Fortnum and Mason - The Restaurants

Welcome back to Access London, thank you once again for your continued support for disability access and awareness in London.

Today's post is on the world famous and iconic London store - Fortnum and Mason. With a history dating back to the early 1700s and Royal Warrants being awarded over the last 150 years, Fortnum and Mason is certainly one of London's most recognised and oldest stores. Located on Piccadilly, almost opposite the Royal Academy of Arts, it is in a prime location. Its rear entrance is located on another prestigious London street - Jermyn Street.

Piccadilly has very wide pavements and pedestrian crossings making it an easy road in which to access Fortnums. Once inside, you are greeted with traditional British decor. Fortnums is famous for its food hampers and also their beautiful Christmas and other seasonal displays and products. There are several lifts within the store. If entering from the main Piccadilly entrance, the lift to the far left is the largest to accommodate wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Fortnums has several restaurants, and a wine bar. Apart from The Gallery, which is not advisable for those in a wheelchair, all of Fortnums other famous dining areas are accessible to those with disabilities.

The Wine Bar is located in the basement and can be accessed by a lift.

To dine at any of the other restaurants I would highly recommend ringing ahead and booking, especially if you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter so that arrangements can be made for you.

St James's Restaurant
This is located on the fourth floor of the store and is probably the most famous of Fortnum's restaurants, offering a more formal dining experience. The restaurant serves lunch Monday-Saturday between 12noon and 2pm and Sunday roast on Sundays from 12 noon to 2.30pm. It also serves Afternoon Tea and High Tea between 12noon and 6.30pm Monday-Saturday. There is a more formal dress code for this particular restaurant. You can also enjoy the sounds of the house pianist most afternoons. There is plenty of space in St James's to accommodate wheelchairs and mobility scooters. For details on pricing, menus and to make a reservation, please call 0845 602 5694.



The Parlour Restaurant
This restaurant is located on the first floor of the store and overlooks Piccadilly. It is open from 10am to 7.30pm Monday-Saturday and 12noon to 5.30pm on a Sunday and Bank Holidays. This is the place to truly indulge your sweet tooth. The Parlour serves gorgeous ice creams (I particularly recommend the Frosted Strawberries and Shortbread or the Walnut with Maple Syrup), delicious cakes, open sandwiches, the Ultimate hot chocolate for those colder days and tea in traditional teapots. It has a definite 50s, retro feel about the place. If you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter, I recommend talking to someone on the reservations team about this so that more space around your table can be arranged. There are also disabled toilets very near by.



The Fountain Restaurant
This restaurant is located on the ground floor of the store and can be accessed from both instore and also directly from the Jermyn Street entrance. For those who use a wheelchair or mobility scooter, I would recommend using the Jermyn Street entrance that leads straight into the restaurant. The Fountain has a deluxe brasserie atmosphere and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It opens for breakfast 7.30-11am Monday-Saturday, lunch 12noon-3pm, afternoon menu 3-5pm and dinner 5.30-11pm. There is a jazz guitarist that plays between 6pm and 9pm Monday to Friday. There is also a special jazz brunch on a Sunday that is served from 11am to 3pm. This restaurant also has disabled toilets located near by.



To make a reservation at any of the above restaurants and to discuss your access requirements, please call the reservations team on 0845 602 9654.

Whichever restaurant you choose to visit at Fortnum and Mason, you will enjoy an elegant experience. Don't forget, if you do go and would like to share a picture with Access London, please feel free to email it to: accesslondon.claire@gmail.com

COMING SOON: Love Never Dies, London Eye & River Cruise, The Wizard of Oz, Access London celebrates 25 years of Phantom of the Opera.

Pre-Theatre Dinner @ Petrichor Restaurant in The Cavendish

Welcome back to Access London, thank you all for your continued support. I have had some fantastic feedback from my last two posts on The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. This show closes on May 21, so don't forget to book your tickets soon. Access information available on the previous posts as well as details of a discount ticket offer.

Today's post is about the delicious pre-theatre dinner menu at The Petrichor Restaurant, located in The Cavendish Hotel. The Cavendish is our recommended hotel for 2011 - feel free to browse through our other posts on it. The hotel is easily accessible from the level access drop-off point on Duke Street, just off Jermyn Street and behind Fortnum and Masons. From here you can take any of the lifts from the reception area up to the first floor where the lounge and restaurant are located.

The restaurant itself has three shallow steps up to it. It has a hand rail on either side of these steps. If you use a wheelchair, mobility scooter or simply cannot manage the steps, there is a ramp available to assist you in entering the restaurant and every member of staff is more than happy to help in whatever way they can.

The pre-theatre menu runs from 5.30pm-6.30pm Monday-Thursday and 5.00pm-6.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The menu changes every 2 months and there is always a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian options. The menu is incredibly priced for a central London hotel at £15.50 for 2 courses or £20.50 for 3 courses.

The Head Chef, Nitin Padwal, creates his dishes from local produce, sourced from sustainable sources and all freshly produced. The Petrichor is an AA rosette awarded establishment and has a very relaxed atmosphere - an ideal dinner location before a night out at the theatre.




Examples of the April/May menu include:
Starters - Soup, Irish Beef Seared Fillet, Wiltshire River Trout or English Radish and Blue Cheese Salad.
Main: Spiced fillet of Sea Bream, Wicks Manor Pork Fillet with Truffle Croquettes, Chicken Ballotine with Blue Cheese and Smoked Bacon or Mille Feuille of Crispy, Homemade Tagliatalle with Wilted Beet Greens.
Desert: Cherry Sponge, Chocolate Tart and Banana Ice Cream, Homemade Ice Cream Selection, Cheese Board.

Located in Jermyn Street, 2 minutes from Piccadilly, the Cavendish and Petrichor are ideally located for visiting the West End theatres. To see the full menu and keep up to date for the menu change in June, please see their website HERE




If you wish to make a reservation and/or discuss access and dietary requirements, please contact the Petrichor on: 020 7389 3500






I am going away on holiday for a couple of weeks now, so this blog will sadly not be updated during that time. When I return, there is lots to look forward to with posts including: The Wizard of Oz, The Royal Parks, Tate Britain and The Mousetrap.

I am also delighted to announce that Access London will be joining in the celebrations for Phantom of the Opera's 25th Birthday this year. I will be running a piece on the show and Her Majesty's theatre on and off over the next few months with lots of interviews from current and former cast members, stay tuned for more information....

Royal Afternoon Tea at The Cavendish and Concierge Interview

Welcome back to Access London, thank you all for your continued support of this blog and helping to promote disability access and awareness.

London has been enjoying some beautiful weather over the last few weeks, so plenty of opportunity for people to get out and enjoy the capital at its best. As I write this post, thousands of people are running the London marathon, raising lots of money for charity and good causes, I wish them all the best and hope everyone enjoys the day.

Regular readers may remember a post that I wrote last month about The Royal Afternoon Tea at The Cavendish Hotel (Access London's recommended hotel for 2011) that is running throughout April. Access London was lucky enough to enjoy this delicious tea last week and I would highly recommend it to our readers.

The Cavendish is in Piccadilly/Mayfair, on the prestigious Jermyn Street and opposite Fortnum and Masons. To celebrate the Royal wedding in a couple of week's time, The Cavendish have developed a Royal version of their afternoon tea to commemorate the big day.

The tea costs £15 per person and can be enjoyed in the beautiful and tasteful setting of the hotel's first floor lounge. Diners can enjoy the likes of smoked salmon sandwiches, fresh, warm scones with jam and cream, Prince William pear and almond tart, wedding fruit cake and Katie's chocolates.

The staff at The Cavendish are all extremely helpful, warm, welcoming and happy to assist in any way they can.

For those who use a wheelchair, mobility scooter or cannot manage stairs, the hotel can be accessed on Duke Street where there is also a drop off point. From here, the reception area is all on one level and the lifts to the first floor are close by. Upon arriving on the first floor, the lounge is directly in front of you and is all on one level. There is also a disabled access toilet near by.

Here is a short video Access London took of the lounge area and the beautifully presented Royal Afternoon Tea.



Access London were lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview the concierge at The Cavendish who do a fantastic job, ensuring the happiness and comfort of all the guests. To find out what they had to say....read on.

AL: Who are you and what is your role at The Cavendish?
MC: My name is Mo Charane and I am the concierge at The Cavendish Hotel.

AL: What services do the concierge team provide to guests?
MC: The service that we provide to our guests is to greet them on their arrival and then assist them throughout their stay. We make recommendations based on their needs and then provide all the information that they need and require. This information includes: travel routes, tours, dining, limousines and car hire, hairdressers, shopping, flowers, champagne, after hours haircut appointments, spa treaments, private jets, trips abroad and much more.

We make suggestions that best suit the guests and deliver the highest level of customer service. Our role is to provide a service that goes beyond the guest's expectations and offer them an unforgetable stay. We are the first and last point of contact at the hotel for our guests.

AL: What hours does the concierge team operate?
MC: We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

AL: How do you and the team ensure that you are best informed about London and its attractions to best serve your guests?
MC: We keep up to date with what is happening in London by trying it ourselves, for example, visiting a new restaurant. More often than not, we are recommending from personal experience.

AL: If a couple were planning a special, long-weekend break to London and stay at The Cavendish, what would you recommend that they see and do? How could you make it special for them?
MC: We try to take as much information as we can about the couple so that we can better understand them and what they enjoy doing so we can assess how best to make it special for them. This could be a very romantic dinner or special afternoon tea followed by one of London's best shows, or recommending the best places to shop. I always do my best to make it memorable for them.

AL: In 5 words, how would you sum up The Cavendish experience?
MC: Welcoming, Friendly, Innovative, Green, Accessible



Access London would like to offer a huge Thank You to Mo for taking the time to answer our questions and also to Fabricio Torres for helping to arrange the interview.

To book for your Royal Afternoon Tea, please contact The Cavendish on: 020 7930 2111 or email: restaurant@thecavendishlondon.com or see their WEBSITE

Please note that after April, The Cavendish will finish their Royal Afternoon Tea but guests can still enjoy their delicious Traditional Afternoon Tea.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, we hope you will return soon. Please feel free to post a comment, follow the blog and spread the word about Access London.

The Rainforest Cafe - Part 2

Welcome back to Access London. If this is your first visit, please feel free to browse through my other posts which include videos, interviews and pictures from: Phantom of the Opera, The Cavendish Hotel, The British Museum and The Gielgud Theatre, plus many more.

As promised in my last post, I had the opportunity recently to interview someone from the fabulous Rainforest Cafe - a fun and exciting restaurant in the heart of London (Piccadilly Circus). To find out more about the restaurant, including viewing a video I took last weekend, please see my last post. So, without further ado, on with the interview....

AL: Who are you and what is your role at The Rainforest Cafe?
MA: I am Mark Ager, Sales and Marketing Manager at the Rainforest Cafe: London's largest family restaurant, located just 2 minutes from Piccadilly Circus.

AL: Can you briefly explain how The Rainforest Cafe is accessible to those with mobility problems and disabilities?
MA: At the time of booking, we ask if there are any mobility issues that we need to be aware of and send across to them an 'Access Statement' that gives instructions of how to access the jungle. If someone just arrives at the restaurant, a Manager will be notified and we provide assistance and advise of the entrance/access point for entry into The Rainforest Cafe. For us to remain compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, we are only permitted to have two wheelchairs in the venue at any one time.

AL: What is it about The Rainforest Cafe that makes it unique and a great night out?
MA: A fully themed oasis, located in the heart of the West End, with Theatreland on your doorstep. With tropical rainstorms, animatronics and a funky-themed menu, the restaurant is suitable for the whole family.

AL: How would you describe the menu at The Rainforest Cafe?
MA: American European with a wild tropical twist!

AL: Do you cater for vegetarians and those with allergy and free-from diets?
MA: Of course! Our entire menu is highlighted with its suitability for various diets, allergies and intolerances. Our staff are fully trained on this and even when taking reservations we ask if there are any allergies or mobility issues that we need to be aware of. Again on arrival, our Safari Guides (our Waiters!) will ask if it's a special occasion and if there are any allergies that we should be aware of and we can then guide you through the menu accordingly.

AL: Being named after one of the most endangered landscapes in the world, what is The Rainforest Cafe doing to help with the preservation of the world's rainforests?
MA: A lot! Since 1997 and up until December 2010, Rainforest Cafe has made donations to the World Land Trust 'Buy an Acre' Fund to purchase, protect, manage and replant 785 acres of threatened tropical forest in Ecuador. This equates to 785 football pitches or an area almost 2.5 times the size of Hyde Park!

This has been achieved via a number of ways including, a donation from certain dishes on the menu and the money thrown into our 'ponds' is washed and given to the World Land Trust.

We also run Education Tours for schools and frequently do talks about the rainforests and how important they are to the world.

AL: If people visit the Rainforest Cafe to celebrate a special occasion, what can be done to help make it a really special night for them?
MA: We can arrange a cake (currently a Triple Chocolate Layer Cake), get the crew to sing Happy Birthday - this can be done for all ages (my dad of 80 was very pleased about this!) and provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Or, simply, something sparkly in the desert and again the crew can sing Happy Birthday. We do of course offer birthday party packages for the under 12's, which includes pary invites, activity packs and all sorts to make them smile :)

AL: Can you sum up in 5 words, The Rainforest Cafe Experience?
MA: Our tag line is 'A Wild Place to Shop and Eat!' Themed Fun, Central Location, Great Menu, Unique.

Access London would like to offer a huge thanks to Mark Ager for taking the time to answer our questions and also to all the team and safari guides at The Rainforest Cafe for helping us to enjoy a fun and unique evening.

To make a reservation at The Rainforest Cafe and/or to discuss any Access requirements, please call: 020 7434 3111.

COMING NEXT: 'Royal-Tea' at The Cavendish to celebrate the Royal Wedding
COMING SOON: Love Never Dies, The National Gallery

The Rainforest Cafe - Part 1

Welcome back to Access London everyone. Thanks once again for your continued support, it really does help to spread the word about better access for those with disabilities in London.

Today's post is on The Rainforest Cafe - a really fun, tropical rainforest themed restaurant in the heart of the urban rainforest of London. The Rainforest Cafe can be found on Shaftesbury Avenue, just behind the Trocadero Centre. This entrance leads straight into the Cafe's shop, a great place to visit whether you are going to be dining there or not: with a crocodile and waterfall to your right upon entering and parrots flying above your head, this is a fantastic place to pop into when in Theatreland.

The cafe itself is beneath street level, down a flight of stairs. However, it can also be accessed by an alternative, disbaled access entrance. I would advise booking or ringing the Cafe in advance so that you can be met by a member of staff who can then take you around to the accessible entrance. This entrance needs to be accessed from the front of the Trocadero and a guide will take you round there. Once inside the Trocadero you will be guided through a series of lifts and passages until you reach the lower ground level of the cafe. On this level, you will be greeted by the Cafe's Tropical Experience: fish tanks, jungle, animatronic apes, parrots, butterflies, lizards, streams, waterfalls, frogs and the occasional thunderstorm!

The staff are all extremely helpful at the Cafe and can even tell you the names of the tropical friends that dine beside you. The menu is fairly vast and I would definitely recommend trying one of the cocktails here (non-alcoholic ones are available for younger explorers). The cafe is child and group friendly (although please be aware that they can only accommodate 2 wheelchair/scooter users at any one time due to Health and Safety Laws). There are accessible toilets on the lower level too. The menu itself is well set out, giving you information on vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free and low calorie options.

As mentioned above, every 30 minutes or so, the cafe recreates a Rainforest Thunderstorm with sound effects and lightening - but don't worry, you won't need your umbrella!

This is a fun and entertaining night out for the whole family, groups and couples and so centrally located that it makes the perfect location for a late afternoon dinner pre-theatre.

Here is some video I took when visiting.



To make a reservation at The Rainforest Cafe and/or to discuss Access arrangements, please call: 020 7434 3111. You can also visit their website to check out the exciting menu at: href="http://www.therainforestcafe.co.uk/">

Please check back tomorrow as Access London has an exclusive interview with the Marketing Manager from The Rainforest Cafe. Feel free to leave a comment and follow the blog.

COMING NEXT: Rainforest Cafe Part 2
COMING SOON: Love Never Dies and The National Gallery

The Petrichor Restaurant @ The Cavendish Hotel

For those regular readers of Access London, you will already know about my series of posts on our recommended hotel for 2011 - The Cavendish. If this is your first visit to the blog, you can find out more about The Cavendish in our previous posts.

Today's post focuses on the AA Rosette restaurant at The Cavendish - The Petrichor Restaruant. It also includes an interview with Petrichor's Head Chef, Nitin Padwal.

I have been lucky enough to have dined twice at Petrichor - once for their evening A La Carte menu and the other to take advantage of their Pre-Theatre dinner menu.

Petrichor is located on the first floor of The Cavendish Hotel. If you are in a wheelchair or use a mobility scooter, Petrichor can be accessed by taking one of the lifts to the first floor and then using the restaurant's moveable ramp to get inside. Once on the main restauarnt floor, all of the tables are on the same level.

The restaurant itself is decorated with paintings in the style of Rousseau's jungle paintings. They make a bold yet chic statement on the walls and are a joy to look at. The menu changes bi-monthly but always includes a mouth-watering selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes that are presented elegantly and with style. The staff at Petrichor are extremely friendly and helpful and really help to make your evening special.



PETRICHOR Q&A
How would you describe the food and menu served at Petrichor?
Splendid food created with the most seasonal and sustainable ingredients.

Who or what inspires you to create the dishes on your menu?
My Suppliers. I talk to them on a regular basis to understand what's best in season and based on that, we create our bi-monthly menus.



What does the Petrichor do when trying to source and use sustainable ingredients and products? How important is this?
Petrichor has been involved in many sustainable activities over the last year: I took the Food and Beverage Team to visit Wicks Manor Pork Farm in Essex and Garson's Fruit and Vegetable Farm in Surrey (we even picked berries). These trips help us to ensure that our suppliers are providing the most sustainable and environmentally friendly produce. I also organise menu-tasting panels for the Front of House Team to increase their product knowledge.

I think it is particularly important for the business to take these sustainable measures now as I believe in supporting British farmers who are generally more interested in animal welfare and sustainable measures, which in turn results in a better quality product, minimised waste, cost savings and reduced CO2 emissions.



What would your dream 3 course meal be to cook and serve at Petrichor?
There are many dream dishes that we create for our menu. From this bi-monthly menu, I would choose:
STARTER - Wicks Manor creamy smoked ham hock soup with seasonal vegetables.
MAIN - Mildly spiced Scottish cod fillet served with curried potato fritter, baby spinach and creamy coconut sauce
DESSERT - Kent Discovery apple and cranberry crumble with Brandy custard.

Can you sum up in 5 words the Petrichor experience for your diners?
Friendly staff and superb food (I hear that regularly from our customer satisfaction surverys)



Access London would like to say a big thank you to Nitin Padwal for taking the time to answer our questions and to all the restaurant and hotel staff at The Cavendish.

Whether you are looking for a meal with a stylish touch, a pre-theatre dinner to kick off your evening or, celebrate a special occasion, Petrichor is the place to be.

For more information about the current menu, individual requirements and to make a reservation, contact the Petrichor on: 020 7389 3500.

Please feel free to leave a comment and follow the blog.

COMING SOON: The National Gallery and Phantom of the Opera

Interview with The Cavendish Hotel - Disabled Access

Firstly, Thank You to everyone for your continued support of Access London in its promotion for a more accessible city for all.

This is the second in a series of posts on The Cavendish Hotel - Access London's recommended hotel for 2011.

As you may have read in our previous post, The Cavendish Hotel is a luxurious and stylish hotel in a prime location in London (Piccadilly/Mayfair). As well as its luxury and extremely helpful and friendly staff, The Cavendish has also made every effort to make itself accessible to all. Below is an interview with the Business Development Coordinator at The Cavendish on how the hotel is meeting the needs of its guests with disabilities.



THE CAVENDISH Q&A

Who are you and what is your role at The Cavendish?

I am Fabricio Torres and I am the Business Development Coordinator at The Cavendish. I am in charge of all the social media activities for the company as well as the e-marketing (email campaigns), writing blog posts and more.

Can you please explain how The Cavendish is accessible to those with disabilities?

The hotel aims to be completely accessible to persons with physical disabilities. For that reason, we allocate our wheelchair adapted rooms at the time of booking to ensure that our guests will have a smooth experience. Upon arrival everything will be set up to ensure that check-in is easy and trouble-free. Our entrance has electric sliding doors and our reception is 120cm high but we can provide check-in forms on clipboards for those in wheelchairs. The lifts are located just opposite the check-in desk and have easy access from them to the wheelchair adapted rooms. If the guest is not in a wheelchair, we can still allocate rooms near to the lift or on lower floors to accomodate their needs.

In the wheelchair adapted rooms, the doors are wider and the light switches are lower to make things easier. Power sockets are located next to the bed as well as alarm cords for emergencies. All adapted rooms are also inter-connected, meaning that a carer or friend or family member can sleep close by. The fire alarm has a visual as well as audio indication. The rooms can have a double or twin beds as requested and all are en-suite with adapted shower rooms.

The shower rooms are level entry and fitted with horizontal and vertical grab rails and an emergency alarm cord, shower stools are also provided.

In case of assistance needed, guests can always contact the concierge or reception from the room phone and we would be happy to help.

Do you have any concessions available for disabled visitors and/or their carers?

We don't currently have concessions available to our disabled guests. However, all of the adapted rooms are at a discounted rate as they are Superior Rooms that we offer at the price of a Classic Room.

Can you sum up in 5 words The Cavendish experience?

Amazing location and great service!

Access London would like to offer a big Thank You to Fabricio Torres for his time in answering our questions and to all the staff at The Cavendish for a fantastic place to stay. To make a reservation or enquiry at The Cavendish, please call 020 7930 2111.

Please feel free to leave a comment and follow the Access London blog.

COMING SOON: THE PETRICHOR RESTAURANT & PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Recommended Hotel for 2011 - The Cavendish - Part 1

Hi Everyone. This week is the launch of a series of exciting posts about Access London's recommended hotel for 2011 - The Cavendish.
The Cavendish is located on Jermyn Street and Duke Street in Piccadilly. It is in a prime location for central London attractions such as, restaurants, theatres, galleries, museums and shops - yet once inside, you feel as though you are in an oasis of calm in the middle of the big city.

Some of its nearest attractions are The Royal Academy of Arts, The Criterion Theatre, St James' Park, the prestigious shops of Jermyn and Regent Streets and the world-renowned Fortnum and Masons.

I have been fortunate enough to have stayed at The Cavendish on several occasions and have always enjoyed a fabulous stay. All of the staff are so in tuned to their guest's needs - the porters on arrival, the check-in staff, the concierge team and the restaurant staff. You are made to feel special from the moment you arrive and this continues throughout your stay.


The hotel has its main pick-up/drop-off point and disabled access entrance on Duke Street. On entering, you are met with a fresh and modern reception area that, like most of the other areas in the hotel, has kept its period charm and style. The hotel's lounge is the perfect place to relax after a day's shopping and enjoy afternoon tea. The Cavendish's 'Petrichor' restaurant has been awared with an AA Rosette and is the setting for some of the best food I have tasted in a hotel for a long time. The Petrichor will be the topic of a future post here on Access London.


The Cavendish has several disabled access rooms to stay in which include: walk-in showers, wider doors, lowered sinks, emergency pull cords and many other features you would expect to find in a stylish, adapted room. If you have a disability but are able to step up into a shower and do without the other adapted features mentioned above then, I would definitely recommend a stay in one of the hotel's Executive Rooms, especially if you are there for a special occasion.

The luxurious and stylish Cavendish is the perfect hotel for your stay in London, Pre-Theatre Dinner or afternoon tea. It is extremely accessible and all of the staff are more than happy to help make arrangements for your perfect stay - this is why The Cavendish is Access London's recommended hotel for 2011.

To make a reservation at The Cavendish, please call 020 7930 2111

COMING NEXT: INTERVIEW WITH THE CAVENDISH'S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
COMING SOON: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA/HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE

Brazilian Restaurant 'Rodizio Rico' - A Feast For All!

Firstly, I just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone, I hope 2011 will be a good one for all. After the break from posting over Christmas and New Year, my first post for 2011 will be about a fantastic Brazilian Restaurant that I have been lucky enough to visit a couple of times, the most recent being at the beginning of January.

Rodizio Rico is a fantastic and lively Brazilian Restaruant. There is a small chain of 3 restaurants in London: one at the O2, one in Westbourne Grove and the other, which is shown in the video below, in Islington.

The restaurants are based on the traditional Brazilian grills. There are a wide variety of meats (some cuts which will be unfamiliar to many British customers) that are brought round to the tables on skewers and the waiters will carve off slices straight to your plate. To accompany this (and for the veggies among you) there is an huge salad bar and hot dish counter that you can visit as often as you like to fill up on all the goodies. Every person is given a drink mat size disc that is green on one side, red on the other. If you want the waiters to keep coming with the meat, just leave the disc on green, when you have had enough (or need a little break) just turn it over to red.

The pricing is very simple at Ridizio Rico: 1 price for meat eaters, 1 price for veggies and 1 price for children. There is a wide variety of wines, beers, cocktails and soft drinks on offer too.

The Islington branch is very accessible. There is a fairly easy slope from the street and then the restaurant is all on the one level with access to a disabled toilet. To make sure you get a table with enough room for a wheelchair or scooter, simply ask when you book. The Islington branch can be contacted on: 020 7354 1076. For other branches, see their website at the end of this post.

The restaurant is able to seat large groups/parties if you are celebrating a special event.

Here is just a taster of what you can expect at Ridizio Rico:

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All in all, I definitely recommend a trip to Rodizio Rico for a night out with a difference. For more information on the chain and to make a booking, check out: http://www.rodiziorico.com

COMING SOON: Phantom of the Opera and Yes Prime Minister.

Please feel free to leave a comment and follow the blog.