Leytonstone Tavern - (Near , london)

Alex Shapley November 2019 update - theyve added new items to the prix fix menu so Ive added a few more photos... Original review is below Im a regular at Al Fresco (Whetstone , so I though I should write a review of the restaurant that I visit more than any other, (well, its less than 100 yards from my flat and I dont like cooking!) - as this is my regular restaurant, this review is a little longer than usual... but I hope it all makes sense. Al Fresco has the best Prix Fixe deal (weekdays only) in Whetstone (IMHO) - its the best value and has the greatest time-range (eg it starts at 12pm when the restaurant opens and goes on to last entry at 6.30pm - ie as long as you are sat down my 6.30pm, you can have the fixed price menu). This menu has a soft drink (you can upgrade to wine if you want), starter and main course (with a side eg salad or polenta) all for £12.10 (eg £11 meal and £1.10 10% service). There is always a choice of 5 starters and 5 mains - the Prix Fixe menu alternates approximately every week to 10 days. Ive tried to include some photos of Prix Fixe meals Ive recently had (I only took the photos as my mother wanted to know what the food was like). My favourite prix fixe dishes are... starters: bruschetta, calamari, tuna and bean salad mains: roast salmon, chicken with asparagus, chicken with spinach, vegetarian pasta with aubergines & olives, (and pizza - but dont tell my GP about the pizza!) The portions tend to be Large (whether prix fix meals or a la carte) - but they do do doggy bags (eg one of my friends can never eat more than half her pizza, so she always takes the remainder home in a box for her next days lunch). The owners have apparently changed recently - but the managers and staff are the same - the core staff always seem to stay for a long time, so as a regular I always get a friendly welcome. Most of the staff (managers, waiters & cooks) are Italian but they all have a good understanding of English - many of the other lunchtime regular diners are Italian too, which I think is probably the best recommendation for any Italian restaurant. I have a disability, and the staff almost always get to the front door of the restaurant before me to open it - I appreciate this greatly. My sister is vegetarian with dietary issues (eg lactose intolerant diabetic) and they always manage to accommodate her needs too. Friends who used to live in Italy (and now live somewhere else abroad) always insist we go to Al Fresco, as they say it is real Italian pizza (which they cant get where they now live) - it should be real Italian, as the pizza cook is a Real Italian! They do delivery too (I think this is via one of the well know delivery companies) and every evening there is a queue of delivery people waiting by the pizza chef. Mustnt forget - they have a loyalty scheme now, so you get c.5% of the value of your meal in points (these add up for a free meal later on).

Thomas Bygrave Service was out standing. The staff were friendly, great food knowledge and couldn’t have done enough for us. Even through they were really busy they all made it such a great evening for my brothers birthday. Will definitely be back

Osama Mustafa This is my fourth time at Figo in Stratford, London, and it continues to impress me every single visit. It is highly recommended. The Penne Marie pasta was absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked and full of rich flavor. The quality and consistency are clearly maintained at a high level. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the service is always excellent. A special thank you to the manager, Mel, who was genuinely kind, attentive, and welcoming. Experiences like this are the reason I keep coming back.

DJ Devolicious Busy and buzzy vibe, very good, freshly cooked delicious Ghanaian food, snacks and range of drinks at reasonable prices. Felt at home. Bit slow as it was very busy on a Sunday afternoon but worth the wait.

Jaz No doubt they have best bbq dishes in town. Also loved Sea bass & Chicken soup in winters. Thanks to Prince for making sure we got good service & food

Lynda Great experience at Von Crumb. Had a lovely Saturday evening meal, huge portions of schnitzel, lovely apple cake. The staff could not have been better - perfect balance of attentiveness without being too much. Great care was taken with my partners dietary requirements- recommend for coeliacs. The other menu items we saw looked amazing as it was heading to other tables. Highly recommended, will definitely be back.