SeanMacGabhann

If it's pubs you are after the Nuns Head has changed drastically in the last year - and all for the better - great place A small restaurant called... The Restaurant also looks very nice indeed *oh and welcome to the forum! *

England v Russia 2-1 Scotland v France 1-2 Iceland v Northern Ireland 0-1 Slovakia v Wales 1-1 Czech Republic v Rep of Ireland 2-2

I popped along for a spot of Sunday lunch and found the place very much a work-in-progress. Drilling still ongoing, sound systems being put in etc Plus I was the only one there for best part of an hour All that said, some others arrived, I ordered my food which was lovely. The bar staff were really sweet and friendly. The space is really very nice with a great wooden floor. The toilets, however, have yet to be refurbed Price for a San Miguel was ?3.20 - the roast dinner came in at under a tenner and was a very nice piece of beef with fine veg and proper Yorkshire pud So even tho it's a bit out of my way there are enough reasons to be around Bellenden from time to time to make this worth another visit

Interesting Frisco, interesting. Would love to have a convo if you turn up to a forum drinks/birthday party on the same subject That last statement in particular is true. But from the outside it look like a park operator uses the equation - people without kids = people without kids. People with kids = people without kids AND people with kids But I must stop posting for one day!

From what I can make out, everyone (DM and Frisco included) is broadly on the same page here - apart from AllforNun who started the conversation and didn't make a bad point... it just became a bit black and white for a while afterwards Park cafe - not great. Could do better food. People agree. People also have kids with unambitious taste. Let's get the talented manager/chef somewhere else

I think a sushi place would do very well (not from me - not until I get over my seafood thing) The informal bistro food I mentioned I think would do well do (The Drum tried something for a very little while and was delicious but not on the main strip) I think an upmarket Mexican/South American place would do well (with all due respect to El Paso) A South Indian menu closer than SE15 also

Simon I was so shocked by the offer - WHATEVER it might mean - I couldn't reply to it! If it's Dulwichmum offering I'm unlikely to say no tho -

true.. true... downsouth. But is it over-caution at this point. Would someone different clean-up?

Kids huh? Confession time - between the ages of 6 and 16 I would eat nothing but cereal. And I mean pretty much nothing. Even after that period it was food of the most processed order. I genuinely had no concept of what went in and what came out It all changed about 20 years ago when I arrived in this country - and even then slowly. And EVEN THEN I still have issues (seafood for example.. I dunno why) So don't give up DM - they may be fussy now but they will grow out of it Dang it - off topic. Someone... quick.. get it back on

Geez Louise - I didn't expect so broad an answer! ;-) I think we are done on this - pint soon?

That'll be Le Chardon by the sound of it PGC (acceptable abbreviation?) The price things is different as is the (variable - but usually badly) service. And it's a bit more formal that the pub vibe I'm after Anna - there are odd exceptions it's true - but too few IMO (I know it's a small complaint compared to life's bigger issues.. but within the area we are discussing... etc)

Ah I see - when I asked the question "is it the type or quality" of the current operation you answered "with the previous owner it was both" I read that to mean the previous owner had both sorted - honest mistake

Sadly New York and Miami http://www.leshalles.net/ I make no grand claims for it (well....) and if that became the norm I would be hacked off - but as an example of grills AND sauces I have eaten not much better

Oi - DS - you used that line on me recently and now I feel jealous! DM - I don't think Frisco was saying that the cafe was all organic and tweezed to perfection - just that it had more variety and quality (the organic = automatic quality maxim is REALLY beginning to bug me too)

I am loving the dialogue downsouth.. but we are unlikely to ever agree are we? You mention other countries taking our jobs/businesses for years now - have I missed something - UK plc has being doing pretty well for some time and the impending credit collapse will hit Ireland (for example) much harder than the UK (being Irish I get to go back lots and can see the paper-thin building edifice the country is built upon) All of this regardless of tax rates for welfare mother... sorry I mean corporations You have been the one arguing for unfettered free trade. Therefore disagreeing with the lower-down jobs going is a bit "moo" (Friends reference = moot) Jobs are coming back (as predicted at the time of their going - business didn't listen then and won't now) But I disagree that UK is not set up for business. There is this idea that doing business in London is near impossible with the red tape and rstrictions but it isn't borne out by the number of companies investing here

Having been here almost 7 years it looks like I missed out on the previous incarnation. Sounds good tho Frisco.. what are we missing out on? Could be that we take what we are given without realising?

The curry in The Rye is pretty good downsouth - a good example of something a wee bit different. I think the problem is not so much what people want as the type of meals served lend themselves to portion control and quick cooking (burger and onions 17 times? no problem - give me 15 mins) I've thought about cooking the stuff myself and offering it to pubs if they don't want to take a risk - but really. Other cities manage more variety.. a not expensive place for example is Bourdain's Les Halles - good, simple, cheap bistro food in nice surroundings...

Our EC brethern seem to adopt a more co-operative approach and do fine - it is Britain that retains its special status Now that the "higher up" jobs are going what;s the problem - those same higher up managers had no problem shipping lower-down jobs to India... tast of their own medicine. Customers in the UK want local call-centres for example - not many companies listen Many of us have friends in the economic arm of London. Good times or bad times - they speak self-interested arse mostly. ( see passim re: how they have packaged up debt and caused problems in the derivatives market) Anyone a year or two ago suggesting that all of that mortgage dealing in the sub-prime market was likely to be told how naive they were. Remember - most of these boys in the city are simply young geezers. They know nothing of the world. I thought when I came to the city I would meet the brightest minds... how wrong I was Ha

So the area has changed a lot in recent years. There are no more "all meals for a pound or less" banners hanging outside The Forresters ( I have been on the dole with no money.... no way would I eat a pub meal for a pound or less. I would cut out the middleman) But there is a generic strand to most of the menus on the Lane. Posh Breakfast. Steak. Sausage and mash. Fish. veggie Option. That's (give or take) it - and I love all of these dishes but a bit of variety wouldn't go amiss - no classic bistro dishes (Boef Bourginon, Coq au Vin) no mexican staples (Beef chili, Fajitas) , No British stews. There are lots more butthere appears to be a template for most menus these days which has led to a homegenisation (no way have I spelled that right) across the board Some pubs do try harder than others - The Bishop remains the most diverse menu (loving the chicken and white bean chili) but in the evening they lose a lot of the good daytime meals (the pies for example) With winter approaching I would love for heartier food to be served.. anyone else?

Is it the type of food served or the standard that is the problem at this place? For what it is ( a cafe pavilion in the middle of a park) my experience has been fine.. not amazing but fine.. If it's the type of food then I don't think it would change much - a park cafe catering for the majority of punters (ie families with children from a wide demographic) But food menus generally in the area is another subject - I feel a thread coming on

Leaving aside the inherent prejudice ("you arty types") the quote "could well" obscure... remains. As a driver I would feel confident in my ability to read the road and the junction, If drivers "increasingly ignore vehicles" then I think you have found the problem

How does this impair driver vision? A driver approaching this junction is concerned about the traffic on the left and right - not dead ahead? Or have I got this wrong? And the lord forbid we should introduce art into the environment

You paint the picture of large corporations as another version of Bob Crowe and his mates "Give us what we want or we are off" I'm not saying you are wrong.... but it's not very edifying when he does it and the same applies to massive profit making corporations

as a (shamefully) post all day every day person.... umm.. I was like you once. New. Balanced. Reasonable.... Pity me, help me. But please don't judge me... ;-)

So do I downsouth (work for one of the biggest etc) The amount involved may be huge but as a percentage of what it should be, or in comparison to others...