Strada, Exmouth Market

Strada 8 - 10 Exmouth Market London EC1R 4QR Cuisine - Italian T - 02072780800 W - www.strada.co.uk Also follow on Twitter and Facebook I can not think of many places you can have three people enjoy a three course meal for less than £75. Chain restaurant Strada says you can! The area around Exmouth Market has improved a lot over the last few years and Strada is now one of a number of restaurants in this trendy area. To start we went for the Aglio, hand stretched pizza bread with garlic and rosemary. The Arancini Funghi was bursting with mushroom flavour and binded well with risotto and mozzarella. The real favourite for me here though was the Olive Ascolana, now I have been trying to eat olives for a number of months with my pallet still not yet allowing me to enjoy the taste of the mediterranean foodstuff, here though I have found a dish that may well set me on my way. Green olives stuffed with beef and pork, breaded and fried, the taste was beautiful. On to the mains, the Pollo Milanese, a big enough portion of pan fried chicken breast covered in grana padano, lemon zest and breadcrumbs served with refreshing green beans and new potatoes topped with a good consistent tomato and basil sauce was a very good dish. Spaghetti Pomodoro was again cooked well with the pasta being cooked the right side of al dente. The most impressive dish we had was the Panz Porcini. Ravioli filled with porcini mushrooms and small amount of cream, superb flavour and a good size not leaving you bloated. As it was fathers day we decided we would go for three courses, unfortunately we all wanted the same, Fondente Cacao, chocolate fondant served with mascarpone and vanilla ice cream. With its warm melting centre there was no disappointment! You can get a set menu every evening for three course at £13.50 a head but the menu does become very much limited. Gastro Greglarr Rating 7/10 Gastro Greglarr Likes: the woodland flavour of the porcini ravioli Gastro Greglarr Dislikes: would like to see a more italian 'rustic' look to the decor

Camino, City of London

Camino Monumento 15 Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7BD Tel - 02035893954 Cuisine - Spanish Tapas Twitter - @caminomonumento Web - www.camino.uk.com/monument E - managers.mon@camino.uk.com The latest edition to the City of London restaurant scene is brought to us by Camino Monumento, their third coming following successful openings in Kings Cross and Canary Wharf. Camino offers a slightly different twist to its rivals in the City by offering larger plates along with the usual smaller tapas, with Steaks, Mix Grills and Suckling Pig available (allow 48hrs notice) it does try hard to remove itself from your standard Tapas eatery. Unfortunately the meal started disappointingly when I found there to be no Albondigas on the menu! My favourite Tapas dish was missing, my disappointment slowly disappeared after dish after dish turned up and delivered. The Boniato (sweet potato's) with ginger, fennel and yogurt was flavoursome, try also the grilled asparagus with romesco sauce a refreshing clean plate which complements the excellent chorizo sausage, cooked really well, soft and spicy the chorizo was very impressive. Croquetas De Jamon were also very tasty, the serrano ham in a potato croquette was not enough ham for us as we had two further portions of serrano ham. With arguably the best Pimientos de Padron (sea salted green peppers) I have had the meal was really making my mouth water. As the meal was impressive we decided to order two more dishes, unfortunately the Prawns (Gambas Al Ajillo) were over cooked and lacked flavour, seems the garlic and chilli were involved but they were far outweighed with the oil whilst the Pinchito de Pollo were very small and we needed two of those alone as one is not enough to share. We were fairly rushed towards the end due to a fire drill which may explain the lack of care taken with the prawn dish but the staff were pleasant and allowed us to take our time and go with our pace throughout the beginning and middle of the meal. With eight beers and service you are looking at £95 so typical City prices for Tapas. I think it is up there with its main City rivals i.e. Ortega's and Barcelona's but perhaps maybe not better value. Gastro Greglarr rating: 6/10 Gastro Greglarr likes: the food was of a good standard but independent Tapas restaurants still represent your best bet for delivering a higher class of food and value Gastro Greglarr dislikes: Gambas Al Ajillo, should be renamed Gambas served with to much Oillio

Cabana, Westfield - Stratford

Cabana 5 Chestnut Plaza Montfitchet Way Westfield Stratford City E20 1GL T - 02085362650 E - westfieldstrat@cabana-brasil.com W - www.cabana-brasil.com Also follow on Twitter and Facebook Cuisine - Brazilian Cabana is a brilliant addition to the Stratford food scene, yes its another chain but who cares when the food is this good and served by vibrant staff and great value for your wallet?! We stumbled upon this 'Braziliant' restaurant after the flooding of the central line delayed our journey home, for a change I'm pleased the trains were delayed otherwise I would have had to have waited longer to visit here. After the stress of the tube I must have to admit I struggled with getting in to the toilets, I was stupidly not able to open the door thinking it was locked but turned out I just need to flip the handle so remember that when you go! The rest of the decor is that of a typical chain, there are wall posters that you would find around the streets of Sao Paulo and Rio whilst the seating is tastefully decorated with denim. Timber stairwells and other timber furnishings around the rest of the restaurant keep to that brazilian cafe come street food look. I do enjoy eating in places like this, the menu's are so imaginative. Chicken Coxinhas were my favourite starter, croquettes of shredded chicken and spices had a nice kick and were very tasty. The Crunchy Rice Bolinhos served with a chilli mayonnaise were nice and along with that to start we had some Crispy Pastels, which are stuffed with four types of cheese and smoked peppers. For the mains we had a selection to share with the Beirut Bife really impressing, Chimichurri Black Gold Steak is served in toasted Syrian flat bread with salad, mayo and melted cheese. An excellent dish packed full of flavour. We also shared some Sticky Baby Back Ribs, again the flavour was impressive as was the tenderness of the meat. For sides try the Biro Biro Rice, light fluffy rice served with shallots, spring onions, herbs and garlic, it was a really refreshing dish. My only disappointment came with the Cassava Chips, I felt they were a little dry but it didn't take away how impressed I am with this place. I can not wait to return! Excellent location, and with Tastecard the bill with 2 drinks, table water and service we paid only £25!! Gastro Greglarr rating: Gastro Greglarr likes: The Beirut Bife, do not leave this place without trying this Gastro Greglarr dislikes: the Cassava Chips, to dry, try the Sweet Potato Fries or Hand Cut Fries which may have more flavour

Marco, Fulham

Marco Stamford Bridge Fulham Road London SW6 1HS Tel: 02079152929 Web: www.marcorestaurant.org/  Cuisine: Modern European The latest stop on my food odyssey took me to another Marco Pierre White restaurant, Marco. Set just off West London's trendy Fulham Broadway within Chelsea Football Club stadium grounds, we allowed our excitement to grow as we entered what was a stunning looking eatery. High ceiling with lower lighting, large windows allowing a set back view of the Broadway, I really enjoyed the decor and sequencing of the tables, including leather seated booths allowing you to face the whole of the restaurant. The modern setting with mainly black and white features makes the large golden pillar really stand out through the middle, as do the pictures of stars mounted on the wall. As we walked in we were greeted and sat very efficiently. The staff were excellent, napkins placed on our laps instantly with the menu's dispatched orderly. I was certainly very impressed to the start of this meal. On this occasion we opted not drink however the wine list appeared short but respectable. The menu is of a typical MPW style but the food is a little further removed from the 'British Classics' served up in the 'Wheeler's' locations. We opted for two 10oz steaks, one sirloin and one rib-eye. Both served with triple cooked chips and a side sauce, bearnaise being the choice on this occasion. For sides we chose the seasonal special which was Broccoli and also ordered some Spinach to share. After a short wait for the food we were presented with our choices and our excitement quickly evaporated as we discovered our steaks were pan fried. The sirloin was edging on medium rather than as ordered medium rare with both seeming to lack seasoning. Take nothing away from the rest of the meal as the triple cooked chips were served to perfection, crispy and golden exterior while the inside was fluffy. The vegetables on the side were also very tasty and fresh. With regards to the side of bearnaise, it looked as though it had been pre made and sat in the fridge covered with cling film, the fact the top was discoloured from the remainder was the give away. Whilst the steak disappointed, our puddings excelled. The caramelised apple pie, was really top notch, served with vanilla ice cream it went along way toward repairing our opinion of the restaurant. We also tried the chocolate box surprise, a chocolate mousse encased by a rich dark chocolate. The mousse was so smooth and delicious and was served with three raspberries which added an edge to the dish. Unfortunately the dark chocolate was to rich to finish but for those with a keenness for such flavour should definitely go for this.  Overall, despite the restaurant having many good qualities I felt like the below average steak ruined the meal somewhat. If I was to return I would probably go with a fish choice as the steaks just can not compete with the very best, especially if you pay the marked up price of £25, luckily we had a deal from Groupon making it more reasonable. Tastecard holders can also use their cards here. Without these discounts look to spend c£80 - £100 including a bottle of wine.  Gastrogreglarr rating: 5/10 Gastrogreglarr likes: excellent service that deserved better food Gastrogreglarr dislikes: disappointing steak

Spice Trader, City of London

Spice Trader 9-10 Philpot Lane London EC3M 8AA Tel - 02079292229 www.spicetraderlondon.com Cuisine - Indian I have visited Spice Trader for a number of years and it has never changed. A more traditional take on Indian food, which is nice to see sometimes as there are a number of Fusion Asian restaurants around now. With plain decor, the curry house hangs its focus on its friendly service and food. As usual we skipped the starters after sharing a few poppadoms with chutneys including onion and tomato, mango chutney, the very hot spices lime pickle and creamy raita dip. For the mains we ordered a two Chicken Kurai's and a Chicken Shashlik whilst sharing a Mushroom rice which was served like most rice dishes in indian cuisine and a mushroom bhaji which was excellent. The Shashlik was cooked well and the peppers and onions on the skewer offered lovely flavour and texture, whilst the Kurai dishes offered a spicy, wetter option on the table. The food here is good but there is nothing to get to excited about and lacks a certain zest in terms of menu choice. I return to this restaurant for its always friendly service and the fact that I have never had a bad meal. We shared a number of Cobra's and the restaurant also serves the very rare Mongoose beer which is very similar but earns its selling power to the fact that in India the Mongoose eat Cobra's. Before ordering the bill we had a very sweet Irish coffee. Free kumal and amaretto's were on offer. For three of us the bill came to around c£120 which is a good £40 over priced. Gastrogreglarr rating: 6.5/10 Gastrogreglarr likes: having been visiting for around 8 years to not have had a bad meal in that time is good going Gastrogreglarr dislikes: not as competitively priced as other city curry houses Greg Duignan Broker 07775785392

Anokha, City of London

Anokha 2 Creechurch Lane London EC3A 5AY Tel: 02072837729 Web: www.anokha-indian.com Cuisine: Indian Fusion style indian with Mughal influences including the decor which come from Persian roots. It was quite quiet, albeit a Monday evening, although it did start to fill out as we were paying the bill. The ambience is usually excellent on a lunchtime and do not be put off by how busy it is at that time as the kitchen can easily turn your table round in an hour and a half. As we sat we tucked in to a few poppadoms and dips, the selection of dips are really good, and different to your usual Indian. You get the standard mango chutney, but after that there is an excellent onion chutney in a chilli sauce, a tasty raita dip with garlic and a very hot lime pickle. With room for only mains and a couple of sides we went straight in. We ordered Sag chicken from the more traditional side of the menu, moist pieces of chicken tikka served with a creamy spinach. Duck mali haash, sweet and sour flavour with a hint of spice, cooked with Mango, yoghurt and tamarind which helps bring the flavour to the fore. Chicken dansak, fresh tasting with a nice punch of heat, served with lentils, an age old classic. We shared a bowl of Mushroom rice which was standard amongst other Indian restaurants. Something I really do like at Anokha is the Onion Bajhi, its like an onion loaf you'd see in the states! Excellent accompaniment with the mains. The Sagg aloo is made with new baby potatoes with skin on, nice and dry dish with spinach so you can taste the flavours enclosed in the dish. Pashawari nan - melt in your mouth buttery bread with sweet coconut With regards to the service it was always attentive and they were always there for when we needed another Cobra or Kingfisher. Also, excellent value, all of this food and more than enough beer for around £90, the three of us left very happy. Pick yourself up a membership card or visit the St Paul's restaurant where you can use your taste card for up to 50% off food for even more value. In my opinion Anokha, Creechurch St, is the best Indian is the square mile. Gastrogreglarr rating: 8/10 Gastrogreglarr likes: the Onion Bahji is a world away from what you would get in a more traditional curryhouse Gastrogreglarr dislikes: whilst the service is good it lacks that extra mile you get in more traditional Indian restaurants

Jamie's Italian

Jamie's Italian Jamie Oliver chain with various locations throughout the UK and abroad, visit www.jamieoliver.com/italian for more details and follow on twitter @jamiesitalianuk I have visited this Jamie Oliver 'super chain' on a number of different occasions to satisfy a number of different cravings. The variety in the menu is exceptional and dependant on your craving Jamie's has it all. If you wish to nibble at some cured meats and share some antipasti with friends the option is available. My favoured choice is the Mushroom Fritti, priced at £3.95 I do not think I've seen a better steal. The crispy squid is fried and served with a mouthwatering dip of garlicky mayo, lemon and chilli while the stuffed rice balls bring you that rustic taste that makes you feel like you are in one of Italy's many special cities. My suggestion would be to share the anti pasti meat board, at £7 a head you get a number of cured meats, including my favourite prosciutto, Italian cheeses, dips/jams, pickles chillies and salad. I find this washed down with some with some red wine a fine start to the meal. For those more famished you can choose your pasta or risotto as a starter size or main size. The tagliatelle bolognese has always been full of flavour, you can say the same for the wild mushroom panzerotti also. Do you like a more gamey meat with your pasta? Well, the veritable menu comes to the fore here to. The slow cooked wild rabbit taglioni is a real treat, it's rich with flavour that you desire does not leave the taste of your mouth for hours. The changing menu continues on to a 'mains' section. I must have visited this chain around ten times and I always try to stay with the authenticity of the Italian swaggered food but I will make sure on my next visit I have something from the section that delivers dishes such as the Anglesey Sea Bass with crunchy sweet and sour vegetables which just sounds delightful. Having a sirloin steak on the menu rather than other less palatable cuts confirms what this chain is all about - flavour. My only real critique of this Italian fanfare is that this audacious menu has a burger on it, not sure the need for this, especially when Jamie's Barbacoa has received such critical acclaim for being one of the top five burgers in London.  The wine list is again in keeping with the menu and full of choice, my usual pick is the montepulciano d'abruzzo 2010 Il Faggio priced at £18.60 a bottle it is seamless in tasting with most dishes served up in the rustic come modern restaurant. There are a couple of other Red's in a similar price range with the cheapest being the 2009 Puglia at £17.45. The cheapest White is the Ponte Pietra at £15.95. Depending on the wad of cash in your pocket you can also divulge in some world class wines over £100 a bottle coming in the way of white, red or rose. Sparkling wines and champagne are also available. The well trained staff have always pleased and never left you to wonder where your drinks and food are, even in busy times, whilst the chefs have always delivered consistently good food. With locations popping up all over the UK you shouldn't find yourself to far from Jamie's Italian and would recommend a visit no matter what your budget as the pricing and different food options available allow you to spend as little or as much as you wish. If I had one phrase for this chain it would be "simple brilliance". This really is the new superpower of chain restaurants. Gastrogreglarr rating: 8/10 Gastrogreglarr likes: the variable menu Gastrogreglarr dislikes: the burger on the menu, no need for it Mr Oliver!