Latest reviews for Sightseeing & Attractions in London, United Kingdom

Vinopolis World Of Wine - Whine by mazphd

mazphd — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:06:32 +0000

Review by mazphd

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7940 8333

Website: http://www.vinopolis.co.uk

The corporate money driven not 'done for the love of it' atmosphere really shines through here. Yes you're given wine to taste, and yes its quite pleasant moving from Shiraz, through Merlot, with an empty glass to fill and re-fill at your leisure, but there lacks passion and any real depth of knowledge about the grapes or even how to taste. Not that 'taste' was the order of the day, more appropriate in this setting was the drink to get drunk quick style of wine tasting.

The so called 'champagne package' our party had opted for was not that exciting, and it is never a good sign if your knowledge is superior to your that of your supposed tour guide. Nor that this particular tour had the edifying experience of a corked bottle. YUK.

For real wine saviness I would avoid this particular 'world of wine'. But if your task is to 'get drunk' and drink as much as you like, then Vinopolis offers much for the less than discerning drinker, and much for the drunker 'consumer'.

The corporate money driven not 'done for the love of it' atmosphere really shines through here. Yes you're given wine to taste, and yes its quite pleasant moving from Shiraz, through Merlot, with an empty glass to fill and re-fill at your leisure, but there lacks passion and any real depth of knowledge about the grapes or even how to taste. Not that 'taste' was the order of the day, more appropriate in this setting was the drink to get drunk quick style of wine tasting.

The so called 'champagne package' our party had opted for was not that exciting, and it is never a good sign if your knowledge is superior to your that of your supposed tour guide. Nor that this particular tour had the edifying experience of a corked bottle. YUK.

For real wine saviness I would avoid this particular 'world of wine'. But if your task is to 'get drunk' and drink as much as you like, then Vinopolis offers much for the less than discerning drinker, and much for the drunker 'consumer'.

London Eye - Birthday party not to forget by francesca_marie

francesca_marie — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:34:16 +0000

Review by francesca_marie

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 0870 500 0600

Website: http://www.ba-londoneye.com

Tags: fun, views, view

The view from the London Eye is more amazing than words can say, even pictures can't catch it true beauty.
I went on the London Eye over a year ago with my friends for one of their birthdays, my first thoughts were 'this is going to be boring, seeing the same scenery for half an hour', but one we got on I was blown away.
Every time you turn around the scenery seems to change, every angle is a different experience.
We went on in the early evening, so by the time we were at the top you could see the whole of London in a mystic dusk view, the best time to go I think.

My best advice, book your tickets!The view from the London Eye is more amazing than words can say, even pictures can't catch it true beauty.
I went on the London Eye over a year ago with my friends for one of their birthdays, my first thoughts were 'this is going to be boring, seeing the same scenery for half an hour', but one we got on I was blown away.
Every time you turn around the scenery seems to change, every angle is a different experience.
We went on in the early evening, so by the time we were at the top you could see the whole of London in a mystic dusk view, the best time to go I think.

My best advice, book your tickets!

London Zoo - A cold day at the zoo by Glen_Bailey

Glen_Bailey — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:13:27 +0000

Review by Glen_Bailey

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7722 3333

Website: http://www.zsl.org/

Tags: animals, fun, expensive

I have conflicting thoughts about zoos. I think itâ¬"s great that the population of a city can visit a zoo and see animals that they may never otherwise see in their lifetime. I also think a zoo is a great way to educate people about different species of animals, their habitats, threats to their survival and ways to prevent this.

On the other hand, I feel that the animalâ¬"s recreated environments should closely reflect that of their individual needs and be as concrete free as possible. I donâ¬"t see the need to build enclosures in concrete and with minimal features. It surely is not beneficial for the animal and certainly is not appealing to look at.

With that in mind, I feel that the London Zoo has a little way to come to make its enclosures more appealing to both man and beast. The zoo has clearly grasped this idea as there are several new enclosures, namely the Gorillaâ¬"s, a walk in bird enclosure, the Penguinâ¬"s (I walked past the old penguin enclosure and was shocked to see that it was all concrete) and the tropical.

I wasnâ¬"t sure how new the butterfly enclosure or the bug house was, but these are also along the lines of what I expect from a zoo (the fact that the butterfly enclosure is inside a giant bouncy-castle style caterpillar is brilliant). Seeing butterflies with transparent wings is something of a novelty. Even more so when they land on you and you can see your hand through their wings. Inside the bug house I was suitable impressed with the display of ants near the doors. They do ant things like taking bits of leaves from one area to another via several ropes. It was only after I got close enough to them that I realised that it wasnâ¬"t an enclosure as such, you could reach out and touch them if you so desired. I had no desire to do this having seen what happened to my sister when she sat on an ants nest in Australia or my partner when she stood on an ants nest in Costa Rica.

Whether its butterflies or bugs youâ¬"re into, both are worth looking at.

If youâ¬"re at the zoo on a cold day, make sure you swing past the Tropical Rain Forest enclosure (maybe more than once depending on how cold it is). The highlights for me were the two, two or three toed sloths (Iâ¬"d seen them in the wild in Costa Rica also much to my excitement). And by the time we got down to ground level, the â¬Stropical rain stormâ¬

Kenwood House - Nothing to see except for...bees, bees, bees, bees by LondonistMatt

LondonistMatt — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:11:49 +0000

Review by LondonistMatt

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8348 1286

Tags: quick bite, outdoors, al fresco

Where did I get the title from? Watch here:
http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/cup/

Yes, it's a cafe full of bees. And wasps. And pigeons. And Telegraph readers (this is Kenwood House we're talking about).

On the plus side, it's the best cafe in the whole of Hampstead Heath.

And, actually, the food's not that bad. Except for the crunchy, spiky wasp mouthfulls.

The grub (as opposed to the grubs) comes from Company of Cooks, a decent supplier who also stock such venues as the Royal Festival Hall.

Sarnies are of a high standard, made from that nice nutty bread that only your grandmother could find. Beer is surprisingly eclectic. How many cafe's offer bottled bitter?

Still, can't help being perturbed by the constant oral ingress of Kenwood's insect life. Note to self: 24-spot yellow ladybirds do not taste better than pumpkin seeds, despite their attractive mottling.

In summary: Bill Odie and Kate Bumhole, this is the place for you.

PS, that's my mum's hand, not mine. I'm not so wrinkly.Where did I get the title from? Watch here:
http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/cup/

Yes, it's a cafe full of bees. And wasps. And pigeons. And Telegraph readers (this is Kenwood House we're talking about).

On the plus side, it's the best cafe in the whole of Hampstead Heath.

And, actually, the food's not that bad. Except for the crunchy, spiky wasp mouthfulls.

The grub (as opposed to the grubs) comes from Company of Cooks, a decent supplier who also stock such venues as the Royal Festival Hall.

Sarnies are of a high standard, made from that nice nutty bread that only your grandmother could find. Beer is surprisingly eclectic. How many cafe's offer bottled bitter?

Still, can't help being perturbed by the constant oral ingress of Kenwood's insect life. Note to self: 24-spot yellow ladybirds do not taste better than pumpkin seeds, despite their attractive mottling.

In summary: Bill Odie and Kate Bumhole, this is the place for you.

PS, that's my mum's hand, not mine. I'm not so wrinkly.

Hyde Park Picnic Spot - Hyde Park Picnic - a great London summer experience by Hugo

Hugo — Tue, 01 May 2007 21:58:12 +0000

Review by Hugo

Rating: 5.00

Tags: sunny, family, fun

To be honest it's been a while since I had a good old-fashioned style picnic in Hyde Park in the summertime (well about a year).

A friend recently organised one for a few weekends time, so this prompted me to put this up on the website and see whether the Hyde Park Picnic theme struck a cord with fellow TP users.

Tips?
- Locate near a Public Convenience? Some at North End by Bayswater or near Serpentine Gallery
- Try not to pick a popular football spot or you will find yourself spoiling a football pitch or being in the middle of one
- Check the weather forecast
To be honest it's been a while since I had a good old-fashioned style picnic in Hyde Park in the summertime (well about a year).

A friend recently organised one for a few weekends time, so this prompted me to put this up on the website and see whether the Hyde Park Picnic theme struck a cord with fellow TP users.

Tips?
- Locate near a Public Convenience? Some at North End by Bayswater or near Serpentine Gallery
- Try not to pick a popular football spot or you will find yourself spoiling a football pitch or being in the middle of one
- Check the weather forecast

Namco Station - by lou1982

lou1982 — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:05:56 +0000

Review by lou1982

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7967 1066

Website: http://www.namcoexperience.com

Tags: comfy sofas, pool, fun

I have to agree with Brolly, Namco has something for everyone weather your looking for a night out with Friends, Entertaining the kids or taking out Clients... There is a great variety of games to play including bumper cars, bowling & dance machines. Downstairs is for over 18's only which is a nice touch. Here you will find a bar which has some great special offers, an American pool hall, bowling ally and racing games. Namco also have a DJ the last Friday of every month to give it an even more of a party atmosphere (this could have changed!). Always guaranteed to have a great night!!I have to agree with Brolly, Namco has something for everyone weather your looking for a night out with Friends, Entertaining the kids or taking out Clients... There is a great variety of games to play including bumper cars, bowling & dance machines. Downstairs is for over 18's only which is a nice touch. Here you will find a bar which has some great special offers, an American pool hall, bowling ally and racing games. Namco also have a DJ the last Friday of every month to give it an even more of a party atmosphere (this could have changed!). Always guaranteed to have a great night!!

Holland Park - Big day out Pt.1 by jameshaycock

jameshaycock — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:29:18 +0000

Review by jameshaycock

Rating: 4.00

Tags: sunbathing, lazy drinking, nice park

Saturday was hot. So, where better to spend the day than in a Park. After having a slow start to the day I jumped on the 28 bus and headed to Holland Park to meet a couple of friends - Luke and Matt.

On route I saw a digital display declaring the temperature at 33 degrees. I think it must have been broken but I was beginning to wish I hadn't worn jeans!

After picking up some suntan lotion (I normally turn beetroot after a day in the sun!) I rolled up my jeans and hit the park.

Holland Park has got a lot on offer. There's a sports field, some wooded walks, a Japanese style garden and even an ice house which on a day like Saturday must have been pretty non-existent!

Once meeting up with my friends we decided on a patch of grass next to the Orangery and cracked open the first of many beers.

We tried a bit of unsuccessful celebrity spotting and instead settled for a 'look a like' competition. I won with a guy who I thought was a spitting image of Donald Trump...or maybe he just had a silly boufant!

It turned out that both Luke and Matt had placed some bets on the Grand National, so given that I know nothing about horse racing or betting I decided to do the same. I ended up putting (a small amount) of money on six outsiders. We agreed that if any of us won we would all go out for a big night. We all lost, but by the empty state of my wallet the next day I guess we went out anyway.

By the way, the park's great and I would definitely recommend it.Saturday was hot. So, where better to spend the day than in a Park. After having a slow start to the day I jumped on the 28 bus and headed to Holland Park to meet a couple of friends - Luke and Matt.

On route I saw a digital display declaring the temperature at 33 degrees. I think it must have been broken but I was beginning to wish I hadn't worn jeans!

After picking up some suntan lotion (I normally turn beetroot after a day in the sun!) I rolled up my jeans and hit the park.

Holland Park has got a lot on offer. There's a sports field, some wooded walks, a Japanese style garden and even an ice house which on a day like Saturday must have been pretty non-existent!

Once meeting up with my friends we decided on a patch of grass next to the Orangery and cracked open the first of many beers.

We tried a bit of unsuccessful celebrity spotting and instead settled for a 'look a like' competition. I won with a guy who I thought was a spitting image of Donald Trump...or maybe he just had a silly boufant!

It turned out that both Luke and Matt had placed some bets on the Grand National, so given that I know nothing about horse racing or betting I decided to do the same. I ended up putting (a small amount) of money on six outsiders. We agreed that if any of us won we would all go out for a big night. We all lost, but by the empty state of my wallet the next day I guess we went out anyway.

By the way, the park's great and I would definitely recommend it.

Serpentine Road - Whacky Races Promenade by Frankie

Frankie — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:26:18 +0000

Review by Frankie

Rating: 5.00

Tags: outdoor, children, fun

Serpentine Road is within Hyde Park and it runs along the top of the Serpentine lake. It's the place to be if you've got wheels and no exhaust pipe. I'm talking: inline skates, wheelchairs, cross country skies, weird bikes that look like scooters with 3 wheels: Trikkes http://www.trikke-europe.com/home.php, push foot scooters, recumbent bicycles (where your legs are out in front of you) and Heelies (wheels hidden in heels).

It's really a promenade, and it's lovely to be there, strolling around just before sunset on a Summer's evening. Traffic and shops are far away and finally, you get a bit of peace and quiet. Heading home at dusk, you might spot the herons, lurking motionless, in the bushes, waiting for the arrival of the Bird Lady.

It can get a bit frenetic at the weekends or bank holidays. Walkers assume they can just amble around the road dreamily, toddlers in tow, whereas marathon-racing rollerbladers assume they can blast down the road at full throttle...

First thing in the morning is fresh too. You could do a bit of celebrity spotting if you were the type of person who would actually recognise one in a jogging outfit. There's a sandy strip running parallel to the road and beautiful horses and ponies canter along (watch out for the steaming piles of digested hay, rollerbladers) or the Queen's guard practising in full finery.

Ice cream, deckchairs for rent, architecture that mushrooms up overnight, arabic ladies in full hijab, guys in hot pants, girls in bikinis.Serpentine Road is within Hyde Park and it runs along the top of the Serpentine lake. It's the place to be if you've got wheels and no exhaust pipe. I'm talking: inline skates, wheelchairs, cross country skies, weird bikes that look like scooters with 3 wheels: Trikkes http://www.trikke-europe.com/home.php, push foot scooters, recumbent bicycles (where your legs are out in front of you) and Heelies (wheels hidden in heels).

It's really a promenade, and it's lovely to be there, strolling around just before sunset on a Summer's evening. Traffic and shops are far away and finally, you get a bit of peace and quiet. Heading home at dusk, you might spot the herons, lurking motionless, in the bushes, waiting for the arrival of the Bird Lady.

It can get a bit frenetic at the weekends or bank holidays. Walkers assume they can just amble around the road dreamily, toddlers in tow, whereas marathon-racing rollerbladers assume they can blast down the road at full throttle...

First thing in the morning is fresh too. You could do a bit of celebrity spotting if you were the type of person who would actually recognise one in a jogging outfit. There's a sandy strip running parallel to the road and beautiful horses and ponies canter along (watch out for the steaming piles of digested hay, rollerbladers) or the Queen's guard practising in full finery.

Ice cream, deckchairs for rent, architecture that mushrooms up overnight, arabic ladies in full hijab, guys in hot pants, girls in bikinis.

London Aquarium - Fish fingers by nighthawkdiner

nighthawkdiner — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 14:44:06 +0000

Review by nighthawkdiner

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7967 8000

Website: http://www.londonaquarium.co.uk

Tags: fish, sting ray

Not the best aquarium in the world (try Sydney) and not the worst (try Nha Trang) - but what makes it great is the ray pool where you can tickle sting rays to your hearts content - and they love it - I once had two...one on each hand, MatronNot the best aquarium in the world (try Sydney) and not the worst (try Nha Trang) - but what makes it great is the ray pool where you can tickle sting rays to your hearts content - and they love it - I once had two...one on each hand, Matron

The Trocadero Centre - Wait! bear with me a second... by nighthawkdiner

nighthawkdiner — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 14:31:56 +0000

Review by nighthawkdiner

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7439 1791

Website: http://www.troc.co.uk

Tags: "air hockey"

This place is a shocker, except for - two words - Air Hockey.

If you're meeting someone for a night out in town, then by the Air Hockey tables at the Trocadero is better than Eros (and it's warm in the winter) and you can start the evening off with an Air Hockey tournament and maybe throw in a little Daytona. Just be sure to leave as soon as you're done, don't buy anything, don't speak to anyone, don't tell anyone you went there and - for the love of god! - please don't eat anything there.
This place is a shocker, except for - two words - Air Hockey.

If you're meeting someone for a night out in town, then by the Air Hockey tables at the Trocadero is better than Eros (and it's warm in the winter) and you can start the evening off with an Air Hockey tournament and maybe throw in a little Daytona. Just be sure to leave as soon as you're done, don't buy anything, don't speak to anyone, don't tell anyone you went there and - for the love of god! - please don't eat anything there.

10 Downing Street - The PM's digs by NikoTheFinn

NikoTheFinn — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 08:08:00 +0000

Review by NikoTheFinn

Rating: 1.00

Website: http://www.number-10.gov.uk

Tags: politics, architecture, building

While not having been inside the Prime Minister's house, i can however assert with confidence that the outside is quite a disappointment. You can't get anywhere near the front door, there's a big gate blocking off the entire street and you can't even get a half-decent picture of the damn thing. And Tony squats down for craps inside this building. Not pleasant.While not having been inside the Prime Minister's house, i can however assert with confidence that the outside is quite a disappointment. You can't get anywhere near the front door, there's a big gate blocking off the entire street and you can't even get a half-decent picture of the damn thing. And Tony squats down for craps inside this building. Not pleasant.