came here on a saturday night at about 7pm and there was no wait which made me so happy since there…read morewere such long lines for every place in the soho area. - piri piri chicken (3.5/5) - it was decent but a tad dry and under seasoned. however, adding the peri peri sauce and peri peri oil that it comes with does make it a bit better. - charred cauliflower (4/5) - delicious and surprisingly tender, almost unrecognizable as cauliflower. the sauce was a bit on the sour end for me but still enjoyable - casa rice (5/5) - fantastic and bursting with flavor, a perfect complement to the chicken - piri piri prawns (5/5) - AMAZING, highlight of the meal. flavored to perfection and the shrimp heads were so juicy. i could easily eat 5 servings of this.

We walked in, not having reservations, but they seated us pretty quickly. All the food we ordered…read morewas delicious and the portion sizes were great for the prices. My husband generally doesn't care for mushrooms, but the grilled garlic mushrooms that we ordered were his favorite he's ever had, so much so that he wanted to keep eating more and more (and I can agree as a lover of mushrooms that they were some of the best prepared that I've had!). Additionally, I have never tried African rice before, but it was so flavorful and the addition of the crispy chicken skin was great. The server gave great recommendations for the Vinho Verde wine. I enjoyed both of the ones that we got and my husband, who enjoys port liked the port + tonic cocktail. It's beautiful inside and lively but not too crazy or loud. It's a lovely place to go to for an intimate date or with a group. We would definitely love to come here again with more people so that we can share more items on the menu!

I was astonished at how unassuming and unfussy this place was for such a big name chef, tucked away…read morein a corner of Spitalfields market. I wasn't too sure what to expect from Portuguese tapas but what we got was lots of small plates with (as Gregg Wallace from Masterchef would say) big flavours! We went for variety when ordering. Not all the dishes were five stars but there were some definite highlights - for me it was the 24-month-aged St Jorge cow's cheese which did somersaults on my tastebuds, whilst my guy really liked their beef sandwich. We found the runner bean fritter a bit of a waste but both dived for the last mussel which was served in a small tin and beautifully seasoned. The custard tart which you have to reserve a slice of early as they only make one a night, was actually a bit disappointing - I found it a little too gooey for my liking. Every dish feels very thoughtfully prepared, and it was so nice to feel that thought and care extend to the service here, with a lovely welcome from the front of house who made sure we were happy sitting in the front 'outside but inside' area. Our waiter also took very good care of us, happily advising on dishes and in my case the wines too, as I hadn't heard of many of the grape varieties. So the 5th star is for their charm. A good feed if you're in the area with a very relaxed, rustic feel, but be warned the prices stack up quickly with this type of food! I could easily be persuaded to return though, as I already know which dishes I'd ditch and which new ones I'd order next time... ;)

I had high expectations for the Taberna do Mercado since the ratings were quite high and I am a…read morePortuguese food lover. I have to admit that our diner at the Taberna was flawless. We sat at the bar to watch the cooks and see how they handled the food. They put so much enthusiasm in their food: resting the meat properly, seasoning, checking texture, tossing away what they weren't happy with. Even though we had some favorites (hear me here: Heaven bites), all dishes were great. The tinned fish, served with pickles and fresh sourdough toasted bread brushed with olive oil, are definitely a must have. The green beans fritters are served with an acidic sauce that makes it a perfectly balanced dish. The cod is fresh and cooked as it should be. The egg yolk pork fat desert in a port wine sauce is worth trying. The staff was really friendly and the cooks would always take the time to answer our questions. The selection of wine is good for all ranges of price. We had a bottle of wine and about 7 dishes and a dessert to share for 115£ (which isn't bad for London price.) I left the place thinking I'd love to come back for a sandwich for lunch or a whole suckling pig with friends. Well done for a restaurant to fill your appetite while making you want to come back straight away. Definitely a place I would put on my list of London's best restaurants, along Hawksmoor, Ceviche, Dishoom and Franco Manca!

I think this is the closest thing to a food "hole in the wall" Islington has. Just five weeks ago…read moreCafé Brasileiro popped up as a clean, tasty and friendly establishment. It's also adorable with a lovely man serving and making all the food out the back. I walked past this place this morning and thought, "I must pop in for lunch, this place looks too cute." I'm so glad I did! Browsing the menu there is a host of Brazilian home baked delights on offer, from chicken croquettes to cheesey dough dumplings. I went for one of their home made sandwiches filled with egg mayo and tonnes of salad. That with an apple cost no more than £3. What a great value lunch. They do have a little sitting area for 2 people that you can eat at. It's really nice because you can sit and watch the world go by while munching your lunch. I am so going back here to try the rest of their menu as well as their coffee. Well done Café Brasileiro, I can't wait to see you grow ever popular with the locals.

After having returned from my few week sojourn to Rio i was massively in the doldrums and suffering…read morewithdrawal from my pao de queijos (cheese balls) , coxinhas (chicken in manoic flour - deep fried) and cupuacu (super healthy amazonion juice). So every day I'd hot foot it down and stuff my face with salgadinhos (snacks) and brush up on my portuguese with the owner. So I really didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he said that he moving on and to be replaced by a Vietnamese cafe (my second favourite food in the world). Where oh where do I get my snack-fix now?!

A great time had by all. Stopped here for dinner tonight with friends. The buffet has a nice…read moreselection of salads, side dishes, and vegetables. The meats dont stop. Chicken, Lamb, Steak, and Sausages. It is endless and oh so tasty. They also have brahma beer and a excellent selection of cocktails. Just Go!!!

As it happens it is not easy to find a place to meet the needs of those carnivorous people out…read morethere, this Brazilian place manages quite well. For £21.50 it is all you can eat, really as much as you can handle so be sure to take sweat pants when you come here. The salads are lovely and fresh and the meat is bursting with flavour and prepared in front of you (almost). Very long skewers hold beef, chicken, lamb or pork and they are being cooked in a massive fireplace that has a very funny pork sculpture with an apple on its side. Vegetarians fear not, besides the saldad bar they also offer grilled vegetables skewers at a price of £12 for all you can eat. Very friendly staff, but for some reason I was not allowed to take a picture of their food, I guess you are just going to have to go and see for yourselves.

Upon entering Eyre Brothers my eyes immediately settled upon the Jamónero cutting thin slices off a…read morehuge pig leg at a nearby table. A moment later, my dining companion and I were greeted by the host who asked, "Would you like some jamon and sherry?" I was so stunned by the sight of the "5J"Jamón Ibérico Bellota Reserva that I could not properly answer. Luckily, my partner for the evening did not suffer from the same issue and answered a firm "yes" for us both. For dinner I continued with the piggy theme ordering the grilled fillet of acorn-fed Ibérico pork, marinated with smoked paprika, thyme and garlic. I've never tasted pork like this before - it was much more like a steak! It was heaven. For dessert we contemplated the dark chocolate amandine but after seeing it come to the table next to us we were glad we chose to share the saffron crème brulée with fresh strawberries instead. To drink we waffled between the easily identifiable Rioja and the more mysterious Do Tinto. Our server brought us a taste of each and the Do Tinto was a clear winner and we each ordered a glass. My experience at Eyre Brothers was absolutely flawless. I'd return in a heartbeat!

If you like food, especially of the Portuguese/Spanish variety, this is the place for you…read more Very hip decor, nice bar area. Sit with a glass of wine and chat with the friendly bartenders. Oh, jamon iberico, I could write you a sonnet. You were meaty, flavorful and delicious. If only all pork were as delicious as you. And yet, there was acorn-fed pork on a bed of potatoes, medium-rare and wonderful. The beef was a perfectly wintery dish: slow-cooked, soft, and in a thick sauce with roasted onions and potatoes. Pair these with a bold red wine, and you're in for a great evening. The octopus with potatoes was very good but got outshined by stiff competition. For you vegetarians, there were some vegetarian dishes (even a main dish) on the menu that sounded amazing. Gluten-free notes: The majority of the dishes here are naturally gluten-free. Feel free to pig out like everyone else.

I was in town visiting (for work) and was staying at the Town Hall Hotel around the corner and,…read moreeven though I really enjoy the Bethnal Green area, the eating options are pretty limited. When I discovered a Brazilian steak house in the area I had to give it a shot. I saw that they did the eat as much as you like or churrascaria style of eating, where you have a hot and cold buffet of various side salads and starches and then the meats are brought to the tables on skewers. I don't eat red meat too often, but when I get the urge, a churrascaria is a great way of curing that urge. I tried to go there on the Sunday evening first. It clearly says that they serve the churrascaria until 10:30. But when I had arrived (at 9pm), there was no churrascaria. The owner/manager (?) told me that it wasn't busy so they closed down early. He persisted in trying to sell me to stay and have alla carte but I told him, several times, that wasn't what I wanted and came here for. So, I returned this evening. Again, I arrived at approx 8:55pm. No chrrascaria or buffet. But the manager told me that they still serve it but it's not out. They would bring a selection of side dishes to the table and then bring out the meats. So I decided to stay. I NEEDED meat really badly. There were about 10 people in the restaurant and you'd think there were 100. Although, in all fairness there were only two members of staff. The manager, who took orders and served drinks, and a server who brought out the food. Some side dishes arrived after about 20 mins. The problems start here. Because I'm not picking my food, random stuff is appearing that I don't want. Like a plate of "fries" and other stuff that just gets wasted. I didn't order this stuff and I don't want it. So, for the next 15 minutes I ate plain rice waiting for the meat. First skewers came out... pork sausages. I don't eat pork. Next came out BBQ chicken wings. These were frozen/defrosted chicken wings that tasted like they had been sitting around for a couple of hours and then reheated and slathered in cold BBQ sauce. They were rubbery and cold. I didn't eat them. Then the "meat" came out. Over the course of the next half hour a tried the rump steak, beef ribs and something else. All of them had been over cooked. They tasted like they had been previously cooked and then reheated. They were dry, salty, very fatty, and chewy. I spent a lot of time trying to eat this meat and instead being jealous of Charlie Chaplin eating his shoe in "The Kid." I would kill for a shoe!! I have never left a restaurant hungry before, but I left this one after trying three meats, feeling ill and depressed... and paid GBP17.90 for the pleasure. Also, on top of everything else, they only take cash and have to hand write reciepts. I went back to the hotel and had a protein shake! In conclusion: I could make an excuse for them and say that it wasn't busy so they closed the buffet and then reheated food from earlier instead of cooking up all new fresh food. But that's not good enough. I paid the same as the people getting the fresh stuff at 6pm. I've eaten Brazilian Charrascaria literally all over the world and this was by far the worst. Even the restaurant in Pasadena, CA that left me and my lady suffering from food poisoning was better quality than this place. Again, I'll say that, possibly, if you come at 6pm the quality would/might be better. Maybe if you order all carte instead of the churrascaria you might get better luck. Who knows. I can only judge on my personal experience. 1. Slow service. 2. Bad food. 3. Overpriced. Go here only if: 1. You are not a discerning meat eater and consider a Big Mac to be gourmet. 2. You have plenty of time on your hands. 3. You don't wear dentures. A positive experience to take away from this, is that, when I went there the first night and couldn't get the food advertised, I left and found the Al-Amin curry house around the corner. That place is awesome. Review to come very soon. Blessings.

I was surprised with my experience at Raizes. There was live…read moremusic, great service and the food was surprisingly affordable and delicious. If you want a good steak, give it a whirl. For the price you pay, it's worth it.