Flib's Qype reviews
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38 Kenton Road, London E9 7AB
Flib
wrote on 31 January 2010
We wandered in here for the first time tonight, although we've been meaning to check out the refurb for a while. It seems to have gone through a number of changes of ownership over the last year or two: I'm holding out a great deal of hope for the current incarnation.
A wide selection of spirits, Timothy Taylor on tap, and Pieminster pies as the grub. Roasts were on offer from 1-5pm today as well and they have a number of different themed nights, including a quiz and a film night.
There's something really right about the atmosphere in here. There were three populated tables - a lively bunch of lads, including a young Jarvis lookalike, three guys spiritedly discussing the state of public service broadcasting in the UK and a mysterious gentleman reading a novel and finishing a martini. The decor is slightly dishevelled literary music chic - Rage Against the Machine skateboard mounted on the wall opposite rococo framed landscape miniatures.
There appears to be wifi and it's very cosy for a good sized pub. On days when there are events in Victoria Park - like fireworks - it would be worth heading down here rather than fighting your way into the Britannia.
My main concern was that the G&T I ordered didn't seem to contain any gin. Then I wondered if I was being insane and decided not to raise the matter - yes, that's a fairly glaring omission if that is actually the case, but perhaps it was the world's smoothest gin and I'll just have to go back again another day, perhaps during the day. Either way it's definitely worth another shot.
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205 Victoria Park Road, Victoria Park, London E9 7JN
Bill Hall Greengrocer and Fruiterer
Flib
wrote on 26 January 2010
'Fruiterer' still looks like a made-up word to me... open for about six months now I think, this shop has a reasonable selection of stock, fruit and veg.
They don't make any claims to be organic or even seasonal and indeed there's rarely any clear evidence of the origin of any of the produce, if food miles are a concern. However everything is fresh, and cheap as chips hence the four stars.
And if you really want to know where those potatoes come from, I'm sure Bill will tell you.
(Shut on Monday, like most of the shops in Victoria Park Village)
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227 Victoria Park Road, London E9 7HD
Flib
wrote on 14 January 2010
(updated on 21 January 2010)
- it's closed! Literally one of those 'one minute it was there' jobs... shop is now to let. Not sure if they are relocating? 21/01/10 *
A rather specialised shop... if it has one, two, three or four wheels you'll probably find it in here. This place is obviously responsible for the marauding gangs of unicyclists you see careering through Victoria Park at the weekends (ok, I once saw a pair of seven year olds wobbling about on one wheel each) and the owner is an expert in frisbee and kite surfing apparently. The old skool rollerskates in the window keep calling to me when I walk past...
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95 Lauriston Road, Victoria Park, London E9 7HJ
Flib
wrote on 17 July 2009
This is one of the newest additions to Victoria Park Village - a boutique independent wine shop on the site of one of the original reasons to visit this area - Frocks restaurant, which closed earlier this year. The transformation is remarkable and this new store is well laid out and full of hard-to-find and specialist wines, many of which you can try using their novel Enomatics machines - self-service wine machines. You buy a top-up card and start sampling.
I went in on a whim and found myself asking for a very specific NZ Riesling - and came away with a bottle of Pikes 2008 Riesling from the Clare Valley in Australia, a great companion to Vietnamese food from Namo, around the corner. There are wine tastings and events on the way.
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99 Lauriston Road, Victoria Park, Hackney, London E9 7HJ
Flib
wrote on 12 July 2009
A new old-fashioned butchers where they offer friendly advice on what to choose, how to cook it, and you can buy precisely the quantity you need - of delish Cumberland sausages or 39-day hung steak, and all the livestock is reared on their Yorkshire farm.
Downstairs in the delicatessen they offer a selection of Neal’s Yard cheeses, pies, chutneys and things you didn’t know you couldn’t live without, like balsamic onions. Well worth a visit and open late enough on Sundays to be able to dash down and buy the beef for an impromptu roast lunch - assuming there’s any left, of course…
egil_2000 Thanks for your nice words, we can guarantee you 100% that is was gin in your drink, it would be a very dangerous road to go down starting not putting any alcohol in the drinks....our single drinks comes as 25ml measure and are served in a 10oz (half-pint) longball glass:)
Cheers,
The Kenton
8 February 2010