Mathew's reviews
Review of Starbucks
02 Aug 07, 19:14
This is not coffee (Part 1) 
I will refrain from reviewing every Starbucks in town because that would be both time wasting and pedantic. I feel I must however point finger at at least all 5 of them on or just off Upper Street (in the N1 area).
My main overall problem with Starbucks is not their homogenised awfulness, nor their ability to quash smaller independent coffee shops, nor the soporific effect they have on the imagination of their patrons, though all of these and more are good reasons to hold disdain.
No, the reason I really do quite hate these places is their awful bloody 'coffee'. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed a drink from a Starbucks and now refuse to give them any more tries (maybe I had a bad roast, maybe it's just a poor franchise, maybe the cup had anthrax in it).
Seriously, it's not good coffee. In fact I'd argue if they should even be allowed to call it coffee.
Yes. If they stop ruining the idea of what a coffee shop is and take to calling themselves brown-hot-sweet-drink shops then I'll back down.
Until then I protest and implore anyone that likes their pap to try Monmouth Coffee on Monmouth Street in Covent Garden (there's another one in Borough Market). That's coffee.
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Review of The Trawlerman Fish shop
02 Aug 07, 18:57
The boat went down when George left
The Trawlerman used to be the best place for a battered sausage on your way up Upper Street, but no more.
The guy that used to run it, George, has left. He would remember locals, always give a bit of chat and served tasty tasty food. The way he handled drunks and stopped them being rowdy or rude was Derren Brownesque. And the work ethic that he upheld was an inspiration, being there every time I ever went in, at any time of night.
Since he's left, or sold, or whatever, it's awful. The new people have little to no personality and have tried a few new bits of decoration that smack of thoughtless homogenisation.
Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I went been back 2 more times but the food was poor and their service lackluster.
Am I sore for losing George? Am I'm just getting old and thinking everything was better in my day? Maybe.
The weirdest and nicest thing though is that the last time I saw George, he was outside the shop and in civilian clothes. I was so shocked to see him, to see his legs, to see him not working, that I greeted him heartily and shook his hand. Little did I know that would be the last time I'd ever see him.
Where was he going? Who knows? Wherever he is he must have taken all the good fish and chips because god knows there's none left on Upper Street.
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