Latest reviews in Brent Cross, London, United Kingdom

Mr Crepe - by takawa

takawa — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:27:36 +0000

Review by takawa

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 07501907709

Website: www.mrcrepe.co.uk

Tags: rare finds, healthy food, bargain

quality and tasty fillingsquality and tasty fillings

Kanteen - Lots of choice, fish, no meat Israeli Jewish menu by Angella

Angella — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:28 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 4.00

Website: www.brentcross.co.uk

Loved the food at their branch in Bushey Heath.

Last time I visited Brent Cross on a Saturday they were closed. A handy addition to Brent Cross and an addition to those which have bigger menus like proper restaurants.

I was instantly greeted at both the take away bread and cake counter and the main counter where they happily handed me their menu.

Seats are out in the mall as well.

The six column menu includes a range of coffees from a single espresso at Â£1.40 (prices September 2009) to fresh mint tea, or hot water with lemon Â£1.50, Â£1.90 for lemon tea. Milk shakes. Soft drinks. Freshly squeezed orange juice at Â£2.95. Fruit shakes. Soup of the day at Â£4.95 served with bread and butter. Salads, omelettes, pasta, pizza (no meat), all day breakfasts eggs, salmon, latke, cheese on toast, scrambled eggs with tuna, Israeli salad, bagels, salads, blintzes, fresh fish - from haddock at Â£8.95 grilled salmon at Â£10.95, catch of the day; Salmon platter, potato in jacket with baked beans at Â£6.45 with Israeli salad, not cheap, service included. Thai dishes. Sandwiches with brown white, rye, granary, bagel or baguette. Falafel. Corn on the cob, fish balls at Â£4.25, or fish and chips. Desserts include cheesecake. Sundaes. Croissants. Scones. Danish.
If you've got the money and the time, useful.

Just outside, outdoors, are some rival kiosks selling other fast foods if you have less time.

Loved the food at their branch in Bushey Heath.

Last time I visited Brent Cross on a Saturday they were closed. A handy addition to Brent Cross and an addition to those which have bigger menus like proper restaurants.

I was instantly greeted at both the take away bread and cake counter and the main counter where they happily handed me their menu.

Seats are out in the mall as well.

The six column menu includes a range of coffees from a single espresso at Â£1.40 (prices September 2009) to fresh mint tea, or hot water with lemon Â£1.50, Â£1.90 for lemon tea. Milk shakes. Soft drinks. Freshly squeezed orange juice at Â£2.95. Fruit shakes. Soup of the day at Â£4.95 served with bread and butter. Salads, omelettes, pasta, pizza (no meat), all day breakfasts eggs, salmon, latke, cheese on toast, scrambled eggs with tuna, Israeli salad, bagels, salads, blintzes, fresh fish - from haddock at Â£8.95 grilled salmon at Â£10.95, catch of the day; Salmon platter, potato in jacket with baked beans at Â£6.45 with Israeli salad, not cheap, service included. Thai dishes. Sandwiches with brown white, rye, granary, bagel or baguette. Falafel. Corn on the cob, fish balls at Â£4.25, or fish and chips. Desserts include cheesecake. Sundaes. Croissants. Scones. Danish.
If you've got the money and the time, useful.

Just outside, outdoors, are some rival kiosks selling other fast foods if you have less time.

M & D Grodzinski - Viennese Fingers to blow the diet for! by Glenys

Glenys — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:40:47 +0000

Review by Glenys

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8458 3654

Tags: delicatessen, bargain

A big of a 'spit & sawdust' shop, but the food cannot be faulted. I try to get here whenever I am within an hours traveling distance. It is a parev bakery so it is really easy to just buy anything that grabs your fancy. The cornflake cakes and Viennese biscuits are wonderful. Plus they aren't that expensive, so you can easily top up your stores.....only problem is they often don't make the journey home before the temptation proves too much!!A big of a 'spit & sawdust' shop, but the food cannot be faulted. I try to get here whenever I am within an hours traveling distance. It is a parev bakery so it is really easy to just buy anything that grabs your fancy. The cornflake cakes and Viennese biscuits are wonderful. Plus they aren't that expensive, so you can easily top up your stores.....only problem is they often don't make the journey home before the temptation proves too much!!

Thorntons - by Angella

Angella — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:11:04 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8203 3090

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

Tags: truffles

They can write a message on a piece of chocolate for a birthday or anniversary. Â£4.
I thought of putting it on top of a white iced cake.
Wonder how they do it.They can write a message on a piece of chocolate for a birthday or anniversary. Â£4.
I thought of putting it on top of a white iced cake.
Wonder how they do it.

Florence Cafe - Terrible value for money by Otto

Otto — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:05:05 +0000

Review by Otto

Rating: 1.00

Tags: italian

Don't order roast chicken there it's abismal, small and terrible value for moneyDon't order roast chicken there it's abismal, small and terrible value for money

Yog Fat Free Frozen Yogurt - Yogurt with fruit and nut toppings by Angella

Angella — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:06:32 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 4.00

Tags: rare finds, healthy food

Yogurts and smoothies to eat in or take away in regular and large sizes.
You can pay for one, two or three toppings.
Fruits include raspberry, strawberry, mango, passionfruit, and nuts include almonds, or mixed nuts.
Their website is www.yogyogurt.co.uk

It's on the ground floor, a kiosk near the middle with the escalators. It cost me £3.30 for a yogurt with three toppings.

I opted for mango (because I can have bananas and strawberries at home), the dark coulis - piquant, delicious, won't fall off the swirl in the middle, and white chocolate buttons. The white chocolate was a mistake. They did not taste of chocolate, just waxy. After I'd finished the girl who was serving asked how I'd liked it and I told her and asked for one of the chocolate buttons. The chocolate buttons were more chocolatey.
I ate in. White bar stools with low backs and nearby bin.

The information sheet on the yogurt tells you about all the advantages of their fat-free yogurt, but admits that they add sugar. For those of us with diabetic ancestors (late onset diabetes is diet related) this is not good news.

However I reckoned that it would be better than chocolate cake upstairs on level three in the Bagel place. I wish Brent cross had a water fountain. I must go off and tell the management.

Yogurts and smoothies to eat in or take away in regular and large sizes.
You can pay for one, two or three toppings.
Fruits include raspberry, strawberry, mango, passionfruit, and nuts include almonds, or mixed nuts.
Their website is www.yogyogurt.co.uk

It's on the ground floor, a kiosk near the middle with the escalators. It cost me £3.30 for a yogurt with three toppings.

I opted for mango (because I can have bananas and strawberries at home), the dark coulis - piquant, delicious, won't fall off the swirl in the middle, and white chocolate buttons. The white chocolate was a mistake. They did not taste of chocolate, just waxy. After I'd finished the girl who was serving asked how I'd liked it and I told her and asked for one of the chocolate buttons. The chocolate buttons were more chocolatey.
I ate in. White bar stools with low backs and nearby bin.

The information sheet on the yogurt tells you about all the advantages of their fat-free yogurt, but admits that they add sugar. For those of us with diabetic ancestors (late onset diabetes is diet related) this is not good news.

However I reckoned that it would be better than chocolate cake upstairs on level three in the Bagel place. I wish Brent cross had a water fountain. I must go off and tell the management.

Tootsies - Early bird 2 course offers by Angella

Angella — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:54:56 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8203 9942

Website: http://www.tootsiesrestaurants.com/tootsiesrestaurant/brent_cross_london.html

Tags: cheap eat

The menu in the window at Brent Cross shows they have a special two course deal which ends at 5 pm.

As I always want a snack supper before driving home I'm looking for a budget meal. I often have a late afternoon lesson on the Apple MacBook or ipod at the Apple Store nearby so I miss out on the early day deal and end up going for something cheaper and quicker, such as a bagel from the bagel shop opposite.

I'm sorry Tootsies don't have some other meal deal which looks good value at other times. If you can get there before 5, it's good value.

I finally got to try the two course meal deal. The helpful waiter told me that you can have either starter or dessert, and as I was having the Thai chicken curry, which he said was spicy, I did not also want the soup of the day, which he said was also spicy. I broke the diet and went for the New York style baked cheesecake.

The chicken curry had plenty of chicken, okay, but no vegetables, so I was sorry I had not started with the Caesar salad. The lemon grass flavour was not as strong as the Thai soup from my supermarket. I always thought green Thai curry had green peppers, but this meal had streaks of red.

The dessert looked splendid. It may be baked, but it's not the crumbly cake I yearn for, more of a solid moose, pleasant enough, not too light.

I finished with coffee. At £2 for a moka (chocolate coffee) with a swirl of cream on top, good value compared to some of the coffee bars.

I objected to the 12 and a half percent 'optional' service charge added to the bill. Most places add ten percent. We are also living in credit crunch times.

It wasn't worth arguing about as it was only 50 p on the bill. But if you object to paying 12 and a half per cent on principle, you have lots of alternative food vanues no further than you can throw a packet of salt.

Website
You can go to their website, check out their other locations, and read their menu at leisure. Print it off. Decide on the best deal for your budget or splurge. Or what's best for your diet. Highlight what you want to order. Then, however tired you are on the day, you save time and look decisive.

You could even walk in and say to the server, 'I'm in a hurry. No, thanks - I don't need the menu. I want to eat a .. and drink a ...'

Won't they be surprised! Good to impress the server and your companions.

While you're online, you can sign up for their emails which entitles you to a discount voucher.

I liked the American music. Mothers with babies in prams were making use of the high chairs provided. Plenty of seats available at lunch time.The menu in the window at Brent Cross shows they have a special two course deal which ends at 5 pm.

As I always want a snack supper before driving home I'm looking for a budget meal. I often have a late afternoon lesson on the Apple MacBook or ipod at the Apple Store nearby so I miss out on the early day deal and end up going for something cheaper and quicker, such as a bagel from the bagel shop opposite.

I'm sorry Tootsies don't have some other meal deal which looks good value at other times. If you can get there before 5, it's good value.

I finally got to try the two course meal deal. The helpful waiter told me that you can have either starter or dessert, and as I was having the Thai chicken curry, which he said was spicy, I did not also want the soup of the day, which he said was also spicy. I broke the diet and went for the New York style baked cheesecake.

The chicken curry had plenty of chicken, okay, but no vegetables, so I was sorry I had not started with the Caesar salad. The lemon grass flavour was not as strong as the Thai soup from my supermarket. I always thought green Thai curry had green peppers, but this meal had streaks of red.

The dessert looked splendid. It may be baked, but it's not the crumbly cake I yearn for, more of a solid moose, pleasant enough, not too light.

I finished with coffee. At £2 for a moka (chocolate coffee) with a swirl of cream on top, good value compared to some of the coffee bars.

I objected to the 12 and a half percent 'optional' service charge added to the bill. Most places add ten percent. We are also living in credit crunch times.

It wasn't worth arguing about as it was only 50 p on the bill. But if you object to paying 12 and a half per cent on principle, you have lots of alternative food vanues no further than you can throw a packet of salt.

Website
You can go to their website, check out their other locations, and read their menu at leisure. Print it off. Decide on the best deal for your budget or splurge. Or what's best for your diet. Highlight what you want to order. Then, however tired you are on the day, you save time and look decisive.

You could even walk in and say to the server, 'I'm in a hurry. No, thanks - I don't need the menu. I want to eat a .. and drink a ...'

Won't they be surprised! Good to impress the server and your companions.

While you're online, you can sign up for their emails which entitles you to a discount voucher.

I liked the American music. Mothers with babies in prams were making use of the high chairs provided. Plenty of seats available at lunch time.

McDonald's Restaurant - Large McDonald's by Angella

Angella — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:16:44 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8203 8412

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

Tags: bargain, seating area, childrens parties

A large McDonald's with plenty of seating.

If you haven't been to one for a while, the menu has increased enormously. For example, brownies.

It's opposite Waitrose in a mall beside Fenwicks at the East end of the shopping centre.A large McDonald's with plenty of seating.

If you haven't been to one for a while, the menu has increased enormously. For example, brownies.

It's opposite Waitrose in a mall beside Fenwicks at the East end of the shopping centre.

Borders Books - Borders Books Music & Cafe by Angella

Angella — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:03:01 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8452 9245

Website: brentcross.borders.co.uk

Border is not in Brent Cross Shopping Centre but the newer Brent Cross Shopping Park which you see looking south towards the centre of London from Brent Cross Shopping Centre..

Borders Books
The table which greets you just inside the door often has the latest personalityâ¬"s book. In March it was the late Jane Goody. Upstairs was a book on The Goddess, about Marilyn Monroe.

The ground floor has some childrenâ¬"s books, maybe to save lugging the children upstairs. As a sucker for anything free, although I have no children nor grandchildren, I was intrigued by the offer of a free bath mitt if you buy two Touch Me books for babies.

Music
Upstairs the music section has a good selection of music CDs. I stopped at Country Music and found sets of two or three discs for £4.99.

Stationery
Diaries were thirty per cent off In March. No diaries with pencils. But lots with lines. Including the pocket size diaries with two days to a page.

Notebooks
Lots of note books with pages you can tear out. A4 notebooks with pages which have margins. Handy.
Iâ¬"m still looking for large size whiteboard markers with thicks oblong tips so you can write large enough for people to see.

A separate section is on paper.

Self-help and Dating
Books told me how to find a man or woman, why men and women are different, the perfect marriage, survive the divorce, the older man, how to make yourself perfect, be confident, marry a millionaire, or make your own million. When Iâ¬"ve written another best-seller or found husband number two and married a millionaire Iâ¬"ll write my own book.

Psychology
Book on A2 level psychology has neat flow charts which show the symptoms history, problems and solutions. Bipolar - depression caused by - well, right now Iâ¬"m pretty happy thanks. I just had coffee and bought a CD.

Location
Half a dozen buses stop outside. The bus stop is called Tilling.

Free outdoor parking is in front. In the retail park are Lakeland and two or three other shops.

You can see Brent Cross Shopping Centre. i think there's a bus link. There may be a pedestrian bridge from the indoor Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The Holiday Inn hotel is nearby.

Borders' website shows activities such as author signings, and children's events including a teenagers' book club.

Starbucks
Upstairs picture windows give a brilliant view over the motorway and Holiday Inn hotel and Brent Cross Shopping Centre.

Starbucks has slightly different hours. The bookshop is open 9-8 monday to Saturday, and 11-5 on Sunday. Starbucks closes earlier most days. It is open 9-7.30 Mon-Sat and 10.30 to 5 Sunday - but opens before the bookshop on Sunday morning. During opening hours you can sit reading on sofas in Starbucks. But the last half hour of their opening hours they are open only for take away.

Coffee
I ordered mocha (chocolate for those who are addicted to both chocolate and caffeine. For 35p extra I could have a swirl of whipped cream on top. Cheaper than Cafe Alba in Brent Cross - though their swirl of whipped cream was more impressive.

Cake
At tea time they stocked cakes and muffins. I had a cake with orange.The fruit bread with sultanas looked nice.

Toilets
Upstairs at the back near Starbucks counter. Two cubicles for ladies. A poster said Borders had on line book reviews and wanted feedback. Hereâ¬"s my feedback. One soap dispenser was a challenge. I used the other one.

Borders started in the USA and you can read about them in Wikipedia. They have other branches in central London and Watford. My favourite is the one in Singapore at the central crossroads on Orchard Road.

Once more into the one way system, dear friends. The author was last seen circling the one way system. As the sun sets, she circles south on the North circular, trying to go north. Itâ¬"s time somebody colour coded the roads. Like the traffic lights. Red for north, green for sout. And yellow for â¬Sstay where you are, ignoring the hooting, or go round the roundabout again - if I were you I wouldnâ¬"t start from here!â¬

Border is not in Brent Cross Shopping Centre but the newer Brent Cross Shopping Park which you see looking south towards the centre of London from Brent Cross Shopping Centre..

Borders Books
The table which greets you just inside the door often has the latest personalityâ¬"s book. In March it was the late Jane Goody. Upstairs was a book on The Goddess, about Marilyn Monroe.

The ground floor has some childrenâ¬"s books, maybe to save lugging the children upstairs. As a sucker for anything free, although I have no children nor grandchildren, I was intrigued by the offer of a free bath mitt if you buy two Touch Me books for babies.

Music
Upstairs the music section has a good selection of music CDs. I stopped at Country Music and found sets of two or three discs for £4.99.

Stationery
Diaries were thirty per cent off In March. No diaries with pencils. But lots with lines. Including the pocket size diaries with two days to a page.

Notebooks
Lots of note books with pages you can tear out. A4 notebooks with pages which have margins. Handy.
Iâ¬"m still looking for large size whiteboard markers with thicks oblong tips so you can write large enough for people to see.

A separate section is on paper.

Self-help and Dating
Books told me how to find a man or woman, why men and women are different, the perfect marriage, survive the divorce, the older man, how to make yourself perfect, be confident, marry a millionaire, or make your own million. When Iâ¬"ve written another best-seller or found husband number two and married a millionaire Iâ¬"ll write my own book.

Psychology
Book on A2 level psychology has neat flow charts which show the symptoms history, problems and solutions. Bipolar - depression caused by - well, right now Iâ¬"m pretty happy thanks. I just had coffee and bought a CD.

Location
Half a dozen buses stop outside. The bus stop is called Tilling.

Free outdoor parking is in front. In the retail park are Lakeland and two or three other shops.

You can see Brent Cross Shopping Centre. i think there's a bus link. There may be a pedestrian bridge from the indoor Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The Holiday Inn hotel is nearby.

Borders' website shows activities such as author signings, and children's events including a teenagers' book club.

Starbucks
Upstairs picture windows give a brilliant view over the motorway and Holiday Inn hotel and Brent Cross Shopping Centre.

Starbucks has slightly different hours. The bookshop is open 9-8 monday to Saturday, and 11-5 on Sunday. Starbucks closes earlier most days. It is open 9-7.30 Mon-Sat and 10.30 to 5 Sunday - but opens before the bookshop on Sunday morning. During opening hours you can sit reading on sofas in Starbucks. But the last half hour of their opening hours they are open only for take away.

Coffee
I ordered mocha (chocolate for those who are addicted to both chocolate and caffeine. For 35p extra I could have a swirl of whipped cream on top. Cheaper than Cafe Alba in Brent Cross - though their swirl of whipped cream was more impressive.

Cake
At tea time they stocked cakes and muffins. I had a cake with orange.The fruit bread with sultanas looked nice.

Toilets
Upstairs at the back near Starbucks counter. Two cubicles for ladies. A poster said Borders had on line book reviews and wanted feedback. Hereâ¬"s my feedback. One soap dispenser was a challenge. I used the other one.

Borders started in the USA and you can read about them in Wikipedia. They have other branches in central London and Watford. My favourite is the one in Singapore at the central crossroads on Orchard Road.

Once more into the one way system, dear friends. The author was last seen circling the one way system. As the sun sets, she circles south on the North circular, trying to go north. Itâ¬"s time somebody colour coded the roads. Like the traffic lights. Red for north, green for south. And yellow for â¬Sstay where you are, ignoring the hooting, or go round the roundabout again - if I were you I wouldnâ¬"t start from here!â¬

Wagamama - Fresh Food by Angella

Angella — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:50:20 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8202 2666

Website: http://www.wagamama.com

Tags: japanese, lively, good value

The name wagamama means wilful or selfish child and the place does seem to attract parents with toddlers who get fixed onto the table in cube-shaped bassinets. I remember the name as wag-a-mama
or wagger mama. I imagine a dog wagging its tail at the great food and mama fondly feeding the children.

Brilliant food. Fresh and tasty. I had chicken strips on a salad. It's listed on the menu under salad. 'Mandarin and sesame chicken salad.'

I took home the yasai katsu curry. i saw the word sweet potato and though that's for me. Although it's deep fried in breadcrumbs, which does not sound healthy, the effect is very pleasant,

The menu has sections on rice and noodles. The rice is sticky.

Drinks
Fresh fruit juices. That's what I'm always looking for. (I can buy plain carton juices in a supermarket.) All the same price. £2.95 on the take away menu. Orange. Carrot.

Why not have a mixture for the same money? 'Raw juice.' Carrot, cucumber, tomato, orange apple. As you see from my picture the ingredients seems to have separated. Coffee good value.

Service
Food comes up at different times because they radio through your order and as soon as it's ready it's delivered so it's fresh and no waiting.

Seats are backless. But you go there for the food.
Kiddie seats fix on the table.

Decor
Long tables make it easy to get chatting to strangers. So even if you are alone you don't feel lonely.

They sell a cookbook. According to a website reviewing their Sydney branch, they have t-shirts.

Cutlery and cleanliness
Choice of cutlery or new wooden chopsticks which are attached until you break them apart, though not in paper wrappers.

Clean wood tables and everything looks clean. As I left and they were closing a member of staff was cleaning the front window.

Lots of other branches worldwide. The London ones include Westfield - the huge new shopping centre with more than 100 restaurants, I'm told, and Lakeside, another big mall.

In the centre of London: Covent Garden, Earls Court, Haymarket, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Royal Festival Hall, Camden, Croydon, Canary Wharf, Fleet Street, and more.

Cities such as Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Windsor. And coastal towns Brighton and Bournemouth.
See other locations on their website wagamama.com

The name wagamama means wilful or selfish child and the place does seem to attract parents with toddlers who get fixed onto the table in cube-shaped bassinets. I remember the name as wag-a-mama
or wagger mama. I imagine a dog wagging its tail at the great food and mama fondly feeding the children.

Brilliant food. Fresh and tasty. I had chicken strips on a salad. It's listed on the menu under salad. 'Mandarin and sesame chicken salad.'

I took home the yasai katsu curry. i saw the word sweet potato and though that's for me. Although it's deep fried in breadcrumbs, which does not sound healthy, the effect is very pleasant,

The menu has sections on rice and noodles. The rice is sticky.

Drinks
Fresh fruit juices. That's what I'm always looking for. (I can buy plain carton juices in a supermarket.) All the same price. £2.95 on the take away menu. Orange. Carrot.

Why not have a mixture for the same money? 'Raw juice.' Carrot, cucumber, tomato, orange apple. As you see from my picture the ingredients seems to have separated. Coffee good value.

Service
Food comes up at different times because they radio through your order and as soon as it's ready it's delivered so it's fresh and no waiting.

Seats are backless. But you go there for the food.
Kiddie seats fix on the table.

Decor
Long tables make it easy to get chatting to strangers. So even if you are alone you don't feel lonely.

They sell a cookbook. According to a website reviewing their Sydney branch, they have t-shirts.

Cutlery and cleanliness
Choice of cutlery or new wooden chopsticks which are attached until you break them apart, though not in paper wrappers.

Clean wood tables and everything looks clean. As I left and they were closing a member of staff was cleaning the front window.

Lots of other branches worldwide. The London ones include Westfield - the huge new shopping centre with more than 100 restaurants, I'm told, and Lakeside, another big mall.

In the centre of London: Covent Garden, Earls Court, Haymarket, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Royal Festival Hall, Camden, Croydon, Canary Wharf, Fleet Street, and more.

Cities such as Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Windsor. And coastal towns Brighton and Bournemouth.
See other locations on their website wagamama.com

Caffe Alba - Great Cream-Top Choccy Coffee & Balcony View by Angella

Angella — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:07:15 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8202 8277

Tags: quick bite, amazing brew

The Name Caffe - Caffe with the double f and the backslash on the e is Italian and aren't the Italians with their fondness for double letters the people who gave us all espresso coffee? So caffe is not a mis-spelling. It's a good sign that you might get good coffee.

The Coffee Making - Italian and other coffee shops use special machines which, when you go to buy one for your home, you discover are horrendously expensive.

The Name Alba - I went on line to check Alba and found a really helpful translation site called woxikon.com which told me that alba means dawn, daybreak or sunrise.

Previously I could not rmember the name of this cafe, oops, caffe, (sorry - no time to play hunt the accent. If accents are not on this site I could later draft out and import text here from Word or Applemac.) But now I can remember the name Alba and I've learned a word of Italian.

Unique Selling Points - Caffe Alba at the top of the escalator on level three of Brent Cross has friendly service and reasonable prices.

The Cost of Cream - I ordered mocha coffee (coffee mixed with chocolate) with a wonderful swirl of cream on top. It cost 50p extra for the cream but worth it.

My friend had said, 'Come back to my place for a coffee,' but I was not going to miss out on my cream topping. With the suck, sip, slurp, lick chocolate on top.

I said, 'I shall start my diet tomorrow and lose weight.'

'Fat chance!' says my friend.

Snack Costs
The filled rolls are about five pounds which is reasonable for a quick snack. Half the price of three selections from the conveyor at Yo Sushi. And a change from the sandwiches at Costa or Starbucks on the ground floor. This place has a lot of seating when the downstairs coffee bars are crowded.

The View - I'd previously thought that Caffe Alba looked a rather basic bar. But if you walk around the serving area you have two cosy corners either side. Ideal if you want privacy to tell your secrets or steal a kiss, or are agoraphobic.

But best of all a balcony at the back overlooking the side mall. For those who like to look down on others with a God's eye view from the building's top level, which theatres used to call The Gods.

I started with the name so you can remember the place and find it. And remember it if you want to tell people to meet you there.

Server - I don't suppose the girl who served, who was Hungarian, knew the meaning of Alba. But she was a delight, and apologetic about the fact that the cream cost extra, which made me warm to her and want to reassure her and myself that paying extra for the cream was quite okay by me, not a problem.

I asked her how to say thank you in Hungarian but it was too long and complicated for me. (If you must know, the Hungarian for 'thank you' is KÃ¶szÃ¶nÃ¶m szÃ©pen.)

My friend, whose late mother was Hungarian, immediately said thank you in Hungarian which raised a big smile from the server.

Yes, we'll go back.

More - Their website says they have other branches in Stansted. I must learn to automatically say thank you in Italian.

Surely thank you in Italian is grazie? Canuckabroad.com tells me more: 'Thank you very much = Grazie Mille You're welcome = Prego.'The Name Caffe - Caffe with the double f and the backslash on the e is Italian and aren't the Italians with their fondness for double letters the people who gave us all espresso coffee? So caffe is not a mis-spelling. It's a good sign that you might get good coffee.

The Coffee Making - Italian and other coffee shops use special machines which, when you go to buy one for your home, you discover are horrendously expensive.

The Name Alba - I went on line to check Alba and found a really helpful translation site called woxikon.com which told me that alba means dawn, daybreak or sunrise.

Previously I could not rmember the name of this cafe, oops, caffe, (sorry - no time to play hunt the accent. If accents are not on this site I could later draft out and import text here from Word or Applemac.) But now I can remember the name Alba and I've learned a word of Italian.

Unique Selling Points - Caffe Alba at the top of the escalator on level three of Brent Cross has friendly service and reasonable prices.

The Cost of Cream - I ordered mocha coffee (coffee mixed with chocolate) with a wonderful swirl of cream on top. It cost 50p extra for the cream but worth it.

My friend had said, 'Come back to my place for a coffee,' but I was not going to miss out on my cream topping. With the suck, sip, slurp, lick chocolate on top.

I said, 'I shall start my diet tomorrow and lose weight.'

'Fat chance!' says my friend.

Snack Costs
The filled rolls are about five pounds which is reasonable for a quick snack. Half the price of three selections from the conveyor at Yo Sushi. And a change from the sandwiches at Costa or Starbucks on the ground floor. This place has a lot of seating when the downstairs coffee bars are crowded.

The View - I'd previously thought that Caffe Alba looked a rather basic bar. But if you walk around the serving area you have two cosy corners either side. Ideal if you want privacy to tell your secrets or steal a kiss, or are agoraphobic.

But best of all a balcony at the back overlooking the side mall. For those who like to look down on others with a God's eye view from the building's top level, which theatres used to call The Gods.

I started with the name so you can remember the place and find it. And remember it if you want to tell people to meet you there.

Server - I don't suppose the girl who served, who was Hungarian, knew the meaning of Alba. But she was a delight, and apologetic about the fact that the cream cost extra, which made me warm to her and want to reassure her and myself that paying extra for the cream was quite okay by me, not a problem.

I asked her how to say thank you in Hungarian but it was too long and complicated for me. (If you must know, the Hungarian for 'thank you' is KÃ¶szÃ¶nÃ¶m szÃ©pen.)

My friend, whose late mother was Hungarian, immediately said thank you in Hungarian which raised a big smile from the server.

Yes, we'll go back.

More - Their website says they have other branches in Stansted. I must learn to automatically say thank you in Italian.

Surely thank you in Italian is grazie? Canuckabroad.com tells me more: 'Thank you very much = Grazie Mille You're welcome = Prego.'

Yo! Sushi - Fast, varied, different by Angella

Angella — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:34:46 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8203 7907

The conveyor belt passes temptingly in front of you carrying little round coloured dishes with see-through lids revealing savoury and sweet combinations of food.

Children love it.

The food is made in front of you by chefs wearing plastic gloves. I'm allergic to shelfish and I wondered whether the gloves which touched the king prawns and crabmeat would send me into shock even though I'd ordered non shellfish. But I am still here, unharmed quite sage and safe.

The service is smiling, happy and willing. Big smiles from the chefs, the circulating servers and the girl on the till.

Seating is on stools with low backs but I was so busy choosing and eating that I didn't notice.

The colours of the dishes tell you the price. There are about half a dozen price rangers. The server checks the colours of your empty bowls and ticks the boxes on the bill to show how many bowls you had of each price.

Meat and Fish
I liked the combination of fried chicken, pumpkin cake - and prawn (which my friend ate). You can also order rice covered in smoked salmon, or solid raw salmon.

Vegetables
I might opt for a dish of just the pumpkin next time. My friend had a dish of tofu. We also selected what looked like peas in the pod. A well known dish called edamame soy beans. I thought you were supposed to eat the pod, like mange tout. However, it proved too stringy to bit or swallow. It's still a favourite of mine, very filling and satisfying.

Desserts
I picked the pancakes. Three solid pieces of pancake. With the lurid raspberry red sauce.

Then to be healthy the fruit combination, slices of pineapple, grapes and the adornment of half a strawberry.

My friend had noted down in her diary her favourite selections from her previous visit.

Drinks
They serve cold sake, which I'd have had if I hadn't been driving. Also beers, cokes and lemonades.

(If you want juices you'll have to go to Wagamama upstairs. For coffee I went upstairs to the Caffe Alba.)

Prices
We had about six dishes and halved the bill, paying about £12 each.

If you want a bargain, go on Mondays - a day when restaurants all over London often close. Or fill in the form with your birthday and email and they will send you special offers including one for your birthday.

Location(s)
This branch is in the mall leading off from the middle of on the upper level, near the escalator leading up to the 3rd level. Other branches are at Heathrow, Gatwick, Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nic, St Pancras station, Paddington station, Victoria station, and the Trocadero near Piccadilly, Brighton, Dublin and other places listed on the back of their take away and delivery brochure.

You can order on line from yosushi.comThe conveyor belt passes temptingly in front of you carrying little round coloured dishes with see-through lids revealing savoury and sweet combinations of food.

Children love it.

The food is made in front of you by chefs wearing plastic gloves. I'm allergic to shelfish and I wondered whether the gloves which touched the king prawns and crabmeat would send me into shock even though I'd ordered non shellfish. But I am still here, unharmed quite sage and safe.

The service is smiling, happy and willing. Big smiles from the chefs, the circulating servers and the girl on the till.

Seating is on stools with low backs but I was so busy choosing and eating that I didn't notice.

The colours of the dishes tell you the price. There are about half a dozen price rangers. The server checks the colours of your empty bowls and ticks the boxes on the bill to show how many bowls you had of each price.

Meat and Fish
I liked the combination of fried chicken, pumpkin cake - and prawn (which my friend ate). You can also order rice covered in smoked salmon, or solid raw salmon.

Vegetables
I might opt for a dish of just the pumpkin next time. My friend had a dish of tofu. We also selected what looked like peas in the pod. A well known dish called edamame soy beans. I thought you were supposed to eat the pod, like mange tout. However, it proved too stringy to bit or swallow. It's still a favourite of mine, very filling and satisfying.

Desserts
I picked the pancakes. Three solid pieces of pancake. With the lurid raspberry red sauce.

Then to be healthy the fruit combination, slices of pineapple, grapes and the adornment of half a strawberry.

My friend had noted down in her diary her favourite selections from her previous visit.

Drinks
They serve cold sake, which I'd have had if I hadn't been driving. Also beers, cokes and lemonades.

(If you want juices you'll have to go to Wagamama upstairs. For coffee I went upstairs to the Caffe Alba.)

Prices
We had about six dishes and halved the bill, paying about £12 each.

If you want a bargain, go on Mondays - a day when restaurants all over London often close. Or fill in the form with your birthday and email and they will send you special offers including one for your birthday.

Location(s)
This branch is in the mall leading off from the middle of on the upper level, near the escalator leading up to the 3rd level. Other branches are at Heathrow, Gatwick, Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nic, St Pancras station, Paddington station, Victoria station, and the Trocadero near Piccadilly, Brighton, Dublin and other places listed on the back of their take away and delivery brochure.

You can order on line from yosushi.com

The Nut Hut - Nuts about nuts? by Angella

Angella — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:06:08 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 07986 872 349

Website: thenuthut.co.uk

Tags: healthy food

Sixty varieties of nuts they claim, but I haven't counted. I've seen their stands at the Harlequin in Watford and at Brent Cross up by Information. Here in Brent Cross a girl is usually standing offering a platter of several varieties and when you point to one you get a free taste of about three nuts from one selection.

What are they like? Cashew nuts I tasted were salted. the white yogurty-looking ones were okay. The best were chocolate but also the most calorific.

After deciding I still liked chocolate best, it was some consolation to learn from their website that they pride themselves on being pioneers of organic fruit and nuts - from a company which started in Cape Town, South Africa.

Their website reveals that they also sell gift hampers in a wicker basket with ribbons for weddings and Valentine's Day.

Other branches are at shopping centres such as The Chimes in Uxbridge and Queensgate in Peterborough.

The Brent Cross Shopping Centre hours are M-F 10-8, sat 9-7 and Sun noon to 6. Brent Cross Shopping Centre has a website giving directions.
Sixty varieties of nuts they claim, but I haven't counted. I've seen their stands at the Harlequin in Watford and at Brent Cross up by Information. Here in Brent Cross a girl is usually standing offering a platter of several varieties and when you point to one you get a free taste of about three nuts from one selection.

What are they like? Cashew nuts I tasted were salted. the white yogurty-looking ones were okay. The best were chocolate but also the most calorific.

After deciding I still liked chocolate best, it was some consolation to learn from their website that they pride themselves on being pioneers of organic fruit and nuts - from a company which started in Cape Town, South Africa.

Their website reveals that they also sell gift hampers in a wicker basket with ribbons for weddings and Valentine's Day.

Other branches are at shopping centres such as The Chimes in Uxbridge and Queensgate in Peterborough.

The Brent Cross Shopping Centre hours are M-F 10-8, sat 9-7 and Sun noon to 6. Brent Cross Shopping Centre has a website giving directions.

Office - Shoes, shoes, and more shoes by Angella

Angella — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:24:45 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8201 6853

Great shoes, high low, high price, sale price, black, red, gold, boots, gladiator sandals, coloured fake fur boots tied together with ribbons, purple suede, glamorous shoes you would wear anywhere except the office. I bought two pairs. I have my eye on a third.

The fourth boot was the last to tempt me and I would have bought it but they only had the right foot. I was considering offering them £5 for it, and to say I'd give them another fiver if they found the other one. But what if they didn't? I decided against it.

Look on their website office.co.uk for shoes including the sale items.

Branches all over London and in the Harlequin Centre, Watford.Great shoes, high low, high price, sale price, black, red, gold, boots, gladiator sandals, coloured fake fur boots tied together with ribbons, purple suede, glamorous shoes you would wear anywhere except the office. I bought two pairs. I have my eye on a third.

The fourth boot was the last to tempt me and I would have bought it but they only had the right foot. I was considering offering them £5 for it, and to say I'd give them another fiver if they found the other one. But what if they didn't? I decided against it.

Look on their website office.co.uk for shoes including the sale items.

Branches all over London and in the Harlequin Centre, Watford.

WH Smith - Books & Costa Coffee by Angella

Angella — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:47:06 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 4.00

Website: www.brentcross.co.uk

Two storey stationery and book store with a Costa coffee shop on the top level. Always seems to have something for a gift and books with popular appeal.

I always find something new. This time it was a whole section of Jewish books with just what I wanted, Jewish jokes. On another section, books by Jeremy Clarkson, after I was searching for an idea for a present for a man in my family.

For entertainment, by the 'Costa coffee' area at the back, children's books, including baby books with pieces you can feel. And whenever I'm in the children's section I manage to knock onto the floor some book which advertises my clumsiness by embarrassingly playing a tune. That's after everybody is already looking at me because I've pressed all the buttons which squawk like a parrot and hiss like a snake.Two storey stationery and book store with a Costa coffee shop on the top level. Always seems to have something for a gift and books with popular appeal.

I always find something new. This time it was a whole section of Jewish books with just what I wanted, Jewish jokes. On another section, books by Jeremy Clarkson, after I was searching for an idea for a present for a man in my family.

For entertainment, by the 'Costa coffee' area at the back, children's books, including baby books with pieces you can feel. And whenever I'm in the children's section I manage to knock onto the floor some book which advertises my clumsiness by embarrassingly playing a tune. That's after everybody is already looking at me because I've pressed all the buttons which squawk like a parrot and hiss like a snake.

Costa - Quick and handy by Angella

Angella — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:45:39 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8203 9594

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

Tags: takeaway, sandwiches, vegetarian dishes

Coffees, cakes, a few sandwiches, and a rather handsome potted palm to look at on the way in.
Tables for two down the left.
A handy, quick place to buy water or juice if you are in the Apple store having three hour lessons.
Coffees, cakes, a few sandwiches, and a rather handsome potted palm to look at on the way in.
Tables for two down the left.
A handy, quick place to buy water or juice if you are in the Apple store having three hour lessons.

John Lewis - Department store never knowingly undersold by Angella

Angella — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:06:29 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8202 6535

Tags: helpful staff

Branches
I've been shopping in John Lewis for years, their branches in Oxford Street, Brent Cross and Watford.

Prices
For years their slogan has been never knowingly undersold. That doesn't mean they have the lowest prices. But if you find out that a nearby store is selling identical goods for less (with equal extras), and tell them within a month, they match the other store's price, refunding the difference. So you can buy instantly, without having to race to the other end of the street on the same day to see if somebody else is selling cheaper.

Stock
The sell electric lights, mirrors and paintings on top floor furniture level.

Service
Their after sales service was good. Their staff were very knowledgeable when I wanted to buy a dishwasher. (A pleasant change after I'd been to one of the industrial estate electrical warehouse specialist stores where staff knew less than I did - after I spent just ten minutes running up and down their aisle, about which model was cheapest). A friend told me that staff are 'partners' like a co-op. So I googled John Lewis and partners and it seems he was right.

Eating
The Place To Eat is easy to find at the top level, with lots of tables and chairs, so you can park granny or a pushcahir or a husband with a newspaper at the quieter, secluded wall side, or the bucket seats on the jolly balcony side which overlooks the lively interior mall.

Parking
Parking outside on the ground floor level is at the west end of the mall, nearest to the Edgware Road.Branches
I've been shopping in John Lewis for years, their branches in Oxford Street, Brent Cross and Watford.

Prices
For years their slogan has been never knowingly undersold. That doesn't mean they have the lowest prices. But if you find out that a nearby store is selling identical goods for less (with equal extras), and tell them within a month, they match the other store's price, refunding the difference. So you can buy instantly, without having to race to the other end of the street on the same day to see if somebody else is selling cheaper.

Stock
The sell electric lights, mirrors and paintings on top floor furniture level.

Service
Their after sales service was good. Their staff were very knowledgeable when I wanted to buy a dishwasher. (A pleasant change after I'd been to one of the industrial estate electrical warehouse specialist stores where staff knew less than I did - after I spent just ten minutes running up and down their aisle, about which model was cheapest). A friend told me that staff are 'partners' like a co-op. So I googled John Lewis and partners and it seems he was right.

Eating
The Place To Eat is easy to find at the top level, with lots of tables and chairs, so you can park granny or a pushcahir or a husband with a newspaper at the quieter, secluded wall side, or the bucket seats on the jolly balcony side which overlooks the lively interior mall.

Parking
Parking outside on the ground floor level is at the west end of the mall, nearest to the Edgware Road.

L'Artista - L' artista by hungry_house

hungry_house — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:04:46 +0000

Review by hungry_house

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8202 7303

Tags: italian, good value

Hello Angelique here from hungryhouse.co.uk, while shopping around our website today looking to see what our customers have to say, I came across L'artista an Italian place. I am interested to see if any one in the Hendon area could tell me anything about it? Our customers have given it a 5 out of 5 star rating in value, service and quality. Making it 1 of the best rated restaurants in the area. Looking at the menu it looks like they have a wonderful selection of cold and hot starters, pizza and pasta. Also a great main course section with everything from grilled rib eye steak too special seafood dishes. From the comments left by our customers who have ordered off our website it sounds like you get a good portion for your money! So if you have been there I would love to hear what kind of experience you had. Was the food yummy? Did the staff treat you well? Or maybe you have another restaurant in the area you favour for your pizza and Italian food cravings? Let me know!

Cheers:)
Angelique

<< Sorry - the boring bit: the postings on this site are my own, and are only meant to provide useful information based on my experience. These comments donâ¬"t necessarily represent Hungryhouseâ¬"s position or opinions. >>

Hello Angelique here from hungryhouse.co.uk, while shopping around our website today looking to see what our customers have to say, I came across L'artista an Italian place. I am interested to see if any one in the Hendon area could tell me anything about it? Our customers have given it a 5 out of 5 star rating in value, service and quality. Making it 1 of the best rated restaurants in the area. Looking at the menu it looks like they have a wonderful selection of cold and hot starters, pizza and pasta. Also a great main course section with everything from grilled rib eye steak too special seafood dishes. From the comments left by our customers who have ordered off our website it sounds like you get a good portion for your money! So if you have been there I would love to hear what kind of experience you had. Was the food yummy? Did the staff treat you well? Or maybe you have another restaurant in the area you favour for your pizza and Italian food cravings? Let me know!

Cheers:)
Angelique

<< Sorry - the boring bit: the postings on this site are my own, and are only meant to provide useful information based on my experience. These comments donâ¬"t necessarily represent Hungryhouseâ¬"s position or opinions. >>

Fenwick - Fashion, food and delivery by Angella

Angella — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:17:18 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8202 8200

Department store, easy to find at East end of the Brent Cross complex, on several floors, with modern and classic kitchenware on ground floor, clothes and lingerie and swimsuits one up, furniture, toys and eating places at the top.

On a recent visit I notices: heart shaped cup and saucer for Valentine's Day; cups and saucers with maps of London, or New York, or Paris' or Tokyo, with pads of paper place mats. Boot socks had fur or imitation fur around the knee to finish off the boots and transform them.

Eating places are: on the ground floor, Carluccio's; and upstairs you'll find Harry Morgan's, and Frank B's diner.

Free parking is outside on ground floor level.
Fenwicks will deliver, but only if your credit card billing address is UK.

Other Fenwicks branches include one in central London. They send us a postcard to let us know just before their sales.Department store, easy to find at East end of the Brent Cross complex, on several floors, with modern and classic kitchenware on ground floor, clothes and lingerie and swimsuits one up, furniture, toys and eating places at the top.

On a recent visit I notices: heart shaped cup and saucer for Valentine's Day; cups and saucers with maps of London, or New York, or Paris' or Tokyo, with pads of paper place mats. Boot socks had fur or imitation fur around the knee to finish off the boots and transform them.

Eating places are: on the ground floor, Carluccio's; and upstairs you'll find Harry Morgan's, and Frank B's diner.

Free parking is outside on ground floor level.
Fenwicks will deliver, but only if your credit card billing address is UK.

Other Fenwicks branches include one in central London. They send us a postcard to let us know just before their sales.

Frank B's Diner - Burgers and more by Angella

Angella — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:48:57 +0000

Review by Angella

Rating: 3.00

Tags: american

Frank Bâ¬"s Diner - who is Frank B?

Location
Up on the third floor of Fenwick's department store. Next to Harry Morgan's and the donut kiosk.

Decor
Big choice of fast food and drink in a funky old American setting with a jukebox. Is it retro Thirties? Or Fifties? I'm not sure. I thought I heard Sixties music.

At first the thumping music on my left, and echoing noise of children from the right, disturbed me. After Iâ¬"d eaten, and the people hogging the favoured window booths had left, I moved to get a view and it was much more peaceful and pleasant.

Food
Soup, potato skins, baked beans, sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, chips, caesar salad, salmon salad, fish n chips, steak n egg, grilled chicken, apple pie, pecan pie, banana split, AND FRESH FRUIT SALAD! Muffins.

Breakfast served until noon includes eggs, and pancakes, and other food.

Drinks
Coffees, teas, chocolate, milkshakes, smoothies, beer and wine. I didnâ¬"t try the coffees. Nearby is my favourite coffee shop, Alba (see my photo of the coffee with cream).

Service
Very obliging last time.

This time I waited by the â¬Üwait to be servedâ¬" sign as long as 30 seconds. Nobody was in sight. So I grabbed a menu. I found myself a seat. I had waited. And I was seated. I seated myself.

I was exhausted. Overheated. Dragging a suitcase on wheels and carrying a heavy bag. Needed to sit down. My mother queued for food in WWII. Iâ¬"m not queuing in peacetime when thereâ¬"s no shortage of food and the place is full of empty seats. Iâ¬"d rather choose my own seat and flop into it.

Eventually they found me. By the time they did I was ready to order.

Waiting To Be Seated
Waiting to be seated is an idea from American diners. In the UK only pretentious five star restaurants have waiters showing you to seats. Upmarket restaurants have people who greet you at the door. They donâ¬"t leave you standing around.

In the USA we found that servers were allocated sections of restaurants. A daft idea. It was to distribute tips among staff so the customers didn't all go for the tables by the window.

The result was that everybody stood around ignoring you because only one person was allowed to serve your table. So you waited ages to be served, getting ignored, and didnâ¬"t feel like tipping.

Worst of all, many customers want to seat where they like. In one place staff insisted we should sit at the back, when we wanted a window seat by the waterfall. They said we couldnâ¬"t sit there, so we walked straight out. All this flashback was going through my mind in Brent Cross.

One good thing about American servers is that they donâ¬"t just do a quick upsell, asking if you want extra vegetables or a drink. They tell you what the choices are, make suggestions, allow you to ponder, and tell you that you made the right choice.

Eventually a very nice girl found me. Bright and cheery. She admitted there were no juices made on the premises, but persuaded me that fruit is freshly squeezed elsewhere and brought in every day.

(Don't the vitamins start to fade after fifteen minutes? I thought I read that somewhere. On the other hand, a sealed bottle - I do buy Innocent juices from supermarkets.

So I had a smoothie made with mango which you could not taste and raspberries which left bits of genuine grit to get in your teeth and scrape your mouth and gums and gut. Iâ¬"d forgotten to avoid raspberries.

But the nice girl disappeared off to that heaven where they store good serving staff. She reappeared when I wanted the bill.

The lady on the till was quick and efficient. She didnâ¬"t have time to waste on pleasantries.

Coffee
I spotted a card which offered what looked like a tenth coffee for free. I picked it up to see what the deal was. I wanted to keep the card to remind myself, as well as telling others. But she demanded, â¬ÜDid you have a coffee? No!â¬" She grabbed it back as if to spite me.

At first sight it seemed awfully cheap and cheerful, a bit tacky for upmarket, elegant Brent Cross, but the menu range is quite large and would suit children, teens, and those who love this sort of thing.

If you are in crowd itâ¬"s better. If you are alone you can read the retro posters on the wall.

Prices
Having just come from a look at McDonaldâ¬"s, I was a bit disappointed not to see any meal deals. And on previous days Iâ¬"d had two course meals in proper restaurants for £6, and two main dishes for the price of one in proper restaurants. Some pubs will do chicken plus a jacket potato and salad for five or six pounds.

On the other hand, some pubs offer a rather meagre potato with just a coating of cheese. But here you get a huge portion which leaves no room for the fruit salad.

I am partial to a jacket potato. Much healthier than chips. So, if you are in the mood for a jacket potato, this is the place.

Special features
Children's parties.
Sells baseball caps and tee-shirts. The menu says ask your server.
Frank Bâ¬"s Diner - who is Frank B?

Location
Up on the third floor of Fenwick's department store. Next to Harry Morgan's and the donut kiosk.

Decor
Big choice of fast food and drink in a funky old American setting with a jukebox. Is it retro Thirties? Or Fifties? I'm not sure. I thought I heard Sixties music.

At first the thumping music on my left, and echoing noise of children from the right, disturbed me. After Iâ¬"d eaten, and the people hogging the favoured window booths had left, I moved to get a view and it was much more peaceful and pleasant.

Food
Soup, potato skins, baked beans, sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, chips, caesar salad, salmon salad, fish n chips, steak n egg, grilled chicken, apple pie, pecan pie, banana split, AND FRESH FRUIT SALAD! Muffins.

Breakfast served until noon includes eggs, and pancakes, and other food.

Drinks
Coffees, teas, chocolate, milkshakes, smoothies, beer and wine. I didnâ¬"t try the coffees. Nearby is my favourite coffee shop, Alba (see my photo of the coffee with cream).

Service
Very obliging last time.

This time I waited by the â¬Üwait to be servedâ¬" sign as long as 30 seconds. Nobody was in sight. So I grabbed a menu. I found myself a seat. I had waited. And I was seated. I seated myself.

I was exhausted. Overheated. Dragging a suitcase on wheels and carrying a heavy bag. Needed to sit down. My mother queued for food in WWII. Iâ¬"m not queuing in peacetime when thereâ¬"s no shortage of food and the place is full of empty seats. Iâ¬"d rather choose my own seat and flop into it.

Eventually they found me. By the time they did I was ready to order.

Waiting To Be Seated
Waiting to be seated is an idea from American diners. In the UK only pretentious five star restaurants have waiters showing you to seats. Upmarket restaurants have people who greet you at the door. They donâ¬"t leave you standing around.

In the USA we found that servers were allocated sections of restaurants. A daft idea. It was to distribute tips among staff so the customers didn't all go for the tables by the window.

The result was that everybody stood around ignoring you because only one person was allowed to serve your table. So you waited ages to be served, getting ignored, and didnâ¬"t feel like tipping.

Worst of all, many customers want to seat where they like. In one place staff insisted we should sit at the back, when we wanted a window seat by the waterfall. They said we couldnâ¬"t sit there, so we walked straight out. All this flashback was going through my mind in Brent Cross.

One good thing about American servers is that they donâ¬"t just do a quick upsell, asking if you want extra vegetables or a drink. They tell you what the choices are, make suggestions, allow you to ponder, and tell you that you made the right choice.

Eventually a very nice girl found me. Bright and cheery. She admitted there were no juices made on the premises, but persuaded me that fruit is freshly squeezed elsewhere and brought in every day.

(Don't the vitamins start to fade after fifteen minutes? I thought I read that somewhere. On the other hand, a sealed bottle - I do buy Innocent juices from supermarkets.

So I had a smoothie made with mango which you could not taste and raspberries which left bits of genuine grit to get in your teeth and scrape your mouth and gums and gut. Iâ¬"d forgotten to avoid raspberries.

But the nice girl disappeared off to that heaven where they store good serving staff. She reappeared when I wanted the bill.

The lady on the till was quick and efficient. She didnâ¬"t have time to waste on pleasantries.

Coffee
I spotted a card which offered what looked like a tenth coffee for free. I picked it up to see what the deal was. I wanted to keep the card to remind myself, as well as telling others. But she demanded, â¬ÜDid you have a coffee? No!â¬" She grabbed it back as if to spite me.

At first sight it seemed awfully cheap and cheerful, a bit tacky for upmarket, elegant Brent Cross, but the menu range is quite large and would suit children, teens, and those who love this sort of thing.

If you are in crowd itâ¬"s better. If you are alone you can read the retro posters on the wall.

Prices
Having just come from a look at McDonaldâ¬"s, I was a bit disappointed not to see any meal deals. And on previous days Iâ¬"d had two course meals in proper restaurants for £6, and two main dishes for the price of one in proper restaurants. Some pubs will do chicken plus a jacket potato and salad for five or six pounds.

On the other hand, some pubs offer a rather meagre potato with just a coating of cheese. But here you get a huge portion which leaves no room for the fruit salad.

I am partial to a jacket potato. Much healthier than chips. So, if you are in the mood for a jacket potato, this is the place.

Special features
Children's parties.
Sells baseball caps and tee-shirts. The menu says ask your server.