Red Onion’s eclectic menu brings together pasta and pizza from Italy, tapas from Spain and mezze from the Middle East. Unfortunately, the quality of the food and the service can be equally as varied.

The Venue
Situated on the fashionable but quiet Kingly Street which lies between the hubs of Regent Street, Carnaby Street and Great Marlborough Street, Red Onion is understated and easy to miss. The interior is less subtle. The floor is dotted with outdated fake plants and the ceiling covered with suspended lanterns. It’s not as gaudy as it sounds, though. In fact, it’s rather charming in a Mediterranean kind of a way. Terracotta walls and beaded doorways complete the theme.

The Atmosphere
The rustic decor, the evocative smell of moules marinieres, even the staff combine to create as good an impression of a small Mediterranean restaurant as could ever be hoped for. Whether or not it is an impression of a particularly good Mediterranean restaurant, though, is another matter. Service and surroundings are relaxed and friendly, and for such a central restaurant it manages a very chilled out atmosphere. The downside of this is that the kitchen seems equally unhurried. Service is slow and disorganized – only tolerable on the grounds of the friendly staff and charming atmosphere.

The Food
Having such a wide menu which encompasses the entire Mediterranean is a big challenge and one which Red Onion does not always meet. Food can be slow to arrive and not always particularly hot. That aside, though, the quality of the dishes is good. Not outstanding, but good. An oddly named special of Balanced Eating (Pre-Theatre/Post Theatre) which is available all day until midnight is probably the closest thing they have to a speciality. It’s very reasonable too, at about £10 a head. Better called a two-course mezze platter, this starts off well with full-flavoured, meaty dolmades; a well-herbed tabbouleh; a lemony squid salad; and a deliciously garlicky hummus amongst other things. The second, hot course is less impressive. Deep-fried calamari and feta-filled pastries are well-flavoured but greasy, char grilled chicken is slightly over-cooked and a cured sausage, though presumably authentic, tastes a little too much of Doner kebab. The desserts which follow are fine but unexciting – for such a varied menu, the selection is also incredibly limited.

The Drink
There’s a fairly extensive wine list which spans the Mediterranean and much of it is very reasonably priced, too. The Turkish beer, Efes, is available, as well as some Spanish beers as well, for about £3 a bottle, but it would be nice to see some more beer options on the menu.

The Last Word
Red Onion has Mediterranean charm, a Mediterranean pace and not far off Mediterranean prices. The slow service and inconsistency, though, means that were it a Mediterranean restaurant, it wouldn’t be a particularly great one.

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