Latest favourites and wishlist by Hugo

Hyde Park - review by RR123

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:19:46 +0000

Hyde Park - review by RR123

Rating: 4.7

Location: , W2 3XA, London, United Kingdom

Hyde Park is one of those places that is such a part of London that local or visitor you really should go there. It's great for picnics, boating on the Serpentine, a pleasant stroll or even listening to a whole range of views at Speakers Corner.

It is a huge park and whilst it does get very busy on sunny days, there are far quieter spots if you want a bit more peace and quiet. It also has cafes and toilets and is easily accessible by public transport - Hyde Park Corner and Lancaster Gate being two of the easiest stations to get there from.

Right in the heart of London, it's a real must for anyone.

Natural History Museum - review by RR123

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:10:45 +0000

Natural History Museum - review by RR123

Rating: 4.8

Location: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7942 5000

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

I recently visited the Natural History Museum with my three year old nephew and we both loved it. My nephew thought the dinosaur exhibition was great, if a bit scary at times, and loved looking at all the different animals.

The museum has moved on a long way form the days when it used to obtain animals and have them stuffed, although it does not shy away from admitting that it did used to do that - the animals are still there for people to see. But, as would be expected, it has moved forward a long way and now has a far more ethical approach in documenting the natural world.

I t can get incredibly busy so unless you need to go there during school holidays or at peak times at weekends, these are probably best avoided. They could also do with dusting the blue whale!

Pho - review by DanWilkinson

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:08:15 +0000

Pho - review by DanWilkinson

Rating: 3.8

Location: 3 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 8AX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7436 0111

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

Tags: vietnamese, dodgy beef stock, good value, pretentious, crowded

First off, let me say that I rather enjoyed the lunch I had here earlier in the week. I wasn't really all that disappointed. In quality terms I'd probably put it somewhere around Wagamama, maybe a tiny notch above.

However, if you're alongside Wagamama in the quality stakes, it's probably not that wise to bang on about authenticity and stellar quality in your literature, taking a bit of a holier-than-thou approach and generally being all po-faced about it.

And so it was that, with my appetite for supersonic Vietnamese food truly whetted, and their loving descriptions of 'true' Pho ringing in my ears, I opted for the Pho Tai (beef fillet Pho), hoping to be transported to the far east in no time. Unfortunately, it turned out that I've made better Pho at home, using ingredients from Tesco and a recipe by Gordon Ramsay.

I'm no Pho expert, but I do profess to know stocks, and this was a disappointingly thin, un-beefy concoction, packed with spring onions and shreds of overcooked beef. I can't work out what the problem could be, as making stock is pretty simple really. Overdilution? Underseasoning? Made too quickly? Either way this was closer to flavoured water than proper, gutsy stock and was entirely lacking in flavour, except for the overwhelming burn of the spring onions.

Noodles lurking in the bottom of the bowl were... noodles. I'd eventually tipped the entire plate of accompanying garnish (coriander, mint, red chillis, beansprouts) into the bowl to try to coax some flavour out of it, but to no avail.

So I'm being harsh, because whilst it wasn't an unpleasant experience, and whilst I felt it in itself represented decent value and a pleasant lunchtime diversion, it's nowhere near as good as it says it is, and that really annoys me.

Sophies Steakhouse & Bar - review by simonB

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:06:21 +0000

Sophies Steakhouse & Bar - review by simonB

Rating: 4.0

Location: 311-313 Fulham Road, SW10 9QH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7352 0088

Tags: lively, crowded

Went there earlier this week for a catch up with a couple of old friends. Whilst overheard conversations around the bar hinted darkly of 'market stresses' and 'credit crunches' the chelsea crowd were determined to enjoy their tuesday evening and the place was as packed as ever.

We got there for around 8pm and, with about a 25 minute wait for a table (no reservations), ordered a bottle of Montepulciano from their well priced wine menu and stood jawing at the bar. Service was fantastic throughout the meal and as soon a table became availiable we were ushered through.

Started with the whitebait special and had a great ribeye for main. Total for the 3 of us with starters, mains, sides (no desert) and 2xbottles of good wine came to about Â£135.

In summary, Sophies is friendly, warm and and packed with the well-groomed 20-40 year old Chelsea crowd. Not somewhere I'd suggest for a romantic first date, but good for a fun evening out with friends.

The British Museum - review by watermelon90

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:14:57 +0000

The British Museum - review by watermelon90

Rating: 4.1

Location: Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7636 1555

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

The british museum is a winner, with so much to see, from the wonderful sculptures to the world famous and disputed elgin marbles, it is a great place to spend a day. You often see artists with their sketch books out which is charming. The eygptian galleries are incredible. In fact it made me wonder what is still left in eygpt, the huge carved marble and granite animals and statues are a must see.
The world famous rossetta stone is housed here too without it we would have not been able to understand hieroglyphs. The mummy section is interesting but not for youngsters really. There are sitting and eating areas where you can unwind for a while, but again, make sure you have comfy shoes as there is a lot to see.

Natural History Museum - review by watermelon90

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:42:41 +0000

Natural History Museum - review by watermelon90

Rating: 4.8

Location: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7942 5000

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

The natural history museum is worth a visit for the prospect of seeing the giant squid alone, but there are other things to excite you there too. This includes the life sized blue whale.
The best thing about it is the way it is all laid out, which makes it easier for you to wander about and see the things you are most interested in.
The dinosaurs are a must do, but there is so much more to see. Like learning about volcanoes and earth quakes. The visions of earth section is great, you get to travel through the earth on an escalator, look at a massive infinity set of screens showing the earth, its really well done.
It is free to get in and this makes it even better.

London Eye - review by watermelon90

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:57:18 +0000

London Eye - review by watermelon90

Rating: 4.2

Location: County Hall, SE1 7PB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 0870 500 0600

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

The london eye is set on the side of the thames, in westminster, right by the aquarium.
If you have a spare 30 mins then forget it, even though it only takes about that to go round once it takes much longer to get on in the first place.
The pods are see through and so you do get the best views from them, once you get used to the open feel of it all. They do pack you in though so do not think you will get a pod to your self coz you need to pay more for that.
Later in the day the sky will be wonderful and the softer light makes it easier for you to see without straining your eyes.
It is reasonable enough in terms of price and nice to say that you have been on and seen london from a different view point

Galvin Bistrot de Luxe - review by up_shiraz

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:31:58 +0000

Galvin Bistrot de Luxe - review by up_shiraz

Rating: 3.9

Location: 66 Baker Street, W1U 8EP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7935 4007

Website: http://www.galvinrestaurants.com

Tags: romantic, good value, crowded, french

There's something so comforting about this place. If you could use GPS to triangulate the position of well-dressed, Guerlain-infused, elderly French madames, then i would. And then i'd eat where they were eating. Or i could save a trip to the Dragon's Den and just come here instead.

The steak tartare was text-book, and in my GCSE text-book, this dish appears at the top of the contents list in the section "Dishes a French brasserie should be judged on". And judging this one along those lines, it's an A* kinda effort. And that's in the early days of the A* classification....actually scrap that...the A* system has never really meant anything has it? But i digress. It's a beautifully formed mound of beef full of character and spice. The raw egg yolk on top is sublime.

On the wine front, it's true the list is quite pricey. We splashed out a bit on a beautiful Gigondas but it wasn't cheap at Â£38. The most fun though was to be had with the sommelier and the bizarre couple at the next table. The exceedingly rich man had brought a bottle of Comte de Vogue Musigny from 1990. His younger companion looked like she'd have preferred a bottle of WKD Blue. So half the bottle just sat there quietly until they left...and with some minor prompting, the sommelier happily shared it out with us. It was like some kind of wine porn moment - brilliant. Love this place.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Browners

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:22:04 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Browners

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: unhygenic

Beach Blanket Babylon is one of London's trendiest bars and has a buzzing restaurant. It is beloved by the Notting Hill set and typifices the idea of style over substance. Which is why we went there in the first place!

Your senses are blown away by the over the top decorations - it couldn't be more rococo if it tried.

No matter how trendy or posh you think your restaurant is... there are some basic catering rules that you can't break. Such as don't swear at the customers. Don't serve unhygenic food. Make sure there aren't any mouse-traps on show... etc. Common sense basically.

3 plates of perfectly good sushi arrived at our table along with some sets of chopsticks. The light wasn't great... but it was bright enough to detect a luminous green glow. On closer inspection we realised that the chopsticks were covered in a furry green mould. Gross! The elegant waitress simply took them back and didn't even consider apologising for it!

Our next course was very tasty... but sadly undermined by such a major lapse.

London Eye - review by Littlereddress

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:27:49 +0000

London Eye - review by Littlereddress

Rating: 4.2

Location: County Hall, SE1 7PB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 0870 500 0600

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

What a great way to see London. A relaxed half hour journey where you end up looking down on Big Ben, the houses of parliament and all the other sights. Even our little ones were fascinated watching the tiny trains going in and out of Charing Cross station and boats going up and down the river. They were initially scared of going so high, but 2 minutes in they were fine.

Make sure you book in advance, as you can end up waiting for a long time if it's a busy time. You can also save money booking in advance, and if you use your Tesco clubcard vouchers via their deals you'll save a fortune.

It is the one attraction in London that I would describe as a must see, and you get so much from it.

Natural History Museum - review by clubby2

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:36:53 +0000

Natural History Museum - review by clubby2

Rating: 4.8

Location: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7942 5000

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

The natural history museum in kensington on cromwell road is wonderful from start to finish. The exterior of the building if full of the most amazing carvings of exotic animals and birds and the entrance hall houses the huge and imposing diplodocus skeleton. The kids will love it and so will adults. It is busy though so be prepared for this, but it is free, so money saved on the entrance fee can go towards a snack in the cafe, or for some thing in the gift shop. If you do want to see the dinosaur section in full then you do pay a little for that now, but it is worth it.

London Eye - review by vik

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:56:18 +0000

London Eye - review by vik

Rating: 4.2

Location: County Hall, SE1 7PB, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 0870 500 0600

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

The london eye, a giant wheel that takes you on a thirty minute high rise tour of the sights of the beautiful london sky line, is great. You can book in advance and also pick up deals to include other attractions to make more of a day out. The london aquarium is very close so that would be a good place to combine you trip with. The pods do not stop to let you on but move slowly enough to let you get on with no problems. If there are lots of you, you may be lucky and get a whole pod to your self as we did, which was nice. The que is always quite long so do bear this in mind when planning visiting times, etc.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by pindulgence

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:34:27 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by pindulgence

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: expensive, international, pretentious, crowded

I really wanted to love the Beach Blanket Babylon, it has a reputation for the decor which is most definately deserved. However once you get past the spectaular decor, you are left with a bar and restuarant which loves itself so much it literally has its head where the sun doesn't shine. When we first arrived it was packed. It took ages to served by an obnoxious and quite literally rude member of staff. We were seated for our meal by an equally obnoxious and rule waiter who unfortunately continued to get rude throughout the evening. To top it off, we were forced to pay the service charge for that rudeness. You will NOT be allowed to get away without paying the automatically added charge. An utter disgrace.

La Fromagerie - review by Niamheen

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:56:18 +0000

La Fromagerie - review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.8

Location: 2-4 Moxon Street, W1U 4EW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7935 0341

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

La Fromagerie is a fantastic cheese shop with a cheese room and lots of other bits and pieces - seasonal veg, great meats, chocolate, cakes, honey - all presented beautifully. Itâ¬"s one of the few places in London that sells buffalo ricotta, which for a lactose intolerant like me, is a real treat.

You can eat there too around an enormous rustic table or in the new extension to the side. There are big bowls of salads, platters of cheese, salamis and meats, a wide choice of wines & juices. It's lovely.

I tease myself by receiving their mailing list of Slow Food and other events. The last time I went, I went to purchase not to eat. I was looking for some Bayonne ham but they didnâ¬"t have any, so I was advised to try the Granada ham, which was good at that time of year. They gave me a little taste and it was all I could do to stop myself grabbing the leg and running with it, so I got 12 slices and tried to stop myself pulling it off the slicer as it was sliced. Whilst waiting and reviewing the other meats I decided that I would try some pata negra chorizo also. I wasnâ¬"t disappointed.

La Fromagerie is one of those special places full of treats and indulgences. It's not an everyday place, but for those days that aren't everyday, it's really special.

Natural History Museum - review by PinkPink

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:42:59 +0000

Natural History Museum - review by PinkPink

Rating: 4.8

Location: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7942 5000

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

Like the Science Museum, admission is also free. There is so much to see here! I enjoyed it very, very much and it definitely makes an interesting and expensive day trip especially if you are in London anyway. I have only been once, but I definitely recall it being very impressive inside. There was a very well preserved full scale dinosaur on show when we entered as well as impressive collections. One of the most memorable things I saw there was a section of a VERY large tree, which had been very well preserved as was older than the Islamic religion. You can spend hours looking at everything in this museum and not get bored. For the younger generation, this might not be so, but it's definitely an opportunity for them to learn more about the planet they live on.