Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2009
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Anonymously reviewed by Time Out's panel of expert judges
Updated: Wed Sep 16 2009
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Best New Restaurant | Best New Italian | Best New Cheap Eats | Best New Gastropub | Best New Bar | Best New Local Restaurant | Best New Café | Best New Design | Best Spanish Restaurant | Best Spanish Wine List
Best New Cheap Eats-
WINNER: Albion at The Boundary Project
2-4 Boundary Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DD
According to popular wisdom, you get what you pay for. But at Prescott and Conran’s stunning new British ‘caff’, you get more. The menu of nostalgic British favourites places an emphasis on quality ingredients, inventively cooked. The chicken pie contains crayfish, rabbit stew is packed with prunes and kohlrabi and parsley makes up a typical salad offering. It’s all served in a dining room whose contemporary style is punctuated by references keen to wring as much nostalgia as possible from its past as a Victorian warehouse. Water is served in white enamel jugs, lighting comes from factory-style hanging grey metal lamps and thefront of house shop is stuffed full of wartime-spirit-invoking products such as Marmite and Lea & Perrins. They’re joined by a range of budget products from the bakery, with the breads, cookies and cakes so good that they merit their own dedicated Twitter news service, alerting locals when a fresh batch has just come out of the oven. How can they can get away with offering all this so much cheaper than you’d expect? Popular wisdom simply can’t account for it. Read more
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RUNNER UP: Princi
135 Wardour St, Soho, W1F 0UF
Despite the soothing trickle of water into the room-lining metal troughs, and the little gold buddhas overlooking the dining area, the bustling interior of this chic, Alan Yau-backed Italian bakery’s not a place for a leisurely, relaxed meal. Rather, the constantly rotating crowd of stylish Soho snackers are drawn by vast quantities of freshly-baked cakes, pastries and breads, plus an excellent range of traditional Italian bakes, salads and pizzas. Perfect for a quick bite in informal, yet elegant surroundings. Read more
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RUNNER UP: Rasa Sayang
5 Macclesfield Street, Chinatown, W1D 6AY
No, not another eye-wateringly pink Keralite restaurant. Rasa Sayang is Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine places it as part of a small Macclesfield Street vanguard, challenging the hegemony of Cantonese cuisine in Chinatown. And so far, the area’s regulars seem to be lapping it up. The functional white interior is packed with oriental customers noisily tucking into simply cooked dishes rammed with big, palate-challenging flavours such as nasi lemak (coconut fragrant rice, served with dried anchovies, cucumbers and pickles), pan-fried carrot cake, or a kidney bean-filled ‘green bean soup’ for dessert. Interesting, to say the least. Read more
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RUNNER UP: Rosa's
12 Hanbury Street, Brick Lane, E1 6QR
Although it’s nearly 20 years since the capital developed its proliferation of Thai eateries, London’s love affair with the fiery, aromatic cuisine shows no sign of abating. Booking’s strongly advisable at this popular little Spitalfields restaurant, where customers flock to sample a comprehensive menu of Thai favourites including a range of precision-grilled, smoky meat dishes and punchy, fragrant curries. Not to mention an interior whose stylishness belies the budget price tag. Read more
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Best New Restaurant | Best New Italian | Best New Cheap Eats | Best New Gastropub | Best New Bar | Best New Local Restaurant | Best New Café | Best New Design | Best Spanish Restaurant | Best Spanish Wine List
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17 comments
Lola Rojo is not really spanish. it is catalan. They do rices for British taste that do not exist in Spain, portions ae tiny, the atmosphere is depressing. It is miles away from the real thing you will find in Spain. It just shows how terrible Spanish food is in London. Sad "taste" of things.
Glaring omission in Best Spanish - Barrafina. Judging by the queues and all great reviews, including in Timeout and by its readers.
Confused by those who don't think Princi is not cheap? Fairly large portion of pretty good pasta or salad is £6-7, which is probably the most expensive thing in there. Pretty good tasting food and nice looking place. Pretty good value for money if you ask me. Ok, it's not as cheap as your local sandwich shop or greasy spoon, but come on. How cheap is cheap eats suppose to be?
I was disappointed with the Spanish Restaurants winner too. I frequent Tapas Variadas on Northcote Road, just metres down the road from La Rioja. The food is much more value for money (try the huge seafood platter for only £9) and the lovely little restaurant, quaint. I ve been to Lola Rioja, and found the atmosphere a little pretentious and the food overpriced for what you are given.
I agree that the "Best Cheap Eats" selection is pretty disappointing this year. I always relied on Time Out to help me discover real gems, not restaurants which have been well advertised and, quite frankly, aren't exactly groundbreaking discoveries.
Re Albion at the Boundary: good for brunch but not "cheap" (I'd go to E Pellicci any time instead! that's authentic and cheap). Not so good if you fancy well cooked comfort food: my cauliflower cheese was so crunchy that I had trouble cutting through it. I didn't even manage to finish it, incredible really as I was (a) extremely hungry and (b) in dire need of said comfort.
Please, Time Out, don't let us down next year!
the thing is that pretty much everywhere in london is a rip off.
you want value for money? go to capitan corelli in battersea park road. real italian as you could find in italy 30 yrs ago in small towns.
Great food, cakes to die for and a good cup of coffee. It's hard to beat The Fleet. I go there regularly, the foods always delicious, there's plenty of seating and there's always a buzz about the place , the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed certainly not lacking!
It is worth trying Harwood Arms! Great food (delicious soup as a starter) and friendly service, although a bit on the pricey side. Funny how everyone looks like they just left their houses in Westport, CT. Bocca di Lupo continues to be my favorite so far!
I found both Giaconda and Boundary rather disappointing. Great ingredients no doubt, and competent kitchen skills, which makes it even strager as to why the end result in both was a bit flat. Not sure the British 'food revolution' has helped much - people cook more and better, restaurants cook less and simpler, and thw two have ended up meeting in the middle somewhat. Do i need to spend £18 for someone to grill a chop for me?
And why 2 specifically Spanish categories?
I'm very sorry timeout, but Giaconda Dining Rooms was a massive disapointment to me. Difficult to create atmosphere in such a small space and food capable, but not exciting. I took my partner for his birthday having read the reviews on this site and had to apologise to him halfway through the meal... Maybe I missed something.
I have two things to say about these results.
Firstly 39 Colbrooke Row is a terrible little place full of cheap furniture and dirty toilets. Yes the barman is great and the cocktails fun but it's not fun spilling half of it on a wobbly table.
Secondly - Albion Caff Bakery - Christ Almighty, if these cakes are good I would not like to taste a Time Out rubbish-rated example. These may have to be some of the worst cakes I have ever eaten. YUK.
Come on Time Out, you are not exactly surprising us and encouraging us to grab our coats and scarper to a new exciting gem. Yawn!
Agree with Princi not being cheap. Maybe if you wanna eat three raviolis (and get a not-so-kind look when you ask for cheese)...
I agree with Anthony. Princi is not cheap!!
The Harwood is my local and, in my view a well deserved winner. IIt's a great mix of quirky and traditional english food....and always beautifully cooked and presented:)
concerns me when there are an awful lot of negative reviews about lola roja how it could win best spanish hmmmm??