Latest reviews in Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom

Takari - dinner by rachel1bt

rachel1bt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:17:09 +0000

Review by rachel1bt

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7836 1628

Tags: indian, good value, family & home feel

Takari was a really good find. It has a great location at the foot of the theatre land, and a really cosy atmosphere.The service was very attentive and helpful and the food was excellent, especially the Jungle Curry. I normally prefer Vindaloo but in this case the quality and lightness of the rice made me enjoy the Jungle Curry and maki even more, and the fish was extremely fresh as I would have expected. All in all a really good place to go for quality Indian food!Takari was a really good find. It has a great location at the foot of the theatre land, and a really cosy atmosphere.The service was very attentive and helpful and the food was excellent, especially the Jungle Curry. I normally prefer Vindaloo but in this case the quality and lightness of the rice made me enjoy the Jungle Curry and maki even more, and the fish was extremely fresh as I would have expected. All in all a really good place to go for quality Indian food!

Brunswick Farmers Market - Peggy's Cupcakes by lulu58

lulu58 — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:40:52 +0000

Review by lulu58

Rating: 5.00

Website: www.peggyscupcakes.co.uk

Tags: delicatessen, rare finds, helpful staff

Peggy's Cupcakes are the best cupcakes I've found in London. They are beautifully decorated and presented and taste heavenly, not dry like most others. They have a range of seasonal flavours alongside favourites like vanilla, lemon and chocolate. The carrot, ginger and walnut was to die for! Fantastic!Peggy's Cupcakes are the best cupcakes I've found in London. They are beautifully decorated and presented and taste heavenly, not dry like most others. They have a range of seasonal flavours alongside favourites like vanilla, lemon and chocolate. The carrot, ginger and walnut was to die for! Fantastic!

Munchkins - by shaggy

shaggy — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:09:16 +0000

Review by shaggy

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7636 2775

I found a hair in my dish,
and the services reacted really rude after telling them the issue. They where really unfriendly and I will never go there again!!!I found a hair in my dish,
and the services reacted really rude after telling them the issue. They where really unfriendly and I will never go there again!!!

Tossed Salad Bar - Disorganised mess by emmanx

emmanx — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:13:24 +0000

Review by emmanx

Rating: 3.00

Tags: crowded, business, cheap eat

Just started working in the area a couple of weeks ago and already had two very dissapointing visits to Tossed on St. Martin's lane. The first time I happened to be helped by someone who had just started so I decided to be forgiving and give the place a second go. Mistake.

The salad bar staff have no specific work area so they just run around getting in each other's way. My server gave me lip because I asked for a wrap but didn't have a base salad in my hands. Apparently, a wrap without a tonne of lettuce is weird. After he put the ingredients in a bowl he passed it on to someone else who had no idea what they were doing - the process was about 15 minutes, bit much for someone on their lunchbreak run

I got bored of watching her so I walked over to the till waiting for my food. I got harrassed to pay before I received it, which I refused. Result? Dirty look.

After she finally managed to finish my wrap, she handed it over to someone else, who gave it to another customer who was waiting for another wrap. By the time I caught on, she walked off with it. At that point, I left and I will NEVER go back. Boo hiss.

AfterJust started working in the area a couple of weeks ago and already had two very dissapointing visits to Tossed on St. Martin's lane. The first time I happened to be helped by someone who had just started so I decided to be forgiving and give the place a second go. Mistake.

The salad bar staff have no specific work area so they just run around getting in each other's way. My server gave me lip because I asked for a wrap but didn't have a base salad in my hands. Apparently, a wrap without a tonne of lettuce is weird. After he put the ingredients in a bowl he passed it on to someone else who had no idea what they were doing - the process was about 15 minutes, bit much for someone on their lunchbreak run

I got bored of watching her so I walked over to the till waiting for my food. I got harrassed to pay before I received it, which I refused. Result? Dirty look.

After she finally managed to finish my wrap, she handed it over to someone else, who gave it to another customer who was waiting for another wrap. By the time I caught on, she walked off with it. At that point, I left and I will NEVER go back. Boo hiss.

After

H.K Diner Restaurant - by liangliang

liangliang — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:47:33 +0000

Review by liangliang

Rating: 5.00

Tags: lively, malaysian, vegetarian

have gone thee twice , excellenthave gone thee twice , excellent

Conduit Coffee House - Really awful coffee - Vote with your feet by hhrtmnn

hhrtmnn — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:11:35 +0000

Review by hhrtmnn

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7242 8707

Tags: avoid, english

Be Warned - as an independent on the lovely Lambs Conduit you may be enticed - but get your coffee elsewhere!

The coffee beans used come from a fine italian brand but the product was brewed so badly that you could not drink it and keep it down.

Staff also seemed to have attitude (you have to beg for brown sugar) and this is a pity as they have a great location and sitting out under the trees with a cuppa was just what I was looking forward to.

Pricing's also a bit squiffy - Cappuccino is Â£1.45 but double espresso is Â£2.40. I'm confused as it doesn't gel with other places prices!

Under new management and with a complete overhaul this could be a real little treasure.Be Warned - as an independent on the lovely Lambs Conduit you may be enticed - but get your coffee elsewhere!

The coffee beans used come from a fine italian brand but the product was brewed so badly that you could not drink it and keep it down.

Staff also seemed to have attitude (you have to beg for brown sugar) and this is a pity as they have a great location and sitting out under the trees with a cuppa was just what I was looking forward to.

Pricing's also a bit squiffy - Cappuccino is Â£1.45 but double espresso is Â£2.40. I'm confused as it doesn't gel with other places prices!

Under new management and with a complete overhaul this could be a real little treasure.

St Pancras Grand, St Pancras International Station - Go for the decor, not for the food by paolaenergya

paolaenergya — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:47:02 +0000

Review by paolaenergya

Rating: 3.00

Tags: romantic, expensive, brasserie

I went to the Grand last Friday for a business networking lunch. We had a set menu and I chose betroot salad and pigeon in a port sauce with celery and chestnuts.
The salad was miser and the pigeon was a dark colour on the outside and raw on the inside. A few differently chopped pieces of celery accompanied the pigeon and I think I counted 3 small chestnuts with it.
I would go back for the decor as I find it's a beautiful place but I would eat elsewhere.I went to the Grand last Friday for a business networking lunch. We had a set menu and I chose betroot salad and pigeon in a port sauce with celery and chestnuts.
The salad was miser and the pigeon was a dark colour on the outside and raw on the inside. A few differently chopped pieces of celery accompanied the pigeon and I think I counted 3 small chestnuts with it.
I would go back for the decor as I find it's a beautiful place but I would eat elsewhere.

Ruby Lounge - Ruby Lounge by Gemma_Townsend

Gemma_Townsend — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:03:07 +0000

Review by Gemma_Townsend

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7837 9558

Website: http://www.ruby.uk.com

Tags: cool, relaxed, food

I went to Ruby Lounge last week for a night out with my girlfriends and had a fabulous time. We sat and talked while enjoying a few bottles of wine and when the music was turned up we were straight on our feet until it closed. Our only complaint was that it took a while to get served once it got busy P.S. Hi to the really fit barman with the bead-necklace.
I went to Ruby Lounge last week for a night out with my girlfriends and had a fabulous time. We sat and talked while enjoying a few bottles of wine and when the music was turned up we were straight on our feet until it closed. Our only complaint was that it took a while to get served once it got busy P.S. Hi to the really fit barman with the bead-necklace.

The Camera Cafe - Good place to escape the world for a moment by larsrose

larsrose — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:33:39 +0000

Review by larsrose

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7831 1566

Website: http://www.apertureuk.com/cameracafe/index.html

Tags: cosy, lively, friendly

I would give them 5 stars, if they could make a better coffee. Its not too bad, but not exactly a gourmet coffee place. Nevertheless, very friendly, relaxing and a great place to sit down and go through your mails, while you ponder photographic history around you.I would give them 5 stars, if they could make a better coffee. Its not too bad, but not exactly a gourmet coffee place. Nevertheless, very friendly, relaxing and a great place to sit down and go through your mails, while you ponder photographic history around you.

Forum Cafe - Very bad customer service by makisushi007

makisushi007 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:46:21 +0000

Review by makisushi007

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7404 1878

I 100% agree with the previous post. Zero communication, bad body language, VERY bad customer service. Very disappointed, I wanted to say he was doing the business bad but just by being in the shop for 10 minutes, i could tell he could become a very violent man and would be shouting till i got out of the shop.

I do not recommend this place to anyone.

I 100% agree with the previous post. Zero communication, bad body language, VERY bad customer service. Very disappointed, I wanted to say he was doing the business bad but just by being in the shop for 10 minutes, i could tell he could become a very violent man and would be shouting till i got out of the shop.

I do not recommend this place to anyone.

Mermaids Tail - Navy Boys chasing the Mermaids Tail by Boys_in_Blue

Boys_in_Blue — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:54:49 +0000

Review by Boys_in_Blue

Rating: 5.00

Tags: lively, good value, british

We had been to the Angus Steak House in Leicester Square the day before and had an amazing steak but today we only had a couple of hours so we decided to eat at another of their restaurants. We only wanted dessert and we werenâ¬"t disappointed. There were eight of us and some restaurants dont like such a big group of boys, but they were more than happy to seat us. They immediately put a group of tables together outside on the terrace and were more than happy to serve us. We had such a funny waiter who had us in stitches. There was a premier being set up right in front of us â¬ and we spotted a couple of comedians Sean Lock and Jason Manford from 8 out of 10 cats. Couldnâ¬"t get much better, sitting in the sunshine being served more and more desserts.
What a lovely restaurant â¬ inside was fantastic with massive murals on the walls and traditional fish and chip restaurant decor. The fish and chips looked great â¬ massive portions (shame we had our dinner on the ship)
We asked for them to make platters of desserts so we could all have some of each â¬ it was a fight among the boys to get to the Apple Pie and Custard but by the end we could hardly move. We went through, cheesecake, chocolate fudge cake, treacle sponge, strawberries and ice cream and we even had deep fried mars bar (and it was great). They were the best desserts Iâ¬"ve ever had (just wish they delivered to the ship).
Iâ¬"m just glad we stopped when we did, our buttons were ready to pop as we made our way back to the ship. We had such good meals in Angus and Mermaids Tail it really made our trip to London and we are already looking forward to returning (definitely be having the fish and chips next time).

We had been to the Angus Steak House in Leicester Square the day before and had an amazing steak but today we only had a couple of hours so we decided to eat at another of their restaurants. We only wanted dessert and we werenâ¬"t disappointed. There were eight of us and some restaurants dont like such a big group of boys, but they were more than happy to seat us. They immediately put a group of tables together outside on the terrace and were more than happy to serve us. We had such a funny waiter who had us in stitches. There was a premier being set up right in front of us â¬ and we spotted a couple of comedians Sean Lock and Jason Manford from 8 out of 10 cats. Couldnâ¬"t get much better, sitting in the sunshine being served more and more desserts.
What a lovely restaurant â¬ inside was fantastic with massive murals on the walls and traditional fish and chip restaurant decor. The fish and chips looked great â¬ massive portions (shame we had our dinner on the ship)
We asked for them to make platters of desserts so we could all have some of each â¬ it was a fight among the boys to get to the Apple Pie and Custard but by the end we could hardly move. We went through, cheesecake, chocolate fudge cake, treacle sponge, strawberries and ice cream and we even had deep fried mars bar (and it was great). They were the best desserts Iâ¬"ve ever had (just wish they delivered to the ship).
Iâ¬"m just glad we stopped when we did, our buttons were ready to pop as we made our way back to the ship. We had such good meals in Angus and Mermaids Tail it really made our trip to London and we are already looking forward to returning (definitely be having the fish and chips next time).

The British Museum - by sheilaellen

sheilaellen — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:17:54 +0000

Review by sheilaellen

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7636 1555

Website: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Tags: sculptures, paintings, modern art

Dull.Dull.

Prix Fixe Brasserie - Corking Parisian-style Sunday by davegoodman

davegoodman — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:35:13 +0000

Review by davegoodman

Rating: 5.00

Tags: romantic, french, good value

We thought we'd try something other than a pub lunch this Sunday, and after a bit of Googling, we turned up this place. According to the waiter we spoke to, it's only been up and running for ten months or so, and long may it continue - this was one of the best meals we've had in months.

It is a very comfortable and relaxed little place, done up in simple modern brasserie style with wooden floorboards, small tables, candles, large French poster prints and red walls. We were the only ones there when we arrived just after 1pm, but it slowly filled up as we sat there, and looked like it was on the way to being a semi-busy afternoon for them as we left.

We opted for the lunchtime prix fixe menu, which is a steal at £8.90 a head for two courses, especially given the quality of the food. We had a nice sauvignon blanc with the meal, Chilean and very refreshing for about £15ish. My wife had a beetroot and goat's cheese starter (gorgeous apparently) and I had the salmon, which was a pleasantly generous portion with crisp toast and lovely creme fraiche.

For mains, my wife had grilled chicken with pasta, which was, again, a great size of portion and perfectly cooked. I had the lamb, which came with gorgeous roast aubergine and spinach, and was delicious, really tender and juicy. We finished things off with creme brulee and banoffee pie (both cracking) and a couple of coffees. The bill with service included came in at a shade over £55.

Service throughout was friendly, relaxed and attentive but not in your face, and overall we left after an hour and a half very satisfied. You can easily spend that amount of money in any number of pubs and restaurants and get so-so food and dismal service, so we're delighted to have found this wee gem.We thought we'd try something other than a pub lunch this Sunday, and after a bit of Googling, we turned up this place. According to the waiter we spoke to, it's only been up and running for ten months or so, and long may it continue - this was one of the best meals we've had in months.

It is a very comfortable and relaxed little place, done up in simple modern brasserie style with wooden floorboards, small tables, candles, large French poster prints and red walls. We were the only ones there when we arrived just after 1pm, but it slowly filled up as we sat there, and looked like it was on the way to being a semi-busy afternoon for them as we left.

We opted for the lunchtime prix fixe menu, which is a steal at £8.90 a head for two courses, especially given the quality of the food. We had a nice sauvignon blanc with the meal, Chilean and very refreshing for about £15ish. My wife had a beetroot and goat's cheese starter (gorgeous apparently) and I had the salmon, which was a pleasantly generous portion with crisp toast and lovely creme fraiche.

For mains, my wife had grilled chicken with pasta, which was, again, a great size of portion and perfectly cooked. I had the lamb, which came with gorgeous roast aubergine and spinach, and was delicious, really tender and juicy. We finished things off with creme brulee and banoffee pie (both cracking) and a couple of coffees. The bill with service included came in at a shade over £55.

Service throughout was friendly, relaxed and attentive but not in your face, and overall we left after an hour and a half very satisfied. You can easily spend that amount of money in any number of pubs and restaurants and get so-so food and dismal service, so we're delighted to have found this wee gem.

Chilli Cool - Spice me up by hollowlegs

hollowlegs — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:01:20 +0000

Review by hollowlegs

Rating: 4.00

Phone: (020) 7383 3135

Tags: chinese, lively, cheap eat

Chilli Cool has been on my restaurant 'Want-To-Go' list for ages. I first heard about it from Niamh, who said that she had such a good meal here. I love Sichuanese food, ever since I got Fuschia Dunlop's Sichuan Cookery book. I can't say I remember eating all that much Sichuanese food in Hong Kong, but I didn't quite have the tolerance for chillis as I do now.

6 other friends and I decided it was high time we visited. Places like this require more than solo dining or with just one other, as there were so many dishes you'll want to try and being such big portions, it's a shame to let it go to waste. Incidentally, my mum e-mailed my just after I booked it to let me know about some great Dan Dan Noodles she'd had from "some place on Leigh Street". It was meant to be.

Luckily, we're all pretty adventurous eaters, because there was a lot of offal on the menu. I'd had 'Beef Slices & Ox Tripe in Chilli Oil' (left) before at Leong's Legends, and really enjoyed it so I wanted to order it again. The dish was delicately spicy. The tripe contrasted well in texture with the beef, with the smattering of sesame seeds providing a hint of flavour. The spicy oil the slices were in had pieces of lightly cooked celery which made it all the more delicious. When the rice arrived we spooned the spicy oil from this into our rice bowls, it was so good.

We also ordered 'Hot & Crispy Pigs Intestines. Initially when I made this choice the waitress looked doubtful and told us we wouldn't like it. I'm glad we persevered though, because this was one of the highlights of the evening. The intestines had varying contrasts - some were very very crispy, some only a bit, some fatty and squidgy. What was constant was that each bite of the intestine was intensely porky and rich. Of course, none of us could resist ordering pork belly. This 'Sliced Pork Belly in Mashed Garlic Sauce' was a lot less pungent than I imagined. I have a recipe for this in Dunlop's book and I have been a touch too scared to make it for fear of the backlash. This was not so. The pork belly is sliced very thinly so that it's almost transparent and so there's no danger of being chewy or coming upon thick strips of fat. Instead, this melted in the mouth.

What I didn't get to try at Ba Shan, I certainly did here. These 'Shredded Potato Slivers with Dry Chilli' really delivered a massive hit of Sichuan peppercorn. The mouth suddenly starts to salivate more, the tingle spreads, and a slight metallic taste lingers. It sounds unpleasant but I assure you it's not - it's extremely addictive. I kept on munching. The potato slivers were very uniform; not at all starchy and they didn't stick together at all. I can guarantee you if I attempted this at home, it would be an unmitigated disaster.

Another highlight was the brasied tofu with minced meat. The tofu slices were fried on the outside and soft on the inside, soaking up all the thick gravy. 'Stir-Fried then Stewed Jack Beans' were much better than the name suggests, although veggies should note this also came with minced pork. Not the most veggie-friendly restaurant at all, actually.

We also had the 'Fish & Chilli Hot Pot (large)'. The pot was huge. Brought to the table steaming, we were given a slotted spoon to fish out the pieces of grouper, ginger, tofu, Sichuan peppers, and of course; the abundance of chillis. By this point my mouth was tingling like no one's business and it was making me feel a little giddy. The fish was perfectly cooked, which confused me somewhat that it hadn't carried on cooking more - one finger dipped in the soup by accident and it was HOT. We even, at the end of the meal, had a competition to see who could hold their fingers on the side of the pot longest (it was a very highbrow meal) and it burned.

The fish was fresh and wasn't overtly fishy. Despite appearances, the hot pot was actually very light - the broth was flavoursome and nothing sat heavily on the stomach. It was a perfect end to the meal.

All in all, I loved Chilli Cool and I can't wait to go back. It certainly didn't hold back on the spicing like Ba Shan did and for that, I salute them. The service was a little hard to get the attention of, and one might take umbrage to the waitress being doubtful of our intestine dish choice, but rather than being disparaging I think she was really just concerned for whether we'd enjoy it. Looking around, we were the only (aside from 1 couple) table of English(ish) people. Unfortunately the '4 rounds of vegetables' that was supposed to appear with our hot pot was forgotten, both by the kitchen and ourselves. Oh well, we'll just have to go back...

Chilli Cool has been on my restaurant 'Want-To-Go' list for ages. I first heard about it from Niamh, who said that she had such a good meal here. I love Sichuanese food, ever since I got Fuschia Dunlop's Sichuan Cookery book. I can't say I remember eating all that much Sichuanese food in Hong Kong, but I didn't quite have the tolerance for chillis as I do now.

6 other friends and I decided it was high time we visited. Places like this require more than solo dining or with just one other, as there were so many dishes you'll want to try and being such big portions, it's a shame to let it go to waste. Incidentally, my mum e-mailed my just after I booked it to let me know about some great Dan Dan Noodles she'd had from "some place on Leigh Street". It was meant to be.

Luckily, we're all pretty adventurous eaters, because there was a lot of offal on the menu. I'd had 'Beef Slices & Ox Tripe in Chilli Oil' (left) before at Leong's Legends, and really enjoyed it so I wanted to order it again. The dish was delicately spicy. The tripe contrasted well in texture with the beef, with the smattering of sesame seeds providing a hint of flavour. The spicy oil the slices were in had pieces of lightly cooked celery which made it all the more delicious. When the rice arrived we spooned the spicy oil from this into our rice bowls, it was so good.

We also ordered 'Hot & Crispy Pigs Intestines. Initially when I made this choice the waitress looked doubtful and told us we wouldn't like it. I'm glad we persevered though, because this was one of the highlights of the evening. The intestines had varying contrasts - some were very very crispy, some only a bit, some fatty and squidgy. What was constant was that each bite of the intestine was intensely porky and rich. Of course, none of us could resist ordering pork belly. This 'Sliced Pork Belly in Mashed Garlic Sauce' was a lot less pungent than I imagined. I have a recipe for this in Dunlop's book and I have been a touch too scared to make it for fear of the backlash. This was not so. The pork belly is sliced very thinly so that it's almost transparent and so there's no danger of being chewy or coming upon thick strips of fat. Instead, this melted in the mouth.

What I didn't get to try at Ba Shan, I certainly did here. These 'Shredded Potato Slivers with Dry Chilli' really delivered a massive hit of Sichuan peppercorn. The mouth suddenly starts to salivate more, the tingle spreads, and a slight metallic taste lingers. It sounds unpleasant but I assure you it's not - it's extremely addictive. I kept on munching. The potato slivers were very uniform; not at all starchy and they didn't stick together at all. I can guarantee you if I attempted this at home, it would be an unmitigated disaster.

Another highlight was the brasied tofu with minced meat. The tofu slices were fried on the outside and soft on the inside, soaking up all the thick gravy. 'Stir-Fried then Stewed Jack Beans' were much better than the name suggests, although veggies should note this also came with minced pork. Not the most veggie-friendly restaurant at all, actually.

We also had the 'Fish & Chilli Hot Pot (large)'. The pot was huge. Brought to the table steaming, we were given a slotted spoon to fish out the pieces of grouper, ginger, tofu, Sichuan peppers, and of course; the abundance of chillis. By this point my mouth was tingling like no one's business and it was making me feel a little giddy. The fish was perfectly cooked, which confused me somewhat that it hadn't carried on cooking more - one finger dipped in the soup by accident and it was HOT. We even, at the end of the meal, had a competition to see who could hold their fingers on the side of the pot longest (it was a very highbrow meal) and it burned.

The fish was fresh and wasn't overtly fishy. Despite appearances, the hot pot was actually very light - the broth was flavoursome and nothing sat heavily on the stomach. It was a perfect end to the meal.

All in all, I loved Chilli Cool and I can't wait to go back. It certainly didn't hold back on the spicing like Ba Shan did and for that, I salute them. The service was a little hard to get the attention of, and one might take umbrage to the waitress being doubtful of our intestine dish choice, but rather than being disparaging I think she was really just concerned for whether we'd enjoy it. Looking around, we were the only (aside from 1 couple) table of English(ish) people. Unfortunately the '4 rounds of vegetables' that was supposed to appear with our hot pot was forgotten, both by the kitchen and ourselves. Oh well, we'll just have to go back...

One Alfred Place - A better way to do business... by Sophie35

Sophie35 — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:54:58 +0000

Review by Sophie35

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7000 1999

Website: http://onealfredplace.com/

Tags: friendly, reasonably priced, young professionals

This private member's club has revolutionized the way I do business. As I am based out of London, it is perfect for meeting clients and stopping off between meetings. With the Club PA's, amazing food, friendly service and great meeting rooms I feel like I am at my office away from my office. I could not recommend it more highly!This private member's club has revolutionized the way I do business. As I am based out of London, it is perfect for meeting clients and stopping off between meetings. With the Club PA's, amazing food, friendly service and great meeting rooms I feel like I am at my office away from my office. I could not recommend it more highly!

Wild & Wood Coffee - diamond in the rough by tink100

tink100 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:34:40 +0000

Review by tink100

Rating: 4.00

Tags: cosy, amazing brew

I recently stumbled across this gem whilst on a walk into the west end. not noticeable from a distance but immediately seductive as you pass the window display of fine home made cakes and pastries. You stop. Step back and realize you are staring at a coffee shop. It's dark inside so you peer through the glass window to take a closer look. The interior is decorated from floor to ceiling in an aged wood and from the walls hang a collection of black and white portraits. At most you can seat 12 people downstairs , with two larger tables in the main area and a delightful cosy cuby that seats 4. This place has character, individuality and best of all good coffee. A blackboard hanging on the wall outside informs the public 'Monmouth coffee' sold here, followed by a list of the different types of coffee available. no decaf, skinny, tall frappacino's here. just good old fashioned coffee. in particular i would recommend the piccolo. A kind of baby cappacino. They also only use organic milk. Anoher big tick in my box. So far i have only sampled the drinks but i will definately be returning to taste the food. It is obvious that care and passion goes into every cup of coffee served here and quality not quantity is the order of the day. If the same principles are applied to their food then i am sure i will have good news to report back.I recently stumbled across this gem whilst on a walk into the west end. not noticeable from a distance but immediately seductive as you pass the window display of fine home made cakes and pastries. You stop. Step back and realize you are staring at a coffee shop. It's dark inside so you peer through the glass window to take a closer look. The interior is decorated from floor to ceiling in an aged wood and from the walls hang a collection of black and white portraits. At most you can seat 12 people downstairs , with two larger tables in the main area and a delightful cosy cuby that seats 4. This place has character, individuality and best of all good coffee. A blackboard hanging on the wall outside informs the public 'Monmouth coffee' sold here, followed by a list of the different types of coffee available. no decaf, skinny, tall frappacino's here. just good old fashioned coffee. in particular i would recommend the piccolo. A kind of baby cappacino. They also only use organic milk. Anoher big tick in my box. So far i have only sampled the drinks but i will definately be returning to taste the food. It is obvious that care and passion goes into every cup of coffee served here and quality not quantity is the order of the day. If the same principles are applied to their food then i am sure i will have good news to report back.

La Porchetta - foods fine , but you wont enjoy it by lazydays

lazydays — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:21:34 +0000

Review by lazydays

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7242 2434

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

Tags: italian, good value, lively

Maybe its just lunchtimes , but the waitress must be Himmler's grandaughter, surly and abrupt.
We couldnt wait to finish our food and leave.
There were others who came in whist we were there and left almost immediatly , her attitude stinks.
We have been several times in the past and always enjoyed it , but never again.Maybe its just lunchtimes , but the waitress must be Himmler's grandaughter, surly and abrupt.
We couldnt wait to finish our food and leave.
There were others who came in whist we were there and left almost immediatly , her attitude stinks.
We have been several times in the past and always enjoyed it , but never again.

All Star Lanes - Puts the fun back in to bowling by sharon77

sharon77 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:59:10 +0000

Review by sharon77

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7025 2676

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

Tags: american, bowling, cool

I recently took at party of 20 people here for a work's sports & social club event and I can say nothing but good things about this bowling venue. We took advantage of one of its many offers, this time it was Eat, Drink & Bowl for £30(including 1 cocktail, 2 courses and 1 game of bowling).

Quietly nestled in a side street in Holborn, you'd be forgiven for walking passed the All Start Lanes without giving it a second glance. Once inside you're transported back in time thanks to it's 50s style decor, the fun music and matching 50s Ed's Diner style uniforms.

It has a great bar tucked away at the rear, and a restaurant which offers more than the usual soggy burgers, limp fries and basket of scampi.

The service I received was excellent. All the staff were very friendly and couldn't do more to help.

If you're going in a large group I would definitely recommend you pre-book as their "walk in" lanes get very busy. If you don't/can't pre-book, you are able to put your group's name down for one of their four walk in lanes, but this has to be done in person from 5pm onwards on the day. The only downside to this is that as the walk in lanes are only available to play on from 7pm onwards, and you are expected to stay at the venue from when you put your name down, which could mean a lengthy wait. If you're with a smaller group however, you should find it much easier to literally just walk in and play.

My only improvement would be to add more lanes, but if you're looking for a fun night, at one of London's self billed "luxury bowling" lanes, then this is the place to go!I recently took at party of 20 people here for a work's sports & social club event and I can say nothing but good things about this bowling venue. We took advantage of one of its many offers, this time it was Eat, Drink & Bowl for £30(including 1 cocktail, 2 courses and 1 game of bowling).

Quietly nestled in a side street in Holborn, you'd be forgiven for walking passed the All Start Lanes without giving it a second glance. Once inside you're transported back in time thanks to it's 50s style decor, the fun music and matching 50s Ed's Diner style uniforms.

It has a great bar tucked away at the rear, and a restaurant which offers more than the usual soggy burgers, limp fries and basket of scampi.

The service I received was excellent. All the staff were very friendly and couldn't do more to help.

If you're going in a large group I would definitely recommend you pre-book as their "walk in" lanes get very busy. If you don't/can't pre-book, you are able to put your group's name down for one of their four walk in lanes, but this has to be done in person from 5pm onwards on the day. The only downside to this is that as the walk in lanes are only available to play on from 7pm onwards, and you are expected to stay at the venue from when you put your name down, which could mean a lengthy wait. If you're with a smaller group however, you should find it much easier to literally just walk in and play.

My only improvement would be to add more lanes, but if you're looking for a fun night, at one of London's self billed "luxury bowling" lanes, then this is the place to go!

The Dover Bookshop - The Dover Bookshop by golem

golem — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:48:14 +0000

Review by golem

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7836 2111

This is probably the best visual arts and illustration bookshop in London. An amazing collection of visual material.This is probably the best visual arts and illustration bookshop in London. An amazing collection of visual material.

Le Cafe - True, true by george_f

george_f — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:51:57 +0000

Review by george_f

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7831 8139

Tags: takeaway, proper food, cosy

I read the previous review and I say, true, true.

I've been going to Le Cafe for almost 3 years now and I've always found the food served here fresh, flavourful and of the kind that reminds one of real home-cooking. Of course, that's home-cooking by someone who knows what he's doing. Personal favourites are Chicken Spring Onion and Pork, apple and raisin sandwiches on toasted brown baps. There are dishes that are regularly on the menu, but the chef regularly exercises his creative muscles and quite often customers are treated to something new. The casseroles are amazing but I think the chef outdoes himself with his fish dishes.

Price-wise, 2008 prices still hold today. So it's very good quality food at very reasonable prices. Good enough reasons to go to any place for your nosh.

I do feel though, that the regulars keep coming back for another reason - the warmth with which they're treated by the couple who own the place. I gave Le Cafe a 5-star rating for ambience - and this is what it's for.
I read the previous review and I say, true, true.

I've been going to Le Cafe for almost 3 years now and I've always found the food served here fresh, flavourful and of the kind that reminds one of real home-cooking. Of course, that's home-cooking by someone who knows what he's doing. Personal favourites are Chicken Spring Onion and Pork, apple and raisin sandwiches on toasted brown baps. There are dishes that are regularly on the menu, but the chef regularly exercises his creative muscles and quite often customers are treated to something new. The casseroles are amazing but I think the chef outdoes himself with his fish dishes.

Price-wise, 2008 prices still hold today. So it's very good quality food at very reasonable prices. Good enough reasons to go to any place for your nosh.

I do feel though, that the regulars keep coming back for another reason - the warmth with which they're treated by the couple who own the place. I gave Le Cafe a 5-star rating for ambience - and this is what it's for.