Latest reviews by miffy

Astoria 2

miffy — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:12:41 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 157 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0EL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7434 9592

Website: http://www.meanfiddler.com/

Tags: live music, free to get in, hole in pocket, indie, reasonably priced, students, hip-hop, underground, friendly, dance, cool

Push- Astoria 2 (venue/ club night)The sister venue to the Astoria nexdoor which played host to legendary club nights such as Frong and G-A-Y for years, Astoria 2 is smaller but very similar. Downstairs a stage area and large dance floor with a small bar and upstairs a comparitively larger bar in a much smaller space. Having only been on a saturday night i know only what they play at Push. Indie hits mixed with electro and ironically played hip hop actually makes good music to dance to. The average age of the club is about 21 but ranges from 18 up wards. they are strict on id but if you are a student you normally get in for free and a whiskey and coke is very cheap at Â£1.50. Live music is often played but "celebrity" djs are usually the norm, the inverted commas refer to the fact that "celebrity" here means people from virtually unknown bands or better known ones like bloc party being the more famous. A good night out in an "underground" feeling night club, if there isnt anything betetr to do and you dont have much money.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen

miffy — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:58:31 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 35 Haven Green, W5 2NX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8998 0392

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

Tags: lively, posh burgers, family & home feel, good value, crowded

Gourmet Burger KitchenThough small the gourmet burger kitchen is within easy reach of every bus that goes through ealing and the train station if you are coming from further a field to enjoy the food here. Of course a place like this in ealing is bound to attract families from around the area and I can see why. The food is definitely child friendly but this is not mac donalds or burger king and the more sophisticated side of gourmet burger makes it popular with parents and young professionals alike. The food is delicious and very varied with plenty to choose from on your burner. The decor is comfortable but modern and attractive and in summer the front disappears meaning, though small and crowded it is not stuffy and hot. Looking for food in ealing? try here!

Leonards

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:31:09 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 42 Northampton Road, EC1R 0HU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7278 9983

Website: http://www.leonards-ec1.co.uk

Tags: live music, indie, traditional pub, students, rock, hip-hop, underground, friendly, relaxed

LeonardsA tiny pub situated in the backstreets of Farringdon off the Clerkenwell road this dingy little pub is full of character and arm chairs. The night I went was a night of unsigned bands with a wide variety of music from rappers to screamo, indie to metal, it was all there. The bar staff were friendly and egged on the bands in a supportive way which gave the pub a communal atmosphere. The location isnt ideal being on a back street next to a large council estate but inside the underground, off the beaten track feel of this pub is nothing special but is relaxed though quite expensive.

Travelodge Seafront

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:15:33 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: West Street, BN1 2RQ, Brighton, United Kingdom

Phone: 0871 984 6405

Website: http://www.travelodge.co.uk/find_a_hotel/hotel/hotel_id/356/BrightonSeafront

Tags: nightlife, hotel chain, budget

Travelodge SeafrontThe hotel is undergoing major refurbishment which looks like it will be good when its finished with a spiral staircase and new lobby. Currently this hotel is nice enough with almost sea views on most sides, nice bathrooms and comfy double beds (in double rooms obviously). Reasonable room rates but not enough towels was one complaint of few. The only other is the location, while good in terms of being central, near the seafront, near the nightlife and much better than the other travelodge in Brighton, it is, if possible, a bit too close to the nightlife being literally next door to some very rowdy bars and clubs. This will be handy if thats what you're there fore if you're in brighton on buisness and want a good nights sleep, this is a warning, I went on wednesday and people were pouring out of the clubs at2.30am. But the sea side location is a bonus in the day time very close to the pier and the beach.

Jurys Inn Chelsea

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:03:36 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: Imperial Road, SW6 2HA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7411 2200

Website: http://www.jurys.com

Tags: bargain, hotel chain

Chealsea Harbour Jury's InnVery difficult to find just past a new development of this harbour, Jury's Inn is a good, bargain hotel that, though part of a cheap hotel chain like travelodge, holiday inn etc, feels a bit more up-market. Very comfortable rooms with good sized bathrooms, big windows with panoramic views of london and a whole floor designed by laura ashley make this hotel a good place to spend the night in london on a budget. The night I went this new hotel had no hot water, instead of putting me off this brought out the friendly and helpful nature of the staff who even offered to transfer us to the heathrow branch of the hotel if we couldnt do without hot water. Moreover they were patient with us as we ordered 3 different takeaways from the surrounding area to our room. A bit out of the way but once you're there a good night's sleep.

The White Cross

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:53:03 +0000

Rating: 2.5

Location: Riverside (Off Water Lane), TW9 1TH, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8940 6844

Website: http://www.youngs.co.uk/pub-detail.asp?PubID=460

Tags: pretentious, mature, cool & smart, young professionals, traditional pub

The White CrossBrilliant location on the waterfront looking over the thames this is a "cosy" pub. The upstairs is somewhat crowded with chairs and tables but downstairs is lively. The clientele are not very friendly, young professionals are scornful of under 25s but its comfy so if you can ignore that then its fine, anyway, that was on one night and the downstairs was very friendly. Drinks were a bit too expensive and the atmosphere is a bit too uptight but its not a bad pub, comfy and warm.

The Lot

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:44:39 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 1a Duke Street, TW9 1HP, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8940 6423

Tags: relaxed, sport pub, pop, indie, modern pub, young professionals, standard pub food, beer garden, students, rock, pool

The LotÂ£3.25 for a pint and a burger, need I say more? Well, a huge projection of sky tv on one wall which had the simpsons on when I went but often has sports and a god pool table for your enjoyment. Good cheap drinks and a wide variety of them coming in pitchers or singles makes this a good place to start the night or sit and relax on its big leater sofas along one side and around the place. This is a very studenty place hence the cheap drinks slightly grungy atmosphere (I dont mean Kurt Cobain I been a bit rough around the edges) and sky tv, so I wouldnt reccomend it for a classy night out or anything but definitely great value for money.

Auntie's Tea Shop

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:33:07 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 1 St. Marys Passage, CB2 3PQ, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Phone: 01223 315641

Tags: cosy, good brew, crowded, quick bite

Auntie'sVery crowded and slightly too expensive, however, a pretty, traditional, cost tea room that not only serves a ncie cup of tea and slice of cake, but also does great jacket potatoes and sandwiches. Staff wear maids outfits which adds to the sense of occasion and makes tea time fun if a bit twee. Aunties is not really a good place for a quite cup of tea but more a traditional afternoon tea experience. Despite that its a nice enough tea shop.

Sue's Snacks

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:26:32 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 62 Queens Road, BN1 3XD, Brighton, United Kingdom

Tags: cosy, top food, amazing brew, lively

Sue's SnacksA small cafe but a good one. The welcoming and friendly staff provide a hearty full english with thick cut toast, delicious beans, crispy bacon and perfect eggs. The tea is just right for first thing in the morning, not too strong but strong enough. Only problem was that the floor space was eccentrically shaped and the chairs were too big but that's not really their fault. Well worth a visit if a snack is what you need or you want filling to the brim with a huge, unhealthy breakfast.

Wokmania

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:22:03 +0000

Rating: 2.5

Location: 65-75 West Street, BN1 2RA, Brighton, United Kingdom

Phone: 01273 746294

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

Tags: lively, oriental, family & home feel, buffet, pretentious, expensive

WokmaniaDelicious oriental food in an all you can eat (in two hours) buffet. The pudding selection is probably most impressive with an enormous chocolate fountain, fruit and marshmallows aswell as fruit salad and a wide range of cakes. The long buffet table provides both vegetarian and meat dishes of high quality. It has a very sophisticated feel with lots of long darkwood tables. However there is humour in it- takeshis castle is played on big tvs. Â£15 a head is a bit expensive but if you're splashing out and in the mood for some kind of oriental food then this is great, otherwise oo expensive but filling and delicious.

Icebox

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:13:00 +0000

Rating: 2.0

Location: West Street, , Brighton, United Kingdom

Tags: dance, pop, reasonably priced, young and fun, students, hip-hop, house, trendy

Icebox Doesnt fill up til later on in the night and the cloakroom is Â£1.50 PER ITEM which was so expensive I ended up loosing my coat because if you dont pay for the cloakroom they confiscate your stuff. Apart from that this club was fun, by the end of the night it was full of sussex uni students in their sports wear and a few peopl in cavemen outfits. This is very much a party/ drinking club so if you're not outto get smashed then probably not the place for you. Popular dance hits and that sort of thing played, very dancy, a good laugh. The intererior is large, bouncers not too agressive, modern interior is a bit red/gold and shiny for me, its not really my kind of place, but it was fun for one night.

Digital Brighton

miffy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:45:20 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 187-193 Kings Road Arches, BN1 1NB, Brighton, United Kingdom

Website: http://www.yourfutureisdigital.com/brighton/index.html

Tags: dance, pop, reasonably priced, young and fun, students, hip-hop, house, friendly

digital brightonNot usually my type of club but student night beckoned and digital brighton was cheap. Luckily for me. Stayed at this club for a good three hours (unfortunately this was as long as it was open). Music was mainly hip hop and r n b but mostly chart hits and some club classics and electro/ d n b. Its quite a small club but the atmosphere was friendly, drinks not extortionate and good music. All in all fun if short live, worth a visit at the end of a night. If you like that kind of music you'll probably like it more than I did, but even I thought it was pretty great.

Beyond Retro

miffy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:21:11 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 110-112 Cheshire St, E2 6EJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7613 3636

Website: http://www.beyondretro.com/

Tags: second hand, vintage clothing, helpful staff, bargain, rare finds

Beyond RetroTHE vintage shop of london, this is the main beyond retro though there are other near oxfod circus and various oher places. This enormous converted warehouse is the favourite of fashion magazine stylists and rich vintage fans. The dress ection is rather annoyingly organised by colour making it tricky if u want a specific style but no a specific coulor. Nonethe less the sheer volume of clothes makes up for the colour coding. whether you want a swimming costume or vintage chanel you can get it here. Row after row of interesting tshirts and stacks of sunglasses and handbags can be found. Well worth a visit if you can be bothered to find it/ get to brick lane (assuming you arent cool enough to live in shoreditch). Especially good if you want something special.

Zayka

miffy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:07:43 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 8 South Ealing Road, W5 4QA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8579 7378

Tags: friendly, good value, indian

ZaykaFriendly staff and delicious food, zayka is one of the best takeaways Ive ever had. NOt overly expensive and worth every penny the chicken Korma is, not the most adventurous curry, but amazingly good and comes with complimentary mago sauce, minty cucumber and mixed veg. The nan is always hot on arrival and the onion bajjis are pretty good too. Quick delivery time means you're not left hungry. They open at six but you may have to wait longer if ou order straight away, one of the best Indian take aways Ive had.

Makan

miffy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:01:48 +0000

Rating: 4.2

Location: 270 Portobello Road, W10 5TY, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8960 5169

Tags: lively, family, malaysian, food

MakanAfter a hard morning's shopping this is the perfect combination of a nice place to have some tea, watch the world go by and eat delicious food. Two chicken curry puffs for Â£1 and samosas for Â£1.50 as I remember) and that will fill you up. Should you need more thereare many many options of curry's and snacks including sweet and savour. The banana buttons are particularly nice. This malaysian cafe is definitely worth a visit if you're in the market whether for lunch or just a short break. There isn't much seating but people are usually friendly and share tables. The tea comes in english breakfast as well as fruit teas and there is fresh orange juice too. Great, quirky place to eat/ relax.