ASR

I travel to Uni in Brighton every day from Dulwich, and the way I go is the quickest I think. I get a lift to Clapham Junction or take the 37 and then catch the Southern Express Service which calls at East Croydon and then goes straight to Brighton. It takes about 45 mins, so very fast.

Dos Amigos is a chain for sure. They currently have branches in Clapham/Battersea and one in Beckenham High Street. I have been to the one in Beckenham a couple of times after having been invited by friends. The food isnt bad but generally its not my preferred cuisine. But you couldnt fault the place really. It's been there about 3 years now and seems to be doing quite well with the locals. Many friends go regularly for parties and also just for drinks (they have a huge cocktails menu) and have never complained. We shall have to wait and see what happens with the ED Branch.

Exactly Mamora Man. But just one more thing though. Aston Martin is no longer owned by Ford as of last year when it was sold to a private consortium of investors which include that of David Richards (owner of prodrive and self made millionaire) and fellow investors from the Qatari Investment Authority (backing his bid). The same also goes for Land Rover and Jaguar which were sold off a couple of months ago to Tata Motors of India. After trying to rule / takeover the automotive market for sometime, Ford decided to sell of its other subsidiaries and concentrate on its core business..."Ford". The only other company still remaining in its control is the Swedish firm Volvo which they are also considering getting rid off.

Thats true lilolil you wouldnt normally expect it round here but I have to say that lately I have seen loads of nice cars around ED, especially in chesterfield grove and sometimes on lordship lane in the evenings; everything from bentleys to lamborghinis to maybachs.

I agree. A starbucks Latte and muffin along with anything else they have is unique. Although I may not like their production methods, the taste of it is damn good. Nevertheless this also goes for the majority of stuff we all buy in the supermarket. All batch produced in a huge factory with added nonsense to enhance the flavour. I try to stick to organics where possible but these days its just a fact of life. Super coffee machine eh dulwichmum? Gaggia is it? I am not too keen on the knorr chicken noodle soup but I do have to say that anyone passionate about cake has to have konditor and cook and when it comes to champagne, what happened to louis roederer? I suppose krug is as good as though. And oh yeah what happened to the Charbonnel chocolates?!?

Ok thanks for that. Yes i see where you're coming from, it depends which way you look at it but its a valid point.

I would probably follow the same criteria along with quality of service, facilities and atmosphere. Of course you do learn where and when to go and not to go after having gone to some places often enough. Fair play for not giving any names, as always its down to personal preference. Remind me where is Le Chandelier? thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to add that to my list along with SimonM's top 10. Interesting point about the link between the venti lattes' and obesity and actually it had struck me before but since i overhauled my diet a year ago and regularly workout, it doesn't bother me so much and I always go for a skinny venti latte/cappucino etc but treat myself to a normal one every few months. Nevertheless, i honestly don't think the obese population / increase in obesity is directly linked in any way to Starbucks and its large sized beverages, as it generally known to be down the quantity of food consumed on an average day and most importantly the actual products consumed As they say, its not just about how much but about what you eat.

I couldn't agree more! that's exactly what we need and we need it now lol. Audi Q7 on Melbourne grove? which side? Well it depends if you can get parking in the first place nowadays even a mini is proving a problem. Apologies macroban; no offense intended to anyone old or feeling old. Was just a mere comment and i certainly don't have anything against older people.

To be honest i would not be at all surprised if he does bail out foxtons with a rescue bid because he has become so wealthy and as far as we know he isnt doing much else busiesswise so besides walking the dog and reading the paper in his mansion he has nothing else to do. But good on him for selling in the 1st place; he is switched on.

Thanks for the list SimonM; I will definitely check them out. It seems the place on Forest Hill Road is a start. I have to say from my first and last experience @ Petit Chou I wasn't impressed. The staff weren't friendly and it seemed like they just wanted to get rid of you, but that was a while ago. It maybe different now. As for cafe Nero, I was over the moon when it arrived in Dulwich at the beginning of 2006. At that time the Starbucks wasn't to impressive but i soon stopped going to nero after they served latte's on several occasions which were stone cold. Ever since then i converted back to Starbucks and have been going there ever since. The Dulwich picture gallery cafe is very chic, elegant and contemporary but the quality of your visit depends on the time you go. It is often very busy, especially with the oldies who are out for the day and can become noisy and crowded with occasional sloppy service. Blue Mountain has been there for some time and the last time i was there i was satisfied but not overwhelmed as you kind of know what to expect; but in my opinion its not a place to gloat about. [They have another branch in Sydenham aswell] Konditor & Cook eh dulwichmum? thank god somebody knows about proper cakes lol. The Idea of a takeout, magazine/paper/book and a piece of coffee walnut sounds great, but try avoiding the utility room; can get a bit noisy, smelly and stuffy. How about the cupboard under the stairs or the walk in wardrobe? Or you could try the hubby's office?

I totally agree with Dulwichmum. Starbucks in ED is awesome, especially when you just need to chill out after a hectic gym workout or when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of a mad house and read the paper or the latest novel which you bought the other day. mmmm....blueberry cheesecake and a venti latte! although the apple and cinnamon muffin is good on occasions... some of the finer things in life! ED & Sainsburys wouldn't be the same without it. Understandably Starbucks has its critics who are not fans of chains and the prices attached but everyone to their own. On the subject of coffee places in Dulwich, what are your top 10 SimonM? And what are your coffee habits?

Lol I see you appreciate the finer things in life rite?

I agree. Marks and Spencer should commence negociations immediately! Its about time we had something new and innovative in that area. That section has been dead / non existent for ages.

Yeah your right; I guess that is the main reason why but i think they should have come up with something a bit more efficient. I remember being in Starbucks last year, just a week or so after re-opening from refurbishment and the staff spent forever trying to tell people not to use the door as a shortcut but nobody bothered to take any notice.

James Nesbitt has been a familiar face around ED for a little while, he used to live in Melbourne Grove near the church untill he moved to West Dulwich alongside the likes of Harriet Harman etc.

Lol. Thankfully I have never given that a try but its a good warning for those who are considering it

the biggest downside to the M4 is those wretched speed cameras! the m40 has a few cameras at the beginning but then they dye out, as for the M1 there arent any cameras untill J6 which is when you hit the roadworks for a few miles but the rest of it is pretty quick and camera free!

For CHG, I would agree that GBK is probably its most successful brand but the reason me saying that they are not doing so well is due to comments friends and others have made after having been there and also a couple of bad experiences which i have had myself. On the whole i would say their food is pretty good but the service is lacking in some areas. Nevertheless i am only speaking for this branch here in ED but on the whole i am sure they are very popular and successful. Either way though i am not so worried as i have given my diet a good overhaul and haven't been there for some time.

Personally I would have to say my home, but exactly where the heart of ED would be is down to personal preference. It could be starbucks for one, or The EDT or GBK for the other. It all depends really.

On the subject of Gourmet Burger Kitchen; has anyone tried the Indian Takeaway restaurant called 'The Bombay bicycle club' at the top of lordship lane near the plough? Its actually part of the same company as GBK. Would be interesting to see what reputation they have got as they are also a large chain considering that GBK is not doing so well.

Yeah i guess so, but in some way i think he made the right decision at the right time which paid off for his hard work over the years; but in another way maybe he had other reasons for wanting out. Either way he has become very wealthy and has made it for himself which you have to give him credit for.

Lol. Wouldnt we all? I have walked up that street (Kensington Palace Gardens) loads of times and when you see the houses there and think about it, i am not surprised that he turned it down lol. The houses there are amazing!

Did anyone read the article about Foxtons and its founder in the FT this weekend? It pretty much explains the whole situation with the company at the minute, and also the hefty sum which jon hunt (founder) made upon selling the company last year to BC partners. Even though foxtons financial situation is other than stable, i very much doubt they will be closing down soon - despite them arriving in ED during uncertain economic times, they are very well established and are leaders in their market although only operating in London and the South West.

I would be firmly against a mcdonalds anywhere in East Dulwich. I think they are fine where they are. The food they serve has always been useless and it continuing to deteriorate in quality and is by far the most unhealthiest you could possibly eat. I think it would be a negative point for the area.

I totally agree. I think it fits in well with the area and more similar developments would be great give the place a new modern and contemporary look and jazz it up a bit. Its a great house but in terms of privacy everything is quite visible, especially when your going by on the bus which i couldnt live with as people would be forever looking in. On the subject of grand designs though, there is a house on camberwell grove which was featured on grand desings some while back.