Joanna N.

Review of Hilton

30 Apr 08, 12:53

Great hotel

This is a really good hotel and just the place you want to stay before/after going on a trip. The hotel is linked directly into the airport so you can walk from reception straight into South Terminal which is so convenient. Even better if you can check your bags in the night before and have a leisurley breakfast at the hotel before walking through to the airport.

The rooms are large and comfortable with big fluffy dressing gowns, slippers and lots of nice toiletries (including a single Gilette disposable razor and a little rubber duck!). The buffet breakfast is fantastic, as good as any other Hilton buffet breakfast. If you are flying, it is definitely preferable to have breakfast at the hotel rather than on the plane!!

Brilliant customer service, very comfortable rooms, nice toiletries, convenient for flight check-in as you can walk through to the terminal - who could ask for more!

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Review of Pinks

30 Apr 08, 11:58

Pinks is perfect!

I love this salon - it's pink, fluffy and the best thing is that the staff are all brilliant and the prices are very reasonable. They use Cetuem products which are very high quality, all natural (and generally quite expensive if you were to buy them from a specialist shop).

I've had loads of different treatments here and have felt totally pampered every time, no matter how big or small the treatment. Definitely recommend this salon.

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Review of Pizza Express

24 Apr 08, 13:10

One of the best Pizza Express restaurants!

Pizza Express is a brilliant restaurant - I love their menu and the style of the kitchen being on show so you can see them making your food. I also like the fact they refresh their menu quite often so it doesn't get boring and there are new things to choose on the menu.

The starters are lovely, everyone knows their famous dough balls and garlic butter starter! They recently took the "savoury breads" side dish off the menu which was disappointing as it was a brilliant side dish, so tasty and perfect to share. The mains are good too, lovely thin base pizza with tasty topping. Their new "Roman" base pizzas have much bigger, thinner and crispier bases and are great if you are really hungry - you can now "upgrade" any standard pizza to "Roman" for £1 extra which offers more choice. Deserts are fab too now they have added to their menu.

I like this particular branch because the service is brilliant, staff are very friendly and the food seems to be nicer here (more generous portions, hotter, fresher). It is also in a really nice location and if you are really lucky you can nab a seat outside in the summer. It gets very busy on weekends and Friday nights so get there early, try to book a table or expect to wait for a table.

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Review of Abbey

21 Apr 08, 12:40

Fantastic customer service and advice

This branch of Abbey is brilliant - staff are always very polite and helpful and I feel that I've always been given good advice by staff there. I was also very happily surprised that when I enquired about a product the company had been pushing through TV advertising and internet ads the staff told me this was not really suitable for me and pointed me in the direction of other more suitable products but no pressure to sign up for anything. They are also very security / ID cautious here which is brilliant. It's a shame the online banking isn't as reliable as this branch.

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Review of Royal Air Force Museum London

20 Apr 08, 18:56

Great for kids and adults alike

This is a brilliant museum and with free entry it makes a non-expensive day out for a family. It isn't just a boys day out, I found all the planes and information about where the planes have fought really interesting. Kids will love it as they have steps up into some of the planes so they can actually get into the planes, sit in them and see the controls. It is also worth checking their events calendar so you can go there and catch an air display and see the planes in action.

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Review of The British Museum

20 Apr 08, 15:32

Now I know why the Acropolis is permanently covered in scaffolding...

This is an amazing museum and when I've been here I always say I'll only be a couple of hours but end up spending the whole day - bargain as entry is free. The quality of dispays and information attached to them is brilliant.

The Ancient Greek and Egyptian displays are truly amazing - however now I know why the Acropolis is permanently covered in scaffolding - because most of it (sadly) is in the British museum and not back in Greece where it should be. I'm sure many countries wish that the amazing ancient artifacts on display here were returned to them, and although it does upset me that these cannot be displayed in their country of origin I am also grateful that they are on display here so that I have the chance to see them.

I know a lot of reviews here have said that there weren't any mummys when they went, but the last time I went they had loads of mummys and sarcophagi - a whole room of them in fact so I was not disappointed.

The gift shop is nice but a bit expensive. They have quite a few educational products rather than just the normal tourist products branded with the museum's name which is nice to see.

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Review of The Roman Baths

20 Apr 08, 15:05

When in Rome...

No trip to Bath is complete unless you have visited the Roman Baths. It is really spectacular, and although the water does look green and a bit scummy, the sense of luxury and grandeur that was no doubt felt in the Roman days remains.

I recommend getting there early as every time I have been there it has been really busy and have had to queue for a bit. As the other review here mentions, you are given a headset so that you have a guided tour of the museum and baths. I must admit I didn't really use the headset for everything, only really where I wanted some extra information. Plus I did get a bit bored when the information relayed via the headset was the same as the information displayed on boards in the museum so found some of the audio not really necessary.

After you have finished, it is worth looking at the gift shop even if you don't want to buy anything - I always find gift shops fun. If you want to take a small souvenier back but aren't interested in anything here there is a FAB old fashined sweet shop near here that do lots of lovely souvenier packaged jars of sweets.

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Review of Outfit

18 Apr 08, 16:51

Loads of shops under one roof

I love Outfit, there are all the main clothes shops I like to look at under one roof. Each "brand" has a reasonably big section of it's own so you have substantial stock from each "brand" to browse through. It's so convenient and saves going to a shopping centre where you are in and out of all the shops, you have everything there and can try on clothes from any brands together.

Outfit stocks "brands" such as Wallis, Dorothy Perkins, Principles, Warehouse, Playboy, Miss Selfridge, Top Shop, Evans and more. If you are a student, be sure to take your NUS card with you as you are entitled to a discount.

I'm not one to go for store cards and I don't think they are a good ieda, but if you are going to do a big shop, you get a discount on your first purchase when opening a store card as an incentive. Only get a store card if you are just doign it to get the discount and will pay the amount off in full straight away as the interest rates on the store card are really high. They also have card holder discount days which, again, is good if you are using the store card just for the discount and can pay the amount off in full but not if you are going to pay it off bit by bit because of the high interest charges.

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Review of The Sweet Shop

18 Apr 08, 16:33

Proper sweets!

This sweet shop is FAB! Proper "old fashioned" sweets that you used to order by the quart from jars behind the counter - reminds me of being a kid again.

You can buy lots of sweets and biscuits the old fashoned way by the quart, or in decorative little jars or in "souvenier" packaging for presents. All presenter really nicely and really good value for money.

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Review of Bath Abbey

18 Apr 08, 16:27

Really beautiful and peaceful

Bath Abbey is really beautiful - a lovely place to wander around and be a tourist, or to take a pew and pray. The glass windows are stunning and it's on a sunny day it it lovely to see the sun shine through them. The Abbey also has a very nice book shop with lots of really good Christian books. Thoroughly recommend a visit.

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Review of Swarovski

18 Apr 08, 15:00

Jewellery fit for a princess!!

My sister is crazy for Swarovski and this madness is catching, now I am crazy on it too!! Don't think that it is all expensive and pricey stuff, of course there are the magnificent pieces that will set you back a fair amount, but you can also find beautiful pieces for around £30, it's not all expensive.

They often have smaller versions of their popular crystal jewellery so if, say a big pendant is £60 they may have a smaller version of it for £35 which is not only affordable but may be preferable to have a more understated piece of jewellery that you can get more everyday wear out of rather than something you will only wear a couple of times a year. Saying that, their more expensive pieces are divine and I think they are worth every penny.

The staff in this shop are very helpful and allow you to view jewellery and try it on (apart from earrings of course) before buying. If you haven't been to a Swarovski shop before, it really is worth going, people who think it is all very expensive or over-priced will be pleasantly surprised.

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Review of Hainanese Buffet

18 Apr 08, 13:07

Really good "eat as much as you like" buffet

It's always difficult to find a good "eat as much as you like" buffet as there is always something that lets it down, but this one is brilliant. I haven't been here in years and don't know why as it is fantastic and used to go here all the time.

The food is so fresh and the buffet is always being topped up, really tasty and good quality food. The staff are friendly and helpful too. I think it is good value for money, but what pushes the price up is the drinks as they are quite expensive and probably where the restaurant make good money. I seem to remember that this restaurant is cash only.

It's always heaving in there so if you are going for an evening meal it's probably best to call ahead and reserve tables. Would definitely recommend this place.

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Review of Cybercandy The Sweet Shop

18 Apr 08, 12:32

Sugar rush!

This shop is amazing, such a gem. This is the place you will find all the sweets, cakes and sugary drinks eaten and mentioned in US films and programmes that are cult across the pond but that are not stocked over here - find out what a twankie is, buy some kool aid and indulge in the sweets you've heard mentioned on TV but until now had little idea of what they were!

As well as US products, they also stock Japanese products, supersized Pez dispensers, Jellybean Factory sets and pick 'n' mix tower, space food (yes, actual space food) and edible bugs. It is so cool to see all these products in one shop - well worth a visit.

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Review of Sandwich Centre

18 Apr 08, 11:01

Brilliant little cafe for takeaway

Be prepared to queue here but it is worth it. This tiny little cafe is fantastic - choose pastas, bean and veg salads, cous cous from the salad bar; have freshly made sandwiches or salads from the sandwich bar and then queue to pay. The woman on the till is always shouting to the guys behind the sandwich bar to work faster and for people to pay faster but it is all comical, fun and not offensive.

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Review of Paperchase

18 Apr 08, 10:17

The shop that makes stationery cool!

I love this shop and could quite happily spend hours looking at all the stationery. The trendy, cool, funky and retro designs are fabulous and this is definitely the shop that makes stationery cool! Apart from cool stationery they also have cards, picture frames, photo albums, travel diaries, mugs, ipod covers, bags, gift wrap..... and much more - all with the cool, funky and retro designs you will find on the stationery. The retro designs on the gardening diaries, beauty diaries, recipe books and travel diaries make me want to have green thumbs, have a beauty regime, learn to cook and travel the world to have an excuse to buy these books! A brilliant shop.

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Review of Spring Time Nurseries Enfield

16 Apr 08, 13:22

Lovely garden centre with a fab cafe

This is a lovely garden centre and is particularly nice to shop in at Christmas when they have brilliant seasonal items. Lots to see and choose from and the cafe is fantastic! A lovely day out.

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Review of Medivet Group

15 Apr 08, 12:02

Amazing service

For anyone who's ever had a pet that's been very sick, you will know how comforting it is to have a good 24 hour vet nearby. The service here is fantastic, the staff are sympathetic and I've been in the waiting room when emergencies have been rushed in and they have been amazing. It is a bit pricey and some vets do push expensive tests/products but in my experience if there has been a cheaper alternative they do take into account what people can and can't afford. They are also very understanding when we've had to change appointments due to out pet going awol. Have also been to the Medivet in Kingsbury which is much smaller and can only really accommodate you with an appointment as the Hendon one is not too far away, much bigger and better equipped to deal with emergencies, but the service is equally as good.

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Review of Borders Books

14 Apr 08, 12:51

Books, Starbucks and Paperchase all in one place!

I love Borders - loads of books and magazines, helpful staff, somewhere to sit and have a coffee and a Paperchase - who could ask for more! It is easy to find your way around and staff are very friendly and have always been polite and helpful when I've needed their help. The Paperchase here is really nice, quite big with lots of products you might expect to find in Paperchase only stores rather than a small Paperchase unit in a book shop which is great. The Starbucks is usually so busy that it's difficult to find seats or if you are lucky enough to find a seat, the accompanying table is usually full of dirty cups and plates from quite a few previous customers.

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Review of Flamenco

13 Apr 08, 18:27

Amazing food, fantastic service

I’ve been here for a number or private parties for an organisation I used to belong to. The staff are amazing and do everything possible to ensure you have an enjoyable meal there. All times I’ve been there I have dined in the large room at the back of the restaurant (which is perfect for birthday and other parties) and the staff let some of us put up birthday banners and decorate the tables with “table confetti”. The food is superb, delicious tapas. Leave some room for desert and try their home made pistachio ice cream, it is to die for!

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Review of Goldsmiths

13 Apr 08, 17:19

Amazing customer service

Every time I have been here, I have been so highly impressed with the standard of customer service. Staff don’t pounce on you demanding to help if you clearly want to browse and be left alone, but at the same time are attentive and helpful when you want them to be. This shop is very expensive and I’ve usually gone in there looking so scruffy and probably looking as if I can’t afford anything in there and they have always treated me with the same courtesy they show to customers who go there all dressed up wearing clothes and jewellery that screams “I have money”. They have also been very honest when it comes to insurance, although they always do recommend it (and I am sure they get commission for each policy they sell), they don’t take the “hard-sell” approach so you don’t feel forced into buying it and don’t have to justify why you don’t want insurance offered. They also gift wrap beautifully (in Goldsmiths branded paper of course) for free.

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Review of Izgara Restaurant

13 Apr 08, 16:44

More than kebabs

Fantastic restaurant – fresh, tasty food and good service. This restaurant is always busy and they operate on a reservation only basis on Friday and Saturday nights as they are so busy. Portions are generous, but note that if you order kebabs they do not come wrapped unless you ask them to be so prepared and your bread will be served on the side. The meze is amazing and the best way to find out what you like for your next visit as you get to try a bit of everything. If you want take away call them in advance to prepare your food so you don’t have to wait in the restaurant. This is part of a small chain of Izgara restaurants and I have eaten at another Izgara in Edgware, but the portions there seem to be smaller.

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Review of Cafe Anglais

13 Apr 08, 14:20

Café and a half!

Now this is a café and a half – if you need a proper fry-up then this is the place to go! This family run café has been here a long time and used to be just one unit but was so popular they took over the shop/unit next door too. It is always busy and in the summer they sometimes have chairs and tables outside. The food is first class, very good quality, all freshly made and lots to offer on the menu. If there isn’t a set breakfast that you fancy on the menu, make your own up. They also have very good home made pies and custard if you have enough room left after your main meal. If you don’t fancy a fry up, I recommend the liver and bacon or omelette and chips but everything on their menu is really good and have always had perfect food served up every time and have been going there for over 10 years.

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Review of Alisan

12 Apr 08, 08:46

The best Chinese food EVER!

Went there last night and was totally blown away – the food, service, décor and ambience was amazing! The best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever been to and the best Chinese food I’ve ever tasted – quite frankly I doubt I’ll never enjoy any other Chinese food unless it is at Alisan, it was that amazing. The starter platters and dim sum platters were to die for. The staff are so attentive and helpful and were always refilling our glasses and ensuring everything was top standard all night. We gorged on the starters and were full by the time the main meal came, but the food as so amazing we polished off the mains and even ordered Chinese tea and desert too!! During the day the restaurant serves Dim Sum only and judging by the selection on the evening meal platter, it must be as amazing and I am definitely going back to try this out! The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays unless it is a Wembley event day. It can be a bit tricky to find as it is on the road that was the industrial estate but it is right next to the Stadium and the views from the restaurant are stunning. It’s also nice that the tables are nicely spread out so you are not sitting right on top of the people around you and can have an intimate meal even if all the tables around are busy. Booking on Wembley event days is recommended.

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Review of Aroma Patisserie

12 Apr 08, 08:29

Greek Paradise!

This has to be one of my favourite patisseries – not only because it is Greek but because the cakes, food, service and just everything is absolutely outstanding. As well as cakes, bread, sweets and ice-cream that you can buy to take away, it is also a café. Everything is freshly made on the premises. They do the most fantastic cakes to order and can print photos on icing to put on top of cakes too – make sure you order in advance. I recommend enjoying a halloumi and lounza sandwich with a Greek coffee “medrio” followed by Rose ice-cream in the patisserie and then buying some lovely fresh bread, biscuits and cakes (my faves are dashinobita, baklava, kadaifi, lokmathes) to take home and indulge in!

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Review of Arena Restaurant

11 Apr 08, 12:54

Marvellous meze!

I've been here loads of times and it is a delightful family run business with delicious, generous portions of food and a wonderful atmosphere. The meze is brilliant and has loads of dishes, you will be stuffed and still more food is being brought to the table. Nice Greek music playing and when there are parties in there you will get to see/try Greek dancing. The restaurant also run nights with Mario, the Greek Elvis who is one of the better Elvis impersonators and actually appeared in the West End as Elvis which are also lots of fun but be sure to book in advance for an Elvis night to guarantee your table.

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Review of Fine Burger Co

11 Apr 08, 12:29

Mighty fine burgers!

This has to be one of the best burger restaurants I've been to, with so much choice and brilliant quality food - try a non typical burger such as the Greek Lamb and Feta burger. The sides are good too, the tempura onion rings are superb as is the fried baby squid. It is a bit more expensive than other burger places but is well worth it to get the quality and portion sizes. Drinks are a bit over priced but go for the burger experience!

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Review of Hilton Wembley Plaza

10 Apr 08, 19:46

It is not a tower block!

Stayed here a couple of times since the hotel has been refurbished. Don't let the outside of the hotel put you off, it looks like a tower block on the outside, but inside it is lovely. The ballroom, bar, restaurant and bedrooms are so much nicer now. The rooms I have stayed in have been average size, very clean and modern. The restaurant offers a brilliant buffet breakfast with a good selection of fresh hot and cold foods and the evening buffet is superb. The bar area is nice but can be very loud and buzzing on nights where there are events at Wembley. I haven’t used the leisure club but the swimming pool looks nice and clean. A brilliant place to meet friends before going to a concert at Wembley and also lovely to stay over too.

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Review of Hilton Cobham

10 Apr 08, 19:37

Peaceful, relaxing and romantic

Stayed here recently and it was really lovely. Don’t go by the outside of the hotel, as from the outside it looks a bit old and run down, but inside it is really nice and has a really modern restaurant with views over the hotel garden. When we went the hotel was quite empty so they upgraded our room which made the difference as our new room was bigger and had lovely views over the hotel garden where we would watch the wild rabbits foraging around. The restaurant is big, and bright and has a brilliant breakfast buffet with lots of hot and cold fresh foods to choose from and a wonderful evening menu. The evening menu can look quite expensive at first glance but don’t be put off as they do a special offer of 2 courses for about £18 which is only a pound or so more than the average main meal price so is very good value for money. The leisure club is nice, the gym overlooks the hotel garden and it has a small swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Recommend for couples on relaxing and romantic breaks.

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Review of Brooklyns Grill

10 Apr 08, 16:32

More than a cafe

This very popular and always busy café serves excellent food, massive portions and all very reasonably priced and the staff are very friendly and really look after you. The menu has loads to offer and as well as having all the usual café food, they also have brilliant Turkish grill / kebab food. With meze starters from £1 each you can’t go wrong. I recommend the Sheftalia or mixed kebab with lamb kofte and chicken skewer. Most of the kebabs come with a choice of chips or rice and virtually all come with salad. The plates are like platters, they are huge and full of delicious, well cooked food. This restaurant gets very busy and is very popular, expect to wait for tables almost every night of the week and calling in advance to reserve tables is recommended.

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Review of Gordon Ramsay At Claridges

10 Apr 08, 16:13

Fit for a princess!

My dad booked a table for the family to eat here after my graduation to round off the celebrations and it was absolutely amazing – the most amazing food I’ve ever eaten. We had several courses, and were given a couple of complimentary courses in between. It was so luxurious, so indulgent, I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman after she’d had her makeover experiencing the finer things in life for the first time!! It is expensive, but it is totally worth it.

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Review of Toffs

10 Apr 08, 15:50

Toff Nosh!!

When I’d read an article in a newspaper about the best fish and chip restaurants in London and featured Toffs, I had to try it! I’d driven past there many times before and seen people queuing up well outside the shop and had always wondered if it was really worth it. I ate in the restaurant rather than getting take away and I can honestly say it was the best fish and chips I’ve ever eaten in this country. It’s a bit pricey compared to your normal chippy but when you taste the food you’ll know why – it’s so delicious! The portions are also massive - when I finally admitted defeat it looked like I’d hardly eaten anything as the piece of fish was huge. If you sit in the restaurant you can also get fish grilled rather than battered and it’s really nice to have that choice. I’d recommend this to anyone and everyone as the ultimate fish and chips!!

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Review of La Porchetta

10 Apr 08, 13:24

This little piggy....

La Porchetta is Italian for "little pig" and that's exactly how I always feel after eating there! This is an amazing restaurant and after you’ve dined here you will get that feeling that I can only describe as one you get when you’re on holiday and have found a real gem of a restaurant where the food is good, plentiful and very reasonably priced. The portions are massive and prices so reasonable, the service is also brilliant. The atmosphere is always quite buzzing and it’s also nice to see the pizza being prepared and baked in an open “bar” section of the restaurant near the door – watch them fling that pizza dough in the air! Be prepared to queue up on Friday nights and the weekend if you haven’t booked a table, it is also quite noisy on these nights as it is always fully booked. The pasta is lovely, I recommend the home made, fresh lasagne which takes 20 minutes for them to prepare and cook (they do warn you about the wait). Pizzas are massive, one is enough to share between two people. I haven’t had desert there yet but have heard that it is also just as good as everything else on the menu.

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