Latest reviews by oogywawa

Alley Cats

oogywawa — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:38:32 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 3 Coffee Yard, YO1 8AR, York, United Kingdom

Tags: cosy, proper food, quiet & relaxed, good brew, cultured

Purrrrrrrr - fect on a sunny eveningI've grown to like Alley Cats from inauspicious beginnings. The first time I went in was fairly raucous and we are treated to a raunchy striptease by a voluptuous lass - so not all bad!! It all felt a bit cliquey though, but I think now I was probably mistaken.

The handsomely restored 16th century building is on 3 floors, with dining in the lower and upper environs and drinks in the bijout bar and outside. The candlelit atmosphere lends itself to the varied clientele - from lovers to groups to the silver pound...

There could not be a lovelier courtyard either to drink in - facing the stunning Barley Hall which has been there since 1430.

The bar is well stocked with Premium spirits, Cocktails, a judicious Wine list and a varies stock of ice cold bottled Beers.

The best bit is that unless you know where it is you ain't going to find it - hidden away along an atmospheric stone passage, or "snickleway" between Swinegate and Stonegate. Now doesn't that make you feel smug when you finally do...!

Vertigo 42

oogywawa — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:04:32 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, EC2N 1HQ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7877 7842

Website: http://www.vertigo42.co.uk

Tags: posh, cool & smart, young professionals, friendly

An experience everyone should do once...Want to impress someone? Then V42's your place.

Yes it's expensive, full of liggers on expense accounts and has the atmosphere of a corporate office but that pales into insignificance the moment you peer out of the glass.

If you pick the end of the day when the light is fading from a hazy sunshine through that glorious transition period from day into early evening and finally night you get 3 experiences in one.

Once you get used to the sheer height of the place (the lift covers 42 floors in 20 seconds or so...) and that indefinable feeling of being slightly unsettled and heady then you can enjoy the panoramic view of London and the horizon for as far as you can see.

You have to book well in advance and you get your own amount of space at the window, which depends on the size of your party. Drinks are mainly Champagne, with Wine & Cocktails available and snacks such as peanuts and olives. Service is attentive and the bill attention grabbing !

Butlers Wharf Chop House

oogywawa — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:46:52 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 36E Shad Thames, SE1 2YE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 3403

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

Tags: lively, british, crowded, expensive

Fantastic location - not matched by the foodOn a balmy night in London overlooking Tower Bridge there can't be many better places to spend a couple of culinary hours. It's about as good as it gets and the newly gentrified Shad Thames area makes a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of the well worn paths to the doors of West End eateries.

It trumpets itself as serving "British Classics" and sadly delivered "Carry On" food rather than Shakespeare...

On the night I eat recently, the food was not as good as I had a right to expect given that we paid around Â£70 per head in our group. Rather than cooking that demonstrated talent and verve, we got competence which was more than a little disappointing. Small things such a dry cardboard bread was not a good omen for what followed and whilst there was nothing heineously wrong with our food it just didn't excite. I had 4 small lamb cutlets, all bizarrely differently cooked - varying from rare to medium, the accompanying veg was overcooked, the steaks came as served and not one of our party was consulted as to how they wanted them - 2 were returned as one was blue and the other well done !!!

The desserts were all of Sara Lee standard and the cheese board came as advertised - Cheese with bread that had the consistency of Board...

Conran have taken this under their wing and much needs to be done to lift the food standard to befit the location. The much trailed surly service to be fair has disappeared and staff were bright & helpful, but Butlers Wharf's continued absence in any noteworthy food guides is some way off being remedied judging by this experience.

Brigantes

oogywawa — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:34:26 +0000

Rating: 3.0

Location: 114 Micklegate, YO1 6JX, York, United Kingdom

Phone: 01904 675355

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

Tags: relaxed, mature, young professionals, standard pub food, traditional pub, students, friendly

An oasis in a cultural desert...The Brigantes in Micklegate - now there's the perfect definition of an oxymoron. A convivial beer oasis slap bang in the middle of Darwin's Waiting Room...!!

For those living near to Micklegate, it must of been a memorable day when this place opened. A bar dedicated to bringing the great unwashed as big and varied a draught beer collection as possible: Draught UK Real Ales, Continental Lagers, Wheat Beers, Fruit Beers as well as a tidy bottle collection and Wines galore. In Micklegate of all places they've done the unthinkable and not even employed a bouncer on weekends. Why - because they realise that the brain doners that frequent the area just aren't interested in what they have to offer and that good ale and good company are the perfect turn-off for the "lager, food then vomit" crowd.

Why then only 3 stars, well because the Beer wasn't on top form. The Tim Taylor's Landlord was not - well Landlord - just some nondescript acetyl mess and if that's TT's fault then don't sell it for the sake of a name. The Leeds Brewery Midnight Bell was better but not as good as say KoKo's across town.

On a good day this is easily a 4 star pub, but not on my visit. Congrats though for what they've done so far...

The Devonshire Arms

oogywawa — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:09:17 +0000

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37 Marloes Road, W8 6LA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7937 0710

Tags: posh, modern pub, cool & smart, young professionals, standard pub food, trendy, friendly, relaxed

Good atmosphere in this thriving pubThe Devonshire has become what I call a "Boutique pub". They've basically tarted it up in a semi-tasteful way and supplemented plum coloured walls & furnishings with lots of wooden furniture including butchers blocks as high tables !

A vast selection of draught ales and continental lagers signals that they've kept the pub ethics and a good wine list as well as premium spirits takes care of all tastes.

The formula certainly works as it's pretty much full whatever time of the day you visit. A micro beer garden at the front adds to the attraction and you'll enjoy a really convivial atmosphere with a fairly eclectic clientele. There's money around these parts and the de-rigeur striped shirts, "polo" logo's and sweaters draped around shoulders are not uncommon - but hey - they're friendly enough and that's all that matters.

Scarsdale

oogywawa — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:59:23 +0000

Rating: 4.3

Location: 23A Edwardes Square, W8 6HE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7937 1811

Tags: posh, cool & smart, young professionals, standard pub food, beer garden, traditional pub, sexy, trendy, friendly, relaxed

Superb atmosphere, don't choose the bar foodThis agreeable hostelry gets 4 stars purely for atmosphere and a decent drinks menu. To get the negatives out of the way, the food was a pig with lipstick. Nicely presented, hugely average taste deficient lazy cooking for the masses. How the 'clucking bell' can you still get away with charging Â£11 for fish n chips and serve tartar from a catering pack and have the affrontry to tell me that it's freshly made - from what glue, such was the consistency??? The restaurant might be a different matter but the only plus was that the nosh was generally cheap(ish) - given the area. But that said, given the area and disposable incomes why not serve superb food and charge a bit more...

What redeemed all of this was a genuinely convivial atmosphere, well served beers and mixers and splendidly comfortable surroundings. The crowd spilled out onto the street such was its popularity - a mixture of pretty & handsome local professionals, ruddy faced downbeat public school types and affable tourists, all rubbing along nicely.

An excellent local that is maybe complacent about the food given that it's guaranteed to be full each night with regulars who don't go to eat.

Loch Fyne

oogywawa — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:48:53 +0000

Rating: 2.0

Location: Foss Bridge House, Fossgate, YO1 9TJ, York, United Kingdom

Phone: 01904 650 910

Website: www.lochfyne.com

Tags: expensive, british, pretentious

Most certainly not fine..!!To call the Loch Fyne chain the McDonalds of fish restaurants is actually to insult the aforesaid American purveyor of gastronomic sewage. Hard to fathom I know, but the point I'm making is that at least you know what you're getting at McD's and make allowances for the contents of a nappy in a bap, served with assorted undergrowth to mask the taste.

Loch Fyne are guilty of that most heinous of crimes - raising your expectations with the promise of "fabulous food" (so says their website) and delivering so little that you wouldn't be as upset if you had found out that David Attenborough ran a business selling kids pets to Chinese takeaways.

The surroundings even manage play their part in the disingenuity: a lovely converted victorian hardware store where up until only a few years ago men in brown overalls would search small boxes labelled in handwritten copperplate for that particular screw (singular) that you needed to complete your latest DIY apocolypse. Loch Fyne must have been doing inappropriate things to themselves when this building came up for sale (due to the proliferation of the B&Q Ã¼ber warehouses) such is the scale of the building. I once went in there and after a couple of hours was convinced I was in Narnia, such was the vastness of the place with farflung lofts and basements, I bumped into a Dodo on the way out 4 years later.

The space is so fine and handsome that foolishly you expect the food to follow suit and that brings me back to the McD's analogy I started with - you just don't expect the all-prevailing mediocrity that grinds you down to a weeping, gently rocking mess. There wasn't a single dish that you couldn't have bought from M&S and got a better gustatory experience.

The verbosity of the menu should have forewarned me, I almost wish that the author of that had cooked my food - he had more imagination. The Salmon starter was apparently "smoked over wood chips from old whisky casks", I wouldn't have minded if it had been smoked on the arse of a whisky sodden tramp if it had possessed any taste. The fish pie had the consistency of snot in a bowl with a topping of cheddar flavour verruca-clippings. Of the other dishes served to our party the lemon sole should have had "ar" as a prefix and may well have been better utilised by a cobbler so underdone it was, and the Salmon fishcakes had the texture of chipboard, but not all the flavour. The poor guy on an adjacent table was attempting to digest a steak but looked as though he needed Olympic teeth to complete the job successfully!!

All this was presided over by a waitress that had a mouth that resembled a cats backside and possessed all the charm of a fart in a crowded lift. We questioned whether the cheese selection had been lifted half eaten from another table so parsimonious was the serving. This was met with disdain and we also duly charged for extra bread as there were less rolls than people !!

A salutory example of style over content in an age where people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. There's something immoral about calculating mediocrity - and that's Loch Fyne's watchword. Expensive refurbishments, cooking by numbers, mean portions may ensure that profits are good but what about the raison d'etre - FOOD.

If I had the power I would put a compulsory purchase order on the building and give it as a gift to J Bakers across the road. Now there's an establishment the owners of Loch Fyne should visit several times to learn how to deliver flavours that they could only dream of and probably never knew existed.

BoBo LoBo

oogywawa — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:04:49 +0000

Rating: 1.5

Location: 5 Little Stonegate, YO1 8AX, York, United Kingdom

Phone: 01904 621900

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

Tags: lively, crowded

Massively average Latin bar with no Mojito's !!!Boy has this place gone downhill - and it was only halfway up at the start !!

In their "better" days the self-titled John "The Legend" Steele (with an hilarious talent for self promotion)used to mix a decent cocktail as he learnt his trade on the job. He was then poached by a nearby club and left the 2 clowns that he was mentoring to carry on where he left off. The problem is that they think the secret of a good mixologist is to be able to juggle all manner of bottles and implements, a la Tom cruise, in order to impress the Ladies. They don't actually like having to do the hard work - as in mixing the Cocktails themselves.

The last 4 times I have been there they have run out of mint so conveniently can't deliver a Mojito. It beggars belief - and the last retort to me was "what do you expect after a busy day?"

The place is busy for 2 reasons - it opens late and there's no competition. If it was vying for business alongside Mojo in Leeds or Cafe Kick in London it would be empty.

Come on someone - open a good cocktail bar in York - you'll fill your boots...

KoKo International Bar

oogywawa — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:40:05 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 31 Goodramgate, YO1 7LS, York, United Kingdom

Tags: cool, mature, young professionals, independent pub, young and fun, students, trendy, friendly, relaxed

Authentic imported Stella Artois now available...I popped into Ko Ko and couldn't believe my eyes - Stella Artois now on one of the fonts. My heart sank - giving in to the market forces of the mass produced UK Wifebeater.

Or so I thought !!!!

The genial host put me right in my place - "it's genuine imported Stella Artois from Leuven". Anyone who's ever drank Stella outside of these isles know that it gives any Lager a run for its money. Light, beautifully balanced beer.

Why do Inbev insult the British by brewing the excrement that we drink over here, when the rest of Europe has access to the real thing rather than the heavy, metallic aftertasting pretender that tastes nothing like the real thing.

Good for Ko Ko - taking the trouble to import this beer and re-educate York drinkers as to what they're missing...

Comme Chez Soi

oogywawa — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:35:10 +0000

Rating: 5.0

Location: 23, Pl Rouppe, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

Phone: +32 2 512 2921

Website: www.commechezsoi.be

Tags: expensive, international, business

Heaven can wait...I'm double booked !Just recently, when I called at short notice to enquire about a table at this Michelin 2 Star Deity I expected more luck at winning the European Lottery 36th rollover draw !!! That they had a cancellation that very night meant that I went frantically searching to see if in fact there was a 36th rollover draw happening that weekend...alas not but no matter...

The restaurants title - "Just Like Home" is designed to comfort you but given the standard of food that leaves the pass, if you could eat like this at home you'd become a recluse.

Pierre Wynantsâ¬"s cooking delivers depths of flavours you didn't think possible. It's not molecular alchemy like Blumenthal, but no less impressive because it's not avant garde. I had "Rack of lamb in a basil crust with asparagus from Mechelen,fried St George's mushrooms and crispy potatoes" and I can assure you it was the best prepared Lamb I've tasted to date. There was Nile Perch or Beef with black truffle or Breast of Cuckoo all accompianed by the most exquisite of ingredients to ensure total satisfaction.

The A la Cart Menu is uncluttered but I defy anyone to find something that doesn't send a frisson through their very being.

The surroundings are a wood dominated Art Nouveau homage to Victor Horta and the welcome relaxed and friendly.

I've eaten some Oscar winning food on my travels - Roux, Bourdain, Pierre White, Blumenthal, Ramsey and the rest of the Harlem Globe Trotters have all had me in raptures (El Bulli eludes me though) but this guy gives them all a run for their money. Budget at the very minimum for â¬150 per person and anything up to â¬300 per person if you want Cavier and Black Truffles on your plate at varying times of the night.

The only problem - where's your next destination when you've visited Paradise...! El Bulli?

Kafka

oogywawa — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:35:18 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 6 Rue de la Vierge Noire, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

Phone: 00 32 2 513 54

Tags: relaxed, late license, traditional pub, friendly

Welcoming late night community pub...Apart from the legendary Archiduc that is still partying on until 5am, 7 days a week, Kafka is my second favourite late night / early morning haunt in Brussels.

It's what we refer to in the UK as a "Boozer", in all the most positive ways. It's understated, basic without being grubby and full of locals that know it's there and enjoy good earnest conversation without paying for any of the trappings of a tarted up club. The low lighting makes it seem more conspiratorial than seedy.

They make you feel welcome and the huge array of drinks are all reasonably priced. A perfect place to relax and unwind in good company...

Arthur's Rive Gauche

oogywawa — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:38:18 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 7 - 9 rue de Rhone, 1204, Geneva, Switzerland

Website: www.arthurs.ch

Tags: cool, late license, gastro pub, mature, excellent pub food, cool & smart, young professionals, glamorous, sexy, trendy, friendly, relaxed, posh

Sumptuous - but worth the decadance occasionallyThis Left Bank institution is popular with the financial crowd - no pun intended. To frequent this place regularly you'd certainly need to be making a tidy sum from your investments. Cheap it ain't!!

However as a total homage to feckless spending I'd recommend it to anyone who wants first class dining, expertly mixed cocktails, smooth service and a stunning terrace overlooking the Lake.

There are 4 distinct areas to Arthur's - Bar, Lounge, Restaurant and Terrace all oozing a relaxed opulence with deep chairs & sofa's, warm browns and creams punctuated with steel and glass tables, dark oak and extravagant crystal chandeliers. Crowning this contrapuntal assortment of styles are huge "Warhol-esque" murals of Hollywood stars such Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando adorning several walls and not tacky in the least.

The clientele have one thing in common - money - or access to it ! Whether it be the City slickers on a post work drink and wind-down, an obviously rich hobbit-faced sugar daddy with a pulchritudinous companion or a gaggle of "Sex & the City" girls dressed impeccably and on the tease...

The food is excellent and of Michelin star standard from a menu by the renowned chef Alain Senderens. The menu is somewhat eclectic with dishes nodding to all continents but cooked in a French style so Dim Sum rubs shoulders with New Orleans duck and Smoked Salmon. The drinks menu will never earn the accolade "value for money" with spirits at Â£10 a shot but it charges what the market will afford. The cocktails are a stand-out though with a near-perfect mojito the star.

Arthur's not cheap but certainly decandent and memorable and what more do you want for a one-off.

A la Mort Subite

oogywawa — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:48:35 +0000

Rating: 4.5

Location: 7, rue Montagne-aux-Herbes Potageres, , Brussels, Belgium

Tags: relaxed, late license, standard pub food, traditional pub, friendly

A well loved brussels institution...Although this place appears in most travel guides as a "must visit", probably as it is not too near to the Grand Place then thankfully it has retained a somewhat "local" atmosphere, but not in a xenophobic sense at all.

I like the description of the decor I read somewhere -"rococo boudoir", which suits it perfectly. A happy gallimaufry of styles - off-white walls and pillars, huge gilt mirrors, faded pictures, stained glass and row upon row of perfunctory tables.

But it all works, they serve a selection of local beers, a good wine & spirit list, cold snacks (such as bread, cheese & assorted meats & pickles) and everyone contributes to the gentle hum of amiable discourse. This should be on every vistors list but ironically I'm glad it isn't !!

La Becasse

oogywawa — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:02:38 +0000

Rating: 4.0

Location: 11, rue Tabora, , Brussels, Belgium

Tags: relaxed, late license, traditional pub, friendly

It's good to be in the know...You have absolutely no chance of stumbling on this place, (just off the Grand Place) so well hidden is this wonderful little ornate bar, and as far as I'm concerned that's a very good thing. This way it retains a sedate charm that is both welcoming but exclusive and engenders a sort of smugness that you have found it yourself.

A long scruffy passageway leads you to La Becasse - that has been a bar since 1793. Once inside, so ordered are the solid oak tables that you could imagine it as a dining room at Oxford University with oak pannelled walls to match, complemented by a marble floor.

Service is from a beautiful oak bar with a plethora of polished copper, stained glass and traditional stoneware pitchers to serve the beer (or geuze) brewed just a few miles away.

We ordered a "Grande" and looked aghast as the waiter brought us three one litre steins. Comically, 8 young French guys walked in, sat down next to us and smiled knowingly as we lived up to their stereotypical view of "Le Rosbifs".

In short - a lovely place to enjoy a quiet beer and snack away from the tourist hell of the Grand Place bars.

Golden Lion

oogywawa — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:37:40 +0000

Rating: 2.0

Location: 9 Church Street, YO1 8BG, York, United Kingdom

Phone: 01904 620942

Tags: traditional pub

Mediocracy personified...The Golden Lion is another pub that will have to up its game in an increasingly competitive pub & bar market in York, with it's 8%+ increase in tourist spending over the last year.

This pub is not bad, it's just that it does nothing really well !!. The beer's well...average; the food's...average; the service is...you guessed it - average. These days average is not an option for ambitious licensed establishments.

I last caught it on a particularly bad night - I entered the pub a good half hour before last orders to find that the lazy staff had put the stools on top of the tables that were not occupied to save time at the end of the night. What sort of messgage does that send to a visitor - certainly not "welcome" but rather - "you're going to be holding up the staff from going home"

It's not as though the trainee landlord was there to oversee it all or take any complaints / feedback - he's had his couple of weeks behind the bar and has taken to the all too familiar tactic of appearing after "Time" has been called to cash up & oversee the emptying of the pub. Whatever happened to graft and looking after regulars & new visitors alike - of being a figurehead for your staff, of cultivating a team ethic? Absent owners I can understand but certainly not landlords, new to the game, that need all the customer facing time they can get.

I hate doing negative reviews, but life's too short to waste your time visiting places that really don't give the impression your business is that important. After all - that's the point of this site isn't it...?