Reviews by belledejour

Electric House (Members' Club)
19 August 2006

I find it very claustrophobic at the back of the brasserie - there are low ceilings, no windows and quite cramped seating. Good food and fun, bustling atmosphere though. Upstairs (members only) is much nicer and less hectic.

Belvedere (Restaurant)
19 August 2006

Gorgeous surroundings and perfectly OK food, but some of the staff have perfected a manner that manages to be both obsequious and hostile at the same time. Do go for the glamorous decor and the views over Holland Park, but don't expect culinary excitements or friendly, unassuming service.

Cowshed Clarendon Cross (Spa / Cafe)
19 August 2006

So often beauty salons are disappointing - bad service and mediocre treatments can make a visit more of an ordeal than a treat (I'm thinking in particular of the Urban Retreat in Harrods). But I highly recommend the Cowshed. I love the light, sunny surroundings, the shabby chic decor and the luxurious yet relaxed atmosphere. It feels exclusive and friendly at the same time.

The therapists really know their stuff and I rate this as the best place in town for a pedicure or a St Tropez spray tan. However, I think that if I wanted a really heavy-duty pampering facial I'd go to Spa NK on Westbourne Grove instead, just because there you can almost pretend you're in a Balinese boutique-hotel spa...

Urban Retreat (Hair Salon)
17 June 2006

Went to have my eyebrows shaped, having read in several magazines about their brow studio. Big mistake!

Arrived and was told the therapist was running 5 mins late so to sit and wait. No offer of water, tea or coffee. After 15 mins I returned to the front desk to ask if they'd forgotten about me. It then transpired that the therapist had rung in sick earlier that morning.

However, they had made no attempt to ring me on my mobile and let me know or even to tell me when I arrived. After lots of fussing and flapping and another 10-min wait, they rustled up another therapist to give me a brow shape and eyelash tint. She was perfectly sweet but really nothing special - very average result which I had to pay £38 for. I should have just gone to the salon at the end of my road instead.

I will never go back. Really shoddy service. If you want somewhere swanky and deluxe go to the Cowshed in Portland Road instead - it's a million times better.