micha1's Qype profile

The world’s biggest and most prestigious documentary festival - a chance to see the world in two weeks in gothic looking cinemas with reclining seats that they’ll even let you take your chocolate into.

The nicest coffee shop in London, unless you or your companion are on the lanky side, in which case the cramped interior leaves something to be desired. Still, truly lovely coffee, and you can buy the empty coffee sacks for a quid (I use them whenever I’m moving house!)

It’s 'plant based botanical menus’ feature veggie food that’s either raw or been cooked at below 48 degrees. Admittedly the food is gorgeous, and tastes like it must be so good for you that it knocks out any of the nasties in the slightly insipid cocktails that came with it, but £8 for 3 tomatoes seemed a tad over the top. The interior is sleek and classy, as was the crowd there…veering a little on the pretentious side though (yes, both the crowd and the food..)

Sadly, rather pathetically lacklustre food and service. The dining room is cramped and small, and the menu reads a lot more excitingly than it tastes. Food is modern european, simple and fresh, it’s just a little bland and the whole experience seems inspired by someone who thinks magnolia is an exciting colour to paint the walls.

Fantastic Turkish food to warm the cockles of your heart, just up the road from Dalston station and the Rio cinema. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day and you can watch stuffed flatbreads being made at a nearby table, then use them to mop up dips and the juices of lovely dishes. They always have at least 2 vegetarian choices from a selection at the counter. I’d recommend getting half-and-half when you choose your food, and they’re also useful for a tasty, great value lunch takeout that’s far superior to a manky Tesco’s sandwich.

Serene, romantic seafront location - you can watch the sun set over the ocean from your table. Unfortunately this is the best bit about the restaurant, so you’d be better off eating on the beach with fish and chips from the local chippie on the high street. Extremely overpriced, dull menu and inexperienced staff. Fish doesn’t even seem that fresh and the prawns in the prawn cocktail I ordered were still defrosting. Disappointing, pretentious, may require sea-level rise to get rid of it.

Admittedly the layout is stunning, but the food is strictly for those sucked in by a novelty tourist trap. Unadventurous and overpriced mediterranean staples including hummous served with stale bread. Service was slow, and the tacky commerciality of it all left an even worse taste in my mouth than the below-average food.

Refreshingly cheap and unpretentious for Clapham, this place has has a sign outside saying 'special half price pizza/ pasta tonight’ for the last two years…great spaghetti vongole and pizzas, and the house red isn’t bad at all. Only thing to watch is the obscene amounts of garlic in some of the dishes - if you’re going to kiss anyone after, make sure they just ate there too.

One of my favourite restaurants in London, I’ve had a completely different experience to the first reviewer. A bustling, atmospheric and intimate setting, especially if you sit in the diner-style booths near the front. Every time we’ve gone, the food and service has been impeccable. The last time we were there, we were given drinks on the house after our meal by our lovely (and not at all arrogant) waitress.

Sweet, nervously attentive waiters, lovely wine and a menu that included duck leg and steak - the place is authentically french. Go for the set lunch during the week to get two or three reasonably priced courses away from the bustle of the rest of Carnaby street.