Ash's reviews
Review of The O2
28 Oct 08, 22:58
Amazing venue 
This is what The Dome should have been all along... a bloody great big entertainment space. It blows away Wembley, with great transport links, countless restaurants, a cinema, ice rink and two fab concert spaces. My first choice for gigs in London.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of East Street Market
22 Sep 08, 12:29
Real market, real food 
I was initially put off by this market - it's right in the heart of Walworth Rd, and doesn't look very nice... but once you get stuck in, it's actually a gem for great, fresh produce at excellent prices. The fruit and veg is easily the highlight, and there are some good butchers too, in the units behind the stalls. And if you do need to pick up some tacky bling, there are plenty of places for that too :-)
It's on everyday (I think) and well worth a visit if you live in the area.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Tower 42
22 Sep 08, 11:30
Fizz with a view
Vertigo42 is a great champagne bar, sat at the top of Tower 42 (formally Nat West Tower). It's small, and you need to book in advance, but it's a great place to get a birds eye view of the Capital. A bit flash and can be a bit footballers wives-esque (think gold handbags and blonde hair) but def a good place for a date, or to impress the parents.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Menier Chocolate Factory
22 Sep 08, 10:19
Nice change to the West End
A great little theatre which often has performances that go on to the West End. The restaurant is good too, serving interesting dishes which are often themed to fit the production... a nice touch. They do some good dinner and ticket deals too, and the whole experience is a breath of fresh air from the West End.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Italian Graffiti
22 Sep 08, 08:33
Good value and ok food 
It's nice to break away from the Stradas and Pizza Express-ness, and this spot is a good alternative. Centrally located, good, traditional pizzas and the usual accessories make it a nice spot mid-drinking in the Soho area.
Decor is kitsch, a bit chintzy, but staff are friendly. Not a fan of Italian white wine, so it would be unfair to moan, but the bottle I ordered (around the fifteen quid mark) was pretty poor.
But overall, worth a visit.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Cubana
17 Sep 08, 15:05
Interesting but not exceptional
For a post-work drink session, or a party type affair this place wins out. For an interesting dining experience, sampling Cuban food, it performs less so. Cocktails are average, with some nice twists. But again, not exceptional. Nice to go somewhere un-chainy, though, and the staff are always really friendly.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Sadlers Wells Theatre
03 Sep 08, 22:10
Excellent venue, and quite nice ice-cream too
I always love a trip to Sadler's Wells... the lovely, modern entrance area is striking in this leafy North London street and inside rests an excellent theatre where most seats provide great views of the versatile stage. A great setting for some brilliant productions.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Balans
01 Sep 08, 12:47
Deep fried Oreos & excellent crab cakes
Always reliable, always consistently good. And following a meal there this week, I think i've discovered *the* best desert ever... deep friend Oreos!
Agree with all the other reviews here - and it's always a good choice as the menu is very varied... so if you are in a big group, the burger-lovers can satisfy their desire, whilst the noodle lovers get excellent thai-inspired dishes too.
Brunch is a real winner here as well.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Refinery
01 Sep 08, 09:47
Great for a pamper
In the world of metrosexual-ness, it's ok for blokes to get a pamper and a groom and The Refinery is the perfect place to achieve this. Plush surroundings, nice staff and they can certainly work magic with their hands. You can also stock up on some nice products too - the shower gel is particularly good - and a recent salon means you can get your hair chopped post-massage too.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Sugar Reef
29 Aug 08, 08:56
Average, average and more average
As you'd expect from a bar just off Piccadilly Circus, and bordering Soho, this is overpriced, up itself and generally a bit poor. Happy hour made things a bit more tolerable (£10 off champagne is always a good thing) and runs until 8pm. There was a whiff of public swimming pools downstairs too.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.