Latest reviews by Carinamou's friends

El Parador - review by Buraco

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:27:41 +0000

El Parador - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.8

Location: 245 Eversholt Street, NW1 1BA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7387 2789

Tags: tapas, family & home feel, good value, unpretentious, spanish, friendly

I believe I've just had a perfect Trusted Places experience. I mean, this is exactly what this site was created for.

I had 2 sisters (one eating for two) and their other halves in town for the weekend. The theatre tickets were sorted, just needed a good eatery to round out Saturday.

It was short notice, but I knew I wanted somewhere pretty close to home, good vibe, not a wallet killer and my sisters both love Spanish food. Quick search on TP revealed El Parador. The recommendations from a couple of reliable people spoke for themselves, so I got the number and booked us in.

I would never have found or thought of this place without TP. And it was as good as Mez, soks and all the other reviewers said it was.

My recommendations: chicken thighs are the best thing we had (and we had most of the menu!), roasted sweet potato, chicken liver, meatballs should be ordered.

I would not recommend the grilled halibut, which was very low on flavour. However, I pointed out to the very friendly waitress that the halibut disappointed me, and she promptly insisted we wouldn't pay for it.

All in all a first rate eatery. Totally unpretentious, extemely tasty, swift and friendly service and excellent value (5 people, 3 bottles of wine, about 20 dishes, all for Â£30 per head).

I'll see you there soon.

Koko - review by Buraco

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:31:29 +0000

Koko - review by Buraco

Rating: 3.8

Location: 1A Camden High Street, NW1 7JE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 0870 432 5527

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

Tags: cool, indie, young and fun, students, rock, cheesy, friendly, dance

wo.

i got lost. i got hypnotised by a giant inflatable ball. i refused to purchase more than 1 bottle of beer for Â£4 (ok as i was already very tipsy). i boogied to some old school tunes and some decent new ones. i had a drunken snog. i was able to walk home (although i didn't).

all in all a good saturday night out.

Phoenicia - review by Buraco

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:22:59 +0000

Phoenicia - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.8

Location: 186-188 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7267 1267

Tags: mediterranean, rare finds, delicatessen

Can't believe I haven't reviewed phoenicia yet. Shame on me.

I'm very happy to say that KT's finest cafe/deli/mini-mart is right on our doorstep and thus takes numerous pounds of my custom. It's simply the RIGHT way to shop. Fresh meats, fruit and veg (shame they stopped the fish though). Loads of interesting and unusual items to purchase, as well as a good supply of standard items. Olives, nuts, sweet treats and more.

The USP however, has to be the unbelievably good value wraps. Â£2 for a tasty, healthy, filling meal? It's true! Take note McD's. This is real food. They also do some great fresh juices for under two quid. Recommend lebanese wrap with spicy potato, humous and tabouleh, washed down with and orange and carrot juice. That'll set you back Â£4.

It's just the best. Say no more.

The Phoenix - review by Buraco

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:21:35 +0000

The Phoenix - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.0

Location: Windsor Walk, SE5 8BB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7701 8282

Tags: nice pub in denmark hill

I just realised tonight that this is one of my favourite pubs in London. It's so inconspicuous that chances are you'll never go there, unless you happen to take a train from Denmark Hill.

It has to be the best pub at a railway station in the UK, let alone London and is a brilliant reason to miss your train home.

The place has been refurbished from the original station building. Lots of wooden beams, exposed brickwork and even the original station clock, which is a mighty, magnificent time piece, permanently stuck at around twenty to three.

There's lots of comfy and cozy areas to sit, which give the place a very homely feel. They do fresh juices (I had pressed apple and ginger today) a great range of beers and ciders, very decent pub grub and nuts. The staff are a friendly bunch and the music is usually cool in a chilled out funky way.

It's somewhere to go with a bunch of friends, or to find some solace with a book. In fact the longer I write this, the more I realise there are very few places this good around.

So get yourself to Denmark Hill and check it out.

The Hawley Arms - review by Buraco

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:47:05 +0000

The Hawley Arms - review by Buraco

Rating: 3.3

Location: 2 Castlehaven Road, NW1 8QU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7428 5979

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

Tags: pub bar camden

what can i say?

i was dead against going in there, largely on the basis that amy winehouse is known to frequent the place, but also there was a queue to get in. i hate queueing.

but uncle soks and uncle obi insisted, and waddaya know? it turned out to be alright. i mean alright as in pretty good actually. very good music, lively atmosphere, busy but not ridiculously crowded and plenty of trendy people dressed like idiots to look at. just a fun place to be on a saturday night. easy walk from our gaff and the bar manager even gave me a friendly 'cheerio' on our way out. very old timey.

i'll be going back if i ever get to london again.

Cafe Renoir - review by Buraco

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:41:56 +0000

Cafe Renoir - review by Buraco

Rating: 3.2

Location: 244 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7485 7186

Tags: good brew, quiet & relaxed

Went here in search of a Cali-style brunch on Saturday. Always knew I would be disappointed (US brunch standards are off the scale) but I did find somewhere local that did crepes and a decent pot of tea. Slightly over-priced I'd say (Â£8-9 all in) and the spinach, mushroom and cheese crepe was not exactly inspirational, but I'd probably go back. Good alternative to the greasy spoon.

NOPA - review by Buraco

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:38:32 +0000

NOPA - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.0

Location: 560 Divisadero St, 94117, San Francisco, United States of America

Tags: restaurant, san francisco

Just round the corner from Niko and Sulakshana's place near Alamo Sq, this place is worth seeking out if you're ever in the vicinity of downtown San Francisco. It's pretty new, but has quickly built up a burgeoning reputation. N&S were desperate to take us, and we made it on our penultimate night.

It did not disappoint! Excellent cocktails to start (recommend the wash house and the last word) two very nice red wines, great appetizers and extremely attentive, friendly service. My main was slightly disappointing (lamb shank) which I've had better in England. However the pork chop was spectacular (highly recommended) and the fish stew and burger were very good as well.

Check out the video to soak up the buzzing atmosphere in this place.

Auberge - review by Buraco

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:43:34 +0000

Auberge - review by Buraco

Rating: 3.0

Location: 56 Mark Lane, EC3R 7NL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7480 6789

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

Tags: bar

I really detest the Auberge in London Bridge. It happens to be near my workplace and as its on the way from the office to the station, is frequented by workmates on Fridays. There are probably worse bars in London, but many many that are better. You generally have to sit downstairs in dark, smokey (not for long!) with rubbish music playing through a crap tinny speakers adding to the poor atmosphere. Go here if you want to get lashed with people you work with, then stagger 20 yards across a road to the station. Otherwise...don't go.

Camino - review by Buraco

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:22:03 +0000

Camino - review by Buraco

Rating: 3.1

Location: 3 Varnishers Yard,, N1 9NR, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7841 7331

Website: http://barcamino.com

Went here last Friday for the latest TP gathering. Still not sure what to make of it so will fence-sit with 3 stars.

Good things - innovative layout and design with a great outdoor courtyard that I forsee getting lots of action post-July 1st smoking ban. Decor is very nice and a standout feature of the place. Tapas we had was generally tasty and service seemed above average I'd say.

Bad things - I had a terrible G&T (couldn't even finish it, which is a travesty) and I'm not really sure how you mess up a G&T, but they did. The mojitos were also a major let-down: glasses too big, plus not enough rum and too much ice = minty water for most of your drink. Aside from very poor drinks experience, my main reservation is that it didn't have much atmosphere. Can't even remember what music (if any) they were playing, but considering this place is run by the Cargo people, I would expect much more in the tunes department to build a little vibe.

Overall, worth a visit on sunny evenings. Definitely a step in the right direction for Kings X area, but a little more work needed to make Camino a superstar venue.

Esperanto - review by Buraco

Sat, 12 May 2007 17:02:41 +0000

Esperanto - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.0

Location: 145 Avenue C, 10009, New York, United States of America

Tags: brazilian, manhattan, new york, good value, fusion, crowded, busy, tasty, latin, lively

Sensing a bit of a theme to my NY reviews? I don't think it was intentional, but I did seem to end up in a lot of Brazilian / latin style places. Not normally a bad thing in my experience. Esperanto is definitely a restaurant to check out if you're in Manhattan. The food is 'latin fusion' and very very tasty. Between us we tried the feijoada (very typical Brazilian meat/bean stew) halibut, tuna and carne asada. All were almost perfectly cooked and full of flavour. Even the side orders of greens and coconut infused rice were pretty memorable. I forget what we had for starter, but that was good as well. The bill was unbelievably cheap for the quality of food, coming out to £25 ($50) per person, including starters, mains, pudding, wine and extras (port, which was DISGUSTING - DO NOT ORDER!!). In addition, the atmosphere was great - quite buzzy and normally they have live music, though not when we went - and you have a choice of indoor and outdoor tables. Service was fine, but not memorable and we had to wait a good while for a table (but that was because Tom booked the wrong place) so shouldn't be a problem if you book in advance.

Baraza - review by Buraco

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:58:29 +0000

Baraza - review by Buraco

Rating: 3.0

Location: 133 Avenue C, 10009, New York, United States of America

Tags: cool, cool & smart, brazil, latin, caipirinha, relaxed

Going here was kind of forced onto us due to an hour's wait following Tom's booking malfunction at our nearby eatery (Esperanto). However, good things come to those who wait, as they say, and the good thing on this occasion was a splendid caipirinha. I'm still not sure if this is a good pre-dinner drink, but I didn't fancy a mojito (the house special apparently) so cachaca was the next thing that came to mind. Once again, my time in Rio makes me a little snobby about their national drink and I choose carefully to avoid let-downs that are unfortunately common in London (where no-one really knows how to make a good one). I shouldn't have worried as this was a corker - made with expertise and a really good cachaca (which I managed to try before buying thanks to very friendly bar lady). It was really early when we went here, so definitely not representative of a place that has a reputation for liveliness, but its another place to look out for if your in the area. The music was cool (general latin type stuff) and the decor is very interesting - all dark, moody lighting and bizarre artwork incorporating scary dolls!

Saba-Le - review by Buraco

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:48:12 +0000

Saba-Le - review by Buraco

Rating: 2.0

Location: 23 Avenue A, 10009, New York, United States of America

Tags: live music, sangria, brazil, brazilian

We snuck into this little slice of Brasil sometime after midnight on Friday following a recommendation from a friend in the know that you can often find live Brazilian music there. With hindsight, we had probably had too much to drink by this point and bed should have been prudent option to counter our tiredness and tipsiness. So this place needed to be amazing to hold any hope of entertaining it. It was not amazing. There was a live Brazilian band, but their brand of bossa and choro tunes was distinctly average for my Rio-educated standards. They did create a bit of an atmosphere with some happy brasilieras getting some dance on, but it wasn't exactly bumping. Other things of note are a range of pre-made sangrias (5 or 6 different types) which I've never seen before, but the one we tried again was not special. Also the place did start to attract some irritating drunken characters towards the end of our brief visit. Maybe worth a second look if they get some decent live music, but otherwise, I wouldn't bother.

Something Else - review by Buraco

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:41:58 +0000

Something Else - review by Buraco

Rating: 3.0

Location: 144 Smith Street, 11201, Brooklyn, United States of America

Tags: funky, vintage, t-shirts, jeans, brooklyn, clothes, new york

The sign says they sell 'premium apparel and denim' here. Denim, certainly. Premium apparel...not really sure what that means, but they do sell some cool stuff at reasonable (US) prices. I managed to acquire two super-cool t-shirts here that fulfil my very specific t-shirt requirements (have to be funky colour and very unusual design) for around $50 for the pair. That represents decent business where I come from. If you're in the area, its a little shop that's worth checking out, but I wouldn't say its so special to go out of your way for.

Yama - review by Buraco

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:35:14 +0000

Yama - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.0

Location: 308 East 49th Street, 10017, New York, United States of America

Tags: japanese, manhattan, bento, new york, business, good value, sushi, lunch

My last meal in NYC was a Japanese cracker that just about summed up eating in New York for me top quality international cuisine, with excellent service and at unbelievable value. This city has to be the eating out capital of the world (London has some serious catching up to do). I'm told this place is one of a small NYC chain to me that says that it's a successful concept. I went to one in Midtown that probably makes its coins from the office-types on extended lunch breaks. We all tucked into gigantic bento box delights, chosen from a special lunch menu for just $13. You could chose from many Japanese favourites, including some great sushi, and it all comes beautifully presented with perfect sides of tasty greens and rice. An ideal lunchtime special.

Sputnik - review by Buraco

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:31:00 +0000

Sputnik - review by Buraco

Rating: 4.0

Location: 262 Taaffe Pl, 11205, Brooklyn, United States of America

Phone: 7183986666

Tags: art, MC, grafitti, brooklyn, new york, live, hip-hop, underground, trendy, friendly

Rounding off our interesting Sunday voyage, we trooped back to Brooklyn and headed into the more uncharted zone that is home to Sputnik. This place was a total unknown to most of the peeps I was tagging onto, but one girl had a friend who was performing there and highly recommended we make it our final destination. If you didn't know it, chances are you will never find it, but you really need to make an effort because it is COOL. Its like a den of hip hop culture tucked away in a sneaky corner of New York. Downstairs is a nice gallery space showing the wide variety of graffiti themed art that seems to be possible. The stuff is for sale and on show and well worth a look. Also downstairs is a big bar with performance space. We were there for a hip hop talent night showcasing numerous local acts bands, MCs and singers. The talent on show was pretty hot and compared to London standards really proves how far behind we are. It wasn't all good though, there were some mike problems and over-running line up (just too many acts) which detracted a little from the show. However, on this showing, Sputnik clearly has a lot to offer those in search of something left of mainstream. Check it out.