Hot Stuff - Restaurant Review

Cuisine: Indian

Cost:  

Rating:

Where?: 19, Wilcox Road, Vauxhall. SW8 2XA.

Closest station(s): Vauxhall, Wandsworth Road Station Stockwell, Oval.      

Telephone:  0207 720 1480

Website: www.welovehotstuff.com   

A friend of mine booked Hot Stuff having heard great things from people at work, having been told I was going I had a quick look at some reviews and was quite shocked to have not heard of it previously – it could hardly be rated more highly.

The restaurant can be found hidden on a parade of shops before you reach Vauxhall from the West. This could not be said to be an upmarket road, to be entirely honest I believe I turned and checked that my central locking had definitely beeped twice. The restaurant is tiny, only holding about 25 – 30 people, tightly packed in – though luckily with the front of the restaurant opening up almost completely it does not become claustrophobic.

The instant we arrived there was an extremely friendly welcome, including the question as to whether we had eaten there before (no, it is not part of the harvester chain they were simply being polite). We were told that most people simply have a selection of dishes brought out having flagged any allergies or particular dislikes and that this would come to about £15 per person. Wanting to get into the spirit of things and with the staff being so friendly we went with their suggestion and waited for the onslaught of dishes.

Throughout our meal we did not have a bad dish. From the chilli paneer, to the mixed bhajis, to the goat lamb, to the table sized naan and ending with a selection of delicious side dishes the cooking was reliable, tasty, fresh and fully enjoyed by all. Was it the best Indian meal I have ever had? No. Was it some of the best food? No. It was however very good and without a dud. We came nowhere near finishing the dishes that were placed before us, though not for a want of trying.

The food at Hot Stuff is very good however it is the rest of the experience that combines to make it a great restaurant. The size of the restaurant and the no frills way in which it set up makes an extremely pleasant change from those restaurants that are trying all too hard to be something that they are not. A napkin made of some hideously thick material that is draped over ones lap with unnecessary pomp is not superior to a paper one brought to someone who is happy to have a chat - Hot Stuff certainly proves this. The service and the staff really do make Hot Stuff what it is, it is a while since I last had such friendly and genuine people serving me.

If the above was not enough Hot Stuff is bring your own (BYO) and there is no corkage fee – which to my mind is something that is difficult to beat. The off license next to the restaurant has a truly hideous selection of wine – however pop out to the main road and to Sainsbury’s and you find yourself in better stead.

I will certainly be returning to Hot Stuff, the cooking is good, the service great, you can take your own alcohol and for all that you pay a pittance. 

Tom Ilic - Restaurant Review

Cuisine:  Modern European

Cost:  

Rating:

Where?:  123, Queenstown Road, Battersea, London. SW8 3RH

Closest station(s): Battersea Park, Queenstown Road.

Telephone:  0207 622 0555

Website: www.tomilic.co.uk

Bizarrely placed bespoke tailor – tick. Random upmarket shoe shop – tick. Odd carpet and rug shop – tick. Plain looking restaurant offering a selection of modern European food by a Serbian chef – tick.  A short stretch of Queenstown Road in Battersea South West London contains all of the above; the highlight without a doubt being Tom Ilic – what is on offer is however far from a box ticking exercise.

Most of the, limited, negative press for this restaurant relates to the décor. Whilst it cannot be said to be stunning, equally it is not horrific. A decision was taken to go without table clothes to keep a light airy feel and to keep laundry prices to a minimum. The cost cutting also continues into the menu with cheaper cuts of meat often used such as: pig cheeks, osso bucco and rabbit.  That is not to say that the chef does not do something magical with them.

The staff were attentive and polite; the wine list offers a reasonable selection - with house wine coming in at under £20. The food is excellent throughout; the first time I ate here I believed I must have misread the lunch deal as it was far too good for the price. It is a shame that it doesn’t get a little busier sometime as it can feel a little spacious and cold when there aren’t many other diners there.

The presentation is wonderful and the flavours, such as of the stuffed rabbit saddle wrapped in Serrano ham with Savoy cabbage, wild mushrooms & roast langoustine, are beautifully matched. These are excellently constructed plates of food.

The prices,as with many places are slowly on the rise, with starters at £10 and mains at £17. Even at those prices it is good value. The greatest value is however in the set menus, currently £17 for 2 courses (it used to be a staggering £12.50) for both lunch & dinner.   For this money you get food that is as good as many one Michelin-starred restaurants. 

Le Pot Lyonnais - Restaurant Review

Cuisine:  French

Cost:  

Rating:

Where?:  36-40,  Queenstown Road, Battersea, London. SW8 3RY.

Closest station(s): Battersea Park, Queenstown Road.

Telephone: 0207 622 2618

Website: N/A  

If you had asked me a year ago what I thought of the Pot Lyonnais I would have heaped praise on the place; it has now unfortunately started to slip.  The restaurant is open from mid-morning for breakfast right through lunch and dinner and then seems to close when the last people have decided to leave.

The Pot Lyonnais offers a bar menu including a burger and steak sandwich and also an a la carte menu offering most French classics. The establishment is huge, offering two bar areas, a specific dining area and then outside seating. The restaurant part is never busy, most people choosing to eat at the tables in the bar area. In summer the outside area, though on the pavement of a busy road, has a great charm to it and I would certainly recommend it as somewhere to have a relaxed bottle of wine after work. The beer is horrible – I have no idea what they do to it but it has a bizarre taste; this judgement being made having tried it at least ten times on different occasions.  

I have extremely mixed feelings about the food. The breakfast is a little hit and miss, the eggs benedict can at times be excellent but I have also had a couple of very poor experiences. The bar menu I would highly recommend, sitting outside in the sun recently eating the steak sandwich with frites along with a nice glass of Bordeaux is heavenly.

The main menu is again rather hit and miss. The charcuterie selection is impressively uninspiring, often containing a poor selection of not particularly good meats. The steak wasn’t great either – surprisingly poorly cooked for somewhere that ticks most other boxes for authentic French cooking. I would happily eat the confit de canard with pommes salardaise daily; it would however leave me requiring a triple heart bypass within a year but when furring of the arteries tastes that good then it may just be worth it.

The prices for the a la carte don’t usually appear too bad on the menu however for some reason each time I eat off it I am surprised at how the bill comes to generally spending more than I would want to pay for what I had received.

Overall I would recommend the Pot Lyonnais for a bottle of wine and a snack in the evening or a wonderfully relaxed lunch – I would not however go there for a three course evening meal, there are simply better looking restaurants, with better service and better food in the vicinity.