Rodney Munch asked:


ZAPATA

If you are looking for a restaurant in Tunbridge Wells, there are numerous options available to you to help  you fill your belly and have a good time in the process.

Weather your favourite taste is Italian, Mexican, English, Indian, Chinese or even Polish you are sure to find a restaurant catering to your needs. I have outlined a few options below.

For lovers of Latin American cuisine, Zapata, next to Nevada Bob’s golf superstore on the pantiles should be your first port of call. This lively restaurant is the perfect base to start a Friday or Saturday night, offering all the Mexican staples from Burritos to Tacos and everything in between and around. Why not wash down the food with a Margarita or a Mexican beer while taking in the themed decor and ambient Music all served by the very attractive and friendly staff.

Being on the Pantiles also offers the advantage of it being only a few steps from a number of great watering holes for you to christen your newly lined stomach.

If you like a bit of entertainment in the form of live music while you eat then you should take a look at the Grey Lady. Right across the pantiles from Zapata, the Grey Lady can be reached in less than a minute.

The Grey Lady is an asset to live music in Tunbridge Wells hosting regular blues and jazz nights. The atmosphere here is a lot more relaxed than at Zapata and an ideal place for a romantic night out.

The menu at the grey lady is centred around Mediterranean cuisine, featuring dishes such as Coquilles de la Casa – Fresh seared King Scallops with Prawns in Garlic, White Wine & Parsley Sauce and Grilled Chicken Brochette – Chicken Fillet with Peppers & a Greek Salad with Tzatziki. All appearing alongside the , quote-unquote, standard dishes such as Pizza and Pasta.

For a more traditional English affair, take a look at Woods. Woods is another restaurant which benefits from being situated in the Pantiles. This timeless place looks right at home, and you wouldn’t blink if you came across it a couple of hundred years ago at the inception of the pantiles.

Located just opposite the band stand, Woods is the perfect base to soak up the entertainments on a hot summers day. Pull your chair up, order a drink and take in the music. What could be better?

Not only providing good food, Woods has an extended wine list featuring wine from wineries in England, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Germany and of course France among others.

I cannot recommend enough that you go out and try some of the many restaurants in Tunbridge Wells.

Alvin Starkman asked:


Since 1978 El Mirador has been catering to almost exclusively Oaxacans, without help from the tourist dollar.  It must be doing something right!  There’s the breathtaking cliffside open air view of the city below and surrounding mountains, just up the road and across from the Auditorio Guelaguetza.  Perhaps more important is the consistency of its food (I’ve been dining there for about ten years.)

 

Descending the staircase from the parking area you enter the main level with a relaxed mixed décor of rustica pine tables and chairs in the interior, and PVC Coke chairs with linen covered tables on the patio.  There’s a juke box, glass case filled with stuffed animals which muchachos can purchase to impress their señoritas, and multicolored cut-out tissue banners.  The lower level has a club style modern ambience, with ceiling-high picture windows to assure the same exquisite vista, lengthy bar, raised band platform and big-screen TV.  Here in the evenings you can enjoy the sounds of a guitar strumming troubadour, and Thursday through Saturday dance salsa and cumbia to the beat of a local band.   Depending on the hour and day, patrons consist of friends out for an evening, work colleagues, young lovers, fiesta celebrants, and invariable during Guelaguetza, groups of dancers from throughout the state.  On a Thursday evening in June, by the time we left at 11 PM both levels were at 75% capacity.

 

Service is reliable with a surprisingly good complement of waiters.  Drinks from an extensive bar menu arrive promptly.  If you haven’t tried a michelada, beer mixed with a spicy chili/lime concoction, experience it here.  Salads and soups are reliable staples to begin, but for the former, stick to the green or mixed salad, since the “chef” is mainly meats and cheese atop a mound of iceberg.  My daughter’s shrimp soup was light, deliciously tomato based, containing a good count of fresh camarones.  For a botana I would avoid the cold cheese and meat platter, unless you’re a head cheese fan.  However, both the Botanas Mirador and Oaxaqueña are scrumptious, arriving hot with samplings of traditional meats, and additional appetizers in the case of the latter.   If you’re out for a light meal, consider skipping the entrée since portions are healthy.  I nevertheless went for the skewered meat plate (alambre)…tender beef, tomato, yellow pepper and onion, over a bed of rice, accompanied by fries with a welcomed medley of steamed veggies.

 

The tlayudas and parrilladas are highly recommended.  Tlayudas are oversized tortillas.  They are served crunchy with a light layer of requisite asiento and refried beans, then topped with lettuce and both traditional Oaxacan cheeses.  Try ordering with your choice of beef (tasajo), chili seasoned pork (cecina), or sausage (chorizo.)  The tlayudas at El Mirador are among the best I’ve had.  The parrillada:  a hibachi-type BBQ arrives at your table, coals still aflame so as to complete the grilling of an impressive array of Oaxacan meats and vegetables including nopal and onions, sizzling with quesillo.  It’s accompanied by tortillas, guacamole, salsa, a saucy bean and salchicha side dish known as charros.  If you opt for this meal, go easy on the appetizers, perhaps with just a meatless tlayuda to start.

 

El Mirador offers casual, moderately priced dining…or an opportunity to get out for a cappuccino or drinks with light snacks.  Downstairs there’s a 25 peso cover when the band plays.

 

Carr. Internacional KM. 3 S/N, Cerro del Fortín, Oaxaca.  Tel: 51-6-58-20