Cathrine's reviews
Review of Sale E Pepe
21 May 07, 23:25
Best Italian in Knightsbridge 
You never know about Italian restaurants. The waiters have heavy accents - but is it all an act? Rather than being Marco from Turin, are they really Mark from Tumbridge Wells? Hopefully, Sale e Pepe in Knightsbridge is the former as the waiting staff wholeheartedly welcome you into their restaurant - and the food isn't bad either. Surrounded by ladies who lunch, it serves a great tasting slice of Italy in the heart of Knightsbridge.
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Review of Almeida Theatre
21 May 07, 14:16
Interesting, experimental... 
Wonderful theatre space with a genuinely interesting programme of events and plays. The Almeida are committed to new playwrights so the work here is often experimental and exciting. The seats are perhaps some of the most uncomfortable in the theatre world but the space itself is unassuming and serious. Lively bar if you fancy some interval jostling as well.
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Review of Mews Of Mayfair
17 May 07, 11:50
Eat, drink and be merry
You'll hear the buzz from Mews of Mayfair long before it comes into view. On ground level the bar has a small but exquisitely formed cocktail menu, while the first floor restaurant oozes elegance and is decked out in cream leather and appliquéd butterfly wallpaper (one for the ladies, perhaps). The food is firmly grounded in all that's seasonal and British, albeit with some modern twists (try the venison Wellington) or the tasting menu, which takes in the highlights of all that's on offer. In addition, Mews is furnished with a chef's dining room and a basement lounge for private parties to ramp up the exclusive feel - and all without a membership fee in sight.
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Review of Mahiki
13 May 07, 16:02
Non-members' bars
Your name's not on the list. It doesn't have to be. The death knell for nylon-jacketed, clipboard-wielding, power-hungry door Nazis may finally have been sounded with the emergence of the non-members' bar. Mahiki takes every preconception about traditional members' bars and subverts it. There are no dress codes (except for the staff, who sport Hawaiian shirts), no wood-panelled rooms (think bamboo-lined walls and kitch décor), no racks of fine wine and Cognac (the Piña Coladas are served in pineapples - yes, they actually serve Piña Coladas) and most importantly, there are no egos. With its Seventies-retro feel, Mahiki is a refreshing dose of fun - treading the line between unpretentious nightspot and hen-party-theme-destination-from-hell with dexterity.
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Review of Fitness First
10 May 07, 12:58
You say jump 
You say, "jump". I see that you are an incredibly good-looking Australian gym instructor and, breathlessly, reply "How high?"Â. I am instantly convinced that in this humble Kingly Street gym, the answer to my fat-fighting, fitness-questing , and probably even childbearing , prayers can be found. I sign up immediately. Then, of course, three personal-training sessions later, you bugger off back to Oz, leaving me to face the cold, hard reality of this (really very small) gym by myself. Which is, well, fine: the changing rooms are OK, the showers are temperamental, the gym equipment is old-ish (but functional), there is TV (though not MTV), there are weights- but there's not really enough of anything considering the amount of people they try and squeeze through the doors. At busy times, getting on a treadmill or bike is a case of survival of the fastest; gym mats are a closely guarded prize; medicine balls are hot property. Worst of all, there are no classes. On the plus side, membership at Kingly Street will give you access to any Fitness First - great if you travel a lot. And you never know, the good-looking instructors might be lurking in the branch just around the corner- Joining fees sometimes apply, but try to get a corporate discount. Standard guilt-tax costs from about £37/month.
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Review of The Endurance
06 May 07, 11:33
Test yours
You'll find it listed under "gastropub"Â in most reviews, but hit The Endurance on a Thursday or Friday night and you'll find it so stuffed to the rafters with Soho media types that there's not enough room to swing an organic sausage. While the staff have adopted "Good things come to those who wait"Â as their mantra, the atmosphere remains genial and relaxed, if a little sweaty. Drinks are reasonable in quality and OK value, plus you'll often find as-cheerful-as-possible-vaguely-indie-but-verging-on-cheesy music to accompany your pint. Go to drink and be merry, go somewhere else for food.
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