Ldnr.

An honest account of London through the eyes of a real Ldnr.

[theldnr]

Boy meets girl at Barrio East

I'm standing slightly hunched with my back leaning into the curve of the inside wall on a London Overground train headed towards Shoreditch High Street station. As usual I'm running a little late and I'm conscious that my brunch guest will be standing around waiting for me. I look up through the carriages glancing the length of the train and decide to drop NJ a quick text to let her know where I am:

"Hey you, I'm running about 5 mins late. Be with you shortly, D."

"No probs I'm just walking from Brick Lane."

Not having spoken to NJ before, save for a few conversations via twitter and email, I'm a little intrigued to find out what she's like in person. Well... I think to myself optimistically " it won't be very long until I find out."

A few months back when I started the Ldnr blog, I began to see new followers on my twitter account pretty much daily; it seems I wasn't the only person reading the blog after all lol. NJ was in fact one of those new followers, and having exchanged a few conversational tweets we quickly established that we had a mutual appreciation for food and drink.That being the case, we decided to join forces and collaborate on a review together in an attempt to present two sides of the same story, sort of a his and hers blog post. In order to make the most of our collaborative effort, I wanted us to review a venue that was both fun and vibrant but at the same time neutral enough for both of us to be comfortable... Introducing Barrio East.

We arrive at Barrio East and straight away we are warmly greeted by a very bubbly waitress who shouts: “hello!” from across the room and immediately comes over to meet us. I explain that we have reservation for brunch at 1 o’clock and she leads us to our seats in one of the very cool timber booths they have in their seating area. After being seated the first thing I notice is the colour scheme, the whole place is bursting with different flavours, colours and vibes that bring each section to life and give you something interesting to look at with every turn. The design is quirky and has a modern look vintage twist, with lots of colourful and creative print images adorning the walls, retro furnishings, exposed piping and a blue hard wood floor showing 3 different shades of blue. A modern take on something you might find in a old Brazilian town; this is probably how I would decorate my house if I was brave enough!

Understandably, as this is the first time we’ve met in person, once we’re seated we spend a few minutes chatting and the waitress has to pay us a couple of visits before we finally look at the menu and decide what we’re having. Cocktails are first up, she gets the Brazilian Lady, which tasted as beautiful as it sounds, I on the other hand got talked into going for an incredibly spicy Bloody Mary, which interestingly included bacon in its list of ingredients. Unfortunately, my braveness did not pay off on this occasion as this cocktail was not to my taste, however I was pleasantly surprised when I asked the waitress to change my drink for another cocktail of her choosing and she brought me a Malibu Stacey, which tasted delicious. Next up was the food, as I was quite hungry I went for the Chivito Sandwich, described as “ a meat lover’s paradise from Uruguay” it was filled with thinly sliced rump steak, roasted red peppers, bacon, melted cheese and topped off with a beautifully cooked fried egg, sunny side up. Put simply, this sandwich tasted amazing.

NJ decided to go for a dish called ‘Breakfast of Champignons’, champignon being the french word for mushrooms, this dish consisted of a slice of wholemeal toast topped with sauteed field mushrooms, fried tortilla strips and grated monterey jack cheese, I thought the dish tasted nice but if I had to choose between this and my sandwich, the Chivito Sandwich definitely gets my vote. With eyes bigger than our bellies we also ordered some dishes from the main menu to share so that we could sample more of what was on offer. We chose the Calamri de Cuba, Yuca fritters, which are made with cassava and served with guacamole and guajillo salsa and Patatas Bravas topped with chorizo and spicy brava sauce. All of these sides tasted lovely but there was so much food on our table there was no way we were going to finish it all.

My experience at Barrio East was certainly an enjoyable one, the decor is fun and funky and it was great to have the opportunity to properly appreciate it in daylight when the place was less busy, as opposed to later in the evening when the place is engulfed by the hustle and bustle of Shoreditch nightlife. The food was very tasty, reasonably priced and I would say perfect for a Sat/Sun chillout afternoon with friends; also if you’re brave enough for midday cocktails you can have a lot of fun working your way through the cocktail list. The staff were incredibly friendly and very clued up about the offerings; all things considered I had a great time and would definitely go there again. I would also recommend this place for a casual first meet/date with someone new.

My rating: 4.5/5      

Check out NJ's side of the story here or follow her and the rest of the #TWOP girls on twitter: @toworkorplay                                                                                                                                           

Barrio East can be found at 141-143 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JE.

[theldnr]

a Bombay cafe in London.

So, it’s my birthday and I get to be the +1 today. I’m wondering what she could possibly have in store for me. We visited Duck & Waffle last night and of course the food was amazing, but it would've been a relatively easy choice; everybody’s talking about this place at the moment so I'm sure she knew it was a pretty safe bet. Today however, is the big day and she’s going to have to top last night, if I'm honest though, I’m half expecting her to come up short. It’s bad I know, but needless to say I would have enjoyed it regardless of where we ended up and of course I would not have been any less grateful. As fussy as I am, I can imagine it would be quite difficult trying to find a place to take me for my birthday; I might say that I don't envy those that are faced with this annual challenge, but that wouldn't be true. For me going somewhere new is only half the fun, the real excitement comes with the challenge of finding a new and interesting place to visit.

We arrive in Shoreditch and I’m confidently thinking, there’s no way she can surprise me here...I’m sitting slouched down in the passenger seat, staring out of the window trying to get a clue. Finally we park on Boundary Street, I look to my left and I see a very nice looking establishment, people are sitting outside and it looks reasonably interesting, I think to myself “not bad” as I walk towards the building, she smiles smugly and says “not there babe, it’s this way”, she then leads me to the other side of the road where tucked away in the corner is Dishoom. I’m pleasantly surprised by the exterior, and although I have come across this place before on my travels, I've never stopped to enquire, so this was still uncharted territory for me.

Walking towards the entrance, I see the veranda through the open gate and it just looks beautiful… I have to say, I’m impressed.The roof cover is open and the sun is beaming down on the occupants, who are lounging in amoungst the carved wood furniture and conversing about something interesting I’m sure. The fabrics look classic and the plants exotic, even the floor catches my eye; the weathered tiles seem to reflect a lot of history for such a young building. There are so many interesting things to look at here, I’m excited before we’ve even entered. Passing through the veranda and into the main restaurant the classic theme is continued throughout with vintage style furniture and old framed photographs decorating the walls. A Bombay styled cafe sitting in the heart of London’s hussle and bussle sounds about right.

As we are shown to our table the waiter introduces himself by name and is very courteous in asking us if we've been here before and if we need any help understanding the menu, this is a nice touch and makes us feel like we’re being looked after from the outset. We politely request a few minutes to review the menu ourselves, the waiter is happy to comply but not before giving us a necessary pearl of wisdom: “...there are no starters or mains on the menu, it’s more tapas style food so it’s best to select a few different dishes to share and that way you get to enjoy a wider variety.” We're grateful for the advice and with this in mind we begin to assess the options. Being relative newbies to the world of indian food we soon realise that we don’t have a clue but thankfully the waiter, upon his return and having reviewed our choices asks if he can make a suggestion…”yes please do!”

The waiter explains that all the dishes we have chosen are quite dry and also that the portions are quite large so perhaps we should order a first round and see how we feel after, “...I will be close by so you can give me a shout anytime if you want to order anything else." He goes on to advise that they do not have any curries on the menu however if we need something a bit more soup based to go with our biryani and naan bread, then the black dahl would be a good choice. When the food arrives it’s clear that the waiter’s advice was spot on, he clearly knows his stuff and was not afraid to give us a bit of polite assistance to ensure that we fully enjoyed our experience. To add to this, the manager stopped by our table to make sure we were happy and ask if we needed anything else, when she heard it was my birthday she offered us a cocktail each on her! To me that was really special,  firstly because it was a complete surprise and secondly because the cocktail menu is something pretty special in itself.

So, basically from beginning to end I really enjoyed myself, I loved the decor, loved the food and the service was excellent; this makes a big difference as I've been to plenty of expensive restaurants where the food is great but the service is average, which makes me wonder what I’m paying for? Good food without the service is not enough in my opinion to demand a premium price tag, even Nandos staff take the time to make sure you’re ok!

So, it’s my birthday and I get to be the +1 today. I’m wondering what she could possibly have in store for me. We visited Duck & Waffle last night and of course the food was amazing, but it would've been a relatively easy choice; everybody’s talking about this place at the moment so I’m sure she knew it was a pretty safe bet. Today however, is the big day and she’s going to have to top last night, if I’m honest though, I’m half expecting her to come up short. It’s bad I know, but needless to say I would have enjoyed it regardless of where we ended up and of course I would not have been any less grateful. As fussy as I am, I can imagine it would be quite difficult trying to find a place to take me for my birthday; I might say that I don't envy those that are faced with this annual challenge, but that wouldn't be true. For me going somewhere new is only half the fun, the real excitement comes with the challenge of finding a new and interesting place to visit.

We arrive in Shoreditch and I’m confidently thinking, there’s no way she can surprise me here…I’m sitting slouched down in the passenger seat, staring out of the window trying to get a clue. Finally we park on Boundary Street, I look to my left and I see a very nice looking establishment, people are sitting outside and it looks reasonably interesting, I think to myself “not bad” as I walk towards the building, she smiles smugly and says “not there babe, it’s this way”, she then leads me to the other side of the road where tucked away in the corner is Dishoom. I’m pleasantly surprised by the exterior, and although I have come across this place before on my travels, I’ve never stopped to enquire, so this was still uncharted territory for me.

Walking towards the entrance, I see the veranda through the open gate and it just looks beautiful… I have to say, I’m impressed.The roof cover is open and the sun is beaming down on the occupants, who are lounging in amongst the carved wood furniture and conversing about something interesting I’m sure. The fabrics look classic and the plants exotic, even the floor catches my eye; the weathered tiles seem to reflect a lot of history for such a young building. There are so many interesting things to look at here, I’m excited before we’ve even entered. Passing through the veranda and into the main restaurant the classic theme is continued throughout with vintage style furniture and old framed photographs decorating the walls. A Bombay styled cafe sitting in the heart of London’s hussle and bussle sounds about right.

As we are shown to our table the waiter introduces himself by name and is very courteous in asking us if we’ve been here before and if we need any help understanding the menu, this is a nice touch and makes us feel like we’re being looked after from the outset. We politely request a few minutes to review the menu ourselves, the waiter is happy to comply but not before giving us a necessary pearl of wisdom: “…there are no starters or mains on the menu, it’s more tapas style food so it’s best to select a few different dishes to share and that way you get to enjoy a wider variety.” We’re grateful for the advice and with this in mind we begin to assess the options. Being relative newbies to the world of indian food we soon realise that we don’t have a clue but thankfully the waiter, upon his return and having reviewed our choices asks if he can make a suggestion…”yes please do!”

The waiter explains that all the dishes we have chosen are quite dry and also that the portions are quite large so perhaps we should order a first round and see how we feel after, “…I will be close by so you can give me a shout anytime if you want to order anything else.” He goes on to advise that they do not have any curries on the menu however if we need something a bit more soup based to go with our biryani and naan bread, then the black dahl would be a good choice. When the food arrives it’s clear that the waiter’s advice was spot on, he clearly knows his stuff and was not afraid to give us a bit of polite assistance to ensure that we fully enjoyed our experience. To add to this, the manager stopped by our table to make sure we were happy and ask if we needed anything else, when she heard it was my birthday she offered us a cocktail each on her! To me that was really special,  firstly because it was a complete surprise and secondly because the cocktail menu is something pretty special in itself.

So, basically from beginning to end I really enjoyed myself, I loved the decor, loved the food and the service was excellent; this makes a big difference as I’ve been to plenty of expensive restaurants where the food is great but the service is average, which makes me wonder what I’m paying for? Good food without the service is not enough in my opinion to demand a premium price tag, even Nandos staff take the time to make sure you’re ok!

Incidentally, I recently read an online review of Dishoom which was not all that complimentary, this was however, one bad review out of several great reviews, and the writer seemed to be more against the idea of there being a stylised quirky Indian restaurant than actually being dissatisfied by Dishoom itself. The key to enjoying yourself here is to do just that, don’t over think it, just take in the scenery, taste the food and enjoy the experience, which for me was easy enough. My rating: 5/5.

Dishoom Shoreditch can be found at 7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE

[theldnr]

Thursday...The new Friday? Aquum.

Going out on a Friday night seems a little dated now, don't you think? Of course it is necessary for obvious reasons, i.e. no work the next day, so no need to wake up early (unless you're a gym freak like me) and it's probably the best way to unwind after a stressful week of conference calls, client meetings, deadlines, screaming bosses, screaming clients, screaming colleagues...and the list goes on, ad infinitum. All those things considered it's still not all that fashionable is it?  For some reason unbeknown to me, it just seems to be that tiny bit cooler to go out on a Thursday night instead. Maybe it's because your mates will start to think of you as a bit of a rebel? Or not. Anyway, that being said the question has to be asked as to where one should go for an enjoyable evening out on a Thursday? Introducing Aquum.

I rarely find myself crossing over to the south side of the river on a weekday evening, but I'm in search of something quite specific, I'm in the company of an extremely beautiful young lady and of course I'm keen to impress, so I'm thinking of somewhere glamorous with good music, good food and lush décor. To add to this list the place also needs to have a relaxed atmosphere, minus the pretentiousness of the West End and a long list of cocktails. In the past I've found the Clapham crowd to be quite a friendly bunch of people, outgoing and open minded which generally makes for a nice atmosphere and having been to Aquum before I know that they can deliver on the glamour, so I decide that this will be the spot for the evening's events.

Upon entering the venue it seems a little quiet, but it is a weekday and I'm guessing that most of the "fashionable Thursday" after work crowd, have probably chickened out and gone home to prep for that Friday morning meeting...wimps!  There are however a few people dotted around the bar, mainly couples cosied up together in the more intimate spaces around the room, indulging in some tasty looking dishes and of course each other's company.  We walk through the entrance along the bar to the left where we stop and assess our surroundings; the place looks nice! We are greeted almost immediately after entering and shown to our table.  As we walk through I take the opportunity to have a proper look around, the room is a good size with a lengthy bar along the wall to the left side of the room. The bar has a pink stained glass front, with back light which immediately draws your attention to this area and compliments the beautiful décor around the rest of the room. The right side of the room houses a seating area for dining, with a custom sofa, amply stuffed and wrapped in white leather which spans the length of the right side wall and is accompanied by a series of small square dining tables with an extra chair on the opposite side of each of table. There are beautiful decorative mirrors on the walls behind the bar and by the seating area, but the focal point of the room and my favourite part of the décor is a beautiful chandelier running lengthways through the centre of the ceiling. 

Despite the lavish interior we decided to take our seats outside on the adjoining terrace where we could enjoy the lovely weather and blend in with the chaotic Clapham high street backdrop. Having taken our seats outside we were presented with the dinner menu consisting of a selection of Pan-Asian dishes all with some very intriguing descriptions, so as you can imagine it took a little while to make a choice; eventually I decided to have King Prawns in blankets for my starter and King Prawn Sambal with Jasmine rice for my main (I have a thing for crustaceans #DontJudgeMe). As the name suggests my starter was made with some delicious fresh tasting prawns wrapped in filo-pastry and served with a flavoursome plum dip; the main dish consisted of juicy kings prawns with baby asparagus and green and red peppers cooked in chilli paste and other spices to give it a Thai curry style base, this was served with a side of boiled jasmine rice. Both the dishes were bursting with flavour and made for a thoroughly enjoyable meal. At this point it's worth mentioning that there was no additional space in my stomach for a desert; however the green tea flavoured ice cream accompanied by mango and lychee sorbet sounded like too interesting an offer to pass up. So...one desert order and a few heavenly mouthfuls later I was completely stuffed and ready to work off my evening meal on the dance floor.

The décor in this place looks glamorous during the day but it absolutely comes alive at night when darkness falls, in my opinion this is when the venue really comes into its own, the DJ takes to the DJ booth, the mood lights come on and the real fashionable Thursday crowd start to arrive. This bar come restaurant come night club, does well in catering for the different requirements of the crowd it attracts; during the day this is a nice place to go for a meal with friends or a partner and it serves equally well as a chill out spot for the evening, but the life is injected into this place after dark when the tables and chairs make way for a dance floor, the light show comes on and the cool kids of Clapham arrive in there droves. 

My guest and I enjoyed a 3 course meal for two with cocktails for £68 (inc service), a little on the pricey side but definitely still worth a visit as you can have dinner + drinks here, then stay for the party afterwards, my rating 4/5. 

Aquum can be found at 68-70 Clapham High Street London SW4 7UL. 

Happy exploring,

the Ldnr. 

[theldnr]

Saturday afternoon, east London is the destination and cool is undoubtedly the order of the day. I’m strolling through Brick Lane in my tailored navy chinos, plain white crew and navy espadrilles (no socks). I’m holding a brown paper bag from American Apparel (just been for a spot of shopping at the new pop up factory outlet) and I would most certainly have been wearing my pair of tortoise shell Wayfarer Ray Bans, had I remembered to bring them. But never mind all that, the sun is strangely still shining and the cool kids are out in abundance, time to find a place to chill out and blend in. Introducing The Big Chill Bar.

The Old Truman Brewery is bustling and I’m guessing from the vibe and the atmosphere that if there is anything interesting to be found, this would be a good place to start. I’m done shopping and I’m making my way through the crowds of trendy young hipsters wrapped in slogan tees, snap-backs a vintage Nikes; eventually I get to the other side of the quarter and I catch sight of yet another group of hipsters, the only difference here is that these guys are all gathered closely together on the inside of a small terrace with an adjoining bar. Judging by the numbers of people I can see outside the bar, this is clearly the place to be; three guesses as to what happens next…?

I start making my way over to the bar and I see the familiar sight of aluminium pedestrian fence barriers outside, these are accompanied by a few burly door men and it seems they are expecting a long queue tonight. It’s early and still daylight (probably about 6-7 pm) so there isn’t anyone queuing yet but it’s still looking just as busy on the inside as it is on the terrace and the bouncers waste no time in checking my brown paper bag and scanning my ID as soon as I get to the door. On entering the venue I’m washed over with the sound of classic old school hip hop, and surrounded by smiling faces, swinging arms and swaying bodies gyrating in time with the beats.

This place has a real chilled out vibe about it, but it also seems quite fun at the same time, the décor looks interesting but still very much what you’ve probably come to expect from a Brick lane bar; the venue has an abandoned warehouse type feel with bare concrete floors and breeze block cement beams hanging from the ceilings. The walls are covered with some quirky looking murals which are seemingly brought to life by lots of strategically placed three dimensional carved wood structures protruding from the walls. The carvings include some pretty exotic looking trees, which are inhabited by some equally exotic looking birds as well as lots of other weird and wonderful mythical type creatures. Gold star for originality!

The crowd here are purely and simply out for a fun time, there is no pretentiousness, no standing at the back and staring, just good people out for a good time. It’s no secret that Brick lane and The Old Truman Brewery in particular is known as some what of a Mecca for creative types, so of course this is overtly reflected by the sorts of people this bar attracts. There is no shortage of innovative fashion ideas or statement hairstyles and inhibitions can be found at the door where they are left before entering. During my visit, a circle of people spontaneously appeared beside the DJ booth where a few prospective B-boys and girls were taking turns, in the centre, to show off their street dancing prowess. It was quite fun to watch but unfortunately for the crowd, on this occasion I decided not to show off my skills, lol. The staff seem pretty cool, if not little overwhelmed by the hordes of people at the bar wanting to buy drinks. The pricing of the drinks also seemed reasonable, a pint glass of cider and a ginger ale for my +1 and I came to about £6.

The Big Chill Bar is certainly an appropriate name for this place because the vibe at this bar is as chilled out as the contents of my fridge, the people are as cool as they come and in my view, a good night will be on the cards for anyone visiting, provided you come with a smile and an open mind. My rating 4/5.

The Big Chill Bar can be found at Dray Walk (off Brick Lane), London, E1 6QL.

[theldnr]

Duke’s Brew & Que.

         Sunday afternoon and the Sun is absolutely beaming, I’m in my navy paisley print roll up shorts, flip flops and a multi-coloured floral vest, looking like I should be sat on Bora Bora beach in Ibiza. No such luck! Not this month anyway. Instead I’m in my favourite city in the world, in wonderful company and looking to make the most of our recent change in climate. That being the case, there could only be one logical thing to do…You guessed it; I’m stepping out, destination? Duke’s Brew & Que.

Upon my arrival at Duke’s I’m greeted warmly with a smile and I’m told I can sit anywhere I like so I decide to sit outside; the weather being what it is at the moment it would certainly be a shame to waste it by sitting inside. However, being the curious nosy parker that I am, I do a quick scan of interior and make a mental note before I step out. The decor is an interesting combination of rustic and retro, with cowhide suede leather booths and mismatched vintage style wooden chairs, strategically positioned around the hardwood tables. It’s sort of what I would imagine an old American Midwest diner would look like had it been crossed with a trendy bar in Shoreditch. Although it does seem to have quite a homely feel. Making my way outside, the seating area here looks pleasant but pretty standard, with wooden tables and chairs arranged in a small area adjacent to the building, enclosed by a short wooden fence topped with a colourful array of flowers growing out of some rectangular shaped flower pots. The flowers I would say are definitely a nice decorative touch and add to the homely feel of the place.

Having taken our seats outside we were presented with the American Brunch menu which consists of 14 dishes, the majority of which were egg based, such as Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, the BBQ Omelette and a few others (check out the full menu above). I decided to go for the Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs. You’d be forgiven for thinking this dish actually contained some chicken, however, I discovered like many others before me I’m sure, that the chicken referenced in the name of this dish is used only as a description for the way the 5oz beef steak is prepared. To be honest it was no surprise to me when the waitress brought out a battered and fried beef steak instead of a fillet of chicken because I took the liberty of reading the description on the menu before I ordered it, my brunch companion on the other hand was more than a little bit confused.

On reflection I think I would have preferred this dish had it been made with a chicken fillet instead of the beef steak, but in saying that it was well prepared and very tasty. The fried beef is topped with creamy traditional Southern white gravy and the eggs are cooked according to your preference: sunny side up, over easy or scrambled. I opted for sunny side up and I have no regrets lol.

One of the things you have to mention about Dukes is that the staff and the other diners for that matter are incredibly friendly. The atmosphere here is very warm and welcoming , it’s almost like a family get together. The staff seem to genuinely love working there and they treat their clientele as though they are happy you came to visit. The motto of the day chalked onto the sandwich board outside reads: Duke’s – Craft Beer + Good Food + Great People, this pretty much sums up this place for me. I would certainly recommend a visit. My rating 4/5

Duke’s Brew & Que can be found at: 33 Downham Road London, N1 5AA.

Happy exploring!

the Ldnr.

[theldnr]

A thoroughly Italian evening.

Bar Centrale.

Ok so this is slightly off topic because this place is more of a restaurant than a bar, but I ate here on Friday night and I had fun so how could I not tell you guys about it eh? Plus it has ‘Bar’ in its name so there you go. Friday evening I made plans to meet with a friend of mine who had just returned to London after a 6 month stint in Italy (she’s Italian), having recognised like many others that London is the centre of the universe she decided she could no longer stay away. That being said, a night out with old friends was most certainly in order. I met with her in Chalk Farm and she was already with a few other friends (all Italians), by the time I had arrived they had all decided that having a bite to eat would not be a bad idea; when I concurred, one of the guys lead us down the street to a quaint little Pizzeria called Bar Centrale.

Interior.

Upon our arrival we were pleasantly greeted by the waiting staff and lead through the restaurant down some stairs to a seating area on the lower level. There were some seats on the upper deck too but the lower level seemed to be more spacious and less busy at the time, it did however pick up later in the evening. There were six of us initially and we were seated at a table for six, but we were joined later by another friend and the owner was more than happy to move some tables around in order to extend our table and create another space for our late comer. Stepping into this place was like stepping into a scene from an Old Italian movie; the first thing you see when you walk down the steps to the lower level is a beautiful classic Lambretta scooter, followed by another classic scooter a little further down the hall, the glass fronted fridges are stocked full with bottles of Peroni and the tables in the hallway are topped with wine glasses and bottles of red and white wine. The walls are creatively adorned with old paintings, black and white photos and 70s style movie posters. The tables and chairs are all wooden with a vintage style weathered look to them, adding to the old fashioned feel of the place. I personally really like the interior of this restaurant; at first glance it did seem a little sparse, but having spent the evening there I got to understand that this is the type of place you need to really look at to appreciate all of its intricate little additions that give it the character and warmth you come to enjoy as the time progresses. My favourite thing in the room (after the scooters of course) was this really cool vintage looking Pepsi Cafe sign tucked away in the corner, I’m sure I could find a home for that at my place if it was on offer.

Food.

To be honest I didn’t spend a lot of time looking at the menu, the main reason for that was because I was sharing my pizza with my friend so I just let her decide, my theory being: she’s Italian, the food is Italian, she must have some idea of what’s good right? I also wanted to be surprised as I’m pretty predictable with my food choices, when it comes to pizza I will normally just pick whatever looks meatiest, however on this occasion I was somewhat pleasantly surprised after being presented with half of a Romana pizza. Firstly let say that the pizzas are quite large so half a pizza was more than enough for me; going back to my meal for the evening, the Romana pizza could be lightly considered as a seafood option, topped with anchovies, olives and oregano, not something I’m used to but very tasty nonetheless. The flavour was a little on the salty side but I’m guessing that was because of the anchovies. Overall the pizza did have a nice flavour and texture but I do think the taste of the anchovies may be a little overpowering for some people, so that is something to bear in mind if considering this option. Another thing to note is that the crusts were a little burnt and I noticed that it wasn’t just on my pizza; this may also be something that some people are not keen on, I personally wasn’t that fussed but probably would have preferred it if the crusts were a touch softer. One thing I did notice about the menu though, was that there was a lot to choose from, during the evening one of the girls in the group explained to me how much more authenticate this place is compared to some of the other pizza places in London, she commented particularly on the size and selection of the pizzas and advised that if I ever wanted to recommend an Italian food place to an Italian, you could not go far wrong with this place.

Drink and the rest.

For the first round of drinks I went for a large glass of the house red which went down a treat. Following that we were given two bottles of Prosecco which also went down very well as they were complementary! I initially thought someone at my table had ordered them but my friend later explained that a couple of the people we were with knew the son of the owner and that was the reason they decided to go there in the first place. I suppose my review may be slighted tainted by the fact that we had an in with the owner of the establishment; that and also the fact that everyone else at my table was Italian, my friend even comes from the same town in Italy as the owner, a small town in the North of Italy called Parma, which is where both Parma ham and Parmesan cheese come from. That being said I can’t help but feel we had a little bit of special treatment, I would however still recommend this place purely based on the decor and the food being very tasty despite the crusts and the salty anchovies. I had a really fun evening here and would say, if vintage chic, good food & wine and a warm friendly atmosphere floats your boat, then this place is definitely worth checking out. Bar Centrale is a lovely hidden gem, tucked away amidst the contemporary backdrop of a bustling Camden town, and for the amount of people dining, the food was very reasonably priced with a meal for 7 and a round of drinks coming in at only £90, #result. My rating: 3.5/5.

Bar Central can be found at 43A Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8A.

Happy exploring.

Best regards,

the Ldnr.

[theldnr]

Kings Cross Filling Station (KXFS)

I see the neon green sign for The Filling Station every time I drive through York Way; I’ve wanted to check this place out for ages, so last weekend the weather being beautiful as it was, I decided to take a trip. I parked a few yards away from the bar on a nearby side road; parking was free as it was a Sunday but parking restrictions do apply Monday to Saturday. If I remember correctly you can park locally on a Saturday from about 1:30pm onwards. So anyway, the weather is quite important to mention with this place because for those that don’t know, it’s basically an outdoor bar/restaurant based on the forecourt of an old petrol station. Nice idea right? And get this…the restaurant (Shrimpy’s) is actually based inside the original kiosk of the former petrol station. #Vintage.

Inside.

The bar is situated alongside the Regent Canal and if you’re lucky enough to get a seat in the unsheltered section of the forecourt, you’ll be sat right next to the canal, having the sunshine for company, which, when it decides to come out is definitely not a bad shout; as well as sitting underneath the glorious sunshine, you also have the view across the water of the old 1852 Granary building and Victorian railway structures, which are contrasted by the contemporary new developments under construction along York Way. Decor is minimal; cool, futuristic and industrial, with concrete floors and corrugated fibre-glass wall panels enclosing the space. I love the look of this place, it’s unlike anything else in the area and in fact anything I’ve seen in London, it will definitely get your friends talking if they haven’t been before.

Menu.

They also serve food at the forecourt bar, cooked on a huge grill which is perfect for barbequing when the weather permits. The menu is very simple with only 4 dishes and 5 drink options, this seems to change regularly but only in terms of the filling; the actual dishes remain constant in that they serve two different torta options (veggie or meat); this is basically a grilled sandwich served on a crusty bread roll which is also toasted on the grill, corn on the cob, or the sea food bucket. This is the most expensive thing on the menu at 20 quid, and I’m guessing this would be a sharing option but unfortunately I didn’t get to try it because on my visit they had actually run out! Instead I ordered a prawn and chorizo torta which I have to say was very tasty, although a bit steep at £7 considering it is just a sandwich. The veggie torta I’m told consisted of couscous and melted cheese. For drinks I ordered a gorgeous mango and hibiscus frozen margarita with a shot or tequila (you can have it with or without) this really did the trick being sat outside in the warm sun.

Staff and the crowd.

The staff were quite friendly if not a bit relaxed, and they do shout at you when your food is ready to be collected from the front counter, which can be embarrassing if you don’t hear them straight away because they will just keep shouting at you lol. The people also seem to be quite nice too; I randomly got talking to a lady called Sabena and a few of her mates as they hijacked the spare seats on our table, which believe it or not was actually quite refreshing because it was clear we were all out there for the same reason, to chill out with friends, have a drink and top up to the tan in the process. #Goodtimes.

A few things to note.

KXFS does not accept cash, so make sure you have your cards with you when ordering from the bar.

The restaurant Shrimpy’s is quite small and gets full very quickly so you have to book ahead in order to get a table.That being said, they will try to accommodate you if you turn up without a booking but it is very popular so it’s best to make a quick call.

The restaurant will not accept orders from people sitting in the forecourt; you have to have a table to be able to order from the restaurant menu.

This place is a very cool find, definitely worth a look if you’re in the area, especially if the sun’s out. My rating: 4/5

Across the Buildings.

Oh and before I forget…one other thing to mention: if you’re a fan of contemporary art, take a short stroll (about a minute’s walk) down the street to the ORM Viewing Tower where you can experience a panoramic view of Felice Varini’s ‘Across the Buildings’ which sits beautifully on the Front of the Granary building (now occupied by Central St Martin’s Art College) and interestingly connects all the other buildings in the vicinity to this focal point. Very cool and worth checking out!

KXFS can be found at King's Cross Filling Station, Goods Way, London N1C 4UR.

Happy exploring guys,

the Ldnr.

[theldnr]

“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

Samuel Johnson, The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 3

[theldnr]

Ldnr.Intro

So this is my deal, I’m a Londoner; I love London, so I decided to write about this incredible city, in my own words and through the eyes of a real Londoner. Here’s what to expect: I will tell you about my experiences and all the different places I visit on my travels, I will focus on London bars because I like drinking in cool places, but I will also fill you in on all the cool little things I find along the way: street festivals, food spots, fashion boutiques, bands etc.  You get the idea.

A little bit about me: I live in North London (I love North London), I’m a banker by day, I’m a rapper by night and I guess now I’m a blogger with every spare moment I get in between. Because of what I do I end up socialising in a few different social circles, mainly consisting of young professionals due to my investment banking connection, creatives because of my music, and urbanites (couldn't think of a better word) because of where I live and grew up.  I promise to speak to you in plain English, and say it how I see it. I will not over hype any review because the venue wants to pay me to do it. I will give a real and honest account of what to expect when you go these places and hopefully a few ideas about what to do over the weekend.

All the best,

the Ldnr.