Gareth's reviews
Review of Carluccios
08 Sep 08, 15:24
Great staff - perfect for families 
I agree that the food in these places isn't amazing, do think it's better than average - decent, fresh flavours, nothing like a ready-meal. Coffee and desserts here are lovely. I've found these places great for lunch, especially with kids in tow. I was in here recently, in single-dad mode while the missus went off shopping, and managed to have a reasonable lunch and feed the kids without causing too much trouble. Staff were super helpful and friendly with the kids, so at this price point, these guys do really well.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Nunhead Cemetery
02 Sep 08, 16:57
Saw a werewolf with a chinese menu in his hand..
strolling round Nunhead Cemetery. Actually, that's a lie, but if you come to one of the annual open days, which is more akin to a village fair (a fete worse than death) you'll see a really top-rate selection of goths here! So, what is this place? It's one of the huge Victorian cemeteries built to accomodate the rapidly expanding deceased population of London. It fell into disrepair post WWII I think, but since the 70s a hardy group of locals have managed to stop anyone's plans to build houses on it, and it's a nice woody hill in SE London, albeit one with thousdands of dead bodies lurking a few feet underground under some cracking gravestones. Kids like exploring the woods, and in one place you get a fantastic view of St Pauls. Nice place to come for a quiet stroll.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Ed
02 Sep 08, 12:17
Good clothes/gift shop combo
One of the shops occupying the fastest growing sector of the retail market - random, unecessary, but pricey and often uselss gifts. I say fastest growing, with financial doom knocking on our door at the time of writing it will be interesting to see how long shops like this hang around, I'm sure there's too many of them around these days! Anyway, why is this one worth your time? Well, they have a good range of clothes here too, for men and the ladies. they also seem to put some effort into sourcing their stock, rather than just generic stuff you find everywhere else. Staff are generally pretty helpful too.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of John Barnett
08 Aug 08, 13:58
Great for kids shoes/non-trendy footwear
Good local shoe shop, especially for kids. Good range of Clarks kids shoes, nice and solid for the little whipper-snappers. The staff are very good and patient with kids, and prices are very reasonable. I got some 'dad sandals' from here, but I'm not sure i should be admitting this in public on the interwebs.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of NatWest Cash Machine
01 Aug 08, 09:30
My cash machines of choice
Close to where i work, and often on the way to where I need to spend my moolah. But what's this, queues of tourists using MY cash machines?!?! Well, watch and learn, fools, as I sweep sedately through the doors and use the cash machine INSIDE the bank! Yeah, thought you'd be impressed!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Box Bar
18 Jul 08, 10:03
Great gay salads!
Used to pop in here fairly often when I worked nearby. I'm sure in the evenings it's very lively, but it's generally pretty quiet at lunchtime - you can egenrally get a pretty big group in here without any problems - the salads are great.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of G R & I M White
14 Jul 08, 16:46
fantastic traditional bakers
The bread is fantastic enough to be 'a meal in itself' - but whilst staying nearby I found myself dropping in here everyday, the cakes are fantastic - apple pies, egg custard tarts, sweet baby moses, I doubled in weight in a week thanks to this place
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of London Recumbents
14 Jul 08, 10:43
Makes a trip to the park very special
This is the secret weapon in the arsenal of child entertainment in Dulwich Park. Cafe? Check. Playground? Check. Lots of space to play frisbee and football? Check. Wild areas to go gruffalo hunting? Check. But you don't ususlaly get the opportunity to hire a trike with a huge bin on the front and pedal the kids round for an hour. There's a whole load of options here, from your standard bike with a kiddy seat on the back - so you can check if it's worth you splahsing the cash on buying your own one, through to bikes with enough spaces to carry the Waltons, through to ground-hugging recumbent kids bikes for the older ones. You can even stick the grandparents on a tandem. Prices are good, and even in the dark days of winter it gets everyone out the house for a while.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Yo! Sushi
14 Jul 08, 10:30
Ideal for kids if you're on the South Bank
I've been to this branch a couple of times on weekend trips to the London Aquarium. Assuming you want to give the kids something reasonable to eat, amidst all the places selling rubbish aimed at families, this is a great alternative. It's close to the action on the South Bank, it's generally not that busy on a weekend so you can get the family round a table - making sure the adults sit closest to the moving belt of food - as it proves hard for the little ones to resist grabbing everything that passes. Food is your standard generic western sushi, but it's filling and reasonably healthy so a winner as far as i'm concerned. The kids like the unusualness of the restaurant too, and there are enough free chopsticks for the whole family to do naff vampire impressions throughout the meal.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Kulu Kulu Sushi
14 Jul 08, 10:19
Unpretentious but good
The nkind of place you'd expect Harrison Ford in Blade Runner to pop into. a bit like eating in a cupboard, it's very small, but for a quick lunch with a friend (probably best to keep the numbers low as you can't really form a crowd here) it's perfect. Food is fresh and tasty, tea is good, prices very reasonable by London standards. Love it.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Psubliminal
09 Jul 08, 11:17
Good indie bike shop
Not much to add to Alan's review, I can't say I was made to feel particularly wlecome here, but then i'm not down with the kids/riding a fixie/or sporting unusual hair/mohican
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of John Alan Flowers
09 Jul 08, 09:20
Great local florists/flower shop
If you need a quality bunch of very beautiful flowers, come here. They also have a large assortment of flowers and shrubs etc in pots outside, so for a bit of floral giftage, drop in here! I'm happy to say i don't know a lot about buying flowers, but the staff here will, if you're a bit useless like me, guide you in the right direction.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Green & Blue
03 Jul 08, 15:05
Lovely food and wine
The effort the owners are putting into this place really shows. Great food and wine - from ordering a few nibbles to getting in lots of bits and sharing tapas style, this hits the mark. The wine is why you should come here though, staff will recommend wine for you, and are very good at helping you find something new, unusual and tasty.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Strada
27 Jun 08, 11:00
Good riverside stop-off
If you've been to a Strada before, you know the score, but it's fairly generic Italian food, but the food and decor are a level up from the the usual places. This branch gets extra points for being within garlic bread throwing distance of the Thames, and the staff were very efficient without being annoying. Also they sell Grand Riserva Peroni, which is nearly 6%, so gives Stella a run for it's money whilst actually tasting nice. If you're heading to the Festival Hall or idly twatting around by the Thames, worth it for a reasonably priced filling meal. (And some strong booze, did I mention that???)
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of William Rose
23 Jun 08, 09:38
suppliers of 'special stuff'
Great butchers. If you like meat, this is the place to come in the area. Everyone else feels the same way, as there are queues round the block most weekends, which invariably means I hardly ever visit. Can source you pretty much anything if they don't have it in stock, get your Xmas orders in early!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Emmaus
23 Jun 08, 09:30
small but perfectly formed
If you're looking for some cheap furniture or stuff to fill your house with, it's worth popping in. There's a book shop round the corner which is pretty new, and at the time of visiting had a load of signed books by Joanna Lumley in there, as she'd just opened it - huzzah! It's all for a great charity, so skip on down here you SE London people!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of The Royal Festival Hall
23 Jun 08, 09:28
Fantastic venue
I think they spent something like 90 million quid renovating this 50's concrete building. I can't say if that's great value for money or not, but they have done a great job. Loads of space, and you can even lets the kids off the leash inside if they fancy a go at annoying tourists and running around the place. Seeing a concert in the main hall is fantastic, and the acoustics are 'top notch!'
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Evans Cycles
19 Jun 08, 16:07
The best Evans in London
Saying this is the best branch of Evans is a bit like saying Hess was the least bad nazi, as I find the staff in Evans either ill-informed, unhelpful, or both. It got so bad a copuple of years ago I stopped going into Evans because I didn't want them getting their paws on my hard-earned cash. In this branch i've always found the staff have been pretty helpful, and I've even bought a couple of bikes here over the years. Also handy as a stop-off if you commute into central London from the South East. Just don't ask anyone about child seats in here, they haven't got a clue. Probably because they're too busy getting gnarly up Box hill, or whatever it is they do these days.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Tabio
19 Jun 08, 15:10
Sock-a-rama
Japanese made socks in all shapes and sizes. Think of Paul Smith socks on acid. they also do kind of sock/glove hybrid things which the wife likes. They're socks but they have individual 'fingers' for your toes. I think they're a bit weird/possibly a tad kinky if you're into toes! Also lots of brightly coloured tights should you be a lady in need of some brightly coloured legwear.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Tandoori Nights
19 Jun 08, 11:07
Best Indian on Lordship Lane?
Thought the food here was fantastic. Place is quite small, but it means it doesn't get too loud. Food was very nicely done, really lovely flavours, and is a league above your standard Indian restaurants. But in the final reckoning, I prefer Ganapati just over the border in SE15.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Run and Become
18 Jun 08, 16:29
Perfect for newbies and experienced runners
Stocked with everything you need, but the most important thing here is the staff are very experienced and finding the right kind of shoes for you, especially if you're new to running. Apparently it's all down to if you turn your heels in or out when you run along, in addition to what you feel comfortable in. So if you're ever walking through this part of Victoria, and you see a few people running up and down the same bit of pavement while a shop assistant stares at their feet, you know it's new customers trying out different shoes. They get extra marks because you don't feel hurried into making a purchase, but this does mean you may have to wait at busy times, join the queue!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Bell
18 Jun 08, 15:09
great country pub
if you've strolled round the nearby country park, it's worth popping up here for a quick drink afterwards. lovely garden, great setting, fab pub.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Blacks Outdoor Leisure
17 Jun 08, 10:45
Outdoor heaven
Well stocked, very helpful staff, lots of things to try out. What more do you need? always found prices here reasonable, and the sales are particularly good, ideal if you go skiing in the summer or camping in midwinter!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of North Face
17 Jun 08, 10:40
The Mercedes of outdoor gear
Ok, so it's pricey, but if you spend a lot of time in the great outdoors, either camping, yomping up a mountain, or even going to a festival and you have more money than sense, these guys will sort you out. Lovely kit in a lovely shop.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of C A Williams
17 Jun 08, 10:27
The aladdins cave of cheap jeans
Well, it was when I was growing up in these parts. huge shop rammed floor tyo ceiling with essential 'casual' goods. Was ideal for schoolkids and students back in the day, but now everybody wears expensive jeans etc, maybe it's more of a dad shop? I want to return and check it out.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Millar Tree
17 Jun 08, 10:22
ideal for post-nuclear survival
Has been here since way back in the Cold War days. If you need cheap stuff to go camping, or just enjoy dressing up in military gear (in the privacy of your own bedroom, obviously) then this is the shop for you. From huge camo nets, ammo cans and camo clothes through to surplus german army coats and the odd gas mask. If you're going to spending some time in the wilderness, then turn yourself into Ray Mears right here.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Hope & Greenwood
16 Jun 08, 21:24
In two minds about this place
I pop in about twice a year, when I specifically need to get someone some chcolate as a present. Otherwise, it leaves me cold really. Seeing as i love chocolate, and sweets in general, this place should be a favourite of mine. They do their own range of chocolate, which is great, and then lots of 'old school' sweets, which is the vibe the place is after in general. But when push comes to shove, i'm as likely to buy a var of something decent down on Lordship Lane rather than stroll up here.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Gerrys Off Licence
16 Jun 08, 21:01
God knows where they get them all from
This is the off-licence to come to if you're having/going to a party and you want something different which will help everything go with a bang. Flavours of Vodka that the Russians haven't even heard of, local firewaters from across Europe, some of which will probably make you go bling, and of course Absinthe, the old stand by for when you're not quite stupidly pissed enough and one of your friends reckons this is just what you need to sort you out....
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Access Storage Solutions
16 Jun 08, 20:47
Big, flexible, reasonable prices
I found myself in need of some storage space when, due to being arsed about by the vendor of the house I was trying to buy, I found myself moving into a tiny rented flat. anyway, ignoring the specifics of the reasons for my woe, I found these guys close by, recommended by friends, they did the job. I don't have a lot to compare them to, but I found the process very easy, so get marks for that. They've got units available in all manner of sizes, so takes yer pick. They also score highly as the place is eerily quiet during the week, with lights flickering on by IR sensor as you wheel your trolley of stuff around the deserted warehouse. As the lights turn off behind you, you start thinking "I wonder what will happen if the guy on the desk goes home and locks me?" With a nice big mechanical door on the loading bay, if you're looking for somewhere to film a remake of the bit in Silence of the Lambs where Clarice goes into the old storage/garage place and finds a head in a jar, it's here!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Post Office
13 Jun 08, 11:53
No queues!
Provided you're not doing a passport application or road tax etc, ie, if you're posting something - then this is better to go to than the main post office on Lordship Lane as it hardly ever has queues, which perhaps makes this Post Office unique in London!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre
13 Jun 08, 11:48
something for all the family
I generally go here for the kids, as it has a great soft-play area - particularly useful during miserable winter days. Prices are cheap, staff are helpful, and it's very clean and not very old. It also has a hydrotherapy pool, which is perfect for the kids swimming sessions as it appears to be heated to near tropical levels, and the floor of the swimming pool can be raised so that you can encourage your nippers to walk. If you do have kids with special needs they did have special sessions organised here, and they were great - for parents as well as the kids. They have a full on adult pool as well, a private gym, a small cafe and some 'healing rooms' of some description.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Duke Of Edinburgh
13 Jun 08, 11:44
Definitive South London summer pub
An initially uninviting boozer on first approach, but it's the garden that's the winner here, but get there early to blag yourself a table. Crammed into a triangular chunk of land next to a railway line, it's not the most attractive location, but if you're meeting a group of friends on a summers evening, what more do you need? Barbecue action at the weekends.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Camera Cafe
12 Jun 08, 12:24
A camera shop... with a cafe!
Coffee was above average, and they have a decent range of pre-loved camera gear in here. an essential stop on a 'buying more camera' trip round central London. if you sufffer from NAS (Nikon aquisition syndrome) then this place should be at the top of your list.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Kwik Fit
12 Jun 08, 11:47
fast and courteous service
Try going into most garages and not be patrionised by a twat, it can be next to impossible. Kwik Fit does a good job of employing people who are good at what they do and have decent customer service skills. It shouldn't really be noted, being polite and in some way effective at your job should be the baseline, but in lots of garages etc, it's not always the case. The missus went in here also found them really helpful, explained everything and weren't pushy. 10 points for the men in the blue overalls.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Ritzy Cinema
12 Jun 08, 11:38
Best cinema in South London
The Peckham multiplex is cheaper, but if you want a good filmy night out, this place is the where to come. Great victorian building, renovated a few years back, with a bar! Yes, a proper bar. you can't take you drinks into the film, apparently, but then that's what handbags and decent pockets were built for. "Are you drinking Budvar in the back row?" "Hic, honestly drinkstable, I've only had a few cu**s..."
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Cave Of Spirits
12 Jun 08, 11:31
Off licence and convenience store
Well, this isn't a tatoo parlour, as We Love Local seems to think. It's your generic convenience store but in addition to standard booze it also stocks a load of real ale, or nut brown booze if you prefer. Handy if you're palatte demands something a bit more flavoursome than 'Eurolager'.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Peckham Library
11 Jun 08, 16:00
Cool building, great library
Lots of people come here to stare at the architecture of the Peckham Library, and it is a one off. so much so, that the Burger King over the road appears to have emulated it's form slightly, and gone for the same colour scheme. Anyway, some good things about the library itself. It's a lovely place to work in, if that's your thing. Great views into central London if you go up in the lift. Good selection of kids books in an area your children can run loose in - within reason. and it has a good selection of books, magazines and DVDs. Hurrah!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Imperial College
11 Jun 08, 10:06
Get your rocks off
Well, I studied Geology here, so excuse the title. If you're doing science, engineering or medicine, then IC has to be top of yopur uni list if you don't want to go to Oxbridge, and there are plenty of people who don't. It lacks the pretension of Oxbridge, which is one of the key traits of IC - what you do is a lot more important than what you say. I personally found the absence of arts students sloping about the place refreshing, but then I also missed a balanced amount of ladies in the area.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Kwality Tandoori
11 Jun 08, 09:57
Served a generation of IC students
If you've ever been involved in drinking and Imperial College, then this place will have played a part in your life. Good, solid, dependable curry, and staff who can put up with the worst excesses of pissed ex-public school kids suddenly let loose in London. They are very patient, and have probably seen it all.. christ, the stories I could tell. Anyway, even if you're not at IC, worth popping in for dinner, but perhaps avoid Wednesday evenings...
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Blue Jade
11 Jun 08, 09:53
worth a few mins walk from Victoria
If you're looking for a decent, reliable Thai in Victoria this one does the good. Food is great, nothing outlandish, but they get it right. Prices are reasonable, service is good, and I can't really fault it.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Epoca Expresso Bar
11 Jun 08, 09:48
Great coffee, food ok
Haven't eaten here for a while, but they seem to do all from sandwiches, paninis, through to 'the full english'. Coffee is what keeps me coming back, if I can't walk up the road to Monmouth Coffee then epoca is a good second best. Apart from the grumpy girl who makes the stuff, it's very good coffee - made from illy beans which is generally a pretty good sign. give it a go!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Cafe @ Foyles Bookshop
11 Jun 08, 09:45
Good for a weekday lunch or browsing weekend visit
Food is all freshly prepared, they make coffee using beans from Monmouth coffee so it tastes fab. A bit of a bohemian vibe as it's stuffed down one side of the jazz shop inside Foyles, but it has a lovely relaxed atmos. Wifi works sometimes, and you can plop your booty down on a stool, and stare over charing Cross road at those poor deluded fools staring back at you from the Starbucks in Books Etc! As an aside, this place extends the relationship between coffee and jazz, and having not been around in the 50s, I'm not sure who kicked this off - but the two do go together really well when I'm out and about, but I can't say I ever make coffee at home and think "hey! what i really need is some Charlie Mingus to go with this brew!"
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Jacobs
11 Jun 08, 09:35
A league above Jessops
New Oxford Street and the streets in front of the British Museum are a hotbed of new and secondhand camera shops. If you're an SLR user and have got bored with the kit lens they sold you with your camera, then it's worth taking a few hours strutting about, necking the odd coffee and losing yourself in the world of cameras. (Having done your research online first of course, check out www'kenrockwell.com for opinionated but readable and very useful camera info - the guy is annoying but right - damn him!) Anyway, this branch of Jacobs is just over the road from Jessops, but a world away in terms of customer service and stock. Staff who actually acknowledge you and don't appear to be pissed off at having a job there is a good first step (is someone from Jessops HR reading this?). They know what they're talking abouit, and they have a store stacked with new and used cmaera gear. So whether you're a camera virgin or someone who knows their stuff, this has to be worth a visit if at least to get an idea of baseline prices and what's around at the moment.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Sainsburys
10 Jun 08, 09:52
Is big, and well staffed
Well, it's Sainsburys, but they stuck an extension on it last year, meaning you get a huge range, and generally you don't have to wait long at the checkouts, which is really the main criteria I use for judging supermarkets. I know you can save a bit of cash by going to Asda on the Old Kent Road, but really, why would you bother?
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Pages
10 Jun 08, 09:48
Great for proper cooking gear and gifts
Impressively huge range of knives, saucepans, chopping boards, skillets, whisks, oil pourers, sauce bottles, caondiment sets - basically - this is the main shop to come to if you're training to be a professional shop, but is also great to buy the chef in your life a present.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Grays Of Westminster
06 Jun 08, 14:50
The place for Nikon stuff...
if you can't find it anywhere else. Ok, in this day and age, you can generally get most things cheaper online than instore, so specialist stores need to trade on something else. Grays is basically the shop to come for if you're a Nikon photographer, as that is all they deal with her, Nikon cameras. So, if you're looking for a rare lens, or at least a secondhand lens you know will be in good condition, graded correctly and hasn't fallen off the back of a lorry, this is the place. If you wanted to try a lens before buying, then this is the place. They also do repaires. I've bought a couple of lenses here in the past, and they are good, but if I was going to buy a new Nikon camera, I'd probably buy it online as it would be cheaper.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Herne Hill Bicycles
06 Jun 08, 14:45
Limited range, but super-great staff
Not the world's biggest bike shops, but where these guys score above the alrger chains in London, is that they really know what they're talking about. If you want to buy a new bike but aren't sure what to get, they'll take the time to discuss your requirements and make some suggestions. When I got a bike from them, I got some extra gear like a kiddy seat, mudguards, panniers and they changed the handlebar for me, and charged me nothing extra for the work they did setting the bike up and didn't let me go until I was happy with it. They're great for repairs and servicing, but you'll need to book well in advance as they're often very busy. Limited range of gear, but they'll order stuff in for you if they don't have it. My favourite bike shop in London, and I've been in loads.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Nicolas
05 Jun 08, 13:41
The difference is the staff
The guys here are very helpful, and know what they're on about. Yes, they're French, but don't hold that against them. Not a huge range, but certainly broad enough, and with changing offers each month you can either grab a cheapy by the door or spend some time finding a wine to suit your palatte and pocket. Also, a limited range of spirits, including Berry Bros Cutty Sark blended whisky, which is got quaffing grog
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Chocolate Society
05 Jun 08, 13:34
high quality chocs
Forget Thorntons and their ilk, if you want to impress someone get them some chocs from here. But a word of warning, be prepared because you can't go back once you've started, so either make sure you have enough disposable income for repeat visits or else be prepared to sacrifice something. The chocolate here actually tastes like chocolate, it's like comparing fine wine to a pint of fosters!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Brindisa
05 Jun 08, 11:47
The best converted potato warehouse restaurant I've ever been to.
All right, so it's the only converted potato warehouse I've ever been to. But the tapas here proved to be more than I'd expected. We went on a busy Friday night, as early as possible after work to snare a seat (most of the tables were reserved, but we grabbed a couple of bar seats at a big barrel by the door) and decided on a bottle of fino sherry, some toasted marcona almonds, and some fine marinated green olives while we decided what to sample from the tapas menu. If there's one thing to sample from their winter menu, it's got to be their sweet potato soup. It was perfectly smooth, balanced and delicately spiced. It was also filling, so side dishes of braised red cabbage with pine nuts and some chorizo was enough to satisfy. The atmosphere continued to grow livelier throughout the evening, and the fact that the place feels too small can only be a testament to its popularity. On weekends when the market is on, it seems similarly stuffed. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the service despite how busy they were. Brindisa is a good option in Borough, especially if you've had your appetite whetted after looking around the food stalls...
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Tadim
05 Jun 08, 11:42
Love All, Serve All
This is the catchphrase of this lovely turkish cafe/bakers. Specialising in lovely Turkish food, whether both vegetarian and meaty. They bake their own pastries, sweet and savoury, and the coffee is great. If you're on a budget, try the turkish pizzas, otherwise, I'd recommend the spinach and ricotta bread, and the stuffed aubergine. Sorry, I can't remember what the Turkish terms are for these!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of S M B S Foods
05 Jun 08, 11:29
Lots of organic yumminess
In ther last couple of years this shop has become a bit of a victim of it's own success, to the point where sometimes it's not really worth trying to get inside and queue up, and you end up, despite your best intentions, popping over the road to Somerfield to buy some evilly farmed food instead. This is basically an organically biased food shop, it's not like Holland and Barret, in that it sells proper fresh stuff, and lovely stuff like waffles and Green and Blacks ice cream. Great range of flours, pasta, oil, and great organic fruit and veg. You wouldn't want to do your weekly shop here, but it's good to drop into, and they make you pay for carrier bags, which appears to be the new dominatrix method of saving the planet - it's annoying, and you pay for it, but in the end you feel good, or something, sorry, just got a bit confused...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Lordship Lane Carpets
03 Jun 08, 11:19
The daddy of SE London carpet shops
Try as i might carpets are one thing I've never been that bothered about. My wife, however, likes to take her time, checking out samples and grilling the assistants in the shop. In which case, these guys win and you should use them instead of any of the big chains. The reasons are, they have a huge range of stock, carpets, laminate, amtico flooring, even rubber flooring should it appeal. They don't rush you, and spend as much time as you need talking through the options. I've used for the last 8 years, and found their work fantastic. They even turned up once to fit a carpet, and they'd run out of stock of the one we'd chosen, so brought along a more expensive carpet to fit for the same price. Hoorah!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Avalon Comics
02 Jun 08, 15:22
Decent, independent comic shop
Compared to the impersonal Forbidden Planet, this is the clear winner. The staff really know their stuff and are very helpful, they don't mess with the formula of being a comics shops that sells comics, rather than trying to branch out into music, mass DVD sales etc though I guess it must be tempting. In a time when it's still somewhat socially embarrassing to admit to reading comics, I've yet to meet a comics reading woman, it's great to go somewhere where your condition is not only understood, it's encouraged. If they don't have it in store, they'll get it for you.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Maison Bertaux
02 Jun 08, 14:21
If it's good enough for the Mighty Boosh..
it's good enough for me. I've only ever bought stuff to takeout from here, so I can't comment on the 'eating in' experience. But these things you should know: 1) Cost becomes an irrelvance when cakes are this good - strawberry cheesecake is the best i've ever hadm, and a chocolate mousse/cake/torte thing they do is so insanely good, it became nicknamed 'the chocolate bastard; due to your inability to resist by some delightful colleagues of mine. 2) the place looks fantastic. In a world seemingly taken hostage by units churned out to a corporate formula, places like this need to be celebrated. Go here, drink some tea and stuff your face with cake, but not if it means i have to queue behind you!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Dulwich Garden Centre
02 Jun 08, 13:52
Stock pretty much all you need
If you're lucky enough to have a garden, or even a few pots on window sill, these guys have what you need, plus with the added benefit of decent parking alongside. Staff are generally very helpful, and will suggest stuff which would grow well given the conditions you have. Also famous for a) their Xmas trees and b) range of cards from gardeners/related services displayed in the door. Nice place to browse on a sunny day!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Jacks Haircuts
30 May 08, 14:45
Relaxed, technically adept, good banter
How many of us can honestly claim we've slipped through a side door in Soho, slipped someone thirty odd quid, let them fiddle around with us for a bit and then said we felt a lot tidier afterwards? Jack's is great for a smart hairdo, you can, apparently opt for all manner of outlandish 'do's', but if you're like this reviewer, who is purely greatful for actually having any hair left when you consdier what's happened to my friends, then a 'cut' is what you need, not a 'do'. What's good about it: Staff are great, easy going, banter level is amusing, topical and relaxing. Never had a crap haircut and the missus is always impressed with what they do to my boyish curls. Nice music playing. Bad. no bad points as such, it's underground - which is good if you don't want people staring at you all the time, but not so good if you have a fear of confinsed spaces or perhaps just spent a while stuck in a building after an earthquake. Cost is £30 quid for a wash and a cut which can take up to an hour - which in this day and age is money well spent.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.