emjess7's Qype profile

Been to this bluesy den a couple of times now - on two very different occasions, once for afternoon post-shopping pint with former mum-in-law, and more recently a bit of rum and live blues before heading to the Academy over the road. Was perfect for both occasions, I love the look and atmosphere of this place.

It's never really busy until the late evening when there's often a live bluesy or jazzy band on, so it's the first place I think of in Islington whether I'm looking for a relaxed drinky or a rowdy one.

One star off because last time I went the service was a bit slow on the uptake (despite it still being quiet in there), and the drinks aren't as reasonable as I'd like :-)

Swish new bar seconds from Old Street station with a fair amount of potential.

A pretty well-hidden doorway on Singer St, leads up to a spacious indoor bar on the first floor, as well as a funky outdoor space, then a sneaky spiral staircase up to their roof terrace, which is where all the action is (admittedly because it was 6pm and the lower bar was closed). The roof terrace is modern and swanky - if it's a sunny day and if you have your back to the view of the grim Old Street housing estates it's actually pretty impressive. They also have a TV screen (showing wimbledon at the time), and some yummy-smelling burgers going on the BBQ.

The bar staff and bouncers were a happy friendly bunch, however the atmosphere was a little dodgy as the whole floor was filled with two groups - a rugby lads' night out and a gaggle of super-tanned "only way is essex" style lasses. And little old me in the middle! This may not be the usual thing, but it is also right around the corner from a rowdy hen-party club.

My £8 mojito was fresh and well-made but it wasn't £8-mindblowing. If there was a happy hour I'd have spent a lot longer there, but that's coming from a cheapskate. Overall I'd recommend it though and will be up for a return visit.

It has recently struck me that despite having lived in up-and-coming NewX all my life and having several glorious local pubs I haven’t reviewed one of them! So I’ll start with the most local – and definitely one of my favourites – of them all: The Amersham.
A comfy and cosy pub right over the road from New Cross station, the Amersham Arms is very popular with the locals as the food and drink is scrummy and cheap, they have two or three ale pumps, decent atmosphere, there’s a room at the side for bands & club nights and a room upstairs for art exhibitions and films.
The main drinking area isn’t huge so do be prepared to share a large table with others or occasionally stand. I’ve even seen queues outside on late friday & saturday nights on my way home. Definitely the place to go though, when you can fit.

My better half treated me to a stunning three-course lunch here on my birthday last week, and I was thoroughly spoilt rotten with the food, service and atmosphere.
The wall-to-wall Whistler mural makes this restaurant a pleasure to eat in, absolutely beautiful and definitely keeps you occupied while waiting for service – although we never had to wait for service at all despite it being 2pm and a full house.
The boy had the a la carte and I went for the set menu (purely because it had every dish I wanted on it). I tucked into a lentil mulligatawny soup – warming but light and full of nice little chunks; then onto a melt-in-the-mouth roast chicken breast followed by a huge choc and cointreau torte (which I couldn’t finish despite really wanting to!). Hubby had a giant steak and posho onion rings and we both agreed it was the best food we’d had in a good while.
The three-course set menu was £25 and I don’t think I’ve ever thought food should cost that much, but this is actually worth the splurge! Plus the matching wines\ports\sherries are reasonably priced with the set menu – both my port and the half-bottle of pinot noir we had were to die for. I think the a la carte three courses were nearer £50, which is the only reason we wouldn’t be regular visitors! But I couldn’t recommend treating yourself to this little gem enough.

Ooh I do love a bit of tasty tasty tapas, and could eat at La Tasca every day IF it wasn’t so darned overpriced for the small-ish dishes you get.

Unfortunately much like the only other foody chain I adore, Yo Sushi, I will only go there if I have a voucher. In both cases you just don’t enjoy the food as much as it deserves if you feel ripped off. Yet it’s still one of those places that, while dining there, I need to let out a big “God I love it” at least a few times.

This Maiden Lane branch has the typical sights, sounds and smells I like about La Tasca, and it’s pretty spacious being over three floors, fairly busy but we got a table for two quite easily last Saturday night. Service is friendly but not particularly quick. But for me, the down-sides can be forgotten when I have a tummy filled with moist chorizo, croquetas de pollo and a cheeky sangria….. Oh blast I’m hungry again now

Lovely pub with a couple of different rooms and huge outdoor area with heaters. I’m a little hesitant to recommend this pub though, purely because it is usually very busy and I don’t want to fill up the few seats that are available!

Drinks are good but not much of a wine list, food was also beautiful – must recommend the chicken wrapped in bacon, mmmm! Slightly on the pricey side (but what London pubs aren’t these days).

What tops it off is that I’ve only been here a few times, but each time I’ve had super-friendly and quick service, the kind of welcome that makes you want to visit again very soon. And I’m sure I will :-)

Thalassa has a real friendly approach to coaching, which made me feel comfortable from the get go. I sometimes find it tricky to really speak out about my thoughts and feelings (and to a stranger I feared it’d be especially daunting!), so it was a relief to have a calm, good listener who could understand me and help me realise what I want to achieve, as well as look at realistic ways to go about it at my own pace.

I think we all have times of uncertainty, be it from small, day-to-day dilemmas to bigger work and financial worries, and sometimes the trouble is prioritising these things (which is the main quandary I had) but whatever the problem, I’d thoroughly recommend having a chat with Theresa for help with a new perspective and clearer outlook on things. And the best thing is you can use Skype if you’re not local to North Kent or you prefer the comfort of your own home from time to time!
Thanks Thalassa :-)

I too tried the infamous, tasty punch at the Qype party - Ended up wide awake until 5am arguing with a talk radio programme. So clearly good stuff! Will certainly be checking out their other creations.

Very sad to have missed out on the "courvoisier-filled swimming pool"!?

No frills cafe in the heart of "Fish-ford" high street.

Cheap and VERY cheerful menu, pick-your-own brekkie (I'd recommend the incredibly filling sausage with bubble & squeak, with some scrambled egg on toast, coming to less than 4 quid).

Gets quite busy on market days, but it's got to be the pick of the several greasy-spoons around there. Especially if the funky train-cafe down the road is closed or too busy.

Friendly and quick service, although not brimming with atmosphere. But it is Deptford after all :)

Such a fun and friendly pub - ideal for pre-night out cocktails, with reasonable happy hour times for BOGOF drinkies.

There are plenty of staff who are full of beans and act as if they're on a night out themselves, which is great on the weekend, but might be a little off-putting if you're there for a monday evening wind-down. The music is always good and gets you in the mood for a little song and jig.

The ice-cream cocktails are highly recommended and the barkeeps really know how to mix a good drink, they're always happy to recommend something tasty, but my favourite has to be the "irish disco biscuit". Heavenly as sin and pretty filling which is a good way to save a bit of dosh!

I'm not sure how reasonable the rest of the bar is outside of happy hour cocktails, but it's rarely busy at other times so get your drinks in in good time.

Overall this bar (and it's sister in Clapham Common) is definitely worthy of a visit or two. You'll need a couple of goes to get through the vast cocktail menu. Yum!