Paradise, By way of Kensal Green W10 4AE

Date: Sunday 16th November, 2008

Choice: Heather's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Nate & Siobhan.

Guests: Taryn.

A 5 minute walk far from Kensal Green station is this gem of a gastropub. The interior is very ornate including curtains, a snug and several statues.

We had the bowls of olives but despite a tempting entree menu we went straight to the mains.

We tried the Lamb, Beef and the Pork, and the Wild Mushroom and Pumpkin Gnocchi. All were lovely, the meat was perfectly cooked. The red cabbage was great and the Yorkshire puddings were some of the best we have ever had. The potatoes were perfectly cooked in goose fat, and they had a vegetarian option for roast potatoes too.

Nate salivated over the Pork, he loved it and said the crackling was 'awesome'.

Deserts we ate were: Knickerbocker Glory (excellent), Pecan and Chocolate Tart (moist and perfect) and the Chocolate Pudding with Ice Cream (the pudding was unfortunately dry in the middle).

The staff were very friendly and efficient.

Celebrity spotting: Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum were spotted in the restaurant.

Mains: £14.50 for Roast Beef

Desserts: £5.75 (approx)

website: www.theparadise.co.uk

Bookings: Yes

Phone: 020 8969 0098

The Priory Arms SW8 2PB

Date: Sunday 12th October 2008

Choice: Claire's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Nate & Siobhan.

Guests: Sandie.

Just around the corner from Stockwell tube is this 'games pub'. There are loads of board games all piled up on a bookcase.

We tried the Roast Lamb & Roast Beef and the vegetarian option. The roasts were great and there was loads of food, they served the gravy on the side in gravy boats which was a really nice touch. They even had vegetarian gravy!

Deserts we ate were: Creme Brulee (ok) and Treacle pudding (yum!)

The staff seemed new so the service was really random and it took a while to get served (there were not a lot of people either). But the ambience of the place was perfect, there are loads of things to look at and the bar is surrounded by beer pump tags. We stayed on for hours drinking and playing Scrabble. The drinks were really reasonable, though that may just have been the new slow staff member.

Website: No
Bookings: No

Phone: 020 7622 1884

The Mayflower SE16 4NF

Date: Sunday 12th September, 2008

Choice: Siobhan's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel, Justin, Nate & Siobhan.

Guest: Steve

Right on the Thames, apparently near where the Pilgrims set off for the New World in 1620, this gorgeous looking rustic pub rebuilt in the 18th century is in the perfect setting for a Sunday Roast.
It was a bit posher than our usual pubs - ie. there were tablecloths! The floorboards squeeked and there were quotes painted on the walls.
The menu was extensive with loads of specials - mostly seafood. They also served springbok and kangaroo (which were both tried and were very good) and also the traditional Sunday Roast (about £12) and a couple of vegetarian options, but they were very average.

For an entree a couple of us tried the deep fried camembert with cranberry sauce (about £5) which was brilliant. They served an assortment of bread and we had olives.

The mussels were not great, the bangers and mash serving was massive, the portions generally were very large.

The bloke that took our orders really did not want to be there, he seemed a bit jaded and was not particularly helpful. The other waiters were not much better but the food was great.

The staff were very friendly and efficient.
Apparently the steak and cheese pie is brilliant (a couple of our group had been before and tried it).

Website: themayflowerpub.co.uk

Bookings: Yes

Phone: 020 7237 4088

Angel & Ellen's house, SE15

Date: Sunday 27th July, 2008

Choice: Angel's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel & Ellen.

Guests: Sandie, Mat, Suzie & Buster.

For a change to the routine we decided to have a BBQ at Angel & Ellen's new flat in Nunhead. It was a perfect summers day (which are so very rare in London!). Just chilling out in the garden (another rare thing in London) drinking beers, Pimms and some lovely BBQ food.

Mains: £very reasonable

Website: No

Bookings: No

Phone: now, that would be telling!

The Queen's Head, W6 7BL

Date: Sunday 18th May 2008

Choice: Justin's

Who was there: Heather, Claire, Justin, Angel, Ellen, Siobhan and Nate.

Guests: Steve.

The Queen's head has a wonderful beer garden out the back and lots of little nooks to explore. You order your food at the bar and they bring it out to you. It was a little bit cool the day we went but inside was busy and we scored a table in the sunshine.
Most of us had mains and desserts, and not everyone had the roast, which was not very good. A couple of us had burgers. We ordered a plate of roast vegetables as there was no vegetarian option and even asking if the gravy was meat and saying we didn't want it, they covered the vegetables with the meat gravy!

There were specials on desserts!!!

It's certainly a summer pub. But not one of the best on our journey.

Website: No
Bookings: No

Phone: 020 7603 3174

The Garrison SE1 3XB

Date: Sunday 20th April, 2008
Choice: Heather's

Who was there: Claire, Justin, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Nate & Siobhan.

Really cool gastropub on Bermondsey street! The service was great, the food perfect, we had a table where we sat on stools in the middle of the pub, there was such a great atmosphere. It felt like being in someones living room.
There was a great roast selection, and a vegetarian roast option.

Definitely a favourite, but quite expensive.

Mains: about £20

Desserts: about £6

Website: thegarrison.co.uk

Bookings: Yes

Phone: 020 7089 9355 (reservations)