Latest reviews by pond's friends

Bellagio - review by sue

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:53:44 +0000

Bellagio - review by sue

Rating: 4.5

Location: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/

Tags: pool, vegas, 5 star, strip, casino, luxury, hotel, views

Bellagio - review by sue

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:53:44 +0000

Bellagio - review by sue

Rating: 4.5

Location: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/

Tags: pool, vegas, 5 star, strip, casino, luxury, hotel, views

When I started planning our time in Las Vegas my priority was to stay in a fabulous hotel, with a view from our room of the Strip. When I looked into the Bellagio I read that not only could we have a room with a Strip view, but it would also have a view of the Bellagio Lake and dancing fountains. Sold!

The Bellagio is a massive 5 star hotel and casino located in the middle of the Strip. The design and dÃ©cor was inspired by Italy's Lake District, and it is a lot classier (IMHO) than some of the other Vegas theme hotels. At the front of the hotel is the aforementioned lake, with regular fountain displays. Inside, the lobby is marble filled and there is a very impressive glass sculpture on the ceiling - 2000 hand blown flowers in bright colours.

The casino is vast, and seemed to cater for the higher-stakes gambler. There are several restaurants, cafes, bars, and a night club. The pool area is stylish and there are private cabanas for hire if you are so inclined. Art lovers may want to visit the Fine Art Gallery, and if you are into Cirque du Soleil then the Bellagio is home to their water show "O".

Our check-in went as planned, and we were appointed the requested 'Deluxe Lakeview Room'. To get to our room we had to walk through the casino, which really helped us to get into a Vegas state-of-mind. Our room was great, spacious and tastefully decorated and fabulous views of the lake and Strip. So bizarre to see the Eiffel Tower out the window!

We very much enjoyed our time at the Bellagio - loved the room, sampled and enjoyed a few of the restaurants and bars, enjoyed the atmosphere of the casino, and thought the location on the Strip was perfect.

Picasso - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:02:01 +0000

Picasso - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 866.259.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/picasso.aspx

Tags: romantic, mediterranean, spanish, expensive, french

The Bellagio is filled with excellent restaurants, and of the fine dining options, one called Picasso caught our eye, so we pre-booked a table for our first night in town. The restaurant is accessed via the Bellagio casino, and looks out over the lake. It has been awarded 2 Michelin Stars, and a AAA Five Diamond Award for seven consecutive years.

The dining room is grand and beautifully decorated - it is filled with Picasso paintings and ceramics. The professional but amiable service made us feel welcome and relaxed from start to finish.

The food is "French cuisine seasonally prepared with a Spanish influence". There was the choice of a degustation menu, or a fixed price, four course menu. We chose from the fixed price menu, and also opted for the Sommelier's wine pairing. This was not a cheap meal, but a memorable one.

To start, we had the Poached Oysters, garnished with Osetra Caviar, Sauce Vermouth; and the Warm Quail Salad with Sauteed Artichokes, Pinenuts. Both dishes were beautifully presented and the oysters were so good they earned a place in Alex's "Top 5 Oysters I have ever eaten" list.

Next up we both opted for the Sauteed Filet of Black Bass with Saffron Sauce and Cauliflower Mousseline - really delicious. Then for the 'main' course we had the Roasted Milk-Fed Veal Chop with Rosemary Potatoes and Au Jus; and the Sauteed Medallions of Fallow Deer with Caramelized Green Apples and Zinfandel Sauce. The deer was certainly the winning dish, I found the veal a little over-cooked.

Desserts were happily devoured, in particular my Warm Chocolate Fondant with Carmel Chocolate Ice Cream. The fondant was good, but the ice cream was exceptionally good and I could happily have eaten it all night.

Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:52:10 +0000

Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 866.259.7111

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/yellowtail.asp

Tags: lively, bellagio, cocktails, sushi, japanese, expensive, romantic

While staying at the Bellagio, one evening a lighter dinner was required in-between drinking cocktails and hitting the casino, so we ventured to Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant, which is conveniently located in the casino area.

A fairly new addition to the Bellagio restaurant directory, Yellowtail is a very stylish looking place, with very attractive staff who seem to have shares in push-up bras.

We were seated at a high table in the front section of the restaurant, so unfortunately didn't have views of the lake and fountain. We weren't ravenous, so just ordered a few things to share. The stand-out item was the Salmon Nigiri - wow, the salmon was so melt-in-your-mouth that we promptly ordered another serve.

We also ordered the Grilled eggplant skewers with sweet miso, some Tuna sushi rolls, and the Popping spicy crab, which was a sushi roll with crab, cucumber, asparagus and a sprinkling of those pop-rock candies that pop and crackle in your mouth. Interesting.

Fontana Bar - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:38:39 +0000

Fontana Bar - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7089

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/nightlife/fontana-bar.aspx

Tags: jazz, bellagio, cool & smart, live, views, cocktails, friendly, relaxed, cool, live music

Fontana Bar is located lakeside in the Bellagio, accessed via the casino. There is a large bar area inside, with a stage and dance floor, and a terrace that looks over the lake and Strip. We visited early one evening and of course headed straight for the terrace, and a prime fountain watching position.

There was a band playing inside, and speakers outside so we could still enjoy the music. Every now and then the bands music would be replaced by the various backing soundtracks for the dancing fountains, and we would enjoy the eruptions from our seat.

We ordered mojitos (really good!) and martinis and felt pretty content. I can highly recommend the combination of a terrace table, a cocktail or two and watching the colours of the Strip change and those fountains dance.

Jean Philippe Patisserie - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:27:41 +0000

Jean Philippe Patisserie - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89190, Las Vegas, United States of America

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/jean-philippe.

Tags: quick bite, bellagio, ice cream, top food, average brew, cakes, crowded

Jean Philippe Patisserie is located inside the Bellagio, and is well worth a visit if you have a sweet tooth like me. Not only are there beautifully created (and tasting!) pastries and cakes, but there is also some very good ice cream on offer.

Also of interest is what claims to be the "World's Tallest and Largest Volume Chocolate Fountain". The photo I took only shows the bottom half of it. It certainly looked impressive, but was behind glass, so it was not the type of choc fountain you could dip marshmallows in.

We sampled a couple of the cakes - a Lemon Tart, and a chocolate concoction that had choc mousse and nutella and praline crispy biscuits. Yes, it was good. Another day we returned for a small serving of ice cream, which was creamy and full-flavoured.

The Buffet at the Bellagio - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:12:18 +0000

The Buffet at the Bellagio - review by sue

Rating: 2.0

Location: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89190, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.693.7089

Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/the-buffet.asp

Tags: lively, bellagio, all you can eat, international, family & home feel, buffet

I don't really 'do' buffets, basically cause I can't eat that much in one sitting so I never feel like they are good value for me. Oh, and nothing compares to the brunch buffet I once had at the Delano Hotel in Miami. Anyhoo, that said, it seemed like having a meal at the Bellagio Buffet was one of the 'things to do' whilst in Vegas, so we did.

We turned up at around 11am on a Sunday and there was a queue out into the casino. Thankfully it moved quickly, so our tummies weren't grumbling for too long. You have to pay before you are seated, and they ask if you want to leave your tip in advance, or at the table. We opted for the table option, unsure how much service we wanted to pay for at a 'self-service' restaurant.

We were shown to our table and then sat there waiting till eventually our waitress arrived and took our drink orders. Service was pretty non-existent after that.

So, the buffet. There was a massive selection of food - everything from cornflakes to pizza to scrambled eggs to sushi to cakes to roast beef. There were chefs cooking dishes in front of you, so you knew that (some) things were nice and fresh.

We didn't pile our plates too high, though after a couple of visits to the buffet we were pretty much full and unfortunately didn't sample anything worth mentioning.

Canaletto - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:54:47 +0000

Canaletto - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd South, 89190, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 702.733.0070

Website: http://www.venetian.com/Pages.aspx?id=838

Tags: italian, venetian, romantic

Canaletto is an Italian restaurant located on "St Marks Square" inside the Venetian Hotel. We had dinner there one night and opted to sit on the terrace in the square. It really did feel like we were back in Venice at dusk. The restaurant was lively and had a real Italian feel, helped along by the Italian staff, and the gondoliers and carabinieri walking past in the square.

We started with a glass of prosecco and reminisced about our last time in Venice. Then it was dinner time. We started with the Calamaretti Fritti and the Minestrone soup. Main course was the Veal shank braised in a marsala wine with porcini & shiitake mushrooms, served with saffron risotto; and the Fillet of seabass with tomatoes, artichokes, prosecco and saffron, served with organic sautÃ©ed spinach and roasted Yukon gold potatoes.

All the food was very enjoyable, and the couple of glasses of wine we had were very good value.

Carnegie Delicatessen - review by sue

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:08:29 +0000

Carnegie Delicatessen - review by sue

Rating: 3.0

Location: Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, Las Vegas, United States of America

Phone: 866.339.4566

Website: http://www.mirage.com/restaurants/carnegie-delicat

Tags: american, jewish, cake, good value, deli, lively

Carnegie Delicatessen is located within the casino of the Mirage Hotel. It is apparently quite like the original Carnegie Deli in New York.

The main draw card here seemed to be the "overstuffed sandwiches" - they were so massive. Think two average slices of bread with a filling of pastrami, and when I say filling I mean a 25cm high tower of meat! Then add sides including a big stack of fries, a tub of coleslaw and a giant pickle, and you will get the idea of what a meal here entails.

But we ignored all that and just shared a giant slice of Cheesecake instead. And a pot of tea to wash it down. And tried to take sneaky photos of people with huge sandwiches.

Plane Food - review by sue

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:15:16 +0000

Plane Food - review by sue

Rating: 2.0

Location: Heathrow Terminal 5, TW6 2GA, Hounslow, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8897 4545

Website: http://www.gordonramsay.com/planefood

Tags: expensive, heathrow, ramsay, gordon ramsay, british, international, breakfast

We thought we would start our last holiday in style - instead of the usual pre-flight breakfast at Giraffe, we would instead dine at Plane Food, which is Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in Heathrow Terminal Five, airside.

The restaurant has been beautifully designed, taking advantage of the light-filled space which offers views out to the airfield. The space was much larger than imagined, and although stylish looking, the ambience was somehow more canteen like than I was expecting. Perhaps it had something to do with the large number of empty tables waiting to be cleared, meaning we had to wait around 10 minutes to be seated (eating into our valuable duty free shopping time).

Was it worth the wait. Not really. As this would be our second breakfast for the day, we just wanted something light and both opted for the Suffolk sweet-cured bacon and egg roll. It was the most boring and flavourless bacon and egg roll I think I have ever had. Next time we'll just stick to Giraffe.

Lyric Theatre - review by Litro_K

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:41:06 +0000

Lyric Theatre - review by Litro_K

Rating: 4.0

Location: King Street, W6 0QL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8741 2311

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

Although not in my usual stomping grounds, I really like coming to the Lyric. (This photo is way out of date, by the way.) I've seen some excellent productions here - comedy shows and drama - and am always surprised by how much I like the modern bar and the inside of the main theatre space. It's very grand and feels like an old central London Theatreland haunt.

The bar is reasonable, as are the ticket prices. Itâ¬"s definitely a draw for those who donâ¬"t know Hammersmith very well, and has gotten me out to explore that area. When I came here for the first time, I spotted Neve Campbell during the interval. Proof indeed that itâ¬"s a hip hangout worthy of us mere mortals!

Malabar Junction - review by Litro_K

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:09:21 +0000

Malabar Junction - review by Litro_K

Rating: 3.0

Location: 107 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3NA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7580 5230

Tags: indian

We came here for a work lunch and booked in advance for a table of seven. (I found out about the restaurant from the TasteLondon website, and wanted to use my card there.) There wasn't any need to book at all, because the restaurant was empty, bar three other tables. In such a large room, this was a little disconcerting, but the room is bright and pleasantly old-fashioned, with a glass conservatory roof, and it was quite nice to be able to hear one another well at such a big table.

It has to be said, the staff were not overly friendly, and asked me for both my tastelondon card and some ID (!) up front. After taking our orders, we were left alone for quite a while to wait for drinks. We decided to order poppadums, which were wonderfully light and golden, and the assorted dips were also excellent.

Food arrived maybe 20 minutes later, and portions were small. It was enough for a lunch, but would be disappointing for a dinner. It has to be said, however, that the food was great, if a little pricey for the portion size. Keralan fish curry was voted the tastiest dish around our table, but coconut rice and vegetarian chickpea curry came a close second and third.

I would come again, but would definitely use the tastelondon card to get two meals for the price of one. The dining room and the service could do with a little update, but the food cannot really be faulted.

Petersham Nurseries Restaurant - review by sue

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:23:22 +0000

Petersham Nurseries Restaurant - review by sue

Rating: 4.0

Location: Petersham Nurseries, TW10 7AG, Richmond Upon Thames, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8940 5230

Website: http://www.petershamnurseries.com/cafeandteahouse.asp

Tags: relaxed, rustic, international, quirky, expensive

Just back from an idyllic lunch at Petersham Nurseries Restaurant (not to be confused with the cafÃ©). The restaurant is open for lunch, six days a week, and is housed in a pretty nursery greenhouse. Your rickety chair wobbles on the dirt floor as you eat some very pricy food, surrounded by pot plants and creepers. But the food was very good, and the gorgeous setting seemed to numb the pain of the bill a little.

We timed our visit to coincide with a 'chef swap' that was taking place - Petersham's regular head chef, Skye Gyngell, had traded places with top Sydney chef Sean Moran for a month.

The menu was small, with only 5 choices per course. We started with the Beetroot Ravioli with Ticklemore Aged Goats Cheese. I really loved this dish - not only did it look fabulous but the flavours worked really really well. Main course was the Milk Fed Veal Chop barbequed with peperonata, sage, runner beans and anchovy butter; and the Hampshire Pork, roasted with fennel, greengages & butternut squash. Both meals were generous in size and flavours. Really happy with our choices.

Unfortunately there was nothing on the dessert menu we fancied, so we paid up, and wandered back across Petersham Meadows, dodging cowpats along the way, and stopped off at our favourite chocolate shop for a sweet treat.

Hawksmoor - review by sue

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:19:35 +0000

Hawksmoor - review by sue

Rating: 4.3

Location: 157 Commercial Street, E1 6BJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7247 7392

Website: http://www.thehawksmoor.com

Tags: american, steak, cocktails, expensive, friendly, relaxed

When the birthday boy (BB) requested a meal at a nice restaurant where he could have a decent martini and a more than decent steak, Hawksmoor sprang to mind. From what I had read, it sounded like the perfect place for both. And it sure was.

We arrived early evening and slipped onto a comfy stool at the bar. Cocktails decided on, we relaxed at the end of a hectic week, really enjoying our perfectly mixed beverages. The place was fairly quiet at that stage, but the restaurant filled up as the night continued.

After drinks we moved to our table and had to decide just how big a piece of meat we could eat. We laughed (a little nervously) when we read on the menu - "Some people have mentioned that our cuts are on the big side - we hope you can forgive us."

I opted for the 400g Rib-eye, while BB went for the 600g Bone-in Sirloin. The steak just comes by itself, so sides are required - we ordered the Triple Cooked chips, the Honey-roasted vegetables, and the Macaroni Cheese. The steak was pretty expensive but so worth it. Lovely char-grilled flavour, rare and flavoursome. Very excellent pieces of meat. The sides were tasty too, though I did think that the Macaroni Cheese was over-priced. A big, full bodied bottle of Australian red wine complemented our meals perfectly.

Somehow we managed to clean our plates and still find room to share a dessert - the Chocolate Fudge Sundae. It was so delicious - ice cream, brownie chunks, crispy peanut brittle bits, chocolate sauce. Yum.

The prices at Hawksmoor mean this isn't going to become a regular haunt for us, but the quality of the steaks, along with the really lovely service and the relaxed atmosphere mean that next time we have an occasion that requires a decent martini and a more than decent steak we may well be back.

Santore - review by sue

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:11:17 +0000

Santore - review by sue

Rating: 3.6

Location: 59-61 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7812 1488

Tags: italian, pizza