commonlondon (deutsch)

Hello 2012, Goodbye Blog

commonliner — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:47:06 +0000

Well…I admit defeat: This blog is dead. I highly admire all those London bloggers who manage to keep writing great stuff in regular intervals. I don’t have the time. Hence I shouldn’t blog. Who needs another London blog anyways when there are so many other excellent examples? My personal top three are: diamond geezer IanVisits […]

Happy 2011

commonliner — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:35:23 +0000

Yes, I know: After a long hiatus, this blog seemed dead. But trust me, it isn’t. Anyways, the new year has started, and new years are an opportunity to do things differently. Well, actually every day is an opportunity to do that, but you have to start somewhere, do you not? [simage=298,200,y,right]Here is the change: […]

Website Update

commonliner — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:44:25 +0000

Ein kurzes Update auf Deutsch. This is a short update in German. You can no longer switch languages. 1. Geodaten Nach der Umstellung funktionierten die Landkarten nicht mehr richtig – repariert. Fast, zumindest: Lediglich die deutschsprachige globale Landkarte (Übersicht aller Artikel unter Geodaten) funktioniert leider immer noch nicht. 2. Deutscher RSS Feed Mir ist aufgefallen, […]

Up and down Rich Bricks

commonliner — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:30:43 +0000

Strange title for a post. It is an unimaginative attempt at meshing a whole evening into a short phrase: a drink at Redchurch Bar, followed by Up in the Air at Rich Mix cinema, followed by a curry on Brick Lane, followed by a final pint at Woodin’s Shades. 1. Redchurch Bar Looks a bit […]

Fleet River Bakery

commonliner — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:45 +0000

Just a little bit too far from my office for the lunch break lies the Fleet River Bakery at the edge of Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Pity, because the food offerings look gorgeous – though don’t expect varieties of bread here, because the bakery products are focusing on cakes: it’s a proper bistro-café. Oh how I’d […]

Jackie Leven at the Slaughtered Lamb

commonliner — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:00:38 +0000

I’ve been kissed by a man! Eeek!!It was my first time ever, and most probably won’t happen again (sorry to disappoint). Of course, my kisser wasn’t any random man, but more on that later – first things first. Jackie Leven & Michael Cosgrave Last Of The BadmenVideomann | MySpace Video I have been following Jackie […]

Little Bay Farringdon

commonliner — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:00:14 +0000

Is it French? Is it Modern British? Hard to say, but it’s cheap! This mini-chain of restaurants serves French-oriented food, I’d say, and considering the price, I find it good value. Tonight was my second visit, and although there are mixed reviews, I cannot fault the quality of the food. Well-seasoned, nicely cooked dishes, served […]

illy at Tate Modern Members Café

commonliner — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:30:27 +0000

The main attraction of Tate Modern’s Members’ Room is undoubtedly the view. Judge for yourself: Tate Modern’s 360° Panorama (inside) urban75’s 360° Panorama (south terrace) However, they do decent coffee, too, hence this article in the commoncoffee series. The illy they serve might not be in the Monmouth or Square Mile league, yet it is […]

Dim T for Tower Bridge

commonliner — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:00:36 +0000

A restaurant for special occasions: Dim T More London. Easily the flagship of the small chain of cool and stylish pan-Asian restaurants, the sort of place where they play lounge music on the loos. Speaking of loos, it’s not easy to find the cabins…hint: the rear wall is not really a wall. People come here […]

Tas EV

commonliner — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:30:53 +0000

Tas is the first restaurant I blogged about – in German at that time. And nothing has changed: fresh ingredients traditionally prepared, tasty and good value. The only difference to my first blog entry is that tonight we went to Tas EV, the flagship branch of this mini-chain of turkish-oriental oriented restaurants. So, nothing new […]

Tas EV plus Cocktails

commonliner — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:30:20 +0000

Tas was the first restaurant I wrote about in this blog. In German, though. Yet I have nothing to add, except that I was in Tas’s flagship restaurant Tas Ev this time. Fresh ingredients, traditional cooking, indeed, tasty and good. Although they initially wanted us to have the group menu, just because I booked for […]

Seven Sisters

commonliner — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:30:23 +0000

More than five years and I haven’t been to the Seven Sisters? [salbum=29,n,n,left] All change today: one hour after departing from Victoria Station, we found ourselves in Eastbourne and started a great 12km-walk along the coastline. The projected lunch stop at the Beachy Head Pub was a bit of a letdown: the pub itself is […]

Monmouth Coffee Co Borough Market

commonliner — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:00:13 +0000

A real treat, smooth yet zesty enough for a pleasant kick. I have mentioned before how much I like Monmouth Coffee Company, and I am a regular visitor. Not on a daily basis, not even weekly, but every now and then when I am craving for a reward, a coffee from Monmouth lifts my spirits […]

Lamb, Bloomsbury

commonliner — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:00:28 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, and even contradicting all signage, the name of this pub has nothing to do with sheep: it rather refers to William Lamb, a 16th century citizen who built a conduit, which today only lives on in the street name Lamb’s Conduit Street, where the Lamb is based. This pub is definitely […]

Avatar 3D at the IMAX

commonliner — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:40:26 +0000

No need to write much about Avatar, Cameron’s epic movie has been through the press up and down the globe. Earth, that is, I doubt it has been reviewed on the Na’vi’s home planet. However, this is a movie that must be seen in 3D, which is what we did, in style on Britain’s largest […]

Hampstead’s Heath and Pubs

commonliner — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:30:32 +0000

Being stressed is not good. I almost missed this meetup with friends in Hampstead, and I would have missed out on a perfectly relaxing afternoon, taking in the wintery sights of Hampstead Heath and the culinary (liquid and solid) delights of some of Hampstead’s brilliant pubs. Luckily I still got in time to The Rosslyn […]

Car Clubs and an Accident

commonliner — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:30:57 +0000

Like many Central Londoners, I don’t have a car. Living in Zone 1 means that I can walk or cycle to most of my destinations, and when it is too far or too inconvenient, there is always public transport. So my Bankside parking lot, which I could claim without charge if I had a car, […]

Lion King

commonliner — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:30:54 +0000

Mainstream musicals, as in typical feelgood family entertainment, are usually not my cup of tea. Yet when I was offered a reduced best available seat for Disney’s Lion King, I instantly accepted. How could I not? Lion King has a robust reputation and a number of followers, and even though it is understandably appealing to […]

Rugby Tavern

commonliner — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:30:03 +0000

This one has certainly become my most visited pub: The Rugby Tavern. Tucked away in Rugby Street off Lamb’s Conduit Street in the Bloomsbury/Holborn area, it is rather surprising that this pub features an outside sitting area on a sort of pedestrian-only mini-plaza that you would not necessarily expect here. I suppose no tourist would […]

Monmouth Coffee Company

commonliner — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:30:26 +0000

Whoa, what a cracker! One flat white and I was literally jumping across Hungerford Bridge! Monmouth Coffee Company is by far my favourite local roaster. On my way back home, I passed their café in Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, where it all began in 1978. The roasting is now done in railway arches in Bermondsey, […]

British Music Experience

commonliner — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:00:20 +0000

The British Music Experience (BME) at The O2 is supposed to be an interactive museum, so expect lots of flashy displays and things to touch. At £15, the entrance fee is rather hefty and on par with other major London attractions. Therefore, the exhibition better be good! Of course I didn’t pay the full amount, […]

Three Sisters

commonliner — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:30:01 +0000

A night of Chekov in Hammersmith. I like the Lyric Hammersmith, it is a modern theatre with an old-ish feel. With 550 seats, it is already quite big, yet not as big as the prime Westend venues, you are never too far from the stage, ensuring good viewing positions even in the back rows. And […]

Callaghans Bloomsbury

commonliner — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:51 +0000

It is not easy to decide what Callaghans is. It is part of a hotel, but not a hotel bar. It is a pub with an Irish theme, but too polished for an Irish pub. They often serve German food, but this is because of the hotel’s German chef, who is also serving the Junction […]

Chris Ofili plus Turner and the Masters

commonliner — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:15:45 +0000

What a shitty exhibition! No, this is not a value statement, well, not quite anyways, but Chris Ofili used elephant dung in his work. Yes, animal excrement. And I did not really expect to see so much of it. But I did not just visit Tate Britain for the Chris Ofili exhibition. Well, actually I […]

Westminster Bridge to Vauxhall Bridge

commonliner — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:00:57 +0000

Not often do I have a reason to cross Vauxhall Bridge, yet this Grade II* listed bridge is quite impressive. Not just for its views: Battersea Powerstation on one side, the Palace of Westminster on the other, the SIS aka MI6 Building on the southern riverbank, which is actually in eastwards, Tate Britain on the […]

Sole Street Circular Walk

commonliner — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:00:00 +0000

No, Sole Street is not a street in London. It is a hamlet in north Kent, 43km from London Victoria, and you have probably noticed that I refuse to use Imperial units. Anyways, the most noteworthy aspect about Sole Street is perhaps its railway station, which was our starting point for a leisurely (and muddy) […]

Sushi at Hare and Tortoise

commonliner — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:30:17 +0000

Another day, another sushi – it really is commonliner’s sushi week. And save the best for last, no conveyor belt this time, but the all-time affordable favourite Hare & Tortoise at The Brunswick in Bloomsbury. The H&T is without doubt my most-visited restaurant in London, thanks not only to its proximity to my workplace, but […]

Coach and Horses Gt Marlborough Street

commonliner — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:00:50 +0000

The street name is important. There is another Coach and Horses in Soho, in the south-eastern end of the area, and it is steeped in history and really good. The one at the corner of Great Marlborough and Poland Street, a Greene King pub, is not quite as good, but will serve its purpose when […]

YO! Sushi Poland Street

commonliner — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:43 +0000

This week turns out to be sushi week, after last Sunday and a bit of unexpected Itsu takeway sashimi leftovers at work. As a part of the YO! Company, YO! Sushi is the catering arm of that business and operates a chain of conveyor belt restaurants, initially across the UK only, but I hear they […]

606 Club with Caroline Loftus and Bryan Spring

commonliner — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:00:30 +0000

Behind the unassuming door pictured below in the middle of West Bromptonian nowhere lies one of Europe’s finest Jazz clubs. The 606 Club got its name from its original location in 606 Kings Road, and it transferred its reputation and name to the new location in Lots Road, a residential area plus some industry such […]

Mamma Mia! indeed

commonliner — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:30:12 +0000

Right. Why was I here in the middle of a wig-wearing, spandex-clad and female-dominated gathering of Abba fans? Ah yes, free tickets, always a good excuse. And the spectacle factor of seeing a movie on the largest flown projection screen to date. And the general experience of being inside The O2 arena. And the fun […]

Wasabi at The O2

commonliner — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:00:26 +0000

A little bit of sushi every now and then is a delight. Tonight’s visit at The O2‘s Wasabi was a welcome opportunity to have some, and luckily this North Greenwich Branch has a conveyor belt, which makes the whole experience fun. Or stressful, because you really need to be alert, in particular when you have […]

Zeitgeist

commonliner — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:30:19 +0000

I like this pub. Spacious and comfortable inside, ornamental central bar, though a bit tucked away in the middle of nowhere between Vauxhall and Waterloo, yet only a few yards away from the Thames. You don’t pass this pub by coincidence, no, you make a conscious decision to go there. And you should. Zeitgeist @ […]

Sherlock Holmes

commonliner — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:30:09 +0000

I remember a piece of homework back in school when we were tasked with completing a fragment of a Sherlock Holmes story, which was not familiar to any of us. In my version, I got so close to the real Doyle that neither my friend nor the teacher would believe that I had not read […]

Hummus Bros Cheapside

commonliner — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:15:46 +0000

I am so lucky to work within walking distance of a Hummus Bros branch. And today I had the one item from their menu that I haven’t had before. Yes, I am now through their complete menu! Not only that, my lunch today was even free: Hummus Bros were opening their new branch next to […]

Misanthrope

commonliner — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:30:32 +0000

I admit: we went to see the Misanthrope because of Keira Knightley. Well, not exclusively, because the prospect of experiencing Martin Crimp’s version of Molière was an appealing idea, too. And appealing it was. I am usually not prepared to pay full-price tickets for the best seats in the theatre, especially when those seats are […]

The Tom Cribb

commonliner — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:45:36 +0000

And I thought London’s tourist hotspot was largely void of decent real ale pubs…enter Tom Cribb. Named after a famous 19th century boxer who ran a pub in the same street, this pub is now owned by Shepherd Neame. It is very small, and given the location, you would expect it to be crammed after […]

Hunstanton

commonliner — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:00:25 +0000

Great to have creative friends: it is a lovely idea to rent a youth hostel for a fortieth birthday celebration. It is even better when the hostel is at the sea. January, though, may not be the best time to visit, but is that a hindrance? Of course not, so a nice group of people […]

Camden Head Delights

commonliner — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:00:04 +0000

As I am not exactly living in Islington, I cannot claim that this is my local, but the Camden Head is definitely my most visited pub in the Angel area. Wait a minute: Angel? Why is it called Camden Head then? The name derives from the Camden Passage, or Camden Walk, where this nice pub […]

Giraffe Islington

commonliner — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:30:17 +0000

Chain restaurants can have acceptance problems: they may be able to build a community of fans and supporters, but anti-globalists and individualists tend to treat them with scepticism and a critical attitude. I have known Giraffe since they had about four restaurants in London; meanwhile they have expanded quite a bit. I must say that […]

Frenzy

commonliner — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:00:00 +0000

“Mr Rusk, you are not wearing your tie!” Last words of Alfred Hitchcock’s penultimate movie Frenzy, closing the story without any post-climax resolution in the most direct way with uncompromising clarity. While the film does not tell at all what would happen next, we all can be sure, because at the end all storylines and […]

The Harp

commonliner — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:30:26 +0000

What a find! Decent pubs in the tourist hotspot between Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus are rather scarce, and I always need to think hard when being asked where to go for spontaneous drinks. Exiting the National Portrait Gallery, though, I remembered The Harp instantly: a CAMRA member recommended this pub to me a few […]

Cream Tea Chronicles: National Portrait Gallery

commonliner — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:15:45 +0000

Twice makes a tradition. And so we held our traditional New Year’s Cream Tea as usual last year in the Portrait Restaurant at the top of the National Portrait Gallery. A special place, this Portrait Restaurant, especially for its fine view of Trafalgar Square, including the back of Nelson, Whitehall, and the Palace of Westminster. […]

commonliner’s Cream Tea Chronicles

commonliner — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:00:21 +0000

Cream Tea, be it Devonshire, Cornish or other, is a fantastic British tradition to enjoy: a nice tea, hopefully home-baked scones, delicious clotted cream, and some jam – the perfect recipe for a relaxed Sunday afternoon. I savoured my first cream tea at the age of sixteen and was instantly hooked on this sweet delight, […]

Let’s Graze

commonliner — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:30:36 +0000

This was a totally random find. I was happily walking back from a visit to a genius and wanted to reward myself, and as Oxford Street is not the most rewarding place for people like me, I decided to explore the side streets. In Eastcastle Street, a small café was advertising Union Hand-Roasted coffee: enough […]

commoncoffee

commonliner — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:43 +0000

Now that I have sort of re-launched my blog, I thought it is time to enliven it with new features: welcome to my first non-regular themed article series. commoncoffee will report on the coffee culture in London and feature the good and bad of London’s coffee-making scene. Because I like my coffee, though I admit […]

How it is

commonliner — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:30:38 +0000

Creepy. And uncomfortable. That’s how it is. Well, only after sunset though, otherwise it is far less remarkable to walk up the ramp and inside the giant container that Miroslaw Balka has installed in Tate Modern‘s Turbine Hall until 5th April 2010. Today was my second time in the container, and I almost did not […]

Pure Beauty

commonliner — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:00:56 +0000

One week before it ended, I took the opportunity to visit John Baldessari‘s exhibition Pure Beauty at Tate Modern. Most people flocked to Pop Life, which I’ve already seen, so I could enjoy less crowded exhibition rooms, although there were still more than enough people. Stupid idea, visiting Tate Modern on a Sunday. Anyways, as […]

Palm Tree

commonliner — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:00:08 +0000

Ah, the Palm Tree. The music, the decor, the ale, the landlords, the punters. Off the beaten track in Mile End Park, between Mile End Road and Roman Road, close to Regent’s Canal. Unassuming from the outside, it attracted a couple of bad user comments on various pub review websites. Probably written by locals in […]

Concert at the Musical Museum

commonliner — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:30:46 +0000

A museum for automatic musical instruments. Just the place for me: I have always wanted to go there, but never quite made it. Until today: the New Year’s Day afternoon concert seemed to be an appropriate activity for the first day of the new year. [salbum=23,n,n,right] And I should have known what to expect: old […]