Kyra's reviews
Review of Le Chardon
28 Jan 08, 14:47
Comme ci, comme ca 
Do you know what? I had been wanting to try this place for aaaaaages. I had heard it was expensive, but worth it. It's a little piece of history on Lordship Lane, and sits on the site of a former grocers which must have been there since the 1930s or before. The restaurant retains many intersting original features, and physically stands out amongst some of the newer establishments on the same street.
However, the staff are less than friendly, there are far too many tables crammed into a small space, and the food, although genuinely lovely, does not account for the other shortcomings. I had a tasty lunch there but the experience as a whole left a lot to be desired.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Two Floors
23 Aug 07, 16:18
Two bad...
Two Floors is the kind of place that makes you look really hip if you take someone there for thee first time. It's tucked away in a cool side road off Regent Street, it's got low lighting and an appealing 50s-style vibe about it, and lots of hip slouchy leather sofas. Downstairs has a kooky little tiki-style bar with lots of coconut wood everywhere. It's definitely got character.
What brings the place down for me is that the drinks are pricey, they didn't know what a White Russian was, and the last time I was in there, I accidentally left a case with some of my favourite DVDs inside. This, of course, was my fault. But when I called to ask if the bar still had them, they said yes. When I went to collect them, they said someone had taken them home. To watch.
Cheeky things. To my mind, that story is kind of indicative of the too-cool-for-school, slighty slouchy, and not very helpful attitude of the staff there. If they remedied that, this could be an amazing little hangout.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Robert Gastro
15 Aug 07, 15:43
Quelle dommage!
My friends and I first happened upon Gastro after a trip to the Clapham Picturehouse, and as a late-night, smoky venue (this was back in May, before the ban), it certainly charmed us. We found the late-night staff to be pleasant, accomodating, and eager for us to practise our French with them. As a total Francophile, I liked this. We ate hearty French bistrot food, a little overpriced but what we expected when dining in this area. They seemed to be staying open late for us and a smattering of other couples whispering sweet nothings to each other in the darkened corners. This place certainly has atmosphere, by the bucketload. So it was to our great disdain that the same friends and I found the experience to be totally different upon our return a few weeks ago for an earlier dinner. The first difference was that the place was packed to the rafters. There was a small queue forming at the front, and we joined it, hoping to be given menus to look at while we waited. We weren't. Instead a very stressed- looking woman, presumably the manager on duty that evening, told us to wait as a table would shortly be available. We watched as it became empty and remained so for 5 minutes or so. We asked if we could sit down, as it was very near to where we stood, but were told to wait until the glasses were cleared. We waited another five minutes as the staff rushed around ineffectually, and then sat down anyway, amid dirty glasses and all. As she came to clear the table and take our drinks order, we still had no menus to look at. Once we had them , we hastily ordered- a starter for me, mains for my two friends. Judging by the despondent faces of the couple next to us who had been trying to get their credit card taken to pay with for the past 10 minutes, we thought ordering everything all at once and asking for it to arrive all together would be prudent. As the restaurant filled up further, the service became more and more erratic. My starter (a below par bouillabaisse) arrived, but not the mains. I waited to start, but after 5 minutes my friends told me to go ahead. They picked hungrily at the bread we had been given and stared at the kitchen doors. After a total of one hour waiting for their food, we got up, paid for our drinks and my starter, and walked out. We were offered no apology or any sign of remorse from the manageress- only a gallic shrug and a nonchalant goodbye. It's a real shame, because I liked it there a lot the first time. Unfortunately, their customer service wasn't up to scratch, their prices are inflated, and I've had better fish soup in a French train station cafe. I won't be going back. Instead, I'll be going to Pizzeria San Marco on Clapham High Street, where we hungrily ended up that evening- a complete and utter gem.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.