasn't disappointed. But then again, I knew what to expect. Like its surroundings, Bodean's is a little bit tacky, but if you're hankering to get your knashers around a plate of red meat, then it's a pretty good option.

We both opted for one of its combos meals, which involves half a rack of baby back ribs, pulled pork, fries and coleslaw (£15.95). The meat was juicy and fell off the bone, while the fries were crisp and the coleslaw crunchy. The food is also plentiful, and even skipping lunch to build a healthy appetite wasn't enough for Bodean's, as I was forced to admit defeat before clearing my plate.

Mandatory post-dinner waddling aside, if you're looking for some decent fast food, give Gourmet Burger Kitchen a wide berth and head to Bodean's instead.

Find out more at www.bodeansbbq.com

Not to beat about the Bush

The Old Bull and Bush

Location: Golders Green, London

Rating: One star

Golders Green: I've never been there before and I'm not sure I'll be returning if The Old Bull and Bush is the best they've got to offer.

This may seem a little harsh, and I'm sure the people of Golders Green are lovely, but The Old Bull and Bush is to gastro pubs what Wayne Rooney is to football - an utter disgrace.

Based on a recommendation from a colleague(!), last night a friend and I hopped on the bus and headed out of Kentish Town full of high expectations of a cracking dinner.

On arrival, however, we were a little underwhelmed. The place is huge, but unless your taste in decoration leans toward the blandness of magnolia, coupled with painfully boring furniture and a few dismal pencil drawings, then it's hardly inspiring.

But, we thought, the service and food will surely be an improvement. We thought wrong.

A wall of grunts and frowns greeted us at the bar - expressions we couldn't avoid after being stuck in a four-deep queue, thanks to the speed of the staff equally that of a sloth.

Then, after finally finding a table outside, we had a quick scout round the surrounding tables to gauge what the food was like. Not Good.

Sloppy pasta, poorly presented racks of lamb and worse of all....a burnt fillet of beef wellington.

With a sense of disappointment already settling deep into the pits of our stomachs, we then had a look at the menu. And this place isn't cheap. For the beef wellington as it stands, with no sides, is a hefty £25.

With this on our minds we opted for sharing two stonebaked pizzas - which can never be that bad. Right?

Think again.

Soggy, doughy bases covered in bland, flavourless toppings left us both feeling a little queasy. The pizzas were definitely the cheapest option on the menu, as the Margherita (pomodoro, mozzarella, oregano, basil) was only £7.45 and the Alla Funghi Bianco (mozzarella, mushrooms, spinach, raisins, truffle oil) was very reasonable at £9.95. But still, this food was grim. I'd expect better from Camden's all-night burger bars, which rely on their customers being so drunk that their taste buds have stopped functioning.

So by all means form your on opinion about The Old Bull and Bush, but I'd happily put money down that you won't be gnawing at the bone to make a repeat visit.

www.thebullandbush.co.uk

P.S. You'll need patience if you visit their painfully slow website and beware the photos of smiling staff - they must have been models.

All aboard..

New Harbour Restaurant
Rating: Five stars

Newquay may be a renowned destination for stag and hen dos, but delve a little deeper and you'll discover that this Cornish town has far more to offer.

In particular, look towards Newquay's lovely harbour for inspiration, as here lies New Harbour Restaurant.

As you approach the wooden hut-like eatery, watch out for the large, filtered rock pools, which hold a bevy of lobsters and crabs, including fearsome looking spider crabs. But while the children gasp in awe, inside the chefs are sharpening their knives as they prepare to bring in their catch.

My family and I visited New Harbour Restaurant on the first night of a seven-day trip to Newquay this month. And, after admiring the stunning sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, we set to work admiring their food menu.

Tempting us with all the ocean has to offer, New Harbour Restaurant's menu is well thought out, specialising in fresh and simple seafood. But for those with a penchant for meat, the menu also offers steaks and pork tenderloin. For us, however, there could be no other option but the seafood as we all succumbed to the lure of Fruits de Mer (£35).

This gastronomic banquet comprises of half a lobster, an abundance of juicy crab claws, mussels and a generous chunk of harbour fish, all of which is served in a delicious, creamy white wine sauce. You can rest assured that the seafood is fresh too, as soon after ordering, the chefs walked back through the restaurant with our dinners wiggling in their grasp. The faint hearted best look away!

Fruits de Mer impressed us so much that we couldn't resist a return visit, and, on our last evening in Cornwall, we did it all over again.

A delicious restaurant, with friendly staff and incredible seafood, New Harbour Restaurant proves that there's more to Newquay than just sticks of rock and cider.