Cate "CupCate" S.'s Profile

This place has actually become one of my favorite spots in London.

The staff aren't the friendliest, but they're nice enough to let me sit for hours on my laptop, and to be honest, I'd rather they stay how they are than turn into Starbucks Baristas (over attentive) as they just let you get on with it.

After it goes dark, they put out kitschy candle holders with tea lights in them. Their sandwiches are excellent. Everything about this place is awesome. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I'd give it 5 stars, but the bathroom isn't the best in the world, nor do they have enough power sockets.

FLIES.

I might be able to tell you something else other than FLIES but my fingers and hands are too busy batting away FLIES from my face.

I might also be able to tell you something about the apple cake, but I only got through half of it before FLIES landed on it, deeming it uneatable.

FLIES.

That is all.

TechHub London is a coworking space in London. From super fast internet speed, to a fantastic working environment, TechHub is far better than any of those posh members club that pretend to care about entrepreneurs or those who work remotely.

With affordable membership rates and even daily passes when you just need somewhere to set up your laptop and work - TechHub is it!

They also can host various types of events, so if you're looking for a place to host an after party for a conference or a workshop, this is it!

I'm actually writing this review while sitting in Vida e Caffé, and I love it here. Right on Golden Square, this place is buzzing with peppy jazz music, the chatter of locals on their lunch breaks, the clickity-clacks of fingers on keyboards, and the laughter from the staff.

I don't know much about the history of this chain, other than this particular café is very new, and that I love it. The cofffe is delicious and affordable, they didn't look at me funny for paying £2.50 by debit card, and I generally just dig this place's vibe.

If you're looking for a cool place to work on your laptop or have a gossip fest with your BFF, definitely come here. It's pretty awesome.

Tom's Terrace is a pop-up bar that's in Somerset House from May - October of 2010. Tom's Terrace is a posh little bar with loungy couches, a tent protected bar, and over-priced drinks. And by "over-priced" I mean "exactly what you'd expect from a pop-up bar in Somerset House".

When I visted Tom's Terrace it was a Saturday afternoon, the tourists were out in droves, as was the sun. It was a lovely place to sit and chat with friends, and their furnitures is all waterproof, yet surprsingly comfortable.

However, despite how nice it was and what building it was in, I found this place drab. I don't like posh places where you go up to the bar and they INSIST you go sit down and they'll bring it to you. I felt a bit uncomfortable, and admittedly would have rather been at a cheaper place on Southbank.

However, if you're a fan of The Posh and like to feel important and have people bring you your expensive cocktail - this place is perfect for you.

This is one of the very few pubs in Surbiton that have a proper beer garden and sell lagers other than Carling and Fosters. Which is pretty awesome.

I've been here three times now. Once it was winter and we sat inside, and the last couple of times I've visited here in the evening and sat outside. Every time I've been here the outside has been pretty busy, with lots of smokers enjoying the outside space and large umbrellas and overhangs to protect them from the sun.

I usually drink the Waggle Dance ale when I'm here, and have had an enjoyable time upon every visit. I wouldn't say that it's amazing, but I wouldn't say it's awful, either. If you're looking for a pint of good beer, a bit of atmosphere in the suburbs - this place will do the job.

I know it's a practically unheard of opinion - but I don't really like this place. Why? Because I've had far better ice cream at BASKIN ROBBINS, and because their staff are some of the rudest people I've ever come across.

Take for example when I was there a couple of days ago. There were two other people in the entire shop. I walk in and politely say to the girl behind the counter: "Hiya, I'm waiting for a friend to meet me here, is it OK if I go ahead and sit down?"

"...yeah."

*blank stare*

I shrugged it off, and sat down. My friend showed up, we ordered, and paid separately. I gave the girl my order (I was met with more blank staring) and when she was finished preparing my ice cream (small cup, one scoop Caramello, one scoop Biscotto) she put the cup on the counter and looked at me.

I looked back at her. Our eyes blazed in to each others like wanton lovers. Or perhaps less like wanton lovers are more like mortal enemies. They're such similar looks, it's easy to confuse them. Especially when it's hot out and you're surrounded by ice cream.

I digress.

We stared at each other for a good five seconds, and I broke first and went to hand her my tenner. (I know this place has a £5 minimum for card, so I took cash out before.)

She, at the same time, said, "It's two pound....ugh. Don't you have anything smaller?" While ROLLING HER EYES AT ME.

I stared at her, my eyes full of OH NO YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT TO ME.

"No. No. I. Do. Not."

More eye rolling. She then proceeds to sassily take the tenner from my hand, toss some money around, stare and shake her head at the depleting amount of change in her drawer (NOT MY PROBLEM) and then she hands me back a fiver, a couple of pound coins, and then appropriately 20 pennies.

TWENTY PENNIES!!!!!!!!

She put them in my hand and without looking at me, asked the next customer what they wanted.

And this is when I calmly placed the gigantic tower of pennies she handed me on top of the register and said, as politely as I could, "I don't want your f***ing pennies," and walked out.

The family that ordered before us was outside, and overheard me say to my friend how rude she was. They piped up and mentioned that she was very rude to them, and that they had even been there the day before and she treated them the same way.

Hello, Scoop. There are plenty of people these days who need jobs. My advice would be that you find some of these people, people with even an ounce of friendliness in them, and hire them. An ice cream shop is not a place for people who are incapable of smiling. If Starbucks can manage to find people who will fake friendliness in the name of a pay check, I'm pretty sure you can to.

OVER AND FREAKIN' OUT.

I absolutely hate going to the dentist. I hate it. I will wait until I am in excruciating pain before I'll call and make an appointment - however, this is the first dental office I've ever been in that I was actually impressed by.

The interior of this place is amazing. Funky, colorful furniture, flat screen TVs playing the news, music videos, or a Michael Jackson DVD - there's even a coffee and tea station complete with a mini fridge.

There are multiple photos of New York-inspired works, including bright wallpaper with scenes of New York at night. The reception of this dental office reminds me more of a design agency or media company than a place you'd go to have your teeth drilled.

The examination rooms are equally kitsch, with clean white chairs, and even a flat screen TV above head so that you can watch something other than your dentists gloves flying in and out of your mouth with foreign instruments.

This place will make even the most nervous patient feel at ease, and the best part, is that they're both private and NHS. WIN.

THIS PLACE = A JOKE.

Myself and about 20-odd other people from a pretty well known company in London sat outside the Queen's Head & Artichoke this past Friday afternoon. Having just enjoyed a day out in Regents Park with their company, everyone decided on this pub as an after-party spot, and we quickly spent about £200 on beer, wine and spirits.

I joined the party a little late, went inside to order a pint of Erdinger, and the man who served me behind the bar was...awkward. He was cold, unfriendly, and was pretty condescending. (As if I should have been psychic and just KNOWN that they were out of the Landlord Brew, which I had asked to try before order the Erdinger.)

Moments after joining our large crowd outside, said awkward man stormed outside and started shouting at the members of our group who were eating strawberries.

As our group had been at Regents Park all afternoon, they had a few crates of leftover food with them.

"GO. You have to go now. You CANNOT EAT THAT HERE. Go. GO NOW."

It's not like this place sells strawberries. And it's also not like we were all sitting around, tucking in to the leftovers from the picnic. A couple people had a handful of strawberries - after spending £200 at this place already.

This man did not ask politely if we would stop eating strawberries. He did not appreciate the fact that having a large group of people standing outside his pub, laughing and having a good time made his business look fantastic to passers-by. He also didn't care that we all explained to him that we would stay there all night and would spend a LOT of money there.

He was beyond rude, and despite a good number of our party trying to reason with him, he insisted we left. (After trying to actually take the crates of food away from us.)

Did I mention he also lied and told us he was the highest member of staff in charge that night, despite the owner being upstairs, later finding out what happened, and begging us to stay?

This smug little man laughed in our faces when we told him that we were all going online to give this place a bad review. He scoffed at the notion that we would take our business elsewhere. And he literally held up his fat little hand (as in TALK TO THE HAND, SISTER) when one of us tried explaining why we had food with us to begin with, and that we wouldn't eat the rest of it there.

This pub is a disgrace. They don't care about customer service. They don't care about business. And they most certainly don't care about keeping their customers or their potential customers happy.

So, here you go, Queen's Head & Artichoke. Here's your crappy review.  My advice is to never waste your time going to this palce ,and take your business to The Albany instead. (Which is what we did, in the end, and had a FANTASTIC time.)

I've really tried to like this place. I've gone twice, at different times of the day. Once I just got a beer and stared at the cakes, the other time I ordered the goats cheese and aubergine quiche...and both times I was left feeling particularly MEH.

Their staff is always awkward. I try to be friendly, and maybe I come across a little too HEY I AM AMERICAN AND FRIENDLY for their liking, but come on, you work in a restaurant. Try a little. Gimme a smile or something.

I also feel like everything is a over priced for what it is. Perhaps they hitch up the prices because their stuff is Portuguese/Brazilian and people may not understand some of the ingredients. Like, "Hey, you can't really pronounce this, so therefore we're going to make it more expensive. And LOL when you try to order."

Anyway. This place is OK. You won't hate it, but you won't love it either. Personally, I think walking a few streets over to The Diner would better, but maybe that's just me.