Newly opening in the Wimbledon Piazza where Coal's used to be, it was an opportunity for the Wimbledon Eater team to try out this new place before it became too popular. Labelled as a chain of Mexican street food restaurant, it is owned by a Masterchef winner from 2005.
The inside of the restaurant has the appearance of a warehouse, with plain walls and a very high ceiling and pipes wrapped in aluminium. The sections of the restaurant are all divided into different compartments by a wooden skeleton structure and then a mix of vividly coloured furniture freshens up the layout with tables, bar, chairs and benches. Still we found the place quite gloomy or not bright enough - perhaps a different use of colour, or even a multi-storey approach would have been more interesting rather a cavernous warehouse. It seemed the space was there but not there.
The menu is quite extensive and it should be made clear this is a street food restaurant where you order a multitude of dishes to share similar to the "tapas" concept. You can choose from an array of Mexican classics such as tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tortilla chips and so on, all served with different type of fillings. The range is quite extensive, from meats spiced differently to cactus and fish. The menu is one sheet of paper but it contained a lot of writing.
In terms of service, staff is very friendly and casual. They also remind you the food comes when ready and therefore dishes come at different times. We were very impressed for how quickly they turned our order, and the food was neat, well-presented and flavoursome. The pork pibil, and the tortilla chips with frijoles and guacamole were nice and original. The tacos and quesadillas were delicious in flavour but not appetising or impressive in the look or the colour on the plate. The cactus tacos promised an original twist but was overpowered by courgettes. Still, chipotle chicken, chicken tinga, sweet potaton, the many ingredients used felt fresh and tasty. Still, they made you want more for the portion were indeed small.
Food was really good but the group was not overly impressed. It seemed the restaurant was trying to look big and impressive, and present street food on a fancy plate, but it inflated it too much and diluted the goodness of the food it has to give. It all went wrong even further when the bill came. Overly expensive.
Wahaca is an ideal place only for sharing plenty of dishes on the table rather than individual-based orders.
Only this way you enjoy the taste of the food and you keep your wallet happy.
Our verdict is as follows:
Quality of Food 3.40
Hygiene 4.40
Value for Money 3.20
Speed of Service 4.40
Quality of Service 4.00
Ambience & décor 3.80
Wahaca gets an overall rating of 76.4%
Saturday 31 May 2014
O'NEILS - Pubby of 'em all
There aren't that many pubs who turn into chains properly, without even realising you are in a chain. O' Neils appeared to us as a very basic pub, not as great as the old independent ones spread across Wimbledon. However, the atmosphere felt "pubby" enough for us to consider it the best among pub chains.
The wooden dark feel of pubs is heavily counter-balanced by large windows almost ceiling-to-floor, which makes it the best at lunch or any time during daylight. This is where we took our seat and reviewed the menu. Most of the dishes are pub classics with either ingredients or names slightly changed or more Irish-driven. Nevertheless, you have quite a large choice of standard pub dishes which do not delve into "posh" ingredients or keep the "gastro-pub" craze to a minimum, such as the boar and chorizo burger.
Our selection covered some cornerstones of pub food. The ultimate fish 'n' chips is a very generous combo portion of haddock which does not look frozen or at least dried up in cheap batter - we wished there were more chips. The classic burger was plain and pretty standard. The sausage and mash had very succulent sausages but a grainy mash without any smooth texture. Last but not least, the vegetable tart had a nice taste but was too hot and slightly burnt on the edges.
The bill was fairly cheap or slightly below average. We did not feel the place had any 'wow' factor unless on an evening out for drinks. Yet, it did not disappoint completely with obvious hints of cheap food. O' Neils is squeezed in the middle of the average lunch.
Our verdict is as follows:
Quality of Food 3.00
Hygiene 3.25
Value for Money 4.00
Speed of Service 3.75
Quality of Service 3.50
Ambience & décor 3.50
O' Neils gets an overall rating of 68.5%
The wooden dark feel of pubs is heavily counter-balanced by large windows almost ceiling-to-floor, which makes it the best at lunch or any time during daylight. This is where we took our seat and reviewed the menu. Most of the dishes are pub classics with either ingredients or names slightly changed or more Irish-driven. Nevertheless, you have quite a large choice of standard pub dishes which do not delve into "posh" ingredients or keep the "gastro-pub" craze to a minimum, such as the boar and chorizo burger.
Our selection covered some cornerstones of pub food. The ultimate fish 'n' chips is a very generous combo portion of haddock which does not look frozen or at least dried up in cheap batter - we wished there were more chips. The classic burger was plain and pretty standard. The sausage and mash had very succulent sausages but a grainy mash without any smooth texture. Last but not least, the vegetable tart had a nice taste but was too hot and slightly burnt on the edges.
The bill was fairly cheap or slightly below average. We did not feel the place had any 'wow' factor unless on an evening out for drinks. Yet, it did not disappoint completely with obvious hints of cheap food. O' Neils is squeezed in the middle of the average lunch.
Our verdict is as follows:
Quality of Food 3.00
Hygiene 3.25
Value for Money 4.00
Speed of Service 3.75
Quality of Service 3.50
Ambience & décor 3.50
O' Neils gets an overall rating of 68.5%
LA NONNA - A Traditional Corner of the World
South of the broadway, almost at its outskirts, you find many isolated restaurants. On a missed lunch appointment in another restaurant in the area, the Italian restaurant La Nonna came by as good alternative. Brick and wood of an opaque brown colour do not make it bright and it is not an easy spot to find if it wasn't for the green dwarf pine trees on the outside.
One of many long-standing Italian restaurants in Wimbledon, La Nonna presents itself as a smart but casual place to eat with a nice colonnade of red bricks and a nice display of paintings and kitchen tools in the form of artwork. Not too much in the eye. There is some sort of veranda where the large windows open but there is no outside dining.
Menu was standard, not too short or too long, and there was the usual display of Italian dishes: antipasti, pasta, pizza and then meat or fish. Linguine alle vongole veraci and gnocchi alla salsiccia where the ones jumping out of the traditional menu stereotype. Choice of wine was good and adequate.
The bruschetta we ordered was standard was bland and not punchy. Same disappointment with the pizzas: whatever the flavour, they were bland and not well seasoned, with a very hard, dry and crunchy pizza dough. The salmon, the linguine alle vongole veraci and gnocchi alla salsiccia were the only winners. The salmon was salty but had a good counter balance of balsamic vinegar; the fishy and tomato-ey sauce of the linguine was quite oily but not overpowering and well-prepared. The gnocchi was quite heavy but savoury and delicious - yet, recommended in colder weather.
Staff was friendly and the service was good. Setting was calm and relaxing at lunch time, probably perfect for a quiet lunch. Nothing overboard in quality and presentation, rather static and within expectations. We would recommend it for a business meal or a quiet meal with friends who fancy the non-pizza side of Italian cuisine!
Our verdict is as follows:
Quality of Food 3.83
Hygiene 4.33
Value for Money 3.67
Speed of Service 4.67
Quality of Service 4.50
Ambience & décor 3.33
La Nonna gets an overall rating of 81.1%
One of many long-standing Italian restaurants in Wimbledon, La Nonna presents itself as a smart but casual place to eat with a nice colonnade of red bricks and a nice display of paintings and kitchen tools in the form of artwork. Not too much in the eye. There is some sort of veranda where the large windows open but there is no outside dining.
Menu was standard, not too short or too long, and there was the usual display of Italian dishes: antipasti, pasta, pizza and then meat or fish. Linguine alle vongole veraci and gnocchi alla salsiccia where the ones jumping out of the traditional menu stereotype. Choice of wine was good and adequate.
The bruschetta we ordered was standard was bland and not punchy. Same disappointment with the pizzas: whatever the flavour, they were bland and not well seasoned, with a very hard, dry and crunchy pizza dough. The salmon, the linguine alle vongole veraci and gnocchi alla salsiccia were the only winners. The salmon was salty but had a good counter balance of balsamic vinegar; the fishy and tomato-ey sauce of the linguine was quite oily but not overpowering and well-prepared. The gnocchi was quite heavy but savoury and delicious - yet, recommended in colder weather.
Staff was friendly and the service was good. Setting was calm and relaxing at lunch time, probably perfect for a quiet lunch. Nothing overboard in quality and presentation, rather static and within expectations. We would recommend it for a business meal or a quiet meal with friends who fancy the non-pizza side of Italian cuisine!
Our verdict is as follows:
Quality of Food 3.83
Hygiene 4.33
Value for Money 3.67
Speed of Service 4.67
Quality of Service 4.50
Ambience & décor 3.33
La Nonna gets an overall rating of 81.1%
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