dazzle21's Qype profile

Having decided we were hungry before most other places opened we were delighted to discover at 11.30am that Pizza Hut was already open! Greeted by a pleasent face we were shown to our table we were pleased that it was all clean, the high chair arrived and i was less impressed.. it was filthy, the lady who had greeted us did clean it, but only after being asked to do so.
We ordered a drink, and I asked for a diet pepsi, it arrived and was just disgusting, it tasted like syrup. When i asked for something else as it was undrinkable, the waitress was lovely, but the woman in charge insisted on tasting it herself to check...
Food took ages to arrive, when it did, the childs meal arrived first and was steaming hot, then five minutes later we were told they had made the wrong pizza so did we want to eat the wrong one or wait for the right one..
It appeared to me like the entire place was being run by one waitress, while the greeter drank coffee behind the bar and emereged only to seat people. Lots of visitors in and out of the kitchen, maybe this is how they got our order wrong??
It is a shame that they are so disorganised, as the setting is fab, with views over the canal and the Oracle.
The stars i have given are for the helpful waitress and the tasty pizza (even if it was the wrong one).

I am a blatant and self confessed chocoholic, always keen to try anything chocolatey and especially if it looks pretty too! Having seen several of these Hotel Chocolat stores, i ventured into the Basingstoke store, as it felt less intimidating than some others, perhaps because it felt light and airy and yet I still had somewhere to hide behind a fixture while i viewed my potential puchases!
The staff vary dramatically in how helpful they are, personallly i have found the younger staff more helpful (even though i feel rude interupting their conversations about what they did last night..) they are genuinely enthusiastic and don't try to push me into buying a box of chilli flavoured chocolate - instead they thrust caramel chocolate buttons into my hand in a cute mini paper cup style packaging decorated with spots, and i melt immediately adding them to my purchase.
So what are Hotel Chocolat good for? Days when you need a pick me up, gifts (great new mum gift set which i think any new mum would love especially at 2am..) and even wedding favours! They seem to offer alot of corporate gifts, although i have had not experience of these!
What to buy..they do a seasonal box which i think changes every month, it is fairly pricey but the quality of chocolate is divine! Worth a try if you like me fancy something a bit nicer than you average chocolate box once in a while! Other recommendations.. the chocolate buttons, caramel buttons, rocky road giant slab, and of course the chocolate labrador - cute toy and yummy chocolate bones!

If you are looking for a designer bargain or a book in superb condition head here! In the heart of an affluent area, there are some real gems to be found, which in reality are rarely found outside London. The shop is well laid out, and although well stocked, spacious enough to move freely around in. They have a good selection of books at the back of the store, and these are priced very reasonably. Clothing varies in both choice and price, if you are after cheap quality and price it isn't here, you do pay more but the quality of garments makes it worth while. The staff know there stuff and certainly price things accordingly. But there is a sale rail, if you really need to save the pennies but still need some retail therapy. Toys are well worth a look, generally all in very good condition.

This is a large charity shop, well laid out, but not overly full, which to me makes it slightly unappealing. It holds a great selection of books just inside the door.
Worth a dig around in here as there are some bargains to be had amongst the slightly over priced primark t-shirts! Expect to find nice ladies clothes in tradtional brands (e.g. Monsoon, Kew) but you do have to dig around. The kids clothing is minimal, one rather sparce rack dedicated to kids, and no clarity of sizes.
Friendly staff, sensibly priced!

There is not a geat variety of clothing, but lots of household bric a brac, great if you are setting up a new home! Childrens clothes are in plentiful supply, cheap and cheerful but always lots of sizes. Toys are in limited supply, but tend to be nice ones e.g v-tech/elc be prepared to pay about £4 for quite old v-tech toys. Generally can be quite expensive and staff aren’t particularly welcoming!Disappointing in comparisson to the Winchester store!

Newly refurbished, this has to be one of the best charity shops in Winchester! It’s always busy as there is good variety and alot of very good quality items turn up here! They turn around the stock frequently so it’s worth a weekly visit, and if you are feeling particularly poor they have a £1 rail! Staff are helpful and if you can’t see what you’re looking for ask they will often check if they have it hiding out the back!

The Grange is an imposing Grade I listed building reminiscent of the Acropolis. So imposing a building that it has featured in a number of films, tv shows and adverts, and now is home to the world renowned Opera festival. Accessed via a rather bumpy farm track, it is not a place to visit in bad weather as the gravel track is full of pot holes which become saturated. The grange is the perfect place to visit for a romantic picnic in the summer, as there is a lovely breeze which circulates the building on even the hottest of days. It is worth having a stroll down to the lake to add to the romance! When you visit, make sure you wear sensible footwear as the ground is very uneven. Watch out with young children as there are steep flights of stairs surrounding the building, and also steep grassy banks! To visit is free as you are only seeing the outside of the building and the impressive views. Don’t expect toilets, a cafe or shops! The closest shops are in nearby Alresford, so take a flask!

This is fairly new subway larger than the original store, and more centrally located and inviting to passers-by! A really airey and well lit with natural light store, it has a great dine in area, which is clean and comfortable. Obviously it is a takeaway so it’s not going to be the lap of luxury but it is a good attempt! The food seems fresher than normal, certainly the salad items look fresh daily (more than can be said for other stores!) and they seem to take hygeine seriously which is good! Definetly worth a visit, especially as they seem to frequently be doing lots of special offers which makes it even more of a bargain! I recommend the meatballs on an italian sub with the obligatory cheese and some black olives..yum!

a private members club right on the edge of the lymington river, the heart of sailing in Lymington, you can only become a member by invitation via other members. Forget comments about it being a pretentious sport, some of the nicest people sail from here! Add to this the number of olympic sailors which came through the club and brought back medals for 2008 it’s not really such a bad place! They also offer a programme of training for local children under the age of 16 to learn to sail for a minimal fee on a Wednesday afternoon during the summer, great if you have a child between 8-16 and need something to entertain them with and also includes a cup of tea and a doughnut when they’ve finished sailing! It is an RYA approved scheme to, so they can gain certificates for no extra money.

This is a nice little Greggs, although it is a really small store they serve you really quickly even during busy periods and always have a good selection of both bakery and freshly made baguettes and sandwiches available. I love the baked bean and cheese pastrys, high in fat and all things bad but at the same time divine to the taste buds! The custard doughnuts are yummy too and normally on offer if you buy 4..not that i need any encouragement!! Love the staff as they have a really friendly attitude even when being harrassed by loads of hungry customers!! Good value grub for when you’re on the move, it’s a shame they don’t have a cafe really.