Mark's reviews
Review of The Crabtree Tavern
01 Apr 08, 13:09
Great location, TERRIBLE experience... 
If you’re looking for a nice stroll and a Sunday lunch along the north bank of the Thames from Hammersmith Bridge, you've got two options: west towards Chiswick, or east towards... well, if you've got deep pockets, River Cafe (an excellent if shockingly expensive Italian restaurant). However, if you're on a budget, the next place along the Thames Walk is The Crabtree Tavern. While it seduces with its fantastic location and riverside "beer gardens", it is a shoddily run establishment with shockingly bad service. How can I count the ways we were let down? After perusing a laser-printed Sunday menu prominently featuring roast beef, chicken, or lamb, we were informed that there were no roasts that day. At all. Why not print off new menus? Or hand-write a "sorry, no roasts" sign? And while there *were* "sorry, cleaning the pipes" signs on only two of four Fuller’s London Pride taps, there wasn’t any local brew available. And none of the staff were aware of this. Then we sat in the beer garden for an hour and a quarter as tables that arrived after us were served their meals. Even after being told (after an hour) that our order would be next, more tables were served. There is simply no excuse.
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Review of Windsor Castle
21 Jun 07, 17:51
A classic 
Serving better-than-average gastro-standard food, this pub near Notting Hill Gate is a standout because of its cozy evocative interior, which is divided into separate rooms connected by munchkin-sized doors (each accessible from the outside via its own normal-sized door). Oh, yeah, and the ginormous garden with big shade trees, vine-covered pergolas, potted herbs and fairy lights...
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Review of The Fat Badger
20 Jun 07, 18:34
Lucky me - it's my local! 
These guys run a top-notch operation. The space is beautiful, with gastro-standard wood floors and mismatched furniture, big windows, excellent contemporary art, gaudy chandeliers and a few ironic design touches. In nice weather they put a couple of benches outside, and they're fixing up a small first floor terrace with potted flowers and seating for 19. The service is genuinely friendly, personal and competent. The beer, while not stretching the imagination, is all first rate. The wine list offers a good range, both in style and price, with one or two unusual choices. And the food! A seasonal authentic selection of updated classics, plus an unexpected adventurous surprise every now and then to keep things interesting. I couldn't be happier to live only steps away from this gem!
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