O perfil de ruthie78

When I lived in New York this was the place to go for brunch and whenever I go back it seems to be as popular as ever. The location is fab for people watching especially in the summer months. My favourite feature is the bread baskets - I have no idea how the skinnie minnies that frequent this place stay so trim when faced with the mini pastries and gourmet breads..
The decor is very french brasserie which is a popular theme in New York but somehow works here. Its still pretty good for star spotting (the first time I came here uma thurman and ethan hawke were dining next to me - and no I didnt see her eat from the bread basket) and serves dinners and snacks late into the night.

I seem to be in agreement with other Qypers, this is a proper Soho boozer and is deserved of all five of its stars. As the last poster said the upstairs rooms are as relaxed as being at a friends, I was lucky enough to attend a party here earlier in the year and it was one of the highlights of my year so far. The location is good if you want a central meeting point and the staff are friendly and fun. If you haven’t been convinced by the rest of the reviews I urge you to go – you know you want to !

This great monolith of a building overlooking the ever glamorous Sainsbury’s car park was the original style bar in the area and is still one of the best. The downstairs bar does an excellent brunch or low key lunch and is accessorised with tropical fish tanks and cute bar staff. There is a more formal restaurant upstairs and a cinema. The bar prides itself on cocktails like everywhere else these days and they are perfectly palatable. On a weekend this place is choka and it can be difficult to hear yourself think, come on a weekday or for brunch and check out the cinema as well.

In principal I am against zoos as they coup up poor animals in cages that are as representative of their natural environment as Kate Moss is of the average UK woman. There is an argument that zoos are here to educate and help to keep endangered animals from extinction and this is the path that I choose to take when I visit London Zoo. Set in the magnificent Regents Park with the canal running alongside it London Zoo has a pretty perfect location. The recently opened Gorillia kingdom is done in a more sensitive way and you are able to get really close to these great apes. ZSL who manage and run the zoo are involved in a number of conservation projects at home and abroad and you feel that they do have the animals best interests at heart moving away from the traditional cages to more modern enclosures. The zoo is great for children and schools and offer special outreach sessions for kids to get closer to the animals. Visiting London Zoo brings out the big kid in you and is a great place to visit if only to educate yourself further about the animals on show and their plight in the wild. Refreshments and facilities are nothing to shout about but do their job

If I could choose a favourite station it would be this petite one 200m from Baker Street (which is tube hell). This historic, charming station may have a special place in my heart as it is where I used to arrive when I was a wee youngster and venturing up to the Big Smoke for a day out. The staff are friendly although at weekends the queues can be monstrous use one of the machines instead if you can although they don’t accept Solo cards. There is a good florist, an excellent cobbler, a card shop and the usual suspects refreshment wise – if you are on a budget the cheese shop does rolls for about £1.50 which are pretty tasty.

This place is a real delight it has an art house feel without being stuffy and shows new releases as well as more left field choices. There is a bar which serves food for pre and post movie munchies and you can take your drink in with you to the film if you want (and its not a 20 oz coke but a much more respectable gin and tonic or glass of wine) They have all the usual cinema fodder so you can still have your popcorn but its not the sort of place that you are interrupted by people eating throughout the film. Prices are reasonable and seats are roomy and comfy – this is what cinemas should be like and makes for a relaxing experience. It is hard to go back to the chains when you realise what cinema should and could be like.

An idyllic Sunday can be spent trawling the stores in Spitalfields and grabbing a snack from one of the stalls before hitting the nearby bars later. This market has a wide variety of clothes, accessories and food. There are a number of stallholders here who also stock in Topshop and other high street brands but prices are lower as you cut out the middleman. This is a great place to go gift shopping as you can get something special without breaking the bank.

This is tigi’s training academy where hairdresser learn current trends, sophisticated hairstyling and colouring skills and how to use TIGI products. Alongside the core hairdressing business they also offer make up courses for professionals. If you are looking for a restyle they are always after female models to use for demonstration purposes and remember this could be your opportunity to get your hair cut by the best for free. The staff are friendly and cool and the cute Scottish receptionist brightens up the day as soon as you enter the academy. You can also purchase products here which are of an excellent standard and really work.

This is a small but well run doctors surgery for all your basic medical needs. With the addition of a part time women GP they are expanding the practice. Appointments are easy to come by and if you are an urgent case they will slot you in. The receptionists are warm and friendly and somehow this is the only doctors I have ever been to where I have not had to wait past my appointment time – magic.

An independent wine store which makes choosing wine easy with wine referenced by style with notes on each wine to further ease the process. The shop is well laid out and is complemented by a bar area where you can taste wine and nibble tapas style snacks or more substantial paninis, salads and mains. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and approachable so you wont feel intimidated if you are making the jump from supermarket specials to something a bit more up market.