Latest reviews by ablair9999

Greenwich Wheel

ablair9999 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:47:18 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9LW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8241 9818

Website: www.greenwichwheel.com

Tags: observation wheel value

Wheely Great Views!With a full 360 degree panoramic view 60 metres above the Old Royal Naval College, the Greenwich Wheel gives us a new and unique view of Greenwich and across London to the north. It is a third of the size of the London Eye, and a third of the price too. Â£7 for an adult or push the boat out and get an exclusive capsule for up to 6 people for just Â£30.

It is not a minature London Eye, as there are key differences. The first is obviously that it is much smaller, the pods /capsules seat 6 only. The pods are all seated, air conditioned and free moving (not fixed like the London Eye). It is also much faster. You ticket buys a ride of about 14 minutes, and that's 4 rotations!

The Wheel is situated in front of the Royal Naval College Visitor Centre and is open from 10am to 10pm daily, offering visitors the chance to soak up the awe-inspiring views both day and night. I'm heading back for a night flight soon - after a meal at one of the many great resaurants! It's only there until September so you will need to go soon.

Belgo Centraal

ablair9999 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:51:57 +0000

Rating: 3.9

Location: 50 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7813 2233

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.com

Tags: lively, seafood, good value, crowded

The Mussels From Brussels?Belgium has a certain reputation in the UK for being boring - this is not the case, especially when it comes to food and drink. Okay, it may be limited to Mussels, Chips, Beer and Chocolate, but in my world these are pretty high up on the list anyway! Belgo Central does the first three of these very well.

Upon arrival, it looks tiny from the outside. You on a walkway over the kitchen and it is VERY hot! This immediately put me off. After a short wait for a table (we had not booked and they were very busy), we were ushered downstairs to a gloriously air-conditioned dining area. First impressions were that it was busy, noisy and looking a little tired on the decor front, but with some novel design ideas. Seating is communal benches in the main, and the waiting staff wear a type of Trapist monks robes - with the vaulted ceilings it was like a monastry, only without the silence.

The menu does consist mainly of mussels and chips, there is however a variety of other dishes for anyone not quite as enamoured with the shellfish as I am.

I had Thai Style Mussels to start. These were very good though perhaps a little to mild for my liking, lacking any real chilli kick. Neither of us has Mussels as a main course on this occasion, opting instead for Haddock in a Hoegarden Beer Batter and in my case a 16oz Ribeye. Both were very good!

The group next to us all had the Surf'n'Turf (steak and lobster) which looked very good too - I'll be trying that soon!

For dessert I had the Waffle with chocolate sauce and hazlenut ice cream and my partner had the White Chocolate Mousse. The mousse was jus divine. The waffles, were real, freshly made in a waffle press. I was however disappointed with the chocolate sauce - it seemed a little weak to me.

There is a somewhat limited but perfect adequate wine list. You don't come here for the wine though. Browse the beer menu and be amazed at the variety of Belgian beers. There are some well known brands such as Hoegarden (my personal summer favourite), a large number of specialist but delicious Trappist and Artisan beers and the famed Belgian fruit beers. My partner tried the Coconut beer, which was very good but too sweet for my taste (as is often the case with the fruit beers).You can also buy a "rod" of Schnapps. A wooden tray which holds between 4 and 32 different schnapps shots.

Overall a very enjoyable evening and meal. it represents good value at any time and they have great lunch and early evening deals as well. We paid Â£65 for 1 starter, 2 mains, 2 desserts, water, beers and coffees.

Suitable for a lively night out rather than a romantic meal for two, this restaurant comes highly recommended by us!

The Rainforest Cafe

ablair9999 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:17:06 +0000

Rating: 3.6

Location: 20-24 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7434 3111

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

Tags: american, themed, crowded, expensive, lively

Rain Stops Play?I've been to this restaurant twice (and the one in Euro Disney once) and I shall not bother again. Three visits are more than enough chances to give any restaurant!

The venue itself is amazing. To say it is themed is an understatement! It is every kids idea of a tropical forest - lots of greenery, thunderstorms, monkeys, an elephant and parrots galore! All animatronic and like a Disney theme ride. The kids of course will love it, and no I am not missing the point; it is firmly aimed at them.

It is very busy, every time I have been it has been packed. It is obvoiusly popular, unfortunately that doesn't mean it is any good.

Service can be very slow - it's one of those places where they try to take your order within 5 minutes of you being seated and then take 20 minutes to bring a drink.

The food is mainly burgers and fries. The food was average at best, downright unpleasant at worst.

Avoid unless you have a gaggle of kids in tow and you want to keep them entertained for 90 minutes or so. Watch out for the expensive merchandise on your way out!

Blue Elephant

ablair9999 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:38:39 +0000

Rating: 3.8

Location: 3-6 Fulham Broadway, SW6 1AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7385 6595

Website: http://www.blueelephant.com

Tags: romantic, crowded, thai, vegetarian, expensive

Choose Your Company Well!This place left me in a muddle. I left unsure what I felt about it. Don't get me wrong, I left full, happy and stunned at the decor, but something just wasn't quite right.

Reading the other reviews, I feel distinctly in the middle of the two camps.

The setting and decor is different - there is no doubt about that. A thai styled, slightly more up market version of the Rainforest Cafe perhaps? I'm being cruel - the setting is stunning, and I can imagine that if you had a quite little table tucked away in a corner then it could be very romantic.

We had no real issues with the service when we went - they were polite, prompt and attentive. If anything they were perhaps a little over attentive. Sometimes you just want to be left to enjoy the meal, and the designated driver doen't really want the waiter to come and refill his wine glass every 5 minutes.

The food was also ok. By no means the best Thai food in London, but I have also had a lot worse. While I am familiar(ish) with a Thai menu, the rest of the party were not, so we played 'safe' and went for a set menu. I suspect that this was a mistake. I don't think much of it was prepared fresh to order and the portions were very small. My advice, steer clear of the set menu.

Prices? Very expensive for what you get. I guess the upkeep on the Koi Carp, streams and waterfalls must be very expensive.

All in all, it was actually quite average.

We still had a fantastic night though. Makes you realise doesn't it - choose who you go with carefully as the company can make all the difference!

Apollo Victoria Theatre

ablair9999 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:50:01 +0000

Rating: 4.8

Location: 17 Wilton Road, SW1V 1LG, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7834 6318

Website: http://www.victoria-apollo.co.uk

Tags: Wicked Theatre Show

A Wicked Night Out!The Apollo Victoria Theatre is the current home of the London production of Wicked.

We went with friends last night - it was fantastic!

The theatre itself is a beautiful example of the art deco style. Inside they are in the slow process of refurbishing and retuurning it to it's former glory. For some reason in the past everything was covers in brown paint but they have already uncovered some beautiful features.

The show was OMG amazing. I was a little dubious beforehand (we were bought the tickets) however I definately left covered in more than a little Oz Dust!

I won't go into too much detail as I would hate to ruin the surprises, but is is essentially the story of the good witch Glinda and the Wicked Witch from the original Wizard Of Oz - where they were from and why one is good and the other Wicked!

The set, lighting and production values are all very good indeed. The performers very talented, and the show very entertaining. This show will run and run - last night, a normal Thursday and they still get a standing ovation!

Thoroughly recommended!

Chiquito Restaurant Bar

ablair9999 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:22:22 +0000

Rating: 2.4

Location: 20-21 Leicester Square, WC2H 7JX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 6925

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

Tags: american, crowded, expensive, lively

Tex Mex TouristicoIt's a massive bar and restaurant right on Leicester Square.

It serves what passes as Tex Mex in the UK.

It's everything you should expect it to be!

Chiquito serves fairly standard tex mex food - pretty much all frozen prepackaged fare. Nothing wrong with that of course, but don't kid yourself that there is anything authentic about this experience. The food was hot, tasty and well presented. Service was a little slow (though they were very busy when we went) but polite and friendly.

The best things about this restaurant are location, atmosphere (a great party place I suspect)and the drinks list! The price was reasonable given that it is a tourist trap right on Leicster Square.

To bad we ate too much to save room to try the deep fried ice cream dessert!

The Living Room W1

ablair9999 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:27:52 +0000

Rating: 3.7

Location: 3-9 Heddon Street, W1B 4BE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 0870 166 2225

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

Tags: lively, british, international, business, good value

Lively, Fun and Good ValueI took my Dad and Step Mother out last night, and this was my restaurant of choice based on the menu, reviews and location.

This restaurant is tucked away on Heddon Street in the heart of the west end. The street has an almost magical atmosphere with several restaurants and bars with tables out on the street and a canopy of fairy lights running the length of the street.

The restaurant itself is modern and trendy. The design suggests immediately that this is a rather smart place but without being overly formal or pretencious. We sat downstairs (by choice as we were offered the quieter upstairs area or a downstairs table) because they had live music - a modern take on the piano bar. We were celebrating a birthday so wanted to stay in the livelier area!

The menu was not exaustive, but certainly had enough tasty sounding dishes to make ordering difficult! We had a vaierty of starters; Spicy Crab Cakes, Salmon Grandlavax, Brushetta, Hummous, Rabbit Parcels and Potato Wedges. All of which were very good, obviously freshly made and priced between Â£3.50 and Â£6.60. The main courses we had were Slow Roast Pork, Duck Confit and Shepheards Pie - main courses here were priced between Â£10 and Â£20. Finally dessert! Chocolate Brownie, Treacle Tart and a White Chocolate and Honeycomb Parfait (all around Â£5ish). The food was all fantastic - served fresh, hot, on time and well presented.

We had one bottle of the house red and white wines to drink (but were also tempted by an extensive cocktail list).

Overall a fantastic meal, in lovely modern surroundings with great service and at great value. Not cheap eats by any means, but great value for the quality and service we received.

My only gripe was that the coffee wasn't very good. We had a mix of espresso and americano coffees, but they just weren't nice.

Highly recommended - just go somewhere else for the coffee afterwards perhaps!

Burger King

ablair9999 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:27:10 +0000

Rating: 1.0

Location: 86 Lewisham High Street, SE13 5JH, London, United Kingdom

*CLOSED*Good job too - it was horrible, even by Burger King standards!

Cutty Sark

ablair9999 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:22:34 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 4-7 Ballast Quay, SE10 9PD, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8858 3146

Tags: posh, mature, young professionals, standard pub food, beer garden, traditional pub, young and fun, friendly, relaxed

A Hidden Pub With Great ViewsI have been going to this pub for years, and I still return several times a year. Especially in the summer, when you have been at work all day, there really is nothing like meeting freinds here, sitting on the wall outside, looking across the Thames, enjoying a cold Gin & Tonic, or a delicious real ale.

The drinks are reasonably priced, and they have a great range of real ales, including some often hard to find in London. The food offering is pretty standard pub fare but is of good quality (their club sandwich is pretty darn tasty).

This isn't a pretensious riverside pub, it has a great mix of locals and tourists that make for an almost unique atmosphere. The view of the Thames is stunning, looking across to Canary Wharf and The O2 (the venue previously known as the Millenium Dome)and is an especially good place to watch the sun go down.

In the winter, sit in front of the fire or upstairs in the big bay window and watch he grey skys across the river.

It is a little out of the way, but a leisurely stroll along the river from Greenwich will bring you here in about 15 minutes.

My only gripe is that if you sit outside you are given plastic glasses - but I suspect this is a dictat from the local authority.

Cafe Rouge

ablair9999 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:07:01 +0000

Rating: 3.5

Location: Stockwell St, SE10 9JN, London, United Kingdom

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

Tags: cosy, proper food, good brew, crowded, quick bite, lively

Good For A Chain!This is typical of the Cafe Rouge chain - if you like any of the others there will be no great suprises here!

Attached to a hotel, this restaurant is right in the centre of Greenwich - a five minute (leisurely)walk to the river for a stroll along the Thames.

This is usually very busy, but with a fast turnover reservations are not normally required except during the busiest times. Even then, a drink at the bar will normally pass the time until a table comes free. Limited seating outside provides good people watching opportunities on a summer evening, although it is quite a main road.

Service is polite and efficient, but is occasionally a bit slow - again during the busiest times mainly.

The food is French in style - some dishes more authentic than others. They range from a full three course meal to a fantastic brunch.

Personal favourites here include the Croque Monsieur with frites for a brunch between visits to the nearby markets, to a main course of Confit Of Duck for a full main meal.

This is straighforward and fairly classic french bistro cookery, which given that it is a big chain of restaurants, manages suprisingly well to deliver that authentic bistro experience.

Pricewise, you can pretty much spend whatever you want as the menu is so varied. If you need a safe choice that will offer something for everyone, Cafe rouge is as good as anywhere else locally. Fine dining this is not however.

Absolut Icebar

ablair9999 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:30:49 +0000

Rating: 4.3

Location: 31-33 Heddon Street, W1B 4BN, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7287 9192

Website: http://www.belowzerolondon.com

Tags: cool, mature, cool & smart, young professionals, young and fun, sexy, friendly, relaxed

A Great Start To A Night Out!The Absolut Icebar is a fantastic place to take people if you want to show them something different and provide a bit of a talking point! I've been a couple of times and am off again tomorrow - I'm taking my dad for his 60th Birthday before we go out for dinner!

Sure it's a gimick, sure it's different, and it sure is cold! It is also fun, unusual and a great place to try some fab vodka cocktails.

It's kept at 5 degrees below as the bar, tables, walls, sculptures and glases are all made from crystal clear ice from the Torne River. They do however provide the aforementioned thermal gloves and hi-tec silver thermal ponchos - just as well too!

The entry fee does include the clothing and your first drink. Refills are around Â£7 each, but as you are limited to 40 minutes (due to the temperature) you would be hard pressed to run up a massive bar bill unless you really go for it!

It is small, and they do limit numbers of visitors, so book in advance to be sure you get in. As I said at the begining, it's a great place to start the evening. Enjoy!

Added 03-04-08

We went again last night. Still fantastic and still a great start to the evening. It was very busy, so definately prebook. Entry price (including 1st drink) was Â£12 with refills at Â£6 each. They had changed the interior (they redesign every 6 months)but still great - spot the John Travolta ice statue! Yes - it's a disco theme!

Sapporo Ichiban

ablair9999 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:08:57 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 13 Catford Broadway, SE6 4SP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8690 8487

Tags: japanese, cheap eat, good value

Hidden Gem In Catford!This restaurant from the outside looks.... well shabby I guess. Not the greatest location by any means (and I speak as a Catford resident). Step inside however and you will be amazed.

As soon as you walk in the door, you are assured of a warm welcome by the owner. This is a simple looking restaurant dominated by the open cooking area. The menu features a great selection of Sushi, Sashimi (that's the raw fish) as well as a range of Japanese starters, noodles and Teryaki style dishes and even Bento boxes. If you know your way round a Japanese menu, dive straight into the a la carte menu. Otherwise try one of the set meals. The staff are knowledgable and helpful if you need advice or information.

The sushi and sashimi are or particular note. The fish is always beautifully fresh, and all the sushi and sashimi is prepared to order by their resident sushi chefs at the open counter. I have been here several times and have never been disappointed.

For drinks, stick to the traditional green tea or saki, or try a "Bubble Tea" - a drink pretty much unlike anything you will have had before!

Highly recommended, certainly for anyone locally, and worth travelling to if you are a little bit further away.