Tarnino restorante bar San Pedro - LA

Introduction In the heart of Westwood Blvd at 1043 and around the corner from Westwood Village and 2 blocks from the Geffen Theatre
Ambience Has the atmosphere of a quality Roman restaurant.
Service As Italian as the decor
Food Indifferent. The menu is in Italian and English. For "Gli Antipasti Caldi" I had the Mussels and clams in a fresh tomato sauce. Quite tasty small mussels dominated by the peppery tomato soup they floated in. The special papparadelles with duck, served as an appetizer was excellent
Le Insalate undistiguished, the carciofi - artichoke with aged peccorino cheese just OK and the extremely ordinary
The Veal shank with saffron risotto was really Osso Bucco but there does not seem to be any difference to the waiter- also nothing special whilst the breaded rack of veal turned out to be one large, beaten veal chop on the bone and yearling beef at that. not improved by the covering of small tomatoes and argulla lettuce. Perhaps lucky we were running too late for dessert!
Wine Premium Cab/sav by the glass very good
Price around US$50/head + gratuity without wine,dessert or coffee
Comments I'd try somewhere else for better food and less pretentious
Score: 13/20

Christines - Los Angeles

Introduction Tucked away, with no sign out the front, at 24530 Hawthorn Blvd, Torrance, California
Ambience Cosy, friendly
Service Very obliging
Food The salad starter was large and very frsh. Extremely tasty sauces accompany the pasta dishes. The Papparadelles were tops though the Angel hair pasta was far too thick.
Price Reasonable around $25/ person
Comments A very nice place for lunch or dinner
Score: 14.5/20

Papadakis Taverna - San Pedro California

Introduction On the southern edge of Los Angeles at 301 West 6th Street (Phone 310548 1186)
Ambience A few Bronze heads of ?family members wear medallions praising the restaurant. It's a very warm welcoming family restaurant
Service Very friendly
Food Tadziki and a bean paste appear with the bread Entrees (mains) are huge, good standard , domestic quality and accompanied by soup (chicken or lentil) and a Greek salad. I did not think it much mattered if you ordered veal, They bring the meat and fish on a glad wrapped tray for inspection
Both the cheese cake and the coconut sorbet were pleasant and the Greek style coffee in a full size cup, excellent
There is a bit of showmanship starting with the gratis Cheese starter flamed at the table and later the host and waiter do Zorba's dance finished with a glass of wine smashed on the stone floor as soon as it was emptied. Then a well rounded scantly dressed young lady belly dances around the tables collecting folding money tucked under her garments by the men
Wine You can bring your own for about $25/bottle Their's by the glass was less than ordinary
Price Around US$35/ person
Comments Packed on weekends Reservations essential
Score: 14/20

The Restaurant at The Getty Centre

Introduction A sophisticated restaurant at the Getty Centre on the outskirts of Los
Angeles
Ambience Superb views from the Pacific Ocean to LA. Well spaced tables with quality linen and crockery You feel the quality of theplace as soon as you enter
Service In keeping with the venue
Food Menu changes every week.
The Beetroot salad aqppetizer was excellent, the Oxtail and occherini very good and the slow cooked pork shank near pefect
The Pannacotta dessert - wonderful
Wine The Blackberry with Mojito excessively sweet but the 2003 Bordeau by the glass very good
Price After gratuity about US$60/person
Comments Don't go without a reservation
Score: 16/20

Shelly's Restaurant - Manhattan

Introduction A fairly recent addition to the restaurant scene at 104 W 57th Street.
Ambience The oyster, crab and lobster filled front window sets the scene Not too noisy despite the stone floor. Small tables hardly hold the required accoutrements plus the food
Service Extremely attent.ive without being excessively obtrusive
Food An appetizer of tasty Mulligatawny soup followd by a magnificent dish of huge crabs legs in a light garlic sauce, shells split and very easy to eat was good value for us at US$45/pound The 3lb Maine lobster was not as sweet or tender as I expected.
I did see other diners eating handsome steaks and was sorry not to try some of the 8 varieties of oysters on the menu (only 3 were actually available)
A Bomb Alaska flamed with rum at the table was about average tho it looked good
Wine A 1/4 litre of Pinot Grigio and another of Sauvingon Blanc at US$11 and $12 were just OK
Price The bill was US$182 and they expect a 20% gratuity
Comments Unpretentious. They were extremely nice to me after I spilled a full glass of water over the table, and my wife's lap and then managed to break a wine glass
Score: 14.75/20

The Prime Grill - Manhattan

Introduction At 60 East 49th Street this kosher restaurant is well known to New Yorkers
Ambience Indistinguishable from a heap of medium price busy restaurants. They do make you feel welcome and whatever you order the waiter is likely to say, with great sincerity, "very good choice sir"
Service Extremely pleasant and quite efficient
Food I tried 3 appetizers (Americans call main courses Entrees) The Sushi was rather bland all 8 pieces, The country Chicken Bouillon (their spelling) a good farmers soup, basil flavoured and full of vegetables and the Spicy Italian Sausage on a bed of Broccoli, hearts of palm and garlic confit very good as long as you don't mind a bit of pepper
For mains the the grilled "Nova Scotia" Halibut with creamy butternut squash risotto, and tarragon infused tomato broth was a good size serve of a fine white fleshed delicate flavoured fish.
The crispy golden French hen , a whole good sized bird, with a smoked duck and chestnut sausage, savoy cabbage, lemon gnocchi and chantere was very tasty indeed tho I did not care for the gnocchi which were too firm
The Prime Grill Filet was also a handsome serve with non mass produced French fries is also a good choice
Wine I have not got a grip on wines in America so I generally take the waiters suggstion for wine of the style I want to drink, by the glass. It usually works out as just OK and it's not cheap. US$12 is quite common
Price You get a fairly good meal with wine for US$100
Comments Kosher or not this is quite a good place to eat
Score: 15.5/20

Harrods London

Introduction: Harrods food halls at Knightsbridge are a feast for the eyes
Ambience: Every food counter is overcrowded making it slow to get a seat and claustrophobic when you do
Service: Feels like a pub with bright lights
Food: Seafood, Oyster bar and sandwich bar. King size sandwiches toasted - tongue beef or cornbeef One sandwich and a handsome but not very good glass of wine a mere A$50
Comments: Go there to see it or perhaps to be seen Not to eat
Score: 13/20

Sushi Hiroba London

Introduction: Part of an International chain this one at 50 Kingsway London
Ambience: Utilitarian
Service: Self serve and waiter service
Food: Typical Japanese sushi, sashimi and a variety of small dishes go past on different coloured plates on a conveyor belt. Green tea Udon soup and other dishes can be ordered. The quality is very ordinary
Wine: Saki is available
Price: A$65 barely filled a cavity in one tooth
Comments: Expensive and poor value
Score:13 /20

Restaurant Bilbao Berria Barcelona

Introduction: ATapas house on the Cathedral square
Ambience: Crowded with rapidly changing clientelle
Service: Efficient
Food: Moderate variety Mussels stuffed with crab meat are very tasty as was thevegetarian eggplant and pepper construction. Elvers (called Angula here) which look like long white worms and are actually eel larvae, are a delicate specialty
Wine: House wine is barely acceptable
Price: Most tapas cost between A$3-6 depending on size
Comments: Excellent for a snack or meal
Score:13.5 /20

Restaurant Colón Barcelona

Introduction: Attached to the excellently placed hotel of the same name at Avenida da Catedral, 7.
Ambience: A very pleasant room
Service: Laughable pleasantly incompetent
Food: In a word AWFUL. The prawns in the prawn salad entree had not been cleaned and contained grit in the intestine The pumpkin soup was thin but acceptable Paella marinara had a recently deep frozen langoustine sitting an a bed of rice with a few limpits. Their special local fish only known in this area was inedible -extremely fatty with an overwhelmingly strong fishy taste. The ox sirloin requested blue came medium and the laquered lamb was as dry as a chip - cooked to death
Wine: The only good thing was the Domaine de Nidoleres, Syrah, 2002 - we needed 2 bottles!!
Price: Not cheap four dried little rolls cost A$11 3 entrees 4 mains and coffee and petit fours which I could not find on the bill came to A$270 Entrees about A$22 mains about A$40
Comments: I must say the staff were very nice
Score:11.5 /20

La Galvinos - Barcelona

Introduction: Facing the Marina at the port area of Barcelona. The many outside tables were empty at 10.00 pm on this winters night. Despite the hour staff greeted us warmly (almost fawning) and diners continued to arrive well after us the kitchen closing at about 11.30
Ambience: Gave me a vague feeling as tho I was on a shipwith huge porthole windows looking into the kitchen
Service: Plenty of uniformed staff for the number of diners meant as much attention as we wanted
Food: We started with the fish and shellfish soup Thick and filled with plenty of fish and prawns it was a good beginning. The mussels mariniere were large and satisfying in a slightly sweet thick tomato soup very much to my taste. The sweetness seems to come from the tomatos which are tastier than those in Australia
For mains I had the Angler fish in a thick fish sauce packed with oyster mushrooms and eggplant. Despite being much firmer (and less delicate ) than the one I had in Rome a year ago it was a very good dish
On the other hand the Hake with shellfish was extremely delicate. The flesh of this fish, also not available in Australia, very white and very fine. Wine: The house white was quite acceptable but the red rather rough
Price: We paid A$160 Starters A$12-20 Mains about A$45 You pay for bread everywhere in Spain
Comments: There are some meat dishes available but this is really a fish restaurant
Score: 15/20

Botafumeiro

Introduction: I don`t know if this specialist fish restaurant at Gran de Gra`n, 81 Barcelona has Michelin stars or not but it deserves them
Ambience: Bustling with waiters and patrons. A large display case is filled with awards and includes a Chaine des Rotisseurs chain. Photograhs of patrons includePresident Clinton and heaps of film stars and glitteratae. There is a long counter at which some ate presumably because the restaurant was full but most diners are seated at white linen covered tables
Service: White coated waiters are efficient but unhurried, considerate and willing to spend time on explanations
Food: We took our waiters recommendationfor 2 entreés and 2 mains
The crab salad in a light olive oil was exquisite with plenty of fine almost sweet crab meat
The grilled prawns were astonishingly tasty. Smaller but much sweeter than the Australian prawn they are caught 100 km up the coast. Only about 20kgm are caught each day for the whole of Spain and they could not be fresher ~ alive only a few hours ago
The Spiny Lobster (about A$170/ kgm) served with a mayonaise or a red mild sauce was again remarkable for the taste of the flesh
Finally the Sea Bass - a queen of fish, served with a cream sauce and sliced potato left us totally satisfied.
Wine: Again on our waiters advice a bottle of Bojus del Rios from the Galicia area proved to be an excellent accompaniment to the meal
Incidently they did have a few meat dishes available
There were complimentary sweets and Muscat to finish
Price: About A$430 but $300 if we did not have lobster
Comment: Undoubtedly a top restaurant
Score 18/20