Gareth S.

Review of Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes

21 Sep 08, 09:02

A Fully Rounded Night Out

the thing about bowling, i find, is that you don't have to be any good at it to enjoy it.

The groovy shoes, the sound of the ball on the polished wooden lane, the clatter of the pins... ah.

Those 10 year old computer graphics mocking or celebrating your score add to the charm. They remind me of TV Quiz show Catchphrase, which is no bad thing.

Anyway, this place is part diner, part night club, part karaoke bar, part live music venue and part bowling alley. In fact, there's always a film being projected in the foyer, with a handful of bucket seats, so I guess you could throw "part cinema" into the mix. I wouldn't bother watching an entire movie there though.

Whenever I've been there's been a live band on. A young, hip, pretending-to-the-crown type of band, rather than that covers band that your geography teacher's plays bass for. It's loud and adds to the vibe if that's what you dig...

but it makes this place not a particularly family friendly type-of venue. Great for an evening out with friends though.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Levant Bar and Restaurant

21 Sep 08, 08:37

Great Food on the Marie Celeste

We went here for Saturday lunch. It was 1.30pm, only a fw moutes walk away ppl were queing for tables in Carluccio's and even at Pizza Express. We were the only customers at Levant and had to seek someone out to serve us, it was like the Marie Celeste. Not a good sign. Food was delicious tho. the falafel and hummus were among the best I've ever tasted and the moussakka was full of delicate flavours. It's not cheap - £12.95 set menu for lunch. And they'll sting you on drinks. But it's mazing food and an oasis of calm amidst the bustle of west London.

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Review of Eat And Two Veg

31 Aug 08, 19:10

Vegetarian Diner

Vegetarian diner with decor that's 50s American diner without the chintz. There's no jukebox fr'instance and the posters provide a British twist - adverts for Hillmans, MGs and Austins rather than Cadillacs & Buicks.

The menu includes delicious (although pricey) freshly squeezed juices comparable to those on offer at a Wagamama - carrot & ginger, raspberry & pear - juices to cleanse & reinvigorate.

Food is mostly burgers - but no meat! plus there's some traditional English favourites too - bangers and mash plus a vegetarian roast on a Sunday.

Vegan dishes are clearly marked - plus ther's a handful of dishes that can be adapted intoa vegan recipe.

Thoroughly recommended.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Just Falafs

30 Aug 08, 19:56

Flavoursome Falafel

Great falafel wraps on offer with a variety of imaginative ingredients. Try the Yogji Bear which combines beetroot , shredded carrot and yoghurt - good textures, delicious flavours.

It's a smidge more xpensive than local competitors (Maoz & Gaby's Deli spring to mind) but wins o flavour.

They have another shop in Covent Garden, but this is the superior branch.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Fish Club

30 Aug 08, 19:44

Mystifyingly Empty

Worringly, we were the only customers at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon, but the food and service wasn't a disappointment.

Good, almost traditional fish & chips with a choice of fish from coley, whiting & others.

The batter was really crispy and light with chips that were really chunky and not over fried.

The home-made tartare sauce was excellent and the staff friendly and helpful. Great mushy peas too.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of B S Flooring

18 Aug 08, 08:43

it's B's Flooring (not BS Flooring)

and they mostly do carpet, but wooden and laminate floorings too.

I had my whole flat bought and fitted and can'ty fault the pre and post sale service and the actual fitting. They were incredibly helpful, polite and obviously concerned about doing a good job.

There's cheaper options nearby, but B's came with a good recommendation and I wasn't disappointed.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Georges Fish Bar

18 Aug 08, 08:25

Traditional Taste

This is the best chip shop close to me - always a way better bet than The Happy Chippy (now closed) and a more traditional taste than you get from Broadway Fish Bar down the road in Crouch End.

I can only vouch for the Fish & Chips, which are delicious and of genorous portion, but he also does friend chicken, sausages, fishcakes & pies (pukka I think).

And George is a friendly bloke. You can't go wrong really.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Food For Thought

04 May 08, 17:23

Go Early/Late To Avoid The Queue

Good quality dishes from good quality ingredients.The quiches are always great but so is everything else - I've yet to have a bad dish from here. It's not particularly cheap, but you get what you pay for I guess.

Takeaway service is well-mannered and efficient but queuing at peak times is the norm.

The "Strawberry Scrunch" is always tempting - a crunchy biscuit base with fresh cream, bananas and strawberries. Nice.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of La Porchetta

04 May 08, 17:07

It Shouldn't Work, But It Does

It's an unremarkable Italian restaraunt with a family-run feel. The staff are cheerful if not entirely attentive and the decor is shabby and tired. The pizza's are undeniably great though, and well worth what you'll pay.

What can only be the shining star of the pizzas on offer is the blend of gorgonzola and pear. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but (omigod!_ it does. The punchiness of the blue cheese counterpointed with the sweetness of the pear! Ace.

Can't recommend anything else because, as far as I recall, I haven't been able to order anything else from the menu. Oh, sure, I'll peruse the options. I'll consider the spaghetti vongole or the rigatoni... but in my heart I know I'll always be ordering the ol' favourite.

The beer gives me a headache, the toilets aren't pleasant and if you get a table by the window you'll find yourself gawped at by people waiting for a bus.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Ottomans

04 May 08, 15:19

Dine Like The Sultans

The sign exhorts you to come in and "dine like the sultans!" On this showing the Sultans were indeed well-fed and it's no wonder they all ended up wiht pot bellies..

It's good quality Turkish food, a great VFM lunch menu offer and reliably cheerful service.

It's also vegetarian friendly and popular with families.

I'll personally recommend the Mousakka, the falafel and the chicken şiş.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Pavillion Cafe Highgate Wood

04 May 08, 15:03

A hidden cafe that thrives in summer

A cafe on the edge of highgate wood might not be the best business idea - access is limited pretty much to arriving on foot - but it;s family friendly and stupidly popular on a sunny weekend afternoon.

The menu reads tastier than it is but it's still good value for money and the location more than makes up for any culinary shortcomings.

The drinks menu is also a bonus with a shedload of herbal teas to choose from and some quality, mostly locally brewed, bottled beers.

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Review of Tas Restaraunt

04 May 08, 15:02

Talking Turkey

Turkish food just insn'y fashionable is it? Maybe it's got something to do with Turkey's appalling human rights record.

The Tas chain has s decor and vibe comparable with a Pizza Express or a Zizzi. The menu, packed with unpronouncable words, is just as tasty as in any high street Italian chain, even if it's more of a mouthful to pronounce. (for the record, the Cs are pronounced as Js, Gs are always hard, Hs are never silent and the cedilla Cs and Ss are pronounced 'ch' and 'sh').

I'll particularly recommend Mercimek (spicy red lentil soup) and the Elma Dolmasi (battered almonds, rice, dill and cinnamon in apple - which sounds really sweet but is somewhere between sweet and savoury, which is surely some kind of Holy Grail)

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.