Fifi's reviews
Review of $ Grills and Martinis
11 Apr 08, 13:00
Porn Star Martinis 
Oh my. Work drinks took place here a couple of weeks ago and my - how the cocktails flowed. We cosied up in a sexy red alcove lined with cushions and candles. The decor is Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen mixed in with Louis XIV and a bit of Moulin Rouge. The service is impeccable. The food - we had mini burgers, nachos, battered thai prawns and goats cheese tartlets - was to die for. And can I just say, the Porn Star Martini, which comes with half a passion fruit and a shot of champagne, is quite possibly the best thing I have ever encountered in my drinking career. Recommended.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Review of Queen Mary
04 Apr 08, 16:18
It's a boat...and a bar!!!!!
I went here last Friday with my friends and had a blast. I love boats so I was in my element, but genuinely, it's such a novel dining and drinking experience that I can't recommend it enough. The views of the London Eye and Big Ben on the top deck make up for the slightly dingy lower deck, even when it's blowing a stiff so'wester up there. And the motion of the Thames is reassuringly therapeutic and slightly unsettling at the same time - spicing up your regular three pints and a packet of crisps. Basically, come summer, I'll be lounging against the rail with a G&T, pretending I'm setting off on an epic journey to the colonies. Brilliant.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Clissold Arms
04 Apr 08, 16:09
God-awful 
Recently re-opened, I can't imagine how bad it must have been before to deserve this makeover. Soulless, reeking of glue and mdf and with a price list that my friends and I thought was an early April fools, I really wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. I paid £4 for a thimble-full of wine which - and I may be wrong - tasted like it had been watered down, and the atmosphere inside the pub was akin to a very small funeral. They had also placed a dining table right next to the ladies' toilet door, which seems excessively unpleasant. Please don't go here. It's cheaper to pop into the Majestic wine warehouse next door, buy a case of wine and drink it on the street outside.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of PizzaExpress
25 Jan 08, 16:52
Nice views...of roaring traffic. 
Look, it's a Pizza Express. So you know what you're getting. But I wouldn't recommend this branch due to it's dreadful location (opposite a Novotel high rise hotel) and steady stream of businessmen and women clogging up the restaurant. Why would you go here when the wonderful St Pancras is just next door, stuffed with nice (if a little brand new) chains like Pain Quotidien? At least there you are surrounded by beautiful architecture. Not a dirty lorry and some scaffolding.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Undercroft
25 Jan 08, 11:50
Best college bar in Durham 
Fact. I love this place so much I'm going back this weekend to savour the sticky floor, broken glass in the courtyard of the castle and drink a smenergy or three. Famed for this lurid, semi-illegal drink and for the curvy model atop the bar (made from wood, alas), the Undie (as it's fondly known) is always packed. Can you fault a bar built into the crypt of a beautiful castle? Right opposite Durham cathedral? And stuffed with beautiful people? I'm weeping at the memories. Please go.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Old White Lion
24 Jan 08, 16:54
Sharp left out the tube and....relax
Conveniently situated right next to the tube (and on the outskirts of Millionaire's Row aka Bishop's Avenue), the OWL is a lovely, mis-matchy pub, spattered with retro art and comfy banquettes, a roaring fire and friendly bar staff. A great outdoor area for smokers that is (usually) heated adds interest - I imagine it's great in the summer. Can't speak too highly of the food - the one time I did eat there it was overcooked with a long wait, and a very grumpy waitress. But not grumpy enough to take this off my no.1 spot for pubs in East Finchley. Oh...and watch out for the eccentric man in pink glasses who talks to himself at the bar. He might have an interesting story to tell...
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Guanabara
24 Jan 08, 15:39
Get here before 8 at weekends!
Went to Guanabara for my birthday on a Friday night and had a brilliant time - mainly because I had been tipped off beforehand to a) get there as soon as it opened to avoid the queues and b) make the most of happy hour from 5-7 pm. With fresh made mojitos £3 and house wine £8 a bottle, stockpiling is the way to go! The DJ was ok but the live band were utterly brilliant - lots of sweaty dancing to beguiling beats. Some advice: for a long evening, book a table in advance - otherwise you have to stand, eat food off the bar and generally not get to sit down! Also - this is no joke - there is a queue of at least 1 hour after 8pm. Many of my friends didn't make it, much to my disappointment, because of this fact. So get there early, stockpile the drinks and dance the night away!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Roebuck
17 Jan 08, 16:44
Sunday Roast & A Movie? Fabulous...
I love the Roebuck. It's Sunday roasts are exceptionally good (and big), the decor muted in a comfortable way, with mismatched comfy chairs and a conservatory area (as well as a smoking patio outside). There is a funky downstairs section which is open during the evenings, and on a Sunday there are film screenings of a wide selection of great films. I can't think of a better way to while away the last hours of the weekend...
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Sir Richard Steele
17 Jan 08, 16:40
Celeb haunt
This is a great pub with some funky decor, big roaring fire, live music and tasty Thai food. It's also a noted celebrity hangout for some of the North London famous, who can be found kicking back in the outdoor area with a Malboro Light, disguised as any other young urbanite having a pint. Next time you see that guy in a parka who looks vaguely familiar...look again!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Klute Disco
21 Dec 07, 13:01
Avoid. AVOID.
Having attended both Durham University and Klute, I can safely say that the best move of my career was getting barred for this god-awful excuse for a nightclub. A mecca (bizarrely) for pink shirted, braying students who regularly drop ££££s on fishbowls of lurid vodka, whilst sweating vicariously on the two foot square dancefloor to the likes of Chesney Hawkes and the birdie song (no joke), it is a little taster of HELL for the rest of the population. Apparently it's had a re-fit. Whatever. Just pass by and go to Chase instead.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.