Helen's reviews
Review of Say Pasta
10 Mar 08, 10:24
Say No! 
It looked great from the outside; cheap, quick and easy food that through the window looked pretty faultless. I think it was the fact that I spied a huge strawberry sundae that a diner in the window was consuming that made me want to eat at this place so badly.
However as we entered and were seated next to the sundae eater I had that all too familiar feeling of 'oh no we have made a dud choice here'. The ice cream eaters were complaining about the ice cream to the waiter, babies were screaming and the air con was on so high the napkins were blowing in the wind!
So my line of thought was ' it will be fine, people next to us are just being over fussy'. The service was fairly quick and the staff were trying but they were not attentive enough - other diners around us were becoming agitated, and this is quite off putting when attempting to eat. I found myself playing a game of who is going to lose their cool with the waiter next?
All that aside, our starter of a bread board with olives was nice, tasted fresh and the the mains followed suit, nice pasta, possibly a little too creamy (bit of an over kill).By this point we were feeling pretty smug that we had managed to escape whatever it was that was annoying everyone else so much - but then came pudding!
This place is relatively famous for it's great ice cream offerings, and not having had an ice cream sundae in about 5 years I took the plunge and ordered their strawberry one and my fellow diner the chocolate.
They arrived quickly, looked and tasted great that was until I delved deeper into mine and found two giant black hairs embedded in the ice cream (I have to point out this it a nightmare situation for me that often induces a reasonable amount of gagging). I restrained this time, hailed the waitress and told her to take all puddings off the bill - they were apologetic, but not hugely bothered.
Paid the bill and got as far away from the place as possible! Never again - crazy, unorganized eatery that makes me shiver just thinking about it!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ilva
04 Mar 08, 14:25
Great Service even Better Discounts! 
Recently went to Ilva to check out their sofa offerings for my new flat. I had studied the website, but needed to see them in the flesh - and boy was I glad that I did go there in person.
For any one who has ever been to Ikea, Ilva is similar in so far that both stores are of Swedish origin, but that really is where the similarities end. Ilva is far smaller in stature and stocks much less product, it also is more expensive and of a higher quality.
Descriptions and introductions over, I visited the store on a Saturday, when I walked in I greeted with the sofa collection and at the front was the special offers and discounted sofas. Staring at me was the sofa of my dreams (1950's modernist deep corner unit sofa in tweed/textured style cloth) and to top it all off the £699 sofa had been reduced to £250! Wow!
So after sitting on it, thinking about everything it would go with, and stroking it we decided to buy it seeing as it was the best looking and costing sofa we had found in all our hunting. We spoke to the very nice sales lady who talked us through the tiny hole that it had on it, she then proceeded to knock a further £100 off the total if we took the sofa away the same day - clearly that sort of discount was incentive enough - needless to say the rest of the day was spent trying to locate a van, and get it home.
However the moral of the review is the customer service at this place is great, were had already committed buy the sofa and they still offered us further discount. They had everything ready for when we wanted to collect the sofa, and everyone was really friendly.
The smaller selection and less minimal furnishings combined with the lack of bargain hunting hoards made this shop a real welcome break from Ikea shopping. Check it out it - they offer some fantastic deals, many to rival Ikea's prices!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Cote
25 Feb 08, 10:46
Fabulously French!
Cote is the newest offering from the company that own the Italian chain Strada - the idea behind the restaurant is to offer great quality French food at reasonable prices - and they really have met their specification with this one.
Situated in the heart of Wimbledon Village it is a real hit with the incredibly rich residents of the area, and I can see why. The great thing about this restaurant is that it is the type of place, like Strada where you can have an expensive meal or have a quick, much cheaper meal - you have the choice. On this occasion we opted for the more expensive meal option.
The atmosphere is relaxed and the service is attentive, yet discreet. The interior is quite reminiscent of a Hopper painting with, dark wooden seating in a slightly hidden and dark setting. This is contrasted with pie and mash shop style Edwardian ornate floor tiles - the mix works really well and makes for simple yet stunning dining.
The food is of great quality, and the wine choices are of the same high standard. I am always wary of French cuisine not being a fan of garlic or overly rich food, but was really pleased with how much fish and light dishes were on the menu - I was spoilt for choice.
I opted for mussels to start, followed by the special of lobster risotto, both of which were light and really tasty.The frites are similar to those served on the streets of Belgium and are top quality - don't miss them! Pudding was a push as portions are large but worth it. Crepes with strawberries and Chantilly cream, dusted finely with icing sugar - perfect!
Some elements are similar to Strada, you get a free bottle of filtered water on arrival, and the prices are a touch more expensive. Overall a perfect night out in a lively but intimate restaurant.
p.s. Don't forget to book, this place is popular and only half of the restaurant is reserved for people who have not made a reservation.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Review of Sainsburys
22 Feb 08, 14:48
Poor Effort 
This is not a Sainsbury's bashing review - I happen to think their products are better than most super markets but this branch really does have its low points.
First of all I should point out that it is the nearest super market to my flat so I seem to end up there more often than I care to think about. It started fine, though the decor is a little tired and quite run down - but then things really started going down hill. On one occasion I bought some prawns, I was in a hurry so just grabbed them off the shelf didn't even think about the sell-by-date. I got home, went to open them for a lunch I was preparing and the smell said everything -they had gone out of date two days before! Not only did they smell horrendous but on closer inspection looked a pretty grim too. These were not cheap prawns either - what were they doing on the shelf in the first place?
Second incident occurred when I decided to beat the weekend crowds of food shoppers and popped there one night after a trip to the gym. It was about 8.00pm and really quite, well quite everywhere apart from the check out. I had to wait over 35mins to pay for my shopping, which was only a few essential items! It is just so poorly organised here they have staff wondering round doing very little and only two people serving on the tills? This place baffles me and I really dislike going here for this reason - I think they could do so much more with it.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Fish House
21 Feb 08, 11:11
Forget Posh Fish and Chips!
This little fish shop is located about 5 mins from my flat and to be honest it is the smartest looking chip shop on the Lower Addiscombe road. This made me think it would probably be good, but in fact it was really, really good - and I come from the coast!
The shop is really clean and airy, it also has a restaurant section too, but I opted for takeaway. The fish was cooked to order and they do a good selection of different fish other than (unsustainable) cod. I went for the Haddock and wasn't disappointed. It was very fresh tasting and the batter was crispy - just as it should be.
The chips were also really yummy, fluffy and full of flavour - unlike so many chip shops now days. They serve you up huge portions, you could share a portion of fish and chips between two if you weren't feeling that hungry.
The only thing that let this place down, and bought it down to 4 starts as opposed to 5 was the guy serving was a bit unfriendly, not rude but not that interested. However this hardly matters when you get great food!
Cancel your reservations to your posh fish and chip restaurants like;The Fish Shop on St John's Street and Tom's Place The Fish House offers the same quality for £5 not £16, trust me I have been.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Banana Leaf
15 Feb 08, 09:58
The Best Indian Food I've Ever Tasted! 
Last night I was faced with a real problem - it was valentines night, I had promised to cook a lovely meal, but in my haste had actually forgotten to plan the meal!
Everything else was well prepared - but not the meal! So I resorted to the trusted phrase 'we'll get a take-away, it will be a nice change'. Second problem was I have lived in Croydon for nearly for 6 months and not sampled any take-away in that time - so I didn't know a good one!
After some time browsing a local Croydon website I found lots of good comments on Banana Leaf, which is conveniently located 4mins down the road from me - so I went for it. We were able to save time by looking at the menu on-line, make our selection then order over the phone. Phew!
When we got the food home it smelt divine, and when we eventually tucked in it was even better. This place has won some serious awards, best curry chef in Croydon, nominated for best curry chef in London and the list goes on.
When I both looked at the food and tasted it I instantly knew why - it was dream like. Every dish that I had tasted before was made differently, and I am no expert but it tasted really authentic. The dishes were really light and not your usual, drenched in oil type, the vegetables were incredibly fresh and every single thing was of top quality.
They offer some really unusual dishes that I had never seen before - the menu is very extensive. I can't describe the food well enough so, I would just recommend that if you are in the area try it, better still if you anywhere near come and try it!
Incredibly reasonable, a feast for two came it at a mere £24.50?! This is now my local takeaway and I feel pretty proud of that!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Greens Health & Fitness
11 Feb 08, 10:55
Good Value Great Facilities
This is a shining example of how all health clubs/gyms should be. The facilities are great and the atmosphere is really friendly and unassuming. It has a fantastic pool with 3 Jacuzzis, sauna, steam room and tones of different temperature showers.
The gym has three rooms and lots of different work out options like rooms with no music, empty studios to work out in etc. The building is relatively new and this is reflected in the quality and keep of all the facilities.
They offer an electronic key that operates all the machines, lockers and stores your work out times, goals and achievements. Meaning gone are the days of cards - it is very impressive.
The membership plans here are great in that they offer a flexible three month contract that allows you to choose how long you want to stay a member. This is really great for all of us who seem to be nomads.
Lovely staff and if you are thinking about a gym in the area this is really the most reasonable choice
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Fish Shop On St. John Street
11 Feb 08, 10:20
Classy Fish Supper
I went here for an early evening meal on Friday and it was really tasty. We opted for the fixed price early evening menu which had a few dinner options on it. I went for the plate of fresh prawns to start, followed by battered plaice and fresh chips. All the food really really great quality and the fish was melt in the mouth.
Potions are not huge, but very filling. The mushy peas are also really good but the portion was very small. I decide to try this restaurant after reading the review below and it is all true, the decor is lovely and simple, and the window at the back is incredibly striking as it is lit up with fairy lights.
Really nice wine options and all fairly priced. The fixed menu of two courses is a very reasonable £15 - plus drinks. Very nice if you are looking foe a classy alternative to a Friday favorite.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Daisy Cakes Bake Shop
11 Feb 08, 10:00
Cupcakes and Supplies
This little bake shop maybe small in stature but it's mighty in cupcakes and cake baking supplies. Don't miss it though as it is hidden in the lanes that surround Greenwich market and could easily be overlooked.
They sell the loveliest raspberry cupcakes made with fresh raspberries, both on top and in the cake. The sponge is really fluffy and the cream icing is really fresh tasting. My fellow cupcake consumer went for the jammy dodger cake and this involved a lot of jam - which was really yummy also.
The shop is very small and it can get a little busy especially at the weekend. However once inside it is filled with cakes to eat, and supplies to take away and bake with including some really unique cake cases and decorations.
The staff are really friendly and will order things in for you if they do not have it. This place has a really independent feel - where nothing is too much effort. A real treat if you are in the area.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Space
05 Feb 08, 14:12
Treasure Fills this Space!
This little shop is a bit of a hidden treasure trove filled with a wealth of cards, gifts, wrap and jewelry. It is only up the road from my office so makes for a great please to grab a lunch time greetings cards for that birthday you forgot.
They stock both mens and ladies gifts and hold some really unusual items. They stock Ollie & Nic goods, Ella Doran and Cath Kidston gift bags - a real eclectic mix. I am a real fan of shops like this, as it can sometimes be hard to get unusual greetings cards. Many of the cards and gift wrap are by independent card designers and companies.
Prices are what you would expect for unusual items (you obviously pay a little extra) but you get something much better. The staff are always lovely and chatty - in true Exmouth Market style you feel like part of the furniture.
Worth a browse if you are in the area and fancy something a bit fancy and unusual.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.