Latest reviews by jo104

Cheeky Pete's

jo104 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:46:37 +0000

Rating: 4.5

Location: 1a Bell Lane, E1 7LA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7377 0665

Website: http://www.cheekypetes.com

Tags: american

Is a burger worth smelling of chip fatI work in the Aldgate area and our company was very excited when this new design your own burger joint opened up. Now I cannot fault the fact that the burgers are tasty, the concept is a little confusing to say the least you have a tick list of additions to style your burger.

The worst thing is the place is so tiny you will have chip fat smell seeping through your clothes in a matter of minutes of being there, yes even just ordering.

The place is fully licensed so you can grab a beer if you chose to sit down.

Shoreline Cafe

jo104 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:52:07 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: Dock Road, , Cape Town, South Africa

Phone: 021 418 3823

Website: http://www.aquarium.co.za/visitorInfo/shoreline.ph

Tags: good value, child friendly, family & home feel

2 Oceans Aquarium restaurantI was at the waterfront with my dad to look for gifts to take back home for friends, and my fathers clock struck lunchtime. He raved about the 2 Oceans Aquarium restaurant having been satisfied on a previous visit. It is a bit of a walk away from the main V&A drag but not much.

I must say when we were seated I was a bit dubious about all the children in the restaurant - so yes it is a very child friendly place and they have a childrens menu. We ordered a chicken curry which came with sambals of a tomato and onion salad, sour cream, chutney and a roti (sort of pancake) the curry itself was served in a separate bowl which I found a bit messy to tip onto the plate to eat with the rice. The curry was quite tangy and it was a very adequate portion although my dad had previously been given a much bigger bowl of the salad so he felt sort changed. I suspect the fish and chips are nice here if you can bring yourself to order them after just seeing "Nemo". Please note the sandwiches are not served with chips, and the salads looked a helthy portion.

I am not sure that I would visit the Shorline cafe again partly due to the rowdy children but also because service was extremely slow.

The Hide Bar

jo104 — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:58:42 +0000

Rating: 3.8

Location: 39-45 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 6655

Website: http://www.thehidebar.com

Tags: reasonably priced, good wine list

Hideaway at the Hide BarNot the easiest place to find & kind of stuck around some back streets, we walked from Tower Bridge side down some dodgy back roads.

The venue was trendy and pleasent enough even though the place was not very busy and our table of 10 stayed the longest during the brunch menu. Later on a DJ plays music from one of the raised seating areas but looked a little sad with his apple mac instead of decks but it gave a chilled relaxed ambience.

The food choices were limited and I must say that I thought my beef burger cooked medium was ok. The served everyone on the table at the same time which was good and Natalie commented on how many and good the olives side order was.

The restrooms could do with a bit more attention as one toilet blocked and the other had a wobbley seat.

The Criterion

jo104 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:49:15 +0000

Rating: 2.5

Location: 224 Piccadilly, W1J 9HS, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 0488

Tags: expensive, pretentious, crowded

What a disappointmentI was at the same dinner party as Sarah although I arrived much later at around the time I expected dessert to be served. When I was directed to our table it was placed in an empty section of the restaurant on a platform so we were not able to get a true feel of the ambience of the place. As Sarah mentioned in her review the glitzy mosaics and the pillared arches make the room look very opulent.

The general consensus from the table was that the food was bland and the fact that the expensive side orders arrived half way during their meal which is disgraceful. Even though I only ordered a dessert I found the service exceptionally slow. After 30 minutes of waiting on enquiry there was not so much as an apology. I ordered the champagne jelly with berries, which I couldn't rave about.

So please don't be fooled by that fact that michelin star chef Marco Pierre White owns this restaurant he needs to revisit this establishment and take control.

We did enjoy the entertainment in the form of magic tricks at your table. I still don't know how the playing card got into the bottle.

Service charge was added to the bill but whether this was paid by our table I am not sure as the service was a disgrace especially considering the prices of the meals.

.

Galileo's Locanda Toscana

jo104 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:18:39 +0000

Rating: 2.8

Location: 71 Haymarket, SW1Y 4RW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 3939

Website: www.galileoslocanda.co.uk

Tags: italian, family & home feel, good value

Enjoy some Italian food pre theatreI was meeting up with a few friends for an early meal on friday evening. As mentioned in previous reviews this restuarant is suited to a pre-theatre crowd. However the 2 or 3 course set theatre menu is available not just for early diners, be advised the portions are smaller then the norm.

I ordered the Calfs liver in Vin Santo which was accompanied by courgettes and miniture potatoes, it was beautifully done and the rich sauce was a perfect accompananiment. As everyone was ordering dessert I felt compelled to do the same and I enjoyed my tiramisu when it finally came.

The young staff were attentive although the older waitress was rather grumpy which was a bit unpleasent.

Once Upon a time in Kazimierz

jo104 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:40:58 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: ul Szeroka 1, , Krakow, Poland

Phone: 012 4212117

Tags: romantic, family & home feel, good value, traditional

The heart of the Jewish districtWe dined here on a friday evening and at sundown it is the start of Shabbat so in this restuarant the Shabbat candles were lit.

The restuarant tells a story of Polish and Jewish living and working side by side in the Kazimierz district. The interiors of 4 small business premises have been knocked out to form this delightful restuarant and the interior decor of each premises is still displayed to reflect which part of the store you are seated in.

The entrance on Szeroka Street was where Chajim Kohan's general store stood, a mix of interesting old tools and an antique stove bearing the star of David on its front. The next section was Benjamin Holcer's joinery and carpentry workshop, you are seated at an original carpenter's workbench. A portrait of renowned Krakow carpenter Mordechaj Gebirtig & a wooden rocking horse hangs in the display window. We sat in Szymon Kac the tailor which displays his handiwork as well as being able to eat your meal at a singer sewing machine. Lastly Stanislaw Nowak's grocery store where you would have been able to buy preserves & smoked meats.

The atmosphere in this restaurant is very calming and I would suggest ideal for a romantic meal. We wanted to try some traditional food so we both ordered the Borsch soup which is beetroot soup with meat dumplings - absolutely delicious. We were also keen to try pierogi (rounds of unleven dough) which is the polish answer to ravioli, we selected a meat option as well as cabbage & mushroom stuffed pierogi. Trying to be healthy we chose for them to be boiled instead of fried but both with butter. I must be honest that I did not really enjoy this dish, they were rather stody and lacked sauce but no fault of the restuarant this is what pierogi is meant to taste like.

Favorite Dish: We shared a bottle of Spanish Rose which is more expensive then their local wines, which are usually from Hungary or the Moravian district. The hungarian red wines are actually quite good. It would be advisable to book in advance as we were lucky to be seated at the end of a large table, but when some other guests arrived without an appointment they were hesitant to seat them until we suggested they sit on the opposite end of our large table.

If you are planning a romantic meal I would request the singer sewing machine table, it is a very cosy spot in this restaurant.

Also bear in mind that in Poland there is no smoking ban in restaurants and there were no restrictions about where you could or couldn't smoke. Another thing to mention is there are no separate ladies & gents toilets.

Chlopskie Jadlo

jo104 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:28:54 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: ul Agnieszki 1, , Krakow, Poland

Phone: 021 4218520

Website: http://www.chlopskiejadlo.pl/main.php

Tags: traditional, expensive for poland, family & home feel

Peasents KitchenThis restaurant is the place to go to for authentic tasting polish 19th centuary traditional peasent style food. We decided to visit a branch on the edge of Kazimerz instead of the more popular market square branch.

All the restaurants have similar decor, the wooden benches were draped with sheeps fur, a mock peasents kitchen and a roaring fire made it a very warm welcome from the chill outside.

For appetisers you are served rural bread with a pot of lard, before you say yechk its actually fairly good made with apples, garlic & majoram, think of bread & dripping. If that does not take you fancy you can spread the cottage cheese, chive & black salt mix on your bread.

As we were pressed for time we chose to have mixed salad for starters which is a buffet of various pickled cabbage, carrot & potatoe mixes - be warned the gerkhins are VERY salty.

For mains we bypassed anything with pierogi not having enjoyed them previously. I chose veal with polish mushrooms in cream & white wine sauce served with handmade regional dumplings (rather like gnocchi). This dish was very delicious, fairly large & very rich and I was not able to finish it. Sharon ordered the milk lamb in garlic butter with polish mushrooms. Lamb is not a very common dish in Poland so it being on the menu was an interesting find, Polish friends of mine living in London do not eat lamb as they say the lamb has a strange smell for them.

Some dishes do not come with vegetables or potato & side orders need to be ordered separately. The service was a bit on the slow side but if you have the time relax & enjoy the ambience you may need the time to recover from the heavy food. On sundays they serve a traditional apple cake which is free for all guests. Some have said this restuarant is a bit more on the expensive side and I suppose comparitavely speaking it may well be, but it is a worthwhile dining experience.

The Champagne Bar

jo104 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:12:46 +0000

Rating: 3.3

Location: St Pancras International, NW1 2QL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 3006 1550

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

Say your goodbyes with a glass of bubblyMy friend suggested we meet for at St Pancras before heading out to eat as his train arrived at this station. When I arrived to meet him at the statue of the lovers I saw him dangling 2 glasses of bubbly over the banister calling my name. As it turned out there was a glass of champagne with my name on.

All be it the longest champagne bar in Europe at 96metres you will still struggle to get a seat in one of the booths. Maybe this is because its a new bustling venue but all 110 seats were filled & many were standing around sipping the good stuff. There are many types of champagne available, with a equally varied price range from Â£7.50 a glass of Jean Paul Deville Carte Noire NV (Â£39.50 a bottle) to an extravagent bottle of Balthazar at Â£1,100.

The leather seated booths are heated giving comfort to your derrier in this hall like draughty enviroment, however a point to note is the button to heat both opposing seats is only on one side so snuggling up on one seat may leave you out in the cold. Also the toilets are located on the lower floor a fair walk if you have had a couple.

De Zagerij

jo104 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:58:31 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: Westerstraat 182, 1015 MR, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Phone: 020 42 11 155

Website: http://www.eetcafe-de-zagerij.nl/

Tags: good value, greek, family & home feel, middle eastern

Fancy tapas or turkish styled foodIn Amsterdam lunch is normally just a small bite to eat like a sandwich so it can be hard to find somewhere that will serve a reasonable sized hot meal at lunchtime.

This restaurant has been transformed from an old brown cafe into a cosy space with a turkish / greek sort of theme, it felt warm & inviting with very capable friendly staff. I liked the fact it is an open kitchen so you can see it is kept clean.

We ordered the Turkish style homemade burger & the Pork sate which came with a huge plate of chips (big enough to share). Both dishes were tasty and very reasonably priced.
We saw on the menu you can also enjoy tapas here & there is a special groups menu.

Maska Bar

jo104 — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:55:32 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: ul Jagiellonska 1, 31-010, Krakow, Poland

Tags: sophisticated, socialites, opulent, arty, cocktails

Arty cellar barWe fancied celebrating in style after Aouth Africa won the rugby world cup, and the Irish bar where we watched was very limited in its beverages.

Maska is in the basement of the Stary Theatre located in the Old Town. Its decor is rich an opulent and with the aid of some very clever low lighting gives the feel as if one is entering a secret cave. It is no suprise that some famous people have visited this bar, amongst these people are Royalty, film directors, actors, actresses and film directors - so a great place for people spotting.

We ordered a bottle of Cava which was only 60zl, I noticed some of the other guests were drinking rather elaborate cocktails - apparently their speciality is making cocktails of the flags of the world. The are is divided into 2 rooms which caters for both smoking and non-smoking.

As I relaxed in a booth sipping my bubbly, soft music playing in the background, I can honestly say this place is quite a find.

Opening times 9am - 3pm except on sunday opening time is 11am
On their website I see that they do serve a full menu as well however we did not eat here.
No specific dress code, however this is more of a sophisticated place - not ideal for stag do's!!

Chimes

jo104 — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:20:35 +0000

Rating: 3.3

Location: 26 Churton Street, SW1V 2LP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7821 7456

Tags: good value, british, family & home feel, cider

Old English charmWell I must agree with previous reviews on this restuarant it has a fairly unusual ambience. The decor is sparse with wooden floors that helps the sound to carry around the room. I did find it rather odd that even though the restuarant was not full they seated a couple almost on top of us. I can also see what other reviewers may mean regarding the staff, they are noticebly withdrawn from the restaurant and flagging their attention can be difficult.

Now for the more important aspect being the food. Monthly specials are available on a separate menu, although they had run out of the Gloucestershire Lamb pie when we ordered. I opted for the Steak & mushroom pie, which comes in a round casserole dish topped with flaky puff pastry. The meat was superb quality and the accompanying vegetables were fresh and tasty. My friend chose the Lamb shank which he agreed was fist class. For dessert the apple and blackberry crumble was delicious.

There are several wines to choose from both by the glass or by the bottle. Cider is what makes this place special due to it stocking some unique brews, as well as the ability for you to enjoy fruit wine such as Elderflower or Blackberry.

Covent Garden Grill

jo104 — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:15:13 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 16 Henrietta St, WC2E 8QH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7240 9600

Website: http://www.coventgardengrill.com

Tags: business, grill

A well hung steakBeing on a strict eating plan from my personal trainer, or indeed the same for followers of the Atkins diet, I find it hard to find a restuarant that will give you a choice of either salad, mixed veg, chips or baked potato with your char grilled steak.

For mains I ordered the 10oz rib eye steak with a red wine & shallot sauce. Steak in this restuarant is sourced from the Scottish Borders & hung for 28 days. My friend chose the Char-grilled salmon which he raved about.

For dessert I had the cherry brandy mousse in a dark chocolate casing, it was rather rich but I was advised that it was a particularly rich chocolately dessert prior to ordering. My friend had the homemade white choclate icecream with Ammeretto which was nothing to write home about.

The staff are very helpful and the decor is simple yet pleasing on the eye.

They do have a pre-theatre menu but this must be ordered prior to 5.30pm which is a little too early cut off for most pre-theatre meals I suspect.

Gordon's Wine Bar

jo104 — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:10:16 +0000

Rating: 4.3

Location: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Tags: relaxed, mature, young professionals, candlelit, sexy, underground, trendy, romantic

Under the ArchesAnd now for something completely different - this quaint wine bar really makes you feel like you are in the depths of London's underground network. The entrance to the wine bar is down some steep stairs and the seating area extends into a cave like area. It was packed when we stopped by for a post theatre glass of wine and this was a monday evening. It does get especially hot under the arches perhaps this is what makes it a good place for a date. The rickety tables and candlelight add to the ambience of this wine bar.

Wine is severved in measures from as small as 12cl, the house red was smooth and delicious. They do serve food, however we did not indulge.

Tivoli Gardens

jo104 — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:59:44 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: Vesterbrogade 3, 1630, Copenhagen, Denmark

Website: http://www.tivoli.dk

Tags: live music, junk food, fairground, amusement park

Oldest Amusement park Tivoli Gardens is the oldest amusement park, even older then Disneyland in fact this is where Walt Disney got his idea for Disneyland. The park covers 82,712 sqm & has various rides, attractions, drinking holes & restaurants.

I was here on a friday evening meeting with people from all over Europe and I do have to admit that I am not a thrill seeker by any means. There was a live concert starting at 10pm and the place was packed.

There are lots of novel places to drink and eat, we visited a bar in the shape of a ship & had to walk the gangplank to get aboard.

Tivoli has the highest carousel â¬SHimmelskibetâ¬

Kilmainham Gaol

jo104 — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:42:33 +0000

Rating: 4.5

Location: Inchicore Road, Dublin 8, Dublin, Ireland

Tags: museum, jail, historical

Imagine how the prisoners feltThe Gaol was built in 1796 on a hill with the idea that the fresh air would be good for the prisoners, although no glass in the windows & porous limestone walls illness quickly spread. As I moved through the prison corridors during the guided tour I felt a chill go up my spine. These prisoners certainly did not have any creature comforts like our prisoners have today, their cells were positively bleak, cold, dark and dank.

Men & women were kept separate in the Gaol & even children were sent here for petty crimes luck stealing potatoes. One man was held for 7 years for stealing a cart wheel. Photoâ¬"s were taken with a mirror to get the side profile.

14 leaders of the 1916 Easter uprising for Irish independence were held & executed here. Joseph Plunkett got married to Grace Gifford & executed 2 hours later.

The East wing was modernised & it was known as the all seeing eye. Prisoners were not allowed to talk & there were carpets on the floors outside the cells so prisoners could not hear the footsteps of the gaurds.

During the famine the jail was overcrowded, sometimes up to 6 in a cell made for one, people were committing crimes so as to get their 2 small meals in jail

Sometimes they have art galleries in the Jail cells of the East wing. You are also taken outside to the execution site.

Entrance into museum & guided tour is Euro 5.30, student Euro 2.10