Fifi's reviews
Review of Kenssy Fried Chicken
03 Nov 09, 17:08
The hangover before the hangover 
I love Kenssy's. It does what it says on the tin, and always with a friendly smile - no matter how drunk/violent/upset/unconscious you are on a Friday night.
I give it 5 stars because the manager is a wonderful man who kept hold of my drunk boyfriend's laptop and rucksack after he left it on a seat one Friday night after stuffing his face with popcorn chicken. Bless you, Mr Kenssy.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Clapham Grand
03 Nov 09, 17:05
Stickest dance floor. Ever. 
Hmm. What to say about the Grand. You'll need to be really, really inebriated to have a good night here . We chanced upon a live act who were rather good, but the evening soon descended into predictably rubbish DJ set with a half empty dance floor and overpriced drinks.
Agree with Alex about the dodginess - guard your person/belongings/dignity with care.
I feel that the Grand could be the life and soul of Clapham Junction if it had brilliant management and got the best new acts in on a weekly basis and got a bit of a clean up. Great venue, let down when you're inside.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Halfway House
03 Nov 09, 17:01
Best pub quiz in SW18 
I may be biased because my team won it 3 times in a row, but I genuinely like the Halfway. The monday night pub quiz is a bit of a fixture around here with free meals and drinks in the offing. Be warned. It is hard.
Food-wise it's very good and a nice selection of wines and beers on tap.
Best of all, it has a great management and some really friendly staff (not in a grope-y way) who are always up for a chat.
Word of warning - Friday night can turn into a bit of a club night, so don't venture down for a quiet one unless you plan on sitting outside.
Proud to call it my local.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Willie Gunn
03 Nov 09, 16:55
Gunn in 60 seconds.
Bit on the pricey side and with service that's almost as dismissive as neighbouring yummy mummy joint Mel's, I'm not sure how to feel about Willie Gunns.
I did only go for brunch so evening dining may be a whole different kettle of fish, but I found it a bit like eating in someone's converted Victorian semi and quite expensive for what they offered.
there's some great restaurants on Garratt Lane, not sure this is one of them.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Kazan
03 Nov 09, 16:51
Don't call it a kebab house 
Kazan's is a wonderful family run Turkish meze & grill that is a bit hit with the Earlsfield brigade.
The service is impeccable and because it's a family business they are wonderfully accommodating and friendly. Black and white photos of Turkish family gatherings on the menus and walls are a nice touch.
Recommend the Vege Sarma, which is a delicious auberginey/flatbread dish that is incredibly moreish and filling at the same time.
Great cocktails and nice to sit outside on summer evenings.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of GJs
03 Nov 09, 12:24
Val D'Isere comes to Wandsworth.
For all of you (and there are a lot) who spend half the year hankering for the powdery slopes and the other half slaloming down them, may I suggest GJs for a home-from-home apres ski experience - right in the middle of Wandsworth.
The skis adorning the interior 'chalet' walls, token maps and other snowy memorabilia is a big giveaway. The original GJs began life in Val D'Isere and became something of a legend for the skiing crew. Natch a move to the 'burbs of SW London was the next step.
It may be bizarre but it certainly is characterful, and gets even weirder out back. The covered beer garden could easily accommodate 100 people and on summer days (and on request) they will string up a whole hog roast which merrily cooks all day until the feast begins later on.
It's popular with the Aussie/SA gang and has some great live music acts at weekends. I can't say the food was incredible but the hog roast looked good (and this from a veggie).
Shame about the rubbish location, but it's the kind of place you come to at midday in the summer and spend the rest of the day slumming in the sunshine with friends, watching the piggy on the spit.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Jolly Gardener
03 Nov 09, 12:09
Jolly Good for Garratt Lane
Pass the other side of Earlsfield bridge and it gets a little bit grim and industrial. But it's well worth passing the notorious Henry Prince Estate and good ol' Mecca Bingo to reach this little gem of a pub, an oasis of good taste and lovely food in the hinterland of Garratt Lane.
With an outdoor area sparkling with fairy lights and lush greenery, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in a chi chi village somewhere. Inside there's a smart dining room where they serve delicious (if pricey) food from an open kitchen.
Further back, squashy leather sofas by the fire are a great place for a game of scrabble, or perch by the bar and shoot the breeze with the regulars until the wee hours.
Highly recommended.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Hope
02 Nov 09, 17:37
Couldn't Hope for a better experience
I chose to have a party of 20 people in for the Hope's 'host your own roast' the other Sunday and to be honest, I had expectations that something wouldn't work out with a crowd that big on a busy Sunday afternoon.
It. Was. Fantastic. Not only were the management absolutely brilliant about a bigger group than expected and people arriving at different times, they were pleasant and incredibly non-plussed by the noise and banter that comes with a bunch of boozy boys.
The food was really excellent - the joints of beef and pork looked fantastic, and my nut roast was the best I'd ever had.
I can't recommend them enough for a big party like this - it was great value considering the size of the group.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
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.