Vlad 's reviews
Review of Arch 635
07 Sep 07, 14:39
Great place 
Love this place. It is totally out of placein Clapham North here being a mix between a club and pub. A well kept secret due to is wierd semi industrial location. Great atmosphere (although being under a railway line - 'arch' - means that its not really a place to go on a sunny afternoon). Definately a place to go in the evenings though if you're after a more of a club atmosphere in Clapham in the evening. Suprising amount of room inside and a perfect place to go if you're llooking to, ahem, 'link up'. Bouncers on the door in later on and there's often queue.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Ship
07 Aug 07, 14:06
Shipshape
You wouldn't find this place unless you were told about it. If you find it, tucked away on the river, you'll love it.
So here goes.....
An all round great pub and definately worth a visit but the location is both terrible and great at the same time.
Good because its great for the summer, it has an extensive beer garden that looks directly onto the Thames. You can eat inside or at lunchtimes and during the early evening they hold a BBQ on the weekends. Great value and good tasting food at under £5.00. It is generally heaving on sunny days.
It terrible because its cut off for any real transport links - asides from bus - unless you walk or come by car in which case, parking can be a bit difficult as it is restricted. The Traffic wardens know this and are often on the prowl around here.
It's very popular with those that live locally - Wandsworth, Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Bridge road etc.
The inside is light and airy and the bar staff are helpful. They do cash back which is great as there isn't a cash machine for miles.
There is also a larger dining area where the food is actually very good. The smart end of the gastro-pub market and worth going to for an evening in the summer or winter.
Oh, quick word of warning. There is gravel processing yard or something next door so on occasion - and only on occasion - it can be a bit noisy but not enough to interupt!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Benugo
06 Aug 07, 16:42
Hurrah!
Yes. Go here. Pret Schmet.
Benugos. Freshly made sandwiches. Made in front of you, hot or cold, with lots of salads too. You can eat in round the back of the counter or takeaway sandwiches in nice shiney silver wrapping. Interesting breads and rolls used in them too.
It is more expensive though than you're usual lunchtime sandwich. Around £3.50 - £4.00. The special changes each day but you'll notice that over the long term they don't really which means that it can become a bit repetitive after a while (Like most sandwich shops I suppose)
Favourite: Turkey, bacon, brie and cranberry. Toasted.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Kurz and Lang
06 Aug 07, 16:33
Achtung ein Sausage!
OK. Excellent. Very original German fast food alternative to your typical sandwich bar.
£5 for lunch gets you a wurst (beef or pork sausage) with sauerkraut and diced fried potatoes. Bread rolls are 50 p extra. You can buy beers and other soft drinks. It is simply very tasty. Thats only the set menu you can other things too.
I love this place. Get takeaway or eat on one of the small tables out side (its more angled towards the lunch and takeaway market though)
The currywurst is nice (diced sausage with some curry sauce spread on it.)
Staff are friendly and service is very fast.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of SO.UK
06 Aug 07, 16:17
Nice and Original Morrocan
Local legend say that this was set up by Leslie Ash several years ago.
Anyway....
The concept is Morrocan (So.uk / Souk - as in arab marketplace...do you see what they've done there?) and the decor reflects that. Dark wood, and low comfortable seats. The tables are in the form of huge circular golden metal plates surrounded by low seating. This can make it all a bit uncomfortable after a while but I suppose the emphasis is on providing a Arab dining experience of a kind.
The food is very varied from simple meze (Starters: humous, babaganoush etc) to more complicated moroccan food. It's is delicious. If you like North African food, you'll love this place. The staff are excellent, very friendly and contributes to So.UK's slightly exclusive air.
Well worth going there if you fancy something other than the usual french, italian etc.
Just don't expect the standard dining experience though. The seating gets a bit wierd and uncomfortable after a while. The food is expensive too but well worth it simply because of its originality in an area dominated by the standard pizza palours and fast food chains.
Nearly £30 for a few different plates and some wine. Expensive for what it was in amount but worth it for quality and originality. Oh, and they do good cocktails there too.
At night on the weekends it becomes a club / drinking den in its own right, complete with bouncers on the doors. Not sure that this works. While eating there is nice, we were disappointed by its effort to be a bar. Just too small a space and the bar is too difficult to get to. This must be why there's a regular queue outside late at night.
Save it for a less hectic winter weekend and best used as a place to have a quick bite to eat before hitting the bigger bars and clubs nearby.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Hennessys
06 Aug 07, 14:19
Support your independent butchers
The Northcote road is well known for its independent retailers. This is one of them. Not for much longer maybe.
Hennessys are butchers selling fresh organic produce that are produced where possible organically and in the UK.
They know what they are talking about and will advise you on cooking times and even recommend alternatives or suggest cooking. Makes shopping fun. If you fancy eating some game - ask these guys.
A wide array of meats steaks and sausages. Prices vary but a joint of lamb costs around £14. Their smoked bacon is also very nice.
If you can, shop here. The landlords are raising the rents on the Northcote road so no doubt it'll disappear to be replaced by another bland supermarket who doesn't care what you cook as long as you buy it from them.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Clapham North
06 Aug 07, 13:55
Rather good
2 years ago, your feet would stick to the 1970's lino when you entered this place.
Post refurb, its now funky, dark and full of young beautiful people in the evening when it takes on a more club atmosphere. Agree with Daniel H - being served can be a problem in the evenings.
During the day it morphs into its second personality - a smart gastro pub. During sunny days the front of the building opens up - there are limited tables at the front on the main road - giving the place a nice open feel. The food is above expectations and above normal gastro pub fare. The breakfast is particularly good but you can have snacks and full on meals as you please.It is relatively expensive.
Hint: The Bloody Marys are great.
It has a TV screen at the back for those football fans and you can also hire out the back part for a private function (Well, you could a year ago).
A evening venue in its own right.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Zeitgeist
06 Aug 07, 13:19
Friends, Shoppers, Countrymen, Give me your money
On no account take Mothers, wives or female friends to this shop.
It's another one of those places where you go in out of curiousity and hours later emerge to find that you have spent £500 in 36 separate transactions on items whose porupose still eludes you.
Well, you know what I mean.
It's really great. Much more eccentric and quirky that its neighbour Oliver Bonas. The front room is full of shiney things of no particular category, the middle rooms seems to have been stocked by a candle obsessive and the back room is a treasure trove of toys for children.
Well worth a visit. Without your wife.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Carey B Restoration and Antiques
06 Aug 07, 12:05
Antiques and restoration
Two things to review here: The store and the other business - the antique restoration (run by the husband).
Starting on the good thing first: If you have any special furniture that is looking a bit worse for wear but you need someone to give it a sensitive revamp without trashing it, use these guys. The Husband who runs the restoration side is fantastic. Eccentric, chaotic looking but friendly, honest and delivers what he promises to you. We've had a couple of things done by him and they look great. He will come to your home and give you an honest free quote (he even advised us not to restore something as it wasn't worth the money). He'll carry the furniture away and deliver it back at a time connvenient for you (Weekends too). No extra charge for all this delivery.
The shop itself though is a more for those looking to buy the big bits of furniture rather than curios and the more affordable bits and bobs. Don't be put off by what they have outside the door - it gets better inside but be prepared to spend £100's not £10s.
It is well worth going to if you've got the cash to buy a big table, dresser and the occasional random item such as the 1937 petrol pump. Oh and they will negotiate. Don't go for the sale price.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Avalon Comics
06 Aug 07, 11:47
Go on....be a geek
I know its sad but I can't help it.
A fan of 2000 AD and the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers since I was 13, it's now in my blood.
If you're a collector or - even better - if you're not but enjoy the artwork and storylines or just have a bit of a thing for Halo Jones, then this is a good place to indulge yourself. Like most nice places its a bit of a journey to get to (the nearest train station is C Junction) but if you're driving there are parking metres around. Mind the Parking wardens though if your thinking of winging it.....They will get you.
Otherwise, its what you would expect of a comic book store (Although the guy behind the desk doesn't look like Comic store guy from the Simpsons which is annoying) . If they don't have it, they'll order it for you. Last time, I looked they will even buy any unwanted stuff from you.
In anycase, it's good to see independents surviving the onslaught of the big chains. They carry many more niche titles that the likes of WHS Smith. Graphic novels, comics etc from Maus to Sandman to 200 AD to all the Marvels....
It's the personal touch that counts which is why this gets an extra star.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Borojo
06 Aug 07, 11:25
Brilliant!
Run by a lovely Portuguese (or is it Brazilian) man, this place is a surprise and definately worth a visit.
The Landor Road is hardly the epi-centre of London's shopping district but the shop has been there for some time (3 years). It is great though so maybe that explains Borojo's resilience. The prices are very reasonable (for fruit juices) and in return they'll give you part of your five a day portions for you to take away or drink in. If you like Juice and hate the cartoned and packaged bottles, then you'll love this place. Detox here.
Trouble is that I can't see too many people going there especially as it is off the beaten track. If you live in the area, you'll know about it already.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Deliverance
06 Aug 07, 10:45
Deliver us from tempation
The concept: Any type of takeaway you want from one delivery service. Chinese, European, Italian, Thai etc etc. You won't tolerate your traditional crap local take away once you've seen the quality of food that these people produce. They have the most popular dishes from most regions. The menu is more of a booklet - 9 pages. But easy to use though?
It is expensive though compared to the more local ones that you may be used to and the eco-friendly among you may object to their enthusiastic use of plastic packaging. According to their gblurb they have been described by Timeout / Standard as "one of the best reasons to move to London."
Twat reviewers asides, though, the food is excellent but the trade off is that you'll pay a bit more than your high street outfit.
It does take quite a bit of time though. On average between 45 mins to over an hour. Their coverage of London is divided by having kitchens in different areas. Make sure you call the right one....
Never quite sure whether to tip the drivers or not. They never seem to expect it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ferndales
06 Aug 07, 09:58
Hidden gem
One of the best kept secrets in Clapham. On Ferndale road this homely restaurant is perfect for a well priced mid week meal. Well decorated but small (the miirros make it look bigger than it is) with about 8 tables in all, its selling point - apart from the very decently priced food (Two pizzas will set you back about £12) is the homely atmosphere. No Corporate staff here, its a genine local eaterie owned and run by two french blokes. You can take the pizza's away if needed and never have to wait longer than 15 minutes for that. The menu is a bit limited and doesn't change but they do a range of specials for variety. This is what's it's about though. You know that you're not going to go wrong here. In the summer you can eat outside although it is a bit of a squash and we not sure that man in the flat next door is that convinced. See for yourself...
0 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Pepper Tree
04 Aug 07, 10:42
Does what it says on the tin
Small and compact with the emphasis on a fast, good quality thai meal. It's not a place to sit and chat over a leisurely meal and this is reflected in the decor which is Wagamma in concept. Long tables which means communal eating. This is fine as everyone really uses it as a place to go before hitting the bars or the cinema.
A well known clapham haunt now, meals cost around £5-6 excluding alcohol.
The concept - pile them in feed them, churn them out - means that the staff can be a bit abrupt and occasionally appear rude. They do their best though. Thai green curry is great and generally the food is tasty and served quickly.
Certainly one to consider for quick, cheap and cheerful meal. There is often a queue - sometime streching outside - on the weekend evenings but as there is no booking you'll just have to take your chances.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Vinifera
03 Aug 07, 18:53
Great but fading?
If you're a wine buff and hate noisy pubs and cafees, you'll love this place. Its slightly exclusive air, may be its downfall. Clapham North is hardly the City.....
Originally set up as a wine bar, lovely dark decor and a huge array of wines. Its a refreshing change for a night out in a pub annd lovely if you fancy a bit of refinement. You can even go on a wine course here, last time I looked.
It seems to have rebranded recently and now serves coffee in the morning as well as reverting to wine in the evening. This may be due to a lack of custom though but even so it nice to have a good coffee bar near the tube.
I have to say. It's well worth a visit if you're sick of Blue Nun and jacobs creek and want to expand your horizons.
Worth going to if your next stop is Tsunami or four-oh-nine though.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Oliver Burn
03 Aug 07, 18:47
I hate writing this
I hate estate agents. Hate them. ****ing hate them. These guys however are lovely. This really annoys me. They only have two offices - one here and the other in Brixton and they focus just on the Brixton, Clapham area. This means that they know the area and unlike other estate agents don't employ F***wits one week out of South Africa to advise you on the rate of stabbings in the borough or that actually, no, the railway next to this house is never used. Honest. You know who you are, F***stons. OB, know the area, they are run by very professional and you know what? They're decent people. I've used them three times. They don't over value your house either. Oterhwise, what else to say? They help you sell and buy your house, charge you for it and then F***off. Lovely Estate Agents. F***ers.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Cafe Nile
03 Aug 07, 18:17
Best Smoothies in London
Very innocuous cafe run by a very welcoming staff. Free newspapers, good coffee but the gems are their crack cocaine style smoothies which will have you gasping for more before possibly making you vomit due to over indulgence. Well, you have been warned. Very good sandwiches with fresh ingredients but more importantly delicious recipies.
If you have a hangover, we'd recommend the crispy bacon sandwiches too....
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Eco
03 Aug 07, 18:12
Hmmmm Pizza
Forget Strada. Pizza Express? Pfff. This place is great. Huge pizzas but very good value for money. Nothing unusual about the menu - standard italian food. Pastas, Pizza etc.
More than enough room and tables. Service can be slow though and you'll generally have to book in advance on weekend evenings.
Worth checking out the Deli next to it (Evo?) if you fancy something lighter or don't have time to sit down. Part of the same company.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Rapscallion
03 Aug 07, 18:01
A place mainly for brunch?
Not sure about this place in the evening but it is perfect for the day time. It's a great place to meet for Brunch on a Sunday or Saturday (Try the Eggs Benedict - legendary) and the coffee is great. The free papers are appreciated and the Orange juice rocks. It is small though. Very small - 6 tables? The design and mirrors means that they make the most of the space but I'm not sure that it works as an evening. Given the quality of the food at breakfast though, its bound to be good.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Robert Gastro
03 Aug 07, 17:43
Oooh lala.
Very odd place this. Looks like its been furnished with the contents of a fench student hall but it all works very well. Split into two sections - a cafe and a restaurant it has a really nice French feel to it. Those who can't face the uniformity of Starbucks will love whiling away a morning with a bite to eat and a coffee in a very amospheric place. Last time we went even the staff were French. The coffee is great.
It is slightly on the pricey side though. Can't vouch for the restaurant side although I have heard one bad report from about the food and the service but this was some time ago. Worth considering though if you are off to the Clapham Picture House though as it is so near.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Josephs Hair Design Studio
03 Aug 07, 13:07
Hair you are.
Always friendly, always packed but will try and make space. If you're a bloke, just need a haircut, want to read a magazine inn peace while its being done, then go here. Couldn't comment on more adventurous cuts though. Has raised its gaime quite a bit over the past few years though.
What else is there to say?
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Four O Nine
03 Aug 07, 12:43
Hidden Gem
Nearly six months old now (or longer) this is discreetly tucked away behind and on top of the Clapham North Pub in front of the Tube Station. The entrance is similarly discreet, requiring staff to buzz you in. The short stairwell leads on to a well decorated, chilled restaurant with friendly staff and excellent food. Foie gras is legendary. The wine list is fantastic and I would recommend the bar cocktails (Mojitos). It can be quite expensive depending on what you have - obviously - but it's a welcome sight to see more quality places appearing in this part of London. Perfect for a romantic night out or a place to impress people.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.