Tim's reviews
Review of 171 Hair and Beauty
22 Jul 07, 16:49
A relaxing experience 
I hate having my hair cut, but this made the whole thing much less stressful by playing Thom Yorke, not keeping me waiting for a second, and not making forced, meaningless banter. They took my booking on the day (sunday, open til 6) and £27 for a haircut on upper street isn't bad.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Rooburoo
22 Jul 07, 16:54
Not as good as I'd hoped 
Went midweek in a big group for a birthday, excited after reading all the great reviews. But the service was incredibly slow (even for a table of 12) and the food was good, but not exceptional. Angel needed a decent curry place - and this is one, but i'd say the well-designed interior and sign make it seem more different the the norm than it really is.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Elk In The Woods
22 Jul 07, 16:58
A local classic 
The Elk can't be beaten. The menu may not change much but after a brief spell of shoddy staff it's back on form. The Frikadeller is a must.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Isarn
22 Jul 07, 17:16
Stylish and reasonable
Isarn is well-priced for an Upper street eatery, and the food is so tasty and well presented that it certainly doesn't feel cheap. The red prawn curry could have more prawns, and the chicken and mango was a bit dry, but the spring rolls were great and the black rice and mango desert was amazing. Still not sure whether having the house red as chilled only is an attempt to disguise questionable quality but it went down well nonetheless.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Roast Restaurant
22 Jul 07, 17:22
Would they get away with it anywhere else? 
Ah Borough market, the foodies' mecca. It's surprising that someone didn't open Roast sooner - a place that has the organic/locally sourced food ethic embedded in its heart. Alas, it's also taken the market's tendency to overprice up to its lofty restaurant. Views down to St Pauls and lots of window seats are all well and good, and some of the portions are vast, but this is above-average gastropub food at West End prices. A good one for corporate entertaining on expenses, but £20 for a piece of lamb and another £4 for roasties (which were, admittedly, amazing) is a bit steep, "rare breed" or not.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Breakfast Club
22 Jul 07, 17:26
A joy
All brunch places should be like the Breakfast Club. The food is (almost) always great, with the All American - eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, maple syrup - particularly recommended. The smoothies are also great, particularly the alarmingly green one - a fact I only learned after being fed samples while waiting to get in. Actually that's the main problem - BC is too damn popular... maybe I should change the rating.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Review of Screen on the Green
22 Jul 07, 17:44
Indie cinemas are great but...
This place is iconic, an integral part of upper street - although that doesn't seem to mean much these days, what with all the nonsense about Camden Passage and the Mall. But unless you're particularly loyal to the local cause (and yes, I realise you're on a site called we love local) they don't do a whole lot here to encourage the uninitiated. There's only one screen, they could do with getting a booze licence, and the staff are blimmin' miserable. I don't know if the arrival of Vue has hit them particularly hard but they don't seem to be very enthusiastic about the place. That said, they manage to pick the best indie flicks and the odd crowd pleaser, and I wouldn't want to see them go the way of so many local independents round here.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Rake
22 Jul 07, 17:53
More beer than any man could ever cope with
This is the beer snob's Vinopolis. Which is handy, as it's just round the corner. Owned by the same lot that sell imported beer in Borough Market (Utobeer) and with the same vast range (and steep prices), this claims to be London's smallest pub. That may not include the small (covered) garden area of the very attractive car park into which festivities may sometimes spill. The staff are not only happy to recommend beers and ciders of which you've never heard but with which you'll then never be able to live without, they also tolerate the odd pie and sandwich butty being smuggled into the "garden" from the market. Which is good, as their own snacks are limited and shockingly expensive. If the Sierra Nevada's on tap (and they've bought up all of London's supply for the rest of the summer) you can't go wrong.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Barbican Cinema
22 Jul 07, 18:02
Vintage futurism
I loved the Barbican's towers long before I ever actually ventured in the complex itself, but aside from the slightly traumatising lift down (small, slow, haphazard) this is a great place to watch films and feel, well... cultured. As with all of the Barbican's auditoria, the place has a unique, love-it-or-hate-it design but I think it's fantastic. You can take your beer and wine in with you, it's usually pretty quiet (even on a friday) and it's well placed for post-film arguments in the pubs and restaurants around Smithfield market.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Steam Passage
22 Jul 07, 18:07
Unexpected sleb hangout
I once ran into two of the blokes out of Hearsay in the Steam Passage. They were playing on the quiz machine. I only went in the once, but I feel that tells you all you need to know about the place.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.