Amanda's reviews
Review of Mother Mash
21 May 07, 18:31
Take comfort 
Perfect in its simplicity this is pie, sausage and spuds at their absolute finest. The menu is split into three: mash, sausage and gravy. The champ is legendary, but there are also other variations like cheese and mustard or olive oil and garlic. Plus you can DIY your own if you want. Sausages and pies are made from top quality, free-range meat - plus there are tasty veggy options too. And, as everyone knows, there's no such thing as too much gravy - a principle Mother Mash sticks to admirably. This is lovely, warm comfort food at its very finest.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Richard James
18 May 07, 18:15
King of the Row 
Richard James has fast become the darling of Savile Row with his modern take on traditional tailoring, plus a legendary bespoke service. Forget your preconceptions about the Row, James's store is spacious and light - eschewing the traditional wood panelled grandeur in favour of a far more contemporary look. Style-wise, his trademark is unusual cuts, colours and fabrics. If you're going bespoke, you need to have pretty deep pockets (not literally of course - you can have whatever you want) - don't expect change from around 3K. The good news is there are also ready-to-wear options available in a more attainable price range.
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Review of The Pigalle Club
18 May 07, 09:56
Life is a caberet, old chum
Saturday night: go to a bar, queue for drinks, wait for a table, queue for another drink; queue for a club, queue for the cloakroom, queue for the bar; go to a restaurant, beg for a late sitting; queue for a cab home... Surely, there must be another way? Enter Pigalle - a one-stop destination for your evening's eating, drinking and entertainment (though you will have to get that cab home eventually). There's something about the elaborate green and gold logo, the dramatically lit drop curtain, the mirrored walls and purple backlighting of this Forties-inspired club that makes you want to hum "Life is a cabaret, old chum" as you take your seats. And once you do (sit, that is), prepare for a spectacle. The performers are as slick as the service, and no matter how full you are post-dinner, the rhythm's gonna get you in the end. Food-wise, mains like pan fried sea bream with artichokes are well put together, and if you're still hungry post-dinner - and your liver can take it - try a Crumble cocktail (Stolichnaya vanilla vodka, blackberries, apple juice, cinnamon and surprisingly-good-in-a-drink crunchy bits). The drinks are universally excellent: the house Champagne, non-vintage Taittinger, will set a suitably decadent tone, or try a pre-dinner Cucumber Martini to sharpen your appetite. Kitsch Lounge Riot (formerly of Cafe de Paris fame) put on a great show every Thursday, while other acts vary according to owner Vince Power's contact book.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Tomtom
16 May 07, 19:27
Smokin'
Owned and run by cigar aficionado and all-round nice guy Tom Assherton, TomTom cigars is a great starting point for amateurs, connoisseurs or gift-buyers. This is small boutique is a shrine to all things tobacco-related with beautiful humidors, cutters, ashtrays, lighters and, of course, a multitude of cigars for sale. From the "tasting"Â starter packs through to the Cuban limited-edition cases, TomTom sells perfectly humidified, really high quality products. If Tom's on hand, he's happy to offer advice on any aspect of smoking or selecting cigars , or alternatively, his very glamorous assistants will look after you very well.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of James Smith and Sons Umbrellas
16 May 07, 17:49
I don't care what the weather man says...
One-stop-shop for umbrellas, James Smith & Sons is a shrine to How We Used to Live. A bastion of traditional values, this store is a spectacular place to visit , even if you're just window-shopping, and it's one of the few places in the world where you can have a bespoke umbrella made for you. Not that you really need to , unless you are ludicrously hard to please: there are legions of the things lining the walls and stands , elegant, long handled and each item comes with a lifetime guarantee. What more could you want?
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Barclays Bank PLC
13 May 07, 11:03
Please sir, I want some more
On more occasions than I would care to admit, I?ve shuffled into my local branch of Barclays, sheepish, dejected and ? crucially ? very poor. (The feeling of dread/self-loathing inspired by such visits is somewhere between visiting the dentists and being in the confessional.) And while the age-old customer-service-mantra ?How can we help?? is served up as standard, the staff in this branch go out of their way to be nice, approachable, unpatronising and, God-forbid, actually are helpful. Short of making large and anonymous donations to my bank account (6325018, if anyone?s interested), the team has done its utmost to accommodate difficult personal situations and poor financial management ? so, while it may not have the best interest rates on the highstreet, the best loan terms or the nicest coloured credit cards (that honour lies with Virgin, I think), Bruton Street Barclays has my business. Until they turn it into a fancy wine bar, obviously.
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Review of Peter Jones
11 May 07, 22:53
Solid & Sloaney
Peter Jones is an icon of Sloane living. Recently refurbed Peter Jones is actually a very comprehensive, if a little bland department store. Great for the basics, brilliant homewear and it has a big kids department as well. Easy to navigate, the staff are helpful and well trained , they can actually direct you, advise and generally do a good job. A casualty of the refurbishment was unfortunately the haberdashery department, which is now a sad shadow of its former self- but otherwise the store has benefited from the redesign.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of C'est Ici
11 May 07, 18:51
Cafe culture 
Originally little more than a basic coffee shop in the middle of Kingly Court, C'est Ici has spread its wings to cater for the post-work wine and tapas crowd and bumped its prices up in the process. Service is notoriously patchy here, but if you hit it right then it's worth the money for good deli snacks, cakes and above average coffee. There's outdoor seating all year (with heatlamps in the winter), which is a massive attraction in this relatively al fresco starved area.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Borovick Fabrics
11 May 07, 18:25
Fabric (not the club)
So I'm assuming that not many Londoners spend their lunchtimes in pursuit of metres of leopardskin fabric for a Footballer's wives party , but if that is what you're looking for, Borovick's should be your first port of call. It's also the perfect destination to feed your hot pink synthetic fur habit, or penchant for strawberry printed lino. Spandex lovers and sequin fiends are equally well catered for. However, for those after more conventional silks, satins and cotton , yes, they are on sale here, but the slightly warehouse/Mr Pound shop feel of this family-run establishment is more conducive to theatre/fancy dress missions than kitting yourself out for a wedding. Don't let the bargain basement feel lull you into a false sense of security , the prices reflect the fact that fabric this fun is hard to come by.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Abel & Cole
11 May 07, 10:05
Deliver us from evil...
Spearheading the "Organic Box" movement that has taken hold in London, Able & Cole are the best all-round supplier. You can tailor your order by size, likes and dislikes - or just opt to have A&C's selection of what is seasonal and good delivered. The enforced variety is guaranteed to make you more creative in the kitchen. Each postcode will have a different delivery day - just leave instructions about where you want things to be left: simple, cost-effective and never again will you have to lug armfuls of veg home from the supermarket.
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