Where? Cable Street, Tower Hill

Cirilo’s is not your usual Chinese or Japanese restaurant but offers more of a mixture of oriental cuisine styles. 

 The starters are, in the risk of sounding cliché, finger-licking good-the highlight of my entire meal. Starters include sticky ribs, tasty crispy aromatic duck and my personal favourite, delightfully crispy and tender fried shrimp, accompanied by sweet and sour sauce. I was surprised by how large the starter portions were.

It wasn’t just the starters that were generous in size, but main dishes were also unbelievably enormous making it a real treat. I went for Chicken Mami (£6.95) as my main dish. My huge bowl had what seemed like a year’s supply of steaming hot soup. This is not an exaggeration. From what I could finish, the Chicken Mami was richly favourable, satisfying and nicely presented. The marinated roasted chicken pieces were a great touch.

The huge portions in itself, gives the dishes a sort of wow-factor. The chefs’ expertise is reflected in the delicious and quality food. With me feeling stuffed by the end of my meal and the outstanding value for money, I was not disappointed. At Cirilo’s you can easily have a three course meal for as little as £20.

The waitress and chef made me feel special. They were very warm and friendly. The soft-lighting, relaxing background music and the wall paintings which I thought were particularly beautiful sets a serene atmosphere, great for a romantic or cosy meal out. The overall ambience of the restaurant’s interior results in the place being like a diamond in the rough. Cirilo’s odd location is questionable yet actually makes it a real gem.

Outside Cirilo's