Posts Tagged ‘Borough Market’

22 Nov

citizenM Hotel, 20 Lavington St, London, SE1 0NZ, UK

Posted by Val Penny in Hotel Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

It may sound ridiculous, but last week my husband and I travelled to London, England for dinner. It gave us an citizenm-london-outsideopportunity to catch up with our daughters and son-in-law before Christmas and also to catch up with a friend I was at high school with and his husband. We needed to stay somewhere convenient and central. We chose the citizenM Hotel.

It is a hip, trendy hotel with a modern, glass facade. The citizenM Hotel is on a commercial street in central London’s South Bank. It is near London Bridge, the Shard, the Borough Market, the Tate Modern museum, Shakespeare’s Globe and Menier Chocolate Factory theatres. 

citizenmcompsWe did not really know what to expect: certainly the citizenM Hotel was not like anywhere we had stayed before. Check-in was speedy, courteous and highly computerised. The hotel has minimalist, mood-lit rooms where my husband had a lot of fun changing the colour if the lighting. Free WiFi is provided throughout the hotel, including in the rooms and a tablet was provided in the room too. Our room also had a flat-screen TVs with complimentary movies, and the room controls were operated by the touch-screen tablet. Integrated bathrooms feature rainfall showerheads. It is the best shower I have ever had in a hotel room. It is fabulous. citizenm-hotel-room2

As might be expected from a city centre hotel, the rooms are relatively small and are dominated by the enormous, comfortable, king-sized bed. There room had storage space and bottled water is supplied. There was a small desk, a stool, a chair and a safe in the room. Our room faced into the internal court yard, making it very peaceful and quiet. The only thing that would prevent me from using this hotel for a longer stay is that no tea or coffee making facilities are supplied.

citizenmloungeThe citizenM Hotel has a trendy lounge bar and lobby work space on the ground floor. There is also a 24/7 canteen for light meals where the varied buffet breakfast is between 6.30am-11am.   The staff were all extremely helpful and courteous and this hotel is eminently suitable for disabled guests. We would use the citizenM Hotel again, but not for a lengthy visit to London.citizenmshard

Valerie Penny

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20 Nov

The Southwark Tavern, 22 Southwark Street, Borough Market, London, England

Posted by Val Penny in Restaurant Review. Tagged: , , , , , , .

On a recent visit to London, England during the Rugby World Cup, my husband and I met relatives for dinner at The Southwark outsideSouthwark Tavern. We had a lot of catching up to do, so perhaps we should have thought this through and gone somewhere that was not showing matches. It was very busy and extremely noisy. The Southwark Tavern is a traditional pub with an oak-floored bar and exposed-brick basement dining room with vaulted alcoves. It is situated on Southwark Street near the Borough Market in London and is very easy to find.

We were impressed with the menu which played on the rugby by alluding to the game in the names given to the dishes offered. Every taste was catered for at The Southwark Tavern and there was a wide variety of beers southwark inside 2that the guys in our group enjoyed sampling.  Our table was downstairs, right under the stairs! Not the best table, but we could not be fussy: it was a Saturday night in the middle of the Rugby World Cup. The city was exceptionally busy. The Southwark Tavern has a multitude of nooks and crannies to discover, it’s easy to get lost in the inimitable charm of this 150-year-old pub. We really enjoyed he atmosphere.

We whiled away the evening over good meals from the seasonal pub food menu in our cosy candle-lit corner southwark downstairsdownstairs. The only thing that caused us grief was that we had to order each of our meals and drinks from the bar and then we had to bring the drinks, even water for the table, downstairs ourselves. The stairs are steep and curved, so this was not easy. I would not recommend The Southwark Tavern to those who are disabled or have mobility issues.

However, this is a true South London institution and I will certainly use The Southwark Tavern again.

14 Mar

Brew Wharf,14-16 Stoney Street, Borough Market, London, SE1 9AD, England

Posted by Val Penny in Restaurant Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

On a recent visit to London, England my husband and I were able to have dinner with our daughter and her boyfriend. They chose, Brew Wharf,14-16 Stoney Street, Borough Market, London and as it seemed to be central and very close to our hotel, we decided to walk. We must have taken a wrong turning. We got thoroughly lost. Having brew wharfgone round and round and becoming quite agitated we took a cab from where we were. It was central and so close the fare was under £5.00 but we would never have found it without the cab driver’s help! Stoney Street is little more than a narrow lane. Brew Wharf  is an interesting building, an  exposed brick railway arch bar and terrace with lengthy beer menu and pub type cuisine.

It has a wide selection of beers and the men sampled one or two. I can attest to the fact that they make a mean gin and tonic! Access is good for those with mobility issues and, although it was Saturday evening, the restaurant was very empty. The bar area was busier. However, as a vegetarian, I cannot recommend the venue for a meal. There was not a single starters or main course meal offered on the restaurant menu was suitable for vegetarians. I was surprised. It is a long time since that has happened to me in the UK. I was offered a pasta with a tomato sauce, but really, that is so unimaginative that we decided just to have a drink and go elsewhere to eat. I was disappointed.

After a some time, and to members of staff asking if we were ready to order, the duty manager came over and offered me a mezze from the bar menu. All the dips were vegetarian and the real import of the evening was to get together b w outwith the family, not to wander around London, so we stayed. It was good of the manager to arrange this. The amount of the dips, made me think the dish was meant as a sharing starter. The amount of pitta bread with it made me think the meal was for an anorexic dwarf.

My dips included babganoush, hoummous, guacamole, a tomato dip and a couple of others. It was fine but I would not write home about it. My husband chose the fish and chips and enjoyed it. My daughter had chicken. It seemed to be a very small portion, but she said it was good. Her boyfriend chose pork belly and said that was tasty too. However, bearing in mind that the restaurant only had three other customers, the service was very slow. There was no interaction with the staff. They seemed to be more interested in speaking to each other than waiting tables. Even our second round of drinks took a long time to come.

We finished our meals with tea and coffee. I was really disappointed by the lack of atmosphere in this restaurant because the building is really quaint and I thought it would be fun. It was not. I was looking forward to a nice meal. That was not to be. I also feel that the Brew Wharf is overpriced. I would not eat there again.

bw map

 

Valerie Penny

 

 

2 Mar

Hilton London Tower Bridge Hotel, 5 More London Place, Tooley Street London SE1 2BY, England

Posted by Val Penny in Hotel Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

London, England is one of the most vibrant, exciting cities in the world and now that both of our daughters are based in the city my Welcome to the Hilton London Tower Bridgehusband and I try to visit them, and the city, regularly. We try to stay centrally so that both our daughters can visit us quite conveniently. On our most recent trip we stayed near London Bridge at the Hilton London Tower Bridge Hotel. The hotel is situated near one of London’s most renown historical landmark bridges, London Tower Bridge. It is ideally located on the doorstep of the city’s financial and shopping districts.

This contemporary hotel is a fantastic sightseeing location from which to explore London’s many tourist attractions. This London hotel is just five minutes away from the London Bridge City Pier for the Thames Clipper and a five-minute walk to The Borough Market, The Shard and HMS Belfast. Hilton London Tower Bridge is also opposite London Bridge Station for underground (Jubilee and Northern lines) and national rail services. Excellent rail links provide easy access to London’s gateway stations and all major London Airports via the Heathrow and Gatwick Express network.

Double Guest RoomThe Hotel is a modern Hilton Hotel in a fantastic city centre situation. The rooms are stylish, spotlessly clean and elegantly furnished. There is a 24-hour reception at the hotel. The fully equipped fitness suite is bright and modern. This hotel in London is the perfect base for corporate as well as leisure guests. The upper floors command stunning views of The Shard.

We enjoyed breakfast, although the usual dining room was being refurbished, the full usual Hilton hot and cold buffet was available. Service, as would be expected at the Hilton, was discrete and efficient. However, it was not friendly. We also experienced the fashionable destination bar TwoRuba for a drink before dinner. It is a perfect place to unwind with a vibrant atmosphere and polished service. I was not surprised to learn that this London landmark hotel has received a number of prominent Hilton service awards, including the coveted Brand of Excellence award.hilton bar

Hilton London Tower Bridge Hotel has high speed internet access in every guest room and wireless broadband internet access throughout so it offers something different and whether you are on business or pleasure. In the rooms the subtle touches of colour did enhance our stay.  The contemporary rooms are decorated in cool, calm tones and have large opening windows. There is also watch on-demand movies on the 25-inch plasma TV, a desk and an easy chair.

My husband and I both enjoyed our stay a this hotel and its position is so convenient that I am sure we will stay here again.

Valerie Penny

31 Mar

Ibis Styles Hotel, Southwark Rose, London

Posted by Val Penny in Hotel Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

ibis reception

The Ibis Styles Hotel is situated in the centre of the London, England and it is easy to visit the sights of the city from there. The Borough Market and the Tate Modern Art Gallery are very close.   The hotel is scrupulously clean and the staff are friendly and helpful without being intrusive.

ibis room

The bed was very comfortable and the sound proofing of the rooms is good so the room was very quiet. Although the hotel was busy with families over the half-term holiday, we slept well. The shower is a power shower and was marvelous. The buffet breakfast was a continental breakfast, it was fresh and varied. There was lots of choice and the staff constantly replenished the buffet.

However, on the web-site we used it was not clear that the breakfast buffet offered no hot food.

ibis dining room

Neither were we made aware that the hotel bar and restaurant would be closed for refurbishment while we were there, nor that there was no bath in the en-suite. However, the situation of this hotel is so central and the price very competitive, so my husband and I will definitely use this hotel again.

Valerie Penny