Latest favourites and wishlist by lightlines

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:57:11 +0000

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 4.3

Location: St Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2N 4JJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 4342

Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

Great for a coffee or a cup of tea. Think three times about having anything else in this Gordons Wine Bar meets Weatherspoons set-up. Food prices are high. Menu is firmly in the the knock it out quick school-dinner veggies with meat template. You know the kind of thing, over cooked veg lies limply on the plate beside a characterless slab of meat and gravy. It gets crowded around 7 with the ashen-faced, fake fur, Theatre mob. The staff are fairly demoralized and mirror the menu - not much life or gusto. Its a great space brought down a few by thoughtless planning - uniform square Formica tables at odds with the elegant arches. How can you make something with so much natural class so soulless? Menu needs a rethink - and the place cry's out for a sympathetic re-design.

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:57:11 +0000

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 4.3

Location: St Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2N 4JJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 4342

Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:57:11 +0000

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 4.3

Location: St Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2N 4JJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 4342

Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:57:11 +0000

Cafe in the Crypt - review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 4.3

Location: St Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2N 4JJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 4342

Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

The British Museum - review by Hmm

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:45:53 +0000

The British Museum - review by Hmm

Rating: 4.2

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

Phone: 020 7636 1555

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

Can't say that I have seen the whole museum, but the mummies are great.

Books for Cooks - review by Hmm

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:39:04 +0000

Books for Cooks - review by Hmm

Rating: 5.0

Location: 4 Blenheim Crescent, W11 1NN, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020-7221-1992

Website: http://www.booksforcooks.com/

Really nice place with all kind of food books, friendly staff and also a lovely cafe.

Moro - review by MoRaja

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:48:17 +0000

Moro - review by MoRaja

Rating: 4.4

Location: 34 - 36 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 8336

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

Tags: lively, north african, mediterranean, spanish, crowded, expensive

I love going to Moro. Whilst working in the area I would visit at least once a month for a treat. The food, especially the fish dishes are full of flavour and perfectly cooked. It can be very noisy when busy, so not always the best place to go if you want a serious conversation over dinner/lunch.

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by Niamheen

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:03:15 +0000

Gordon's Wine Bar - review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.3

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

Phone: 020 7930 1408

Definitely one of London's worst kept secrets, Gordon's is a gorgeous wine bar tucked away in a cellar in Embankment. It has a great wine selection, a very decent cheese selection, and other bites that will work well with a fine bottle. Service is very friendly, it's a difficult place to leave! Especially if you've managed to get one of those lovely tables by candlelight.

The only downside is that it get's so busy! It can be impossible to get in the door on a busy night, however, there's ample space outside to indulge in your tipple.

Ah, Gordon's, it's a London institution, and, dare I say it, you're not a proper Londoner if you haven't been there.

Vasis - review by lightlines

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:34:57 +0000

Vasis - review by lightlines

Rating: 5.0

Location: 56 Maple St, W1T 6HW, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7637 5283

Amazing Amazing Amazing. Food, service & decor. You can actually have a conversation here. Downside is probably the price, but when you consider how freshly prepared everything is you simply cannot argue with it. Plus the proprietor is charm personified.

The British Museum - review by Navajo_Pete

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:07:19 +0000

The British Museum - review by Navajo_Pete

Rating: 4.2

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

Phone: 020 7636 1555

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

It is hard not to be impressed when you approach the BM. The large courtyard and the high metal railings with magnificent golden spikes give you a taste of what to expect inside. The main entrance is very grand and perhaps a little foreboding, if you've not visited before.

The main focal point nowadays is the Great Court with the Reading Room. Since the British Library moved out and the court itself was covered over with a huge, curved honeycomb glass roof, a wonderful new space has been created. Very bright and spacious, this is a great place to have a chocolate muffin and fresh cup of coffee, before setting off for one of the many galleries in the rest of the building.

I have always found the Assyrian galleries very impressive - it's amazing to be so close to such old and sophisticated artefacts. When visiting with the children, we always get dragged into the Egyptian rooms, next door.

The BM is actually quite a child-friendly place. Many of the exhibits are visible to them and many of the more recent displays are designed with them in mind. Lots of activity packs are available (usually free) and there are different trails that take young visitors through the BM in a structured way. One place they are bound to get stuck in for a while is the gift shop, where there is a special children's section with puzzles, games, books and the usual notepads and pens.

The main bookshop is a treasure trove of relevant books on just about every subject represented in the BM. Particularly useful is the large collection of post cards and prints.

However many times you visit the BM, there is always something new, as collections rotate and special exhibitions are arranged from time to time. The museum itself is still completely free, although you will have every opportunity to make a donation when entering or leaving. The only exceptions are the special exhibitions and some of the (guided) tours.

This is such a wonderful and impressive place to spend an afternoon that it's hard not to be excited by it. Even if you're not a 'museum person', the BM really is a MUST!

Moro - review by mazphd

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:43:08 +0000

Moro - review by mazphd

Rating: 4.4

Location: 34 - 36 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 8336

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

Tags: lively, middle eastern, business, crowded, expensive, romantic

It is not often that one comes across a restaurant that has style, vibe and some seriously fabulous food. I have been lucky enough to not only dine , but also to experience the wine here, and I intend to develop this very complimentary and devastingly evocative relationship some more.

On my visit, despite being full to bursting and busy every member of staff was attentive, helpful and catchingly perky! Now my experience may have been coloured by the delightful company for the evening (a perceptive, witty and charming dining companion) but Moro also holds all these qualities on its own just on the vibe alone.

For some reason I skipped the Tapas and went straight for the weekly menu, a sardine related dish full of spice, and just the right mix of olive oil and fennel seeds. Simplicity in itself. Now the dining was divine, but better was the wine, and I heartidly recommend, the OntaÃ±on, Gran Reserva a 2001 Spanish Rioja. On the side of 'pricey' at nearly Â£50 a bottle, but mmm so sumptuous.

It has been a while since I've had such great service (especially in the UK!) and wonderful food, and reading the other reviews it seems Moro gets this balance right at least 90% of the time. I'm hoping for those disappointed diners they will return and be charmed in the same way I have been.

My own intention is to revisit and take advantage of the tapas, and moment with a suitably charming dining partner. Oh and to remember to leave room for dessert.

Moro - review by chrisp

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:42:43 +0000

Moro - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.4

Location: 34 - 36 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 8336

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

Tags: expensive, spanish, pretentious

Well, I'm sorry to go against the grain of reviews on this site, but I had a very disappointing experience here last weekend.

Arriving 20 mins too early for the evening menu (which was sold out anyway for some unfathomable reason), we decided to fill up on a selection of tapas and a glass of sherry. The tapas was dull - no better than from Cafe Kick across the road - with a small plate of cold and soggy Pimentos de Padron and Boquerones that had clearly just been dumped out of a jar.

But the real slap in the face came in the form of a Â£4 thimble-sized glass of Tio Pepe Sherry. The measure can't have been more than 100ml, and I know for a fact you can get a whole bottle of the stuff from Waitrose for about Â£8. A violation.

This highlights a wider problem with restaurants serving liquids out of their comfort zone. It's the same reason why a measure of Baileys (20%) costs the same as vodka (40%) in the pub and why you can happily buy shots of tequila for Â£1 each but ask for a brandy and you're given just about enough to coat the bottom of a tumbler for Â£3.50 (yes, most pubs have a perfectly good selection of brandy glasses - but when was the last time you saw one used?).

Sherry is not a spirit. In fact, at 15% it's about the in terms of alcohol content as most Riojas. The sooner these pretentious tapas places realise it the better, and one can only hope that once the credit crunch bites it will sort out the places that demand unquestioning respect from their customers from those that actually earn it.

Cafe in the Crypt - review by Izabel_blue

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:38:42 +0000

Cafe in the Crypt - review by Izabel_blue

Rating: 4.3

Location: St Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2N 4JJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 4342

Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

Tags: cosy, average brew, quiet & relaxed, quick bite

I've been going to the Cafe in the Crypt off and on for about 7 years now, and though I can't fault them for offering good-value dining in a busy area, it's not amazing. The food is very 'school dinners' and tastes of mass catering, and the hot food is always lukewarm.

That being said it's a quiet oasis away from the touristy din of Trafalgar square, and one of the few places in the area where you can get a decent, filling main meal with a glass of wine for under a tenner. The staff is friendly and there is a nice ambience due to the candles and stone walls. Just don't expect a culinary adventure, OK?

The British Museum - review by watermelon90

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

The British Museum - review by watermelon90

Rating: 4.2

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.

Ferraris - review by lou1982

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:49:52 +0000

Ferraris - review by lou1982

Rating: 4.5

Location: 2 Bexley High Street, DA5 1AD, Bexley, United Kingdom

My fiancÃ© took me to this restaurant for our anniversary. I was impressed with the stylish decor and laid back atmosphere. The service was excellent and the food was delicious.

If you want to visit Ferraris be prepared to book in advance, I think my fiancÃ© booked 3 weeks before we went and the only sitting that was available then was 9:00! This place is so popular that there were people still coming in to eat once we were leaving...