CarolineLD's Qype profile

Service is very pleasant, and the food on the whole is very good. Lamb shish has tender and tasty lamb, the salad is nicely-dressed, most of the starters are excellent (especially the halloumi!) although the squid was a little more cooked than I prefer. 

However, standards seem to have slipped slightly lately: sometimes no bread was brought; a salad garnish had an absolutely desiccated piece of cucumber. Hopefully this is a temporary blip as the restaurant is otherwise a good addition to the area. 

I visited Albannach for a tutored whisky tasting (they run a selection of these). At first, I was a little apprehensive as the room was very full - there seemed to have been some overbooking. However, once we'd all fitted ourselves around the table and the tasting got underway, I had a really good evening.

We tasted six whiskies - five malts and a bourbon. Our tutor (French not Scottish, but clearly passionate about the drink) was interesting and very knowledgeable. He took us through the history and making of the drink as well as how to taste it. With full measures, there was more than enough to taste! As a whisky-lover, I found plenty to learn, while those who were new to the drink enjoyed themselves too.

The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. Towards the end, canapes were brought out; these were very good, and provided in generous quantities. I would definitely recommend this tasting, and look forward to trying some of the others in future.

I visited this salon for a massage, and very much enjoyed the experience. There is no designated waiting area, but once in the treatment room the atmosphere is lovely: low lighting, candles and suitably relaxing music. The massage itself was excellent, and very effective (the masseuse really knew what she was doing, and my previously-tense muscles feel much better for it!). My therapist and other staff members were very pleasant and professional.

A full range of other treatments is available. Kamini herself specialises in eyebrow threading.

S&M cafes offer a selection of sausages, mash and gravy: good, filling food at reasonable (albeit not cheap) prices. There are other menu options, but I've always stuck to the basics! The surroundings are deliberately informal, and there are some nice touches such as the choice of mustards on each table.

My experience of this branch is that the service is particularly friendly and good. No S&M branch is a place to go for formal dining, but they do bangers and mash consistently well. Although you pay more than at the greasy spoon, quality and ambience are better too.

This traditional butcher's shop is wonderful - it offers excellent products and personal service which are miles away from the supermarket experience. With meat cut to order, you can get exactly what you want in the size you want - along with any advice on choosing and cooking it that you may need.

Worth a special mention are the wonderful pies. I love the steak and kidney in particular, although these do tend to sell out before the end of the day. The pork pies are also superb, and the faggots absolutely delicious.

There is also a range of other products including sauces, pickles and relishes.

I've toured Vinopolis on a number of occasions in the past, and have always really enjoyed it. However, my most recent visit was a huge disappointment.

The audio guides have gone; the upstairs rooms have gone; many of the exhibits have gone. The few survivors are scattered like confused refugees without explanation or context - a bottle full of giant vegetables here, a sort of primitive patio heater there. I remembered how they used to fit in the tour; my companion was just bemused.

Instead, after an introduction to tasting wine, you have only two things to do. The first is to taste the drinks included in your ticket. A standard tour gives you wine five tastings, and all but two of the ten wines we tasted were really mediocre. There's also a Bombay Sapphire cocktail; this again was a smaller, weaker version of the rather good drink supplied on previous visits.

You also have the option of paying extra for premium wine tastings or various spirit tastings. The latter do offer better value - £2 for two whisky tastings (Chivas and Glenlivet) was rather a bargain - but added to the cost of the original visit, they make for a rather expensive outing.

In the past, a visit was a good afternoon out and usually ended with several purchases in the shop. This time, we were very disappointed and, had we not benefited from a discount offer, would have felt somewhat short-changed.

This restaurant is the best branch of Prezzo I've visited, comparing very favourably with the Taunton branch. The surroundings help: it's in part of the Cornhill market building, and the room which I remember as full of stalls selling cheap scent and dishcloths is now revealed as a very attractive space with some lovely original details.

The food is decent chain food, with a wide range of Italian dishes. Portions are generous, dishes are tasty and there's plenty of choice. Service is lovely: I've always found the staff very helpful and friendly. Having eaten here on various occasions, I've found it the best option in central Bridgwater.