GUEST POST: Ed Eaton reviews Belgo

Here at londonfood4afiver we really care what you think. Ed Eaton, friend and longtime supporter of this very blog, has written a rather fantastic review of Belgo for us.

Mussels from Brussels

Name: Belgo

Type: Belgian

Location: Covent Garden, Holborn, Camden, Clapham

Rating: £££

Apparently, Belgo has been a London institution since 1992, but for some reason I only discovered it in 2011, which is odd considering you’ll never be far from one of their four London restaurants. Perhaps it’s because, like many things Belgian, Belgo is easy to overlook but very good at what it does. Think TinTin, Poirot, and Jean-Claude Van Damme…actually scratch that last one, who you overlook at your own peril.

Damme I could do with a Belgian beer right about now

Speaking of Belgian muscles, Belgo’s speciality is mussels, which come in a creamy mariniere sauce and a hearty serving of chips. Impress your friends by informing them that it’s actually ok to eat the ones that haven’t opened. Not a fan of mussels? There are plenty more dishes to choose from, which all look very pleasant, although none have tempted me so far. If you’re feeling fancy maybe sample one of the many Belgian beers, although you might want to make sure you’ve nothing important to do afterwards as some contain up to 12% alcohol.

Picture of some mussels

Belgo’s set-up is simple and fast, and although the food might not have you sprinting for the next Eurostar to Brussels, it is consistently tasty and filling. It might be hard to get excited about Belgium – one of its leading politicians was described as having the “charisma of a damp rag”, perhaps a touch unfair – but to its credit Belgo tries its best. If you go to the flagship Covent Garden branch you’ll actually be served by Belgian monks (authenticity questionable).

You can get the best bang for your buck by taking advantage of their lunchtime offers, or their ‘beat the clock’ deal, where you pay the price of the time you order between 5pm and 7pm. Although good value, Belgo might be a bit of a stretch for the £5 purists among you, but it is just about doable if you manage to order your food at 5pm exactly (not a minute before mind), drink only tap water, and make your waiter cry by demanding they remove the service charge, an added insult considering they have to walk around in a monk’s cloak all day. But for the Eurosceptics among you, or just the plain heartless, I’m sure you’ll manage this just fine.

Apologies to Belgium.

Ta Ed!

The 6 best websites to get restaurant DEALS from.

I love a deal, you love a deal. WE ALL LOVE A GOOD DEAL. Here are the best sites that offer vouchers to help you save those pennies – and as my Grandma always says ‘Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.’

GROUPON

Vouchercodes

For meals that won't break the bank.

Moneysavingexpert

Gourmet Society

Restaurantvoucherslive

Crunchlunch

Print a few off and shove them in your bag, they always come in handy. DO remember to check the date, as I once went to Pizza Express with an out of date voucher and it was HUMILIATING.

GUEST POST: How to get lunch for the week for £5

In a previous post Anna voiced a problem a lot of us have:

“I’m a student and I don’t have enough money to spend £5 on lunch everyday, anyway to get this stuff out for even cheaper or is that pushing it?”

LUCKILY, the creator of Look what I found! The place to share your vintage and second hand finds Harriet Thurley has stepped in to show you how to get 5 days (that’s a working week FYI) worth of lunches for £5 in total (no word of a lie). And you can trust her since she’s so cheap she only wears secondhand clothes.

Here is her how to:

I’ve never met The Sandwich Man. He lurks in the depths of a warehouse off Exmouth Market. I think of him as a great pal, a Samaritan even, an inspiration. Why? You won’t believe me when I tell you: he gives me lunch for an entire working week for under a fiver!

Five fresh, delicious sandwiches from Monday to Friday at 90p a pop. They’re cheaper than the cover price as these sandwiches are part of the Sandwich Man’s catering empire. He delivers his baked creations to people with jobs in offices at higher prices and the ones they reject get delivered back to his warehouse where the unemployed can get them for discount prices.

Here’s what was on my menu last week:

Monday – Bacon and brie baguette (90p)

Tuesday – Pasta arrabatia (they even heat it up for you) (£1.50)

Wednesday – Cheese and pickle roll (50p)

Thursday – Wensleydale cheese and chutney roll (90p)

Friday – Houmous, tuna and pepper baguette (90p)

Total – £4.70, so I can even treat myself to a 50p can of fizzy pop on a Friday (if I find 20p on the floor).

This isn’t the extent of the goods on offer, though. Get pasta (heated, optional), hot jacket potatoes (cold, optional, but gross), curries, noodles and pastries too. (NB. Some of these may set you back £1.50!)

The Sandwich Man has kept me fed and watered while I’ve been a short-of-cash student. For that, I am eternally grateful.

His location is top secret (bar the tiny hint above). I’ll leave you to hunt him out for yourself. Go on, smell him out.

Rating: £££££

So there you have it, cheap cheap lunches. particulary handy for students of City University but worth hunting out for all.

GUEST POST: Nachos at Wetherspoons, Angel Islington

We’re excited to feature a review especially for Londonfood4afiver from one of our favourite new food blogs Nacho Times who have kindly sought out some fiver friendly nachos. 

Name: Wetherspoons

Location: Opposite Angel Tube Station

Price: £4.10

Rating: £££

There is nothing wrong with eating at Wetherspoons. For some reason, there seems to be a stigma attached to the chain and suggesting a Spoons-based snack can result in strange looks  or hysterical laughter. Why anyone would joke about eateries is beyond me. It’s not exactly a comedic goldmine.

Anyway, one reason to go there is the nachos. As a devoted nachoist, I have sampled triangles of glory all over London in search of the ultimate mouth party. Wetherspoons remains the most surprisingly consistent purveyor of chos. The best thing is the size in relation to the price. £4.10 for small nachos and they’re filling and adequately sized. In fact, I’d go as far as to say they tend to make for cracking meals (if not shared) alongside something with more nutritional value. Like a salad. Or some blueberries.

But why not just take a swim in Lake Nacho and savour the experience without any side orders clamouring for your tongue’s attention? They’re warm. The cheese is soft. The relishes utilised are spot on both in amount and flavour. You can order large nachos and be forced to “have a little sit” while the party dies down, or small nachos for an acute hit and room for more Strongbow (other ciders are available)

No, they’re not the best nachos I’ve ever reviewed, but you get a lot more joy than the meagre pricetag would have you believe. They’re satisfying, enjoyable, and you get change from a five pound note. What’s better than that? A lot of things actually, now I come to think of it. Like getting them for free. Or being paid to eat them. Or finding £50,000 in your coat pocket. But it’s still a Very Good Thing.

For more Nacho related updates (if you’re feeling too rich for our blog- show off) head to NACHO TIMES

What do you like to eat in the Summertime?

Vote, and we will find the cheapest way to make your Summer (food) dreams come true.

Where do YOU eat?

Sarah Brown, 23, is a vegetarian who works in Westminster. She regularly takes advantage of the Boots Meal Deal 'because I can have a different combination every time I go in!'

The lovely readers of londonfood4afiver tell us where they go for lunch. Thanks for getting in touch guys, and to the rest of you don’t be shy. We’d LOVE to know where you frequent come 1pm.

Meghan, 23, is an actress. To stay looking trim she 'pops into Wasabi for some sushi. It's healthy, tasty and doesn't break the bank!'

Germander, 22, loves Moules Mariniere and satisfies her hunger at Belgo in Holborn. 'It's great, and if you go before 5pm its only a fiver!'

Kai, 24, heads to LEON in Spitalfields for his lunch. 'It rarely comes to over a fiver, and I'm always so full afterwards.'

Pizza Hut, Piccadilly Circus

Type: Wannabe Italian

Where: Pretty much everywhere, but my favourite is opposite Piccadilly Circus.

Nearest Tube: Read above.

Price: It’s not that cheap so if you’ve got one BRING A FRIEND.

Rating:£££

Lets get one thing straight, each one of us enjoys a lunchtime Pizza Hut buffet as much as the next. However, unless you’re under the age of twelve, or have some painting of you looking majorly decrepit stored away in your attic, this can cost you up to £6.99 excluding drink! We all know you can get the all you can eat salad bar for £4.99, but unless you’re having a rexi day no one should choose this option (though kudos must go to PH who have recently revamped their salad bar).

Get a friend. If you don’t have one get a family member. Londonfood4afiver do not endorse meeting friends on the internet. Get the tube to Piccadilly Circus, cross over the road and get a comfy little booth in everyone’s favourite pseudo-Italian chain. Order tap water. If you’re nifty – like me – you’ll have a little vial of squash around your neck to jazz it up a bit. 

Order a large Margerita between two (£9.49). If you’ve got a spare 49p you guyses can upgrade to either a large Hawaiian or Farmhouse – thats ham and mushroom to those not au fait with the PH lingo – (£10.49). If you haven’t managed to nab yourself a friend yet take half home and have it for breakfast.

Everyone knows that PH pizzas are greasy and cheesy and scrumptious. What makes Piccadilly Circus PH stand out is it’s staff (look out for dreamboat Coby) – so far me and Katy have been given a free cookie dough desert and a free salad bar. Print off masks of our faces and you too may be as lucky.

Gourmet this ain’t – but that’s not going to stop me going back time and time again.

Bikini Body Friendly Lunches (FOR £5 or LESS)

The sun is in town and while this can bring tans, days in the park etc it also means legs out, bikini on. As far as we’re concerned the sunny weather has made quite an early arrival this time round and you might not be quite prepared for  the wardrobe it brings.

So kindly here is a run down of cheap lunches you can get that are also bikini body friendly. To make sure you all have access to these combos and the nutritional info is reliable we are sticking with chain restaurants (the old reliable of caterers).

1. Monday:  Head to Pret A Manger and get a soup, skinny popcorn and a diet coke. Under £5 and bikini body friendly. The amount of popcorn you get to eat will also trick you into thinking you’re not even dieting.

Price: £4.99

2. Tuesday: Hit up Itsu for the Detox Seven Vegetables Broth and wash it down with Itsu vitamin enriched water. Super healthy.

Price: £4.79

3. Wednesday: Go to EAT and eat Smoked Scottish Mackeral and Beetroot salad which as well as being low in fat will make you well clever due to it’s Omega 3. Drink a green tea.

Price: £5

4. Thursday: Go to Wasabi for some sushi and a miso soup. Wide selection that you can get for under a fiver depending on your tastes.

Price: Most combos under £5

5. Friday: Get that friday feeling with a Naked Burritto at Tortilla all the good stuff just without the tortilla.

Price: £4.95 (get some tap water)

Weekend: sunbathe in your bikini/head to McDonalds (you’ve earnt it)

How often do you eat out for lunch?

Aone Review, opposite Angel underground

Type: Indianish/Vegetarian

Where: Opposite Angel underground. Durr.

Nearest Tube: Angel

Price: £4.95 for all you can eat.

Rating: £, and if I knew how to subtract that by half of a £ I certainly would.

Lets get one thing straight, Katy and I have walked past vegetarian buffet Aone everyday for the last nine months, and have got repulsion quivers each time. Mounds of unappetizing tofu and noodles, anaemic crayfish and wilting salad leaves in platters sit by the window in an attempt to lure in custom. The place is unarguably cheap – a mere £3.95 if you want to take your buffet back to the office with you –  but naturally this means the food quality suffers.

One day Katy and I didn’t feel like a Pret soup, a M&S falafel wrap, or a slice of pizza from the overpriced City canteen and we knew what we had to do. OH how we suffer for this god awful site. As we trekked up to Aone, the only thing surpassing the feeling of hunger was the feeling of dread for the food that awaited us.

We went in, ordered the buffet and a tap water (or as we call it ‘old faithful’) got our plates and piled them sky high. The amount on our plates was not due to the scrumptious look of the food, but to increase our chances of likely at least one thing.

This was a successful ploy as the teeny-weeny vegetarian spring rolls were passable. Unfortunately a couple of mine became contaminated by the earthy juice from a Quorn dish, so they had to be left. They also had some deceptively looking crispy potatoes which I stocked up on, as the rest was nothing short of atrocious.

Ludicrously watery sauces, oil laden rices and noodle and questionable meat substitutes are giving me repulsion quivers – purely from recollection. Things were either remarkably unflavoursome, or had this bizarre unfamilar after taste, that I imagine is similar to that of chewing on grass and soil. Perhaps Aone should market their buffet towards animals that chew the cud.

A couple of spring rolls and an unnecessary service charge later we left, stocking up on stack-a-jacks and milky way magic rolls on the way back to uni.

Avoid.