Fiona B.

Review of Holy Cow

09 Nov 07, 12:18

Absolute winner

I've ordered from Holy Cow a couple of times. Great indian food. Highly Recommend.

Paneer Nawabi - soooo yummy and at £4.95 very reasonable. This is real quality food, lots of flavour.

Delivery time was good, but I agree with Helen L. was a bit on the warm side, not piping hot.

Free delivery over £10, and free popadoms & chutney with every order. Comes nicely packed in a cardboard box so nothing is crushed.

I heard that a second branch recently opened in Balham. It really is worth checking out.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Buona Sera

07 Nov 07, 14:31

Had better

This is the place to come with a large group of friends. Book a big table, plenty of house wine. Eat, drink and be merry.

The tiled floor makes this place very noisy. So couples or intimate catch ups with family/friends beware.

The food is fine enough, but not the greatest pizza / pasta I've ever had.

Very popular for weekend lunches, outdoor seating which is lovely in the summer months.

Not too expensive and offer a take-away service (no delivery).

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Marzano

07 Nov 07, 14:27

Good for groups & families.

I vaugely remember someone telling me Marzano comes from the same company as Pizza Express. Probably explains why the menus are fairly similar.

This place is nothing special. The food is pretty standard. But not what I would call traditional Italian.

Plenty of outside seating, with those heated lamps for the smokers.

Popular for lunches and dinner for large groups, families and drinks and nibbles. Very child friendly.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Grape Shop

07 Nov 07, 14:07

I recommend this grape

Not a huge shop and therefore not a huge selection. But nevertheless a fairly well stocked wine merchant.

What ever you're after, red, white rose or champagne, the guys here are more than happy to recommend something to your budget or taste. They also sell spirits and cigars.

Often have tastings and specials, great to try something and buy something you might not usually go for. It’s the sort of wine merchant where you can browse and not feel intimidated.

Very popular with people in the area, doesn’t seem to get the people traffic as much as the shops down the other end of Northcote Road.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Academy Video and Dvd

07 Nov 07, 14:00

Local DVD store for local people

This is a small but satisfactory DVD store. Its location is what makes it convienant for me.

It isnt a huge chain, which holds 9 copies of every new release. But you can usually get what you want to watch, crisps, popcorn, ice cream etc. Ex-rentals can also be bought.

Returns are by 8pm but if you bring it to the counter they are quite generous at letting you off a late fee or two.

Nice local feel too, if you forget your membership card it doesn't prove problematic.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Le Bouchon Bordelais

07 Nov 07, 13:54

First French Restaurant I like !

Stopped by here for dinner at the restaurant on a Friday night. We did not book but were in luck and managed the one and only table outside (the lottery table for smokers).

This restaurant is on the pricey side. Fine dining comes at a price. The wine list very good (nothing under £30), but it is VERY much worth it.

The service was very friendly, helpful and without fault. I can only comment on the dishes we ordered but the squid ink risotto with pan fried cod was amazing. And the muscles were also very good.

There are snails and frog legs on the menu for the more adventurous, lots of meat and chicken dishes.

It was a busy evening, and the bar next door was very full. Sitting outside you are very much privy to the goings-on on Battersea Rise. For a more intimate meal I would request a table inside at the back. The tables in the front of the restaurant although nice by the window, you’ll be disturbed by the opening /closing of the tricky front door. (and the cold winter air).

For groups on Fridays and Saturdays I would recommend booking, also if there is a particular table you would like. Great place for a date or couples celebration. Dinner for two with wine came to £110.

Only bad point is there is only one men’s and one women’s toilets. So there was some queuing and waiting.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Putney Leisure Centre

02 Nov 07, 18:56

Could be better

This place has in the last 2 years had a bit of a refurb. Look closely and you might even notice.

The leisure centre has a swimming pool, gym and a couple of studios for classes. Sun beds (often out of order), jacuzzi, steam room and cafe.

I found the classes good, but the other people in the classes not very friendly verging on clicky high school nastiness. Go figure!

Aqua aerobics is great on Tuesdays with Andy. However the class taken by the other instructor is not. The instructor doesn't even get in the pool and gives directions from a chair pool-side. Not really inspiring. Pool changing rooms are not very glam (bring flip-flops), I prefer to use the woman’s only ones, as opposed to the mixed or family changing rooms. Lockers are provided for a returnable £1. I have seen kids try to break into the lockers, so don't leave any valuables. Having said that I've never had anything stolen.

It is a big pool, with lane swimming daily. It is used by a few different clubs and schools. So can get busy. Scuba diving PADI courses are also taught there.

They do offer a pilates course, which runs for 10 week blocks. These are really good, limited to 12 people members and non members welcome.

There are different membership schemes for the leisure centre or pay as you go as a non-member. No contracts so quitting is easy!

I'm sorry to say I've always found the staff at reception to be rude and unhelpful. Sometimes felt like I was being perved on in the swimming pool. But guess that happens.

I recommend the pilates course and aqua aerobics on Tuesdays. I'm not convinced on the other facilities. Avoid the pool in school holidays children everywhere. But if you are a parent, you might want to check it out.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Amelies Follies

31 Oct 07, 17:02

lushous lingerie

You hear of these amazing lingerie boutiques where the woman takes you to a changing room, looks you up and down and gives you a perfect fitting bar. Well is one of those boutiques.

Lots of lovely matching sets, night clothes and in the summer a brilliant range of swimwear. They have underwear for all sizes, the swim wear sizes don't extend to larger cups which is a shame.

This boutique is warm and comfortable. The ladies that work there are very nice. A card is kept of your details and particulars. Great if your other-half wants to buy you something and is unsure of your size, cannot go wrong this way. They also offer gift vouchers.

Price ranges vary from item and brand. Hidden away on Webbs Road its a lovely boutique.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Clapham Junction Railway Station

31 Oct 07, 16:43

Britain's Busiest Train station

Clapham Junction (which is in Battersea) is regarded as the nations busiest station (some say Europe).

It has already had an overhaul and tidy up a few years back but is having another one soon (the surrounding area will become pedestrianised and vehicles restricted to buses and taxis). At the moment the concourse leading to the ticket hall & ticketing machines has a few shops which include Sainsbury’s local, M&S, Joy, Superdrug, Blockbusters, Café Nero, Costa, West Cornwall Pasties, Dry Cleaner/shoe repair, news stand, WH Smiths and a mobile phone store. So if you are after food, toiletries, reading material or a last minute gift/card before your journey it is pretty much there and available to you. Plasma screens are fitted overhead and show music videos whilst the music is pumped through.

The station is very useful for access to south England (including Brighton and Bristol) and London. Trains run to Waterloo (Euro star), Victoria, the Silver Link to Kensington Olympia & Watford Junction, Gatwick Airport (fast train takes 26mins) and a train bus link to Heathrow amongst many others.

The social calendar of the Clapham locals can be seen at the station, Ascot ladies day brings with it seas of hats and feathers, you can’t move for bikes after the London to Brighton bike race, marathon runners limping through the barriers in April. And Halloween/Xmas and New Year all are re

16 working platforms in all, an under and over pass, it is busy in the mornings, lots of pushing and shoving, queues for the ticket office and the usual fair. A large electronic display clearly shows the train destinations, times and platforms. Grab your free London paper and your on your way.

There are toilets passed the barriers (cost £0.20p) not dirty but they don’t feel clean. But when you got to go at least you know they are there.

Busy this station maybe, but for many of the locals when you use it so often and become familiar with its platforms and layout it’s not too big bad or scary.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.