Claire C.

Review of Whole Foods

18 Oct 07, 21:27

Ho Hum

I'm really shocked to hear what Mark P had to say about the place with regard to how long their fish hangs around for, but having never bought fish from them, I can't really comment.

Sticking to my own experience, I think it's pretty much everything I expected it to be. It is HUGELY expensive on the whole and despite the fact that they talk a lot about organic, not everything in the store is organic.

But in terms of price, bear in mind that they're on a piece of prime real estate, slap bang in the middle of Kensington, which is one of the highest income areas in the country. And it seems that's who they're catering for.

Their salad bar is great if you want a quick lunch but as Nat R says, prices can quickly escalate if you're not careful. I also quite like their sushi rolls - they're fresher than any other supermarket sushi I've ever had and reasonably priced as well - around a fiver for 9 chunky little spicy salmon or tuna rolls.

Cheese devotees will love the cheese room and if you want to go to town on a cheese board, and are prepared to spend a decent amount of money, you'll get some seriously good bang for your buck.

Fruit and veg downstairs are beautifully displayed and regularly spritzed in a very American fashion, but again, buying a bunch of grapes ain't going to leave you much change from a fiver.

With this place, it's not that you get what you pay for, but that you get what Kensington locals are prepared to pay for.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Balham Tup

29 Sep 07, 16:37

Score draw

As mentioned above, this place has made a name for itself as sports pub. It's particularly popular with Antipodeans and South Africans and the rugby always draws a huge crowd.

The accoustics are terrible so even on a 'quietish' Saturday night, you'll be bellowing across the table to make yourself heard.

Food is distinctly average, so unless you're a broad-shouldered boy with a gang of mates intent on seeing some sporting fixture, there are probably better places to splash your cash round Balham.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Falcon

29 Sep 07, 16:25

Decent boozer

They seem to have ditched the TVs here - maybe in a bid to smarten the place up. It used to be a decent place to watch sport, but now it's just an honest to goodness boozer.

I've never sampled the fare, but the extensive sausage menu in itself is worth reading.

Given its proximity to Clapham Junction station, it could very easily have become one of those grot, close to station pubs but seems to have escaped by a whisker, although you'll still find the odd 'character' in there.

On the whole though, not a bad place to while away some time while you're waiting for a train.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of The Lavender

29 Sep 07, 16:17

Not quite in a purple patch

A good place for a pre-show snack or drink if you're heading across the road to the Battersea Arts Centre.

The Lavender is one of those bar meets pub meets restaurant type places. Great olives, either as accompaniment to drinks or a pre-dinner snack.

Food was good - sort of a modern European menu with things like calves liver, risotto, baked camembert etc.

Service let the place down when we were there most recently. Despite the fact that it was early evening and not too busy, it seemed slow to the point of laziness.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Mango

24 Sep 07, 00:12

Spanish style and sh**ty service

A good range of women's clothes - can be a bit hit and miss but turnover of stock is high enough that if you pop in regularly you'll probably find something funky or fresh to brighten up your wardrobe.

Tall girls will love the place - all their trousers are ridiculously long - short girls will have to find a good alterations place.

Prices are competitive, but service is abysmal. To the point of rudeness. If you're really unlucky you'll get one of the Spanish girls who will look at you like you're a complete idiot for a) not speaking Spanish and b) expecting them to have even the slightest bit of knowledge about their stock or the shop. The English ones aren't much better.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The White House

23 Sep 07, 22:26

Pretentious people's playground

I'm really not a fan of this place - it's got the sort of attitude and prices that suggest it's Jewel or Chinawhite, but it's The White House, and it's Clapham.

It would like to think that it's the Manchester United of Clapham clubs, lording it over the Rushden & Diamonds that is Infernos. Sadly they're both really languishing in the relegation zone of the Second Division.

Football analogies are quite appropriate - this place seems to attract footballer wannabes and the sort of women who like them.

Expensive entry, expensive drinks and a lot of posers - but hey, some people like that sort of thing.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of Evo

23 Sep 07, 22:13

China in your hand

You'd be surprised how few eat-in Chinese restaurants there are in Clapham - if anyone knows of any more, do feel free to share.

Anyway, stumbled upon this place and thought I'd give it a go. First up, it has what is possibly some of the worst background music I have ever heard - sort of plinky plonky Oriental-esque stuff and soft rock ballads in a foreign language. But, that's pretty much my only complaint.

Decor is what you'd expect - a bit of red and the odd dragon, nothing too special but nothing too offensive either. The menu is extensive - all your favourites are there, plus a few Thai-style noodle dishes (and, if you insist, curry and chips too).

It seems popular with the Abbeville Village crowd - even on a Sunday evening there were a fair few tables full, and a constant stream of visitors picking up a takeaway.

Staff were lovely, and prices were pretty good - a quarter crispy duck, seaweed, lemon chicken, stir fried veg in oyster sauce, beef with ginger and spring onions and four beers came to around £40 without service.

Hakkasan, it ain't, but, in a surprisingly Chinese restaurat-free area, it's a reliable local Chinese - no surprises, but nothing to disappoint either. If you're craving crispy duck, or something sweet 'n' sour on your doorstep, it does the job.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Falcon

06 Aug 07, 18:48

Al fresco boozing

For a pub that's not on the High Street, this place does a good job of pulling in the punters.

Service is variable and, while the Thai and trad food is decent enough pub grub, the reason people make a beeline for this place is the beer garden.

There are tables out the front, if sitting on the main road is your thing, but most make for the back garden and hover in the hope that they'll be able to dive in and claim some space as people leave.

Occasionally you'll have to speak up as the Eurostar rattles past, but if you want some al fresco boozing, it's a good bet, especially when it's quieter on a sunny mid-week lunchtime.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Hope

05 Aug 07, 20:06

Trading on its location

The Hope ticks all the boxes but predominantly does the roaring trade it does because of its plum location smack bang next to Wandsworth Common on Bellevue Road.

It's relatively spacious and has a decent amount of outdoor space, if you don't mind the fact that you're practically sitting on a road junction, and inside it's got that whole leather sofa, chunky wood tables mod gastropub thing going on.

But, realistically, it's got no competition. It's about the only place in the area that actually seems geared towards grown ups rather than parents with kids in tow

It does passable food in the gastro mould, but service for both food and drink can be super slow, especially on a summer's day when groups spill in from the common for jugs of pimms.

Loos are poorly maintained with at least one invariably out of order. A small point, but a noticeable one, especially with the volume of customers that passes through.

You're better off picking up something from the off license up the road and taking it to the common.

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Review of La Terraza

05 Aug 07, 14:23

Spain in SW4

This gaudy orange building doesn't look that promising from the outside but inside, it's a little bit like stepping into a bar on the outskirts of Madrid.

Invariably there's Spanish football on the televisions above the bar, and lots of guys at the bar, beer in one hand, boquerones in the other discussing the game.

The decor is simple and the predominantly Spanish waiters span the service scale, from avuncular friendliness to disinterest.

Spanish staples are what's on offer here and the big portions means that three or four carefully selected tapas can do two for a light meal.

Prices are cheap, but that sometimes means the food is too - Madrilenos might like the atmosphere but they'd probably have something to say about some of the menu items. There's probably better tapas to be had in the area - eg. El Rincon Latino, but if you just want a quick snack, it's not a bad option.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.