Kyra K.

Review of Match Bar

07 Oct 07, 20:37

A good match...

I went here last night for my friend's birthday drinks and to be honest, I was expecting it to be much busier and more hectic than it was. She had reserved an area for us near the dj booth upstairs, which did mean that we spent most of the evening shouting fruitlessly at one another, but I was pleasantly surprised by the time it took to be served drinks, each one slightly more impressive than the last.

My only gripes were that the toilets were miniscule, and I heard some minor complaints that for the prices (which are steep, it must be said), there wasn't a great deal of alcohol in the cocktails. Having said that, the house wine I ended up drinking was very good, very reasonably priced per bottle, and left me feeling clear-headed the next day. The table service was a nice touch- no need to wait at the long bar, unless of course you're there to see and be seen...something I imagine could be carried out very successfully here.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Crussh

05 Oct 07, 17:28

Salubrious and Super-Fast

I adore Crussh. This branch used to be my local, but now the new one at the Brunswick Centre is getting all my love. As a chain, though, I'd imagine they're all pretty much the same- and I think they do what they do incredibly well.

Their great selection of smoothies, soups, sandwiches, and salads (and all other foodstuffs beginning with 's') mean that I can always find something I like- and they change their soup options every day. The little health pots they do for around £1.50 are awesome as well, and fantastically healthy. You leave feeling smug that you have probably had at least 3 of your five-a-day, and not ripped off for the privilege. 5 big stars.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Sh! Women's Erotic Emporium

01 Oct 07, 17:16

At Last!

...A truly classy establishment for all things bedroom-related. Not a seedy Soho joint full of dodgy mac-wearers, or one of those hideously expensive sex shops dressed up as a luxury lingerie boutique, but a genuine, friendly, light and airy, no-holds-barred place that celebrates the fun and the lightheartedness that is central to having a good old nosey in this arena. It's a real breath of fresh air.

The only thing that may put off some men is that you have to be with a female to gain entry. But personally, I think this is a great thing- it means that the shop is a comfortable, female-friendly place to explore in, not a huge porn emporium for the more lecherous...erm..gentleman to linger in.

And they have a great website...to keep both sexes happy.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Review of Bamboula Jerk Kitchen

01 Oct 07, 17:01

Wham Bam-boula, thank you!

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there, Carie P. Bamboula is great fun!

Goat is a tricky meat, so you may have had a particularly tough or bony piece, but I urge you to try their jerk chicken- it's what they're famed for, and with good reason. I also found their stewed chicken, although mightily salty, ALMOST as good as the real, home-cooked, thing.

The best thing about this place, though, is the sunny atmosphere and the friendly welcome you get when you walk in. Come for the £5.50 jerk chicken, rice and peas and salad lunch, and watch all the office workers eating there shedding a little bit of their toughened, grey Londoner exteriors and feeling that little bit closer to the Caribbean.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Cay Tre

25 Sep 07, 16:04

Didn't even stay to eat!

I sent this email to the manager at Cay Tre last week...

"We had a booking at your restaurant for 6 people this afternoon for a business lunch.

When we arrived we were shown to a table on the top floor which was clearly for four people by a waitress who was very snappy to us. We asked if we could have another table which was empty, but set for 6 people.

We were refused, and the waitress put another 2 chairs at our 4-seater table instead. When I asked again if we could sit at the six-seater table, she said, no, that was for 8 people, and that we should sit at the four-seater as that was for 6 people and other people had managed it so why couldn’t we?

We left, quite upset and feeling like we had been treated very poorly. We went instead to the Hoxton Furnace restaurant around the corner, which was wonderful. They pulled an extra table to a four-seater to make us a comfortable, roomy, six-seater.

I felt embarrassed as we were going to take some business partners for lunch and your restaurant made us look very bad. Can I ask what you are going to do about this appalling customer service we received?

Thank you in advance for your response."

I received no response, hence this review. Very displeasing indeed! It was a shame, because I have to admit, the food smelled great...

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Review of Hoxton Furnace

20 Sep 07, 16:26

A good Hoxton option

I just went for a business-y work lunch here and it was really pleasant. I couldn't fault anything- the building and the space itself was very cool, the staff were friendly and helpful, didn't rush us at all, and the food was top-notch.

I had a lovely warm artichoke salad and and the pizzas were all handmade and cooked in a proper wood-fired pizza oven. Their daily pasta and fish specials looked pretty good, too. It's the kind of place that I can imagine will be really cosy in the winter. Not just from the open fire, but from the nice service.

I'll be going back.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Camino

13 Sep 07, 12:34

Que Bueno!

I went to Camino last night after stumbling upon it whilst looking for a place to have cocktails. The sound of the lively bar and Spanish music was what drew my attention at first, but the look of the impressive glass-domed restaurant next door was what enticed me to stay.

We ordered house red wine at £12 a bottle, and I was pleasantly surprised by the price and the quality. I began, from that moment, to feel a bit like I was on holiday. Always a good sign.

The menu was surprisingly concise, but spoke of a confidence in their dishes; what they did do, they did very well. My boyfriend and I had the pan con tomate, a tasty Spanish-style bruschetta, and then decided to go for what seemed to be the menu's flagship item- the huge Charolais rib-eye steak, aged and hung for 25-30 days; enough for 2 people. With a hearty side order of pimentón-sprinkled patatas a lo pobre con huevos, we were more than satisfied. We left with a bill of £30 each including 12.5% tip, which we felt was justified by the friendly service we had received, and the feeling of heading tipsily back to the real world from a little gastronomic tour of Spain. Highly recommended.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Firezza

10 Sep 07, 15:57

Fired up for Firezza

I was introduced by my pseudo- Italian boyfriend to Firezza. Having lived in Italy, he's an extreme pizza snob, so Domino's and Pizza Hut's salty, bloated chesse-fests just won't cut it for him. I was won over (by the pizza) after the first bite.

I recently used Firezza to order pizzas for a big work party (bear in mind I work with a lot of Americans, who also have their own ideas about what constitutes good pizza), and they went down a storm. The half-metre option is a great idea for larger groups, or just larger appetites. The choice of toppings are great, and much closer to that perfect pizza you had on an idyllic holiday in Italy than that horrible soggy cold pizza you found in your fridge whilst living in student digs.

Down with Domino's! Pah to Pizza Hut! Firezza got me all fired up. Try them and you'll see why.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Review of House Of Flowers

10 Sep 07, 14:04

Bloomsbury Blooms

I just popped over to House of Flowers during my lunchbreak to get some orchids for a colleague's birthday, and while I was not overwhelmed by the choice, I was pleased to find that what they did have was fresh and offered good value for money.

The orchids I settled on were less than half the price of those on sale at the neighbouring Waitrose, and they wrapped them up prettily, in a fast and efficient way. It's not where you'd go for a really special occasion, but it's more than adequate for a local work neighbourhood florist. Not too bloomin' bad.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.