Rik's reviews
Review of Cafe Kick
24 May 07, 21:23
Small, shabby but with a certain charm 
This self-styled table football bar always seems to be very popular - especially amongst the slightly nerdy accountants of the area who try desperately to regain their cool by playing foosball with a bottle of Cobra and a loose tie.
The wooden interior, school hall plastic chairs and tattered flags are meant to be reminiscent of Brazilian football bars but come off more shabby and dingy. That's not to say Cafe Kick is a bad bar - it does have a certain charm and everyone seems to have a good time which is more than you can say about the local Wetherspoons.
The drinks are quite expensive, especially the cocktails and the bottles, but there is a fairly large selection of alcohol on offer. The bar staff are always friendly and hospitable too. The bar is pretty small however and can get completely crammed, especially at weekends. If you are willing to make the journey to Shoreditch, the Cafe Kick there is quite a bit larger and is generally more comfortable.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Pitcher and Piano
13 May 07, 16:59
Don't bother 
Where do I start with this? Okay, I was on a quick Friday dinner out there with work, and we ordered nothing too fancy. Fish and chips, sausage and chips, that sort of thing. There was a few of us, but we thought that it should come in about 20 minutes. When the food had turned up, they only brought half the food. So half of us didn't have any food at all. When we asked about this, the staff told us that it's coming. 5 minutes later, the staff told us just another 10 minutes. So after 20 minutes of only half of us having food, we asked again and were told there's a computer error and the food hadn't been ordered. By then, it was time to get back to work, so half of us hadn't had dinner.
Okay, this could have been a one-off incident, but the food wasn't of the highest quality or taste. The drinks were overpriced and the pub itself was horribly generic and dull. The staff were pretty rude and unhelpful too. I want to give a redeeming feature to the pub, but I can't think of one. Says it all really...
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of All Bar One
09 May 07, 16:51
Nice, but lacks character 
On Wikipedia, it says that the All Bar One chain is "criticised for its lack of character, with each bar looking almost identical and its cynical owners buying up charming pubs and converting them into a city slickers' hell hole". You can definitely see what they mean by this, but All Bar One is quite a nice place with nice drinks. But that's all it is. Nice. Nothing really outstanding or memorable about it. You couldn't say anything about it that's remotely interesting. The decor is pretty if not a bit Ikea-lite. The drinks are good, if not a bit dear. The staff are nice, if not a bit lazy and slow. The people who go there are friendly, if not a bit dull. It's good for a quick stop off, but if you do forget it next morning, don't blame the beer, blame the lack of character the place has.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.