Latest favourites and wishlist by johnspier

Ambiente - review by izolda

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:23:43 +0000

Ambiente - review by izolda

Rating: 4.7

Location: 101 Ballards Lane, N3 1XY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8343 1414

Tags: cosy, top food, proper food, cultured

I work in the area and ofter come here for lunch. They have a good deal on for lunch with pizza or pasta and a drink for around Â£5.50-Â£6 (can't remember the exact amount). The restaurant is clean and you can see the kitchen while the food is being prepared. However since the seating area is quite small it is always a good idea to book before going. The portions are generous, I couldn't eat a whole pizza so two people are best ordering a pizza and a salad and sharing. Great for veggies as well - try the pasta ambiente, delicious and juicy!

Match Bar - review by sparklepants

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:44:01 +0000

Match Bar - review by sparklepants

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37-38 Margaret Street, W1G 0JF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3443

Website: http://www.matchbar.com

Tags: cool, cool & smart, trendy

This is a great place to enjoy a few cocktails after work. If you have a large group give them a call and reserve an area, itâ¬"s free of charge and well worth doing. Also, save yourself some money by getting pitchers of cocktails rather than individual glasses! The food is very nice too, it is quite simplistic but very tasty. I would have to recommend the chicken Caesar salad, the jerk chicken sandwich or on of the sharing platters. Match Bar has a great chilled atmosphere, a really good selection of music (not too loud so you have to shout!)and great selectioon of beers too!

Match Bar - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:39:56 +0000

Match Bar - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37-38 Margaret Street, W1G 0JF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3443

Website: http://www.matchbar.com

Tags: trendy, cool & smart, glamorous, different pub food, young and fun

On our way home the other week we popped into the Match Bar for a couple of expertly made cocktails. I just want to say a couple of words on the Match Bar as it's London's original 'affordable' cocktail venue and over the ten or so years I've been coming down the Big Smoke they've never been anything other than consistently superb. Do yourself a favour and order that big red Match Spring Punch, it's incredibly good.

Match Bar - review by dafinki

Thu, 22 May 2008 16:10:08 +0000

Match Bar - review by dafinki

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37-38 Margaret Street, W1G 0JF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3443

Website: http://www.matchbar.com

Tags: relaxed, mature, cool & smart, young professionals

Was looking for somewhere for a revitalizing drink after hitting the sweaty pavements of Oxford Street and remembered Match. Hadn't been there in a few years and was quite pleased to find it still there. Went on a Wednesday at about 8 and there was plenty of space, things started picking up a bit about 9, but there was enough room for four of us to spread out comfortably...but I suppose the football was on elsewhere so maybe that's why!

Music was inoffensive, drinks were decently priced and service was attentive. My mojito was smashing and others' cocktails were met with approval so can only say from this that the mixing was still up to scratch. Chips were nice enough but had a strange odour of fish! Crowd fairly suity but not in a loudmouth trashy estate agent way.

A good post-shop pitstop.

Match Bar - review by Coffeegeek

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:17:20 +0000

Match Bar - review by Coffeegeek

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37-38 Margaret Street, W1G 0JF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3443

Website: http://www.matchbar.com

Tags: cool, young professionals, glamorous, trendy

Trendy, buzzy, chic but well 'lived in' West End bar. Reserve a table if there's a few of you as there's no chance of getting one otherwise.

Cocktails are comparible in price to other bars in the area but somehow they just seem better. Bar staff are skilled and friendly. Go with a fat wallet and leave wth a fuzzy head and you're sure to have a good time.

Match Bar - review by johnspier

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:31:56 +0000

Match Bar - review by johnspier

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37-38 Margaret Street, W1G 0JF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3443

Website: http://www.matchbar.com

Working with the master mixologist Dale DeGroff, the Match Bar serve some absolutely delicious cocktails in a chilled out environment, the staff are friendly and the prices are reasonable.
Turning up on a mid week night it was nice that the Match Bar wasnâ¬"t too busy; we could find a table and enjoy our cocktails. The cocktails themselves were fantastic and not what I would consider overpriced, we had a little food which went down very well with the flavours of the cocktails and didnâ¬"t realise that it was nearing midnight and time to leave.
As well as serving some great cocktails they also serve some good beers and wine, all at a reasonable price. The staff are friendly polite and willing to help, and we had a great evening.
The only thing that lets the bar down (and Itâ¬"s a small thing) is the state of some of the dÃ©cor, on first impression its very swanky, but a bit of a closer look reveals that it could do with a little touch up here and there, but aside from a table that needs a little bit of TLC, the drinks are great and I canâ¬"t wait to return.

Ambiente - review by matthewf

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 11:08:24 +0000

Ambiente - review by matthewf

Rating: 4.7

Location: 101 Ballards Lane, N3 1XY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8343 1414

Tags: italian, good value, lively

Great value lunch. Excellent food in more than enough amounts. Polite, prompt service who coped with a party of fourteen. Clean, airy restaurant though a little noisy.

Match Bar - review by Sami

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:25:55 +0000

Match Bar - review by Sami

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37-38 Margaret Street, W1G 0JF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3443

Website: http://www.matchbar.com

I think I need to go here again to form a better opinion of it, but it was cute. Very busy, lots of suits but I think that's typical for the after-work crowd/Oxford Circus area, and the music was ok. The food looked pretty good but I didn't try any. Worth a shot if you're in the area.

Atari-Ya - review by johnspier

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:36:46 +0000

Atari-Ya - review by johnspier

Rating: 5.0

Location: Finchley Road, NW11 0AL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8458 7626

The sushi at the small sushi bar is very good, but be warned that the sushi bar / counter is very small so you may have to wait. But waiting is no problem because you can browse the Japanese food store. The sushi is (as should be) made fresh infront of you, and the staff are always very friendly.

Daruma San - review by johnspier

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:26:30 +0000

Daruma San - review by johnspier

Rating: 4.0

Location: 356 Regents Park Road, N3 2LJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8343 2608

Very good Japanese restaurant, the food is always freshly made by the chef, (if you sit at the 'bar' you can observe him making the dishes) and the sushi is just brillant. The only downside is that the ambience is sometimes not quite right - but the food more than makes up for it.

Ambiente - review by johnspier

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:14:39 +0000

Ambiente - review by johnspier

Rating: 4.7

Location: 101 Ballards Lane, N3 1XY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8343 1414

Tags: italian, cheap eat, good value, spanish, warm, friendly, restaurant, romantic, lively

Fantastic place, really good vibe.
Its relaxed with a great atmosphere, and the food is very good. Its a mix between Italian and Spanish and the menu is not too big as to let it run away out of control.