Local hidden gems in London

“My first Hajj Journey Thank you Caravan Tours, for such a memorable journey. It is the most beautiful memory I hold close to my heart at this moment in time. Brother Abdulrab, your personal touch and care was very appreciated. Your humbleness and sincerity is commendable. Caravan Tours delivered what was promised and more. Attention care was given to every member of the group, as though we were one big family. The staff of Caravan were not regimented and always took in to consideration The well-being and preferences of everyone in the group. By the grace of Allah SWT our hajj was made effortless, and so pleasant, I can’t wait to go back. In Sha Allah in a few years time of Allah SWT wills it, I will book my hajj with Caravan Tours without a doubt. Highly recommend this company.”

“We had the private group full day tour of Paris and thought that it was absolutely necessary to provide a review of our experience with Travel Curious and our guide Pierre-Yves. Travel Curious ensured that we would enjoy our day trip to Paris by making certain we were able to do a tour of the Eiffel Tower and provided us with complimentary upgraded tickets to the summit. They stayed in communication with me from the time of my booking up until the day before our tour. Our guide Pierre-Yves continued this excellent service by going ABOVE AND BEYOND ensuring that not only did we get a full history and background of every major landmark in France but he also took additional measures to take care of us. He was extremely knowledgeable of not only the art in the Louvre, but the architecture and history of all the buildings we passed as well as the city. Pierre gave us a full Paris experience by bringing us walking past landmarks and to the secret spots with amazing views for pictures, took us on a boat, on a train and even a bus. We went to destinations which were not pre-planned and he never once complained. He stayed with us the entire day up until the tour for the Eiffel Tower was set to begin. He even avoided drinking his water at one point because we said we were thirsty and he wanted to ensure we got our water first. He was the best tour guide we have EVER been with in any country and will highly recommend him and Travel Curious to anyone we know visiting Paris. Thank you!”

“Being my first visit to Seoul (and South Korea in general), I decided to book a day-long one-on-one personalized tour of what the city has to offer. Oki from City Unscripted was my tour guide and we hit it off immediately! :) She was extremely knowledgeable about the attractions that we visited as well as the city’s history, and really knew her way around town. A few days prior to our meetup, Oki gave me some recommendations based on my feedback on what I wanted to do on our tour (places, food, etc.) and how I wanted to go about it (walking, subway, etc.), so by the time we met for the tour she had a great plan set up while still providing options for flexibility. We started the tour at my hotel, and proceeded to walk around town. Places we visited included Seoul City Hall, Gyeongbokgung Palace (where I toured in rented traditional Hanbok clothing), the Blue House (residence of past presidents), and Gwangjang Market. We ate some amazing Korean barbeque (that we cooked ourselves) at the market, where Oki gave me some helpful tips on how to eat barbecue like a local (which I eventually got the hang of). During the tour Oki also gave me a ton of recommendations on other places to visit while in Seoul (such as Bukchon Hanok Village, which I toured the day after and is awesome by the way), authentic Korean snacks (such as Hotteok, a sweet pancake filled with a sweet delicious syrup), and gift/clothing ideas (such as hats, fridge magnets, bracelets, and artwork). I also learned a couple new Korean words (such as “sugohaseyo”) and customs/habits to kind of help immerse myself in the Korean culture and environment (it seemed to work). I took a ton of pictures, and Oki helped out with taking pictures of me as well. We also took a couple of the obligatory selfies lol! My only critique is that I wish we had more time to tour the city (the time went by so fast, but that happens when you’re having too much fun), but I’ll just have to book another tour when I return to Seoul. I would definitely pick Oki to take me on another tour. Thanks Oki, hope to see you next time! :)”

“Hands down the best steak sandwich I've ever eaten. My son opted for the steak and wedges and was pleasantly surprised that they had been replaced with chips. Mexican lady that served us was super friendly and even let my kids into the cabin to see the steaks being cooked. Will defo be visiting again the next time we are in the area”

“We had an incredible dinner! Everything was so tasty! Highly recommend and will definitely be back cause the menu had so many interesting dishes! Highlight was the complimentary semolina syrupy cakes pieces that came with the bill”

“3rd time at Gia Bistro and Bar - service was amazing as always. Food portion and quality is just as great. Definitely somewhere I’ll be frequenting often, especially for the French Toast”

“We loved our stay at the Waltons, Maggie and Richard are great hosts, very attentive and helpful and the house and room were beautiful and clean. Great location for exploring the different walks around Dorking, Denbies wine estate and the beautiful antique shops. Will definitely be coming back.”

“Fantastic. My dog came back looking & smelling as though he just stepped off the ...Cat walk in Paris”

“I am so happy I found this groomer for my Cockapoo puppy. He had two full grooms with Diana so far and each time she managed a complete transformation! From a scruffy bear to the softest and smartest teddy. Diana takes the time to listen to my expectations and knows how to create the most flattering shape for the individual dog. We get so many compliments! She gave great advice on home grooming routine and the whole experience felt very personal, not rushed and factory like other groomers. Nice and fairly priced accessories too.”

“Swift and clear booking mechanism, and is wonderful to view the carbon footprint of hotels I am staying at. An excellent service!”

“totally recommend, very nice staff and great work, I had my first piercing here and they explained everything to me and were very nice to me, just a great atmosphere and professionalism from everyone”

“I’ve got a tattoo with Vivi and it came amazing! She was really friendly and make this tattoo with so much love and I really appreciate as it was something really meaningful to me. If you are in London and looking to get a cute tattoo I strongly recommend to seek this studio (and also has other services!) definitely will go back”

“Brand new tattoo shop that feels homely, beautifully decorated, and clean. Blanaid the manager was very welcoming and made a real effort to greet me. I went in to get work from resident artist Skinny Mouse who was very professional and polite, a treat to be tattooed by. The work done was to an extremely high standard and is currently healing well. I have also had work done by Frank Carter (resident artist and owner of the shop) at Rose Of Mercy. Frank was wonderful and welcoming, the tattoo was to an extremely high standard and was hand drawn and inked quickly. It has been great watching the shop transform into the amazing place it is today from the early stages.”

“I had a great tattoo experience at South City Market. My piece was done by Lauren (@lemon.juice.tatts) and I’m so happy with how it turned out, from the sketching stage to the end result. Lauren was friendly and chatty throughout the process making it a very calm and pleasant experience. The shop itself is cool and not too cramped, very clean, and the rest of the staff were all super nice. Would recommend SCM to anyone looking for a tattoo in London, especially fine line work.”

“Best sushi that myself and a colleague had ever tried. The young gentleman that served us was very polite and attentive. 100% would recommend.”

“What a great place. Wide range of food on offer. I had chicken breast in a mushroom and cream sauce which was delicious. Service was excellent and prices reasonable. Highly recommended.”

“Every mouthful had great flavours. Whether the seafood tacos or the corn on the cob (which had some cheeky spices in it) and with the garlic butter was worth a review if it’s own! These guys are in High Wycombe on a Saturday. Well worth it!”

“Lovely new shop. They open at 10:00 but we were outside much earlier and without hesitation the lady unlocked the front door to let us in. Italian and Japanese deli. Everything looked fresh and the smells were making me hungry. We bought some pasta and sauces to give as a gift. We will go back for more and will try the tasting evenings they have.”

“Delicious food, welcoming staff and a delightful atmosphere. Authentic Somali cuisine. Would recommend 6 stars if I could.”

“Lovely food and friendly / knowledgeable team. My favourite was the jerusalem artichoke (pictured). It got quite pricey but, we admittedly had a fair amount of wine :)”

“I booked Medlar for wife's birthday, I saw the reviews were decent and I thought I give it ago myself. I like the menu was just a set price. Either opting for the 2 course or 3 course menu. As it was a celebration we opted for the 3 course menu. The menu looked great with a nice selection of options. My wife went for the crab ravioli to start and I chose the tuna option. Both were really tasty, the tuna was fresh and light with a lovely Asian dressing. We ordered the rioja red wine which was lovely. Its nice you can bring your own wine and pay the corkage fee. They brought us lovely bread through out courses which was a nice touch. My wife had the beef for mains and I went for the monkfish. Both were beautiful cooked and delicious. For dessert I had the chocolate moose and my wife had the creme brulee. If was a lovely finish to the meal. We enjoyed the food it felt quite high end and seemed decent value. As it was my wife's birthday they surprised her with a sorbet with a candle in it and some complimentary marshmallows and chocolate truffles.”

“Welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, and generous portions, together with delicious food and affordable prices, make this place a winning combination. We absolutely loved it!”

“Had an amazing time! The host gives the best recommendations, which we went with no regrets. Highlights were the mezze board and the carrot and ginger juice! Will definitely be back soon.”

“£3.50 pints, lovely authentic food, great service and all in a cosy setting! What more can you want, we will for sure be returning to this hidden gem.”

“Pintadera Café in West Norwood is the epitome of classics Italian service, all delivery with warmth, friendliness and grace. When I’m this part of town it’s always my go to. Classic Italian fair, brilliant coffee and old fashioned attentive service through. Today I only had time for couple of oat flat whites, next time I have some of the delicious food I saw on the menu and what was being served. Don’t list it LOVE IT.”

“What a pleasure it was to eat at Plus 233. Josephine was not only cooking but being the host with the most! Food was so tasty and the portions were great. Great music too! Will definitely come back”

“Very good Ethiopian at a very reasonable price. It's £32 for the sharing multi platter for 2 very hungry, or 3 sort of hungry people. The Ethiopian honey wine is definitely worth a try, it tastes a bit like sweet apricot juice, quite nice, £5 for a large glass. It's on the way from Highbury & Islington to Emirates, went there before a cup match midweek and couldn't believe how empty it was. This place is a little gem. If you've never tried Ethiopian, it's a bit like Indian, but it's all plopped in little piles on a big plate in the middle to share.”

“Alright hear me now, after the long wait I finally made my appearance at the hyped black bear burger, said to have the BEST burgers in London. The last time I heard a restaurant had the best something in London, I was unfortunately disappointed. Nonetheless, I wished this time there would be a glimmer of hope and that it would be different. The service was amazing; a really friendly vibe to the place which took the culinary experience to another level. It was nice and cool in the restaurant, with plenty of seating for a hot summers day. They had a very efficient payment system which made it very easy to leave whenever you wanted which was good. They even blessed us with free ice cream at the end. In my opinion, I can’t honestly say I had the best burger in London—though in all fairness it’s going to take something really special for me to even consider calling anything the best in London. They had a very efficient payment system which made it very easy to pay and then leave when you want which was good. They even blessed us with free ice cream at the end. The whole meal came up to £27. Fries These skin-on fries were pretty decent; good potato content and fluffy, too. They were as crispy as I expected but were definitely lacking some salt. There was a Five Guys-ness to them though not to the same level. Overall, they didn’t feel like an inconvenience to eat which is definitely a positive. 6.5/10 Chicken nuggets The highly praised nuggets were something I believed to be quite unique—especially when it comes to a restaurant like this—and the way they were made was quite different in itself. They were very well seasoned, the coating was crispy, and the chicken breast was cooked really well. The nuggets were accompanied with their blue cheese and buffalo sauce, which I wasn’t really a fan of. For a total of £7 they do give you a considerable amount of them—especially given that they’re only a side. I was a bit unsure about the seasoning of the nuggets, but ultimately, I enjoyed them. 6.7/10 Miso bacon burger It’s time for the main event: the burger. Now although the Miso bacon burger wasn’t their signature one, I had read the description and was more intrigued to try it. It was £12 for a single burger, but if you have the money for it I would advise you to double up. The patty was incredibly juicy, the sauce inside was very nice, and the onions were a great touch. The seeded bun was a good move for the sturdiness of it all, especially in the top one. The bottom bun, however, wasn’t a match for the miso sauce; it left it slightly soggy—though that wasn’t enough to detract from the positives of the burger. I believe it could have been improved with some fresh iceberg lettuce, but I did enjoy it. 7.4/10 Overall culinary experience: 8/10 For more food reviews check my insta: sjtalks_”

“Went with my friend today for lunch and coffee, we waited outside for a short while in a small queue before we were given a lovely window seat. It’s quite small inside with a good atmosphere, very busy, very clean and lovely decor. The service was friendly and very quick. Loved our food and will definitely go back to try some of the other delicious dishes we saw others having. 5⭐️”

“I have only ever had the patties here but they are amazing (best I have ever had), quite expensive compared to other stores but worth it, fresh/homemade, much better than what you get in most Jamaican/Jerk shops. They tend to sell out of flavours quick so go early.”