alexd's Qype profile

It's been given a spruce up! Now fenced off, well-lit and with some new equipment and a very spongy barky floor.

Cambridge's Forbidden Planet is located on the precinct that borders the Grafton Centre and is surrounded by charity shops, cake shops and the new behemoth Primark store. I couldn't imagine a more unlikely location.

It would be nice to think that on occasion a disorientated Primark shopper, tripping from the rush of buying a truckload of sweatshop produced goodies, might stumble next door and find themselves accidentally purchasing some manga and a Strontium Dog t-shirt. Could happen.

Still, this is clearly a shop run with a lot of love. The window displays are constantly updated, new stock is always appearing and the staff take care to steer you in the direction of the really good stuff. And there's always some good music playing.

I can't comment on the food, as we just stopped in for a coffee on a sunny late morning, but my wife has been before and reported back that she very much enjoyed the food. She opted for a buffalo mozzarella salad followed by a risotto, which suited her vegetarian tastes to a tee.

She (cat's mother) was also struck by the friendliness of this family establishment and I can certainly echo that. We arrived with our three-month old with us and we were treated very kindly indeed.

Have to mention what a great location they have as well, smack bang on the side of the Cam, with a well-kept patio containing a number of (sought after) tables overlooking the rowers, punters, walkers and joggers.

Not a pub to go to for the food...UNLESS you're around in the summer and they're doing a barbecue in the outisde area. I've sampled said offering and happily stuffed my face.

I've enjoyed a few post-work drinks here and it does that job just fine.

I visited The Wallace Collection today, not to see what was exhibited, but to try the cafe, which had been recommended to me as a good place for a meeting.

And so it was. In fact, the cafe/restaurant in the atrium is an exquisitely refined venue in which to talk away your afternoon. The wifi is free, the staff are polite but quite happy to leave you alone and the food is very French and really rather dainty. I enjoyed quiche lorraine with salad and a superior relish and shared some pomme frites with my guest. I did not try any booze, but the wine list looked good.

It's not cheap, so go there with someone who is worth it.

And don't expect to be sitting amongst members of London's hot and hip crowd. This place is more the preserve of WI members, polite gentlemen in blazers and sloanes with their mummies. Not sure how they let me in.

Final thing to say is that the coffee was good.

J'aime plus le tour eiffel. C'est tres grand!

Alas alas, the last open terrace belonging to London's league football clubs closed a few years ago, to be replaced by the North Family Stand and completing Brisbane Road's transformation into The Matchroom Stadium, a cut-price version of Stamford Bridge complete with apartments overlooking the corner flags. Cheers Barry Hearn.

Anodyne architecture aside, you get a lovely crowd at the Orient. They know their football, they don't take themselves too seriously and aggro is pretty non-existent.

If you make the trip, may I suggest a pre-match tipple at The Bakers Arms (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/437875-The-Bakers-Arms-London) and perhaps a short promenade through the Coronation Gardens for some peace and quiet ahead of the rush and bellow of the match...

http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/leisure/parksrec/pa...

After the game, head to the sanctuary of the Hitchcock (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/82141-Sir-Alfred-Hitchcock-Ho...) near Whipps Cross Hospital and then head further east to the fleshpots of Essex.