• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Hackney
• Category: Nightlife

London N16 7XJ
020 7249 9557

MGEEK said
Gonna sort of reserve judgement a bit...but!
I've only been here once- to play a gig, which was VERY well advertised, but exteremely sparsely attended.

Now, it's not that my pride was hurt. I've played to one man and his dog before, and I'm sure I will again, but the fact is- I walked up and down Kingsland Road LOOKING for the venue, and couldn't find it, even though I'd been past before and pretty much knew where it was!

The actual room itself, I have no problem with. It's a decent size, the stage is in a bit of a funny place, admittedly, but the real problem is being pretty much invisible unless you know it's there!

I think the bar needs to either get serious, and start putting on exclusively bigger acts, who will draw a real crowd without much effort, or make sure they have some sort of frontage!

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Shops

London WC2H 8LU
020 7379 6111

MGEEK said
One time, and one time only
I have only been in this shop once, since it opened in the space where the Helter Skelter bookshop was, also the site of the old Regent Sound recording studio.

Sadly, given the sites illustrious past, this shop is full of boring, shiny new guitars without style or substance, and is staffed by ignorant fools who seemingly know nothing about guitars OR being a salesman!

I went in there with one specific mission- I wanted to try one of the then new 'reliced' Fender guitars (pretty skeptical about them to be honest). Well! I asked if they had any, and the chimp 'serving' me decided I wasn't a serious customer and refused, blathering something about having to keep the guitars in top shape.

1/ How did he know I wasn't a serious customer
2/ You can't keep a guitar that's been purposely beaten with chains to make it look old, 'new'
3/ Since then, I've told anyone I've been talking guitars/denmark street to about that, and a lot of people have similar stories

These jackasses can't close down quick enough, really.

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Shops

London WC2H 8LX
020 7240 7500

MGEEK said
Surprisingly Good!
I'd never been into vintage and rare until recently. My train of thought went- shops on Denmark Street- generally overpriced and staffed by horrible people, Vintage and Rare have much nicer guitars= problem multiplied!

However, I am glad to say I was totally wrong! Despite having a seemingly endless supply of nice, clean original sixties fenders and gibsons, they are a friendly bunch, and actually, their prices aren't bad at all- in some cases even coming out way cheaper than Ebay. For example- a friend of mine picked up an all original '63 Jazzmaster for £2200...a really good price!

Only thing I could fault it on is the size...it is a LITTLE small, so they can't fit too much in there, but what they DO have? ... oh boy!

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Shops

London WC2H 8NA
020 7379 0737

MGEEK said
Best shop on Denmark Street
I love these guys...unlike almost every other shop on Denmark Street , they actively encourage you to try the guitars out, even if you're never gonna buy anything.

I really like that!

Also- their prices are definitely on the lower end of what is generally charged there. There are bargains to be had! Especially if you walk into music ground first. For example, a few months ago Wunjo had a sixties Baldwin Vibraslim for £600- and they sold it- in contrast to Music Ground who have TWO, but both priced at a grand. And so they sit there gathering dust ;)

If I wanted to go to Denark Street, try out guitars, and come back smiling, I'd go to these guys. Awesome service.

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Hackney
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London E8 4AA
020 7502 2789

MGEEK said
Run by Morons
I have been to this venue exactly TWO times, and will never grace it's corridors again.

A friend of mine organised a night there, which I did a spot of dj-ing at, and he got nothing by pain and strife from the guy who runs it.

Apparrently the fellow who runs it is very particular about the sort of night he puts on, and the type of people he wants to go. Personally I find that kind of stance a bit annoyingly elitist, but each to their own.

Therefore, my friend ran EVERYTHING by this guy- the type of acts that would be playing, the type of music the dj's would be playing...everything with no problem.

UNTIL the actual night of the event, when the owner basically ran around flapping his arms about everything, going 'this is all wrong, this is all wrong, this isn't the sort of thing we want here at all'!- To which I say- organise your own nights then!

My first hand experience of this, was when I started dj-ing...I hadn't set up the sound system, but the mixer LOOKED like it was going into the red- wasn't a problem, there was no distortion or anything. Until I played a single by Del Shannon- 'move it on over', which is a garage classic, comped on one of the teenage shutdown records- and well known for being an EVERYTHING IN THE RED, distorted and LOUD mix.

This guy, the owner, came running up to me and started shouting in my face, as if I was going to blow things up! I couldn't believe it...

Anyway! Why am I telling you all of this? You're probably reading this because you are interested in a night out there, or something, not because you're putting on a night there.

Well...I think this kind of attitude filters down, and creates a nasty vibe in the place. It DOESN'T seem like the friendly, hippy type venue it so wants to be, because the guy running it is like a crusty version of Basil Fawlty! Then you start to notice other things...you can only buy bottles of beer- at three fifty a pop...a night in this place is going to cost you SERIOUS money if you like a drink.

I'd avoid it at all costs, personally.

Oh, and at the end of the night, when my friends partner wanted to count the takings- would the owner let her step out of the crowd and into the bar area? Would he ever!

A fake hippy venue, run by an angry little man. Don't go there.

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Harlow
• Category: Restaurants

Harlow CM20 2DQ
01279 442151

MGEEK said
Perversely Satisfying
Toby Carvery, for all it's faux olde worlde decor and fake tudor building, is a great big slice of U S A, brought to England.

Everything from the gigantic portions, the eat as much as you like, sorry, CAN ethos, and the super nice staff is straight out of America.

As such, the food isn't actually bad, such, more, just over the edge of too good. The puddings are just TOO sweet, the sauces just a bit TOO rich, the meat just too tender.

Which may or may not be your thing! I enjoyed it, the one time I've been, but I certainly couldn't make it a regular haunt, without gaining a permanent waddle, like most of the other clientele!

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Hackney
• Category: Restaurants

London E2 8DP
020 7739 0966

MGEEK said
Excellent!
I really can't fault this place. I've been here many times- first for my girlfriends birthday, when there was a big crowd of us- Maybe fifteen or twenty. The thing that sealed it for me was that when the bill came, it was about £150- and we'd all eaten VERY well.

They allow you to bring your own booze, which is handy, as it always annoys me when a restaurant is cheap, but sells tiny bottles of beer for something approaching four quid.

The food is good, quick and fresh tasting. Lots of choice. Personally I'd avoid the frogslegs, but that's mostly because a/frogs are cute, and b/they taste just like bland chicken ;)

They also do a lunch menu, which is excellent value. £4.20 last time I went in there- for a starter and a main. You can't really go wrong- that's not much more than a poncy sandwich.

If I worked near there, I'd have a loyalty card!

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Harlow
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Harlow CM20 1HP
01279 454809

MGEEK said
Does what it says on the tin
Places like this are always a bit hit and miss- it's a homogenised pub chain, so any individual branch is always going to stand or fall on it's clientele, and it's staff.

I went here with my girlfriend and her mum on a tuesday afternoon, and it was just choc full of seasoned drinkers, and pretty much slack jawed staff who couldn't even be bothered to pretend to care about anything.

Now I know not every Yates' is like this- the one in Stoke where I went to uni was always fine...but this branch in Harlow just seems like a seasoned drinkers pit that smells of cleaning products and smoke (obviously it's non smoking, but what's to stop people standing pretty much in the door way puffing smoke inside- not the staff, thats for sure!)

Oh and the food...sometimes it arrives and you can enjoy it, despite knowing it's been defrosted and deep fried, just for you, but in this place it was impossible. Awful, chewy, pretentious nonsense food.

I wish they would just do 'chips' or something...simple pub food, because the poncy goo they try to do is obviously beyond them!

Sorry!

• Added: 2nd of September 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Restaurants

London NW1 7PN
020 7267 2700

MGEEK said
Great
This place is awesome- even more so since the smoking ban...the only time I ever had a slightly bad experience here was when someone started smoking near me after one of their customarily fantastic meals!

The food always tastes really fresh- I tend to go for a giant bowl of soup noodles, which is basically a great soup base with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables thrown in, and a whole bunch of king prawns.

I like the fact that it always arrives really quickly as well- there's obviously no defrosting going on.

The prices are great as well- two people can easily eat for fifteen quid, or if you want to have trouble walking out, you could have some side dishes and spend twenty quid.

Great value for money, great food!

• Added: 24th of August 2008
• Area: Bishop's Stortford
• Category: Food and Drink

Bishop's Stortford CM23 3SA

MGEEK said
I love it!
I've only got one complaint about Salma Tandoori- and that is that their lamb biryani is so good, I'm scared to deviate from that takeaway choice to something else, in case it isn't as great!

To be honest though, I don't think I need to worry. It's extremely good value, and they often chuck in free rice or some poppadoms etc. The aforementioned biryani is about six quid, and has lots of big bits of lamb in it. I'm not really sure how they manage to get it so nice, to be honest. I'm not a bad cook, but I'm at a loss to understand how they get the lamb so tender and unfatty/chewy.


I can't imagine a better takeaway experience- and it always arrives really quickly, never cold. Just great