Yannick's reviews
Review of The Boulevard Bar and Dining Room
17 Apr 08, 14:05
Dull 
This place looks great but rarely have I ever been anywhere for food and drink which lacks soul on such a spectacular scale! It's all varnished pine, tiles and plush seating but something's missing. Given that you're on Old Compton Street - one of London's most colourful and exciting little corners - you could do much better. No complaints about the food or the drink, but be adventurous and look around!
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Review of The Tabard
17 Apr 08, 14:01
The place for peaceful celeb spotting 
I spent hours here as a drama student at the local school-for-turns, ArtsEd. It's a great little pub and feels like you've found a gem right in the heart of the country - even though you're only 1 minutes' walk from Turnham Green Tube (Zone 2)!
Nice big fire for the winter and the recently refurbished theatre sits above the beer garden where you often see big names from the stage and screen during the summer months.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of SW9
17 Apr 08, 13:55
Brixton's Best Bar? 
The decor and atmosphere in here is great - it reminds me of a pretty Parisian cafe and its heated terrace on a quiet Brixton sidestreet less than 3 mins' walk from the station adds to this vibe. There are a good range of drinks on offer too. I would avoid the cocktails, however, they're overpriced and the waiters often don't know how to make them properly! The food does tend to have that "freshly microwaved" feel to it. So if it's a good pint, or glass of wine in a trendy venue that you're looking for on any given night of the week, then this is your best bet!
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Review of Thai Silk
17 Apr 08, 13:44
Take Out? Get Out! 
I have to say, I don't know about the standards at the restaurant itself, but the take out from this place is disgusting. A few weeks ago my housemate and I couldn't be bothered to cook so we thought we'd order in. Thai Silk's menu seemed really appealing and we ordered an assortment of starters - chicken satay etc as well as a main dish each. It was not cheap at £32 and when it arrived it was disgusting. The starters were all BURNT and the main thai curry dishes were practically stone cold. When we called to complain, Thai Silk were initially unwilling to compensate us but finally agreed to come and pick up the rest of the meal from our house. We had to push them for nearly three weeks to credit the refund which they were repeatedly reluctant to do. Avoid!
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Review of Fast Fit
17 Apr 08, 13:35
Honest, straight-up service 
The guys here are really good - they take their time to explain exactly what's up with your motor and talk you through their pricing to make sure you're totally happy with what you're getting for your money. Recently took my piece-o-crap Clio in for a service and to have the brakes checked and it now runs like a dream. Always squeeze you in the next day if they can and keep in constant contact with you by phone. First rate!
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Review of Bar Code
17 Apr 08, 13:11
Vauxhall's Only True Gay Bar!
Since opening in late 2006, this bar has won a handful of awards (Best Bar - AXM Mag and gay.com to mention just two) mainly due to its innovative style and the enthusiasm of its owners to meet their customers' expectations. The design is immaculate and it's always immaculately clean (that's not to say, clean-cut... so fear not!)
The smoking terrace (which joins Juicy's new smoking terrace next door) is a hive of activity in the summer but there's plenty of reasons to stay indoors. The main bar offers internet access during the day and at night plays host to a big-name gay DJ. Plenty of good beers on tap and an impressive range of wines and spirits too all at pub prices. Check out their website for money-off / loyalty bonuses! Behind the main bar, there's a mezzanine bar which can be hired for parties. Plus there's a dimly lit club as you walk further down which plays yet more progressive cuts to an ever up-for-it crowd.
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Review of The Escape
17 Apr 08, 13:01
Cheap thrills
Really cute little "after hours" bar - well, until 2am. This place is Shadow Lounge's unpretentious little brother... with oodles more charm. The DJ still mixes off VHS (!!!!) and the vibe is camp, cool and kooky. Bar prices are very reasonable and the loos are clean and compact. Perfick!
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Review of Shadow Lounge
17 Apr 08, 12:56
Remortgage your home before arriving!
The Shadow Lounge is 00's chic. A favourite haunt of Cilla Black, Graham Norton and Paul O'Grady back in the day - it's glitzy if a little out of date. On the plus side, this is a venue that's busy almost every night of the week - despite the "credit crunch". Also, the clientele are quite pretty (if a little pretentious) and the music is great 7-nights a week with the DJs catering for the crowd and not just sticking to their uber-cool repertoire. Monday nights is Salon - a night for beauty industry people. The rest of the week is vaguely themed but always good fun. Watch out with the bar tab, however. After a reasonable entry fee of £5/£10 (depending when you arrive) you'll get stung at the bar. And DO NOT get served by the (admittedly very attractive) bus boys unless you have money to burn. A round of drinks for 4 is unlikely to weigh in at much less than £25. Enjoy the pole/Pole on the dancefloor, but if you're night is all about getting tanked up - make sure you've had your fill before arriving!
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Review of The Edge
17 Apr 08, 12:50
Multi-Storey Fun
The Edge is that bar on the corner of Soho Square. It's upmarket, lit like a catwalk and a fairly well-established meeting point for a night out in gayville. I like it, although its design is a tad fussy and not necessarily customer-focussed. Downstairs has a raised seating area and a "thermo light wall" (my words, not theirs). On Fridays and Saturdays it gets packed with people tapping their feet to the sounds of the DJ... who can be a little hit 'n' miss. Upstairs you have the bar with lots of comfy seating. This seems to be the favourite with punters but on Fridays and Saturdays the little cubby-hole round the corner gets turned into a cloakroom. Up another floor and you have the Rainforest/Habitat room (again, my words not theirs!) which is a charming mishmash of green and black plastic. Up to the final floor for the 'nightclub' - open until gone 2am at weekends - which has its own light-up dancefloor. Pretent you're Madonna or Michael Jackson to a soundtrack that's bound to include both of these.
It's a good venue overall, but generally a place to get you in the mood for the night ahead...
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Review of The Pepper Tree
17 Apr 08, 12:40
Cheap date-tastic!
I took a date here and we were both on a budget. I insisted on paying, however! So - for just a main (Pad thai for me, Thai curry for him) and a bottle of house vino, I shelled out £12... including tip! The service is great - really swift and friendly. The venue is brightly lit but seems really intimate and... it scored me a few decent points! Enjoy.
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