Close @cookie_info
Close @cookie_info

Qype uses cookies. By using our site you accept our use of cookies. More information on cookies and preventing cookies.

Picture

I'm absinthecity from London. I've been Qyping since 26-02-2009

Add as contact

Compliment

My website:
abisilvester.wordpress.com/

My blogs
Abi Silvester's site, Shoewawa

More about absinthecity

Statistics
  • Reviews: 276
  • Friends: 80
  • Invitations: 0
  • Photos added: 59
  • Videos added: 0
  • Places categorised: 21
  • Events added: 0
  • Checkins: 45
  • Compliments received: 83
  • You're hot:0
  • You're hilarious:1
  • I agree with you:4
  • Write more:0
  • Cool guide:1
  • Awesome group:0
  • Amazing profile:0
  • Great photo:2
  • Well written:7
  • That's useful!:68

NewbieBadge RookieBadge PioneerBadge PublisherBadge PhotographerBadge InsiderBadge ExpertBadge TravellerBadge PhotojournalistBadge BabelfishBadge GroupieBadge PapparazziBadge NinjaBadge HangoverHeroBadge VegheadBadge CultureVultureBadge MicHoggerBadge ShopaholicBadge TotallyWiredBadge FashionistaBadge SushiAddictBadge GigsterBadge PolishShineBadge JunkJunkieBadge HardToPleaseBadge RadarOperatorBadge HomeImprovementsBadge CenturionBadge JediBadge InteriorDesignerBadge LuvvieBadge RaverBadge

See all 32 badges

  • Very Important Qyper medal for lovellpatrick User photo: lovellpatrick
  • Very Important Qyper medal for Happy Moose Drinker User photo: Happy Moose Drinker
  • Very Important Qyper medal for ericbonhomme User photo: ericbonhomme
  • User photo: bob_blogmeister
  • User photo: MissVix
  • User photo: LorraineW
  • User photo: howyin_mk
  • User photo: NunheadNeil
  • User photo: duhdave
  • Very Important Qyper medal for mclorie User photo: mclorie
  • Very Important Qyper medal for Eltigreblanco User photo: Eltigreblanco
  • Very Important Qyper medal for Hoxton Salon User photo: Hoxton Salon

View all 80 contacts

absinthecity's Qype profile

Cats Cafe Des Artistes - Finsbury Park

79 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EG

20-02-2013

Nice, quirky restaurant with some decent dishes - good veggie selection too, and I love the decor! However, the service when we attended was awful: our starters arrived before our drinks did (bit of a pet hate for me) and not especially early, either. Normally when this happens a waiter/ess will immediately remedy the situation, but on this occasion we were told 'oh, the drinks will take a little while'(!)

So, after waiting 20 minutes for our drinks (by which time we were done with the starters) we had another extended wait before the mains arrived, missing one dish. Again, staff weren't particularly apologetic, and left us a good ten minutes without the dish - which did kind of ruin the meal tbh.

I'd go back, on the assumption that the staff were having an off day (they all seemed very young and some may have been new) but I wouldn't give them a third chance if it happened again!

GOLDEN CARS - Harringay

357 GREEN LANES, HARINGEY, London N4 1DZ

21-12-2012

Golden cars is by far the best cab firm I've found that serves the South Tottenham/Harringay/Manor House area. Having almost given up on finding a passable company in the area (see my review for West Green cars as an example) I was delighted to find these guys who are prompt, reliable, friendly and very well-regarded locally. Thank God I don't have to suffer the embarrassment of sending my friends off in a dodgy minicab when they come round for dinner any more.

Los Angeles Airport (LAX) - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

16-12-2012

Before visiting LAX airport for the first time, my only impression of the airport was what I saw in magazines: well-groomed celebs arriving looking amazing and being photographed in the smart-looking terminals. HOW WRONG COULD I BE? The actual experience was horrible: this has to be the most over-crowded and claustrophobic airport I've ever set foot in.

As soon as we got through immigration (which took forever) we were jammed in to what felt like a cattle pen with not much in the way of decent stores or cafes - massive queues in Starbucks. Landing in San Francisco was an enormous relief.

London Gatwick Airport - London Gatwick

Gatwick Airport, London Gatwick, West Sussex RH6 0NP

16-12-2012

I'm not a fan of flying to in so far as it's possible for me to associate an airport with anything other than terror, I rather like Gatwick. Gatwick feels smaller and more manageable than Heathrow (the one obvious point of comparison) and the transport links are second-to-none: even though I live in North London on the Piccadilly line it is so much easier to get a train from Victoria when I'm going to Gatwick and it always feels less of a stressful journey than the Heathrow trip. I'm always massively relieved to discover my flight is going from Gatwick! 

THE FINSBURY - Stoke Newington

336 GREEN LANES, MANOR HOUSE, London N4 1BY

03-08-2011 (updated on 16-12-2012)

My new local? This is certainly the best pub I’ve found in the Manor House area so far, and a recent re-vamp seems to have worked wonders in turning it into a cool hangout that’s a magnet for local bands and beer-lovers alike.

The interior has a slightly crumbling shabby chic look about it, with a large old-style bar surrounded by seating on three sides and a small stage area on the other, which was occupied by a band rehearsing for an upcoming gig. It was pretty well-attended and lively even on a Tuesday night, with lots of people also sitting on the outside decking – a great option on a hot evening.

The selection of drinks is a bit limited but all are well-priced, making it a fairly cheap bar. I will be back, possibly on a Sunday daytime when there are barbecue lunches made fresh in the front garden.

ETA this pub is NOT IN STOKE NEWINGTON! it should be Manor House. We have precious little in the way of attractions – please don’t give this rather good one to those greedy Stokey bods.

Luxor Hotel - Las Vegas

Trilogy Dr 3537, 89169 Las Vegas

16-12-2012

It's a hotel...in a giant Pyramid...in VEGAS. How can you possibly go wrong with that? I stayed here on my first trip to Sin City and think I would probably opt to stay there again: the South Strip worked well for me as much as I like to party it offered a slight respite from the excesses of the areas further up, where you often can't move on the street. That said there is a huge amount going on in this area, and we didn't feel cut off from the action at all.

The Luxor offers fantastic value for money and is widely seen as one of the better lower-cost options. Its prices were about the same as the Excalibur's last time I checked, and having had a brief look in there I'm frankly relieved we went for its next door neighbour! 

The pool is lovely and a great place to hang out in the dessert heat. Casino has everything you need, and the novelty value is spot-on. My only gripe is the patchy Wifi access - I ran up a massive bill on my cellphone because I wanted to go online and most of the time it was impossible.

Batten Carpets - Holloway

413-413A Holloway Road, Holloway, London N7 6HJ

16-12-2012

If you're looking to get new carpet it always pays to go with an independent retailer - the price difference isn't always that huge, but you will get a much better selection of products and a more personal service. Having tried the well-known chain further up Holloway road for a previous fitting we were keen to go with Batten carpets on the subsequent occasion as they had some lovely products including Alternative Flooring and Kersaint Cobb. 

The service was generally great - they don't offer massive deals but will knock off a few quid here and there if you ask nicely (in our case, my partner pleading that he didn't want the cost to go beyond a certain 'psychological barrier!) and are quite helpful about getting the fitting at a time to suit you. We were a little disappointed at the amount of wastage that was left after the fitting (I've done this enough times to know roughly how much spare you should expect at the end of the job and this was a little over what I'd call average) but we were carpeting a slightly awkward shaped room and possibly the amount left over was just testiment to the quality of the fitter - who was great and very professional. We were offered re-funds for items not used, but not the spare carpet

Overall though, a breath of fresh air after the frantic, inpersonal 'service' we had from the fitters sent by the larger chain (Carpet Right), who could not get out of the door quick enough and even damaged part of our newly-plastered wall by leaning their heavy equipment on it.

So, all round pretty good - would use again

Goodge Place Food Market - Fitzrovia

Goodge Place, London W1T 3JJ

02-08-2011 (updated on 02-10-2012)

I’ve worked in the area on and off for several years, and can honestly say that this little spot off Goodge Street has been my downfall on my repeated attempts to survive on sandwiches! How can one possibly keep up a packed lunch pledge when these delicious, fresh meals are cooked daily on your office doorstep?

Best of the stalls by a long shot is the Thai truck, and I don’t generally even like Thai food. The green curry is addictive, and has become a stock hangover cure for myself and a handful of colleagues over the years. There is also a fantastic burrito truck and another selling freshly made falafel.

All I can say is avoid this place like the plague if you want to save money or lose weight!

Frame Set & Match - Covent Garden

41 Endell Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9BA

08-08-2012

if you're looking to get something framed in a convenient central location and would also appreciate some advice on your choice of frame, FS&M is for you. The staff are happy to make suggestions for the right frame for your work, and the results are always highly professional: beautiful bespoke frames with carefully selected backing paper and hanging kit included. 

I like the fact that the staff are not afraid to make suggestions: We came in with a limited edition print we wanted to put in a black frame and the guys in store gently suggested that this would completely dominate and ruin the artwork. They recommended a pale frame we never would have chosen ourselves. but I'm very glad the did as the finished product is beautiful and it was immediately obvious that a dark frame would have ruined the look of the print.

FS&M is not cheap: we paid £70 for framing a smallish print, but it's definitely worth it for the quality of the service and the finished product. Also for the convenience of the location!

Byron Hamburgers - Leicester Square

24-28 Charing Cross Road, Charing Cross, London WC2H 0DT

03-07-2012

I love burgers and also happen not to eat meat, so I'm continually disappointed that Byron, now one of the leading 'posh' burger chains offer such a poor vegetarian option.

I'm not expecting miracles here - I know not to expect more than one 'option' in a burger joint (steady on!!) but I do wish they'd make a proper veggie pattie rather than presenting a mushroom in a bap as an equivalent option to the no doubt good quality meat burgers they serve. It's as if the management here are not aware this is a classic vegetarian bugbear. Also, other chains like Gourmet Burger Kitchen have four veggie choices, so the excuse I was given that you 'can't please everyone with one option' is just a bit lazy.

Working in central London I'm often looking for a quick meal fix and my colleagues pop in here quite a bit, but I always have to turn down trips to Byron because I resent paying over the odds for a mushroom in a bap! Perhaps they want to exclude vegetarians, which frankly in a city like London is ill-advised.

Oh, their decor rocks. Love it! One star for that.