Galapagos Foods, Battersea, London SW11

There are times that, much as I like to cook, I just can't be bothered. I don't want a big night out, I just want to have some good food, without any of the fuss. Being in this mood, on my way home I hopped off the bus and headed to Battersea High Street. I did have a place in mind from last Saturday when I tasted some of the wonderful pies at their stall in Northcote Road market: Galapagos Foods. Battersea High Street starts off (or ends-I'm not sure which) at the popular Battersea Square. A promising start with the bustling cafes and restaurants-the place to be when the sun is out. The high street is a mixture of and ambitious restaurant and a pub and the more old fashioned barbers and not-very-glamorous internet cafe. A perfect fusion of the diversity of the area.

I walked in to be greeted by the friendly owner, Elaine and her husband. On the walls you find souvenirs obviously from their travels. I noticed the aboriginal artefact on the wall to the Galapagos turtle mosaic. And then there are some products for sale like olive oil and tea. I looked around and I though the walls could do with some paint. On the other hand, I quite liked it. A very down to earth place. The sort that is hard to come by nowadays in London. They are obviously too busy thinking about the food.

The black board indicates a choice of courses comprising the set menu. The a la carte has a wide variety of dishes from all over the globe: from moroccan tagine to corsican beef casserole. I had the latter. It was served with penne and although I found the beef excellent, the accompaniment of penne was a bit boring. Saying this Elaine was very welcome to suggestions.

I was asked for if I wanted dessert. Being curious Elaine gave me a list (verbally) of 8 or 10. I'm not sure what I was more impressed by. The fact that there was such a big choice or that she remembered to list them all! Everything is made either by Elaine or by their chef. I had the walnut and ricotta cake. I have to say this was proper cake, moist but not too sweet.

At just under £20pp with a glass of wine for two courses, I would say it's a tad overpriced, but a small price to pay for such genuine food and the friendliness of the owners.

Galapagos Foods, 169 Battersea High Street, London SW11 3JS Tel: 020 8488 4989 www.galapagosfoods.co.uk

Opera Tavern, Covent Garden, London

I'm not a fan of Covent Garden. Saying this it doesn't mean that there aren't good reasons to go there. The Royal Opera House, home to the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet is a beautiful building. If you happen to be there for a performance there is something quite glamorous about it. It's not that you can't find any good restaurants or bars. However, the likelihood is that you will find, at best, something average and at worst a tourist trap.

One weekend, a friend and I both had friends visiting from abroad. I heard a few positive comments about the Opera Tavern and seeing as we had overseas guests, thought that it would probably be a good opportunity to visit covent garden.

We found the Opera Tavern conveniently located a short walk from the Royal Opera House. The wooden decor makes it very welcoming, and the bar area looks ideal for a casual dinner. We were led to a relatively empty upstairs dining room, despite the fact that this was Sunday lunch.

The menu comprises of Spanish tapas, sharing dishes. Again I'm not very fond of tapas. I find the portions are usually too small for say four people to share. And unlike other cuisines designed to share, tapas usually involve small dishes where you are effectively cutting a tiny portion. I feel that, although the cuisine is well represented, the culture isn't. This is food designed to accompany wine. Not the other way round.

Stuffed courgettes

The menu is diverse and there are dishes for every taste. We had a selection. I remember the courgettes stuffed with goat's cheese. Essentially the courgette flowers were stuffed and the were indeed good. However I thought only the flowers should be served, the courgettes did not add anything to the flavour and detracted from the delicate texture of the flower. The carcuterie and cheese dishes are all very good. Overall the quality and presentation was good although nothing spectacular that really stood out.

On to the desserts. I was pleasantly surprised. The flavours and texture were perfectly balanced and if you do visit, then desserts are a must. I did feel slightly let down when the waitress was not sure why the desserts were so go and suggested that perhaps the chef on duty that day was the dessert chef. What sort of a response is that? Does that mean that normally desserts aren't as good? That would be a shame. I am hoping that this not the case.



Poached Italian Meringues



Bitter Chocolate Sorbet with Espresso Granita

Warm Hazelnut Cake with Lemon Thyme Ice Cream

The service was average (as evidences previously!). I suppose on a busier day I would expect to find some foodies enjoying the wine with a couple of dishes-the wine list is a good one- and other than that probably a covent garden going crowd. Overall, I would rate it at a 3 out of 5. If you are in the area it is probably one of the better places to go. However I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way for a meal here.

Expect to pay around £20pp excl drink.

Opera Tavern, 23 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JS Tel: 0207 836 3680 http://www.operatavern.co.uk/

The Scene, King's Road, London SW10

This is the ground floor restaurant to The Summerhouse. Two reasons I wanted to go. It's the ground floor and it is a short bus journey from home.This former pub has now been redone as an American style diner with a cinema theme. The open kitchen has a screen above like the outdoor of a cinema with a bar on the opposite end and some sofas in one of the corners for a relaxing coffee or alcoholic beverage.

I went on a Saturday and found it not too busy with a local crowd. I suspect not too many people would make their way to this part of the King's road for a burger.

My friend and I shared starters. We had the popcorn shrimp (4.95) and artichoke and spinach dip (£5.50). Both substantial starters and perfectly executed. I continued with the soft shell crab po-boy (£11). The crab was very good, perfectly crispy although the ciabatta was stale.





Pop corn shrimp



Artichoke and Spinach dip

Soft Shell Crab Po Boy

What did stand out was the service which was excellent. Our waitress always ensured, very discretely, that our wine glasses were topped up.

The Scene, 459 King's Road, London, SW10 0RL, Tel: 020 3362 3362 http://www.theworldsend.co/

Hint: Try and make your reservation through toptable follow link there are usually offers, 30% or 50% off food depending on time of day.

The Summerhouse, King's Road, London SW10

I read about the Summerhouse being a seafood restaurant and of course made a reservation for a Sunday lunch. It is loated at worlds end, a former pub, at the end of the King's Road. The downstais is an american style restaurant, The Scene, and the Summerhouse, is located on the first floor.

A delightfully decorated restaurant with a nautical scene, feels more like a pit stop to explore and island while on a sailing trip around the aegean.

We were there on their first sunday lunch opening. We sat on the small heated terrace outside.

The menu consists of seafood with one option of rib-eye steak in case someone does not like seafood.

The food is very good and my choice of the seared scallops (£8) to start followed by smoked haddock with poached egg (£13.50) were both very well presented. The haddock was excellent and I would go happily go back.

An excellent place if you like seafood and want some reminder of summer.

The Summerhouse, 459 King's Road, London SW10 0LR Tel: 020 3362 3362 http://www.theworldsend.co/

Pollen Street Social, London W1

I have wanted to go to Pollen Street Social, Jason Atherton's first solo venture, since it opened almost 10 weeks ago. Much talked about and reviewed, as expected it is very popular and you have to reserve well in advance. I managed to make a reservation for a monday evening.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect. When I left I couldn't wait to write about it. It's easy to write about somewhere that is not so good, there's little to say. Pollen Street Social is a different story all together, but a story at that. Everything I can think about is worth a mention. The design, the service, the food and of course the chef himself.

My friend and I commented on the lighting a few times. The art on the walls, discrete in its way yet seemed to draw my attention with every look in any direction, offset by delicate baubles of light suspended above us.

I am wary of places where you can't talk much. It didn't take us long to relax and start having fun either. The glass of excellent sparkling wine, Nyetimber East Sussex, we each had helped. This place has quite a buzz to it, with the staff also being friendly and chatty. People here looked like they were having fun.

We poured over the menu. To start I had the scallop ceviche. I don't usually like dishes which try to incorporate too many flavours. I find it overbearing. This dish was anything but overbearing. The delicate flavours of the scallops were perfectly complimented by the finely sliced baby cucumber and radish. There was an explosion of different flavours with every mouthful, from the intensity of the citrus to the gentleness and freshness of the cucumber.

I then had the roasted halibut with paella. The halibut was roasted to perfection. Whatever I say about the paella I can't do it justice, with the different flavours working together seamlessly.

After this, of course we had to have dessert. Rice pudding for me. I wouldn't have thought that citrus and dairy work together, but by this stage I blindly trusted the recommendations of the staff. Our waitor was right. The fusion of the texture and the taste, not to mention the hay ice cream (yes, hay) was excellent.

In terms of wine, one is not short of choices, with options by the glass and half bottle also. We had a bottle of the St Emilion. Delectable.

At one instance my friend was telling our waitor how she normally doesn't like trendy places. He pointed out that this is not trendy, it is social. It certainly is. It is relaxed allowing you to enjoy both the company and the surroundings while at the same time the standard is maintained to five star level throughout. The small details like wine coasters and even the delightful goodie bags, presented out of small safes always make a different.

I even had the chance to briefly chat to Jason Atherton himself. Very social. Made me feel quite at home.

Expect to pay around £50 per person including service, without wine.

Pollen Street Social, 10 Pollen Street W1S 1NQ Tel: 020 7290 7600 http://www.pollenstreetsocial.com/