Tipped

Italy finally arrives in SE3

October 01, 2010

I recently visited Le Querce in Brockley Rise, thanks to the recommendation of owners of an Italian deli in the area. My meal in August was excellent and my friends also enjoyed their meal. I have lived for periods of time in Italy and am very fussy about Italian food and therefore hard to please. I also took some other friends to Le Querce, both being gourmands and advocates of the Slow Food Guide, and they can't wait to revisit when they are back in England.

Le Querce have recently opened in Blackheath, which is a perfect venue for me. The area needs a genuine Italian restaurant and the menu is certainly that. I have already visited four times since their opening and the food and service are outstanding. I took a friend to lunch there recently and she requires a gluten free diet. The restaurant could not have been more helpful in ensuring that the pasta and bruschetta where gluten free, plus they were very accommodating in some small changes we requested to one of our meals.

All in all a very welcome addition to the restaurants in Blackheath and one that really has an Italian (Sardinian) menu.

Keywords: Italian, cuisine: sardinian

Avoid at all cost

July 31, 2010

an awful experience and would certainly not recomened it to anyone, first of all I asked if I could have a veg mixed into my main and was told a blatant no the reason being the chef does not change his meals for anyone, so I just left it then they decided to squeze another table behind my 1 year old daughters high chair meaning she could not move, we also waited 30 mins for our starters and 40 mins for our mains and the food was no where near worth the money as the chicken dish was dry and presented on a bed of tin peas!

Not once was we asked if we needed more drinks or asked if our meal was ok and just to put the icing on the cake they decide to add 12.5% service charge.

Consistently excellent

February 01, 2010

This lovely restaurant opened not long after my boyfriend and I moved to Honor Oak Park. We weren't sure about it from the outside, but after rave reviews on Hardens we decided to give it ago and have been going fairly regularly for the last 2 years. It's family run, there are daily specials (excellent), pizzas from monday to thursday and amazing homemade icecream. We have only ever had good service, although when it is busy it can take a while to get the bill (though the food always arrive in good time). Try to sit in the back if you can as then you can see the cooking.

We've taken as many people as we can here and they have always been impressed by the quality of the food.

Keywords: Honor Oak Park, cuisine: sardinian

Disappointment

January 24, 2010

Unfortunately, our first (and most definitely) last experience of visiting La Querce last night was deeply unpleasant. New to the area but having read the rave reviews this place gets and with parents visiting for the weekend, we were keen to see if we could try it out. Having called to see if they had a table for five people at 830pm, the fairly abrupt answer was yes, so we asked to book the table, were told this was done and then they hung up. Slightly intrigued, we figured they were busy with service and there was obviously enough availability.

We arrived, pleased to see a table set for five with a reserved sign at the front of the restaurant. The guy in charge confirmed our booking and showed us to said table. With a bottle of Sardinian wine ordered and delivered to the table we were about to place our food orders when our experience took a nasty turn for the worse. The guy in charge stormed over to our table and in no uncertain terms told us this wasn’t our table and that the table was in fact booked for the party of five who had just arrived! Somewhat taken aback, we politely protested that of course we had booked the table we had now occupied for some 15 minutes. The guy in charge was unbelievably aggressive and threatening; shouting that we hadn’t booked, had taken someone else’s table and were lying and that they didn’t have our phone number! He was abusive – shouting to a packed restaurant “LADY YOU HAVEN’T BOOKED” as I tried to calmly explain the situation. The only apologies for their error as we left came from the arriving party whilst the tyrannical rant continued. We didn’t get as far as sampling their fare and now don’t intend to so I can only pass comment on our outrageous treatment. Diner Beware!

Amazing secret Italian

April 07, 2008

Le Querce was recommended to me by another South Londoner, and I've ben debating sharing it as its such a find! Hidden away in the sleepy streets of Brockley (near Lewisham and New Cross) it's well of the beaten track (and tube map!) but I cannot recommend it enough. Gelatos to die for, homemade pasta and fish that will blow your mind, this is an Italian like you see in films-full of vitality and familiarity. Excellent value too, the prices are very reasonable for food of this quality.

Keywords: authentic Italian, south london,