O perfil de hartberg

There’s not that many places in London that do a really good Falafel. Moaz, however, does.

For those that don’t know, Falafel is a middle eastern vegetarian dish made from chick peas that have been blended with some spices, deep-fried and is normally served in pitta with salad.

Don’t be blinded by all the items on the menu at Maoz. Go straight up and ask for the biggest pitta they got and get them to fill it up with Falafel. And don’t deprive yourself of extra Hummus and fried aubergine. Well worth the extra 50p.

After they hand you your choice it’s then time to tackle the salad counter where you have free-reign to balance as much as you can on top of your Falafel and pitta! I seriously recommend the cumin carrots and the fried cauliflower. They might not look that great, but they taste amazing.

There’s a small seating area but you might have to buddy up with some strangers because there’s only 3 or 4 tables. Don’t worry though, anyone who’s a friend of Falafel, should be considered a friend of yours!

Maoz is cheap, very tasty and relatively healthy. Perfect if you’ve had a few light ales and can’t quite bring yourself to go down the elephant-leg kebab route…

What a boozer! Ok, it smells a bit, it’s a bit grubby and I’ve had the occasional dodgy pint in there (not the Guinness though, which is always on tip-top form) but where else could you go to see a random bloke getting shirtless, putting an arm round you and your mates to have a good old sing-song? Or a 90-year old woman having a right old dance to loud Irish music?

Best bits: The drinks aren’t over-priced unlike many other Ealing boozers, the atmosphere is great (as long as you’re not here for a quiet pint and don’t mind being befriended by a random), location (right by Ealing Broadway), the Guinness is lovingly served, they sell Tayto crisps.

Worst bits: The unusual aroma (don’t worry, it isn’t there all the time) and the bands that play on Sundays!! Although, if you drink enough, they sometimes become a 'best bit’.

Whatever you do though, don’t sit near the door to the Gents - there’s only one door so the whole pub gets to see in whenever it opens and gets wafted when it closes.

Dart board? Check! Pool table? Check! Pub Quiz? Check! Food? Check! Friendly staff seving a range of drinks? Check! Not sure what else you could want from a proper 'local’ really? And very different from the Wheatsheaf only 2 doors down.

This isn’t a Gastropub. It doesn’t try to be a trendy bar. It’s a pub. People come here to drink and have a giggle with mates. You know what you’re getting. That’s not to say you can’t have a decent meal and a glass of wine of course but don’t expect anything too unusual on the menu.

A recent change in ownership has seen a few changes. For the better I think. It seems a bit cleaner, and the food appears to have improved somewhat. The pub quiz has changed dates from a Thursday to a Tuesday (although I’m told the somewhat mental quizmaster no longer presides).

There’s a fairly predictable choice of drinks available but the real ale has at least been well looked after on the occasions i’ve frequented even if the range on offer could be greater.

There’s a slightly raised dining area at the back and a lovely patio out to the side for warmer days/smokers.

How easy is it to write reviews of places where the food is this good?! The problem is, how to remember all the amazing dishes you’ve had.

My first visit to this fantastic Tapas, Charcuterie and wine bar was for a sit-down tapas meal at lunchtime with some colleagues. We selected a decent array of dishes but we had to order more Pork Belly (Confit of 'Gloucester Old Spot’ Pork Belly with rosemary scented cannelini beans) because we ended up fighting over it. It was incredible. As were all the other dishes of course but this was a definite favourite. I ended up coming back the next week just to try some more!

Subsequent visits have not disappointed either. The fish selections are first-rate with the Smoked Monkfish (Smoked Monkfish with Gooseberry Puree and Pancetta) and the scallops (Sauteed Scallops with Romanesque Puree & PX Caramel) really standing out.

This is also one of those tapas restaurants where vegetarians can also expect to leave satisfied with the non-meat options. Items such as the Stuffed Cougette flowers and the sautéed Girolles sure to excite even the most carnivorous members of your group.

Finally, the upstairs area also serves as a very pleasant wine bar with it’s own bar snacks menu. Surely any place that boasts quails’ eggs and acorn-fed Iberico ham as 'bar snacks’ has got to be worth a visit.

The Diner is a fun, American-style, er… Diner. It has been well set up and decorated with cool little booths and the compulsory stools by the bar.

A few people have commented below about the quality of the burgers. They certainly weren’t the best burgers you’ll ever have but my decision to go with a chilli burger seems to have paid off because I thought it was great. Perhaps the chilli overpowered the taste… I also like the fact that they gave a choice of how you wanted it cooked. Not enough burger places do that here in the UK.

The sides on offer here are great. We had skinny fries and onion rings but from what we could see on other tables, everything looked good.

And then the drinks… There’s no way I would’ve gone near an alcoholic milkshake that contained JD and peanut butter unless I’d already’ve had a few light ales. But I’m glad I did. Alcoholic milkshakes are the way to go and I hope to see more of them on menus elsewhere in London!

Little side note about the toilets: blue for boys, pink for girls. We had fun laughing people get that wrong… But then as I said above, them alcoholic milkshakes were gooood.

There’s a few of these knocking round London now. They’re pretty cheap and the food is decent and well-presented.

Taro offers a range of Japanese treats. Their menu contains a number of great sides (the gyoza is terrific - not too greasy) and some fantastic looking mains. They also serve a handsome assortment of sushi and sashimi. Best of all, their set bento boxes contain sushi, sashimi, edamame and a choice of main. The Beef Teriyaki bento is fantastic.

This place isn’t fancy. But it felt pretty authentic and the food is as good as its equivalent restaurants in Tokyo.

Although Soho isn’t exactly short on sandwich bars, there aren’t that many that will make you a wrap as big as your thigh.

The menu items are pricey but incredibly tasty. Simple sarnies that you pick yourself are much cheaper. There are numerous types of bread to choose from as well as wraps and salads for those trying to convince themselves that they’re being healthy. To be fair though, all the ingredients look really fresh and there’s no way that amount of greenery can be too bad for you.

I’d recommend the toasted focaccias or ciabattas. Anything with extra cheese… And be patient, this isn’t the fastest sandwich in Soho. But worth the wait.

This place is absolutely filthy. It doesn’t matter how hungry you are or how many light ales you’ve consumed, never NEVER eat here. Walk round the corner to Euro Cafe or cross the road to the chippy. Even Subway is better because this is one of the worst kebaberies you’ll ever eat at.

Not only is it dirty inside (not the biggest problem - it’s a kebab stand after all) but the food served is really poor. Dry, reheated and bland.

Yes, the toilets are a bit scummy, and yes, the pub isn’t exactly what you’d call classy - the floors are a bit sticky, it might even smell a bit - but what a top boozer. I feel ashamed that it has taken me so long to get my review of this Soho legend up.

The Fullers pub is probably my favourite pub in London. The bar staff are friendly, the ales are well looked after, the music is (mostly) brilliant and the atmosphere is first-class.
There’s always a crowd of people stood in the ally to the side of the pub. This is partly because the pub is so small. But where this pub really shines, is late on a Friday night when everyone’s crammed into the pub. A top place to get a bit twisted on London Pride.
And now onto the toilets. There are three urinals in the gents that are so close together, it can be a bit of a squeeze with just 2 people using them. You do occasionally get a third person trying to squeeze in but this is not to be recommended.

Don’t come here if you want a cocktail, a quiet night, or a seat.

Do come here if you fancy a proper ale, some loud music and a messy night on the beers.

Whenever it’s someone’s birthday in our office, we pool all our money and head down to Amato’s for one of their AMAZING cakes. They look fantastic, but the best part, is that they teaste even better.

There’s a vast array of pastries and smaller cakes to choose from too but one personal favourite is the vanilla cream-filled donuts that are so big, they have their own gravitational pull. That might be why I’m in there all the time…