chelseagirl's Qype profile

We've eaten here a few times and have never had a bad meal. We tend to go for the set menus and you get far too much food - but Mark, the manager, is always happy to give you a doggie bag to take home! Mark is also on hand to explain what any of the dishes are, make recommendations and let you know which dishes are mild or spicy.  The red curries are wonderful, creamy with a kill kick, and the veg dishes are always excellent too.

The decor is a bit of a mix - therestaurant used to be the post office and a lot of the original features are still in place, alongside Thai decorations, candles and statues of Buddha. It's not  cheap, but somewhere a bit different to go for special occasions. 

Despite being just yards from South Kensington tube station El Gaucho is easy to miss as it's in a basement, with access down some steps at street level. In fact, on our first stroll down Old Brompton Road we did miss it as we were too busy checking out the Lamborghinis in the showroom opposite! 

We had a great meal here one rainy Saturday night. We arrived at about 7pm and the restaurant was already busy - we didn't have a reservation but they sorted a table for us quickly. The menu consists of meat, more meat and even more meat - mainly steak with some chicken and lamb dishes too. If you're a vegetarian I'd advise you to steer clear of this place as there were a couple of veggie starters but no meat-free main courses.

We had grilled aubergine and an Argentinian-style chicken pasty for starters, followed by steak - fillet for me and rib eye for my partner. Starters were delicious as were the accompanying olives, bread and chimichurri sauce. My fillet steak, ordered medium rare, arrived on a sizzling hot plate - it was too hot to eat straight away and was more like medium cooked by the time it was cool enough to eat. It was delicious, but I think I would order it rare in future to compensate for the extra sizzling time! My partner's rib eye steak did come medium rare and was tender and delicious. We ordered a portion of chips each - really we could have done with one to share as the steaks were so huge  and filling that we couldn't manage all the chips. We also had a couple of beers. Total bill was around £75  which seemed very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food.

The decor of El Gaucho is a bit South American kitschy diner but it works! Staff were very attentive without being intrusive and we were made to feel welcome throughout. It's quite a small restaurant and the tables are packed closely together so it's more for a meal with friends than an intimate night out. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting a decent steak dinner.

This was one of the most bizarre places I’ve ever eaten! We popped in for lunch one Saturday having not found anywhere else that looked worth trying. You enter the restaurant down a staircase and once you get to the bottom and see the 70s finery it’s too late to escape …

The place is definitely stuck in a time warp, with gingham table cloths, French cafe posters and plastic ivy around a trellis. The kitchen staff – clearly visible from the restaurant – were well into their third age as was the waitress, and it all felt a bit “two soups” if you know what I mean! (Search for “two soups sketch” on YouTube if you don’t!) As well as the tables there’s a small bar area (sans stools), a huge array of alcohol and a never-ending soundtrack of songs from the shows.

The menu was fairly standard – ham and egg, fish and chips, salads, that kind of thing. However, on the other side of the menu was a list of “shots” including some with highly suggestive names … I dared my boyfriend to ask the aging waitress for a “Blow Job” but he didn’t quite have the bottle!

We had to wait a fair while for our fish and chips, which was actually very tasty. Some other customers next to us had salad though, and it left a lot to be desired – three lettuce leaves, some slices of cucumber, a chopped tomato and a teaspoon of some pink stuff (prawn mayo I think) or a slice of sandwich ham might have constituted a decent salad 30 years ago but doesn’t cut it now – and when they asked for salad cream it came in a Tesco Value bottle!

We found the whole experience amusing, especially when some other customers asked for the salad cream, which was whipped away from the original table … and then was apparently empty, as we listened to the farting noise of the bottle being squeezed for the next few minutes!
Going back up the stairs after our meal, we were quite relieved to find that actually it was still the 21st century …

If you want the time warp experience yourself give it a shot, for a laugh if nothing else … but be quick, for I’ve since found out that the place is up for sale, having been run by the same family for the last 40+ years.

We visited here after a day out in London when we fancied something different to our usual Indian/Chinese/Thai meals. The place was deserted at 7pm and we were slightly wary as we couldn't find any reviews online but thought we'd give it a try anyway - and had a fabulous meal.

The decor at Antalya is lovely, murals and brightly painted ceilings, and the staff welcomed us as old friends rather than first time visitors. The atmosphere was good too - traditional music played quietly in the background and by the time we left the place was buzzing. 

The menu is extensive and there are plenty of meat, fish and vegetable choices. We chose hot mezze platter for two, followed by a chicken dish Tavuk Topkapi for me and Lamb Iskender for my partner, along with two Turkish beers.

We were chuffed to be given a freebie starter - olive tapenade and a minty, garlicky sauce, along with some of the best bread I've ever tasted (and more bread with the main course!)

The mezzes were great, five or six things including a beautifully seasoned meat patty, a couple of beautiful filo parcels and calamari. There was also some halloumi cheese, which was slightly underdone as I prefer it a little softer and less rubbery. 

Main courses were fantastic - huge portions too. My chicken dish involved half a small chicken stuffed with rice flavoured with cinnamon, pine nuts and other spices,on a creamy sauce with spinach. It wasn't spicy hot, but was warm and delicately flavoured. It came with a portion of bulgar wheat which was also beautifully flavoured. Steve's lamb dish was even more delicious!

We didn't order pudding but were presented with some fresh fruit and Turkish Delight which was very welcome.

The meal, including a couple of beers, was £50 which seemed very reasonable, especially for somewhere in central London. We'll definitely go back again!

Good home cooked meals, huge portions and nice atmosphere. Good for all the family.

Excellent little place for lunch. We ordered a tuna baguette, chicken tikka jacket and two all day breakfasts. Delivered to the table in lightning quick speed and all were delicious. Best bacon I’ve had in years, and apparently the jacket was perfectly cooked – soft and fluffy inside and a nice crispy skin Prices extremely reasonable too. Highly recommended!

Visited The Swan for lunch while on a short trip to Little Haven this week. Very impressed with the food. I had soup (spinach and potato) which was very tasty and came with two large chunks of bread. My boyfriend wasn't very hungry so ordered the open cheese and pickle sandwich - two thick slices of bread with huge portions of cheddar, Brie and a blue cheese, plus salad, tomato chutney and a beetroot relish. Portions were big, service friendly if a little slow, sitting by the fire looking out over the bay was lovely!

Just discovered this place, wow! Lovely open light and airy pub with a mix of formal chairs and comfy sofas. Service was good, a little slow st times but friendly. 8 of us had the Thai menu, we had a three course lunch at only £20 each and the food was excellent. Will definitely be back!!

Small shop with a large amount of stock, including live food for reptiles. I pop in regularly to buy locusts and occasionally cat food. The shop is a bit dark and dingy and the staff could really do with smiling a bit!!