Tea Darling's?...At the theatre!

The Tea Darlings Vintage Tea Room, makes for an unexpected and delightful afternoon out. This hidden gem, started as a pop-up tea spot last year and now takes its home on the first floor at the Questors Theatre in our very own Ealing. 

I'd spotted the chalk board sign on Mattock Lane "Vintage Tea Rooms 11am-4pm", and it only took a week to finally make a visit. Four of us arrived with prams in tow and spent the rest of the day there drinking tea and eating cake.

Inside the tea rooms

The location at the theatre is spacious and easy to access (lift tried and tested with our prams!). The space has been made to feel really cosy with pretty bunting strewn across the ceiling and a plethora of furnishings and vintage memorabilia.

There is a range of tea and coffee on offer alongside a selection of homemade cakes... including a special offer when you buy tea and cake together. We also sampled the lunch that day which was a hearty pea and watercress soup. The cake selection always also offers a gluten free option and their lunches are vegan too! 

What makes the tea extra special however, is the range of vintage china cups and teapots that it arrives in. If you book in advance a full afternoon tea experience is available - and includes a glass of Prosecco should you wish! We didn't try the full hog on this visit, but have that booked in the diary soon!

The bakewell cake and a nice cup of tea

A peaceful and calming atmosphere was created by some background music (from the mid 1900's of course), and the extremely friendly welcome we received from Pam the host. Pam helped with all our requests and questions and even offered to reheat the tea of one of our breastfeeding crew.

The tea counter with china and cake lined up for the picking

We loved the atmosphere and quirky-ness of Tea Darlings Vintage Tea Room, and can't wait to head back soon - What better excuse to eat cake and be merry!

Summary score table /5
Food Deliciousness:	4
Drinks Tastiness:	4
Service Skills:	5
Atmospheric Vibes:	5
Recommendation Score for a Casual Eve:	N/A
Recommendation Score for Showing off Ealing:	5
Total average score:	4.6

Papaya feasting

We’ve been to Ealing’s Sri Lankan special nearly three times this year – so it is about time we blogged about it :o)

As some of you may know, Sri Lankan restaurants are in fact hard to come by, even in our cosmopolitan London town. The new, and trendy ‘Hoppers’ restaurant in Soho has recently drawn more attention to this much understated cuisine, although with its no-booking approach it is often hard to get a table. We have also been to another restaurantin Tooting, and heard about some authentic Sri Lankan eats on Sunday evenings at a pub in Sudbury Hill. However our Sri Lankan friends tell us that they aren’t as common as we might have expected.

We first tried Papaya before we really knew what Sri Lankan food was. Having dined in many Indian restaurants and having spent time in South India, some of the dishes on Papaya’s menu seemed familiar. With over 11% of the national population being Tamil, Sri Lankan cuisine shares many dishes and influences from South Indian Tamil traditions. On our first visit we un-adventurously ordered those dishes that we were familiar with, such as dhal and curries. 

Earlier this year however, we were fortunate enough to attend a friend’s wedding in Sri Lanka and get to sample the culinary delights and delicacies that it has to offer. One thing that was striking to us was the delicate flavours and textures that Sri Lankan dishes host – of course this is in comparison to our experiences of Northern Indian British restaurants which just don’t seem quite as fine or well tuned.  Several Sri Lankan dishes are made up of finely chopped ingredients and a multitude of aromatic spices and flavours.

Photo: Papaya's Kothu Roti

In Sri Lanka itself our British appearances prompted the question at each mealtime “how spicy would you like your dish”. We mainly went for medium, although the one “spicy” dish I did try was really pleasant, and with a few breathers in between made for a delicious meal. This is one thing Papaya doesn’t match to its heritage roots – a few of the items on the menu are labelled with “Mild”, “Medium” and “Hot”; however by our measure the one “Hot” dish (the chicken madras curry) did not live up to the chilli used for in-country dining.

One of our favourite dishes is the Kothu Roti. Imagine an Indian flat bread (the roti) copped into strips of about 1cm wide (or less) and fried up with meat, vegetable and those aromatic spices we mentioned...and there you have it, the Kothu Roti. Traditionally eaten in the evening in Sri Lanka (rice and curry are reserved for lunchtime sittings), we would argue that Kothu Roti goes down a treat at any time of the day. Since having been in Sri Lanka, this is now a regular on our order when we visit Papaya.

 

Photo: Kothu options at Papaya (string hopper is a bit like vermicelli)

Another traditional dish is the Egg Hopper, a south Indian pancake made from fermented rice, cooked with a fried egg in the centre. When I first saw this in Sri Lanka I was convinced it was a breakfast fusion of Indian Dosa (the pancake) with an English breakfast fried egg! How wrong I was – hoppers, and egg hoppers are a traditional eat for any meal all over the island.

During our most recent trip we went with some friends excited for a Sri Lankan feast. We ordered a lot of food and decided to also sample the starters. Most of the starters tended to be dry-ish fried bites – such as fishcake cutlets, lentil balls, samosas and so on. I thought they were delicious, but one of our guests did comment that she wished she’d saved more space for the phenomenal curries instead.

 Photo: Dahl, curry, rice, and another favourite - coconut sambal (finely ground coconut with spices to sprinkle on any dish)

By its own measure Papaya is “The best Sri Lankan Restaurant in the UK” (as it states on its restaurants homepage, claiming the Sri Lankan Community Award). Aside from the homemade Sri Lankan food we’ve been lucky enough to sample by the mothers of our good friends, we would agree that Papaya has been a delight to return to every time we get those Kothu Roti cravings.

Summary score table /5
Food Deliciousness:	4.5
Drinks Tastiness:	4
Service Skills:	4
Atmospheric Vibes:	3
Recommendation Score for a Casual Eve:	5
Recommendation Score for Showing off Ealing:	5
Total average score:	4.25

Santa Maria la Pizzeriaaa 
 
A relaxed summers Sunday evening, and we had an old friend visiting from overseas. We hadn't been to Santa Maria for a while so it seemed like a good option for a relaxed night out and some yummy food to fill our tums.

The pizzeria is famous for it's long wait for tables, whilst you drink in the pub next door (not a bad alternative). However this was Sunday (a quieter night for most restaurants), so we only waited a few minutes for our table (sadly missing out on the beer ;o)

We sat on a table near the front of the restaurant feeling the heat from the pizza oven and ordered our Italian beverages (beer and limonata) to go with our food. The decor was fun (having been refurbished back in Feb this year)

"Santa Maria was just what we were looking for on a lazy Sunday evening. Local, casual, relaxing but with a great atmosphere and some truly fantastic pizzas. The Italian team running the show are great - what an Ealing gem." Luke - visiting Ealing 

We hadn't been here for a while, but noted that the prices are now competitive with L'Oro Di Napoli just down the road (where we have been more recently). This is probably due to the increase at L'Oro Di Napoli, given its bedding in since its quite recent opening.

We ordered a selection of pizzas, and they didn't disappoint. We all commented on the rich tomato sauce used - it was delicious. Alex had gone for the special (with no tomato) which was really juicy even without the sauce. There was a good helping of toppings, and the bases were indeed from a good wood-fired-oven pizza.

We didn't have deserts, and although I was slightly dissapointed that there was no peppermint tea on offer - I accepted its upholding of traditional Italian vibes. I also got to take home the third of my pizza (that wouldn't fit in my tum) for lunch the next day - so was happy enough :o)

As you are told on the website, Santa Maria is listed in Time Out's 2012 Guide, and the restaurant has continued its standards as it was voted in the Evening Standard's top ten pizzas to try before you die. We would agree on the tasty pizzas - but although the service was friendly, we did feel a bit rushed. There were a few people waiting outside at odd points, but a smooth flow that kept the restaurant full all evening. We certainly got the sense that quick turnover was on order.

Despite the runs, all in all, this place still stays top for us in Ealing and we had a fun night. It gets itself a STAR EAT!

Summary score table /5
Food Deliciousness:	5
Drinks Tastiness:	3
Service Skills:	3
Atmospheric Vibes:	4
Recommendation Score for a Casual Eve:	5
Recommendation Score for Showing off Ealing:	5*
Total average score:	4.2

*Seeing as this was our second visitor we've taken here to technically 'show off Ealing' :o)

A Swimmingly good evening in the Turtle Bay


We had been trying to get into Turtle Bay for months and it was always full! However, with a little leg work and one phone call a table was booked. Due to the place always looking busy the hype was high but I think its fair to say it lived up to expectations. Our first attempt back in January failed miserably one Friday evening when we found that it was completely full all night! Ealing is obviously becoming such a popular place to eat out, it now seems the norm to have to book in advance...we learnt our lesson and this time booked for a smooth bank holiday afternoon out.

Turtle Bay is a Caribbean restaurant, serving jerk chicken and Caribbean curries (among many others). It has a great menu with an even better cocktail menu. We were eating relatively early because of Levi's bedtime (he's only 1 year old :o), so we came across happy hour on the cocktails which was great. The waitress kindly gave us happy hour 10 minutes after the 7pm deadline!

 
"Lived up to the hype, good food, great drinks." Pete

The place was buzzing in a fun way - lots of people waiting by the bar for tables, lots of groups out celebrating like we were; a regular Monday night. Inside they have forgotten to finish the paint job in most places, and left in the shipping container as the kitchen. It all added to the evening - good vibes all round.

Levi got a good child seat (for those interested), fully secure and clean! He had a fancy pizza from the kids menu which went down a treat, however, his views aren't reflected in the scoring.

"Great range of cocktails and soft-drinks for the drivers or mums-to-be!" Sarah

Unusual Caribbean burgers were on the menu, along with some great curries. We even got to try some goats meat (the new in-thing for London apparently). Of course deserts also had to be tried and went down a treat.

It was reasonably priced and the food was really yum! We did love the decor, but also couldn't help but think that it felt much more like an independent eatery than the chain-restaurant that it really was. This did create a bit of debate over our final scores, but it still turned out on top!

We would definitely go back there, everyone agreed - there was plenty of food envy and not enough time to try everything. There are many more interesting cocktails to give a go next time!

"Great evening a really easy place to relax. Cocktails were phenomenal and reasonably priced. Food was authentic." Mark

Check out the scores below... a huge 4.1 - making it a STAR EAT*

Summary score table /5
Food Deliciousness:	3.9
Drinks Tastiness:	5
Service Skills:	3.2
Atmospheric Vibes:	4.5
Recommendation Score for a Casual Eve:	4.8
Recommendation Score for Showing off Ealing:	3.4
Total average score:	4.1

[*STAR EAT = all eateries scoring 4/5 or more!]

When the Walpole Cafe does dinner!

It was valentines evening in Ealing. So a new local restaurant to try was in order.

We had heard all the rumours from online reviews; from our friends; and even from Marco Pierre White that The Walpole Cafe was the place to try. It was said to transform from the specialist provider of the full English breakfast into Friday and Saturday nights 'best restaurant in Ealing'. I called ahead to book a spot for Alex and I to sample their famous dinner. Two sittings were available  - 6pm and 9pm, so we went for the earlier option; as it seemed most others also had (we watched them re-lay tables when we left at 8:30pm).

Having walked past many times, I had always been intrigued by the greasy-spoon-looking façade, with its interior hidden behind the red and white checked curtains hanging in the lower half of the window. When we arrived for dinner, I was pleasantly surprised by the warm décor, nicely laid tables with candles and retro tin-plated adverts hung on the walls. We were greeted at our table by the chef's lovely wife - certainly proving a welcoming family feel to the night.

 

I had heard that the menu was small, but there seemed to be more than enough for us to choose from. We also realised that we have never noticed a menu to be too small in any restaurant, and perhaps it this was an indication of our non-fussy/greedy eating habits. It was hard to choose. 

As usual we made sure we ordered different dishes and ate off of one another's plates (or did a few plate-swaps across the table) for the rest of the evening. The evening offer included two-courses for £19.95 or three for £24.95 (we didn't decide in advance - but headed straight for the starters).

Starters were ginormous! between us we had the treacle-cured-salmon on a bed of beetroot, ginger and apple relish and the spicy soup complete with the largest sausage-roll slice we've ever seen. The soup and sausage-roll won on deliciousness here, and the chunky salmon was unfortunately overpowered in flavour from its punchy relish - which would have been better served in about 1/20th of the quantity (the table beside us also had to leave some of their relish untouched).

There was a good selection of wine, and we had a nice bottle of red to join our meal - since we both ordered meaty mains. And meat we did get! We certainly had eyes larger than our stomachs, or at least we had plate-fulls of food five times the size of our stomachs. Alex could sadly only make it through about half of his steak, even with a little help from me. My duck leg complete with sausage and red cabbage did a little better, though also not completable.

We ate far too much and conceded our predictability to the research experiment which proves that you eat 36% more if you can see a bottomless source of food in front of you compared to when you are blindfolded! 

A steak measuring one-hand please! And 2 inches thick!

Of course there is always room for a little sweet thing...and hot tea, after a big meal. We shared the sienna cake and truffles which were yum (and half came home for Sunday afternoon tea the next day). From the friendly waiter we learned that sienna cake is an Itallian, dense, spicy and nutty cake that sets quickly in the cold of winter. Italy's answer to nougat we decided.

Overall it was a great experience to dine at the Walpole, not the cheapest of eats, but very friendly, fun, and tasty. We will go again but make sure that we go prepared for the portions of a lifetime!

Summary score table /5
Food Deliciousness:	3.5
Drinks Tastiness:	4
Service Skills:	5
Atmospheric Vibes:	4
Recommendation Score for a Casual Eve:	3.5
Recommendation Score for Showing off Ealing:	4
Total average score:	4

Ealing Park dinner at the Tavern

The first dinner for a long time when all six of us could make it along. And a great evening it was too. The newly refurbished Ealing Park Tavern (EPT) provided a fantastic venue for a friendly pre-dinner drink and tasty mid-week meal.

Sarah had made a booking (which seems to be needed these days in popular Ealing eateries), and we met beforehand in the bar. Dark-wooden walls, high ceilings and stuffed hunting trophies hanging from the walls. A warm but regal interior. It certainly lived up to its 'lovingly restored old coaching inn and brewery', now 200 years old. The bar was fine, not cheap, but average for London. The restaurant was excellent.

We knew in advance that Monday evening was also quiz night, but we decided to try that another day. We were intrigued by the 'bring your own bottle' option at the restaurant (yes an appendage to the bar/pub). So that we did...a bottle and some dessert wine :) This of course meant that the in-house microbrewery will have to wait to be tested properly on another trip.

The restaurant was a similar interior to the bar, though slightly cosier, and felt a bit like being in the Natural History Museum cafe :) we particularly liked the stuffed puffin on the way to the bathroom. Between us we tried the fish and chips, the burger, and the lamb pie...all were wonderful. Louise even got to save half her pie for lunch the next day as it was so big!

To make sure that we got a good sample of the menu, and to have something to go with our desert wine, we ordered puddings. There seemed to be a bit of confusion in the kitchen and our puddings were delayed coming out, but when they did they didn't disappoint. The chocolate mud-pie was huge and yummy, and the doughnut holes were mini doughnuts served with 'custard' - Abi and Louise agreed that the custard must have really been cream :o)

Having sampled the delights of dinner, Sarah and Pete returned for a Sunday roast, with parents in tow! Sunday lunch is a different affair, noisier and more lively that Monday evening dinner, probably due to the number of children in attendance. Relaxing into the pleasant buzz we explored the lunch menu - a sharing set of roasts mains, making for a twist on the norm. For one person there was beef or pork. For two, there was a whole roast chicken, for three lamb, for four beef and for eight....a sucking pig (to be ordered in advance)! We had two individual beefs and a roast chicken for two. The chicken is a novel idea but when it arrived it was skewered on a bowl with a prong, with a knife poking from it! After much head scratching as to how to carve it...we gave up and asked for an extra plate to do the job. Whilst it was very tasty, it was almost more hassle than it was worth. Really, the waiting staff should carve it for you at the table. Other than the logistical challenge, the portions were hearty and we all left full and happy.

All in all two wonderful meals, really friendly staff, reasonable prices and delicious pub-eats. We all agreed we would go there again!

(Left over doughnuts also made for a good work snack the next day)

Summary score table /5
Food Deliciousness:	4
Drinks Tastiness:	5 (for BYOB)
Service Skills:	3.5
Atmospheric Vibes:	3
Recommendation Score for a Casual Eve:	4
Recommendation Score for Showing off Ealing:	4.5
Total average score:	4