StuartW's Qype profile

I've always found the service here to be good considering how busy they tend to be (especially at the weekends).

My most recent visit was fairly typical, with the waitress offering genuine apologies for the (not inordinately long) wait in me receiving my menu and coffee. They were rushed off their feet, but I didn't get the impression that they felt harrassed in having to serve me.

It's a small place and several parties had to be politely turned away (but encouraged to try again in ten minutes) because all the tables were occupied.

I LOVE the Hot Pepper Jelly sandwich - bacon, peanut butter and, appropriately, hot pepper jelly. It was filling, too. Everything I've tried there has been delicious, actually.

When I went to pay last time they gave me an after-dinner mint, which was a nice touch.

New music venue which will apparently only be gracing Finsbury park for a couple of months. It was smarter than I thought it would be - which is not to say you need to dress up to go there, but I figured if it's in Finny Park it's bound to be a hole. But The Silver Bullet wouldn't be out of place in a trendier area like Shoreditch (take that how you will).

I arrived at the opening night after 11 and it was busy but not too busy to move. Matt Horne was DJing and it was - how you say - "going off". A Lady Gaga/Metallica mash-up was a particular highlight, and the dancefloor (which is a decent size considering the size of the venue) was perma-packed.

The clientele ranged from students to hipsters, and I'm fairly sure I've never seen such a high concentration of attractive women in Haringey. So thumbs-up on that score.

The listings for the next couple of months are very decent, especially considering entry is either free or dirt cheap. We were joking that The Silver Bullet will only be in the area for a limited time because local undesirables will have ruined it within a couple of months anyway - but however long it's here, it seems like the kind of place we should make the most of.

A nice pub! In Finsbury Park!

Ashamed that it's taken me two years' living in Haringey to encounter it, but the outside area is great on a sunny evening/afternoon.

Wooden decking and stairs make it look a little higgledy-piggledy, but it's got a unique charm compared to other pubs in the area. Secluded tables and larger areas for groups abound.

A splendid guest house close to Great Yarmouth seafront with reasonably-priced rooms.

I stayed in the "superior double" room, and it was clean, warm and freshly-decorated and had a large, comfortable bed. The ensuite bathroom was small but perfectly adequate for a couple of nights. The room also had a well-stocked fridge with drinks and snacks, coffee & tea-making facilities and a wall-mounted flatscreen TV.

They serve good hearty breakfasts in a pleasant dining room, and it's all maintained by hospitable and friendly - but not overbearing - hosts.

I'd recommend Beaumont House without hesitation.

I could judge Bistro Aix on the dull, loud-voiced idiot who was sat at a neighbouring table tiresomely boring his friends (and us) half to death. But that would probably be unfair.

Unfortunately the service on the night was also quite disappointing. After being served by every member of staff at some point during the meal, we had great trouble getting the bill from any of them. It was near the end of the night and everyone seemed to be too busy preparing cutlery and so on for the next day.

Also, why do wait staff bring the bill and then walk away for another 10 minutes? Do they think it takes that much time to remove a credit card from a wallet?

Once the bill was paid, there was no sign of our waiter bringing the coats he had kindly stashed away for us on entering. So I had to go up and request those as well, and on leaving there was not so much as a “goodbye, thanks for coming”. French restaurant, British service, it seems.

On the plus side the food was pretty good, if overpriced in my opinion. And call me old-fashioned, but after three courses I expect to feel full, and on this occasion I didn’t. My duck breast was good if unremarkable, but the calamari was excellent. High marks for the ice cream which came with the profiteroles, as well.

The dining room has a relaxed, seductively-lit atmosphere and is good for a romantic meal - just ask to be seated away from large groups when you book, perhaps, and wear bright clothing to remind the wait staff of your existence.

Everyday, I try and think of somewhere imaginative / economical to have lunch. Everyday I end up here.

As Pret branches go it’s a good size, and they have a decent seating area in the back (most folk don’t seem to have realised this). Obviously, if you want the privilege of a seat you have to pay the “eat-in tax” on your food, which ramps a maple & pecan bar up to about £6.50 or something. Does this stop me going there every day? No. I’m an idiot.

The staff are oppressively cheerful and extremely efficient in a way only foreigners can be. It’s nice, but tends to cast the glumness of the self-important clientele in an even harsher light. I feel guilty if I don’t at least throw them a weak smile, which quite frankly is more guilt than I’m comfortable with on my lunch break.

My favourite member of staff is a pretty blonde girl who strikes just the right balance between cheerfulness and mania. Also, she’s blonde and pretty. One of the girls behind the counter chirrups “HELLO CAN I HELP?” in quite a piercing manner constantly. She is not my favourite, and would indeed have trouble cracking my Top 5 Members Of Staff At Pret A Manger Long Acre list (I won’t publish it here because it changes frequently depending on my most recent experiences).

The music conforms to a genre I think I’ll call “tripzak” - an instrumental hybrid of trip-hop, jazz and muzak designed to assure you that you’re chowing down in a hip yet unthreatening location.

The food and drink? I’m afraid repeated exposure has rendered me unable to quantify whether it’s any good or not. Fills a hole, though.

This place has a motorbike and a behelmeted mannequin hanging over the bar, as if they’ve just crashed through the wall. That’s pretty cool. Not sure if it’s supposed to be an anti-drink driving thing, or just a way of showing that this is a venue for DANGEROUS PEOPLE.

I went to see a friend’s band play in the back room, which is a decent size for a pub’s music area. It’s also all black. As is the makeup and hair of most of the clientele. Yep, we’re talking goth / metal types, just like you used to see in the common room at school. Bless ‘em.

The beer is cheap and sold in plastic glasses once the music starts. They don’t accept cards. The main bar is absurdly brightly lit, which might be why the goths hide away in the back room.

If you’re into glamour, cocktails, gastro-style food, attractive punters, seductive ambience and a short trip from central London, maybe give this place a miss. If you like ROCK and METAL and BLACK and SMALL CRAMPED TOILETS and A SLIGHTLY THREATENING STROLL TO / FROM EAST HAM TUBE STATION, head there immediately.

Oh, and on the way, keep an eye out for a pound shop with an intriguing sign out front. It offers goods at “50p £1 £1.50 ++ ??”, apparently.

Great little bistro / restaurant just around the corner from Finchley Central station. Originally they just did Turkish food, but now they have a much-expanded menu: I'd recoemmend the pasta, salads, kebabs, fishcakes... But my top tip would be the goat's cheese gratin.

The prices are outrageously cheap considering the quality of the food. At lunchtime you can get 2 courses of freshly cooked food for £7, and dinner shouldn't cost you more than approx £10 a head. Mystifyingly, this place is nearly always half-empty, which makes me wonder how they stay in business. I've done my bit though, having sampled just about everything on the menu.

I've been to Battasy with many different types of folk, and everyone comes away amazed at the value for money.