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Shunt Vaults - review by gregwo

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:04:58 +0000

Shunt Vaults - review by gregwo

Rating: 4.6

Location: 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 7776

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

Tags: relaxed, cool & smart, young and fun, underground, friendly

The Shunt Vaults have an atmosphere that can't be matched-- deep in the tunnels of London Bridge Shunt is making amazingly craetive work in the context of a members bar. It's a fantastic evening where you can enjoy some drinks and check out whatever is on offer that week to see-- bands performance art, theatre or a range of other things. The place has a great buzz about it and there's nothing that I know of like it around. The work they create there is so interesting and diverse, you'll always be in for something new every time you go!

Most definitely worth checking out!

Maze - review by vexille

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:33:40 +0000

Maze - review by vexille

Rating: 4.5

Location: 10-13 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6US, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7107 0000

Website: http://gordonramsay.com/maze/

Tags: romantic, expensive

It's great, but not, um, amazing.

It's all you would expect from a restaurant run by a great chef, situated in the 'sophisticated' part of town. You don't even need to have been here to imagine exactly what it'll look like. Everything is prim and proper yet remains convincingly unpretentious.

Service is good, at one point we had 3 different waiters cleaning the table, seriving us wine and taking our order. You'd almost expect them to spoon feed you so as not to crease your shirt or dirty your hands.

The 7 course meal was very very tasty, but incredibly rich. I've eaten in many places and this was the only one where I came out of still feeling peckish, but completely satisfied. The scallops are to die for.

It's just missing something that makes me want to go again, lacks soul perhaps?

Good for an experience / date but if you're looking for better I'd goto Fifteen...

Shunt Vaults - review by girlswear

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:11:44 +0000

Shunt Vaults - review by girlswear

Rating: 4.6

Location: 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 7776

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

Tags: live music, indie, cool & smart, live, electronica, young and fun, pool, underground, trendy, friendly, cool

This is one of my favourite places in London. The Shunt Vaults situated beneath the London Bridge, you can still feel the dampness and musty air of this Victorian vault.

No matter how often you visit, it's a different experience on it's own, mainly because each week is curated by a different artist including art, performance art, dance, live band and DJs. Permanent area includes a small pinball arcade and pool. You can go into different rooms with different things happening, or find that secret vault with your friends. Shunt is a MUST experience if you've never been, and you'll be addicted.

Shunt Vaults - review by chrisp

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:02:31 +0000

Shunt Vaults - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.6

Location: 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 7776

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

Tags: trendy, cool & smart, young professionals, glamorous, young and fun, students, sexy

An extraordinary place, like stepping into a Jack-the-Ripper film set, only with alcohol and burlesque dancers. Set in a good acre of sooty disused railway arches and long-forgotten brick vaults underneath London Bridge station, Shunt is a completely unique experience and well worth the effort finding it (it's almost invisible from the outside). Drinks may be nothing special, and they didn't even serve food as far as I could tell, but you can have hours of fun just wandering through the grimy urban spaces, hiding in the shadows or dancing in the spotlights. There's nowhere else like it.

L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon - review by Brodule

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:50:18 +0000

L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon - review by Brodule

Rating: 4.6

Location: 13-15 West Street, WC2H 9NE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7010 8600

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

Tags: french, pretentious, expensive

Dined here as a guest of someone so can't really comment on the cost, but it gave me the feeling of unlimited expense. Personally I was not comfortable with the interior design and the slightly exposed feeling I got with my particular place. Staff were quite professional but somehow distant. It's a tricky thing at this price level and perhaps they are too busy to pull off the 'welcome back' that you get even on infrequent dining at some better places. The food was well above average and certainly qualified for more than one Michelin star, though in the couple of months since I was there memory of particular dishes has faded. As I did not choose the wines either, I can only comment that they were good without being truly outstanding but of course they may well have just been not my style. The whole experience did not create that 'must return' feeling, but it was sufficiently good that a return match must be arranged.

Bedford & Strand - review by ASherman

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:30:51 +0000

Bedford & Strand - review by ASherman

Rating: 2.5

Location: 1A Bedford Street, WC2E 9HH, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7836 3033

Tags: french, crowded, expensive

The wine list is good, the food tasty, the ambience lively and the decor spot on. However, this place is home to some of the rudest and most offensive bar staff you're ever likely to encounter. A great pity.

All Star Lanes - review by chrisp

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:59:46 +0000

All Star Lanes - review by chrisp

Rating: 4.2

Location: Victoria House, WC1B 4DA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7025 2676

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

Tags: American, Bowling, Cocktails

I think it's fair to say that most people wouldn't automatically use the words "good food" and "bowling alley" in the same sentence. Memories of my teenage years spent at the Megabowl in Switch Island (Liverpool) are of soggy grey burgers and hugely oversalted rubbery chips washed down with buckets of weak Sprite - enough to temporarily sedate a hyperactive 14-year old perhaps but not exactly what you would call gourmet. But as with many things Americanised or American-influenced in this country, we are far, far behind in adapting to the latest trends and improvements. Consider for example that Hawksmoor is the first proper (reasonably affordable) US-style steakhouse I've been to, and it only opened in 2006. And while the not-exactly-Einsteinian concept that people might want some decent grub alongside their game of ten-pin bowls was picked up on long ago stateside, it has taken (as far as I can tell) until the opening of All Star Lanes in Bloomsbury for the people of London to appreciate the same.

Tucked away down a neon-lit stairwell somewhere under Southampton Row, visitors to All-Star soon find themselves in a pleasantly decorated low-ceilinged space with a rather exclusive feel. The theme is 50s American so there are lots of pin-up cartoons on the walls and waitresses in funny wigs. The bar was a nice spacious area to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail although the standard of the drinks themselves varied very much on which barman you got - my first margherita was lovely and sharp with a frothy lime surface, the second oversweet and flat.

As for the food itself, this was generally of a more consistent quality. Star of the show as far as I was concerned was a brilliant Bourbon and Mint Milkshake, although whether you consider this technically 'food' is up to you. But skin-on homefries were also excellent, as were the burgers (I was told) and the cheese quesadillas. After Hawksmoor I'm afraid many steaks suffer in comparison and the rump here was no exception, cooked to the required rare but with no crispy char and consisting of tasteless, watery meat.

My biggest problem with All Star wasn't the food or the drinks however, but the service, which was brusque verging on downright rude at times. After waiting a very reasonable ten minutes for my milkshake I politely asked the waitress of its whereabouts - "It's just coming!", was the belligerent reply, "the chefs make it from scratch, you know". Well, I would rather hope they would, but it's only a milkshake, not a Baked Alaska. Perhaps they were milking the cows by hand.

Later on, as the effects of rounds of house cocktails and alcoholic milkshakes had their effect, the noise levels increased dramatically and I wouldn't recommend the venue for a romantic dinner for two. Most of our fellow diners appeared to be corporate-account office parties - indeed an entire section was booked for Merrill Lynch whose overindulged revellers were later making enthusiastic use of the gents to regurgitate their evening meals. But as a lighthearted night out where nothing is taken too seriously and nothing is too bad to really be worth complaining about, there is a lot going for All Star Lanes.

Maze - review by IcenSue

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:20:23 +0000

Maze - review by IcenSue

Rating: 4.5

Location: 10-13 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6US, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7107 0000

Website: http://gordonramsay.com/maze/

Tags: lively, good value, expensive, french

My husband and i visited Maze for our 2nd Anniversary, it was the 2nd time we had been, we went for our first anniversary and had such a speical time we decided to book again.
The staff are extremely friendly, highly professional nothing is too much trouble.
We went for the tasting menu, everything is cooked to perfection, my husband had the assiette of sandwiches as one of his dishes, the BLT in a glass was excellent, i will definately order this the next time we visit. The scallops as usual were extremely succulent.
When we had finished our meal we sat at the bar, a cake was brought to us which said haappy aniversary, my husand and i both thought each other had ordered it, but we hadn't my huaband mentioned that it was our anniversary when he booked the table, obviously this had been noted at the time of the booking a nice touch.
We will definately be booking again.

Maze - review by foodbuddha

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:12:03 +0000

Maze - review by foodbuddha

Rating: 4.5

Location: 10-13 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6US, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7107 0000

Website: http://gordonramsay.com/maze/

Tags: lively, expensive, french

I visited the restaurant on the 26th of July along with my partner.
The restaurant is pretty, the service is excellent but the food was not impressive...
The portions are just enough to get the idea of each dish and were enough for me and my partner. They are well presented, but unfortunately it seemed like the chef's need to impress took over it all.
We had the Chef's menu 7 courses option.
I had the Chilled pea veloute with goat's curd, elderflower and parmesan parfait which is pea soup with a teaspoon of goat cheese at the bottom, with a small roll of sweet parmesan ice cream. The dish was too salty and tasted like it had too much leek in it, although it was not described on the title.
For the second course I had the Marinated beetroot, Sairass cheese, pine nuts and Cabernet Sauvignon dressing - beautifully presented cheese nestled between thin layers of beetroot. I personally don't like beetroot but the combination of the cheese, roasted pine nuts and the vegetable was amazing.
For third I had the Assiete of Sandwiches BLT - awful dish! A jelly of smoked bacon which takes over all other flavours. Wrong texture and flavor.
My partner had the slow cooked quail & marinated foie gras - the texture of the foie gras wasn't right - too creamy and sickening.
The forth was the Cornish red mullet, rice in sardine and saffron stock, roasted pepper puree and paella air - the fish was good and tasted fantastic with the red peppers and black olives (not original but at that point it was very refreshing). Now the paella was something else - a Spanish person would be insulted. It is a tiny portion of rice topped with raw whisked egg whites - it was tasteless and just wrong!
For fifth I had the slow poached lamb - to me it was a bit too raw, but my partner loved it. The stock was fantastic and so as the mint hollandaise. The potato mash was creamy and rich.

Overall - a nice experience, but the food was disappointing. Seems like creativity came first, and not the whole dish as a complete experience. I would not recommend this restaurant purely because I don't think you get a good value for your money.

Shunt Vaults - review by kellytron

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:12:39 +0000

Shunt Vaults - review by kellytron

Rating: 4.6

Location: 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 7776

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

Tags: relaxed, young and fun, students, underground, trendy

This place just amazed me. I couldn't think of a more perfect venue. Massive space (with hidden nooks and crannies so pick how loud/busy an area you want to be in), performance, live music, art, pinball machines, cheap booze and even a truck with chairs on the tray to sit in. I actually passed about 30minutes pretending to drive this truck and honking the pretend horn - but this isn't compulsory although it does speak volumes about how much of the aforementioned cheap booze I may have consumed.

It's the sort of place you could take a jaded Hoxton-ite and actually get an impressed look out of them.

Shunt Vaults - review by rogoff

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:48:32 +0000

Shunt Vaults - review by rogoff

Rating: 4.6

Location: 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 7776

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

Tags: cool, underground, friendly

I first went when there was a show called Tropicana here. We went through a little door in the wall of the tube station only to find ourselves in what looked like a London Transport staff room complete with Tube staff reading The Sun. From then on, the evening just got stranger and stranger as we were led into the vaults.

Anyway, that was the show and now there's the bar. I guess it's run by the same team who put on Tropicana because it's got the same quirky feel to it with quite a lot of the theatre too.

If you're looking for something fun and different then you won't find much better than this. Great space, great place.

Shunt Vaults - review by lottiebooth

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:44:38 +0000

Shunt Vaults - review by lottiebooth

Rating: 4.6

Location: 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 7776

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

Tags: cool, cool & smart, young professionals, young and fun, underground, friendly, relaxed

I went here to the Shunt Lounge for "A Dickens Christmas" which was our office christmas party. Someone had shown me pictures before i went but nothing prepared me for how amazing those vaults are.

There are some pictures of the christmas party at http://www.dickenschristmasparty.co.uk

Maze - review by sokratis

Tue, 13 May 2008 21:46:40 +0000

Maze - review by sokratis

Rating: 4.5

Location: 10-13 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6US, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7107 0000

Website: http://gordonramsay.com/maze/

Tags: french, good for special occassion, good for business, haute cuisine, gordon ramsey, central london, expensive

I had to make a play on the word there, but the title is accurate. Maze felt effortless and Iâ¬"ll expand on why below.

A friend was visiting recently and we went on â¬ÜTrustedâ¬" tour of London. Sampled some of the best pubs, bars, nightclubs, small restaurants, pub food, but of course we had to visit a Gordon Ramsey place for the experience to be complete. Naturally, there had been very little planning before my friend arrived, so getting a table at Maze for Tuesday at 8pm when you call at 3pm on that usually unlikely. But hereâ¬"s a tip. Itâ¬"s hard to book a table at the restaurant, but you can still eat (very well) at the bar. And because most people donâ¬"t know that, the bar usually has some free space even you just walk-in.

Note: there is a â¬Ühelpfulâ¬" button below this review that was specifically designed to reward such generous sharing of insider knowledge.

Now back to Maze and the fact it was effortless. Firstly, the menus. We had to go for the tasting menu, as there are simply too many very seductive tastes on offer to exhaust in one visit. At Â£55 per head itâ¬"s not cheap, but hey you wonâ¬"t be going there every day. The thing that impressed me was that despite the amount of choice, going through the different options was simple and quick. Two pages only with excellent line spacing and some beautiful fonts made the process fast and pleasurable.

The staff was very friendly, with Mr Atherton being at the door when we arrived and dispensing a warm hello and welcome. I think he was there working on the seating plan with the reception staff. The barman was excellent and in general the whole place had an air of quiet efficiency, without being at all overbearing or stiff. Mr Ramsey himself made an appearance later greeting the diners at the restaurant across the room, although not stopping to chat at us on his way to the kitchen. For some reason he was also wearing his kitchen apron, although I donâ¬"t know if heâ¬"s still cooking while there. He may beâ¬¦Seemed like a very nice guy and you could sense the slight, extra alertness on the part of the staff while he was around.

Ah and finally letâ¬"s talk about food. The tasting menu is split between small courses (starter equivalent), some more substantial ones and finally desserts. I wonâ¬"t go through all eight of the courses we had, but the ones that really stood out for me were the â¬ÜBeef â¬Ütongue â¬Ünâ¬" cheekâ¬" caper raisin and ginger carrotsâ¬" â¬ with â¬Ütongue and cheekâ¬" being a literal reference. I love a cowâ¬"s tongue and cheek, so combining the two was exceptional, but perhaps a bit heavy for a full course. I loved the artichoke veloute with braised duck leg and although the deconstructed pain au chocolat, required a small intro on how to eat, it was definitely worth it.

After a two hour experience we both felt fantastically satisfied and not the least bit overeaten. The bill did approach the cost of a bargain flight to New York, but whoâ¬"s got the time to fly there anyway? Plus with the way airports are these is much easier to just pop over to Grosvenor Square.

All Star Lanes - review by Nathan

Sun, 11 May 2008 18:19:47 +0000

All Star Lanes - review by Nathan

Rating: 4.2

Location: Victoria House, WC1B 4DA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7025 2676

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

Tags: helpful staff, exclusive boutique

I have always loved bowling but have not done it enough because most of the venues are like going to Wimpy. All star lanes absolutely combines having a lovely drink with bowling and id happily go to do either or both. On top of all that the food and the restaurant itself is top quality. And the private lane function is brilliant for corporate events.

Shunt Vaults - review by BView

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:48:05 +0000

Shunt Vaults - review by BView

Rating: 4.6

Location: 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7378 7776

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

Tags: jazz, pop, indie, live, electronica, young and fun, students, rock, hip-hop, house, underground, trendy, friendly, cool

this is probably the best venue I have ever been to. That may sound like a big shout but believe me this is almost entirely unique. It is the antithesis of a poncey cocktail bar in soho. The decor is completely minimal (in fact its pretty much non-existent). This underground venue still has original brick work and is much as it was before. There are random pieces of artwork/furniture dotted all over the place (an old grand piano, pinball machines and weird pieces of "modern art). It sells cans of Red stripe at a huge mark-up but hey, what the hell, its worth it!