Latest favourites and wishlist by jameshaycock

Out of the Blue Bar & Kitchen - review by ilovelucy

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:01:04 +0000

Out of the Blue Bar & Kitchen - review by ilovelucy

Rating: 3.7

Location: 140 St Johns Hill, SW11 1SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7207 8548

Tags: family & home feel, international

Came here on Monday night to exploit my tastelondon card with the 2 for 1 offer. Out of the Blue is an independent restaurant and from looking at reviews it is quite popular with the locals. The restaurant had a homely feel with low lighting and mismatched wooden furniture. Not sure i'd be able to sit in my wicker chair for more than a couple of hours though and some of the tables were really close together - so i was impressed that the waitresses could get round them. The menu was divided into two parts - one section had heavier meals, your standard starters, mains, and puddings. On the other side were smaller tapas like plates, 5 of which we decided to go for. We ordered the battered halloumi cheese, the rocket and grapefruit salad, the lamb kebabs, the nachos and the chicken burritos. All were delicious and i had nothing to fault them for. I particulary liked the rocket and grapefruit sald with parmesan - great combination of flavours. However, after having the 5 dishes we were still hungry and we ordered a plate of fries. I liked the way the dishes had their own touches - for example the fries had parsley and garlic on them. You could tell that care had gone into making them. Not sure if I would come back though as I did think that Â£5.50 per dish was a little pricey and we weren't full after 5 dishes.

Thekla Social - review by harmargazza

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:13:44 +0000

Thekla Social - review by harmargazza

Rating: 2.8

Location: The Grove, East Mud Dock, BS1 4RB, Bristol, United Kingdom

Phone: 0117 929 3301

Website: http://www.theklasocial.com

Tags: reasonably priced

The Thekla is a great night out, They have some quality Dj's playing. Not too expensive either.

Out of the Blue Bar & Kitchen - review by Browners

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:00:56 +0000

Out of the Blue Bar & Kitchen - review by Browners

Rating: 3.7

Location: 140 St Johns Hill, SW11 1SL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7207 8548

Good breakfast. Probably one of the best in the Clapham Junction area. No idea what it is like as a bar.

Thekla Social - review by RaRaRa

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:26:30 +0000

Thekla Social - review by RaRaRa

Rating: 2.8

Location: The Grove, East Mud Dock, BS1 4RB, Bristol, United Kingdom

Phone: 0117 929 3301

Website: http://www.theklasocial.com

Well you can get tea and coffee at the Thekla now! They've re-jigged the menu and are now serving awesome pizzas, sandwiches, salads etc all of them cooked to order. The pizzas are especially good, thin, crispy, great spicy tomato sauce, parmesan rather than mozarella and a great choice of toppings inc.parma ham, spinach, ricotta, chorizo. The Happy Hour between 5 and 9 p.m. is incredibly good value, pint for Â£1.50 anyone. It's really chilled out during the day and lively but with no attitude at nights.

Seen some great bands down here too, Band of Horses, SMD, Voxtrot etc etc.

Thekla Social - review by paddy_t

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:23:11 +0000

Thekla Social - review by paddy_t

Rating: 2.8

Location: The Grove, East Mud Dock, BS1 4RB, Bristol, United Kingdom

Phone: 0117 929 3301

Website: http://www.theklasocial.com

Its a Cafe but the three times I've gone there they haven't been able to make any coffee or tea. Instead I've been offered a cold drink? Just not that keen on hitting the booze in the morning. Sadly a very useless cafe.

Thekla Social - review by andreams

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:42:41 +0000

Thekla Social - review by andreams

Rating: 2.8

Location: The Grove, East Mud Dock, BS1 4RB, Bristol, United Kingdom

Phone: 0117 929 3301

Website: http://www.theklasocial.com

Tags: relaxed, reasonably priced, students

The new above deck bar has some nice views and drinks are exceptionally cheap. It was good to see that the rest of the ship hasn't changed too much but if, like me, you have fond memories of the old Thekla, you might feel a little old as the Thekla Social attracts a young, studenty crowd. Interesting/useless fact: the Thekla was home to Viv Stanshall (Bonzo Dog Doodah Band) in the 1980's when he and his family ran it as a theatre, cabaret and music venue. So it has a firm tradition of drunken good times!

The Arbiter - review by DanWilkinson

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:30:54 +0000

The Arbiter - review by DanWilkinson

Rating: 4.5

Location: 308-310 North End Road, SW6 1NQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7385 8001

Website: http://www.arbiter-pubs.co.uk

Something of an oasis in the class desert that is North End Road, The Arbiter follows on from its predecessor, Meum Cor, with the main difference that this place stands a chance of being there in 6 months' time.

Friendly staff, a mouthwatering, serious cocktail list and what looks to me like a decent menu (haven't eaten there yet) all come together to make for a distinctly pleasant experience. Screenings on Sundays are just one more reason why I'll be back there again and again and again...

Canvas - CLOSED - review by nathanb

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:59:20 +0000

Canvas - CLOSED - review by nathanb

Rating: 4.0

Location: Kings Cross Freight Depot, N1 0UZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 8301

Tags: cool, electronica, sexy, friendly, dance

Having never been to Canvas before I really didn't know what the venue was like, I was half expecting a dingy and dirty old warehouse to be honest. As it turned out It was quite the opposite, the inside of the building was very lavishly decorated and hosted a range of different rooms, including a great 'chill out' area where the music could still be heard but wasn't overbearing. The place was massive though and the two main rooms were great, one much smaller than the other, and although it did get very busy at times it was never really a problem.

I went for the Platform12 night so I knew the music was going to be good, but I was quite taken back by the very impressive sound and lighting displays. More of this please!

Canvas - CLOSED - review by spiros

Wed, 09 May 2007 12:15:34 +0000

Canvas - CLOSED - review by spiros

Rating: 4.0

Location: Kings Cross Freight Depot, N1 0UZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 8301

Overall, I like Canvas and the majority of nights it has to offer. I must admit i had a pretty damn good NYE there two years ago. The only issue that keeps bugging me over and over is that every single time I've been there, there never is a single piece of paper and/or staff that knows the set times for each dj. (or where the cloakroom is for that matter).

Thekla Social - review by jameshaycock

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:58:13 +0000

Thekla Social - review by jameshaycock

Rating: 2.8

Location: The Grove, East Mud Dock, BS1 4RB, Bristol, United Kingdom

Phone: 0117 929 3301

Website: http://www.theklasocial.com

Tags: great atmosphere, dance to your hearts content, boat, reasonably priced, young and fun, dark

The once damp and dark Thekla is now not so damp.

The Thekla recently had a refit by the guys who own The Social in Nottingham who renamed it The Thekla Social. While I went many times (and loved all of them) when I lived in Bristol, I've only been once since the rejig. The new owners have done well to retain the feel that the locals love about the boat but have managed to make it work even better.

It's now possible to sit out on the upper deck to have a drink. The upper floor is great for taking it easier and the lower bar has been rearranged to give more space.

My most recent night at The Thekla Social was to Blowpop when Erol Alkin was playing. What a night! All my friends from Bristol were there and even more kept appearing during the evening. We stormed the dance floor with massive grins and danced to Erol until it was home time.

From what I've been told, in addition to the odd Blowpop (great club night) event The Thekla Social has some great live music as well as continuing with stonking house and the occasional drum and bass night. As for the price, it's never too expensive, just make sure you get there early for the big nights!

Jump aboard the good ship!

The Dojo Bar - review by jameshaycock

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:36:29 +0000

The Dojo Bar - review by jameshaycock

Rating: 3.0

Location: 16 Park Row, BS1 5LJ, Bristol, United Kingdom

Phone: 0117 925 1177

Tags: friendly, dance your socks off, all nighters, fun times, reasonably priced, young and fun, students, intimate

I lived in Bristol for three years and I don't think I went to any club as many times as I went to Dojos. It was the first club I went to in Bristol and it was probably the last.

The dark club holds about 2-300 people, but it feels much more intimate when you're wedged between the DJ booth and a bunch of sweaty friends going for it.

I'm not sure of all the current nights Dojos has on but I've been to drum and bass nights, hip-hop nights, funk nights and numerous house nights there.

Some of the best times I've had at Dojos have been at Groove On a student night that my friend Tommy Rio started. Other ridiculous nights there have been the Just Jack after parties that start at 4 and go until no-one can take it anymore!

The drinks are reasonably priced, the entry's rarely over a fiver and although the bouncers seem scary, they've got some good banter.

Look out for the next after party there.

Cock & Hen - review by jameshaycock

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:13:49 +0000

Cock & Hen - review by jameshaycock

Rating: 4.0

Location: 360 North End Road, SW6 1LY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7385 6021

Tags: friendly staff, nice beer garden, good selection of beer

Formally The Cock this pub has just relaunched as The Cock and Hen and is now vying with the Arbiter as my favourite local.

The Cock and Hen has a good selection of local and lesser-known beer, including the fruity Bonobo, and the better known Budvar and Erdinger.

The menu also looks promising. On two recent trips I've found myself left out of the conversation as I salivate over the food on offer. I haven't sampled any yet but when I do I'll report back.

Another big plus for the pub (forgetting some odd plant pots with lights in!) is it's small, terraced beer garden. I guess a lot of places will be sprucing up their outside areas in preparation for the smoking ban, which can only be a good thing.

The icing on the cake at The Cock and Hen is the customer service. The staff are very friendly which makes the pub very welcoming - why can't all pubs make you feel at ease like this?

Is The Cock and Hen better than The Arbiter? I'm torn, but if The Arbiter opens it's promised roof terrace I think it might maintain the accolade of my favourite local.

Canvas - CLOSED - review by jameshaycock

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:27:15 +0000

Canvas - CLOSED - review by jameshaycock

Rating: 4.0

Location: Kings Cross Freight Depot, N1 0UZ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 8301

Tags: cool, indie, electronica, young and fun, students, trendy, friendly

I must have the worst will power in the world.

Having just bought tickets to some summer festivals I was broke and told myself I'd have a quiet weekend. Meeting some friends in Holland Park, we decided that if we won on the Grand National we would go out. A fair deal I thought.

We lost, but despite this I still found myself on the dance floor of Canvas at five in the morning. What went wrong?!

I blame the beer...and the sun...and some persuasive friends.

The trip from Holland Park onwards involved several pubs, a drunken tube journey, and a brief stint at a house party. We finally arrived at Canvas to discover a 50 strong line with a 'one in, one out' policy in place. Great. Queue friend at the front of the line - our saviour.

Avoiding some death stars from some disgruntled club goers waiting to get in, we headed up the stairs and through the doors.

The night was long running Bugged Out. The line up was good, Ed Banger Records, the cool Parisian label, were having a showcase so the likes of Uffie & Feadz, Justice and Sebastian were padding out the bill.

The first room of the club was like a massive living room, with plants and sofas spread all around. I liked it.

Within minutes I bumped into a friend from uni. Small world...or is it?? Anyway, we now had a decent group of people to stake a claim on a good spot on the dance floor.

From this point on my memory is a bit lacking. I remember throwing some shapes on the dance floor, walking round in circles and losing friends left right and centre. All in all, a great night!

Managed a relatively smooth double night-bus trip home, left a ridiculous message on my girlfriends answer phone, and hit the hay..hard.

Look out for the next Bugged Out Night, as this one was real good. Although the door (£15) and drinks (£4) were more than I'd normally part with, the night was worth it.

Holland Park - review by jameshaycock

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:29:18 +0000

Holland Park - review by jameshaycock

Rating: 4.0

Location: Off Kensington High Street, W8 6LU, London, United Kingdom

Tags: sunbathing, lazy drinking, nice park

Saturday was hot. So, where better to spend the day than in a Park. After having a slow start to the day I jumped on the 28 bus and headed to Holland Park to meet a couple of friends - Luke and Matt.

On route I saw a digital display declaring the temperature at 33 degrees. I think it must have been broken but I was beginning to wish I hadn't worn jeans!

After picking up some suntan lotion (I normally turn beetroot after a day in the sun!) I rolled up my jeans and hit the park.

Holland Park has got a lot on offer. There's a sports field, some wooded walks, a Japanese style garden and even an ice house which on a day like Saturday must have been pretty non-existent!

Once meeting up with my friends we decided on a patch of grass next to the Orangery and cracked open the first of many beers.

We tried a bit of unsuccessful celebrity spotting and instead settled for a 'look a like' competition. I won with a guy who I thought was a spitting image of Donald Trump...or maybe he just had a silly boufant!

It turned out that both Luke and Matt had placed some bets on the Grand National, so given that I know nothing about horse racing or betting I decided to do the same. I ended up putting (a small amount) of money on six outsiders. We agreed that if any of us won we would all go out for a big night. We all lost, but by the empty state of my wallet the next day I guess we went out anyway.

By the way, the park's great and I would definitely recommend it.

The Arbiter - review by jameshaycock

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:03:44 +0000

The Arbiter - review by jameshaycock

Rating: 4.5

Location: 308-310 North End Road, SW6 1NQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7385 8001

Website: http://www.arbiter-pubs.co.uk

Tags: different pub food, late license, modern pub

The Arbiter has been open for a few months now and has quickly become my favourite local.

Admittedly the competition for the accolade isn't too stiff. A Wetherspoons, called The Goose, normally features at least one sleeping career drinker and the smokey atmosphere is rarely welcoming. As for other pubs, I can't even think of their names.

From the outside, The Arbiter looks cool and that's the case when you head inside. One wall features exposed brickwork and a fine set of antlers while the back of the pub is clad in trendy wallpaper and has a number of chairs clustered around a fire.

The service is very friendly, apparently the owners have a history in hospitality and this shows. They are also very happy to say hello, offer advice on your choice of drink and are keen to get your feedback on the pub.

There are only 4 draught taps, two of which are ales. This might not be a wide enough selection for some, but I'm not particularly fussy about my choice of beer as long as it's a good one. The house wine, especially the red, is great and although I haven't explored it, there is a great selection of spirits too.

The food looks good and is reasonably priced. They do a wide selection of Somrgasboards which look like they would be great to share.

When I popped in yesterday, I noticed they are now showing a double bill of films on Sundays. Yesterday it was a Luc Besson double bill with Leon and Nikita being shown back to back at 12 and again at 5 in the upstairs room.

I was recently told that they will be opening a roof terrace in time for the summer so I think it may become my second home!