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Caribbean Restaurants in London

Mango Room

10 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8NH, Tel: 020 7482 5065, Open: 6pm-12am Mon, noon-3pm and 6pm-12am Tue-Sun, Credit cards: MC, V, Tube: Camden Town, Show Map
Featured on TV for its authentic Caribbean cuisine, the Mango Rooms enjoy a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere. And we mean relaxed! Along with traditional ingredients such as salt cod, plantain, rice and peas and roti's, there are more exotic dishes such as curried goat! While the food may not be quite as hot as the real thing, the Mango Rooms still makes for a pleasant (and trendy) Camden dining experience.

Chinese Restaurants in London

Chinese Experience (Formerly Aroma II)

118-120 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5EP, Tel: 020 7437 0377, Website: www.chineseexperience.com, Open: noon-11pm Mon-Thu, noon-11.30pm Fri-Sat, All major credit cards, Tube: Leicester Square, Show Map
Occupying the site of the old Aroma II restaurant, the Chinese Experience is a bright, modern and contemporary dining room with an extensive menu of creatively presented Szechuan, Cantonese and Peking dishes.

Whilst waiting for our mixed hors d'oeuvres (sesame toast, spare ribs and seaweed) we tucked into the complimentary prawn crackers, simultaneously quaffing a very acceptable house white. Followed by sweetcorn soup and the ubiquitous crispy duck and pancakes (which came in generous portions), other dishes then arrived in quick succession.

With various pork, chicken and vegetable dishes accompanied by a plentiful supply of egg fried rice, the Chinese Experience certainly makes for a satisfying (quality) dining experience in downtown Soho.

ECapital

8 Gerrard Street, W1D 5PJ, Tel: 020 7434 3838, Open: noon-11pm Mon-Fri, 12pm-12am Sat-Sun, All major credit cards, Tube: Leicester Square, Show Map
As London's only Shanghaiese restaurant, ECapital is a sleek, stylish contemporary dining room that offers adventurous interpretations of classic Chinese dishes. Characterized by rich, dark sauces with sweeter flavours, signature dishes such as Lion's Head meatballs, braised yellow eel and shark's fin casserole are sure to delight, while the intriguing 'thousand-layer' pigs ears, filleted duck's feet with celery or Beggar's Chicken are favourites with regulars. Accompanied by a range of first-class aromatic teas and fine wines, ECapital provides a thrilling workout for your tastebuds and one that we can thoroughly recommend.

Fung Shing

15 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BE, Tel: 020 7437 1539, Open: noon-11.30pm daily, All major credit cards, Tube: Leicester Square, Show Map
Considered by many to be among Chinatown's top five restaurants, Fung Shing is a real gourmet's delight with authentic, high-quality Cantonese specialities and exotic fish dishes. Although soups aren't a particular strong point, starters such as steamed scallops in black bean sauce and deep friend won ton (with sweet and sour sauce) are real winners. For mains, chef specials of duck or belly pork with yam in hot pot, along with braised fresh carp with ginger and spring onion stand out, while crab with spicy sauce is a neat marriage of complex flavours. Service is good, with the only real let down being the wine list. It's certainly not bad, just too expensive, with a bottle of Italian Frascati at £15 and Rioja for £18. What's more with draught Carlsberg working out at £3.60 a pint, some of the drinks prices are hard to justify.

Jenny Lo's Teahouse

14 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LT, Tel 020 7259 0399, Open: 11.30am-3pm Mon-Fri 12N-3pm Sat 6pm-10pm Mon-Sat, Cash or cheque only, Tube: Victoria, Show Map
Located just a short walk away from Victoria Station, Jenny Lo's Teahouse is a popular eatery for local residents and office workers alike. A simple, basic interior is matched by earthenware style plates, while the food (mainly Cantonese cooking) falls into three categories, namely soup noodles, fried noodles and rice dishes. Prawn, squid and mussel dishes are joined on the menu by traditional beef, chicken or pork choices, while pan-cooked Peking dumplings are also available. And naturally, for a restaurant that proclaims itself as a 'Tea House', several herbal, therapeutic and Chinese teas are served here.

Kai

65 South Audley Street, W1K 2QU, Tel: 0870 780 8146, Website: www.kaimayfair.co.uk, Open: 12pm-2.30pm and 6.30pm-11.30pm Mon-Fri, 12.30pm-3pm and 6.30pm- 11.30pm Sat, 12.30pm-3pm and 6.30pm-10.30pm Sun, Tube: Bond Street, Show Map
Widely regarded as one of, if not the best Chinese restaurants in London, Kai boasts two upmarket, formal dining rooms, with tables laid with the finest China from Hong Kong and ceramics from Thailand.

Dishes, which combine traditional flavours with the more adventurous, include venison meatballs cooked with oyster sauce & caramelised pine nuts, flash-fried Alaskan black cod with a sweet soya sauce and jellyfish & chicken tossed in sesame oil. Service is impeccable, while Kai's atmosphere, which is warm, relaxed and inviting, enhances all the more the restaurant's quality cuisine.

Mr Kong

21 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA, 020 7437 7341, Open: noon-3am daily, All major credit cards, Tube: Leicester Square, Show Map
Regularly nominated as one of Chinatown's leading restaurants, Mr Kong nonetheless attracts its fair share of criticism too, with adverse comments about the décor, standards of service and most important of all - the cooking. Invariably with a restaurant that's open until 3am daily, Mr Kong has some off moments in the kitchen. However, it should generally be regarded as a good choice for those after a decent late night Chinese, office bashes, or dining parties of four plus people. With three different menus (comprising of over 250 dishes), it's best to order staples of pork, beef and chicken from the main menu, whilst sampling more adventurous dishes from the Chef's "Specials" list. Portions are generous, while service is distinctly average.

Wong Kei

41 Wardour Street, Soho, W1D 6PX, Tel: 020 7437 8408, No credit cards, Tube: Oxford Circus/Tottenham Court Road, Show Map
No self-respecting column about Chinese restaurants in London would be complete without a few lines on this venerable Soho institution. Wong Kei is undoubtedly Chinatown's most famous restaurant, providing some of the cheapest meals in town, along with arguably the rudest service. And that's what makes a visit here so appealing - trust us, it's really good fun! With a slap-up meal costing about a tenner (including drinks), you'll be marshalled to a table, hurried to make a choice from the long menu, hurried through each course and then asked to pay up pretty sharpish. With Chinese waiters scurrying about at light speed, and with dishes delivered between floors from the kitchen by lift, seeing Wong Kei's in full flight is more akin to watching a military operation than dining at a Chinese restaurant. And, although our last proposed visit was curtailed after finding out that Wong Kei's was closed for refurbishment (yes, that's what we said - refurbishment) we'll shortly be providing an update on the new improved version, so watch this space...

Czech/Slovak Restaurants in London

The Czech and Slovak Club (Czechoslovak National House)

74 West End Lane, NW6 2LX, Tel: 020 7328 0131, Website: www.czechandslovakclub.co.uk, Open: 6pm-10pm Tue-Fri, noon-3pm and 6pm-10pm Sat-Sun, Cash or cheque only, Tube: West Hampstead, Show Map
If you're tired of sleek, soulless West End restaurants, fancy a change, or are simply intrigued by the idea of trying Czech cuisine, then this West Hampstead based restaurant is well-worth a visit.

Of course, there's an initial hurdle to overcome, and that's the common misconception about cuisine from old 'Eastern-bloc' countries being stodgy, bland and unappealing. Granted, the Czech and Slovak population seem none too worried about the high cholesterol content of their food, but then again, for a country that produces the world's best beer, you do need slightly heartier fare to do an evening out some justice!

And although Czech/Slovak food is big on dumplings, they're certainly not the heavy type that most English/American palettes expect. Served as an integral part of many meals, including sekaná (meatloaf) and pork with sauerkraut, they act as the perfect accompaniment to rich, well flavoured sauces. However, if you're none too set on the idea, try other tasty alternatives such as svickova (beef in cream sauce), Wiener schnitzel or roast veal.

To finish off, there are treats such as apple strudel, ice-cream, pancakes or apricot dumplings - the latter being a restaurant speciality. Like an island in a sea of melted butter, each dumpling is topped with sugar and sour cream, making it into a real pudding tour de force. Of course, the recipe is a tad calorific, but then again, if you've been knocking back the Gambrinus beer all night why worry! Great value all round.

Danish Restaurants in London

Lundum's

117-119 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3RN, Tel: 020 7373 7774, Website: www.lundum.co.uk, Open: noon-10pm Mon-Sat, noon-3pm Sun, Credit cards: AE, MC, V, Tube: Gloucester Road/South Kensington, Show Map
While many Londoners will not have sampled anything over and above Danish salami, Lundum's makes for a welcome change from the clutch of ordinary Indian, Italian and French restaurants in the area. Run as a family concern, the restaurant has an inviting, pleasant atmosphere, helped in no small part by the enthusiasm of the staff. As you would expect, fish features heavily, although inventive poultry and meat dishes also make up a well-balanced menu.

As well as traditional style open sandwiches (such as roast loin of pork or smoked eel served with scrambled egg and dill), house specialities include cured duck with mashed potatoes and roast guinea fowl. In addition, there are several kinds of Danish sausage, fish platters and traditional style fishcakes.

What's more with a set menu costing only £12.50 or £15.50 (for two or three courses respectively) prices are reasonable too.

Dutch Restaurants in London

My Old Dutch Pancake House

132 High Holborn, WC1V 6PS, Tel: 020 7242 5200, Website: www.myolddutch.com, Open: noon-11.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun, All major credit cards except Diners Club and AMEX, Tube: Holborn, Show Map
Long established Dutch "style" eatery offering savoury meat and veggie options, along with jam, fruit or chocolate laced varieties for dessert. Whilst they lack authenticity, the restaurant does make for a reasonably priced night out. That said, recent reviews on service and food quality are somewhat mixed, so check out the reviews of other London restaurant guides before booking.