Bar Kohl, Edinburgh

The world's best vodka bar, and one of the things I miss the most about Edinburgh. Cannot recommend it enough to visitors. Fantastic booze, funky tunes, knowledgeable bar staff, and perfect location. I'll be back in December to drink myself silly on Bounty Bar flavoured vodka!

19 Sep 2006 15:17

All Bar One, Portsmouth

Like most of its Gunwharf neighbours, Ha Ha is all style and no substance. It promises trendy gastro-pub food and a relaxed atmosphere.

What it delivers, in fact, is surly doormen, filthy tables and below-par service.

The food is passable but this is not the classy establishment it would like to be.

19 Sep 2006 15:10

The Globe on the Lake, Alresford

Desperately inadequate customer service which sadly overshadows the quality of the food, home-cooked and hand-prepared or otherwise.

We were told that food would take about half an hour to be served, but ended up waiting just under 2 hours for our mains to arrive; this was justified by snippy staff as 'you've already had your starters guys, which puts you lower on the priority list than people who just ordered a main course.'

When we were at the arm-gnawing stage my father finally complained again about the speed of the service, at which point two quite unspectacular portions of fish and chips were frisbeed onto our table- I'd hardly say they were worth the wait. We were also berated by a waitress for having no place marker to indicate the number of our table; this was the same waitress who had taken our place marker away about an hour earlier.

A lovely setting, average gastro-pub grub but let down by the arrogant attitude of the owner (who made a distinctly anti-Scottish jibe to my visiting father) and the pompous tone of the waiting staff- and of course the enormous delay in being served. The experience put a dampner on an otherwise lovely day.

19 Sep 2006 15:02