Rachael's reviews
Review of The Goldsmiths Tavern
12 Apr 08, 15:54
Student late boozer 
This place used to be a gothic dream, opposite the equally gothic looking Venue (which I never actually went to). The GMT, as we used to call it, was full of punk rockers. There were hardly any chairs or tables inside, and everything was painted black. I wonder if it has been done up now? It was also a live music venue, one of a few in the student domain of New Cross Road. The good thing about it was that it stayed open after regular drinking hours. The Goldsmiths Tavern holds happy memories for me of my great student days...I'd be interested to know if it is still as dark and basic inside as it used to be!
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Review of Borders Books
12 Apr 08, 15:05
Best Bookshop 
Whatever you want, a book, a CD, a gift, a DVD, a newspaper, a coffee and snack (Starbucks inside), a birthday card (Paperchase inside), Borders is a great one stop for all the above. The staff are genuinely nice, they seem to be students for the most part, laid back but helpful too. There is no objection to you picking up a book or magazine and sitting in one of their many easy chairs dotted around the floor and reading away. I have lost hours in here before, and not in a bad way.
Borders is brilliant, there is a real sense of community surrounding this shop, built up by it's uber-sociable opening times (it stays open til 10pm every night except Sundays), and it's commitment to hosting family events at every opportunity.
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Review of The Terrace
12 Apr 08, 14:57
Really great food
This cafe serves huge, delicious meals, the salads are awesome and if you don't believe a salad could fill you up, you need to get down to this place and be proved wrong. It is a converted house, so pretty cramped inside, but there are tables and chairs outside in the warmer seasons. The best place to sit inside is probably downstairs, at the far end as you go in. It is one of the priciest cafes in Kingston, but worth it. Great coffee and fresh fruit juices and smoothies too.
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Review of Il Capriccio Cafe
12 Apr 08, 14:43
Nice cafe
This is at the end of Castle Street, heading the valley of the meditarranean style restaurants. Il Capriccio is a nice clean place with English breakfasts as well as the usual Italian foccacias and paninis. The prices are perhaps a little steeper than neighbouring cafes but the menu is more varied. It seems to be an all female team, who are very efficient. My favourites in here are the risottos, simple tasting and wholesome, as risottos should be!
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Review of Finesse Cuisine
12 Apr 08, 14:35
Upmarket Chinese Buffet
This restaurant is so good!! It could become an addiction. Loads of delicious dishes line the buffet, a decent number of vegetarian ones too, like tofu, aubergine and pak choi. They don't sit there long, so there is a good turnover! I have only been in the evening though, so I can't speak for how busy and fresh everything is at lunchtime. Then you've got the Teppanyaki stand at the far end of the restaurant, where fresh salmon, prawns, beef and chicken (whatever you choose) are skilleted for you sweet chilli or satay sauce and brought to your table. It is quite noisy because it's so busy. They sometimes blare out bad pop tunes over everybody's chatter. They play a bizarre version of happy birthday for people celebrating in there, it sounds like a Christmas carol! All adds to the atmosphere though. The price changes according to peak or non-peak periods. It is about 11 or 12 quid a head on a weekend evening and worth every penny...go this weekend! And my advice is to pace yourself!!
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Review of Frankie & Benny's
12 Apr 08, 14:18
Snail's pace service 
These guys are so laid back they're on the floor...which is not good when you are in there with your friend trying to get a pre-film bite to eat. I waited for almost two hours for my food once, and when I asked what was happening as I had tickets for a film starting soon, they looked at me like they couldn't care less. The food isn't even worth the wait. Give this a miss, try one of the other Rotunda restaurants instead.
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Review of Odeon Cinemas
12 Apr 08, 14:13
Decent Cinema!
I read somewhere once that Kingston was the flagship Odeon, which doesn't make sense when comparing it to Leicester Square where all the premieres are held. Maybe I dreamt it. Regardless, this is a huge Odeon with 14 screens and all mod cons. Great sound (if anything a little too loud in some auditoriums). The ticket queues are often long but they move quickly, and the kiosk has recently been refurbushed to make purchasing your popcorn and goodies more self-service and streamlined, too.
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Review of The Kings Tun
12 Apr 08, 14:03
Cheap beer
This is a Wetherspoon's pub so you can guess the vibe - huge expanse of floor space and cheap lager...I don't know how they manage with these prices when they always seem able to snap up the biggest and most desired locations...just shows you how we pay disgustingly more than we should in other bars. This pub is right near the station and opposite the Rotunda centre, housing the Odeon, a load of restaurants and a bowling centre, so it's a convenient place to have a preliminary drink when out with mates. I have only been in there a handful of times though, due to the fact that Kingston's rougher crowd seem attracted to it.
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Review of Grey Horse
12 Apr 08, 13:52
Good Live Venue
Yes! The Grey Horse is somewhere I have visited on and off since my student days at Kingston College. Definitely a dusky, dusty student venue but open to anyone! I agree wholeheartedly with Bravenewmalden, this is a great live intimate setting, and the sound is better than in the Cocks because there is more space in The Grey Horse. The best band in Kingston - Tulpas - have played here many times. They also have a comedy club here on Sundays (think it's called The Crack). It is in the same back area as the live music, and they get some decent comics in. Go check it out!
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Review of Chez Lalee
12 Apr 08, 13:22
Nothing Special 
I love Mexican food, but why is it so hard to find a good Mexican restaurant? I find the fajitas or tacos that I make at home to be a better option than anything served to me in a restaurant. This restaurant is quite cramped, with tables shoved in around a small winding central staircase, but in an old building that I am pretty sure was once someone's home, this can be forgiven. What cannot be forgiven is that the chicken in our burrito was not breast (it was all stringy) and the service was slow. I repeat, nothing special.
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