Far from the West End, and proud of it too
Wimbledon is not exactly the first place that pops into your mind when you think of nice restaurants. Unless you live there, getting to it can be a bit of a day trip, so the reason for it better be good. In Côte's instance, it is.
It appears that Wimbledon is - so they say- a favoured testing ground for new restaurant concepts. Well-heeled, well-behaved residents are, I suppose, a captive audience, as it were.
Expect Côte's menu to be (mostly) in English and to be (mostly) French.
Prices are not too prohibitive, with first courses starting at £4.25 and main courses at £8.50 (if you want bread and butter you pay £1.50), olives are £1.95 and a slice of pissaladière is £3.25 topped with anchovies and £3.50 topped with Reblochon cheese.
Sauces for the grills are also priced separately, eg Béarnaise for steak at £1.95. This idea I'm not in love with, but I can live with it- it's a bit like getting charged 10p for mayonnaise at KFC...right?
At least filtered water offered in what look like old-fashioned ceramic ginger beer bottles is served free.
Most desserts are heavy on the chocolate, so let that be a warning. Or an invitation?
Worth visiting if you are in Wimbledon. Worth visiting even if you are not.
tony4sure lo descubrió en March 2008
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This bar is friendly!
It's also very, VERY LOUD!! But that is to be expected in London's West End, right?
The Friendly Society a nice little bar, but not somewhere you'd want to go to for a chat with some friends - you'd spend the whole night saying 'huh?', 'what?'.
Despite the noise, and the location it is a nice venue. Located in a basement down a side alley in the middle of Soho, it's quite small, but has a nice little vibe to it. Try heading there earlier in the evening to get a little leather-bound room/ alcove, which you may or may not have to share with other people.
The staff are always friendly and they sure smile a lot!
Straight friendly.
tony4sure lo descubrió en February 2008
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Odd books, good books
On Charing Cross Road, you have a handful of second hand bookshops. Any amount of books is known mostly for its large basement selection.
They tend to buy private collections, and, though not necessarily cheap, they do have the kind of literary little gems which will ensure you become a lifelong customer.
Dust aside, they tend to leave their just-bought-boxes, halfway opened in the basement. I never know if we are meant to look through them or not, but I always do, as do most of the people there. I remember finding a 1930s photographic Encyclopedia of Europe bound in red leather. I came very close to buying it, but could not afford the price. But it was that kind of material which made me return, and continue to return ever since.
And if the selection were not reason enough, they tend to keep late hours during the week, ensuring that more than one happy reader takes their respective nightbus book in hand.
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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Spicy chicken
Nando's in Soho is a great place to eat out with friends, and quite handy for when you are splashing out on the West End during the weekend.
Although they tell you the place is Portuguese, don't be fooled, the spices and cooking methods they use, as well as the general decor of their restaurants, is South African. But it doesn't matter, what you want is chicken, and chicken you will get!
You first have to order at the till, get a stick with a colored and numbered rooster on top, then head to the numbered table. You get your own drinks and then your food arrives. Grilled chicken with Nando's famous Peri-Peri sauce. If you don't want this, you can always go for lemon& herb, or garlic, or just plain.
And drinks and frozen yogurt are bottomless here...just in case your food was a tad spicy!
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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Modern cuban cuisine
Inside this stylishly dark basement restaurant in the heart of Soho, you'll find London's greatest tribute to Cuban style and culture.
Floridita is a place to indulge the senses. The experience starts with the cocktails - deliciously alcoholic and slightly dangerous, they set you up for the meal that is about to come.
The Floridita menu, though Cuban in inspiration, is an attempt to work in modern culinary influences: the chefs have tried to imagine what Cuban food would be like, if Cuba wasn't so isolated. Or so they told me.
Don't miss the house's specialty - Cuban lobster: fresh, meaty and slightly sweet. Delicious.
If you are there long enough, a Cuban band will eventually appear on stage and the dance floor will fill up with couples ready to mambo the night away.
Remember to ensure your credit card is up to the task. Floridita is rather an expensive night out, but well worth it.
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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Queen Mother Sports Centre
+44 20 7630 5522
51.494044 -0.140708saved by 2 people: there is one review
Friendly Health & Fitness
If you live or work local, and you are looking for a place to exercise on a rainy (or a sunny) day, the Queen Mother Sports Centre has a modern, well equipped gym, a great pool, and a wide range of exercise classes plus a variety of other facilities which ensure there is something for everyone fitness-wise.
If the gym, pool or fitness classes aren't for you they also have a Squash & Badminton court, Five-a-side football classes, Netball and Volleyball teams you can join.
It is not expensive and the staff are very friendly and family oriented.
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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Vintage clothing emporium
If the thought of a pair of 1940s patent leather pumps makes your heart pound faster, then this is the shop for you.
Known for its ever-expanding stock of vintage clothing, shoes, hats, scarves, jewels and accessories, Cornucopia is a law unto itself.
From pleated 1930s yellow dresses reminiscent of Schiaparelli to vintage 1970s platform boots (with all glitter intact!) and 1960s white framed designer Jackie O' glasses, Cornucopia never ceases to please, excite and surprise.
Not too expensive, and the staff don't mind if you are there for hours trying stuff on....just make sure you buy something at the end of your dress rehearsal...
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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Explore the planet
Summering in Tashkent? Touring Bolivia on a bicycle? Head here first if you feel like exploring planet Earth but don't know where to start.
Stanford's has every conceivable map for almost every place on earth. From Papua New Guinea to a map of Tokyo via Madeira and Patagonia, this is the first port of call for most intrepid (and those more down-to-earth) travelers.
They also have travel books written by those whose footsteps you'll soon follow.
Set up in 1853 by Edward Stanford, this cool temple to travel first opened its doors in 1901 and stocks a massive range of maps, books and travel related goods. Even the basement floor of this flagship Long Acre store is covered in a large scale map of London.
Famous customers include David Livingstone, Scott of the Antarctic, Ernest Shackleton, Florence Nightingale, Ranulph Fiennes, Bill Bryson and Michael Palin. Even Sherlock Holmes bough a map here once....(Hound of the Baskervilles, in case you are wondering).
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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James Smith & Sons (Umbrella Shop)
+44 20 7836 4731
51.516934 -0.12678saved by 5 people: there are 2 reviews
For all your umbrella & walking stick needs
Yes, you have to be a bit of an eccentric to shop here, but then, why not?
Commonly known simply as “the Umbrella Shop”, this Victorian outlet a stone's throw away from the British Museum is a real gem.
It sells every kind of umbrella, walking stick, mace and cane imaginable. Housed in an amazing building adorned with original hand-crafted fittings the shop’s attraction doesn’t simply lie in its high-quality, ever-practical range of goods. Expect to step back in time to an era of personal bespoke service.
In the shop you will find anything from glossy, wicker baskets brimming over with sleek, shiny walking sticks in every kind of English wood to brightly- colored umbrellas with hand-carved handles in all sorts of materials.
Although the look is old fashioned, don't let it fool you. The umbrella shop uses fabrics and frames that are the latest in terms of design and technology – James Smith & Sons were the first to employ the famous Fox Steel Frame!
If you need an umbrella that will last forever, or an unusual gift for a loved one, look no further.
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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A cheap and cheerful haircut
You need a haircut but can't afford a designer salon (this is London after all). Where to go? What to do?
Go to Mr. Toppers on Charing Cross Road, right next to Centre Point. They will charge you 6 (men) and 10 (women) for a quick and not-too-elaborate haircut.
No, you probably wouldn't use this place to go to the Oscars, of for tea at Buck palace, but hey, for 6 ponds...what do you expect?
The staff tend to be mainly antipodean, or continental, so expect lots of chatter during the process.
All in all, a good bargain in an otherwise very expensive city!
tony4sure lo descubrió en January 2008
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