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