Gemma's reviews
Review of The Crown
04 Apr 08, 12:12
A dying breed 
This is the sort of North London Irish alehouse that is, sadly, on the endangered list. Make no mistake, this is a proper old man's pub - go elsewhere if you want trendy imported continental lagers or gastropub fat chips. A pint of beer and a packet of crisps is the order of the day here. And why not? Sometimes you just need a nice friendly place to pop into for a swift one (or three) while you watch the football. Be warned, though: the ladies' loos are always freezing cold, so wrap up warm if you're indending on using the facilities.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Little Bay Restaurant
27 Mar 08, 16:42
Cheap as (goose fat) chips
This is a great place to go if you're on a budget, as you get lots of good food for very little money. The chips fried in goose fat are particularly fine, though a nightmare if you're of the vegetarian tendency. It is justifiably popular restaurant, and can get crowded so it is wise to book ahead at peak times. My only criticism is that large parties tend to get stuck downstairs in a very noisy, very dark room, so when you're booking try to get a table upstairs if you want to have an icicle's chance in hell of hearing what your dining companions are saying.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Quays
27 Mar 08, 13:38
Strange place, good grub
The Quays seems to suffer from multiple-personality disorder. Once you've got past the electric blue facade you find yourself in a traditional Irish boozer, complete with old men supping Guinness and Gaelic football on the telly. Then turn the corner and you're in a strange Gothic dungeon with chains everywhere. Go upstairs and there's a sleek, modern bar-cum-restaurant. Basically, the decor is what I imagine the inside of Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen's head looks like. Still, despite the hodge-podge interior, this is a nice pub (though it looks like it might get rowdy on Saturday nights). They do good comfort food too - the bacon and cabbage is a particularly good hangover cure.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.