Nat's reviews
Review of Rasa Samudra
03 Jul 07, 21:23
Genuine Delicious Indian Food 
This is an excellent place for genuine southern Indian food (not your average 'English'-style curry). The menu is largely fish-based, although there are also several vegetarian options. The food is delicious (although may be a little hot if you usually go for a korma...), and I especially love the mango sorbet dessert.
The staff are friendly and talkative, and the service prompt but unrushed. The interior is very feminine and pink (perhaps not to everyone's taste), and there are features that mark it out from a 'typical' Indian, for example the well-executed wall-size line drawing of a village festival. With friendly, well-behaved clientele in an atmosphere of effortless organistion amongst the staff, this would be an excellent place to bring a date... if she likes a good curry, that is.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Whole Foods
25 Jun 07, 21:24
Being ethical can mean paying a lot and eating bad sausages 
I was very impressed when I first walked in - there are escalators for trolleys, and jets of water squirting periodically over the fresh produce to keep conditions right. But look again and you'll see the range of fresh goods is actually quite limited - I couldn't find a pot of cress, for example.
Some options are deceptively pricey: used to Morrisons' salad bar (sold by pot size), I stuffed a large salad pot full of cold cooked veg. Unfortunately it was sold by weight and came to £11! (No, I couldn't believe it either.) The pork and leek sausages were also over-priced, but while the salad was quite nice, these were lumpy, chewy and generated instant belly ache.
I dislike the mainstream supermarkets as much as the next hippy. But if you want to support local, ethically-produced food, and to actually enjoy eating it, go to a farmer's market or join a box scheme instead.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Review of Eat and Two Veg
21 Jun 07, 20:40
Yummy for veggies 
This is an entirely vegetarian restaurant on Marylebone High Street. It offers the widest selections of vegetarian meals I have seen (outside of vegetarian Indian restaurants). There are also a number of vegan options, and several of the other meals can be made vegan if required. On the drinks side, there is a full bar, fruit juice cocktails as well as alcoholic ones, and the coffees can be made with soya milk if requested. I had the All Day Breakfast (chips, eggs, mushrooms, beans and veggie sausages), and it was nice enough that I didn't miss the bacon TOO much... The down side was that the service was very slow and as I went in my lunch break, I was a little late getting back into the office.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Watkins Books
03 Jun 07, 19:27
A book for every spiritual need 
I love this shop. Its a proven fact that I can't come out without buying something. Covering two floors, the range of books is extremely wide, with large sections devoted to eastern religions, as well as a thorough coverage of such topics as the western tradition, witchcraft, bodywork, psychic phenomena, mythology and feminist spirituality. If you're interested in this kind of thing, you can while away considerable time happily browsing this selection.
Until recently there was a companion shop incorporating crystals, new age CDs, tarot cards and magazines, but this has now been integrated into the main shop. This is slightly disappointing as it reduces the space available for both the books and the spiritual accessories.
Watkins just missed out on getting a 5-star review from me as the staff have a fairly poor attitude to the customers. They are very inattentive while serving you, often chatting amongst themselves as if you don't exist, and greeting friendly attempts at humour with blank stares quite clearly implying you are in some way mentally deficient.
That said, this is the most comprehensive collection of esoteric books for sale in London, and nothing's going to keep me away for long.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Gulsham Tandoori
03 Jun 07, 19:11
Extremely poor service 
I found the service here shockingly unpleasant. Don't expect a please or thank you, but do expect your plate to be snatched away while the last mouthful is still on the fork. The food itself had nothing actually wrong with it, but was very dry and not at all memorable. Unusually for an Indian restaurant, the vegetarian options were very limited (and I wasn't about to risk the meat in a place like this). Exmouth Market is generally a great place to eat and go out - but I think this restaurant might be the exception that proves the rule.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Angel Curry Centre
03 Jun 07, 19:05
My favourite London curry house
If we want a takeway in our household, this is our automatic default choice. Nothing fancy, what you get here is a traditional 'English' style curry - but if that's what you want, it can't be beaten. The owners are extremely generous, and reward our loyalty with free soft drinks and poppadoms. The portion sizes themselves are pleasingly large, and I particularly recommend the thalis if you're feeling hungry. The prices are extremely reasonable - you can get two very generous meals for £15. If you go to the restaurant, you will find it cramped but extremely friendly, and although they do not serve alcohol, there is a bring-your-own policy.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Make Mine
03 Jun 07, 18:57
Super salads!
This outlet offers a wide range of salad and sandwich selections, with 'choose your own filling' options to suit every taste - a much more flexible system than in comparable outlets such as Subway. The food is made to order while you watch, so can cater to all likes and dislikes. Service can be a little abrupt, but that is understandable as it does get very busy at peak times - on a weekday lunchtime you'll be lucky to get a seat. The venue is rather cramped. However, this is more than compensated by the sheer deliciousness of the food. I especially recommend the Ali and Levy salad, with falafel and humus. The salad bowls are very generous and always leave you feeling full.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Gallipoli
03 Jun 07, 18:50
Yum yum!
A wide range of Turkish cuisine is available, including many vegetarian options, a very generous meze (take a friend to share) and delicious deserts. The service is quick and attentive - there is a very high staff to customer ratio. Less cramped than the other Gallipoli outlets, and with less oppressive, though still atmospherically Turkish, decor, this makes an ideal night out if you are looking for something different from the standard fare, at a very reasonable price.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Topshop
05 May 07, 14:34
Top of the Shops
With 4 massive floors (3 ladies' and 1 men's), you're bound to find something to suit you. As well as Topshop's own basics, there are a wide range of featured designers and even a vintage section. Topshop's own lines of clothing are reasonably priced, although you will have to pay more for the one-off and designer pieces. There is a huge selection of items available, with specialist areas within the shop, like make-up, shoes and jeans. I especially love the household section with cute and slightly wacky accessories. The jewellery is sheer tat though - try not to touch it with a barge pole.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Mysteries
01 May 07, 23:56
Esoteric bookstore and New Age supplies
The waft of incense draws you in from the street to explore (or it might just make your nose itch...). Immediately inside you are greeted with a colourful, varied display: candles and incense, crystals, ornaments and jewellery. Around the corner, you can find books (covering the psychic world, paganism and eastern religions), a wide range of tarot cards supported by the expert advice of the sales people, and meditation music.
If you only want to go to one place for your New Age shopping, this is the best location in London. However, if you are primarily interested in the books (as I am), you might find the range of titles somewhat limited. Ok, it goes beyond the teenage fluffiness of Silver Ravenwolf and co, but for a much fuller selection I would recommend Atlantis (Museum Street) or Watkins Books (Cecil Court).
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.