Joanna's reviews
Review of Chiquito
21 Apr 08, 12:54
Long wait for average food 
Every time I've been here the experience has always been different. The first time I ate there the service was brilliant but every time after it's only been average and sometimes quite poor.
I haven't had to wait for a table but the service to order and time waiting for the food to be brought to the table, cleared away, etc. has always (bar my first visit) been far too long to wait. Even when the restaurant has been quiet mid-week for lunch I've had to wait a really long time for food.
I also find that the food is never consistent - sometimes it is ok and sometimes it is bad. By bad I mean burnt or very cold or oily. Because I never know what kind of meal I will get here I don't go here anymore except when invited by friends and even then I usually try to excuse myself.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The London Transport Museum
20 Apr 08, 15:44
Step on the tube of years gone by... 
This is a nice little museum and great for kids as they get to see old buses, tube carriages and even "drive" a tube train in a simulator. I must admit I found the old tube carriage really creapy - it is so old, the floors are wooden, there are dummies in period costumes and no windows making it feel so claustrophobic (at the time these trains were built, as the trains were underground and there was nothing to see they didn't build windows but later realised that people needed the windows even if there was nothing to see to make it feel less calustrophobic - see you learn stuff at this museum!).
I loved the old tube poster art, it was so interesting seeing how different interests of the time influenced the posters. It is also interesting to see the old tube maps, how the lines have developed over time and even learn the story behind how we got the tube map in the format we see it in today - I'm not telling, you have to go to the museum to find out!!
It is a small museum and not somewhere you could spend a whole day but it is still worth a visit. The gift shop is nice, lots of London Transport branded products. The more interesting things to buy there, if these are your thing, are the underground poetry books and tube posters. I didn't go to the cafe, but you can get to the cafe from the street and eat there without visiting the museum.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
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.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Warehouse
18 Apr 08, 14:48
Small store but full of lovely clothes!
I didn't notice Warehouse and hadn't shopped there until a year ago when I saw a dress in the window that I fell in love with and haven't managed to stay away from the shop since! The clothes are a bit pricey but the quality and styles are brilliant; although I think some of the more casual clothes are overpriced, the smart party/cocktail dresses are brilliant value and definitely worth it. Also I am happy to shop here because of the sizes - I can happily find something that actually fits me and don't have to try 3 or 4 different sizes or buy something in sizes that would normally be far to big for me (some shops are for skinny girls and all sizes are the same...).
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Lush
18 Apr 08, 10:07
Great shop if you can stand the smell!
First off, you can smell a Lush shop well before you see one and the smell is either sometimes fresh, clean and enticing; but sometimes I can find the whiff too overpowering and sickly. On a good smelling day this is a really fun shop to be in and is very girly smelling and "testing" all the products. I like the seasonal box sets they do which make nice gifts and can be a nice alternative to high street toiletry sets. It is a bit more expensive that, say, Boots or Superdrug, but the products are all natural and more unique and funky. Well worth a look!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Garfunkels
18 Apr 08, 09:45
Inedible food and very rude staff 
We will never return to Garfunkels again after a recent bad experience. The service was very slow and when the food arrived it was inedible. My good man had ordered fish and chips but the fish looked like it had been fried and re-fried several times and was solid - I mean totally rock hard, he couldn't even cut it. His chips were soggy, a horrible colour and looked like they were leftovers that had been heated up. My cottage pie was just as bad, the veg on the side was so overcooked and dull and had other food/sauce marks on it suggesting it was leftovers lifted off someone elses plate and then served up to me. The cottage pie was horrible, again it looked like it had been put together from other people's leftovers.
We couldn't eat the food and when we told the waitress she was very rude. The manager was equally as rude and said there was nothin wrong with our food and that they would not bring us replacements as our food looked edible to her. After much arguing and demonstrating that the sharper knife they brought over couldn't even cut into the rubbery fish they said they would knock the fish alone off the bill and would not let us leave until we had paid for this terrible affair.
We will never come back and would never recommend this to anyone - inedible food that was probably leftovers and re-cooked several times, poor customer service, rude manager and being forced to pay for food that was inedible and that we simply could not eat.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Pontis Restaurant
17 Apr 08, 12:49
Good food, brilliant location
This is a really nice place to grab a snack in Covent Garden while shopping. The food is very good with lots on offer. Their hot sandwiches are lovely - try the toasted ham and cheese in herbed foccacia bread, it's so good! I've also had pasta and cakes there, all very nice. The portions are generous and while it might seem more expensive than a standard cafe or sandwich shop, the quality of food is very good and it is worth it for the portion sizes too.
Both the "open-air" and the normal "covered" cafe next to each other in the market are both very good. Go to the "open-air" one in the summer if you manage to find a seat and the "covered" one in the winter to keep warm. The "covered" one also has toilets.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Whittard Of Chelsea
16 Apr 08, 11:58
More than just tea!
I love this shop and think people, in general, really under-rate Whittards. I know it can be expensive but you are paying for the quality (and durability with plates etc) of what you are buying. They often have different teas for you to sample and you can grind and make your own coffee. They have a Lindt "pick 'n' mix" which is fab and other sweets and novelty items so it's not all posh china and expensive teas you can't pronounce. They also have great ranges of seasonal gifts, their Christmas range was fantastic (great tea sets for kids) and with "3 for 2" offers it really is worth taking a look.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Bella Italia
16 Apr 08, 11:48
Slow service, bland food but the staff are friendly 
Very average restaurant. You are always kept waiting ages for food (I've been in there when the restaurant was virtually empty and still had to wait ages), the tables are so close together that you feel you are sitting with the people at the tables next to you and the food is very bland. I've often had very overdone and burnt food served to me here. The only good thing I can think of is that the staff are always very friendly, cheerful and helpful. Don't rush to eat here unless you have plenty of time and like burnt and bland food.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of TGI Fridays
11 Apr 08, 12:44
Sent steak back 3 times
I've been to TGI's loads of times and the meals are generally ok. The restaurants are usually annoyingly loud and have always found staff to be either intrusively "friendly" and overenthusiastic in order to get tips or very rude with customer service as the last thing on their mind. For a safe bet, order a burger and do not order steak. I ordered a steak medium rare and it came well done so I sent it back; another was then brought over virtually raw and the third one was cooked properly but I had an after-taste of washing-up liquid in my mouth.... If there is anywhere else to go for food I'd pick that over TGI's and only really go here as a last resort.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Hamburger Union
11 Apr 08, 12:25
Burger and a half!
A brilliant restaurant where you know the food is all cooked fresh to order and hasn't been lying around half cooked or re-heated before it is served to you. The price reflects the quality and you pay for what you get so although you can get burgers cheaper elsewhere, here they are fresh, juicy, filling and bigger portions. You can call ahead and order takeaway which is always handy. The alternative to beef options look great although I haven't tried them, friends who have say they are very good. Chips are freshly cut and chunky and there is a wide variety of sauces you can order, but you do have to pay for sauces that are not the standard ones on the table tops.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Browns
10 Apr 08, 13:14
Pre-theatre menu fab value!
Browns is a lovely restaurant and if you want something that’s not too expensive but feels a bit posher than your average local restaurant, Browns is the place to go. If you are dining after 7pm, expect to wait a few minutes in the bar before a table becomes available. With some very expensive and some very reasonably prices dishes on the menu, together with the daily meat, fish, pasta and desert specials, there will be something to fit everyone’s dietary requirements. If you can get there between 4pm-6.30pm do ask for the pre-theatre menu to take advantage of getting 2 courses for £12.95 – fantastic value for money when you consider that most main courses cost this price or more. I wouldn’t recommend it to people who would have young children with them as there isn’t much plain, child-friendly food on the menu and I don’t recall ever seeing children there when I’ve eaten there. Service is very good but can be a little slow when they are very busy. I recommend the very posh Black Pearl Scallops starter and if nothing on the special boards takes your fancy the Steak, Mushroom and Guinness Pie is fantastic!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Nandos
10 Apr 08, 12:30
Piri-piri good!
I'm sure that almost everyone knows what Nandos is, but for those of you who don't, where have you been when all these fab restaurants have been opening up!?! It's menu comprises predominantly of Portuguese style flame grilled chicken, but they also offer a couple of vegetarian options and a steak option (Prego Steak Roll).
Nando, for those of you who haven't read the scribbling that make up the decor of some of the restaurants, is short for Fernando and I believe he was a chicken that saved a pilgrim’s life in 14th century Portugal, enough history lesson, back to the restaurant!
If you haven’t been to Nandos before, on arrival you are greeted and assigned a table, given a table number and menus and you place your order at the till and pay up front. When choosing your food, you are always asked "How spicy?" and if you aren't sure all the tills have a "spicometer" indicating how hot each sauce/dressing is. You can of course ask for your food to be plain but where's the fun in that? If you are dining with kids, bear in mind that if you order anything that comes with mayonnaise, the mayonnaise is mixed with a bit of piri-piri sauce to make it spicy.
If there are a lot of you, the meal deals or "platters" are great value for money and come with sidelines and sometimes drinks too depending on which "platter" you have gone for. If you want to share a platter with someone and they like loads of spice but you don't, they can cook half chickens with different spice and clearly label them so that when it's brought to the table you don't have to do a taste test to see which is which. Other good points are the "refillable drinks" as the hotter the sauce the thirstier you'll get!!
Once you have ordered, you help yourself to the plates, cutlery, refillable drinks (if you've ordered them!) and bottles of sauce if you want extra with your meal. Many Nandos restaurants have slogans inviting you to treat it like home - help yourself to cutlery, eat with your hands and use the communal sink that is right out in the open somewhere in the midst of all the tables in the middle of the restaurant. The sink is usually very popular with kids!!
I’ve had a couple of deserts at Nandos and they are quite good; I usually opt for the frozen yoghurt. This is also refillable and a great way to cool your taste buds if you have indulged in lots of spicy sauce with your main meal!
Nandos have recently added more to their menu and extra sidelines include couscous salad and a rich and creamy sweet potato mash. Their sidelines are good value for money as most options on the menu come with a price with and without sidelines.
As everything is cooked to order, you know that the food is fresh and it is always very good quality. I also like the fact that they serve the salad dressing in a separate pot so that you can add as much as you like and you can also see that the salad is fresh and hasn’t been drowned in dressing to hide or disguise it’s freshness and quality. Service is also very quick and staff are very friendly.
Something that is available at the Covent Garden branch of Nandos that I haven’t seen at my more “local” Nandos restaurants are cocktails and drinks with Nandos piri-piri sauce!! A lot of you may be thinking that sounds horrible, but I’m still very tempted to try a tomato juice with Nandos piri-piri sauce as a substitute for Tabasco sauce – as with your food you get to choose how spicy you want your drink.
The reason I haven’t given it 5 stars is that in certain branches of Nandos they don’t keep white wine somewhere cool and it is served warm (yuk!) and on a few occasions I’ve been there they have run out of chicken livers (they are lovely, served with a Portuguese bread roll, try them medium spicy – yum!) and green salads.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.