Mint, Streatham

Mint in Streatham was a very pleasing find last Saturday night. Having recently moved into the area we haven�t really had much of a chance to explore as of yet. Oddly it seems that I�ve discovered one of the best kept secrets in London, or else I imagined the entire evening. As the bar fails to make an appearance on beerintheevening, fluidstyle, viewlondon or any of the usuals. But this looks like the only mistake the management have made as everything else is spot on.

We popped off the 159 early to see more of our new area; full of high hopes for Streatham High Street (recently voted the worst high street in Europe). We weren�t too dissappointed spying a few places to try out again: Bar 61, Perfect Blend and Chico�s among them.

Mint is simply a nice place with nice people. The staff are attentive, chatty and quick-witted and the customers seem chilled and good-humoured. Even the security carry out their job with inobtrusive efficiency and humour (though it's a shame that they seem necessary).

We order a steak sandwich. Always a risky venture as you�re never quite sure what will be served up to you. But the meat came as steak always should; seared, rare and bloody. The large fleshy portobello mushroom and the thin layer of strong cheddar worked a treat.

A moment should also be taken for their cocktails (happy hour from 5 til 7). The Lychee Love Machine is made up of ground fresh lychees, lemongrass, something else that I�ve entirely forgotten, vodka and topped off with cinnamon bark. It�s an interesting and varied cocktail menu, and not too pricey.

In short, Mint is something Streatham seems to need more of; somewhere with good food and service with comfortable surrounds where you can sit, chat and relax.

On a tangent, I�ve read recently that Lambeth council plan to take action against the bar as its shopfront is breaking the conservation order placed on the area. I find this startling as the street is simply ugly: plain and simple. Rows of bookmakers, takeaways and franchise stores do little to add to local character. It would be something of a disgrace if one of the few businesses to add at least something to the appearance of the high street with well-designed and welcoming front was taken to court for its efforts.

19 May 2006 12:21

The Guildford, Greenwich

A very short entry; it�s not a particularly interesting story. It�s just to highlight a pub that we think is rather nice and serves rather nice food in an area that is largely devoid of such. Also it gets slated on a few of the reviews here and I think the entries are a bit unfair.

The menu is a fairly basic pub food menu; meat and chicken dishes. They do however succeed in that one criterion that so many fail to even realise is important; simple food is fantastic if you just use good ingredients.

We had:
Italiano Chicken. Described as �chicken breast wrapped in bacon�; wonderful moist roast chicken wrapped in crisped parma ham.

Lamb shank was excellent; the meat strongly flavoured and waiting to fall from the bone and into my belly.

It�s an area where it can very difficult to find anything at all nice to eat (unless you really do enjoy the endless mediocre tapas of Greenwich village). It can be difficult to find a nice pub where the television doesn�t blare out over your every word. It can certainly be very difficult to find a quiet table on a Saturday night. The Guildford Arms provided all of these and, for anyone living in the area, it�s a hidden treasure for doing so.

10 Feb 2006 10:24

The Salisbury, Harringay

Very very very nice pub.

We headed in on a cold night after a long long day and received a warm welcome in this warm comfortable environment. The pub itself could easily veer toward the ostentatious on account of the impressive ironwork over the door and roomy wooden rooms. But friendly staff (made all the more obvious by how many regulars they knew the names and regular drinks of) certainly produce an excellent pub.

Food was very good (it can be hard to find good mussels in London pubs).

Good point about the chill below though; it�s pretty spacious so it really doesn�t heat up at all.

14 Nov 2005 12:14