• Added: 13th of July 2008
• Area: Bexley
• Category: Restaurants

Bexley DA5 1LB

lightlines said
True to the Taverna's style
I believe this to be a family restaurant, it has a wonderful charm that is enhanced by the wood panelling and accompanying decorations.

The food is homey, the portions are on the slightly-generous side, making it difficult to reach dessert. True to its roots!

• Added: 13th of July 2008
• Area: Bexley
• Category: Restaurants

Bexley DA5 1AD

lightlines said
Modern, stylish and great attention to detail.
This place has not failed to impress on any occasion I have visited. Wonderful italian food, and the desserts are awesome. The icing on the cake is the always friendly, attentive service we get here.

Best-kept secret in the bexley village.

• Added: 13th of July 2008
• Area: Richmond Upon Thames
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Richmond Upon Thames TW10 6UT
020 8948 8189

lightlines said
Very enjoyable
Great ambience, helpful staff, and great platters of food that really brings Bavarian food to mind. Massive beer jugs though, which is why the requirement that one has to order food with any alcohol is understandable.

• Added: 2nd of May 2008
• Area: Nottingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Nottingham NG1 7DL
0115 958 9100

lightlines said
Going downhill?
Popped in for lunch - staff absent-minded. Sat for an hour before lunch came, which consisted of two wraps and a chicken burger - seriously?

2 of us have come down with mild (thankfully!) food poisoning. Just as well that I complained about the lacklustre meal I received.

Saving grace? Waitress dealt with my complaint politely and gave us some 20% off next meal vouchers, unfortunately doubt I'll be using them any time soon.

• Added: 17th of April 2008
• Area: Nottingham
• Category: Restaurants

Nottingham NG1 6JQ
0115 941 4770

lightlines said
Wow! Must go again!
What can I say? This place floored me the moment I walked in, raising my expectations, especially as we knew that it had won various awards for its menu.

The restaurant is on the top floor. The entrance on the ground floor has a bar. On the second floor is another bar, with a few comfortable booths that are perfectly designed for relaxing later in the evening. On the third floor, the restaurant section begins. The seating is set in the back, with a waiting section at the front near the bar. It is a considered design in terms of space and comfort, giving enough so that it doesn't feel oppressive, without losing the intimacy created by the lighting and sectioned off seating running along the walls.

Allow me to gush a little more - besides the lovely setting, it has an extensive wine and cocktail list that ranges wonderfully across a range of prices.

On to the food - we went for their pre-theatre set menu, 3 courses. For starters, the most delightful Leek, Potato & Saffron soup. It was delicious, light but filling, smooth but with sufficient texture. The bread that came with it set t off wonderfully in colour too (orange bread, green soup).

The main course was char-grilled salmon with curried cauliflower and potatoes with aubergine pickle. I was concerned about the combination of flavours, but decided to go with it, and glad I am! Fish was cooked to perfection, and my fellow guests were happy with their choices of beef and chicken.

Dessert was fantastic, highlights include the lovely lemon tart - just the right amount of tang and wonderfully smooth. The brownie was good too, the passion fruit sorbet set it off nicely. The presentation of the food at each stage was great (though revealing a tendency by the chefs towards towering the food....)

What can I say? The attentive service was the icing on the cake to be honest. Without a doubt, best overall restaurant I've been to in Nottingham.

• Added: 4th of April 2008
• Area: Nottingham
• Category: Health and Beauty

Nottingham NG2 3AE
0845 270 4058

lightlines said
I do like it.... when I get to it.
I signed up for this place because of a promotion. It is worth the money, the equipment is great, the staff are friendly and approachable. The classes are also good fun as well as strenuous.

What I like about it is the choice of equipment, the building(former railway station) and the fact that there's a cafe inside. There's also a shop that sells a lot of gear. And definite highlight is the ability to watch terrestrial tv on the 4-6 screens, as well as listening to the music channels available on the machines. Another good thing is that it has a dedicated Ladies' Zone. Oh, and the changing rooms are well laid out, clean and offer hair dryers as well as shower cubicles with included shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer. Well, it is Virgin Active and you are paying for it, but its nice not to have to add 'extras' or overthink going to the gym/pool too much.

The main drawback for me personally is its location. While it is in Nottingham, it is away from the main center of town. There's no direct bus route, although it is a 10/15min walk away from the main public transport hub. This doesn't make it as appealing for me late at night, but hey, sacrifices!

• Added: 4th of April 2008
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 8BH
020 7836 0303

lightlines said
I'd go back for the dessert....
My experience with this place was so-so, in terms of the service that I received. A friend and I went in just to have dessert - we were hustled through by the waitress at around 5.30 to a table with four seats, which I thought was strange! We were then asked to move upstairs because it was their theatre rush hour and basically wouldn't be spending enough money. I didn't have any problem with that, but didn't like the overly efficacious manner in which she went about it. Nevermind that, she then attempted to seat us at the bar, which was full (and where I didn't want to sit), she then palmed us off to another waitress who attempted to seat us next to a pillar at the top of the stairs near the entrance. I made my discomfort known and was politely moved somewhere else (with only two seats, finally!), by this time some 10 minutes having passed since we stepped foot in the place.

The service after that was great (a waiter with humour!) and the dessert of sticky toffee pudding and pistachio ice cream was wonderful.

Still, the place is a bit loud, so I probably wouldn't go there if I wanted to chat, but if it were with a group of friends it would be fine.

• Added: 3rd of April 2008
• Area: Nottingham
• Category: Restaurants

Nottingham NG1 4DB
0115 950 5252

lightlines said
Sure, its ok.
I have no complaints with the food that they serve, I like it hot and spicy. Furthermore, I also don't try to make it more than it is. It's marinated chicken. I don't think it tries to make itself out to be an amazing place, just that it serves good food for an good price.

My only complaint with this particular venue is that it was ridiculously hot upstairs where we were seated.

• Added: 3rd of April 2008
• Area: Nottingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Nottingham NG1 7DL
0115 958 9100

lightlines said
Relaxed
In comparison to the new slug and lettuce near cornerhouse, this venue cannot compete in terms of outfittings, being beaten in terms of the modern look. However, it is still a great venue. The menu is obviously exactly the same, given that it is a chain, and I detect no difference in quality.

This place is a favourite of ours because of the 2 for 1 dessert, which always gives us an excuse to take a break from work! The staff are friendly and attentive.

We also brought a party of 12 people on very short notice, which given that it was a thursday and already very busy, they dealt with admirably well. My only complaint would be that they turn up the music a little bit too much as the evening progresses, making it difficult to hold a conversation - and when I'm sitting down, that's generally what I'm there to do.

• Added: 3rd of April 2008
• Area: Nottingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Nottingham NG1 4DB
0115 947 4260

lightlines said
Nice place
Staff are attentive, and the bar staff were entertaining. Probably best mojito I've had in this country so far.

Can get a bit too busy on thurs/fri/sat for my liking, but very cozy place throughout the week. The menu is good enough too, find it a great place to take people who aren't too adventurous. Good value for money (2 for 1 dessert helps!)

Management were very good at planning party and arranging an area of the restaurant for us, so would definitely use again.