suemoo's Qype profile

Well obviously I’ve not been to them all, but this must be the most impressive station in the world. The ceiling is beautiful inlaid with the constellations in gold and the size of the main hall is astounding. Definately one of the places that make you feel like you are in New York. Its definately worth a visit even if you aren’t taking a train.
We spent ages on the steps at the far end of the hall taking photos all the bustle.
There is a good tourist information desk in the main hall if like me you are just visiting. Downstairs is an area with cafes which looked good though I didn’t stop there, but there is a food market on street level which was excellent if a little expensive.

We were in New York in the summer and the queues were horrendous, obviously we had gone expecting a long wait (and hadn’t got up quite as early as hoped in order to avoid them but theres just too much going on in NY at night) but you don’t have to queue once, you queue to buy tickets, then join the queue for security, then the queue for the lift and then just when you think its all over you join the queue for the next lift and so it goes on… Still despite all this the view was amazing, despite the day being hazy and I’d say well worth the effort. The architecture is also very impressive….just make sure you pick the time of your visit wisely.

Whilst I can’t argue with the last reviewer that it is just a bridge, its still the golden gate bridge which is such an iconic landmark espicially for a brit visiting the US. You’ve seen it in so many films etc it really makes you feel like you’re in San Fran as soon as you see it. It is also an incredibly impressive structure and very atmospheric if you see it half shrouded in cloud.
The first time we went over it was by bike which I’d highly recommend. You can hire bikes at fishermans wharf, along with a route map and cycle round the harbour over the bridge, down to Saucilito and back by ferry. Theres a great viewing point on the non city side of the bridge with cafes on both sides - much needed after cycling up the hill to get to it.

This is one of the things you have to do in San Francisco, this became apparent when we turned up on a monday morning expecting to pop across and found it was booked up for the next few days. I guess it being summer we should have booked in advance but had no idea it would be so busy. When we finally made it out (fortunately we were there for a week) we enjoyed the trip. The boat ride out to the island on the boat gave you great views around the harbour, particularly back to the city and the golden gate bridge. The jail itself was very interesting with lots of history and brought many familiar stories to life. You get a good tour with the taped information through the headsets, which is easy to follow but the downside predictably are the huge numbers of people visiting with you. I’d say its worth the trip but is very touristy and expensive.

We were recomended to visit this restaurant while we were in San Francisco as an experience not to be missed, we were not disappointed. Its a garlic restaurant which means that everything on te menu contains obscene amounts of garlic. The food was really good despite this, though I just couldn’t get my head around the garlic ice-cream and caramel sauce. We thought we should try it just to see what it was like and whilst it didn’t taste bad it was just so strange I couldn’t eat it ( but I gave it a good try!). The restaurant itself is cosy despite being a fair size and has booths which create a nice atmosphere. The service as I found in most places in the States was also very good. Its not the sort of place you’d go back to on a regular basis, but its definately a not to be missed dining experience.

Definately my favourite cinema in London, this is a what can only be descibed as a luxury cinema experience. Situated on Portobello road with lots a good bars and restaurants around for pre or post your film, this small independant cinema is a real treat. The large leather seats are very comfortable with loads of legroom. There is a small table between each seat for your drinks, but we are not talking bumper size coke here. The small bar at the back of the cinema is fully licensed and serves a good range of drinks, so you can relax in front of the film with a nice bottle of wine. There are double leather sofa beds at the back of the theatre which can be booked for a bit extra if you want to curl up with someone. Its understandably more expensive than other cinemas but only slightly and there is a cheap night on Mondays. The only down side is its very hard to get tickets without booking well in advance and I’m rarely that organised.

This is a great pub hidden just off Edgware Road. Its always full of locals, I think a very good thing for a pub to be. Some of the chairs actually have the locals names on plaques. When a lady got up last time I was there and said I could have her seat as she was leaving she wasn’t joking, her name was screwed onto the table in front of her.
The pub is covered in interesting pictures and memorabilia, the majority of which relates to the royal family, which is slightly strange but adds to the cosy atmsophere and uniqueness of the place. The bar staff are very friendly,accomadating and supply a good choice of beer. As if this all wasn’t enough reason to visit they have a thai food restaurant on the upstairs floor which is also served in the bar. The food is fantastic and very reasonably priced. Highly recommeded!

This is a great little independant cafe, with fantastic value takeaway coffees at a pound and lattes that actually taste of real coffee instead of the hot milk thats been waved past a coffee machine you get from the huge coffee chains. The menu is varied with lots of tasty savoury snacks and tempting cakes. Inside you sit at old school desks which give the place a unique and individual feel and theres an outside seating area on the high street which is a great place to sit and watch the world go by if the weather is good. It also seems very child freindly, I think there may be child friendly activities on during the day.

While a bit more expensive than your average indian restaurant I would say its worth the extra every now and again. The ambience in this restaurant is intimate and relaxed, a good place for a nice meal out with a small group. the night we went was a friends birthday and I think with a bottle of wine, starters and mains, the bill for 3 of us came to about 80 pounds which I thought was very reasonable for the quality of food and restaurant. The freindly staff were very attentive though it was fairly busy. The menu was very comprehensive with a number of fish curries, not always available in other restaurants.

I felt I had to say something in defence of Balham Station after reading the other reviews. Whilst I can’t argue with the fact they need more ticket machines for the majority of commuters who have some sort of season ticket the station is generally clean and well organised as far as stations in London go. The cafe on the overland station is quite good and you can get regular trains to many parts of south london and beyond, a surprsingly well connected little spot given the size of the station. As for the Uderground, I really like the classical music, nice and relaxing after the stress of being on the tube and you can usually get on the first train that comes along if you are commuting in the morning unlike the next few stops through Clapham.