Qype: Clapham Common Basketball Courts in London

London


Smack bang in the middle of the Common you'll find the Clapham Common Basketball Courts. It's free to play (obviously) and the people there may look intimidating, but in my experience, everyone is really nice. Pick up games are popular (particularly at the weekend) and with a total of 6 hoops, it's almost always easy to get on.

My only gripe is that there are very few nets (most have been ripped down) and the courts could really do with a drinking fountain. Other than that, i'd highly recommend popping down and playing!

You may even see me there on Sunday...

Check out my review of Clapham Common Basketball Courts - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: Kaffeine in London

London - Eating & Drinking - Cafes & Coffee Shops


Excellent coffee and even better muffins. I can highly recommend (the brand new) savoury muffins - cheese, rocket, leek and lots of other goodies packed into a fresh, plump muffin. Mmmm, mmm, mmm.

The shop itself is clean, minimalist and obviously attracts the media darlings of Fitzrovia and Soho during the week (from what i could tell, every table had a Mac on it!).

I'm not a coffee addict, but i'll definitely be coming back. Kaffeine just seem to get everything right - excellent quality food and drink, plenty of sesting, friendly staff and s laid back atmosphere. It sounds simple, but it's amazing how so many young coffee shops don't get these basics right.

I'll be coming back for the fabled "coffee and chocolate ice cream". Sounds awesome!

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Qype: The Woman In Black @ The Fortune Theatre in London

London - Arts & Entertainment - Theatres


If you're visiting London and you're trying to decide what to go and see at the theatre... look no further. The Woman in Black is one of the longest running plays on the west end and for good reason. It's outstanding (and bloody scary too!). I won't go into the details of the play (i don't want to spoil it for you!) but i can say that it's one of the most frightening things i have ever seen (and i like horror movies!).

The Fortune Theatre itself is small and intimate ( i imagine it holds about 250-300 people). The floor board creak, the seats are old and slightly worn. Perfect atmosphere for this play.

Tickets start at £30, but you will have to book in advance, particularly if you're thinking about seeing a weekend show. Try ticketmaster.com

Check out my review of The Woman In Black @ The Fortune Theatre - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: The Rock & Sole Plaice in London

London - Eating & Drinking - Fastfood & Takeaway - Fish & Chips


Best chippy in London? Well, it's pretty darn close. It doesn't quite beat The Fish Club in Clapham, but Rock and Sole place is still excellent. £10 will get you a piece of batttered haddock the size of my forearm and a mountain of hand cut chips. Purfick!

Be warned, this place is super popular and has very limited seating, so i would recommend getting take away (it's also alot cheaper). The only trouble is finding somewhere to eat it! This part of London has a distinct lack of green spaces, so you may have to settle for a bench around seven dials.

Definitely worth the trip for locals and visitors alike. An easy 5 stars.

Check out my review of The Rock & Sole Plaice - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: Brockwell Park Tennis Courts in London

London

Probably the best public tennis courts in Lambeth. The courts in Brockwell Park have been recently resurfaced and are all in reasonable nick. The charge is standard for Lambeth (£4 per hour) but given that it’s a bit more difficult for South Londoners to reach these courts, you may find you book for 1 hour and you are able to continue for an hour or so after your time has elapsed.

One thing they need to fix is the latch on the gate to court 1. I have a nastily bruised finger (as have about 10 other Lambethites) because of the precarious bolt on the gate. Please fix!

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Qype: Brockwell park in London

London - Arts & Entertainment - Parks

What a fantastic park. I’ve always been slightly dubious of heading over to Brixto/Herne Hill when i have Clapham Common on my doorstep, but when it comes to facilities, Brockwell Park beats most Lambeth open spaces hands down.

Facilities include:

- 5 tennis courts (in pretty good condition)
- A BMX track (awesome, i know!)
- Football pitches
- Swimming Pool
- Bowls
- Botanical Gardens

This a real “family” park. Expect to see lots of young couples, dog walkers and push chairs.

One word of advice - Never buy an ice cream from the ice cream van at the north side entrance. £2.50 for a cornetto and £2.00 for a 99!

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Qype: Prince of Wales in London

London - Eating & Drinking - Pubs & Bars - Pubs - Eating & Drinking - Pubs & Bars - Bars

A small, but very agreeable little pub. I love the decor (particularly the giant spiderman on the roof!). 3 local ales on tap - Timothy Taylor, Greene King IPA and Harvey’s if my memory serves me correctly. Plenty of outdoor seating (about 4 picnic tables) in one of the nicest bits of clapham.

The Prince of Wales is a great pub for a swift half after work or a good starting point for a big night out. If you do start here, i’d recommend the following crawl:

Prince of wales -> The Sun -> The Frog and forget-me-not -> The Windmill.

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Thoughts on Infernos in Clapham?

I haven't been to Inferno's in Clapham in about 3 years (which is miraculous given it's 2 minutes from my house). Has it improved? Is it still horribly sleazy with terrible music or have they turned a corner? Keen to get opinions!

Qype: Alba Restuarant in St. Ives

St. Ives - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - British - English

I agree with Melanie below. Alba disappointed and wasn’t even close to the quality of the Porthminster Cafe.

Positive points - i) The Fillet of Beef was actually very nice and i will come back for this. Ice cream was also good - rich, creamy cornish ice cream. ii) Location - right o the waterfront. You’re in the middle of the action here.

Negative points - i) Service was pretty awful. The restaurant was by no means full, yet we felt a bit neglected by the sloppy (and sometimes rude) waitresses. ii) The seafood - If you’re in St. Ives, one expects exceptional seafood. Now, i didn’t actually try any of the fish but most of the people in our group looked very unimpressed with their starters and main courses.

If the food was priced at £5 for a starter and £10 for a main course i would have been perfectly happy, but given the prices were fairly closely aligned with Rick Stein’s in Padstow and the Porthminster Cafe…. i feel pretty disappointed.

Check out my review of Alba Restuarant - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: West Cornwall Golf Club in St. Ives

St. Ives - Sport - Golf

The West Cornwall Golf Club has to be one of the most spectacular golf courses i have ever played on. Even in the driving rain we had a great round of golf. The back 9 here is particularly special. Length par 5’s hugging the Cornish coastline with truly spectacular views.

Word of advice - Take lots of balls. The fairways are narrow, the tickets are tall and the greens are tight. You won’t lose too many balls in the water, but don’t say i didn’t warn you!

The only thing preventing me giving West Cornwall Golf Club 5 stars is the price of equipment and clothing in the pro shop. Very nice stuff, but very expensive!

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Qype: Tregenna Castle Estate in St. Ives

St. Ives

Tregenna Castle is a very nice little holiday estate about 1 1/2 miles outside of St. Ives town centre. The castles facilities include an 18 hole pitch and putt golf course, 2 large heated swimming pools, a gym, 5 tennis courts, badminton courts, croquet lawns and a very nice sauna/spa. Guest can use the facilities for free put it’s also open to the public (a round of golf will set you back about £15).

Accommodation is very reasonable and you have the option of staying in the main “castle/manor house” or hiring out one of the cottages or huts within the grounds.

Great for families. If i ever come back to St. Ives i will probably stay here.

Check out my review of Tregenna Castle Estate - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: Sazbah in St. Ives

St. Ives - Eating & Drinking - Pubs & Bars - Bars - Cocktail Bars

When all the pubs chuck out in St. Ives, this is one of 2 places everyone goes to.

Pro’s - Table football table, Pool table and reasonably priced cocktails.

Con’s - Really, really young punters (i mean, average age must be 16-17) and last orders is 12.30am, so it’s not really a “late bar”.

I didn’t make it to “Isobar”, so i can’t really compare Sazbah. Set your expectation levels low and you might be surprised :)

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Qype: Hub in St. Ives

St. Ives - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants

Hub is a relatively new addition to the St. Ives waterfront and is a gallant attempt to appeal to the younger holiday makers in this part of Cornwall. The bar has a very nice balcony area and is perfect for people watching at pretty much any time of day. The food is also decent at the Hub. Lobster, burgers, fresh mackerel, salads and much more. Reasonable prices and friendly, quick service.

They close up at midnight (at the weekend) so you can expect to see younger generations congregating here after the pubs chuck out. This is definitely a good spot to hit after drinking in the Lifeboat Inn next door or eating dinner in Alba or one of the many other seafront eateries.

Check out my review of Hub - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: The Ship in London

London - Eating & Drinking - Pubs & Bars - Pubs - Nightlife - Music Venues

I like the vibe in the Ship. It’s young and bouncy place without being pretentious. You’ll see local trend setters, suits, uni students and OAPs all happily mingling and enjoying themselves. The interior of the pub is pretty small and narrow, so (like us on Friday night) you’ll probably find yourself out on the pavement or in the alley to the side of the pub (which sounds dodgy, but hey, this is Soho).

Lots of decent ales on tap including by favourite summer ale - Discovery. I haven’t tried the food, but the menu looked simple and included most of your pub classics.

The staff are super friendly and wouldn’t look out of place at Metallica or Motley Crew concert (i’m sure you can guess what kind of music is playing in the bar area!)

I’ll be back i’m sure.

Check out my review of The Ship - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: Browns in Clifton

Clifton - Eating & Drinking - Pubs & Bars - Bars

What a fantastic building! Very grand indeed - pillars, tall mirrors, incredibly high ceilings, marble and mahogany. This is a great place to have dinner. The food is good (but not great). I’d recommend coming here for a quick beer or cocktail and a nibble before you go out.

Brown’s is a bit of a Bristol University institution, so expect lots of University students (the main campus is only 200m away).

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Qype: Vittoria in Bristol

Bristol - Eating & Drinking - Pubs & Bars - Pubs

Whiteladies Road is the posh end of Bristol and the Vittoria attract the local sloanes as well as some suspiciously young local teens. I’m 28, and i i felt very old in this place!

Beer - Limited choice and no real ale. Foster, Carling, Kronenburg and Strongbow on tap.

Atmosphere - Young, vibrant party atmosphere on Friday/Saturday night. Relatively sleepy during the week.

Food - Better than Whetherspoons, but certainly not a Gastro pub. Equivalent to what you’d find in an “It’s a Scream” pub.

3 stars and no more. If i’m back in Whiteladies, i might come again. There’s nothing particularly compelling about the Vittoria though…

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Qype: Porthminster Beach in St. Ives

St. Ives - Arts & Entertainment - Beaches

This is the family bucket and spade beach in St. ives. You’re protected by the cove here, so no surfing waves at Porthminster beach, but a great place relax ans soak up the rays. The beach is about a 5 minute walk from the middle of St. Ives (the walk from town is actually very nice!) and it is host to the best seafood restaurants in this part of Cornwall - The Porthminster Cafe.

Great for families, sunbathing and dog walking.

Check out my review of Porthminster Beach - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: Hotel Riviera in Newquay

Newquay - Hotels & Holidays - Hotels

This is a very poor hotel. The only thing good about it is the location (very close to the beach) and the fry up they do in the morning. Everything else is pretty terrible. The rooms were tiny! Certainly no cat swinging in here and the service was pretty much non-existent.

£50 for such a rubbish hotel is really pushing it in my opinion. I’d only come back and stay here again if the nightly rate was less then £20 and breakfast was free. Wait a minute…. Did i pay for my breakfast? I’m not sure i did…. ha, ha 1-0 to me!

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Qype: The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow

Padstow - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Seafood

If you’re looking for the best Seafood in Cornwall (possibly the South of England), look no further than the Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. The menu is phenomenal and the 3 courses for £34 lunch time deal is actually very good value. I started with the Plum Tomato and Basil Gallette with Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella and went traditional for my main with Local Hake, Chips and Tartare Sauce. Deep-fried in dripping, served with thick chips and mushy peas. Without question the best Fish n’ Chips i have ever had.

Service was attentive without being intrusive and the complimentary glass of champagne sealed the 5 star rating for me. My only negative point would be that Mr. Stein should have picked a restaurant location with some sea views! The interior is very well decorated, but there isn’t much to look at if you gaze out of the window.

I’ll be back. Oh yes, i’ll be back.

Check out my review of The Seafood Restaurant - I am ahunter - on Qype

Qype: porthminster cafe in St. Ives

St. Ives - Eating & Drinking - Cafes & Coffee Shops - Cafes - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Seafood

The Porthminster Cafe is easily the best restaurant in St. Ives. The setting is fantastic (right on Porthminster beach!). Try to get a seat with a view of the bay (we didn’t quite manage this as we booked on the same day).

You can expect to pay £10 for a starter and £20 for main here. Not cheap, but definitely worth it as a holiday treat. The baked cod was excellent and the calamari fresh and crisp. Wine comes served in beach buckets which i thought was a nice little touch!

Highly recommended posh nosh.

Check out my review of porthminster cafe - I am ahunter - on Qype