Claire's reviews
Review of Battersea Arts Centre
29 Sep 07, 16:31
Not up its own arts 
I love, love, love this place.
It's exactly what you want your local Arts Centre to be - encouraging new ideas, prepared to take a gamble with offbeat things and keen to involve the local community.
There was recent hoo-hah over funding but I think that's all been resolved now and all to the good.Their 'scratch' evenings where producers get the chance to try out unfinished works on a real live audience and get feedback are legendary. I saw Jerry Springer The Opera here before it got all polished and hit the West End and most recently, they've hooked up with theatre company, Punchdrunk for the Mask of the Red Death interactive experience which is just amazing.
Whatever is going on down here it's almost always worth a look.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Green & Blue
11 Aug 07, 10:27
Fine wining & dining
This wine-bar-meets-cafe-meets-off-license-meets-deli has taken over the spot that used to be occupied by Vinifera but has a million times more appeal and atmosphere than that place.
It's the Clapham outpost of an idea that originated in Dulwich and their USP is great wines from small producers so you get loads of things that you won't see anywhere else - like a Pinot Noir from Luxembourg - but although the wine is fantastic, it's not all about the booze.
During the day, it's more of a cafe with organic coffee served with croissants stuffed with Serrano ham and Emmental for breakfast and then, throughout the day, a selection of really delicious things - it's like someone has gone to Borough Market and scooped up a load of the best things - from olives and cornichons to cheese-stuffed chillies, crab meat on chunky bread, and huge platters of cheese, meat, fish or vegetables, all really reasonably priced.
Four of us had a great meal, sharing two bottles of wine and four of their platters, and it only came to £15 a head. Apparently they've just started doing brunches and roasts at weekends and I'm really looking forward to sampling them.
In addition to great food and wine, the staff are lovely - friendly and enthusiastic, and knowledgeable about what they sell.
Top tip: go down on a Tuesday night when all their wine is sold at off license prices. (And, if you don't know your Merlot from your Muscat, they also hold wine tasting classes.)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Paddyfield
07 Aug 07, 00:07
Tip top Thai for not many dollar
You wouldn't necessarily think this almost hole in the wall joint would be capable of serving up some of SW's best Thai food.
The prices are rock bottom, you can bring your own booze and the restaurant itself seems little more than a narrow corridor.
Don't be fooled. The food that emanates from the kitchen in the bowels of the place is second to none. Delicious filling soups served with fresh chillies and beansprouts, pad thai which doesn't look like a congealed mess of noodles and curries that perfectly blend creamy with sweet and spicy. The flavours are crisp, clean and delicious.
Service is swift and friendly and, if you book in advance, they'll happily seat big groups, making it an affordable celebration for a large number, or equally, a mid-week treat when you can't be arsed to cook.
And for almost the same price as a McCrap Meal. I can't fault it.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Moores
05 Aug 07, 01:23
A builder's merchant for everyone
I absolutely love this place. Forget going to Homebase and being looked at askance by a stoned 16 year old who doesn't know what masking tape is, let alone which type you should be using or, God forbid, where you might be able to find it in the shop, if you want building materials and a load of good advice, I just can't recommend this place highly enough.
The guys who work there are all so incredibly helpful; they don't patronise you for not knowing what you need and there have been several times when I've walked in, described the problem, without knowing any technical jargon or anything like that, and they've told me what I needed, and how to do it. Sometimes, they've not even sold me anything, just advised me on how to solve the problem.
Walking into a builder's merchant can be a very daunting experience for a woman - you're often worried you're going to be sold stuff you don't need or simply going to be ripped off, so it's a real pleasure to have found a trustworthy place on my doorstep.
If I'm brutally honest, you probably ARE going to end up paying more than you would in Homebase, but if you live locally and value service, knowledge and advice, it's a price worth paying.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.