6 Ballygunge Place - Kolkata, India **

Whilst the focus of this blog is London and its variety of restaurants and bars it must also be noted that the rise of the middle classes in India is giving birth to a new range of diverse and interesting restaurants in India to meet the ever changing tastes of the Indian public. As I am currently on holiday in India it is apt that I should include some of these on this blog, especially 6 Ballygunge Place.

This restaurant, in a suburb of South Kolkata, is a well-known establishment specializing in traditionally Bengali food. The setting is quaint and cosy and the restaurant is set in a converted house, hence the name.

The quality of the food however was impeccable, the aloo dum was immaculately prepared and the balance of spices was perfect. The meat dishes were also incredibly impressive with tender meat and excellent curry. In addition to this the various vegetarian dishes were well prepared as was the fish curry - a Bengali specialty.

There were however some downsides to the dining experience at this restaurant. The service whilst efficient was less than informative and not once were we presented with the menu which meant that deciding what to order was tricky to say the very least. In addition to this the decor and ambiance was faded and tired and it appeared that the restaurant could do with a much needed facelift - for inspiration the owner need not look further than another specialist Bengali restaurant in the city, Oh Calcutta.

The quality of the food however made up for this and the meal was very reasonably priced, in contrast to some of Kolkata's other restaurants. It appeared however that 6 Ballygunge Place is too reliant on its reputation and the overall dining experience was reasonable. I was rate this restaurant 2 out of 5.

http://www.6bp.in

Busaba Eathai ****

If you're a fan of informal restaurant settingd and excellent food at reasonable prices and or have been to restaurants like Koya and Wagamama then you'll absolutely love Busaba Eathai and may in fact be converted.

The Thai food on offer is excellent ranging from the standard red and green curries to the less conventional such as the monkfish curry and the jungle curry. Each dish is immaculately prepared and to a very high standard. Do not expect high quality presentation or a beautiful creation to appear before your eyes as the key to the dish is its taste. My particular favourites include the calamari and the monkfish curry.

The shared dining experience also adds to the informal atmosphere and it's not uncommon to share dining tips and recommendations with your neighbours. This perhaps does not lend itself to couples on a date or for those looking for a quieter meal however is ideal if you're in a group.

This was clearly a very popular restaurant and the queue simply confirmed this - you should expect to wait for approximately 10-15 minutes for a table however once you're seated you'll know why you waited. The overall dining experience was very pleasant and the waitress was very friendly demonstrating good knowledge of the dishes. The only downside has perhaps been that the prawns were slightly bland and watery however I would still recommend this place very highly and give it 4 out of 5.

http://www.busaba.com

The Anthologist ***

Nestled in the midst of London's financial district a stone's throw away from Lloyds Banking Group and the Bank of England is a bar cum restaurant that is hip, sassy and reminiscent of a bar that epitomises coolness. This is the kind of place one could picture the Sex in City ladies drinking at and is definitely well worth a visit - this is The Anthologist.

Essentially divided in two, one side of the Anthologist is the bar where the cocktails are the specialty and the other side is the restaurant area. The cocktails on offer are fresh, fruity and quite breathtaking. The menu also lists their calorie count of each drink suggesting that this is a place which is health conscious and catered towards a certain crowd. This place gets quite busy with office workers from the area from 5pm onwards so expect to see a crowd of suit clad bankers spilling out onto Gresham as you approach the bar. After 7pm or so the crowd is mixed and diverse and the charm of the venue really starts to take effect.

The food is continental and British and each dish is prepared to a very high standard and presented in a similarly excellent manner. Whilst waiting for your food you are encouraged to visit the restaurant's own bar where you can have a cocktail tutorial and find a cocktail tailored to your specific tastes. This was a hugely entertaining part of the evening and was an interesting way of engaging diners in a sociable way and also filling the time before the food arrived. Suffice to say that once our food had arrived we had discovered our 'perfect drink' and went back to our table having learned something - I learned how to make a mojito and also that my favourite drink is the Vesper (James Bond's drink).

The decor was similarly cool and in keeping with the restaurant and bar's sassiness and the huge shelves of wine and spirits added to the idea that the restaurant was a living breathing anthology of alcohol. The meal was priced at approximately £40 per head including service and some of the drinks however the experience and the entertainment made it a hugely enjoyable visit. I would recommend this bar very highly although it lacks the charm factor so I have rated this 3 out of 5.

http://www.theanthologistbar.co.uk/

Pix, Notting Hill ***

Everything about Pix oozes cool. It is situated in the vicinity of Notting Hill and a short walk from Beach Blanket Babylon on Westbourne Grove. The interior boasts large tables fashioned out of old doors and the decor is cool, hip and eye catching. If that wasn't enough each and every member of staff looks as if they've just stepped off the catwalk and into the restaurant and to top it all off the large windows make it an ideal place to have a leisurely weekend brunch. The crowd is highly diverse ranging from middle aged couples to 20-something groups as well as individuals enjoying a leisurely meal.

Pix specialises in tapas and each dish is laid out on the rather large counter towards the kitchen area of the restaurant. Each dish or 'pintxos' is immaculately prepared, fresh and warm - very little is left sitting out on the counter. My favourite was the ham and quails egg pintxos as well as the white chocolate and foie gras. Suffice to say I spent a lot more time on my feet than I did at my table but each dish was a genuine treat and each of the courses was excellent.

This restaurant may not appeal to the dining traditionalists however it is great fun if you have kids or youngsters in your group. Don't get too excited however as you may find you end up having selected quite a few pintxos all of which are measured by the sticks that accompany them - it's not difficult to generate a sizeable bill! I would give this restaurant a respectable 3 out of 5.

http://www.pix-bar.com/

Tayyabs, Whitechapel ****

I have been to Tayyabs on more times than I care to recall at one stage at least a few times a month and I am yet to be disappointed by anything that I have ordered.

When I first entered Tayyabs I was greeted by a cacophony of noise and what can only be described as chaos. The queues outside stretched along the street and into the restaurant, waiters were scurrying around the restaurant carrying searingly hot dishes with great care and conversation was in full flow in the restaurant. Amongst this chaos there was some apparent system and we were greeted and seated soon after arriving. Unless you reserve you should be prepared to wait for anything up to 45 minutes for a table.

The decor of the restaurant is not as 'no-frills' as Tayyabs' cousin in the area Lahore Kebab House but any visitors should be prepared to sacrifice certain luxuries such as comfort and arm space for the food which should make up for all of Tayyabs' other deficiencies. In a recent visit to the restaurant a table clearly designed for four people had been made into two tables for two and the only way to get out was for one table to be slided  forwards for a gap to be created. In addition there is rarely enough space on the tables at Tayyabs dishes are often stacked on top of each other rather than placed side by side however larger tables would mean fewer tables and the turnover of diners at Tayyabs is very high.

Thankfully for drinkers there is no charge for corkage at the restaurant and there is of course a BYOB policy, which is not uncommon among all the restaurants in the area. For those that do not drink the recommendation is the mango lassi which is nothing short of immaculate.

The food is on a par with the very best Asian food in London and is essentially a meat eater's paradise. Particular recommendations include the halim, nihari, the mixed grill (pictured) and the lamb chops which are quite stunning. Every dish is prepared to a high standard and the kitchen is a constant hive of frantic activity so dishes are brought out within 10 minutes.

In all the occassions I have been to Tayyabs I have never eaten just a sensible amount of food and always end up going overboard, so much so that after my last trip I decided to skip breakfast as I was just too full to contemplate food (for those that know me this is very rare).

This restaurant unlike the other Asian restaurants in London Tayyavs carries a big reputation, never fails to disappoint and has high quality authentic food. In addition to all of this the prices are very reasonable and two people can have three courses for approximately £35.

This is definitely not haute cuisine but it trounces most other Asian restaurants in London. So for this reason this restaurant is rated 4 out of 5.

http://www.tayyabs.co.uk