Linzi "You're = you are, Your = belongs to you" M.'s Profile

Meat Liquor is like a one-night stand... you'll hate yourself in the morning but it feels so good you just don't care.

Goddamn, if I were wearing pants I would need to unzip them and lie on the floor. Again, like a one-night stand...

Between the deep fried pickles, onion rings, cheeseburger and chocolate cream pie, I think I ate about 5,000 calories easy. I didn't have a fat ass before tonight, but baby, I do now.*

I love eating with Yelpers, they know how to get shit done. And this means ordering almost all the menu. 'We'll have all the starters, and all the sides. You know what, just bring everything.'

The food here is to die for. Or to die from. I'm not really sure there's a difference at Meat Liquor. But come here once a week and you might find out. Great burgers, not the best, but good. The food is dirty good. Chilli cheese fries, slaw, key lime pie. Just get everything. Bring lots of money, you'll need lots of cocktails and they are not very boozy.

* Totally worth it.

I love steak. I love good steak. I've been eyeing Goodman Steakhouses for a while. I heard they had lobster mac and cheese. Meow, that sounds like the place for me. So when they opened a branch near my office, it seemed like fate. I would go to the ball.

They had transformed the previous location into more of a gentleman's club vibe, booths became tables, lots of dark wood and black and white photographs.

But I was disappointed. I know, I know, maybe I am harder on new businesses than I should be. However, if you expect me to pay good money, then you can expect me to be particular. Let's start with the good: beautiful bernaise sauce, fatty chips cooked, presumably, in fat, hmmmm. Cool butcher tables and an awesome selection of meat on display. The bad: service, a bit snarky and they didn't know how to make a Gibson martini, I expect places like this to know their drinks. The ugly: a steak that was more fat than meat.

This Goodman is new, so I'd definitely pay another visit. I wouldn't order off the lunch menu. In steakhouses, it's always a mistake to try and scrimp on your order. Just throw down the big money and order decadently. A hearty red wine, the best steak you can afford and blow out on the sides too.

I'll be back Goodman. Be ready.

Wow, am I really going to be the douchebag that gives this place a 3 star review?

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Yes.
BUT. I did not have the ramen. And everyone said that was amazing. I had the sushi, and it was far from amazing. It was however, fine. Average, if you will. They don't have any special rolls and they put lettuce in their prawn tempura rolls, which were not especially warm. Having had better sushi rolls anywhere else, I was not impressed.

Their camembert tempura was interesting, never seen that before. But interesting concept is where the good times ended, it was just deep fried cheese.

And the service, while smiley and charming when they arrived, were very hard to track down throughout the meal. At one point 4 of them were standing at the counter and we had to wave our arms to get them to come over.

And what's the business with having to order £20 per person? The ramen is not cheap at £14 so don't make people order more.

The company was great though and I had a fab time. Next ramen foodclub, I will order the ramen ;-)

'I'm meeting people for a roast. The Narrow Boat. GPS says it's on the canal, do you think it's an actual boat?'

It's not and it isn't right on the canal. I'm clearly just a very literal minded person. But wouldn't it be awesome if it was an actual boat? Someone needs to make that happen.

Good fish and chips. Not that you could call them chips, more like quarters of potatoes on a plate. I reckon the chef got a bit excitable over the 'fat chips' concept, or his hands were too tired to cut them smaller.

I like this pub though, it's massive and they loads of varieties of posh cider. I want to drink there in the summer and, obviously, pretend I'm on a boat. Because that would be awesome.

You can't swing a cat without hitting a yuppie up in this place.

Entertaining the fabulous Amanda F. for the day, she demanded breakfast and quick. I hadn't been to Exmouth Market since my return and was keen to see what had opened since I left. Gail's Artisan Bakery.

It's as carbo-loaded and pastrylicious as you are imagining. Artisan breads, biscuits, brownies and sandwiches as far as you can see. But I was in the market for brunchy bites and ordered the brioche with rhubarb and some sort of cream thing.

As we waited, I took in the clientele. All white, middle-class yuppies with serious button-down shirts, oversized glasses and smug looks of Sunday superiority. This is not the kind of place to get a fry-up and a post hangover Bloody Mary. Bring your Macbook if you like, you'd fit in well.

I wasn't blown away by the food, it was only okay. But I love the relaxed vibe, the fresh orange juice is amazing and it's hip. All whitewashed walls and huge photographs of the outdoors. It's an aspirational lifestyle kind of place.

Reading the other reviews I'm not sure when this used to be a flower shop but it's a cake shop now. And an odd one at that. Maybe it's different for everyone who goes in there, I wanted coffee but someone else might want jam... it's a mystery!

Anyway after pottering around Broadway Market, we wanted to go into a cafe without having to fight skinny, flannel wearing douchecanoes for a seat. Brewode's Cornucopia is a little too 'twee teashop' and not enough 'ironic, overpriced hipster coffeebar' so it was emptyish.

We got cupcakes and coffees and sat amongst the cutesy teacups and polka dots for a while.  I wouldn't say the service is stellar. This ain't yo grandma's teashop. Two big burly man types make the tea and serve the Victoria sponge.

The owner seems nice though, I asked to use the bathroom and she said that it was a health and safety issue and one of the burlies would have to accompany me down the stairs. She asked him would he take me there and he said 'no'.

Right then. That's okay, I didn't really need to go. Honest.

Disappointingly dry burger and chips. The worst nachos I have ever had in a restaurant and I've eaten at Desperados, twice.

I haven't had the best Sunday roast of my life yet.

Sad panda.

I thought I might get it at Bacchus, after all it has some great reviews. But it just didn't cut the mustard, or the horseradish either. We both ordered the beef and it arrived with a giant, overcooked Yorkshire pudding riding on top. The meat was rare, and fatty. The gravy thick and definitely the high point. The roast potatoes and two pieces of carrot and broccoli* perfectly satisfactory.  But 'best roast in London', not even hardly. Also it cost £16. Pri-cey.

The service was erratic at best. They dropped a lot of cutlery. And they only have three beers/ale on tap, what kind of pub only has 3 things on tap? It's a nice pub though, the best in a dodgy area.

I might be forced to start cooking my own roasts. Yeah, you heard me.

*The recession may have hit this place, it wasn't quite the fat pants experience other reviewers made it out to be.

Their tagline should be 'not just f**king great coffee'.

Because it is great coffee but that's not the only reason I go here. Two words: breakfast plate. Anywhere that serves me proscuitto, cheese, avocado and amazing salty crispbread is just perfection to me.

I like that I can go by myself, read my book and eat breakfast without any sparring with the waitstaff about taking up a table. Everyone shares and you might get the odd glance from the house hipsters in residence, but just ignore them, they have silly hair and wear stupid glasses anyway.

Pink dildos. Leopard print vibrators. Furry handcuffs. Cup of tea?

If  I'm wandering around Hoxton Square, I'll often just pop into Sh! Why not? It's a pink, pleasure palace.  No boys allowed unless they are with a female companion. And I've been offered tea here and asked my opinion of silent vibes. Always happy to be of service.

Sure, it's not the classiest sex shop, they still have a tacky arrangement of pleather and Ann Summers like underwear. But it's girls only, the sales staff are the loveliest and you are free to ask whatever you need to.

Sh! let's not keep it our little secret.