Reviews by capital girl

Tom Aikens (Restaurant)
11 February 2008

This is what you want when you want a 'fine dining' experience. Chic restaurant styling without being too huge and ostentatious, and amazing food that makes you say 'ooh, try that' and 'mmmmm' a lot. Nice atmosphere too. A definite contender if you're looking for a special evening.

Akbar (Bar)
14 August 2005

Pretty noisy and seems stuffed with very young office workers. Nice cocktails but not the best venue for drinks in Soho by a long way.

Bar 190 (Bar)
14 August 2005

This place is perfect for pre or post Albert Hall concert drinks. Smooth and stylish without being too pretentious with v pleasant cocktails and nice squishy leather sofas.

There's also a restaurant in the hotel which is very British and traditional but not at all old fashioned - great place to take any American guests (or your Mum and Dad) for brunch prior to visiting the Natural History Museum.

BFI Imax (Cinema)
14 August 2005

If you've got kids to amuse for an afternoon or evening this place is perfect! As well as the fun of 3D the screen is brain-numbingly huge.

202 (Cafe)
14 August 2005

Great place for lunch with the girls after a spot of light shopping(!). Even better, you can continue being acquisitive in the Farhi shop around the dining area and downstairs.

M Moen & Sons (Butcher / Organic Food Shop)
14 August 2005

Beautiful 'old fashioned' butchers which is a stone's throw from Clapham Common tube. V fresh and (I think) often organic meats and loads of wonderful time-saving stuff like pre-prepared meat skewers for barbies, pies, etc.

Also has some lovely deli produce which would make great gifts if you're a dinner party guest (or for hard-to-please relatives). The organic whole chicken for roasting isn't cheap but it's sublime.

Lamberts (Restaurant)
14 August 2005

Nothing wrong with the food at all, but somehow Lamberts fails to press my buttons. Something about the design or layout of the room or bright lighting? Can't put my finger on it but it lacks ambiance. Good for non-smokers though, as it's a smoke-free zone.

Browns (Designer Shop)
14 August 2005

Great place to buy Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses - they change the patterns they stock every couple of months.

Matches (Designer Shop / Menswear Shop)
14 August 2005

(No Comment)

Labour of Love (Boutique)
14 August 2005

Unusual girlie things, from jewellery (I got a fantastic pair of swing earrings and a lovely charm bracelet for half price in their sale) to cushions, clothes and shoes. Quite pricey but great for quirky gifts and little 'pick me ups'!

Dover Street Market (Designer Shop)
25 June 2005

Pretentious place and not a relaxed shopping experience - it feels like a homage to design and not about real clothes.

Aubergine (Restaurant / Restaurant)
25 June 2005

Aubergine serves possibly the best food I've eaten in London (although I've still to get to eat at Gordon Ramsay's in Chelsea).

Quite grown up atmosphere and clientele (you can't say it has a vibe - think pink shirted city types and ladies who've had boob jobs). But who cares - the food is exquisite and the restaurant with its large sky light is airy and calm. If you're stuck for a great place to take a date and haven't booked anything in time, try here.

Sketch Lecture Room & Library (Restaurant)
25 June 2005

Outstandingly beautiful venue. Velvet armchairs and stunning domed ceiling make you feel like you're sitting in a very trendy Venetian palace.

Service is as you would expect, impeccable and miles better than the self absorbed staff in the downstairs restaurant. I suppose the astronomical prices mean that Sketch can afford to source every thing that they use - from delicate plates to beautiful mini silver teapots - from the best craftsmen all over the world. It's like dining using all the treasures that we would normally keep wrapped up 'for best' .

We had the tasting menu which at 7 or so courses is too much richness and quantity. All in all the food is pretty good but possibly trying a bit too hard. Just go for the sheer luxury and opulence of the place.

Roka (Restaurant / Restaurant)
25 June 2005

This isn't the place to go for an evening of lengthy indulgence - it's too much like a smart cafe for that. But it is fantastic to sit facing the open plan kitchen watching the huge knives being wielded and flames in the charcoal pit.

Expertly cooked Japanese food and great sashimi with a buzzing atmosphere.

Silk (Restaurant)
25 June 2005

Slightly bizarre combination of old, Cockney court room, linen clad tables, Buddha statues and candles...not sure it's a combination that actually works!

The food is a tad complicated too - lots of different cuisines from the silk route. But the food is good, well presented and the service is excellent. Worth going once just for the 'how odd is this?' conversation with your fellow diners!

The Admiralty (Restaurant)
25 June 2005

Definitely recommend the Admiralty for 'lunch with the parents'. It is set in the impressive surroundings of Somerset House, and is the tall, light filled rooms of the restaurant are decorated in classic style with nice modern touches like the duck egg blue leather seats. The food is accomplished although service is pretty slow. Quiet and genteel - my parents definitely enjoyed it.

Tamarind (Restaurant)
25 June 2005

If you've not been to Benares, then Tamarind would seem head and shoulders better than other Indian restaurants. But having been to both Tamarind and Benares in the space of a week, it surprised me that Tamarind has a michelin star. Nice food, with great flavours, but it lacks style somehow and the decor all felt a little grubby and dingy.

Benares (Restaurant)
25 June 2005

Without a doubt (and I've now been twice) this is the best Indian restaurant in London. The decor is slick and 5 star - pools of flower-filled water, dark Hakkasan-like Indian screens and sofas with silk cushions in the bar area, and clean lines in the large dining room.

Food is really superb. I never imagined being blown away by just chutneys (prune and clove, tomato and coriander etc)! All the dishes are beautifully presented and intensely spiced without the usual ghee overload.

Definitely better than the other 'top Indian' Tamarind, which has good food but none of the style.

Miller Harris (Perfume Shop)
25 June 2005

This is an oasis with fantastic staff who really know their stuff and help to conjure up fields of lavender in Provence and exotic fruits from the Caribbean when they describe the different perfumes on sale. If you want something which is fairly unique and can't be bought at every duty free shops in the world, then try here (who wants anyone else to smell like you do?).

May Fair Spa (Spa)
22 March 2005

Somewhat hidden in the depths of the Radisson hotel, the spa is a gem. It's not often you have a facial from someone (ask for Lara) who is genuinely gentle and skilled - a surprising number of 'beauticians' out there are actually pretty careless and heavy handed.

Treatments range from O2 facials, microdermabrasion, loads of different massages and special packages. Lovely changing rooms with amazingly good kit such as GHD hair straightener and styling products to use after the wonderful power shower with molten brown smellies.

The whole spa is quite womb like with lots of dark slate, Eastern-inspired decoration and soothing running water. And after your treatment you can relax in a special room with heated marble beds which because they're shaped to fit your back are more comfortable than they sound. All in all I really like this place and hope they don't become too popular....