Contact details below:
| Kilburn 228. Belsize Rd London NW6 4BT 020 7372 4699 |
Farringdon 171 Farringdon Rd London, EC1R 3AL 020 7278 1234 |
Battersea 228 York Rd London, SW11 3SJ 020 7223 4080 |
Croydon 32 Selsdon Rd South Croydon, CR2 6PB 020 8649 9544 |
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Dining out isn’t always about the food is it? The decor, the service, atmosphere and the company you keep contribute significantly to the dining experience, and it’s this attitude which makes Little Bay so successful.
Based on several sites around London including Battersea, Farringdon and Croydon, the restaurants are heavily themed (think Roman orgy and Barbarella) and in the case of the Battersea and Croydon branch, provide live opera for the evening’s entertainment. Watching a pair of sopranos singing, flirting and moving around the tables as you eat is a smile inducing experience, even if the food doesn’t quite leave the same mark.
Little Bay Battersea
Going to the Battersea restaurant I chose the Mussels as a starter and braised beef as a main. The mussels were clearly pre-frozen but the white wine sauce was creamy and addictively salty. Not a great starter by any means but at under £2.50 can you really complain?
The braised beef was either overly braised or it was just the wrong cut of meat; My guess is the latter as the beef was too lean. I ate all my veggies like a good boy though as they were fresh and well cooked.
My good friend chose to skip the starter and dived straight into her stuffed chicken breast which to our surprise wasn’t as bad as expected. The anticipated tough cardboard texture I had anticipated gave way to a juicy firm bite. It was still slightly dry though, and the accompanied pecorino sauce was salty – an accusation that is widespread by many diners it seems.
I don’t really want to go on about the food as I think it would be unfair and missing the point. Seriously, despite Little Bay’s misgivings (and I could have caught them on a bad day) I’d recommend taking your partner, your dad, or a bunch of friends down to Battersea, take in the burlesque charm of the surroundings, the whimsical opera, spend a little money on food, a whole lot more on booze and that’s not a bad night out at all. We are in a recession you know! In fact, as it’s coming up to Father’s day, it’s a great choice for the old man and a great choice for your wallet!
I haven’t been to the Farringdon or Kilburn restaurants but I’m informed that Battersea has the quirkiest decor – check out the wall paintings in the gents washrooms when you get the chance. Here’s one of them:-)
Picture in gents toilet, Little Bay
If I was taken here for father’s day, I’d appreciate this fine art!
Some of the online reviews are a bit unfair and some customers really do expect a lot for not much: If you’re talking about cheap dining in London then take in £2.50 for a starter; and £5.50 for a main and as long as you bear the price in mind, you won’t be disappointed.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Ganapati Restaurant – Peckham
- Just for the hell of it
- Masala Zone, Indian Restaurant in Soho
- Rasa Sayang – Malaysian Restaurant in Chinatown
- Savannah Jerk – Another Caribbean eatery on Wardour Street
