City Re:Vue - Hare & Tortoise Russel Square

I have taken far too many pictures and written far too many city reviews without ever getting round to posting them. I always feel as though there is something more pressing to say at the time and I'll do it tomorrow. Anyway here's what happened when I went for lunch in the sun.

We get there, there is no queue, which is a surprise because there is always a queue (I've only been twice before but I'm still allowed to say always. Anyway its good because it means we can be seated right away.

So we order food which comes promptly. I ordered Roast Duck and my friend being an ardent crustacean lover ordered a Shrimp Fried Rice. Not the most exciting meals but it was a late lunch/early dinner.

The food was okay. Nothing to write home about. And I say this with tears in my tear ducts trying to come out because normally the food and the service here is great. I think we caught them on a bad day.

Anyway the rice comes with a Miso Soup. We thought this was very strange but if it comes with soup it comes with soup. So the lady puts down the strange super suction bowl of soup on the table.

Its not a very clever contraption in the fact that it is almost impossible to open without spilling. My friend was unsuccessful. Her blackberry had a soupy swim and the (really bad) smell of the soup stained the table and floor around us. The waiter threw a few tissues at us and we mopped it up. They came back to mildly clean the floor so no one died but not so that we could enjoy our food stink free. The disdain (on their part) was pertinent. About 10 minutes later when no new bowl had arrived I asked if she would be getting a new bowl. The sigh. The look of disgust. And the quick shuffle to the kitchen was the answer.

She got a new bowl of soup. She didn't eat it. I wouldn't have either.

Anyway this is not supposed to be a bad review because the other times I have been there its been good. Hare & Tortoise is a chain restaurant that serves pan-asian food for a very reasonable price. The food is well made and it tastes good. It is a great place to go for a dinner with a few friends after work. The Blackfriars venue is much nicer as it has been forced to cater to the heart of the city and you can see them cooking the food infront of you (which is always nice).

City Re:Vue - New Look STRADA Kensington

There's loads of lovely little places in london to eat, a light lunch, a romantic rendezvous or a delicious dinner. It's just a matter of finding them. Hopefully my experiences will help you. Here's a review of the recently revamped STRADA on High Street Kensington.


It's a little Italian chain restaurant of which I have been to a few. I must say the standard does vary a little depending on which branch you go to, as does the atmosphere. The Southbank and City STRADA's are nothing like this one.


The decor is nice, its simple, almost ikea like but sometimes less is more. I think it is ideal for a nice lunch or early dinner with a friend or a date. They have a nice selection of starters, salads, meat, fish, pasta and pizza dishes and the average price for a meal is £12. 


Today we had a 2 for 1 voucher which they kindly e-mailed to me and so I was determined to spend no more than £15 on our combined meal.


We entered and received a nice warm and friendly welcome, as there were not many people in there (especially for a friday evening) we had the bonus of choosing our own seats. The service was cordial and relatively prompt, although they did get distracted after giving us our menu's.


The food came quickly and the waiters made an effort to smile and upsell olives and bread. As more people spilled in, they adjusted the lighting and the music which was sweet. In terms of drinks, with my budget in mind we took advantage of their free water which comes in little snazzy STRADA bottles. Overall it was a nice little dinner, nothing to write home about but nice.


Most interesting thing of the night: a waiter eating crumbs of bread in the corner as he was cutting it up to be served. I found this random and funny, others might have found it strange.


If you would like to visit STRADA they have a new facility which allows you to book your table online. It is very handy and efficient with an email sent to your blackberry computer to confirm the meal.

The Law According to Haw

Perhaps you have had a pleasant experience strolling down westminster bridge on a summer's day and perusing the perimeters of parliament at the end. Or like myself, running through the hustle and bustle of tourists/protesters to try and get to your exam on time in Westminster Central hall. Even if you've stood Canon at the ready, neck craned and one eye squinted to take  a picture of London's Big Ben, you must have seen anti-war activist Brian Haw and his tents. 

(just incase you haven't it looks something like this)

He has lived in his tents for 9 years and has become somewhat of a celebrity.

Having learned in class that he had been granted legal permission to protest within the otherwise forbidden area around the Houses of Parliament, every time I passed this area I would smile inside and say 'right on mister, you have a law all to yourself!'


However I never considered that fact that others who do not think on those terms would consider him a nuisance or an eyesore. Today it became all too much for the queen to see as she drove past in her car, and fresh calls for mister Haw to be evicted have been cried from within parliament!

But who has the power to decide whether he stays or goes and who's responsibility is it to look after the area?? none other than our now world famous and entirely responsible mayor Boris Johnson. (I love him and everything he stands for just incase you didn't know)


After being accused of dragging his feet (Boris!!!), he sought permission from the High Court to evict Mr Haw and the group who are currently camped with him once and for all.


Westminster council actually want the coalition government to change the law. I'll have to say that again highlighting the important parts... Westminster council actually want the coalition government to change the law.
I shall reserve my comments on the likelihood of this with the hope of preventing myself from facing a defamation claim.


Anyway today Brian Haw gets arrested for causing a ruckus in front of the queen, the irony of the whole situation was captured by human rights group Liberty when the stated: "we are very sad to see that on a day that is supposed to celebrate British democracy, peaceful dissent is also shut down...". The representative continued her speech saying things like 'promises' and 'coalition government' in the same sentence, and I thought since it's my blog, I am not forced to entertain such nonsense. 


Anyhoo lets wait and see if he gets removed. I for one hope not, he always reminds me of my Public Law classes and is a pretty unique gem to have in London.