• Added: 2nd of July 2008
• Area: Ealing
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W5 2XA
020 8567 9438

neena_k said
One of the cheeriest places to have a drink in W5
I've been drinking here for over 10 years. It's been through many changes in the last 2 years and they're mostly for the better. It used to get packed to the rafters and rather uncomfortable as you couldn't even move, let alone dance till 1am or get served. Nowadays they're a lot more selective about who they let in and it doesn't get as crowded. It's definitely one of the cheapest places to drink in the area and the DJ plays some fabulous music to get everyone's feet tapping and now the bar is operating more smoothly as there are millions of people screaming to get served. Their cocktails are great and very reasonably priced and I've always found the bar staff to be efficient as long as you're polite to them. I'd even go as far as to say the bar staff are the most cheerful in Ealing!

The door staff are polite and friendly and enforce the ID rule with everyone, unless they're regulars - once they get to know you, they don't bother asking for ID.

My only complaint about this place is that the toilets need repairing - there are 3 ladies toilets and there's often 2 of them out of order at the same time which can be a nightmare at the weekend!

• Added: 2nd of July 2008
• Area: Kingsbury
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London NW9 9EG
020 8204 7000

neena_k said
Pretentious at the weekends
Thursday nights are fabulous here with excellent DJs playing old skool soul - you really can't go wrong with the music and atmosphere on Thursdays - nice enough dining, although somewhat over-priced for what you get and for where you are (after all, this is only Kingsbury) - good cocktails (again rather pricey) and plenty of staff.

Now on Fridays and Saturdays, they're too pretentious for their own good. You might have been there the day before for your 30th or 40th birthday party and spent a fortune but come Friday night they want to see ID. Even if you've booked a birthday party and come down with a dozen friends and even if you clearly look over 30 or 40 - their door policy is 21 for ladies and 23 for gents. Mind you, if you get there late enough, say about midnight, they start charging a tenner at the door and suddenly they don't seem to care about asking for ID - they now just want your money and will let you in no matter how young you look! Double standards eh? Take it from me, the crowd and vibe might be good but it's rather disappointing if you can't get in because you haven't carried ID for over a decade! And if you do get in, you'll be disappointed because it's packed to the hilt and definitely a health and safety issue for they pack it out to the rafters - dance till 3am if you can find a space!

• Added: 2nd of July 2008
• Area: Ealing
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London W5 2PJ
020 8579 8632

neena_k said
Watch out for the real Barracuda
It used to be cheap and cheerful; now it's neither cheap nor cheerful.

They closed earlier this year (2008) for refurbishment and reopened looking basically as tatty as it was before with a few drapes added to make it look a bit different! Now they even change the drinks prices during the evening to suit themselves!

The owners are a couple (Frank and Sylvia De Souza?) - he collects money at the door and their door prices change with the wind and she (the "barracuda" of my title) works the bar. When I say "works" she basically stands around ordering the staff around like they're something nasty on the bottom of her shoe and she treats the customers even worse.

The last few times I've been there, there have hardly been any customers in there (maybe 12-15 people in total); they're always short-staffed (staff regularly walk out because the woman owner treats them so poorly) and customers have to wait so long to get served that they get bored and walk out, going to Priory a few doors away or The Boulevard around the corner.

I have been going there for well over a decade but my visits there are down to less than once in 6 months now - a big thumbs down from me. Maybe I'll stop going there full stop. They seem to think they can run a business without any customers as they're just too rude to the few they have left!

Oh and the DJ has been there for years and he just plays the same records now as he has been doing for over 10 years! Give the man a budget to buy some new tracks!

I can't give any rating honestly for ambience as there really is none there. The crowd is friendly but the management are certainly not...