From Southall to Fitzrovia

Saturday, September 04th , 2021

Noize (pictured) has a new chef, but the kitchen seems in very safe hands. Gougeres are as good as ever, as is the rabbit lasagna with mustard sauce, along with other comforting classics like the pig head croquettes and mackerel rillettes. The wine list is a steal here and there is kindly corkage as an alternative. I prefer this to plenty of Michelin starred restaurants in London.

The Brilliant is an old favourite of mine. I have been a regular here since moving to west London in 1991, and have eaten countless meals here over the years. The dining room has expanded more than once over that time, and there is now a large upstairs function room, but the food is the same authentic Punjabi cuisine, aimed squarely at the Asian families who live in the area. Tandoori cooking is good, as shown in chicken tikka malai and tender tandoori lamb chops, while methi chicken is a fine dish, as are various vegetarian options. They even make the rarely found romali roti bread. For £40 a head you are served more food than a sane person would eat, all with copious beer and a warm welcome from the very professional service team.