JaneB's Qype profile

I only moved to Deptford a few months ago, but I’m already totally dependent on Deptford market for my daily dose of fresh fruit, vegetables, and a good old nosey at the weird and wonderful wares on offer (Victorian pram full of sinister dolls, anyone? How about some discount cosmetics? Maybe some gigantic live snails?). Whatever you’re after, chances are you’ll find it here, and although the quality definitely varies, there are some brilliant bargains to be had if you know where to look. From fresh cakes and pastries to clothes and bric-a-brac, take a wander down the high street and you’re bound to come away with a new acquisition or two.

Ever since I first moved to London a few years back, people have been raving to me about the Prince Charles. And they would always talk about it in hushed reverential tones. Almost as if it was the headquarters for some strange, sinister cult. And yes, finding somewhere only seconds away from Leicester Square where the staff are chatty and cheerful, the cinema tickets are cheap as chips and the beers will set you back only a couple of quid does sort of feel like a religious experience when you encounter it for the first time.

But then you trundle downstairs into the cinema itself, and find several hundred people caterwauling along to the expletive-laden classics from the soundtrack to the South Park film. Before the film’s even started. And even if (like me) you’ve never been here before, you’ll speedily realise that this could only happen somewhere like Prince Charles.

The events team here are brilliant. Warm, dedicated and innovative, and with a genuine love for cult classics like Wayne’s World, Empire Records, and the Rocky Horror Show, they run regular theme nights with plenty of audience participation, as well as all the current releases you’d expect from an indie cinema. I’m just cursing myself for taking so long to check it out.

Now, I never got the chance for a snoop around Gosh in its original incarnation opposite the British Museum (for confused Qypers who’ve been reading the rave reviews below mentioning its previous location, it moved earlier this month to its new home in Soho), but my gloriously geeky beloved had waxed lyrical about it on many an occasion. So when I found myself pottering past the shiny new version of Gosh on Berwick Street, I had to have a look.

I’ll happily admit to knowing next to nothing about comics or graphic novels, but I was instantly won over by the picture of Calvin (of ‘and Hobbes’ fame) in the window. Once inside, it’s a two-floor treasure trove, currently showcasing an exhibition of artworks by renowned graphic novel artist Dave McKean.

They do regular signings and other similar shindigs too, and they’ve got such an epic selection of gorgeous books that there’s bound to be something for everyone – from curious first-timers in need of a gift to the hardcore comic buffs. I was especially taken with an illustrated edition of The Struwwelpeter stories, sinister German folk tales that I loved when I was younger, and which got me all nostalgic for times gone by!

Now that Greenwich is walking distance from where I live, I’ve been on the prowl for more eateries to investigate. And Bianco 43 is one I’ll definitely be returning to. I was here a few weeks ago before hitting the nearby Greenwich Picturehouse cinema, and I loved how small and sweet it is. With all the bleached wood, you feel like you’re hidden away in small place by a beach. I cased a few people heading upstairs, so it may well be bigger than I realise, but on the ground floor there’s only a handful of tables, making it ideal for an intimate, cosy catch-up.

The food is cheap, cheerful and delicious, especially considering the lack of other nearby options and Greenwich’s trend of overpricing everything. The portion sizes are huge, my baked gnocchi was heaven on a plate, and the courgette fries were delicious too. The booze could have been cheaper; a house red would have gone down well and probably kept us in there a lot longer. The profiteroles were on the disappointing side but that probably says more about the raptures I was in over my main course than anything else. Next time I reckon I’ll opt for the cannolo siciliano instead. And there will be a next time. You can count on it.

When I used to work in Clapham, the Battersea Rise branch of Giraffe was a regular lunchtime haunt, especially after I first got my gob round one of their chicken and mango salads. Then we had a Qype shindig at the one in Spinningfields in Manchester, where I tried their burgers for the first time (anywhere that puts avocado and chorizo in their burgers will always be onto a winner with me). But although the swish new Soho branch has been open since June, until last night I hadn’t had a chance to investigate it.

With swish red decor and a gorgeous upstairs lounge which is the perfect place for people-watching on the busy Soho streets below, the Soho branch of Giraffe does a fine line in boozy cocktails and tasty bar snacks as well as main meals. The Red Room is usually only seen by private parties, but last night a team of intrepid Qypers monopolised it for an exclusive flatbread-making session, in which we got to learn all the secrets of the perfect flatbread, and try making our own. Although some of them ended up more like pizzas than flatbreads, they were all delicious, and a testament to the quality of the fresh ingredients involved. The staff were all warm and friendly too – a plus in somewhere as busy and usually brusque as Soho!

Dalston may not be my usual stomping ground, but after visiting Oxfam Dalston for the first time to host a special Oxfam Bookfest edition of the For Books’ Sake pub quiz, I know I’ll be back for a proper rummage next time I’m in the area.

Having briefly cased out the long line of bookcases full of paperbacks, beautiful hardback editions and collectables, I’m sure those alone would be enough to lure me back for a leisurely snoop. And then there’s the racks upon racks of clothes, records, and bric-a-brac. The epic proportions of this branch mean there’s all sorts of treasures waiting to be uncovered, and judging by the prizes they assembled with ease for the quiz (vintage Anais Nin erotica, anyone?) the quality is high and the prices affordable.

The staff are all warm, chatty and knowledgeable, and they were an absolute dream to work with on the quiz. Can’t recommend ’em highly enough.