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

Messing about on the river

The Grand Union

Location: A canal near Kensal Rise

Rating: Two and half stars

There's nothing better than working up a healthy appetite by going for a stroll along London's canal towpaths. Time always seems to fly when you hit the waterways, thanks to all of the entertainment on offer.  From ducklings harassing their mothers and swans giving you the evil eye to tramps making impressive headway through a six pack of Special Brew and cyclists attempting to mow you down, there's always something to keep you occupied on the canal.

Another bonus of canal walks is that before you know it, you've walked more than enough miles to tuck into a hearty lunch; without giving a flip about calories.

After our latest mini adventure, which saw us hop on the towpath by Camden market and make our way up through Little Venice and on to Kensel Rise, we stopped off at The Grand Union pup for lunch.

Not part of The Grand Union chain, this little bar/pub has the benefit of a great location for outside dining. However, when we arrived for some lunch in the sun, it seemed that everyone else had the same idea, so we made our way inside.

Inside was a bit disappointing. On our visit, there was a distinct lack of atmosphere, which was amplified by the moody staff, who were not only unhelpful but plain rude too.

We decide on grilled sardines with a tomato salsa, whitebait & squid with sweet chilli mayonnaise, and a bowl of chips. The food was very reasonable, and although they were small dishes (think tapas), at £3.95 a pop they're not going to break the bank.

Maybe it was because we had been so looking forward to our well deserved lunch, or maybe the sullen faces of the bar staff had left a bad taste in our mouths, but the food didn't come up to scratch.

The sardines hadn't been boned, and to be honest, they didn't taste good enough to be worth all the bother. The whitebait and calamari was fresh and tasty, but unfortunately the chef seemed to have forgotten that the mayonnaise should have been partnered with sweet chilli.

So we ate our food quickly, and hastily made our way back to the canal - a far more enjoyable experience.

www.grandunionlondon.co.uk

There's nothing fishy about Bento Cafe

Bento Cafe

Location: Camden Town
Rating: Four stars

Feeling peckish for some tasty sushi? Then head to Bento Cafe in Camden, which never fails to provide top class sushi at a reasonable price.

Offering a delivery service, as well as an eat-in restaurant, Bento Cafe is the perfect place to indulge in takeaway that is not only very tasty, but is also kind to the waistline - a rare combination.

However, if you do decide to eat-in, my advice is to avert your eyes away from the sullen waiting staff and fix your gaze towards the sushi chefs. The equivalent of watching Monet tackle a canvas, Bento's chefs create pieces of sushi that are worthy of a place in the Tate Modern.

Using beautiful cuts of fish and shellfish, Bentos offers popular classics including maki (california £4 for six pieces) and nigiri (sake £1.60p per piece) to more experimental dishes using seasonal produce. Also on offer is a good selection of hot dishes from light and crisp vegetable tempura (£5.50) to delicious black cod with miso (£17).

To find out more go to www.bentocafe.co.uk

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.

Precision engineering?

The Engineer

Rating: Four stars

As the stomping ground of Kate Moss and Co., Primrose Hill may be the perfect place to watch celebrity scandal unfold before your eyes, but it's also a great place to head for dinner.

The delightful Odettes may well have been crowned top dog in this lovely slice north london, but The Engineer is a less pricey alternative that offers some very good food.

On my last visit I opted for the char-grilled rib of British beef on the bone, peppercorn sauce & chips, which came in at £25. So yes it isn't cheap, but wow this has to be the best piece of steak I've ever been lucky enough to get my knashers around. Cooked rare (of course!) the meat melted in my mouth and as a result of being left on the bone it was extra tasty. The chips and peppercorn sauce came up tops too.

My only criticism is that the choice of sides wasn't the most adventurous and, ideally, I'd have preferred to have seen a bit more thought go into what would best complement this well-deserving chunk of meat.

Still, I'd recommend you pay The Engineer a visit and if you want to preview their latest menu go to
www.the-engineer.com

Mamma mia!

Al Parco Pizzeria

Rating: Four and a half stars


I've never been a great lover of pizza and, for years, I only craved this ultimate carb-fest after a few too many glasses of pinot.

But my feelings soon changed when I was introduced to Al Parco pizzeria, which you'll find at the bottom of Highgate Hill.

The stonebaked pizzas are divine. No really. They melt in your mouth like no other pizza I've tried before. In particular the artichoke, oliver and mushroom combo is the stuff of dreams.

The bonus is that their pizzas won't break the bank either. They range from £7 to £10 each and are big enough to ensure you have a waddle to your step as you bid farewell.

Win fabulous foodie prizes

Observer Food Monthly Awards 2011

For those of you who haven't already devoured the latest edition of Observer Food Monthly, make sure you check out the online version at www.observer.co.uk/foodawards to be in with a chance of winning prizes that will make you drool.

To win, all you've got to do is offer up your foodie opinions by voting in The Observer Food Monthly Awards 2011.

Prizes up for grabs include a wine trip to Bordeaux, dinner for four at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (a prize I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed to win!), a luxury break at the Wiltshire Manor House plus loads more.

Good luck!

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.

Café culture

Kalendar
Rating: Three stars

Guaranteed to be bustling, whatever the month of year it is, Kalendar offers good food with the opportunity for a large dollop of people-watching.

Based on the very pretty Swain's Lane, opposite Hampstead Heath, Kalendar's extensive cafe-style menu has seen it become a popular haunt for locals, with dogs of every size and shape in tow.

We headed their today for brunch and opted for a large eggs benedict (£7.95) and a small meze platter (£6.95).

The eggs benedict was a triumph - with runny egg yolks, cripsy bacon and a perfectly toasted muffin. The meze platter was ok, but the presentation let it down, as the dips has been sloppily piled on the plate. The flavours of the dips, however, helped to rescue the dish and in particular, the fresh home-made tzatziki was delicious.

Planning a quiet weekend? Wiling the hours away in Kalender's Al Fresco eating area is definitely recommended.

Chinatown hang-ups

Hung's
Rating: Three stars

Finding good food in Chinatown is a little bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

But this was the mission I set myself last night. And, after half an hour spent googling 'best restaurants in Chinatown', one restaurant kept popping up - Hung's.

Its owners may not have been blessed with a talent for naming restaurants, but the reviews I found online promised that its chefs were a cut above above the rest in Chinatown.

After a rather brusque welcome (the waiter grunted and pointed upstairs and we rightly guessed that this was our intended destination) we decided upon the seafood set menu at £22 per head.

Having just returned from a week spent gorging on fresh lobsters in Cornwall, this may not have been the wisest decision, but as a seafood addict, I need my regular fix.

Seafood broth was the starter of the night. Unfortunately the first mouthful tasted rather like gloopy dishwater. However, the further down the bowl we got, the better it became, and by the final mouthful it was actually very tasty.

The intermediare course was a whole lobster in a ginger and spring onion sauce. Generous in size, the lobster was enjoyable, but the sauce wasn't great - and suffered from the same complaint as the soup - it was just too gloopy.

To follow (and by this point we were pretty stuffed - but this is always the case when visiting Chinatown - right?) we had fried sweet and sour fish, scallops with pak choi and king prawns with asparagus. All of this was accompanied by some lovely king prawn rice that had been steamed in banana leaves. The scallop and king prawn dishes were flavoursome and lived up to the reviews I'd read online. The fish, however, was definitely not the catch-of-the-day and after trying a mouthful, we both decided our stomachs would be grateful if we gave it a wide birth.

Overall Hung's was an improvement on the rest of Chinatown's offerings, but I'm pretty certain there is better Chinese food to be found in London.

To the stars

Pied à Terre
Rating: Five stars

Nestled among Charlotte Street's bustling eateries, the seemingly discreet Pied à Terre is home to some of the Capital's most spectacular cuisine.

In March, to celebrate my birthday, my boyfriend took me on a surprise visit to the two Michelin star restaurant. And we weren't disappointed.

From the haughtily proud host and waiting staff to the enthusiastic assistance of the talented sommelier, Pied à Terre smacks of a restaurant that exceeds the norm. The impecable service was also extended to our taste buds, as Aussie chef Shane Osborn proceeded to wow them with every mouthful.

After sipping delicious champagne cocktails and enjoying intricately designed canapes that made us drool on their arrival, we then tucked into our starters. At £60 a head for a starter and a main, Pied à Terre isn't cheap, but the quality of food ensures it's still good value.

My starter of poached skate with a truffle and parmesan crust, suckling pig belly, braised leek, creamed chanterelles, cider and shallot jus proved that simple isn't always best. My boyfriend's starter of roasted quail breasts and confit leg with a salad of beetroot, cornichons, lancashire bomb cheese and pinenuts also exceeded expectations.

We put our trust in the sommelier's expertise and for each course asked him to provide the perfect wine. A decision we didn't regret. As we smoothly transgressed between New World and Old World wines, each glass had one thing in common; they perfectly complemented our choice of dishes.

For our main dish I ordered roasted breast of black leg chicken, creamed shiitake mushrooms, butternut squash, ventreche and black truffle, while my boyfriend opted for poached monkfish with salt baked Jerusalem artichokes, trompette de la mort, sea purslane, truffle and lemongrass jus gras. The quality of food, both in terms of taste and presentation (all of our dishes looked like pieces of art) continued to impress and remained faultless.

We finished our dinner with coffee, which comes with a tower of petits four - each one a beautiful crafted, sugary mouthful.

A top night, with top food and drink - I seriously recommend a visit to this gem of a restaurant. Enjoy!