Tipped

'Hey look! An American diner!'

May 08, 2008

Much like American attempts at 'English Pubs', this 'American Diner' comes off as grasping a bit too much. I do very much appreciate the inclusion of Brooklyn Lager to the drinks list (as well as a full bar), and the menu keeps it simple which I like, but because of its attitude and clientele, its always clear that you're not really in an American diner.
Having knocked it a bit, however, there is plenty to enjoy about the Diner. They serve up fine comfort food in cozy booths with milkshakes and fries. If you've got a hankering for that kind of meal, they serve it up well.
I just wish it was open 24 hours for drunken pancakes or gravy-fries at 3am like a proper diner. Once I find that in a upscale casual restaurant in Shoreditch, I'll be happy.

Tags: brooklyn lager, comfort food

Nothing Could Be Finer

April 16, 2008

Most Americans in London will occasionally get desperate and sneak into McDonald's or Pizza Hut for a dose of guilty pleasure nostalgia. Not me; my policy is if I don't eat it in the US, I ain't eating it here. Still, the doughy smell of Pizza Hut and the boiling rancid fat smell of KFC will sometimes tempt me just a little bit.

Luckily, The Diner is there to fulfill my need for American food. True, it does play up the kitchy retro diner motif a bit, not to the Jack Rabbit Slim's extent, but there's no point in denying the obvious. And yeah, the food isn't great, but it is exactly what it should be: diner food, and nothing more. The burgers are really good in that really bad sort of way, they call the chips 'fries', milkshakes come with the extra mixing cup full of more milkshake, and they refill your coffee 7 times before they refill your water once. On top of this, they serve huevos rancheros and a few other Mexican options, and Mexican beer to wash it down. Other people miss McDonald's -- this is the stuff I miss. If only they served root beer floats...

Tags: american food, Mexican beer, mexican, diner, breakfast