Pizza East meets West

As my chief eating companion has temporarily moved out West to Ealing, we're taking the opportunty to discover places that we'd never normally go to.

One of those places is Pizza East which we would normally have gone to in Shoreditch but as it's just opened in Portobello, we thought we'd check out the locals up West.

Walking up Portobello Road at a time when the market is closed is a new experience and slightly disturbing, given the number of shops that are now empty and the signs in those still open demanding that the influx of chains should be stopped. As I know of one tenant who is walking away from a successful business following a rent increase by a greedy landlord, I don't understand how such huge amounts of money can be asked of small businesses, or even justified in the midst of a recession. But that's another story

Pizza East (West) has taken over the corner site of what was the Fat Badger pub. Beautifully fitted with what looks like the original floor and some of the original tiling, Soho House has done a great job in making the space into a beautiful neighbourhood restaurant. Occupied by the beautiful people of West London, many of whom appear to be continental, Pizza East (West) has a very continental feel about it. Seating at the bar, lots of small tables next to each other, seating outside...it all works very well.

The service wasn't brilliant (but they had only opened 3 days prior to our visit and had a kitchen fire in the process so I can't complain too much) and the waiting staff were nice enough. We counted six chefs in the pizza preparation area which looked big enough to hold just two so there's obviously a big learning curve in place!

The food was good and I'm sure will get better as everyone gets to grips with things. We started with some deep fried aubergine which was good albeit a little undercooked. Followed by two pizzas; Portobello mushroom, taleggio and oregano pizza, and courgette flower, ricotta and marjoram. The latter came without ricotta which was a fairly major big oversight and overall both were good, if a little too much of a doughy crust (well I did live in Italy for 3 years so you have to expect me to pick holes!).  And then a salted caramel tart which was calorie ridden and very very nice.

One clever thing that they have done is to make more use of the woodfired oven with dishes such as slow-roasted whole baked salmon, whole beef fillet or whole pork belly, which looked really good

Pizzas are around the £8-£10 mark which is acceptable. Wine seemed very expensive - particularly as they serve it in 50cl carafes so you seem to be paying a full bottle price for only 2/3 the amount.

BUT it's a nice place, the food is pretty good and if it was this good in the first week, it's going to be really good in a few week's time!

Wheelchairs: a quick guide for restaurants and town planners

Having a wheelchair user in my family has allowed me to see what it's like to be pushed around London and how restaurants can make life very easy or a complete nightmare with very little effort

London is now one of the best European cities for wheelchair accessibility. This is good news for the pram brigade and probably helps bicycles in some weird way too

But there is one thing that really makes a difference for wheelchair users (and their pushers) and it's all about customer service.

* Please note I refer to 'pusher' rather than 'carer' as my Mum usually explodes with laughter when I am referred to as a 'carer'. References to pushers and users should be taken in the right context

A little insight is probably helpful here.

Pushing someone in a wheelchair is HARD WORK.
Being in a wheelchair is NOT PLEASANT, especially for people who have been able bodied for most of their lives and don't enjoy having to rely on others.

So here are some tips...

DO talk to people in wheelchairs. They generally still possess the power of speech
DO make space for wheelchairs. Otherwise it will hurt when I hit your ankles
DO help people in wheelchairs and ask if they need anything. They (and the pusher) will appreciate it

DON'T BLOCK THEIR VIEW. You can stand behind a wheelchair and still see perfectly well so give them some space - particularly at events/exhibitions
THINK AHEAD. If you can save a wheelchair an extra trip, the pusher and the user will be extremely grateful. e.g. if you can get something done with a quick phone call, then don't insist on sending the wheelchair user/pusher up four floors
MAKE TIME for wheelchair users. Yes, they will take 10 seconds longer to seat but it's very hard to hurry when you can't control parts of your body.

For anyone reading who can influence town planning and building regulations, please note that there are a few key areas that still need improvement...

1) Cobbles
Yes, London has many cobbled streets. You won't notice until you cycle or wheel someone over them and then you really notice them. They are very nice to look at but hard work and painful for wheelchair users. Is there any chance of a discreet wheelchair/cycle/pram lane?

2) Drobbed kerbs
I have been known to wheel my Mum along the streets around the Strand and Regent St/Piccadilly because we couldn't find a dropped kerb to get her back on to the pavement. The taxis were very scared as we were going faster than them but it's not ideal.

3) Wheelchair ramps/access
Let's face it, if there are steep steps into your venue, a ramp is probably not a good idea as 90 degree ascents are not simple for a wheelchair to cope with. Take note COTE Covent Garden (whose staff were actually brilliant and physically lifted my Mum plus chair up said steps)
Equally, telling a wheelchair user that the access point is another trek around the back of the building isn't exactly the most motivating. AXIS @ Number One Aldwych.
And directing wheelchairs up a ramp into a very crowded cafe with not quite wide enough doors and multiple hurdles isn't very helpful either TOM's KITCHEN.
How can any of the above be acceptable means of access?