• Added: 6th of June 2007
• Area: Mayfair
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W1J 9HA
020 7851 2433

london said
An OK place to go but not quite up to New York standards
So I was sitting there trying to figure out where to meet with a couple of clients so I thought why not try that place that everyone raves about on Trusted Places.....

It's located on the 5th floor of the Waterstones book shop building on Picadilly a real landmark building pretty close to Picadilly circus. Location - excellent!

I was lucky in that I managed to get a window seat, the view was full of London stuff - the eye, nelson, Battersea Power Station ... but there were a heck of a lot of rooftops in between - not exactly a classic view but certainally better than the one out of my house! View - good but not stunning.

Service was 'hands off' to be fair, it was quiet when we arrived and it got a lot busier as the meal progressed but regardless of the number of diners I always seemed to have hassle getting some attention - not unfriendly just a little disorganised. Service - could do better!

The food was varied and there was a good choice of interesting dishes. I had a bowl of lamb with cous cous it was pretty oily and a bit to salty for my taste so I didn't finish it. Food - good choice but on this occasion not great.

The free wifi wasn't working yesterday so sadly I couldn't log on whilst I was waiting for my colleagues but I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that it's just a one off technical hitch.

One final thing, the law is going to change soon so this may be a dated review pretty soon but I have a problem with people smoking when i'm trying to eat - I can understand it in a pub but I do think it's a really outmoded concept in a small hot restaurant so I marked them down for allowing that too.

Cost wasn't too bad for central London - about 60 inc tip for the 3 of us without alcohol.

So overall I wasn't thrilled with the experience. I think they should work on their organisation, a diner needs to feel as if they are being taken care of a bit better. I'm assuming from other reports on here that i'm in the minority as regards the mediocre meal and the menu does look like it's had thought put into it.

But I would probably go back there again if I needed to as compared to most restaurants in London it's not terrible.

• Added: 30th of May 2007
• Area: Paris
• Category: Arts and Culture

Paris 75007

london said
The Eiffel Tower for Vertigo sufferers
No visit to Paris would be complete without going within touching distance of the Eiffel Tower so let me tell you about the experience we had.

Firstly I was travelling with two young children with the attention span of a gold fish. It seems that whatever time you go the queue is going to be horrendous - we got into the snaking queue at 2pm and bought our tickets at 3:30 ... there is a nice restaurant on the 2nd level 'La Jules Verne' which if you are going to eat there means you can jump the queue but for most of us we had to wait...so if you are going with kids make sure you bring water and a guide book to keep them amused with trivial facts etc....or a game boy.

There are 3 levels, the first 2 are accessable from the lift in any of the 4 legs - there doesn't seem to be a leg with a shorter queue (we did look). The trip up the first 2 levels was wierd - the elevator is more like a fenicular railway in that you are travelling upwards and sideways at the same time - very wierd.

On the second level there is a shopping area around the centre with the usual high priced tat that I had to convince my over stimulated kids didn't have to be bought just because it was there - saying 'dad's out of cash' stops being credible once you have bought them lunch. Oh lunch, bring a packed one if you can as it's expensive and limited - by that read chips and ropey old filled baguettes.

So we joined the queue for the top - if you don't like heights then don't do this - just looking up to the top level (you will have time in the queue to do plenty of that) scared the hell out of me and I had to be brave for the kids.....the lift when we got there was quite modern and quick but you need to remember that the Eiffel tower is an old, creaky, rusting monument that lets you know that you shouldn't be defying gravity by going up it.

The top was nice, that but that I could see without letting go of the kids or the iron bars against the middle - the lift down felt very good indeed :) Not that I had my eyes open at the time.

At the prompting of my oldest we decided to walk down from the 2nd to the 1st level - agree to this at your peril, you are still 150m up and it's a windy and very unsafe looking way down.

All in all this is the most visited monument in the world - you simply must do it once in your life, perhaps for less 'vertically aware' people than me it would be thrilling but as far as i am concernend it's one you do and then file away as being a nice memory.

• Added: 30th of May 2007
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1F 7JL
020 7851 6969

london said
Great for a works 'do'...don't forget the Jasmine tea
One of our partners had a christmas event here last year, personally I can take or leave Chinese food but this restaurant pleasently surprised me.

We were seated downstairs and the 30 of us more or less had the whole place to ourselves really. The champagne was really nice, the waiters were very discrete - not making a big fuss when one of my colleagues was a little sick behind a chair (yes really).

The food kind of arrives in little bamboo tubs which is where they steam it - at first they all have tickets on them to say what they are but after a few more glasses of champers that was a bit academic to be honest.

Desert was a lovely light mousse and to cap it off we had this Jasmine tea which contains a little flower which unfolds in your glass in front of your eyes - nice and refreshing and pretty unique too.

All in all we had a great time, this was a really classy restaurant and they didn't mind the odd indisgression now and then.

• Added: 30th of May 2007
• Area: Shoreditch
• Category: Food and Drink

London E1 6SB
020 7729 0826

london said

Agree to all the other positive comments about the price, quality convenience etc....but just to add that last time I was there with my two young children and they were asked by the bakers to come around to the back, given a dough ball each, and got to put it in the machine - we kept the ones they touched.....really nice and friendly touch - great to see this place is still open.

• Added: 21st of May 2007
• Area: Soho
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W1D 5JL
020 7439 0439

london said
An 'ok' place to go but nothing special
OK so maybe I suffered from 'crowded pub' syndrome but this just seemed to me to be just another busy soho bar. It took my friend over 10 mins to get served and when we did it was a pain to find somewhere to sit down.

The crowd was very much 25+ the vibe funky modern with large plasmas on the wall adding to the atmosphere i guess.

We left after one drink, it just didn't seem like the place where the fun was.

• Added: 21st of May 2007
• Area: Piccadilly Circus
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W1B 5DQ
020 7439 4089

london said
Nice and shiny - great atmosphere too
I revisited Jewel at Picadilly Circus the other day, this is a classy bar that has been around for quite a while.

Going inside you are presented with a long bar with high class furnishings, sofas - soft stools really nice to chill out with your friends. Lighting is moroccan bazarr type. Going through to the back you enter the white room where food is served in private bays against the wall.

It was buisy when I was there (Friday evening) but still only took me 2 mins to get served - prices were reasonable - for central london...but the kind of people who go to this bar don't really worry about prices!

The atmosphere was great, everyone was really friendly and positive.

A really enjoyable evening, highly reccommended if you want somewhere classy to meet friends in Picadilly Circus.

• Added: 15th of May 2007
• Area: South Kensington
• Category: Arts and Culture

London SW7 2RL
020 7942 5000

london said

An excellent free day out!

This was an excellent experience for myself and my 2 young children. The museum is free (as are all public museums now) it is as a result of the combining of the Natural History and Geology museums so there is masses of content - in fact too much for one day!

The kids really enjoyed this place but it can be hard on your feet.

A good tip would be that if you have kids over 6 there is a discovery centre in the basement, you need to book a slot when you are there but its very much hands on with microscopes, real fossils, laminated bugs and all those rare and endangered animal parts that are taken off smugglers at airports - good to see there is some educational value from it. The staff in the discovery center are really friendly and happy to explain everything to the kids.

It's free, educational and interesting for dads too - 5 stars from me.

• Added: 15th of May 2007
• Area: Aylesbury
• Category: Food and Drink

Aylesbury HP20 1RS

london said

Well it's a Dominos so they are all going to be the same. But we've used this one quite a bit in the past few years and I can honestly say they are just as yummy and as quick as all the rest.

Oh and the crust dippers are out of this world lol

• Added: 14th of May 2007
• Area: Miami
• Category: Restaurants

Miami 33139

london said

We went to Miami in the summer of 2005 - our friends had told us to go to the Delano as it was a classy place and they weren't wrong. Firstly it is un pretetious if that can be possible for a hotel with floor to ceiling (10 metres high) white curtains inside. The decor was incredible as were the friendly staff. The drinks were not cheap but they wern't St Marks Square Venice mad expensive, $10 for a coctail was about the norm. Going through into the back garden there was a massive swimming pool with cabinas on each side with Air conditioning OUTSIDE - mad i mean thats so un-pc these days you might as well go ahead and club a few baby seals :) Seriously though if you are going to Miami and want to go to a classy place where you don't feel like you are in the way then go to the Delano, better still go on expenses :)

• Added: 14th of May 2007
• Area: Epsom
• Category: Others

Epsom KT18 5NY

london said

More of a pub with a restaurant really, typical harvester type food, service when you sit inside is really good, sitting outside you need to order from the bar. If you have kids there is a nice little play area with tree houses/swings. These places arn't my number one choice but this one is on the better side.