Reviews by mr_benn

Yauatcha (Restaurant / Restaurant)
27 August 2005

Highly recommend Yauatcha both for tea and cakes upstairs and the main menu downstairs. The place just looks great and the food is superb.

Elbow Room (W2) (Bar)
13 August 2005

Great idea but too long a wait for a table! Decent food and drinks were excellent. Recommend going early during the week in order to get a decent session in, or book if it's a big crowd and you can guarantee a minimum bar spend.

Ping Pong (Restaurant)
15 June 2005

Not quite in Yauatcha's league, but Ping Pong is well designed, has really fast service, good food and very reasonable prices.

You can sit around the bar or kitchen upstairs, but when there's a few of us I prefer the atmosphere downstairs where they have large round tables.

Worth checking out.

Prestige Car Hire (Car Hire Service)
28 May 2005

I've used this company 4 or 5 times and never had any complaints. They're not cheap, but they have a fantastic range of cars and the service is great. I've never bothered to own a car in London because you can call a company like this on a Thursday, get them to deliver a decent Porsche or Audi to your office on Friday lunchtime, and be out of the city and driving down to a nice country hotel before rush hour kicks in.

Definitely worth checking out if you're car-free but want to treat yourself now and then and can't face the likes of Avis.

Borough Market (Food Market)
22 May 2005

Best place in London to buy food and so much more deserving of your money than Tesco, etc. It's no coincidence that so many of London's top chefs shop here - can't be beat for quality or choice.

Ottolenghi (Delicatessen / Cafe)
03 December 2004

(No Comment)

The Atlas (Gastro Pub)
03 December 2004

(No Comment)

Wint & Kidd (Jewellers)
03 December 2004

(No Comment)

Zuma (Restaurant / Restaurant)
03 December 2004

Seeing the design of the place I was expecting style over substance, but the food was great too. Clientele not quite my scene, but it's still worth checking out.

The Castle (Climbing Wall)
03 December 2004

(No Comment)

Sketch Lecture Room & Library (Restaurant)
03 December 2004

I loved it here - superb design as per the rest of Sketch and excellent food. Ignore the hype and try it with an open mind - I'd rank it as one of the top 10 meals I've had in London.

Purple Bar (Bar)
03 December 2004

My favourite bit of the Sanderson, after the courtyard in the summer. Amazing design and completely other-worldly. The service is variable - always friendly, but sometimes a little slow at busy times, although the drinks are worth waiting for.

Latium (Restaurant)
03 December 2004

Very good food and super service. Slightly plain decor, but that didn't bother us. One of those restaurants that don't get as much publicity as some of the others in lists like this, but very deserving of your custom!

Inc Bar (Bar)
03 December 2004

Mixed feelings about the decor, but frankly I was expecting worse! Good cocktails and farely buzzing when I was there - I will happily return next time I'm in the area.

Fresh and Wild (Organic Food Shop)
03 December 2004

Superb selection of healthy, organic and tasty food and snacks. I wish I had one nearer my home!

Floatworks (Therapy Centre)
03 December 2004

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did and perhaps dismissed it before trying it. However, I was given a gift voucher so I thought I should give it a go. I spent the first 20 minutes or so (you lose track of time!) thinking that it was having no effect and my mind kept wandering. Then later I realised how very calm I was and I just felt relaxed and clear. I came out feeling borderline ecstatic and recommend it to anybody - give it a go!

The only minor negative, and I'm being picky here, is that I didn't find the surroundings very inspiring - the waiting room was a bit plain and the rooms are just a tank, a chair and a shower. That's all you need and I had no complaints - just don't expect an upmarket spa environment.

The Farm (Gastro Pub)
03 December 2004

Good food, interior design and service. It perhaps deserves to be in the restaurants section rather than gastropubs, but there is a bar at the front, which was also very pleasant.

There are few decent places to eat at the West Kensington end of Fulham, and I definitely recommend this to locals.

Battersea Park (Park)
07 November 2004

Great park with varied spaces, a childrens' zoo, good inline-skating (around the edge of the park only) and a nice cafe by the lake.

Salt (Restaurant)
10 March 2004

Excellent Italian dishes in an attractively designed dining area. I only had the lunch menu and would highly recommend it, but I've yet to try the amazing array of Whiskies available in the bar (200+), or the evening menu, but I plan to soon.

Milk & Honey (Bar / Members' Club)
08 March 2004

Great bar split over 3 floors. the main bar is on the ground floor and in the basement there's another bar with a cosy booth at the end. Upstairs is the Red Room, which is a bit more loungey with armchairs and a fireplace. The whole place is a nice change from most bars in Soho - the music is 30's jazz, and it's more a relaxed place for drinks with friends than a big, loud night out.

It's members-only after 11, and you have to call in advance whether you're a member or not. Staff are really friendly and the drinks are reasonably priced for Soho.

The classic cocktails are fantastic. A few weeks ago I asked for a cognac and was swiftly talked into something more interesting. After several minutes of stirring, squeezing and setting things on fire, the rum-based hot cocktail (didn't catch the name) they handed me was one of the most delicious drinks I've ever tasted.