Aine's reviews
Review of The Eagle
04 Nov 07, 17:34
Nice Hoxton pub 
This place is a nice antidote to the concrete and awful haircuts of Hoxton Square. It serves a good range of beers (I'd imagine it's a freehouse) and looks like a pub, but it can hold it's own for uber-trendy Hoxtonites. Right next door is the local cop shop, so it can feel a little like the place is constantly being raided as the lights flash outside. Beware of staggering outside after a night of drink, as you might get mown down by a police van. There's a largeish beer garden outside, good for the summer, but understandably it gets pretty packed.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Dunns Bakery
21 Oct 07, 12:04
proper old bakery
Always busy, this place is a proper bakery - places fast disappearing because of the supermarkets. They do a good range of the usual bread, and some lovely buns and cakes. What I (and small children) love most is the amazing display of speciality cakes in the window. I've never had any of them, but if the rest of the fare is anything to go by, they'd be fantastic.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Vibe Bar
21 Oct 07, 11:58
Great summer bar
Seconding what Debby said, this place works best in summer. You can sit outside, under the trees in the courtyard of the Truman Brewery, drinking beer and contemplating what to order from the on-site barbeque. Send someone with long limbs and a loud voice to the bar - for some reason it is inordinately deep. Inside there are slouchy sofas, but these are snapped up quickly. Unfortunately, this is a bar that subscribes to the "toilet attendant" trend - in the ladies, she likes to cover up the hand drier with her jacket, which is very annoying.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Al Volo
21 Oct 07, 11:48
Nice italian, good for quick work lunches 
First off, Al Volo is not on brick lane, so ignore the info and the map at the top. It's tucked away in the corner of a car park off Hanbury Street. Which works in it's favour I think - it's not huge, and would be even more packed if people just happened upon it! The food is really good. Freshly made thin-crust pizzas and pastas. The calzones (folded-over pizza) look great. They've made great use of the space outside, with an awning over a patio, more than doubling their space. Fantastic on a summer day, as you can sit outside and just watch the procession of weird and wonderful clothing that passes.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Twelve Pins
10 Oct 07, 18:49
Good for match watching, just not when it's Arsenal
The Twelve Pins has Setanta, so I take myself off there when there's a GAA game. Keen on it's big-screen TVs, the interior is perennially dark, but there are plenty of seats and enough TVs that there can be two or three matches shown at the same time to keep everyone happy. It also has free copies of the Irish Sunday Independant. Avoid like the plague on days when Arsenal play at home as it is 17 deep at the bar.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Happening Bagel Bakery
10 Oct 07, 18:45
Bagels good, cakes even better
Sitting right opposite the entrance to finsbury park, this spot is ideal for picking up you picnic lunch. The bagels are nice, if limited to about 4 fillings (and they come wrapped in cling-film). You can see everything is made fresh on site. What is even better than the bagels are the pastries, cakes and buns - a sizeable array in the cabinet. I recommend the cream slice - yum!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Beigal Bake
10 Oct 07, 18:42
Comes highly recommended
This bagel bakery has been highly recommended to me, so I took myself off there today. Bagel was very nice and a reasonable price - menu was limited, but everyone else in the queue ordered salt beef, so I'm guessing that is the speciality. Had a nice range of pastries (otherwise you would need two bagels for lunch). Will definitely be returning to try the other fillings listed
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Leon
09 Oct 07, 20:17
Brisk, healthy stuff 
Never thought I'd say the words "sweet potato falafel wrap" and "delicious" in the same sentence, but you live and learn. Leon does a limited but well put together menu. It doesn't fall into the trap of well-meaning-but-bland healthy food. Only ever been there for lunch, when the queues can get a little crazy, but if you can get one of the couches, you'd be on to a good thing. For a establishment that seems so concerned with provenance, the lack of recycling facilities and use of plastic utensils could use some thinking about.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Tommy Guns
09 Oct 07, 20:09
Trendy looking, but good service
Normally, I can't abide fashionable hairdressers, thinking I'd come out with an "ironic" haircut, so was wary when I walked into Tommy Guns. It looks the part, but don't let that fool you. The guy who cut my hair listened to my request, tried to talk me into something a bit more exciting, but in the end we agreed on a cut and I was very pleased with the result. Will definitely be returning. Reasonable price, too.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Jai Krishna
09 Oct 07, 20:03
Good veggie food, surly service 
Has been recommended to me numerous times by friends. I found the food delicious, though a little too spicy for me (even the stuff marked mild had a real bite) and very filling - you won't miss the meat. The decor is very basic, pretty much like a large caff. But what stood out was the quality - or lack therof - of the service. Surly waiters who slap your order on the table and grunt in response to a question. I'm happy to overlook bad service if the food is worth it, just not sure it was worth it for me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.