Oliver's reviews
Review of Borough Market
11 Jul 07, 16:44
A market marvel 
Friday at Borough market is as much an experience as it is a place to buy fresh produce. And in both, it is really great. It's got pretty much everything you'd expect from a food market, but it's probably better than anywhere you've been. You want cheese. You got it. You want olives, meze, or bread. Fill yer boots. Fresh meat or quality confectionery? There's plenty of that too. And it has more giant fresh fruit and veg from the four corners of the world (some of which you'll never have heard of) than you could shake an oversized legume at.
The fresh fish stall is quality entertainment as well, although a little gory! If you've ever wondered how they fillet yellow fin tuna which, incidentally, are as big as a medium to large sized family dog, then the public demonstration reveals all.
Then there's the beer stall. Amazing! If you love larger, ale, wine, cider etc from all over the world this is a revelation. Ok, so the stallholder might look like a cross between Anthony Worrel-Thompson and a particularly angry Hells-Angel reject but he's really helpful when you're selecting that special 14% Belgium beer for a quiet night in.
There are also numerous places to get a spot of lunch, whether that be Chorizo rolls, venison or veal burgers, kebabs or much more. They all look good. They all smell amazing. And, sadly, they'll all have a long queue.
There is, however, a sting in the tail. It's usually really busy, especially at lunchtime, and it ain't cheap. I once bought a hand picked bag of fresh salad (various lettuces, rockets etc)...and not a very big bag at that...and it came to about £4. So, you're unlikely to do you weekly shop there but it's worth treating yourself now and again because the food is really good and, if you look for them, there are bargains to be had.
I hope I'm doing it justice but, if you have haven't guessed, I really like it.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Casaba Meze and Shisha Bar
04 Jul 07, 23:01
Middle Eastern magic
Just away from the hustle and bustle of Upper Street is this bar come restaurant, a what a find! The first thing you'll notice is that there are fewer chairs than you might expect. Instead there are cushions and rugs on the floor and low tables. This, along with the shisha pipes and middle eastern decor, gives this place a really amazing atmosphere.
Then there's the food. The meze menu is comprehensive and caters well for both vegetarian and meat eating diets. And it's all really very good. Sometimes service is a little slow, but when it arrives it's worth it. And the staff are really friendly, helpful and polite. The food is reasonably priced but beers and wine can be a little expensive.
I've never understood why this place isn't busier than it is, in fact it's never been very busy at all. But it's well worth a visit.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.