Satay Street Brick Lane - (Near Tower Hamlets, South East)

Alice Gee Its a low key neighnbourhood Italian in Bethnal Green that probably mostly supplies locals with pizzas, but is a surprisingly terrific restaurant. Not living in the area, we were last here maybe eight years ago, but I still remember the pasta alla vongole I had on that occasion. Weve been to a lot of more expensive, and more famous Italians in London, but this place really reminds me of eating at trattorias on vacation in Italy. Simple menu, terrific ingredients cooked in a way you can taste the individual components, and everything homemade. They do serve dried pasta, which I actually prefer because its texture is more chewy. My companion had the bruschetta to start followed by the burrata served on a bed of grilled vegatables. Both of his starters came with a fantastic focaccia which had big airy bubbles toasted to a crisp. There was a tiny drizzle of pesto on the burrata that looked bright green and tasted homemade. I didnt taste the bruschetta, but my companion praised the sparing use of red onion in the tomato mix, making it perfectly balanced. I had the scialatelli alla vongole, of course, with a side of the grilled vegetable salad with goat cheese. I asked them to just bring both dishes as ready because I didnt want to eat them in sequence. Thats exactly how I got them, with the grilled veg first, and the pasta maybe 5 minutes later to eat along side. My partner got his two starters in non overlapping sequence, exactly as requested as well. The vongole was great. There were maybe 8 clams in shells decorating the dish but plenty more shelled clams stirred through the pasta. The clams were perfectly cooked and still tender and juicy. I liked the restrained use of fresh cherry tomato sauteed in olive oil, which didnt dominate. I could taste the good quality olive oil. The thick scialatelli was delightfully chewy. It wasnt quite as spectacular as the version I ate on my last visit eight years ago, which included an unorthodox quantity of garlic. Maybe next time I will ask if the current chef is willing to put in a little garlic for me. The grilled vegetable salad with a thin slice of toasted goat cheese was excellent. On top of the mixed green salad there were slices of grilled courgette, grilled eggplant and very sweet strips of peeled red pepper. I was happy to note that the roasted pepper was homemade, having no hint of the acidic preservatives that peeled roast peppers from a jar has. The cheapest bottles of wine are £29 and £30, and dinner including a bottle of red came to £78. Music and noise levels are low. There was an 80s pop soundtrack playing during our visit. We will definitely be back and wont wait eight years before our next visit.

Janet TT After visiting the Home Museum, we walked across Nom Nom. Their décoration feels like local Vietnamese restaurant, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered the Xeo Tofu Pancake, the Pork & Wood Ear Mushroom Steamed Rice Roll, and the Bun Cha Ha Hoi. I highly recommend the Tofu Pancake — it’s incredibly fresh and flavorful, with a perfectly crunchy texture. The Bun Cha Ha Hoi is a cold noodle dish, but the grilled pork mixed with the noodles is surprisingly delicious. The rice rolls are soft, mild in flavor, and feel really light and healthy. Overall, a great spot — definitely worth checking out!

Khai Havent been to this place in years. But visited today with some family friends. We are Vietnamese and this is certainly a more high end establishment. This is reflected in the price being slightly higher than your typical Vietnamese restaurants but the quality and quantity of the food is certainly higher also. I was pleasantly surprised on my return and had a most enjoyable meal. We had the banh cuon, banh uot, goi, cha gio, bun bo hue, bun cha hanoi, and com ga. All items were excellent and very authentic. To top it all off, after discussing among ourselves how delicious the chili sauce is, we ended up having a lovely nice chat with the manager too.

Kai What a lovely place to eat in Forest Hill. This small, cosy Japanese restaurant is ideal for families as well as special events; with a well-curated menu. The food quality and ingredients, especially the fish, are fresh. I have been a supporter of this local business for a considerable time and am more than happy to recommend it.

Christopher Welch I worked with Ann-Marie to book our wedding suite as well as to create a block for friends and family. Ann-Marie explained that they dont standardly offer blocks, but she did go above and beyond in every regard to assist with my friends booking several rooms around us at a discount due to the amount of inquiries they received. We also invited many friends and family to join us for Sunday Roast, Ann-Marie again went above and beyond to offer the immediate parents/family a snug and the rest of the folks staying at the hotel they allowed to post up 15 minutes early in the patio to reserve a spot as the dining room had already been booked. Communication was excellent over email, allowing for my wife and I to organize much of this well in advance as well as to pivot and make important changes up to the day. Service in the pub at in the hotel were excellent. All of my friends and family were very happy. Ann-Marie made sure to get my wife back a favorite earring that got lost on the floor. The pub itself is truly beautiful, the rooms are wonderful (highly recommend the Armstrong suite--great for getting ready, relaxing, hosting), my wife who owns an events company says their Sunday Roast is excellent (tough critic), friends and family enjoyed themselves inside as well as in the surrounding neighborhood without a hitch (and they can sometimes be known to stay up late), and we could not be happier overall. We owe our thanks to Ann-Marie and the staff at Half Moon Herne hill for treating us so well. It will always stay a special place to my wife and I.

A R I ordered the mixed grill during my visit, and the whole experience turned out far better than I expected. The meal started with the chicken boneless grill, which was cooked with real care. It was soft, juicy, and had a nice balance of seasoning that made each bite worth it. Chicken often ends up dry or bland in many places, but here it tasted tender, full of flavour, and clearly freshly prepared. The cheese chips were simple but surprisingly satisfying. The chips were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and the melted cheese on top was just the right amount. It did not feel heavy, and it was the kind of side you keep reaching for without thinking. The lamb shawarma became another highlight of the meal. It had a rich warm flavour without being oily or overpowering. The seasoning was spot on, and the meat tasted fresh and well marinated. I also have to mention the Adana kebab because it was absolutely extraordinary. It had a depth of flavour that stood out from everything else and made the whole meal even more memorable. Overall, the food felt thoughtfully prepared and very satisfying. The portions were generous, everything arrived warm, and you could taste the care in each item. I would happily return and recommend this place to anyone who enjoys good quality grilled food.