Week Ten
Special guests include: Will Matthews (birthday boy), Collo, Lefty, Katrina Lennon, my biggest fan (Chris Hazell), Kroegs, Dico, Hayts, Newbs, Grubs, Treesy, Pyatt, the Pearce twins, Nix and Nix's friend Jos.
Summary of Crazy Bear
Name: Crazy Bear
Type: Bar and Restaurant.
Location: 26-28 Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 2RG
Website: http://www.crazybeargroup.co.uk/fitzrovia/
Date Visited: 11/03/14
Price: Wallet burning expensive
Rating: 3/5
Review
This bar is situated near Goodge Street and if you are not at your eagle eyed best you could easily miss it, as its tucked away quite nicely. This place is pretty uber cool with an Asian restaurant at the top with a bar with dark mood (minimal) lighting downstairs. Suits me to a tee...love a bit of favourable lighting. This bar in all fairness has lovely décor and the waiters were pretty on it when serving us our drinks. Get the strawberry and basil cocktail when you come here, went down a storm.
The weird thing about this place is that the bar is 6 foot below from where you are sitting. It's a little bit strange as the bar staff are literally 1 metre below you when you give your order. Fairly odd and unless you've been there you won't know what I mean. Also the toilets have no signs with no door handles. You have to continuously push against variant parts of the wall until you find the door. The Ladies and Gents toilets are side by side which was dangerous to say the least. The Ladies toilet is on the left hand side if you ever come here to avoid the embarrassment I suffered.
3 cocktails came to £47.00. That's why I try to steer away from Central London because my wallet whimpers after.
Summary of Chipotle
Name: Chipotle
Type: Mexican
Location: 147 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3V 4QT
Website: http://www.chipotle.com
Date Visited: 11/03/14
Price: Like Nandos....overpriced for what it is
Rating: 2.25/5
Review
If you haven't been to this place before you're not missing much. It's basically the Mexican version of Nandos. Now this is going to cause some outrage I'm sure but I am not a big fan of Nandos. Maybe it's down to me finding the lemon and herb flavour spicy (can't handle spicy food) but I find the place overpriced and a fast food joint disguising itself as a restaurant of high class.
Chipotle is much of the same. I don't like spicy food so I had to go for a very boring mild option with limited filling. Yes the burrito was tasty and quite nice but was that and beer worth £15. No it god damn wasn't. Do I get plate? No you can have a paper bowl with a plastic fork. Bon appetite
Summary of Catcher in the Rye
Name: Catcher in the Rye
Type: Gastro Pub
Location: 317-319 Regents Park Road, Finchley Park, London, N3 1DP
Website: http://www.faucetinn.com/catcher-in-the-rye/
Date Visited: 15/03/14
Price: Standard.
Rating: 2.75 / 5
Review
Saturday had arrived which meant it was Will Matthews birthday. This also meant on the beers from 11am (Oh you didn't!) First stop of the day was Finchley Park at their finest pub called The Catcher in the Rye. Here we watched the England V Italy rugby game and others used it to line their stomachs with a burger.
This is a very standard pub so I can't fault it in any way. The beer was priced competitively, they provided a very high standard quality of nuts it must be said and they showed the rugby. One criticism of the place and why it falls short of 3 is that they only had one small screen in the corner and there was a lack of atmosphere in the establishment. Again it was midday and only England V Italy so I'll let them off.
Clapham North at 11am...nutters!
Summary of Allianz Park
Name: Allianz Park
Type: Stadium
Location: Allianz Park, Greenlands Lane, Hendon, London, NW4 1RL
Website: http://www.allianzpark.com/
Date Visited: 15/03/14
Price: Questionable
Rating: 2.5 / 5
Review
After the England V Italy game it was time to get in the taxis and head to the middle of nowhere to watch our old school (Warwick) play in the Under 15 Rugby Semi Final of The NatWest Cup. Allianz Park was the stadium and unlike the previous pub the atmosphere was electric. To give you a quick review of the game: Warwick won 12-8.
This stadium was impressive and the sun was shining so all was well in our group of 9 thirsty lads. The crowd were chanting to add to the occasion and the beers were priced ok to be fair.
What let this place down was that they decided to only open one bar, which I am sure they wouldn't do on a game day, and the Guinness (back on the Guinness again are you Jack??) was flat. Now the barmaid bloody well told me it was flat as she passed me the 4 pints saying she was going to have to change the keg. Did she give me new beers? No! Did she charge me full price? Yes!
For that and the fact it’s in the middle of nowhere and fairly tricky to get back to civilisation I have to mark it down 0.5. Lovely stadium though.
What a fantastic photo
Summary of The Garden Gate
Name: The Garden Gate
Type: Pub
Location: 14 South End Road, Hampstead, London, NW3 2QE
Website: http://www.thegardengatehampstead.co.uk/
Date Visited: 15/03/14
Price: Variant
Rating: 4.25 / 5
Review
Well hello there. This is a superb pub! By this point our group of 9 lads had been joined by 2 girls and the drinks were really flowing. This place boasts to having the best pub garden in London. It's not far off it in all fairness and we sat there for a good few hours happy as Larry. During this point drinking rules were in full flow and bets on how quick we could all down pints between each other were constant. Very normal behaviour for 25 year old males.
Yes Ireland beat France so England didn't win the Six nations but that didn't dampen our spirits. This place is well worth a visit and if you are on an all dayer in North London then come here for a good session. Best pub I've been too for a while.
Can you spot the golf ball in the pint?
Summary of Sugar Cane
Name: Sugar Cane
Type: Hawaiian themed bar
Location: 247 Lavender Hill, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 1JW
Website: http://www.thesugarcane.co.uk/
Date Visited: 15/03/14
Price: Ok.
Rating: 3 / 5
Review
After venturing into the unfamiliar territory of North London for the day it was time to go back to where we felt comfortable and safe. Clapham Junction. Will's long birthday day had turned to the evening event where the Sugar Cane bar was to be our final destination. Now I like this place but there will be those amongst you who will not like it I can tell you.
It is very cramped, especially downstairs, and has a very sweaty vibe to it. In addition to that, it’s not the biggest place but it is good fun. The wait at the bar isn't particularly long which is handy and the music policy downstairs is nothing short of outstanding. They play all the classics so be prepared for standing around in a circle throwing questionable shapes and singing along...all night long. One criticism is that it is cramped on the dancefloor which means you can get quite heated. I'm talking Artesian Well on Saturday night if you know what I mean.
This place is a good laugh for a night out effectively, it doesn’t try to be anything (apart from Hawaiian) original or spectacular, it just has a couple of palm trees at the front, nice décor (second time I have said that) inside, well priced drinks and good music.
Birthday boy Will Matthews on the left and my biggest fan (Chris Hazell) on the right
God we are such party animals
Poem Advice
If you have a tinder date,
then Crazy Bear will impress
With the cocktails that expensive
You'd hope they'd undress
Catcher in the Rye,
Standard pub which shows sport
But the poor screen in the corner,
Means the place falls short
Rugby, beers and scorching sun?
Then go to Allianz Park
After the game order a taxi
When it arrives it'll be dark
The best pub garden in London,
It's certainly at the garden gate
I can't tell you how good it is,
One of the highest I do rate
Sugar Cane in Clapham,
Hawaiian theme I'm told
Cramped and very sweaty,
You certainly won't be cold
I have to say I am running out of creative poetry but not places you'd be pleased to hear, so tune in next week for Week 11.
Of course I am open to recommendations so if you do have any places you highly recommend do let me know. The Partyman is always open to suggestions.
See you next week fans
x
Follow me on Twitter @jackgravestock
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