O perfil de amyloukew

I was slightly defensive when I visited Sacred because I went with a group of New Zealand friends, who kept on saying that the coffee here was much better than anything you normally get in the UK. Not true I said, however I had to admit that the coffee was very very good. The atmosphere was also great - much better than Starbucks etc, which can seem slightly tired. Definitly recommended!

Grounds Coffee Shop is situated in a new development by the lock in Brentford. I have come here a couple of times for lunch and would thoroughly recommend it. The atmosphere is chilled and laid back. There is a wide variety of sandwiches, paninis etc to eat (I am also reliably informed that the cooked breakfasts are really yummy). However the best thing about Grounds is the fact that the food is really fresh. I like to get a baked potato, which comes with a yummy salad of olives, peppers, and sun dried tomatoes - much better than you average wilted lettuce leaves!!!

The Bell and Crown pub is situated in Strand on the Green, right by the Thames. It is in a lovely location and has a conservatory with great views over the river.

The pub is a good place to come for a traditional Sunday lunch, and was busy when I went. The food was yummy although not cheap - I had sea bass for my main meal, which was £12.50. One of my friends had a roast dinner, which was a similar cost. They serve a wide variety of different food, but, while there are a lot of interesting meat options (from burgers and steaks to roast partridge) the selection of vegetarian dishes was very poor… This could stop me going back again.

I went to the St James’s Restaurant not for afternoon tea but for lunch, and I have to say the experience was excellent.

The food was reasonably expensive (£26 for a 2 course meal, with £4.50 for coffee and mints on top). However for this the quality was very good. I ordered lemon sole and got a large piece of fish, in a really yummy sauce with veg. The food was good quality and the flavours were lovely and vivid. For pudding I had a chocolate tasting menu - mini chocolate mousse, brownie and pear with chocolate sauce - yum.

As the previous reviewer has written, one of the best things about this restaurant is the fact that it feels so spacious. There is lots of space between each of the tables, meaning that you can enjoy your lunch in peace.

They only downside is that they could do with more ladies toilets - they only have 2.

I really like this restaurant. It has the feel of somewhere authentically Italian, and makes a change to the likes of Zizzi, Pizza Express etc. They have a nice variety of dishes on the menu, including a wide variety of pizzas, pastas and also fish and meat dishes. I struggled to make up my mind when it came to ordering - too much choice! I went for pizza in the end and this was good - yummy, and not to heavy. My friend, who went for pasta, found this good too. The portions were big and filling, so this makes up for the fact that it is quite expensive - about £8.50 for pizza/pasta. Service was good too - recommended.

Potions has a bar and restaurant upstairs, with a club in the basement. The food in the restaurant is ok. It was let down somewhat by the fact that my vegetarian meal was half an aubegine, with mushrooms and peppers inside, and that was it, no veg or potatoes. I asked for some veg and was given some green beans, but still. After dinner we went downstairs to the club. Again this was ok, but is was v expensive, with a gin and tonic costing £6.50!

The National Archives Museum has recently been redesigned and is situated on the ground floor of TNA, near to the cafe and the bookshop. It offers a great insight into the treasures held at the archive, including records like the Domesday Book and a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which often in turn record some momentous events in British, and world, history. Alongside these documents there are also some examples of ordinary documents which tell extraordinary stories, such as Charles Dickens will, where he left £1000 to his mistress, and some early moving pictures. Try and visit here, if you can, when you come to the archive.

This is a great authentic French bistro. I tend to visit at lunch times and they have a good fixed price menu at £12.95 for 2 courses, which works out at really good value. When I visited I had tartlet for starter and salmon for main course - both were really yummy. They also bring you crusty bread and butter to go alongside. My only complaint is that the selection of food available for vegetarians is not very wide.

The Petrie Museum seems to embody the cliched image of a museum - fusty, musty and dusty. It is situated inside UCL, hidden away up a flight of stairs. Once inside there are rows of cabinets filled with artifacts. Despite the old fashioned set-up, the collections in the museum are quite fascinating, they give a really fascinating insight into the everyday lives of the ancient Egyptians - it is amazing the artifacts that survive. Plans appear to be afoot for the Museum to be redeveloped, which should allow it to make the most of the collections which it holds.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Ceramics cafe. I was there for a birthday party, so we had a room to ourselves upstairs, an opportunity to chat and be creative - great! You can choose from a really wide selection of things to paint, from mugs and plates, but also teapots, clocks and (because its nearly Christmas) christmas tree decorations and father christmases. These vary in price, and a mug is reasonably expensive, at about £12. The cafe provide a wide selection of paints, brushes, and tools, with which to decorate your plate. They also provide drinks such as tea and coffee, and allow you to bring in snacks. A really great way to spend an afternoon.