O perfil de AnnieHall

New and recently opened cafe just by the Wightman Road side entrance to Harringay station. Run by Kevin, his mum and friendly cafe assistant, this cafe is welcoming and New York-esque in it’s design. It’s a very tastefully completed renovation and houses lovingly restored, comfy retro furniture.

With good breakfast choices as fresh muffins or pastries, and lunch selections of homemade quiches, pastas, freshly filled ciabattas or healthy salads to choose from. Homemade cakes of note are the lavender shortcake, choc brownies and cherry cookies – all delicious!

I recommend going at different times in both the week and weekends to try out the different choices on offer and to soak up the different atmosphere which Moka already generates from busy weekday luncheons to chilled out weekend brunches.

Seats inside are very comfy, but if the weather is good, treat yourself to a seat in the garden at the back. Tasteful design continues throughout including Moroccan style split doors leading to the garden tables and a beautiful herb garden just starting to take shape in fruit boxes. They are positioned wonderfully around the two tables and I encourage you to try the incredibly comfy wooden deckchairs – you’ll be resting your eyes in the sun within minutes! Look out as well for the soft, green blankets provided for those chillier days when it’s still good to enjoy the outdoors, you’ll feel truly looked after and pampered!

Bank holiday weekend took us into Camden to hang-out with the tourists and other stay-at-home Londoners in Stables market. We paid this inviting little coffee house a visit and I’m delighted Camden at last has a decent, independent coffee house. No more visits to Starbucks over the bridge. Hallelujah!

The first thing to note is this place isn’t obvious from Chalk Farm Road. After a good wander around Stables Market, we eventually found Terra Nera back where we started, by Camden Lock bridge!

The best way for a newbie to find Terra Nera is to turn left just before the bridge. You’ll see the entrance to Gilgamesh restaurant. The coffee shop is to the left. Once found and inside, it felt worth the trot around the market. You’re immediately met with a broad, fascinating selection of round-the-world coffee beans and teas in an authentic setting. A warm welcome by the baristas behind the counter also awaits you. That first impression is enough to make you never want to enter a chain coffee house again!

My partner and I ordered a Latte and a Chai tea. Both were incredibly sweet (I ordered caramel in mine, so no surprise there!) The Latte was exceptional. There was a small chalk board to the right of the counter offering a slice of banana cake at £2, so we ordered a slice each. Not sure if other food was available, but this turned out to be a good decision – rich, moist and full of flavour.

We were served outside on one of two tables in front of the shop. This place is definitely set-up as a quality, take-away coffee shop, but if you’re lucky enough to get a seat and want to chill for a bit, I recommend it. Although the shop would benefit from more seating, there isn’t enough room inside and the pavement area is limited. Once seated though, Camden’s eateries and shops are great for people watching and this place is no exception. The only downside is, sitting outside, you can feel like you’re in a corridor looking onto the backs of market stalls. Not the most inspiring view, but passers-by and music blaring from the sound system at the entrance to the market is enough to make you still feel part of proper Camden life!

If you’re one for fine china coffee cups and pretty crockery, this place may not be to your taste. Drinks are in (hopefully recycled?) paper cups and cake is served on napkins with plastic spoons however, if you are looking for good coffee, a quick bite to eat and friendly service, I’d pop-by Terra Nera!

I should disclose, I was one of the Qype reviewers Simone contacted to ask if I would be a “Mystery Blogger” and in return for a review, I would receive £10 towards my order. I ordered and then upon paying disclosed I was a “Mystery Blogger”. I’m happy I took-up this invitation and even happier to go again soon and pay!

We recently went to Squint on Shoreditch High St to look for a piece of furniture for our bedroom. Squint is a stunning bespoke furniture shop which was started by Lisa Whatmough (a former Sculptor and Painter) at the beginning of 2005 in East London.

The shop has a wonderful feeling when you walk in (not least because of Lisa's lovely little dog who pads around the studio!). There is a lot of vibrant and colourful fabric to look at and all have been cleverly worked into quality upholstering of beautiful pieces of fine antique furniture.

Lisa told us that she had been collecting a mix of contemporary and vintage fabrics for many years before finding that she could use her designing skills to create a fusion of period furniture and fabrics to make one-off, bespoke pieces.

The Squint range comprises items such as Victorian chaise longues, 60's style Egg chairs and all types of upholstered furniture (including bed settees and sofas) as well as mirrors and lighting.

The furniture is unqiue and very individual. Well worth checking out Lisa's website or taking a trip to her shop to see her work. It's truly inspirational.

I've been longing to visit the seemingly female friendly Bobbin Bicycles for a long time. I had visions of investing in a second bike from BB which would offer a feminine alternative to my existing sporty, roadbike look, so imagine my disappointment when my customer experience was decidedly underwhelming.

I entered this small, boutique style cycle shop in Islington and was ignored by both fifties styled sales assistants. Not even a friendly smile was enough to warrant a customary 'hello' or 'let us know if we can help' attitude. The atmosphere was more than a little muted and the only warmth I derived was from the lime green Pashley I had my beady eye on. You'd have thought even the acknowledgement I'd sidled over to view bikes rather than just accessories and may be in the market to spend a few quid would solicit a little enthusiasm from the assistants, but no.

The shop is indeed a treasure trove of all things designed to be 'cycle chic' from BB's contemporary flowery/spotty/striped oil cloth paniers to the subtle forest green canvas over-shoulder cycle bags. There's fun added to every day bike accessories like the 'I love my bike' cycle bells and rainbow choice of rainy day ponchos, but this concept shop has a major flaw. Women now get excellent customer service for their pound from bike shops like the extremely loveable Cycle Surgery. No longer do you feel like a flailing female walking into a testosterone fuelled, elitist, male boys toys shop. Women are treated as equally knowledgable about bikes as men and to be ignored by staff in a bike shop now-a-days is the biggest no-no a retailer can make.

Treat women cyclists with respect and regard, and they will be long time supporters and customers. Dismiss them and be it at your business' peril. I shan't be back and when I do invest in another bike, it won't be from Bobbins Bicylces. They are simply bobbins at the basics.

Exceptionally rude member of staff. I complained about being referred to as 'dear' after every sentence and was subsequently asked 'what do you want to be called then' in such an insolent way, I walked out and decided to spend my money elsewhere.

Expensive quote for healing and re-soles for two pairs of ladies shoes. Definitely recommend trying anywhere else but here. Disappointing in every way.

We visit Kenilworth fairly regularly as a very good friend lives here. We sometimes stay with her, but on the odd occasion when we don't, we like to vary the local B&B's we stay-in. We stayed at Ferndale House 12mths ago and really liked it. Clean, friendly welcome, great cooked breakfasts and reasonably priced.

Now, all of the above also apply to The Abbey Guest House 'Hotel' (not quite sure where the 'Hotel' reference comes from on the sign outside as this is definitely, in nice way, a cosy 'B&B!'), but there just seemed to be something missing. The afternoon tea we were welcomed with from Darren was truly, very appreciated (tea made in the pot and a tasty range of biscuits including an orange club - when was the last time you ate a club biscuit?!) and gave us a great first impression, but somehow this B&B lacks the warmth and atmosphere of 'The Ferndale' around the corner.

Our twin and single rooms were cosy, clean and comfortable with firm mattresses and some lovely touches with throws and cushions, but a couple of small attentions to detail were missing; mis-matching decor and soft furnishings work well if done properly, although all rooms were attractive, a good eye for bringing everything together was somewhat missing, cheap toilet paper in tired, plastic dispensers in the en-suite brought home memories of shiny, cheap paper in my high school toilets! Brown limescale/mildew build-up around the shower and tiles was unfortunate.

Both areas are very easily fixable and if dealt with, would have drawn our attention to the better aspects of the Abbey Guest House, which made for a comfortable stay. The iPod docking station built into the flat screen TV in our room was inspired for example and the freshly cooked breakfasts with (award winning!) sausages and bacon supplied by a local butcher were a real treat and made us feel good for eating locally sourced ingredients. Homemade blueberry jam put other B&Bs to shame with their plastic squares of marmalade and Robinsons jam. Toast and fruit-filled jam to follow a good cooked brekkie was definitely a winner!

The fact this B&B is so central and only steps away from the High St make it very convenient for a night out in town, just maybe pick-up your own softer loo paper from Waitrose over the road before checking in!