• Added: 16th of March 2008
• Area: Notting Hill
• Category: Restaurants

London W11 2AA
020 7229 2907

shelo9 said
Amazing looking venue shame about the accident
The venue is amazing as people may tell you. There are lots of little alleys and rooms with different themes which are fab. We were in one small level which was overlooking the kitchen. Unfortuantely the chefs thought that it would be great to stare at us all night which was not nice.

There is a great choice of food and the food was good. The burger which i had was a bit difficult to eat so i had to use the knife and fork which is not normal burger behaviour.

The desserts were also good. Unfortunately we only had a small amount of it as the waiter dropped the sugar bowl on my glass which shattered all over us! We had to get away from the table as we were covered in glass. We thought we would stand by the bar (which had been empty before) but was now rammed. The waiter wanted us to stay at the table have extra dessert and pay the bill there which was not happening in our shocked state. We eventually got to pay the bill. The manager had taken off the desserts (which we had not really eaten) but found it difficult to remove the service charge which we thought should be removed. Eventually we got to pay what we wanted to pay and ran out of the place as fast as we could.

The place is a very cool looking, and i think what happened to us (is hopefully) a one off situation. If you want to get out of central and be somewhere different this place is a good choice, but just dont go to the bar after eating as its full of the normal pretentious nonsense.

• Added: 9th of March 2008
• Area: Dubai
• Category: Restaurants

Dubai
+971 4 283 3000

shelo9 said
Best indian in town?
The hotel is in a funny location (near Irish village), and the muzak aint great, but this is a reasonable priced indian.

There are set menus for vegetarians and non-veg which change every week. You can also change the dishes in the set menu if you need to.

There is an emphasis on the grilled food, but the butter chicken was really delicious.

The service was attentive and friendly and there was no desire to rush us out as quickly as possible.

If you want to have an indian meal in a non grungy place but at a good price this is the place to go to.

• Added: 9th of March 2008
• Area: Dubai
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Dubai
+971 4 4068999

shelo9 said
Great bar in jumeirah
The bar is dark and retro looking inside, but the best part of this bar is the outside terrace which gives you views of the Burj, sea and the Dubai skyline whilst sitting on big couches. When the weather was a bit chilly, the staff supplied all patrons with nice clean pashmina's which you could keep.

The drinks choice was not as great as you would expect in a Jumeirah hotel and the amount of drink you get in a glass (such as whiskey) was scandalously low. The drinks were not cheap but the ambience made this a great place to catch up with friends and relax whilst seeing the good part of Dubai.

• Added: 9th of March 2008
• Area: Dubai
• Category: Nightlife

Dubai
00971 4345 5995

shelo9 said
French nightclub with pizzaz
Great place to go when you cant think of any other club to go to. The venue is intimate (just like a boudoir). The music is mostly R&B, hip hop and dance. The dj's acutally know how to mix the records here so you always know you are dancing to good tunes!

The only problem with this place is the lack of places to sit if you dont want to pay a huge amount for a table. If you did want to pay a few thousand dirhams for a table you usually wont get one unless you pre book. The other way of getting on a table to rest your feet is to be a women in a short outfit ;).

The vibe is good and for now there are no problems from the clientle. It does help that the place is heaving with security to take out any troublemakers.

The drinks prices are reasonable unless you are getting a giant (and i mean giant) bottle of vodka or champagne!

• Added: 9th of March 2008
• Area: Dubai
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Dubai
+971 4 319 8088

shelo9 said
Beautiful Vu
Great bar at the top of Emirates Towers with great views. The service as in all Jumeirah places is great and quick. THe cocktails are on the more expensive side but thats what you get in a five star hotel.

The only problem with the bar is the fact that the dress code despite being smart casual requires the men to wear shirts. Men will not be allowed in if they are wearing a non collar shirt and the security can be quite rude about this. The other problem is seeing the high amount of high class prostitutes. Its fine if they have to make their money but you end up having the leery fat old business men trying to get these women which can put you off your cocktails.

Great place to take your friends and family when they come and visit.

• Added: 9th of March 2008
• Area: Dubai
• Category: Restaurants

Dubai
043491303

shelo9 said
Kooky setting with a great outdoor venue
The venue is great. Located on beach road with a big outdoor area to eat and smoke shisha. Inside the place is decorated with kooky bookshelfs and chandeliers. The food menu was extensive but unfortunately the food was not great especailly the grills. The hommos was nice though.

The service was really really slow but on a plus you can do shisha inside if you cant get a seat outside. We did get an outdoor table to smoke shisha after eating inside. It did help that we chatted to the manger and complained about the fact that we had been on the list for the outdoor tables for 30 minutes. Due to complaining we got the nice sofa area which i guess sort of made up for the situation.

This place is great for people watching and smoking shisha (which is very strong) but dont order the food!

• Added: 8th of March 2008
• Area: Dubai
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Dubai
+971 4324 8888

shelo9 said
Beautiful views, good but pricey cocktails
A group of us decided to spoil me for my birthday so we thought we would try this new bar which has opened recently in the Raffles Hotel. The hotel is as bling as promised and with two security guards checking each person who walks to the lift to get to the bar you have a feeling that no chavs on holiday will be getting into the bar.

Once you get to the bar, the hostess will take you to a table without you having to fork over your month's salary for the priviledge. The drinks menu had the usual cocktails such as cosmopolitans etc. Prices were high (55 dhs for a cosmopolitan which is about £7!), closer to UK prices than normal dubai prices. The waitresses were a bit clueless when you asked for something off menu and would just smile like the Joker and nod their heads which was frustrating, but if you just give up and look out at the views it will be fine.

The venue was not packed as word has not gotten around about it. The bar turns into a club with house music. The seats were not the most comfortable (try not to sit on the stools if you can). The furniture was from ikea so you can't expect too much comfort but it was a bit shameful of Raffles to spend minimal amount for decorating this great bar.

Go there now before it becomes the "it" place to go and you can't get a table by the window.

• Added: 21st of December 2007
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 9DA
020 7379 0101

shelo9 said
Weird dolls in the ceiling but good vibe
We went there for a group dinner the other night. A few of us got there early. We did warn the waiters but they were fine about us taking a table. Our friends unfortunately didnt arrive for another hour but that was not a problem for the staff which was refreshing.

Whilst waiting for the rest of the group we order the veg and non veg platter which was yummy as well as nimbu panni (indian lemonade) and chaas (low fat yoghurt drink) which i love.

When the friends finally arrived we had a mixture of dishes including reshmi kebab, chicken byriani (which was presented in a bowl shape (not normal indian behaviour) and various other curries. We didnt try the noodles but i have had them before and they are ok.

A few of us were originally indian and ordered naan but without the butter (typical thing for us to do to try and reduce our calorie intake!!).

For dessert friends ordered kulfi (indian ice cream) and ice cream but you could have also had ras malai (sweet cottage cheese dessert) and gulab jambu (sweet balls of deliciousness but very sweet) and srikhand (sweetened strained yoghurt with saffron). I had my usual masala chai which is tea with indian spices.

The total cost was reasonable for the amount we ate. Finally there is a good valued (non touristy) restaurant in Covent garden to go to when you are thru with shopping.

The only negative was the dolls in the ceiling which are supposed to be from Rajastan. They just freaked us out espeecially the camels near us! They should change the decor to the carnaby street branch!

• Added: 21st of December 2007
• Area: Fitzrovia
• Category: Restaurants

London W1T 1RG
020 7580 1110

shelo9 said
Frozen tiramisu!!
A group of us went there to meet up and have the christmas menu! The menu was quite expansive with the normal PE stuff and a few added extra to make it more christmassy. For £17 for three courses it was a bargain.

The pizzas were a bit bland (i had the creamy base quattro formaggi with leek (no tomato inside it!). We all had to add chilli oil just to give it some kick.

The service was a bit slow but it was fine as we were happy to chat. However when it got to the dessert we were not amused. People who had ordered the toffee fudge glory were expecting much more from the dish than what they got in size and taste. A few of us ordered tiramisu which didn't arrive until we asked for it! Then when it did arrive, it was a solid block of ice. I love the tiramisu in PE usually but this was appaling. But PE is PE and if you want somewhere semi classy for a pizza this is still the place to go as there are so many of them!

• Added: 18th of December 2007
• Area: Umm Seqiuem
• Category: Restaurants

Dubai
(04) 394 5616

shelo9 said
Best delivery service in Dubai
I have never eaten Jumeirah branch, but they are on my speed dial to get their food delivered to my place.

The pizzas seem to taste much better than they do in the UK branches. My favourite is Apollo which is delicately marinated tandoori chicken, yellow capsicum, fresh coriander and fresh green chillies (i ask for less chillis). The other pizzas are also good and all halal which is a bonus for lots of people! Im not a fan of turkey bacon or beef salami (non pork) so never order anything with them in it, but other people seem to like it. Their menus change every few months and they add new dishes. Recent introductions are risottos and creamy sauce based pizzas.

The desserts are also good. I have always been a fan of the PE tiramisu and this one doesnt disappoint. If you come home late from work or just too lazy to cook these are the guys to call to get good food and at good prices. The delivery men (although sometimes muppets) are friendly and sweet.