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Recommended to me as one of the better coffee places along Portabello Road, The Tea & Coffee Plant has plenty of character and style that make it the ideal place to stop and have a tea or a coffee.

I tried one of their coffees (they even tried to make a flat white), and it was okay but not the best. The espresso was well made but I still think that they put too much milk into it for my liking. The cup size probably doesn’t help them since I think even the smallest size is the normal size as Monmouth’s.

I think they declared all things organic and/or fairtrade so most people should be happy about that. If you’re in the area, it’s a better alternative than all those in the area.

More of a gastropub than your run of the mill pub, The Green is more suited for those that want to have a meal with some drinks, rather than drink and a quick bite to eat. Upstairs they normally have the dining room operating, although on a Monday night, they offer the dinner menu downstairs in the pub area.

When not offering the dining menu downstairs, they also have small plates to share, with a bit more of a British influence than your typical tapas place. Order at the bar, and make sure you order the grilled prawn and the spicy meatballs as one of those small plates.

This pub has many things going for it, including its location on “the green”, a large pedestrian only, pavement area, where it opens up with plenty of space for drinking during the summer. Unfortunately it sometimes gets too popular during summer and fetching drinks can be quite a chore.

It’s nice and cosy inside with comfy chairs and stools for a small number of groups although this plays against it in winter when it’s so busy that what space there is fills up quite quickly.

They serve food here as well, and the grub is pretty good for a pub with all the classics including bangers and mash, burgers, and various roasts.

Yet another one of those pan asian restaurants who competes more on the price than on the authenticity of the food. This one is located right outside Bayswater tube, so is often filled with people who want something quick to eat and don’t bother walking up in both directions for better Chinese and even Malaysian/Singaporean (at Kiasu up the road).

A place that serves such a wide variety of cuisines is going to be fairly average, though not a master at any of them so expect it to be a bit hit or miss.

Having said that, if you want some quick grub at a cheap price, this is an option though I’d still steer you to the many other asian restaurants along the road.

For a place in Camden, Gilgamesh is definitely that stands out as something out of the ordinary. Firstly, it’s a huge location with a huge bar area to hang just for the drinks and an equally large dining area where you can indulge in their take on pan asian cuisine.

Some of the decore is almost a little bit over the top kitsch for an asian-themed place, but somehow it just seems to work. I only wish that it was slightly brighter near the tables so you can appreciate the presentation they put into their dishes.

They even have a private dining table, apparently called the “chef’s table”, where your party’s private chef prepares all the food.

This place often has deals on top table during the week because I guess it’s hard to fill that much space when it’s not the weekend.

Even though this place is known for its dim sum, it definitely brings a few twists to the entire experience. The atmosphere is so much more different to those you’d find not too far away in Chinatown, a combination between dark wooden panels, bright blue colours and a very colourful fishtank (I’m assuming filled with tropical fish).

The dim sum is definitely of a much higher standard with some different twists including a number of dumplings with game meats in them. Of course, you will end up spending a little bit more on dim sum compared to other places, but it’s great for something out of the ordinary.

Their tea selection is also significantly different for those that want something other than the standard Chinese selection.

I respect the quality that Hakkasan consistently provides to all of its diners. The last time that I ate here, it was a bit of a random event with a friend, and they fortunately had enough tables to seat us although they did warn us they needed the table back after a couple of hours.

My friend was also wearing trainers and although the bouncer had to check with the manager, he let us go through anyway though told us about their normal dress code.

Even now that the ownership has been transferred away from Yau, the last experience was just as good as previous ones. Service was prompt without being too in your face. We ordered both a starter and main with some vegetables and all of it was totally delicious. I’d highly recommend the ribs where the meat had been cooked to a point where it literally fell off the bone.

It’s cool inside and a nice dining experience overall.

This is one of the favourite Chinese restaurants whenever I visit this area of London. The food is always consistently great quality and the prices are always reasonable. Within the last year, they also renovated the front part of their restaurant to share the appearance of other Chinese restaurants on this road with the various roast and BBQ meats hanging in the window.

The best part of the meal is at the end when you get the fortune cookie to break open (one of the only places in London that does so) and get to share it with your fellow diners. It’s bad luck to read it out loud, so make sure you pass it along.

Gold mine seems like it’s a gold mine for the owner with many customers in the know realising they can get the wonderful duck famous at the Four Seasons at this place without having to line up. This place is also a little bit more newer and looks much less manic without the constant queue blocking the doorway. The duck is good and the rest of the food that I’ve had here is fairly reasonable, though still not as good as the rest of the Four Seasons menu.

One of the biggest downsides to this place is that it only takes cash, unlike many of the Chinese restaurants along this street. They don’t even take debit cards.