George's reviews
Review of The Halkin Hotel
17 Jan 08, 13:01
Oh yes. 
Expensive. Very, very expensive but well worth a once off special occasion or to celebrate with your mistress after successfully selling your wife into slavery. It boasts a Michellin starred Thai restaurant which we didn't try but it's probably fair to assume does adequate food....
It's in Belgravia so you have to avoid hundred of sunglass toting eurotrash to get here but you'll be glad that you did. It's incredibly well kitted out; the rooms are spacious, tasteful, modern and certainly individual. As you'd expect from a hotel costing this much the staff fall over themselves to be friendly. It can be scary. Off the main reception area is a small bar area tucked away and serving excellent cocktails. In the evening the lighting makes the place look slightly magical.
The breakfasts are fantastic. You know, I mean what's the point in conntinuing this review really?
It's a superb place. Utterly wonderful, perfect for a romantic getaway and frighteningly expensive. £390 for a double room for one night.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Miller's Residence
17 Jan 08, 10:48
Decadent Opulence 
Stunning.
The decor and location in this boutique hotel is the main drawn. The hotel is named Miller's Residence after Richard Miller the well known Antiques dealer and writer. He owns it and is often there. I assume that he lives there although.... Describing its opulence won't do it justice. It has possibly the most welcoming decor of any place that I have stayed in. It's more of a B&B as it offers only a continental breakfast and evening drinks. The sort of place that you'd assume is owned by a slightly mad relative who has an obsession with collecting antiques. If you're familar with Uncle Monty from Withnail and I, you'll get the idea. Its is often used for fashion shoots and filming so it is quite special.
If you're a minimalist you will have seizures and hate this place. This is good since minimalists are by nature dull charachterless control freaks. Otherwise, you'll never want to move from the sofa in the front room again. Especially during winter when the fire is going and your neck deep in a sofa surrounded by bizarre antiques. Rooms named Byron, Keats and Coleridge give you a clue as to the intention of its style. They are stunning. This is bohemian grandeur in spades.
Use it as a base in Notting Hill - the lack of food is intentional as you are surrounded by interesting restaurants. It is pricey - around £150 for a night but its wonderfully romantic. It's snug and chilled ambience encourages interction with other guests, especially before everyone departs for the evening.
Superb for a romantic London break and a huge breath of fresh air in a sector dominated by minimalist chic and bland conformism.
Just fantastically left field.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Gourmet Burger Kitchen
17 Jan 08, 10:12
Well, Burger me!
While Mcdonalds limply cowers in the corner covered with a thick layer of grease, the Gorumet Burger Kitchen sits triumphant idly flicking stones at it's passe rival.
Offering a bewildering variety of delicious burgers (Chicken, Buffalo, Blue Cheese, BBQ, Mexican, Chorizo etc) this is ideal for treating your children (or yourself) without worying too much about the obesity epidemic. The burgers are large, made from organic meat, fresh salad and come with a selection of side orders, sauces and drinks. They are delicious.
Service is quick, you'll be waiting around 10 minutes.The added benefit is that you pay at the front desk when you order meaning that there is no waiting for the bill to arrive.
The only downside, would be the small premises which means that it tends to be packed on the weekends although there is outside space with heating for the truly addicted. There is generally a queue, reflecting both popularity and size.
It is very expensive compared to Mcd's or BK but then it's aimed at a different demographic. A beer, coke, 2 burgers and chops with set you back around £15. On the plus side, you won't sweat grease for the next day and you can have a nice meal that you'll all love without feeling guilty.
Tip: Hmmmm, Barbeque sauce and chips.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Thai On The River @ Battersea
15 Jan 08, 16:37
Yeesssss, but...... 
Not sure. Based near Battersea Square it's far from convenient to reach. Far from decent transport links, it's best to go here by taxi. Trying to find a parking space near the restaurant will bring on mental trauma or at the very least flashbacks, if you partoook in any illegal substances in your youth.
It's been here for sometime and I did have a delicious meal here about a year ago hence the return. Given its location, I assume therefore that this place is most frequented by locals. On the friday night it was fully booked.
This review feels slightly like a betrayal. There is nothing wrong with the food, or the place, in fact it is rather good Thai food. It's not groundbreaking and there's a lot of it. The service is fantastically good with supremely friendly staff. The restaurant does have views onto the river which does make a nice backdrop to a meal.
It just all feels quite expensive for what it delivers. Two of us had 2 and a half courses each, a bottle of water, two beers and two glasses of house champagne for just under £100.
Worth going to if you like Thai though.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Painted Heron
04 Jan 08, 13:42
Curry, but not as we know it, Jim.
No herons were harmed in the making of this restaurant.
This is one of the best Indian Restaurants that I have been to, despite being in shiniest leafy Chelsea. Far better than Chutney Mary's. Curry house is misleading as this offers a broad variety of Indian foods all with a slight twist and occasionally very off putting menu descriptions. Spicy Black Cod fillets to Lamb Neck Rogan Josh, Monkfish With Dates and Figs and Chicken Masala should give you an idea. Don't be put off though. This place will reinvigorate your faith in curry. If you only know what you like, and like what you know, you won't like this place.
The food has lovely delicate flavours, the meat is very high quality and the servings are huge. A big contrast to the less stubtle curry flavours that you may be used to.
A four course set menu at a suprisingly decent £27 given the quality of the food, and gives a good spread. They have an A la carte menu which, if you hadn't realised it now, indicates that this isn't the place to go if you and your 20 hairy rugby friends want to drink beer, eat hot food and throw tables at restaurant staff.
Main dishes on the A la carte menu are around £10 excl. rice. Starters vary (£5-7) but the sharing platter for £12 is delicious. Most of the starters you won't have met before. A refreshing change. Service is fast, friendly and they even hang your coat up for you. Bless.
It's very well kitted out. Cosy, good clean decor and packed on the Wednesday that we went. Booking would be a good idea. This place is deservedly popular. The only negative would be that it is very hard to get to via public transport. And it's easier to fit your head in your mouth than find a parking space unless you look some streets away. If you live local, of course, your butler can carry you.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Northcote Road Antiques Market
21 Dec 07, 12:00
Narnia
I love this place. It's so individual that I am fully expecting for Tescos to buy the site out and ruin it for everyone.
The entrance is deceptively small as it opens into a split level balconied interior containing numerous stalls. It's Narnia for those who like buying Antuqies / Junk. Each tiny concession focus on slightly different antiques: Silver, Glasswear, Furniture etc. Quite keen on the 1920 art deco stall upstairs although you'll find something interesting whatever your preference. The stalls are kind of like display cabinets for antiques held in other larger shops slightly further out of town. If you're looking for something in particular ask, they'll be able to find something for you.
Tip: Haggle. While it looks quite laid back, the location means that they're not averse to charging high prices so negotiate over everything. They generally always come down in price.
It's great if you're a collector - that they tend to focus on the smaller volume items. If you like the larger brown furniture then you may be best off looking elsewhere, or even, dare I say it, looking outside of London. If you buy it here, you'll be paying a premium as it takes up the space. However, they will deliver so its a balance.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Review of Philglas and Swiggot
21 Dec 07, 11:26
Lots to wine about
One of the few wine shops that I'd consider living in. And it comes with a lovely friendly little dog.
This is a passion made flesh for these people. The shop splits into two, the entry area for the wine related items, such as decanters, wine books, corkscrews, fortified wines and the main wine stock at the back. All relatively expensive but this isn't the place to go if you think Blue Nun is the height of good taste.
The wines are all quite highly priced but this seems to reflect the slightly quirky nature of the business. This isn't an Oddbins or a Threshers. heir whole purpose seems to be to educate and expand. If you're feeling clueless ask them. They'll advise you. They are very well staffed, employing what seems like thousands of people, meaning that you get lots of attention and some considered advice. As other places, buy by the bottle, crate or Magnum.
They also do a regular wine box that they deliver (or you can pick up). We tried it for a while and it is fantastic - buy a wine notebook to help you remember - but the cost does mount up.
£100 per month for around 10 bottles each month - Possibly space in their market to do the same for those people with slightly less budget and cellar space?
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Clapham Picture House
21 Dec 07, 11:12
Lovely
Tucked away on Venn Street, the CPH is opposite a number of very good restaurants - gastro for example - making it the perfect place for an extended film, dinner night out. It's a far cry from the standardised Odeans or Vue that you may be used to and way better than Brixton's good eclectic effort.
There's a bar downstairs to while away the time - if you can't find a seat in on of the area's thousands of bars. The Cinema is quite petite with - four screens in what are quite small rooms. This leads to a word of warning: It is quite small so you'd do well to book in advance if you can. It's the only cinema in the area so tickets for the more popular films go quickly.
There is a sort of loyalty card for about £30 a year giving you discounts, free screenings, bar discounts etc. A good present for the film gimp in your life.
They go in for the niche screenings here too. Some friends of ours hired a room and screened a documentary they made there so it's obviously available for private hire. I gather that there is also a 'mothers morning matinee (AKA Big Scream) for mothers who lunch. Do not attend this session if you are not a mother or over three. You will quite possibly go insane. There are special screenings for schools, short films, arthouse films, sceeenings for the older generation and those for people 'dating'.
In all, a pillar of Clapham Life. We love.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of La Cuisiniere
21 Dec 07, 10:40
Low Whisk Kitchen Shopping
Local legend says that, if Gordon Ramsay was Jesus, then this would be his Bethlehem stable. Probably.
This is a kitchen orientated shop. No bedroom fippery here. Oh No. Just pure kitchen products from knives that can slice a planet in two, to strange shaped poaching dishes, woks, strange pointy things, humble tea towels, minimalist egg cups and lots of Alessi. OK simply, if something was invented for the kitchen these people stock it (Serving Wenches excepted). There is so much stuff that they actually had to set up a second shop called 'Cuisiniere Too' to hold the over spill. That's the plus side.
The negatives are that the shop is a bit cramped. It's so packed that movement - when there are more than four people in the shop - can be difficult. Don't go in here fully loaded. The staff were also a bit unfriendly but that may have been due to the three screaming children that were causing havoc in the shop when we visited.
Price wise, well, it obviously varies but the products are good quality and last.
They also take the Wedge card which is great and can get you money off.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Pretty Pregnant
21 Dec 07, 10:17
Get Babyface
Congratulations, first of all on your good news. Unless you're not pregnant and are just shopping here because you're very fat. In that case, go to the search box and type 'Gym'.
Pretty Pregnant is lovely. It's an independent shop near the top of the Northcote Road (Not the train station end) and as its name suggests sells clothing for pregnant women. I'm not sure if it is like this in every shop - it certainly isn't in any clothes shop I've ever visited - but the real difference were the two members of staff who were so helpful, it actually made me suspicious. According to others, they really are this nice. They were fabulous though. Very helpful for a first time mother in suggesting new clothes and hints on what not to do. My wife, a first timer, appreciated the help and likes the clothes which I suppose is the other half of the battle. Is is expensive? Well, yes. Much like anything to do with marriage, preganancy is one of those words that allow shops to double the price for their goods. It's not cheap but then I suppoose that you pay for the quality of the clothes.
Usefully, the shop also acts as a focal point for local pre-natal groups offering suppport networks, massages services and the usual second hand items for sale. It's far from tacky though.
And for the men, you can read a book on baby's names while you wait for your wife to emerge from the changing cubicles.
Or you can go to the pub over the road.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.