Sarah's reviews
Review of Hackney City Farm
24 Sep 07, 11:38
Huge pig in a built-up area shock! 
This place is great to take the kids or whoever else might be impressed by seeing farm aimals in an urban setting. They have a really massive pig and lots of other livestock to see, stroke and mimick the noises of.
Rather nice cafe too and I gather you can buy freshly laid eggs there. Better than the city farm near Brick Lane I'd say, though they have a nice plants section.
Nice place to head on to after the colourful flowery crush of Columbia Road market on a Sunday morning. It is a short walk from both Columbia Road and Broadway Market so if you wanted to go on Saturday instead you could still do the colourful market plus funky farm combo if you fancied it.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Andrew Edmunds
14 Sep 07, 16:57
Wonderful! 
Ate at this tiny restaurant for the first time last night with someone who has known and loved it for years and was totally sold on it.
Trusted his recomendation but was really pleased to find such fantastic food and a wonderful, discreet (out of time) atmosphere in Soho (opposite Mildreds, up near the John Snow) It has such an unassuming frontage that I must have been walking past it for years and never seen it. Everything we ate was utterly delicious from my beef carpaccio with rocket, parmesan and truffle oil / his dressed crab, and my seabass / his perfectly pink lamb through to the scrummy pudding that we shared so as not to pop.
Not cheap but not too break the bank - c. £80 for two with wine and water.
Small, dark, intimate (not the place to get lots of mates around the same table) perfect for a discreet liaison or meal for four. In summer they have a couple of tables outside too. Lovely staff and attentive but not over-fussy service. Really need to book. Firmly on my own list of favourites in the centre of town now.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Squat and Gobble
12 Sep 07, 18:35
Good food, good place
Squat & Gobble on Charlotte Street (and/or its teeny little sister round the corner on Tottenham Street) is one of my favourite workday lunch spots. Nice staff, speedy service, always good food and generous servings and it's well priced too. the fish finger sandwich is top and their daily specials are always yummy. superior lunchtime stuff.
take out or eat in, I'd really miss it if it wasn't there any more, always busy which is a good sign.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Duo Boots
04 Sep 07, 19:04
Beautiful boots that really fit
Now you'll have to take my word for it, but I have pretty ordinary-sized legs (no one remarks on them being like tree trunks for sure, they are just enough to hold up my size 12 frame) but come Autumn/Winter, when the shops are full of gorgeous leather boots, I just know that I will never be able to zip any of them up over my calves.
Seriously frustrated and wanting long boots, a few years ago I googled "fat leg boots" and found this fantastic company Duo which was then only in Bath, but great news it is now in London too!
They do the same fabulous funky leather boots you'd find in any high street store but they make them fit, whether you have skinny or more generously (it's the running not the chocolate) proportioned pins.
Not cheap but amazing quality, loads of choice and utterly wonderful boots with a genius secret - they just add in or take away a bit of the give at the top of the boots with stretchy bits. A visit to the shop gives you access to individual service form one of their trained fitters too. BIG fat recommendation for this shop!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Dover Street Market
27 Aug 07, 18:01
Ace cafe on 4th floor
Ate last week on the cafe on the fourth floor of this avantgarde glam shop/market/collection and it was wonderful. Tiny (only a few tables) and not cheap (£22 for light lunch for two) but the food was delicious and homemade tasting (at least 3 savoury options) and the cakes looked fantastic. Plus it was light and airy with an intriguing over the rooftops view thrown in.
Oh and the waiting staff were just lovely and, best of all, not in the least fashionista snobby about serving me (looking a tad scruffy) and my friend (who was in business wear not high fashion) so don't be put off by the look of the place. A hidden gem I'd say.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Ambassador
21 Aug 07, 12:17
Good food, nice atmos in Exmouth mkt
Ate here in Exmouth Market last Friday evening and was really impressed. Unlike other places in Exmouth Market which were rammed this restaurant had room for us without a reservation and proved a really good choice.
Delicious monkfish and green veg and then a truly wonderful roast peach with honeycomb for pudding had me melting. Really sweet, kind, (not overly) attentive waiter and waitresses made it a lovely experience. Oh and not expensive. Don't pass this place up, we thought it was great.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Five Star Dry Cleaners
09 Aug 07, 22:51
Does just what it says on the tin
Effective cleaning, good prices, quick turnaround when you need it, nice people - that adds up to 5 stars for me.
Not sure what else to say about a drycleaners except that I've never had any complaints about this place and it is cheaper than I used to pay in either Leytonstone or the West End.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of R L Physiotherapy Clinic
07 Aug 07, 20:55
Best physio for RSI
Suffering RSI in both arms, I'm really pleased to have found Rachel Leary at her practice near St Pauls / St Barts Hospital (just behind a church at the top of Snow Hill) as she really knows her stuff. I'd have really appreciated being pointed in her direction when I first got RSI and so am happy to pass this recommendation on to others.
No physio worth their stuff is cheap (c.£50 per half hour session seems the going rate and they charge about that) but this one is highly recommended by the consultant rheumatologist I'm seeing about my poorly paws.
Sure they treat all sorts of injuries as well as work-related ones, oh and they run pilates and other classes too.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Atlantis
07 Aug 07, 20:40
Art supplies heaven
This is me letting you into the 'secret' every east end artist has known about for years...
Atlantis is a massive and cheap warehouse where you can buy pretty much everything the professional or amateur painter could ever need - from easels and pre-stretched canvases in all sizes plus stretchers to make up your own and every kind of paint, brush, pencil, crayon, pen, solvent and other gunk you can imagine.
They offer student discount and are pretty helpful if you can't find what you are after. Oh and the paper section is unbelievably comprehensive and very hard to resist.
It is just up behind the Bell Foundry, off Whitechapel Road. And they are open on Sundays too.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Paul Rothe and Son
07 Aug 07, 11:09
Good old-fashioned teashop and place to buy jam
Really love this place, it is a hidden treasure. It has been going for four generations apparently established in 1900 and has fabulously refused to be infected with starbucks-itis.
The only place in town that I know I can still get a yummy buttered toasted teacake.
It is actually an old-fashioned unassuming little provisions shop with a wonderful selection of jams and preserves, honey and mustard - English and Foregin comestibles I think it says on the sign, think a more modest and approachable Fortnums.
But I love it best as a coffee stop, as it is just a stone's throw from the hell of Oxford Street and the bustle of Marylebone High Street. The sit down area (with cute flip-up vinyl seating) accommodates lots of tables and it has never been too busy for me to squeeze in. They have a proper coffee machine and do good hot chocolate. You can also order sandwiches and drinks at the counter to take away.The people working there are friendly and offer great service, what more could you want?
My favourite refreshment stop in the west end - long may it stay just the way it is for generations to come!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.