Perfil de The_Style_PA

My friend and I met for brunch in Hyde Park at the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen. It's such a lovely setting and despite walking by so many times I'd never actually gone in before.

We arrived just before 11am which was a good time as the place was already quite busy. I spotted a newly-vacant table by the window and went to nab it but someone else was there quicker and played the 'we've got a pram so it's easier to sit here' card, which I didn't really get to be honest - there was just as much room at the previous table, but away we went defeated.

There was still room further back and we sat at a small table, furnished with condiments. Although the kitchen is not visible it's still open above the small partition they've put in front which means you do get a lovely whiff of grub when you're waiting to eat... perhaps a tactic to up-sell coffees to brunches. You do have to go and order for yourself and at the prices they charge it seems a little much, service would be nicer. However, we ordered... myself the eggs Florentine and my friend opted for the same without sauce or spinach (no discount for just wanting a buttered muffin and eggs I might add).

The food was really nice. The eggs are creamy duck eggs and the Hollandaise was delicious (although I tried not to have too much as I was watching the calories). The tea was yummy and I got about three cups from my teapot but we did have to pay 40p for the hot water (really?!). See the breakfast menu here.

All in all it's a lovely setting but gets very busy with families so it's not the best location for an intimate chat. We teamed our brunch with a walk around the Serpentine in the brisk January cold, burning off some of it we hoped. I'd go again for a treat, but perhaps just for a drink. At £9 without drinks, my breakfast was a little bit of a treat but won't become a regular expenditure.

Best mojito in Camden by far! The bar also has a great roof terrace which is a lovely sun trap in the summer. I have tried the platters which were really tasty and good value too. Staff can be a little bit unhelpful though and there are rules about what food can be ordered on the roof terrace compared with the restaurant area, which I felt was a little bit inflexible. 

This cocktail bar is the sort of place where people go to get pissed. The cocktails here were good, but definitely not as good as other bars in Camden that charge the same price. The service was pretty slow too. Music-wise it was pretty much just indie tracks and the crowd was generally very young. If that's your thing then great, but I much prefer the vibe of Camden's Brazilian bars which do a much better mojito.

I've only been here once and it was a bank holiday Sunday. It was quite busy and we had to wait a few minutes to get in (even though loads of people had just come out). The door staff weren't the friendliest and it felt like everywhere I put my drink down I was told to move it. However, the music was loud, the atmosphere was good and there was no entry fee unlike Brixton's Dogstar which is a similar venue on weekend evenings. I'd definitely go back. It was also easy to grab a taxi outside - just flag one rather than accepting the offer of the doormen arranging one for you and you'll save money.

Popped in here for lunch with my sister and it was really surprisingly quiet. The food was pretty good. I opted for fish and chips which came with homemade tartare sauce. My sister went for the BBQ chicken nachos which were also handmade and almost like pastry, definitely good value for money. We also had dessert which was worth having.

The reason I haven't given this more stars is because, there was zero atmosphere and the service wasn't really up to scratch. The pub is really spacious and I imagine it might be better of an evening. Also, the high benches really aren't good for short people like me, I felt like I was tackling a climbing frame just to get seated.

I call this my local 'posh kebab shop'. Yes it sells that post-night-out grub that most people frown upon, but it's some of the best there is in that category. If I'm ever on the way home from a heavy night, this is my port of call for a late dinner. The great thing is they also have plenty of room to eat in and it's more like a restaurant than the usual kebab shop. This means that you can consume your kebab on the premises so you don't have to face the evidence the next morning, when you are hungover.

Go for the mixed kebab and chips and share with a friend. Yum.

We went to La Pietra after buying a voucher from a deal website and we were really glad we did. The offer was for the four course menu, along with a glass of prosecco and a glass of house wine each.

The decor of the restaurant is lovely, especially the amazing stone table which is a bit of a centre piece to the room. It's all wood, stone and monochrome. It was quite quiet when we arrived, but got busier through the evening and there were also lots of Italians dining there which I felt was a good sign.

The food was really good and felt quite authentic. The menu offers a lot more than pasta and pizze which a great menu of mains and seafood too, including lobster.

For starter we had: smoked salmon with a yoghurt sauce / Anchovies, buffalo cheese and roasted peppers. My anchovies were delicious, really rich and salty and a great contrast against the creamy mozzarella. 

For our second course we had: spaghetti with wild boar ragu / risotto with wild clams and saffron. The portion sizes were just right on our 'Primi' course. My risotto was cooked just right with plenty of flavour.

For our main we had: steak served on a hot brick / filet mignon with creamy pepper sauce / a side of chilli, garlic spinach to share. The quality of the meat was fab, it tore apart with a gentle cut of the knife. The steak on a hot brick was really nicely seasoned. 

For dessert we had: Chocolate mousses / dessert of the day which was a duo of almond tarts with chocolate mousse. The chocolate mousse on it's own was a little bitter, but it worked well with the tart I opted for.

All in all a great experience, with good service and at a great price (with the voucher). If I was paying full price I'd probably skip one of the courses, but it's definitely worth a try if you fancy a special meal.

This pub is close to the office which makes it a good option for post-work drinks. What makes it even better is that it doesn’t have the crowds and large groups that other nearby bars have. The food is average and drinks prices what you’d expect, but it’s a cosy pub with plenty of room upstairs if there’s a few of you.

I was surprised that I actually quite liked this place having read quite a few bad reviews. I was there on a Friday night, post-work, and I didn’t have to queue long at the bar which is my usual gripe with these sorts of places.

There wasn’t much seating as most of it was booked out, but they didn’t mind us hanging around. The terrace at the front I imagine would be nice in the summer sun too.

Drink prices seemed about average. Overall, not a mind-blowing night out but pleasant enough.