TravelValue: England: Tripadvisor

Showing posts with label Tripadvisor. Show all posts

Saturday, March 24, 2018

London, England: Bizzarro Does Not Even Start To Describe This Place

Bizzarro

18-22 Craven Road

London W2 3PX

United Kingdom

Paddington Station

Phone number +44 20 7723 6029

Website: bizzarro.co.uk

Prices: ££££

Everything is à la carte here, like in Italy, but the food is not ... like in Italy. Meat dishes come with nothing and bread is €1/person. A 10% service charge (£4.19 - $5.80) was also automatically included, so our server seemed extremely arrogant and nonchalant, a bit of an ass. Why should he care if the service charge (tip) is mandatory? He did not get a pence more.

A half liter of house red wine is £9.40 ($13) on their website menu, but it was £10.20 ($14.15) when the bill arrived. The half liter carafe was far from full and it was not good. I had the Pasta e Fagioli (£4.50) and it was too soupy, had the wrong beans, and bland. Two teaspoons of grated parmesan did not even help. My wife the Olives (£2.90), a decent portion, but a tad spicy-hot because of the sliced jalapeños in the olive oil. Strange.

She had the Fettuccine Prosciutto e Funghi (£8.90 - $12.32 for a "main" - £1 more than the small) and I the Vitello Saltimbocca alla Romana (veal topped with prosciutto and sage in a wine sauce - £10.90 - $15.09). Her portion of fettuccine was not very big, so I would hate to see the small version (£7.90), and it was bland with little flavor. My veal was actually beef (you can tell by the color - greyish, not white - and the way it cuts) and had a strange flavor. I am not sure if it was the wine they used, the sage, or both, but it tasted a little of a chemical of some kind.

It was a disappointing experience after having read the great reviews, but then some throw 5-Stars around like candy. I guess I am a bit more demanding than most, having lived and traveled extensively in Italy for many years, but this meal was not even close to the 4-Stars (7-8 Bombs) they average on yelp. It was one of the worst £46 ($64) meals I have eaten. Bizzarro!

CombatCritic Gives Bizzarro 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Gold" Elite '14/'15/'16/'17/'18

650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Bizzarro on Yelp

Title: London, England: Bizzarro Does Not Even Start To Describe This Place

Key Words: Bizzarro, Italian, Italy, pizza, London, England, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Paddington, Tube, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Huntingdon, England: Good Food, Good Meat, For Cryin' Out Loud Go There And Eat!

Prima Restaurant

143 High Street

Huntingdon PE29 3TF

United Kingdom

Phone number: +44 1480 455553

Website: primarestauranthuntingdon.co.uk

Prices: ££££

With fairly reasonable prices by British standards, our dinner at Prima with some old mates I had not seen in 20 years was smashing, jolly good fun!

Parking can be a challenge in the center of Huntingdon, but some local knowledge (and permission) got us a spot in close proximity. Attractive inside and out, the restaurant is modern and tastefully decorated with stone and wood accents.

We were the only four customers on a weeknight, so the service was fast and efficient. We started with a Basket of Bread with EVO and Balsamic Vinegar (£2.95), Marinated Olives (£2.95), and a bottle of Pinot Grigio (£15.95). The bread was fresh and tasty, the olives delicious and the wine ... white, not my favorite, but dinner was our treat and our dear friends prefer vino bianco, so there you have it.

My wife had the Linguine Carbonara (£8.95) and I the Mussels in Marinara and Cream Sauce (Special - £9.95). Our friends had Penne (£10.95) and Mussels (£9.95) with the two boys sharing a side of French Fries (£2.95). My wife is Italian and the carbonara was of the non-Italian variety (made with cream, not eggs - damn salmonella!), so she was not thrilled although she said it was "not bad" (picky Italians). The mussels were very good, but I would have thought a "main" (we had the option of "appetizer" or "main") would have had more mussels than we ended up getting (about a half pound).

Everybody had the Amaretto Ice Cream (£6.95) except me, so I had a taste of my wife's. It was good. Overall, the dinner was extremely enjoyable and did not break the bank. The food was good, probably the best Italian we had in our month in England, but having lived in Italy and being married to an Italian, our standards are pretty high. I would definitely recommend Prima if in the Huntingdon area.

CombatCritic Gives Prima A Very Respectable 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Read Chris S.'s review of Prima Restaurant on Yelp

Yelp - "Gold" Elite '14/'15/'16/'17/'18

650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Huntingdon, England: Good Food, Good Meat, For Cryin' Out Loud Go There And Eat!

Key Words: Prima, Italian, Italy, pasta, Huntingdon, downtown, Cambridgeshire, England, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Monday, February 19, 2018

"Flexibility" Is The Key To Air Power And A Charlotte House Core Value

Charlotte House Hotel

78 London Road

Peterborough PE2 9BP

United Kingdom

Phone number +44 1733 315870

Website: charlottehousehotel.com

Prices: ££££

Kudos to the owner/manager for her flexibility! Usually an expert and thorough logistician (after all, it was my military career field for 20 years), I somehow screwed the pooch on this reservation, booking this hotel for the day AFTER our scheduled arrival. I contacted the property that morning with my tail between my legs and, low and behold, they changed our reservation to that night without a cancellation (aka dumb ass) charge.

We arrived late after visiting friends I had not seen in 20 years just 20 miles south in Huntingdon and left early the next morning, so we did not have time to enjoy the hotel. Parking is in the rear, so take the street immediately north of the hotel (Park Street), then left again on Woodbine Street behind the hotel. If arriving after dark, you might see the slightly obscured "Charlotte House Car Park" sign on the fence adjacent to the property if you look hard enough (see photos below).

Rear of Hotel

A two-story Victorian building on the outskirts of town and less than a mile from the impressive Peterborough Cathedral (burial place of Catherine of Aragon and former resting place of Mary Queen of Scots), the feel is eclectic and somewhat modern, but warm, inviting and slightly charming The room was a tad odd with three steps down into the room from the entry, but it was large with an en suite bathroom, TV with cable, kettle with coffee/tea/milk/sugar, a comfy full size bed, and decent Wi-Fi. We slept well.

At £49.50 ($70.40), we kept the price under my preferred $75 limit and it included a delicious full English breakfast ... now that is a definitie TravelValue ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Charlotte House Hotel 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Read Chris S.'s review of Charlotte House Hotel on Yelp

Yelp - "Gold" Elite '14/'15/'16/'17/'18

650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: "Flexibility" Is The Key To Air Power And A Charlotte House Core Value

Key Words: Charlotte House Hotel, Charlotte, House, hotel, Peterborough, UK, England, Cambridgeshire, accommodation, room, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Friday, February 2, 2018

Rochester, England: GRRRRRRRRRROWL ... Golden Lion Big On Value, But Not On Ambiance

Golden Lion

147-149 High Street

Rochester ME1 1EL

United Kingdom

Phone number +44 1634 880521

Website: jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/rochester

Prices: ££££

Another JD Wetherspoon, while very short on charm and ambiance, it has, like the others, reasonable prices and consistency not found in every pub.

They overcharged me by a few quid for my wife's shandy (which was refunded), but the British Beef and Doom Bar Ale Pie (£6.39) was pretty good and a decent value. I just hope the Brits sorted out that Mad Cow thing if you know what I mean.

The beers are relatively cheap (£1.99 and up) with a nice variety of hand-pulled, room temperature ales. Not charming and with a 2 Bomb deduction for overcharging me, JD's is still a good TravelValue ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives The Golden Lion 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Read Chris S.'s review of Golden Lion on Yelp

Yelp - "Gold" Elite '14/'15/'16/'17/'18

650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Rochester, England: GRRRRRRRRRROWL ... Golden Lion Big On Value, But Not On Ambiance

Key Words: Rochester, England, Golden Lion, golden, lion, United Kingdom, pub, food, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook