28-Dec-2014

Dinner For Two

V.I.P. (Very Italian Pizza), Brighton

I think my now it has become abundantly clear that Mr.Boyfriend and I have a thing for Italian food. If it wasn't for me trying to stay in shape and him, wanting a steak every now and then, we'll probably never ever eat anything else. Pizza and pasta are The Best! Full stop. That's why finding a good pizzeria is incredibly important for us, a place on which we can rely on to deliver good quality pizza made with authentic ingredients and without costing us more than a weeks rent.

That said, I've been eyeing a new place new Old Stein, Brighton, for a while now. I've only heard good reviews for this restaurant, which have to say something about it, right? Even our snobby-and-hard-to-satisfy-about-everything-Italian friend Sam gave it his approving nod, so we were ready to give it a shot! So last week, before the whole Christmas craze started, Mr.Boyfriend and I dressed up and paid V.I.P. a visit.

The service is extremely friendly, they are all Italians and this is their family business, so you can imagine the picture. The interior in the restaurant is somewhere between rough chic and authentic Italian smallness. It is nice, but nothing shiny and fancy about it. We were seated on a table close to the door, that wasn't much of a problem but I would've preferred one of the other empty ones that weren't so close to the drift. After a quick look at the menu, we chose to start with Capresse, because this is like the most basic Italian thing ever. Even though it took them good half an hour to slice a tomato and drizzle it with salt and olive oil. On the bright side, this was probably one of the best Capresse salads I have ever had - the tomato was perfectly ripe, juicy and fresh, and the mozzarella was beyond delicious.

For mains we went for pizzas, what a surprise, right! I ordered Quattro Stagioni (tomato, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, black olives and artichokes) while Mr.Boyfriend decided to have Parma (tomato, mozzarella, Parma ham, parmigiano shavings, rocket). The pizzas arrived promptly right after our starters, hot, fresh and full of aromas, including the one of stone-baked pizza (scored major points with me there). The pizzas were huge, by the way, big enough for sharing, if you ask me, but we all know how greedy we all become when it comes to sharing food. Especially pizza... So, back to the point. V.I.P are not afraid to load the pizzas with the good goods. Well, they are not overloading the pizzas, but they are not Donatello, they are making sure that you're having a bite-full of everything you wanted on your pizza. Mr.Boyfriend raised the point that his pizza was slightly on the salty side, but nothing too extreme and inedible. I was very happy with mine, but I', rarely not happy with pizza.
The only real issue I had with V.I.P. was that they are slow and forgetful. After they served our salad I asked for a glass of tap water and it took them only one whole dinner to remember and to bring my glass of water with the bill. That is unacceptable, but I guess everything cannot be perfect at the same time. Especially at the price that you're paying in V.I.P. - for the quality and quantity of food they are offering, it's dirty cheap! Our whole bill, including a pint of Italian beer and a large glass of the more expensive red wine, came to less than 30 GBP, High five for that!

Overall, this was an amazing experience and I understand why everyone have been praising this plase. They are really good, probably my new favourite staff-my-face-with-pizza place in Brighton. Look out guys, I found a new Italian little gem!

Food: 9/10
Service: 6/10

Interior: 7/10

Location: 8/10
Pricing: 9/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Would we go back: Yes! Yes! Yes! But they have to speed up their service, you guys. As someone who runs around to serve clients and tries to get back to them with the speed of light - 45-50 minutes for a glass of water is too much! But the food, oh deer god, the food is GOOD!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

27-Oct-2014

Ice Cream For Two

Boho Gelato, Brighton

I can't believe I haven't reviewed Boho Gelato until now! This is my most favourite place in town, the best ice cream I have ever had, amazing and beyond any classifications! The place is hidden on a small street just of Pool Valley coach station in Brighton, and is a favourite among locals and visitors. I remember that when I moved in here on our very first walk in Brighton Mr.Boyfriend took me there and I was beyond charmed.

They are few thinks that set Boho Gelato from the rest of the places: 1) they use only localy sourced products and make all the ice creams in the shop; 2) they are constantly changing the flavours of the ice creams they offer, experimenting bravely with flavours and combinations, even including suggestions from children; 3) there are always at least 4-5 vegan options, but the taste is still impeccable and rich.

The only con I found is that they don't have many sitting place. And by they don't have many I mean they hardly have any - 2 small tables just outside the shop and 4 stools inside it. However, they are not a gelateria, they are a gelato shop, which means that you go in, you choose your ice cream and then you leave. Simple as that.

So, after a short walk on Saturday, I told Mr.Boyfriend that I'm not going home without paying Boho Gelato a visit. I wanted a good ice cream and I wanted it now. Lucky for me, he didn't mind at all, so he obediently followed me on my quest for amazing ice cream.

After a short taste testing session, we decided to have two scoops each, making a total of four different tastes. We had Raspberry and Elder-flower, Pear and Almond, Sour Cherry, and Salted Caramel Pretzel. Where should I start from?  The Raspberry and Elder-flower was bery rich and tangy taste, a bit sour, a bit addictive, very different from the standard raspberry ice cream. The Pear and Almond was very sweet, full with pieces of pears and tiny sliced of almonds, extremely creamy and thick. A real gelato type ice cream! Sour Cherry was from the same palette as the Sour Cherry, but *surprise-surprise* sour and with big real chunks of cherry Creamy, rich, fulfilling, ice cream that is worth the time spent doing it. And last but not least, the Salted Caramel Pretzel which is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you dear to try it, you'll be delighted by it's creamy wet salty taste, the crispy pieces of pretzel and the harmony of these tastes. It tastes like something that you'll snack on whenever you want to indulge and you're not willing to give up either of your favourite snacks - salted caramels and pretzels.

The atmosphere in the shop is of the modern artisan shop this place actually is. All the staff is very friendly and nice, they will always offer you to try the ice-creams before you choose and will help you make the tough decision which ice creams you're having today. The price is about right for the product they are offering, and I couldn't be more happy to pay for the time and efforts spend preparing this ice-cream. And hey, this is Brighton after all, 2,60 for scoop is normal!

Food: 10/10
Service: 9/10

Interior: 6/10

Location: 8/10
Pricing: 9/10

Overall Grade: 9/10

Would we go back: Hell YEAH! ALWAYS! You hear me, ALWAYS! I literally don't eat ice cream from any other shop in Brighton! Why would anyone?

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

14-Oct-2014

Diner For Two

Topolino Duo, Brighton

Nothing beats a good spontaneous diner with the person you love, especially when the food is good.

Last night Mr.Boyfriend indulged me and took me to a shop I wanted to visit across town. After yet again unsuccessful shopping spread we decided that the weather is just too good for us to go straight back home, so we park by the sea and took a nice long walk into town. On our way back to the car we passed by a small cute looking Italian restaurant  and since we both were starving already, we decided to pay it a visit.

While Topolino Duo doesn't strike as a fancy place, we were greeted more than politely and warmly and were offered any table that suits us. Few short seconds afterwards we were presented with the menus and let to decide what we are having. Being very hungry we ordered two big main courses to share - Pizza Volcano - advertised as pizza for two - and from the list with today's specials - Red Tomato Sauce Mussels. A respectable lady with thick Italian accent warned us that this is plenty of food for just two people but we insisted on it. For drinks we had a bottle of Peroni each.

The food arrived promptly after just enough time. We could see the chef preparing our pizza kneading the dough and throwing it above his head, just like they do in movies. They baked the pizza in one of these huge charcoal ovens that mark the food with the unmistakable slightly bitter taste of fire and aroma of home-made goods. We were more than pleased with the pizza, huge and full with veggies, cheese, mozzarella, ham and sausage. It was a delightful dish, probably one of the best pizzas I have ever had.

The Mussels arrived in the traditional cooking dish and the amount we were served was abundant. The also serve them with home made chips, so this is an extra point for them. The mussels were nice and fresh, the flesh was tender and well cooked, the sauce complementing their taste just right.

Just as the matrona had warned us - the food turned out to be way too much for just the two of us. We finished the mussels since there is no way we can reheat them at home later on and asked the left-over pizza to be pack for take-away.

During the whole evening the staff was attentive and friendly without being patronizing and annoying. We felt welcomed and well taken care of and we simply loved the food. While the restaurant doesn't strike with amazing atmosphere and no paintings in heavy frames are hanging on the walls, this place compensates with the feeling that you're in your local bistro, just around the corner in your favorite cute and quite Italian rural village. And this feeling - this is priceless!

Food: 9/10
Service: 7/10

Interior: 6/10

Location: 8/10
Pricing: 9/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Would we go back: Hell YEAH! Give me good pizza made with good ingredients and cold beer and I'm set for lifetime. And if you offer fresh seafood on reasonable prices - I'll be yours until the end of times!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

11-Oct-2014

Beers For Few

Bottom's Rest, Brighton

After much anticipation Mr.Boyfriend finally celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday. Unfortunately the weather was really bad, thunders and lightnings and pouring rain bad, so plenty of people couldn't come and that was a bit stupid but nevermind. He loved his present from our friends - a bike repair stand and was more than happy to use it today already (fixing my bike...).

A lot of our friends have been talking about this pub, Donkey's Ass, and after a short Googling we discovered that it's real name is Bottom's Rest and it actually has a fairly good reputation among Brightoners and visitors. Mr.Boyfriend promptly booked a table for 8 o'clock on Friday night, yesterday, and when we arrived we were more than pleased that he did so. The pun was beyond full, there were people everywhere, some even sitting outside in spite of the pouring rain.

Since I was the designated driver for the night all I had was tap water with ice. Exciting! However, I paid attention to what the rest of the guys were having I can conclude that the pub has a nice selection of beers and ciders, among other things Guinness and San Miguel on the tab, which is a rather rare occurrence. As far as I could see their wine list wasn't extensive, just few wines written on the black board, but in all fairness pubs are not exactly known for their wine cellars, are they. The only other information I can provide for the drinks at Bottom's Rest is that their San Miguel tasted as if they had been playing cheap since the beer tasted inimpressively watery and plain. Even for Spaniards' beer.

Unfortunately I wasn't very impressed with their food menu either, Very unimaginative and boring selection of the most typical pub food, from the hallumi being the only vegetarian option to the fish fingers as an option for fishy burger. We had the classic beef burgers, because I didn't get the chance of the chicken burger since they had run out of it earlier, and they, again, were very average. The buns weren't impressive, but at least they didn't taste cheap, the burgers themselves were small and smelled funky, the ketchup they were served with was watery and the chips were old and fat. So, yes, overall, the dining experience wasn't all that great.

The atmosphere in the pub is standard for the pub type of places - stools and corner sofas, sticky tables, dim lightning and a thing or two hanging on the walls. There were four people working FOH* this evening and they didn't seem very keen on it. Two of them were trying to stick behind the bar, but every now and then they will run somewhere on the floor to do something or to greet someone. And then the other two were supposed to run the floor but they will spend time chatting with someone, so a bit disorganised I think. The only lady in the collective managed to drop few things when taking away the plates, few time and, along with the rest of her colleagues, she seemed joyfully tipsy. Not that being joyful and tipsy is a bad thing, I'm just not sure if I like it.

Oh, and the place was SO noisy, it was impossible to have a decent conversation whatsoever!

Food: 3/10
Service: 4/10

Interior: 6/10

Location: 5/10
Pricing: 4/10

Overall Grade: 4/10

Would we go back: For drinks - maybe, although the location is a bit off and it's a pain in the neck to get there with a car, but I mist be starving and dying in order to eat there again.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

5-Oct-2016

Lunch For Two

Noodle Soup, West Street, Brighton

Yesterday was a busy busy day. I spent the first half of it out, roaming around in Brighton and the second, working a busy shift at work and closing the restaurant in the end. The day was so stuffed with events and things to do that I only 5 minutes after I came back home I had to leave again. And no, not that I forgot that I had a shift and acted completely irresponsible, I was just part of a bigger group of people and it wasn't all about how I feel but rather than what the group wants to do and when.

Spending the whole day away from home meant that Mr.Boyfriend and I were to have lunch somewhere new. To be honest, we first tried our luck at Foodilic but it was so full that they didn't have a tiny table for the two of us. So, after we recovered from the initial shock that we won't be able to have lunch in our favourite place to lunch, we decided that will stroll around a little more and will decided on the go. Oh, good thing we did that or we wouldn't find Noodle Soup.

Don't expect anything grand or spectacular. It's a tiny restaurant that can seat 25 people at most and it's rather busy. For the whole time that we were there, close to an hour, people we coming and going, eating in and taking away, a constant string of hungry people. It's worth noting that Mr.Boyfriend and I were the only non-asians in the whole place, and this is always a good sign, an excellent one!

After taking a look at the menu we were more than happy to see that all the dishes are around 8GBP, which was great great news. All the soups seemed rather delicious and we choose one with duck and one with beef because they looked very nice on the picture. It's a silly way to make a decision but since neither of us knows a lot about Noodle soups it was the only way we could choose it.
Around 10 minutes after we ordered the soups arrived - a huge steaming bowl each. The food didn't arrive straight away nor took ages so we were more than happy to taste it - delightful and warm, the stock was full of tastes and aromas, the veggies were plenty and cooked well and the amount of meat each of us had was beyond enough. It wasn't really spicy, but definitely was tangy on the tongue, just like it's supposed to be. Mr.Boyfriend finished his in no time and then helped me finish mine since the serving was far too generous for my appetite. Both of us were more than happy with our soups and with the service - the staff was polite, clean-looking, helpful and smiling. The place is not big so it might get a bit crowded and the decor it's not exactly exquisite but other than that, I cannot think about a bad thing to say about this place.

Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10

Interior: 6/10

Location: 8/10
Pricing: 9/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Would we go back: Of course, I can't think of better noodle soup in Brighton, especially at these prices. Suprime!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

29-Sept-2014

Lunch For Two

JB Diner, Brighton

How do I even start this? I can't think of an appropriate way of expressing my tremendous disappointment with this place. It was a disgrace!

Mr.Boyfriend and I went there for a lunch on Saturday because he had some nice memories from the last time he went, maybe 5 or so years ago. After being seated at sticky sofas and cheap looking table we were given the menu by a waitress in an obvious hurry to get away from us. Never realised that we make such a disgusting couple but Hey, you learn new things every day.

The bunch of running around waitresses, all very bubbly and giggling with the boys seated a table from us, needed around 10 minutes to realise that our menus have been down for quite a while and we were more than ready to order. Mr.Boyfriend was having the King Burger and a pint of Coors light beer while I had a Chicken BLT Burger and a Caramel Milkshake. After taking our orders it took only minute to have our food in front of us. While sometimes we all wish food miraculously showed in a matter of seconds in our plates, this is never a good sign when one's eating out. Why? Well, because this means this food is not made-to-order but instead is lying around, cooked, and it's waiting for someone to order it so it can be reheated in few seconds and served.

This was exactly the case with our burgers. The buns were from the cheapest possible brand in the corner shop, characterised by unmistakable sweetish taste, yellow colour and the fact that they dissolve the moment you touch them. My chicken had no taste whatsoever, it was hard and unpleasant to chew on. Mr.Boyfriend's burger bun was the same story and his pulled pork tasted slightly off. The latter might be the result of overdoing with the BBQ sauce or I don't know what.

All burgers come with chips and salad as a garnish. And while the portions of cheap, reheated chips were more than generous, the salad was close to nonexistent and it would've been less embarrassing for the establishment if it wasn't served at all.

Taking in account that the food took lest that 2 minutes to arrive, the drinks took their sweet time. Or should I say the waitress currently behind the bar took close to 15 minutes to stop chatting up with the guys hitting on her and to remember she had beer to pour and milkshake to make. While I don't have any comments on a brand of beer that I have never tried before, I have one or two about the milkshake. How about how disgustingly dirty the glass and the shaker were. Or the fact that someone hadn't learnt their measurements because half of the ice-cream promised for the milkshake was served in said shaker. Or that the waitress almost poured it all over me, And that they forgot to add any caramel sauce to the so-called caramel milkshake.

After we ate as much as we could before deciding that the stomachache is not worth. We managed to distract one of the waitresses from her very important conversations enough to ask for the bill and were served yet another unpleasant surprise. Oh, hello, there is a serves included in the check, because this is how we do it. We overcharge for cheap bad food and then we punish you by adding the tip without even asking. I just hope that these 10% don't go to the owners, you know.

The overall verdict is that this was an expensive, old McDonald's that is licensed to server alcohol. Fast food on steroid. A place to avoid on all costs!

Food: 1/10

Service: 2/0

Interior: 1/10

Location: 8/10

Pricing: 1/10

Overall Grade: 2/10

Will I go back? NEVER. You read that, I will not eat at this place EVER again. If I feel like fast food I would much rather go to McDonald's where it's cheaper and the staff knows me and will prepare the food especially for me.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

5-Sept-2014

Lunch For Two

Sushi Garden, Brighton

Both Mr.Boyfriend and I love love loove exotic food. Especially Asian food. Especially Japanese. Well, at least I do, quite a lot.

The other day, just before we left for Bulgaria, we spent the whole day in town, starting off our vacation. After we had another great breakfast in Moksha, this time accompanied by two amazing smoothie, and I went crazy gift shopping, we felt like eating lunch somewhere new. Mr.Boyfriend said he feels like eating something exotic and after a quick stroll down Preston Street we decided to give Sushi Garden a chance.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is very serene and peaceful, it feels like a hidden piece of sound paradise. Since we had no idea whatsoever about anything in the menu we decided to go with the set lunch menu of the day and I'm so glad we did! It was Wednesday so we had the pleasure of eating Katsu Lunch set and both of us chose the chicken version over the pork one. The food arrived shortly after we ordered and looked, smelled and tasted magnificently! A single meal consisted of Miso soup, small salad, a bowl of pickled veggies, a generous bowl of rice and 8 pieces of crunchy chicken koroke, plus a bowl of sauce. And I have no idea if the chicken fillets were fried, baked, grilled or what. All I know is that it was so filling and tasty and amazing, the staff was so nice, respectful, helpful and well trained that Sushi Garden is going to become one of our regular places. Because all of us need good quality Japanese food in our lives!

Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10

Interior: 7/10

Location: 7/10
Pricing: 7/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Would we go back: As soon as we go back home, in Brighton! This place is an amazing combination between amazing food, good service and reasonable pricing! Our new favourite Asian place!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

18-Aug-2014

Light Luncheon For Five

Mr.Wolfe, Brighton

Yesterday, after my last shift for McDonald's, Mr.Boyfriend and I went out for a light lunch with our friends. The Royal Couple, Sara and her husband (Mr.Boyfriend's and mine best friends) have been talking about this "ah-mazing" place just around the corner of theirs. They tend to be rather snobbish when it comes to food serving establishments and when they recommend a place, most times it will turn out to be a really good place indeed.

Mr.Wolfe serves a fairly large range of organic food, from sandwiches and cakes to tarts and soups. They also serve excellent coffee and nice tea.

The whole shop has this vintage, hipster, eco-friendly, very European look to it. It reminds me of my favourite getaway spot back in my hometown - a very hipster place where you cannot find two chairs to match. But back to Mr.Wolfe. They prepare all the food then and there, so if you have a rather big order, be prepared to wait a fair bit. But it's so worthy. Mr.Boyfriend and I both had the Home-made BLC with rocket and mayo, Mr.Royal had Goat Cheese & roasted peppers with caramelised onions, rocket and mayo while Mrs.Royal and our dear room-mate Papa Bear had Roasted squash & emmental with black olives, rocket and mayo. You can see the tendency here, right? Rocket and mayo? I must say, they were a good match to each and every of the sandwiches. While the BLC failed to surprise me because of it's over-popular nature, the Roasted squash and emmental was a mind-blowingly good combination, so good that I want to recreate it at home. Goat cheese and roasted peppers wasn't bad either, very sweet and tender taste, definitely a hit.

Of course, all of us ordered cakes as well, because there is only one Sunday in a week, so Carpe Diem! I had Lemon and Coconut slice, which had very bright and specific taste. The sourness of the lemon was just harsh enough to make the overly-sweet coconut worth the effort. Very light and taste texture and amazing lemon butter-cream frosting. Mr.Boyfiend went for the riches cake on the menu, as per se, the Chocolate and Hazelnut meringue cake. It's basically a rich, dense chocolate cake and a hazelnut meringue on top of it, the whole thing connected through a layer of chocolate ganache. I could never eat even half a slice of this cake, so sweet, so rich, but Mr.Boyfriend absolutely loved every bite of it. Next up, The Royal Couple shared a Macadamia Brownie and Smillie Face Big Cookie. The Brownie was good, gooey and moist, with a very nice, nutty but subtle Macadamia taste. The Smillie Face cookie was cute looking but didn't surprise with it' taste, not even a bit. Standard cookie, just with a face on it. And last, but not least, Papa Bear had Chocolate, Beetroot and Raspberry Cake, a rather nice surprise. I'm usually very suspicious towards cakes with vegetables in them, I always worry that the savoury watery taste will make the cake taste bad. Well, not this time. Not sure if that was thanks to the very refreshing and sense-surprising raspberry, or just the vegetable-involving cakes are not so bad after all, but the cake was good.

However, there are two problematic things that I need to address in order to be completely fair.

• ONE - Their food arriving schedule is completely messed up. They brought the cakes first, then after some time the sandwiches arrived and finally, after more than half an hour sitting there, our drinks arrived. None of us ordered a fancy cocktail or even a cappuccino. Two lattes, a black coffee, a tea and a glass of apple juice. That's it, nothing complicated, nothing that takes plenty of time to be prepared or whatever. However this venture took the staff (that is otherwise perfectly nice and friendly) well around half an hour. And this is unacceptable.
• TWO - On their wall-menu they offer organic, farm-made, real apple juice. It sounded like a dream come true, there is nothing better than organic farm-made apple juice. However, just before I received my glass, I saw them pouring it from a bottle of Innocent juice. Not nice. If I wanted factory-made bottled juice, I would've gone to ASDA.

Food: 9/10

Service: 610

Interior: 10/10

Location: 9/10

Pricing: 7/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Will I go back? Sure, the cakes were great, the coffee was great, the sandwiches were great. I won't order apple juice again with them and will make sure to let them know that I prefer my cake last and my drink first, but other than that - my new favourite spot for coffee and quite ME-time in town!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

11-Aug-2014

Dinner for Two

Donatello, Brighton

One thing I will miss most once Mr.Boyfriend and I return back in our suburban house will be the opportunity to just go out and simply walk into a random place and have dinner. Because, you know, if we decide we want to have dinner we can't simply take a short walk and be somewhere, we need to either drive or cycle there. Yes, the great pleasures of living in the city outskirts, there is nothing to do but sit in the garden and stare in the sky (which is definitely something I dearly miss in the city flat). 

Last night we decided that we don't feel like cooking dinner and decided to use our last Sunday in town by treating ourselves with dinner. Yes, we love food and we are not afraid to say it! We decided to take a walk around the South Lanes and to choose a place as we go. After maybe 5 minutes of roaming around the small streets we came across Brighton's own Donatello. The Italian restaurant is quite famous around town and you can see it's advertising almost anywhere. Oh, they are also the sponsors of University of Sussex Squash Team, that both Mr.Boyfriend and I support.

The place was crowded even on Sunday evening, almost all tables were full with giggling, munching companies. A good sign, if you ask me! Looking at the menu we decided to go for the 3 Course Menu For 9.95 deal, which sounded as a good value for the money.
For starters Mr.Boyfriend and I chose to have Prawn Cocktail and Funghi Trifolati - mushrooms cooked in butter, garlic and parsley. To be honest I was expecting a bit more from the starters, both in terms of quality and quantity. Not that they were bad, no, not at all, I just expected a tad more than that. The food wasn't just looking quite presentable. I felt like I'm eating in a small forgotten by the gods place in some tiny village, not in one of the most popular places in Brighton. Nevermind.
For main course we decided to eat pizza, since both of us have been talking about eating pizza but never came around making it ourselves. Mr.Boyfriend chose Donatello while I decided to go for my favourite one - Funghi e Proscuitto. Both pizzas were thin and crispy, exactly to Mr.Boyfriend's liking but not to mine. I like a nice, thick pizza where I can actually taste the taste of the dough. However it was a pleasant surprise to see that they were stone-baked. I always prefer the nutty smoky taste of stone-baked pizza over the mainstream one of oven-baked. The pizzas were huge in terms of size, but unfortunately they were rather scarce on the topping of the pizza. If it wasn't for the stone-baking this pizzas would've been a complete disgrace.
Choosing desserts was very easy. Mr.Boyfriend knew since we sat in an Italian restaurant that he wants a Tiramisu, and I usually go for the chocolate cake - Torta al Tartufo. The tiramisu was soggy and the cream tasted a bit strangely, the dessert chef definitely added a tad too much brandy in this batch. My cake was fresh and light and this is all I can say about it. Nothing memorable, maybe only the really light chocolate cream in which consisted half of the cake.
Because we were celebrating the everyday life, we decided to order a bottle of red wine. Since I'm the one that's more into wine, Mr.Boyfriend left me to choose. I chose a Sicilian Merlot from Cusumano vineyard, it's price-tag saying 13.95. It was semi-full bodied wine with spicy tobacco and oatly taste.Strong in taste, especially on the tannin side, it was not bad of a choice.
The worst part about Donatello is the feeling you get from there - like you are on a conveyor line or in a high-budget canteen. There is nothing personal about the place, nothing that makes it stand out. Everything is so generic that it gets annoying.
Oh, and I must mention, we had the rudest of waitresses. She always looked bored and out-of-touch, like we were just wasting air in the rooms. She wasn't interested in giving recommendation, accommodating us,  being polite or even saying "Hello" and "Goodbye". As someone who's currently working in the same business as her, I know that I would've get fired the second someone catches a glimpse of me acting like this. Attitude problems at their finest!

Food: 5/10

Service: 310

Interior: 4/10

Location: 6/10

Pricing: 4/10

Overall Grade: 4/10

Will I go back? I don't think so. Brighton is a town where there is a place to eat for everyone's budget and taste. Donatello is just not worth for what it offers.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

6-Aug-2014

Coffee And Cake For One

!Revival Coffee Company

I had my McDonald's day off this Monday so I decided that I need to take myself for a coffee and cake somewhere I haven't been before. So, I putted my favourite dress on, my new pretty shoes and just walked without direction. I ended up all the way over in the middle of Hove, no idea whatsoever where I am nor how I got there. I found something that seemed like a main street, but tiny, full of coffee shops, vintage shops and benches. A perfect place, really.

So, browsing around I decided to stop at !Revival, because I liked the wooden interior inside and they had a huge sign saying that they have great milkshakes and home-made cakes. Milk and cake, I was sold.

The place offers a very non-english atmosphere, very laid back, nature orientated and even kind of rustic. They have a fair range of cakes and numerous cold drinks, perfect for the summer. I chose the Walnut and Coffee cake to try there and Classic Fruit cake to take away, because I know that I will never bother to make either at home. The cakes were delicious and rich. The coffee cream was very light and intense tasting and the walnut cake layers were so fluffy, I could bet they are made out of clouds. And the fruit cake had such great abundance of fruits that felt refreshingly delightful! I also ordered a Chocolate and Cherry milkshake, because why not? I can have it all on my day off! However, I found the milkshake a bit too rich for my taste, too much cocoa and cherry syrup, too little milk.

Nevertheless, I find this place probably the best for cakes in Brighton, at least so far. The cakes were actually quite cheap at 2.50 per piece to eat in. And the pieces are rather generous!

Food: 8/10

Service: 710

Interior: 8/10

Location: 6/10

Pricing: 8/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Will I go back? Of course I will. Superb cakes!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

3-Aug-2014

Lunch For Two

Foodilic, North Road, Brighton

Two days ago I had a day off, the first time in a while. Living in the city center and having a free day meant only one thing - window shopping and eating out. However, I was lucky enough Mr.Boyfriend to decide to take the afternoon off work and to join me for a late lunch.

There are few places in town where we consciously go numerous times. Like The Cow on Sunday, for burgers. Or Boho Gelato, whenever we are in the neighborhood, for icecream. Or Foodilic, whenever we are hungry for fresh, juicy food.

In Brighton there are two branches of the Serbian restaurant for fresh, delicious food. The one on North Road is food eat-all-you-can buffer and the one on Western Road is a restaurant-based. Although the restaurant is not bad at all, our hearts belong to the buffer, simply because we love the abundance of salads and vegetarian based dishes.

I always first try the salads, their bright colours and crispy fresh taste are so tempting to me. So, I started with Beans Salad with Chick Peas, Kidney Beans and Butter Beans with Tomato and Red Onion; Summer Salad with Mixed Leaves with Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry Physalis, Red Chard, Rocket and Mint, and Mediterranean Salad with Tomato, Red Onion, Peppers, Olivers and Feta Cheese. Mr.Boyfriend, who is more carnivorous orientated than me started with Chicken Salad with  Chicken Breast, Homemade Mayonnaise and Apple, Coq au Vin, and Arabic Salad with Cous Cous with Spring Onions, Tomato, Fresh Mint, with Golden Syrup and Lemon Dressing. Everything was so fresh and delicious, I loved the Summer Salad and went for more, and Mr.Boyfriend couldn't stop munching the Coq au Vin, his absolute favourite stew in town. I think he likes it even more than the stew I make at home. Next we decided to share some New Roasted Potatoes with Chili Flakes and Salt and Pepper and Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Onion and Pumpkin Seeds. Although the roasted potatoes were quite good, the roasted squash was the true star. Sweet and slightly spicy, very interesting taste and a great combination of flavours. I might actually make this at home! 

Oh, and did I mention that the price for 1 person to eat as much as they can  there is 6.75? It's a sweeet deal!

Food: 9/10

Service: 7/10

Interior: 8/10

Location: 9/10

Pricing: 9/10

Overall Grade: 9/10

Will we go back? Of course we will. We always do. It's one of the best places to eat in town.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

7-Jul-2014

Sunday Roast For Few

Earth And Stars, Brighton

Yesterday was a treat day. There are plenty of guests - the grandparents of one of my housemates and the mother of another one are visiting us, and on top of that our friends also have a friend over. So, it's pretty busy, as you might have guessed.

Since most of your guest are fairly unfamiliar with the typical English food. Pork pies, Shepherd's pies, Fish fingers, Sunday Roast, they all mean little to nothing to our guests. Therefore we decided that we should treat them with the acclaimed best Sunday roast in Brighton - the one in Earth and Stars.

 All of us, except our vegetarian friend, went for the English Rib eye beef, a delightfully tender beef meat, accompanied by lost of cabbage, few carrots and just two potatoes. I wasn't so thrilled about the cooked cabbage, it simply becomes bitter and tasteless for me, but the others seemed to enjoy it. I would've prefer to have a bit more potatoes, and if it's possible - better roasted. These were really thick on the outside and overcooked on the inside - not my cup of tea. But the meat was really nice, although not enough for Mr.Boyfriend who ended up snacking on my cabbage after he finished his meal.

Sam, our honorary vegetarian, had Mushroom and Sussex goat cheese Wellington, which, according to him, was all very nice, although a bit too salty for him. The puff pastry was really good and the portion was enough for him. However, I'm not sure if it would've been enough for someone who likes to eat a tad more.

It gets quite busy on Sundays, so if you feel like going, I would recommend booking a table. They don't have too much tables, so if you just show up you probably won't be able to find a seat. Oh, and be prepared to pay a good amount of money for your meal, the pub is "all organic, local and free ranged" so it comes with the price for it.

Food: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Interior: 4/10

Location: 6/10

Pricing: 4/10

Overall Grade: 5/10

Will we go back? We might, but probably won't. At least not for Sunday roast. I wasn;t all that impressed, especially for the price. I am still looking for a place to blow my mind with their Sunday Roast!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

4-Jul-2014

Dinner For Two

Pho, Brighton

My shift last night was cancelled just minutes before I left for it so Mr. Boyfriend and I decided that we should go out instead. After all, I had put make-up on already, that happens only once in a blue moon after all.

So, we got in the car and we realised we had no idea where we want to go and what we want to do. Mr.Boyfriend was hungry again, so we decided to have dinner out, just by ourselves. This is quite an extraordinary thing for us to do, in all fairness. So we chose Pho, one of our favourite places in Brighton because we really like it and we definitely don't go there all that often.

Pho is a Vietnamese cafe-restaurant that is mostly known for their pho soups. Those soups are seriously delicious, I promise you, one of the best things I have ever eaten. So, this time we decided to start by ordering a starter and a side dish while we are waiting for our soups. We had summer prawn rolls with peanut sauce and prawn crackers with sweet-n-sour dip. I didn't think that will come the day when I'm going to say this, but I found something more delicious than spring rolls - summer rolls. Light, fresh and so tender, they are spring rolls hunky big brother. Amazing, really, full of fresh mint and crispy prawns. And the prawn crackers were very nice and tasted like the real deal, not like something your corner Chinese shop will serve you.

For mains we chose Hanoi style pho (grilled steak with garlic) and tiger prawns pho. I guess that by now you have guessed my prawns inclination/obsession from last night. It's now completely satisfied, I promise you! Mr.Boyfriend's pho was amazing, with steady garlic-y taste and amazing beef steak. My pho was a bit more sour and lime-y, thanks to the extra lime juice in it. Both soups were fresh and taste, exactly as good as we remembered them to be. Oh, and aren't those portions so big, you can feed 2 people with one soup. Honestly!

Food: 9/10

Service: 6/10

Interior: 9/10

Location: 5/10

Pricing: 8/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Will we go back? Sure we will. Maybe not tomorrow, but we love the place, we love the food, we love it all. We will be going back as long as they keep preparing this delicious, fresh food!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

17-Jun-2014

Dinner For Four

The Cow, Brighton

Among other things, I managed to spend Sunday evening in town with my gorgeous friends. Since we just finished school last Friday, most of us are still in Brighton but not for long. All of m closest friends are international students, so a good bit of them are going home. I actually have just one friend that is staying in Brighton for the Summer and, dear Riccardo, I love you for this.

After drinking beers on the beach and enjoying a casual walk by the seaside we got hungry (what a surprise). I suggested going to The Cow - the place I consider doing the best burgers in Brighton. Oh, and how very nice of them to offer two for one every Sunday, right?

The place looks eclectic and a bit flea-markety and I just love it. They have plenty of tables that can fit parties of all sizes. A collection of rare beer bottles is organised in the back of the pub, fancy-looking beer mats are used to decorate some of the walls, pretty signs are pinned all over the place. It just looks really nice and off the beat, maybe even a bit hipstar, but in a good way. They are located on a place with very easy access and while are still in the city center, they are a bit aside from the noisy crowd. Oh, and it's free to park in front of it every day after 6pm, how cools is that?!

So, since the Sunday deal is 2 4 1 burgers, we had three Original Cow's Burgers and one Hallumi Burger, and all burgers arrive with hand-cut chips and a wide range of sauces. We also ordered a pint of Blue Moon craft beer, a pint of Cobra beer, a Apple Virgin Mojito Mocktail and a Peach Sniper Mocktail. The food arrived incredibly fast less than 10 minutes after we ordered, which was a good surprise since the pub was, as usually, crowded even thought was Sunday. The Original Cow's were all perfect, served medium rare and a tad spicy. Everything in the burger looked appetizing, especially the home-made glazed burger buns that after baking were grilled with herbs. Yum! The burger itself was more than a decent sized, obviously home-made, obviously artisan. It was accompanied but not overthrown by some onions, two large tomato slices and a bit of lettuce. The chips was nice and crispy while still tender on the inside. According to Riccardo the chips asked for some salt, but for me they were perfect. My friend Katja's Hallumi burger was also great - 3 huge pieces of grilled hallumi in combination with portobello mushroom and roasted red peppers. Great vegetarian combination, worth trying even if you are not vegetarian. I think that next time I'm even going to go with it, the bite I tried was so amazing! And did I mention that that the 2 4 1 price is 9.95 per 2 burgers? How awesome is that?!

I also quite like their mocktails, which are also really cheap - 2.95 GBP per coctail. And not only that- they are really great. The Apple Virgin Mojito is based on apple, lime and mint combination, making it refreshing and sweet, while the Peach Sniper Mocktail is peaches with bitter lemon, which is unexpectedly great combo where the bitter lemon dominates ever so slightly the taste. The Blue Moon craft beer is Belgian-styled wheat ale (think Weissbier, Germany) spiced and served with orange. Very refreshing and special in taste, this is one of my go-to choices when it comes to craft beer. On the other hand, Cobra is Indian pale lager with very clean and clear taste, the traditional taste for a good beer. Since interesting craft beers are a soft spot for the guys in The Cow, feel free to ask the bartender what would they recommend, they always have opinion. Their beers are a bit pricey, but they are definitely worth the price!

I really love this place, they are probably my favourite pub in Brighton and in England overall. They serve excellent food, the best burgers in town, their bartenders and waiting staff are always very polite and helpful, they have great range of good beers and they always, always, always have something new to surprise you with.

Food: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Interior: 8/10

Location: 9/10

Pricing: 9/10 (especially Sunday 2-4-1 Burger evenings)

Overall Grade: 9/10

Will we go back? - Yes! Yes! Yes! Hundred times YES! My favourite pub in Brighton, I'm even planning on going there with my grandparent this Sunday evening!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

16-Jun-2014

Lunch For Two

Iydea, Brighton

Yesterday, I spend the whole day in Brighton, being the fashion adviser to my housemate Sam. We walked up and down the streets, looking for nice and comfortable summer clothes.They had to fit nicely in his already existing wardrobe but still to look better and new. And, as with everything for anyone in our friends circle - they have to be cycling appropriate. After walking for good 4 hours or so, we got hungry and my friend offered to take me to presumably the best vegan/vegetarian establishment in Brighton. This is Iydea.

The place is situated on the edge of Hove, on the so-called main street. It is bright and nice smelling, lots of tables are there for parties of all sizes. The customers can choose to either eat-in, in a lovely hip setting, or to take-away their food and to eat whenever they fancy -home, the beach, the nearby garden, anywhere.

So here's the deal, how it works. You order a main and you get two sides and a topping at the side for the price of your main. The prices vary from 4.70 GBP to 7.70 GBP for eat-in food, slightly less of take-away. The portions are well sized but if your appetite is rather big then you might consider paying extra 1.50 GBP to "Go Large" and have 4 sides and 2 toppings in addition to you main course. In my case, my normal meal was more than enough for me and I had some troubles finishing it all by myself. But this is me.

So, what we had for lunch then. Let me just start by saying that it was delicious and very unexpected. Not unexpectedly delicious, this is a whole other thing, just the tastes and ingredients they combined worked amazingly together, although they were not some that I would've thought they will. My main was a tomato and onion quiche, the sides I chose were carrot with tamari roasted seeds and quinoa and dried fruit salad, and my topping was tzatziki. My friend had fried hallumi (that comes with tartar sauce at the side), cajun potato wedges and green beans with almond and dill at the side and a spicy tomato salsa topping. We also had home-made ginger lemonades which were top notch, honestly!

Our food was fresh and delicious, albeit mine needed a pinch or two salt. The quiche crust was nice, crispy and tasty. The filling was rich, I really enjoyed the lovely tomatoes. My tzatziki was a bit too watery, but nevertheless tasty, while my friend's salsa was simply amazing. I tried a bit of it and I was fully blown away. I can't describe what I liked that much, but I just truly enjoyed it. Sam's cajun wedges were also nice, although I prefer my carrot salad- fresh and refreshing, perfect for the summer. The quinoa salad was sweet and spicy, very interesting taste. I would have never guessed that dried apricots go so well with quinoa. Well, I learn something new every day, don't I. Sam said that the hallumi and the green beans we also very nice, the hallumies were covered in crispy batter and were generous pieces.

Overall I think this is one of the best vegetarian/vegan restaurants I know. There is room for some improvement, of course, but all in all I think it was rather nice and delicious. 

Food: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Interior: 8/10

Location: 9/10

Pricing: 7/10

Overall Grade: 7/10

Will we go back? - Yes, why not. I'm growing rather fond of vegan and vegetarian food, so I would enjoy giving them another try sometime.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

31-May-2014

Coffee, Tea, Cake And Sandwiches For Five Friends

Small Batch Coffee Shop, Brighton

If a place makes a really good coffee, I might remember it and eventually go back. If a place makes a really good tea, then I most certainly will go back again and will tell all my friends about it. And this is exactly the case with Small Batch Coffee Shop and me.

The first time I went in there was almost exactly one year ago. I had a job interview with a private individual and preferred to meet them in public. I know, all very precautious and mindful of me, what can I say? And because you can't sit at an empty table and I was already nervous enough not to drink coffee, I went for a tea. They served me a reasonably big pot of brewing tea and the most beautiful cup I have ever seen in my entire life. I was charmed. My amazing cherry blossom and green tea tasted as I'm eating real cherries, the atmosphere was great and I greatly enjoyed my stay. Ever since then, whenever I go into town, I'm looking forward my cup of tea in the Small Batch Coffee Shop.
So earlier today, after my friends and I prepared one of our friend's birthday present, we decided that we deserve to treat ourselves. The obvious choice was the Small Batch at Norfolk street. My obvious drink of choosing was a jasmine tea, so far one of my favourite ones. Among all of us we also shared a macchiato, a cappuccino, two different types of grilled sandwiches - three cheeses with mushrooms, and ham and cheese with tomato, a flourless chocolate cake and a pecan cinnamon roll. The coffees were nice and rich, and maybe the cappuccino wasn't the best I have ever tried, but it was above the average. The grilled sandwiches were fresh and there was no shortage of the filling. The dessert were also nice, not exquisite and superb, but the cake was gooey and rich, not too sweet, and the cinnamon roll was freshly baked and crispy. I don't have anything bad to say, you know. It was all very good. My tea was perfect, the jasmine flower blossomed in front of our eyes and the brew was intense without getting bitter.
It was enjoyable and the atmosphere in the place is more personal, more intimate. You don't get the feeling that this is just a business, like in the high-street coffee chains. Oh, and a very nice touch of having great plates and cutlery, as well as all of the amazing real wood furniture. You feel welcomed and cherished.


Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Interior: 9/10
Location: 8/10
Pricing: 7/10

Overall Grade: 7/10

Will we go back? - Yes, I love them. They are my little hideout in town, too bad they don't have a shop nearer our place, you know, in the suburbs.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

26-May-2014

Breakfast For Four

Moksha, Brighton

With my exam being tomorrow and Mr.Boyfriend's parents still in town, this morning we decide to indulge with a breakfast in town. A while back we bought a voucher from Groupon for a week day breakfast for four in Moksha, in mid-town and what better opportunity to use than this rainy morning?
As we found out ourselves Moksha turnout to be a rather small but otherwise very nice (and busy) coffee shop/breakfast bar. Their breakfast menu offered a wide choice and even a vegetarian would've found themselves having hard time to choose just one of the mouthwatering breakfasts. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if vegan could've eat their breakfast there.
We ordered one Moksha breakfast - a traditional Full English; two Eggs Royal - like Eggs Benedict but with salmon instead of ham; and one Salmon and Scrambled eggs. All of the food was covered by our voucher, and we decided to order drinks as well. We had two large Cappuccinos, a Late and a Steamed Milk (with Cinnamon Syrup). The whole order arrived very fast and we were delighted with the results. All the portions were really nicely sized and the food was fresh. In both Eggs Royal the salmon was more than enough and the hollandaise sauce was amazing; the Full English featured both sausages and bacon; and the salmon in the Salmon and scrambled eggs was more than anyone could've expected. The coffees were really nice and big as well, the finishing touch of a very pleasant experience.

Food: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Interior: 6/10
Location:  9/10
Pricing: 5/10
Overall Grade: 7/10

Would we go back? - Yes, of course. But only if we have a voucher, because is a bit too steep for my income.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

25-May-2014

Breakfast For Two

LoveFit Cafe, Brighton

On our last day being alone this week, Mr.Boyfriend and I decide to threat ourselves and eat breakfast somewhere. Since I moved in with him, we have this little tradition of having breakfast together every morning. Well, at least every morning that I don't have to be at uni at 8 am and I eat while I'm cycling there. So, few days ago, while we were trying to decide what should we have for breakfast, we felt like going out for breakfast.

After cycling all the way to the city center, a world of immense possibilities was in front of us and led by my typical striving for tasty and healthy food we decided to give LoveFit Cafe a chance. A good decision, indeed.

This breakfast and lunch cafe shop is interested in serving its clients only the healthiest possible food while keeping it tasty. We ordered classic scrambled eggs, wholewheat pancakes, double coffee and fresh orange juice. Although the morning wasn't all that busy, it took some time for the drinks to be prepared. The food took even longer and I was on the edge of eating the menu while eating. When everything arrived I was as excited as I hoped to be but it wasn't all that bad either. I didn't quite enjoy the taste of the coffee, it tasted cheap, I don't know how and why. The orange juice on the other hand was really nice - big glass of freshly squeezed oranges, all of them just the right notch of sweetness. My pancakes looked rather miserable and small and it would be an overstatement to say that I was feeling full after them. They were thin and small, and just two of them, I was expecting more for their price. Mr.Boyfriend's scrambled eggs on the other hand were a perfection. I have never tasted not prepared at home scrambled eggs that tasted so good. They came with vegetable butter-like spread ( :[ ) and four pieces of toasted bread. Really, some of the best scrambled eggs I have ever tried. If not else, I most definitely want to eat those eggs again. This time the whole portion just for myself.

Food: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Interior: 4/10

Location: 7/10

Pricing: 4/10

Overall Grade: 6/10

Would we go back: We will if not for else then for those scrambled eggs!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

24-May-2014

Drinks and Food for Few

Hampton's Arms, Brighton

Part of entertaining the in-laws includes going places and meeting with our friends. Kind of showing them what is our usually normal, day-to-day lifestyle. And this includes an occasional indulgence in form of a beer or two and some food at a pub. So on the evening on their arrival we decided to grab a bite at one of our regular places - The Hampton's Arms Pub.

As it turns out, Thursday evening is a comedy evening. A group of aspiring (not so)young actors did three different sketches, all of them quite bizarre, to be honest. It involved plenty of screaming and banging on the flour and I didn't enjoy it a bit. Some other customers did.

The food was OK, typical pub food, nothing too fancy. They had only one vegetarian dish on the menu, which deeply upset our vegetarian friend. Indeed, it's a shame that they couldn't even come up with a salad of some sort that don't include meat. I can't even imagine how a vegan would've felt in this situation because the vegetarian dish was baked goat cheese with salad on the side. This is it. Sad but true.

The rest of us had burgers, because this was the only reasonable option on the menu. One special beer burger, three regular beef ones and a chicken burger. The eater of the beer burger said that either they forgot to add the beer or they added so little that the meat was dry and tasteless. The regular ones received mixed critics - from "Oh, I needed this!" to "Well, that was a disappointment...". My chicken burger on the other hand was more or less fine. The chicken was a bit overcooked and the mayo on the bun diluted with way too much water (why so cheap?!) so I was impressed at all. All burgers came with chips, and mine was under-cooked and had to go back to the kitchen until it stop being hazardous to eat it (you know, raw potatoes = tummy ache, voting, fever, etc, etc).

On the bright side, they have nice selection of ales if you're into that and offer a good (Czech) lager on dissent prices. Not cheap, but not the most expensive place in town. And you'll probably find a table even on the busiest night.

Food: 4/10
Service: N/A, it's a pub

Interior: 7/10
Location: 8/10
Pricing: 3/10

Overall Grade: 5/10

Would we go back: Well, maybe. It's on a very easy place for us and they have this Czech beer. So why not. But not eating there probably.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

23-May-2014

Dinner For Seven

El Mexicano, Brighton

While we are doing our best to entertain the in-laws, I'm still talking about Saturday, you know. Such an eventful day it was. And among all the cooking I've been doing lately, it was a gift from the gods not to cook a single thing the whole of Saturday. As a bonus, the dinner was so good that it made up my terrible lunching experience.

I've been talking about going to a Mexican place for a while now (read that as "forever"). I really like Mexican food, it feels so natural to me to cook/eat Mexican food. It's spicy and flavoursome, it incorporates plenty of cheese and tomatoes in it's cuisine, it's basically everything I like and look for in food. So when a friend of mine, a Mexican, told me that she found a place in Brighton that serves authentic and well-made Mexican food, I was all in for it. Organising a small event for 5 of our friends, Mr.Boyfriend and I were ready to rock our stomachs with deliciousness!

The restaurant is rather small and busy, so I would most definitely recommend making a reservation at least few days prior. I'm almost certain that you won't be able to find a table if you just walk in on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening. On the other hand, thanks to the fact that it's so busy, all of the food arrived really quickly and it was all fresh and aromatic.

For starters we ordered all 3 possible Mexican starters - Nachos (with extra guacamole), Quesadillas (with added jalapenos) and Queso Fundido (with added jalapenos and chorizo). The Nachos were an abundant portion, covered in more than enough melted cheese. In addition, they came with a tomato salsa that was oh-so-yummy and the creamiest, most delicious guacamole that i have ever tasted. The guacamole left me wondering how on earth it could've tastes so fluffy and creamy and so fresh and avocado-y in the same time. Oh, the the tortilla chips was obviously home made (extra points for that).  The Quesadilla was a bit of a disappointment in terms of how big the portion was (more like how small) but otherwise it was fine. Well, I wouldn't recommend ordering this starter in particular - it wasn't all that impressive. The Queso Fundido was amazing as well, with a big bowl of freshly melted spicy Mexican cheese  and lots of freshly made tortillas on the side. A nice big portion for at least 2 people!

We are guilty of playing rather safe with the mains. Four of us ate Enchiladas (three de Pollo and one de Vegetales) because it just sounded so good that we couldn't think about anything else, two had Mole and one tried the Enfrijoladas de Pollo. We were delighted with our hot, spicy and full with goodness Enchiladas/Enfrijoladas. The were all prepared with home-made from scratch tomato sauce (yes, I can taste the tomato sauce and tell if you made it from scratch or not) or with amazing, again made from scratch bean sauce. The food was pleasing for all of the senses and I was basically blown away by it. Oh, and the Mole as well - a rich chicken dish consisting of chicken, beans, rice and dark chocolate and chilly sauce. Mmm, I'm already salivating again when I think about this thick, amazing chocolate sauce. Who to know that chocolate and chilly go so well together?! And yes, you guessed right, I was the pig who tried all of the food on the table, every single dish on it. I woud've been worried about my figure if it wasn't for the fact that I'm always on the move, doing some time of (un)planned exercise.

I also had dessert, as you may expect me to, and it was what our hostess recommended me - an Almond Cheesecake. It was fresh and slightly bitter from the almonds, but not too much. It was a nice change from the oh-so-popular berry-ones, and I most definitely prefer it to them. Maybe a scoop of ice cream on the side would've made it a tad better. Or maybe this is just me, obsessing over ice cream, as per usual.

During the dinner we all drank beer. Mexican and Spanish one, nice, cold and on very reasonable price.

And this was it. A nice place, with nice food, nice atmosphere and wonderful staff!

Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Interior: 5/10
Location: 7/10
Pricing: 7/10
Overall Grade: 8/10

Would we go back:  Yes, and I think I would even take my Grandparents there.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...