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<channel>
	<title>TrustedPlaces Blog</title>
	<link>http://trustedplaces.com/blog</link>
	<description>“Discovering your friends' and their friends' favourite places”</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:28:56 +0000</pubDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2</generator>
	<language>en</language>
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		<title>DMGT partners with TrustedPlaces</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/eiCvoWXkdrY/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/07/03/dmgt-partners-with-trustedplaces/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:28:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sokratis</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Partnerships]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[DMGT]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[local partnership]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[TrustedPlaces white-label]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/07/03/dmgt-partners-with-trustedplaces/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some of you have noticed that we’ve been a bit quiet recently.  Well, given how hot it’s been in London we actually decided to pack up and go somewhere a bit more exotic, sit by a beach, sip cocktails and take it a bit easier.  Yeah right!
We’ve actually been extremely busy working on [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some of you have noticed that we’ve been a bit quiet recently.  Well, given how hot it’s been in London we actually decided to pack up and go somewhere a bit more exotic, sit by a beach, sip cocktails and take it a bit easier.  Yeah right!</p>
<p>We’ve actually been extremely busy working on a project that was announced yesterday. <a href="http://www.localpeople.co.uk ">Localpeople.co.uk </a>is a pilot initiative by <a href="http://www.dmgt.co.uk/">DMGT</a> – one of the UK’s and Europe’s biggest media companies and newspaper publishers.  The project sees the creation of small community sites that cover everything from user-submitted news and stories, local ads for jobs and property and of course businesses and reviews from the community. </p>
<p><img src='http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/localpeople_medium.png' alt='Localpeople.co.uk' /></p>
<p>That last part is what we’re proud of as it’s a white-label, hosted service from<a href="http://trustedplaces.com"> TrustedPlaces</a>. If you’re not familiar with that term, it means that we can now offer to our partners the full capability of TrustedPlaces without them having to develop it.</p>
<p>Apart from the commercial benefits, another important factor is the fact that we want people to find the best local businesses all across the country. Working with a partner like DMGT allows a far wider audience to do just that.  And it’s not just reviews by customers that are  possible, but of course business owners can participate in the conversation by <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/merchant/marketing">claiming their business</a> and adding their voice to the community’s.<br />
We’ve got a number of improvements coming up and a few more very exciting partners in the pipeline. That cocktail-sipping, beach lounging idea will have to  wait a bit longer. </p>
<p><strong>Hiring update</strong><br />
Given how busy we are, the team is growing. If you’d like to join us for an internship or know someone who does, then please <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/06/20/summer-intern-at-trustedplaces/">click here</a>. </p>
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		<item>
		<title>Summer intern at TrustedPlaces</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/oPJqa5K9ys8/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/06/20/summer-intern-at-trustedplaces/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:52:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sokratis</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/06/20/summer-intern-at-trustedplaces/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s that time of the year again, where we want a passionate, dynamic, amazing person to join the team in London and work closely with the team here.
If you feel that you fit the bill or know someone who does, then please read on. 
Summer intern ship at TrustedPlaces
Where is the role?
Our offices are split [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s that time of the year again, where we want a passionate, dynamic, amazing person to join the team in London and work closely with the team here.<br />
If you feel that you fit the bill or know someone who does, then please read on. </p>
<p>Summer intern ship at TrustedPlaces</p>
<p><strong>Where is the role?</strong><br />
Our offices are split in London and Tel Aviv – the role is in the London HQ, between King’s Cross and Farringdon. </p>
<p><strong>What day to day duties should I expect?</strong><br />
We are a very small team with a lot to do. You will be working directly with the founder and CEO of the company; supporting him in sales and marketing;  building presentation material for the board and sales pitches; analysing data; discussing ideas; supporting project management; helping with admin – in general there is very wide breadth of work you could get involved with. The hungrier you are and more initiative you show the more you’ll be able to get out of the internship. </p>
<p><strong>What skills are you after?</strong><br />
You must be an excellent, natural communicator, but most of all we value attitude; passion for what we do; ability to learn fast and work on your own.  You may come from an engineering, business studies or economics background or have a MBA. We don’t really care what your academic background is, as long as you’ve demonstrated excellence.  If you love all things web and have some experience through sites you’ve built, a blog that you author or in general have participated in the way the web has changed in the last 4 years, then that is an extra bonus.</p>
<p><strong>How long is the role for?</strong><br />
We ask you to commit for three months.</p>
<p><strong>Will I get lots of free meals, VIP entry in bars and clubs and get to meet celebrity chefs?</strong><br />
Probably not. We do get offers for free meals and other goodies, but we usually pass those on to our community.  But you will get a chance to discover and appreciate London better than you had before. </p>
<p><strong>How do I get in touch?</strong><br />
Glad you asked. Send an email to sokratis at trustedplaces dot com  - please put summer intern in the subject line. </p>
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		<item>
		<title>Places to go under the sun</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/0TfcOpCRlMQ/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/04/23/places-to-go-under-the-sun/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:25:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Magda</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/04/23/places-to-go-under-the-sun/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  

Photo credit: A nice afternoon by lrargerich under a CC license 
Can you smell the scent of summer in the air? Summer is on its way conjuring images we hungered for during the winter. It’s time to experience those hot days, walking in the parks under the sun, enjoying an evening beer wearing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<style type="text/css"> <!-- .style4 {color: #45a0ff} .style5 {font-size: 8pt} .style2 {color: #999} --> </style>
<p><img src="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g61/trustedplacesblog/3048455578_53f3eb483b.jpg" alt="Sunny Places" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p class="style5"><span class="style2"><span style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; font-size: 9pt">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrargerich/3048455578/" class="style4">A nice afternoon</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrargerich/" class="style4">lrargerich</a> under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB" class="style4">CC license</a> </span></span></p>
<p>Can you smell the scent of summer in the air? Summer is on its way conjuring images we hungered for during the winter. It’s time to experience those hot days, walking in the parks under the sun, enjoying an evening beer wearing our sun glasses on! Haven’t you just missed those summer breezes and all the smiley faces? Here are some places to enjoy the upcoming summery days and nights. Places we picked, thinking of where you can make the most out of this hot period of the year!</p>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1p12c8a/the-white-horse">The White Horse </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/ben_e_h">ben_e_h</a> says: &#8220;This is the one and only White Horse, otherwise known as the sloaney pony. It is situated right on Parsons Green making it a very popular place in the evenings particularly during the weekends. There is a very nice large area outside the front which is ideal for warm summer evenings and is very popular during this time of the year.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1p12c8a/the-white-horse">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1p12c8a/the-white-horse"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_1p12c8a.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1721z6b/the-banker">The Banker </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/nyamnyam">nyamnyam</a> says: &#8220;A few words of warning about this review: I&#8217;m giving the Banker five stars for what it&#8217;s good at. Judging it as a general purpose pub or restaurant is unfair; it has a very very specific exact target market. The Banker occupies the space underneath the Cannon Street Station railway tracks. It&#8217;s big inside, it&#8217;s got a big extension that hovers *over* the river but *under* the bridge, and it&#8217;s got a big deck and lots of outside space.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1721z6b/the-banker">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1721z6b/the-banker"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_1721z6b.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/145sp7/le-cochonnet">Le Cochonnet </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/susanfoodie">susanfoodie</a> says: &#8220;This is a really great place and we eat here all the time. It&#8217;s a real &#8220;local&#8221;. No tourists here! The staff are about the friendliest around and most live locally too. The Pizzas are brilliant - thin crust but with great toppings. I like the fact that besides Organic Meat and Fish there are lots of vegetarian pasta options and daily specials and they serve till quite late in the evenings.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/145sp7/le-cochonnet">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/145sp7/le-cochonnet"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_145sp7.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n9v28/the-city-pride">The City Pride </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Magie">Magie</a> says: &#8220;City Pride is indeed a very traditional English pub with traditional food and a great atmosphere. Me and my friends tried several plates such as the Chicken Caesar Salad and the Spicy Chicken Wings as starters and Sunday Roast, Homemade Rib Eye Steak Burger and Sword Fish Caprice as main courses.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n9v28/the-city-pride">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n9v28/the-city-pride"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/Magie_3d8d468e.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1g61h7x/elistano">Elistano </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/MJS27">MJS27</a> says: &#8220;Superb local Italian food served by friendly staff, Elistano offers great value for money. With a good range of fresh pasta dishes, along with pizza and Milaneses on the menu this is a great place for a meal that is far less pretentious than many other Italian restaurants in the area.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1g61h7x/elistano">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1g61h7x/elistano"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_1g61h7x.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/bristol/restaurant/1w52w77/aqua-bar-and-restaurant">Aqua Bar &#038; Restaurant </a> in Bristol</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/technologyman"> technologyman </a> says: &#8220;This is a perfect place to go with friends, but maybe not for an intimate romantic meal with a loved one. This is because Aqua Bar and Restaurant has a really lively feel and is great fun. It’s not the place to go if you just want a nice quiet meal with a nice chat!&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/bristol/restaurant/1w52w77/aqua-bar-and-restaurant">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="httphttp://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/bristol/restaurant/1w52w77/aqua-bar-and-restaurant"><br />
<img src=" http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/JillCarwardine_b769f26d.480.jpg " alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/york/restaurant/1o02h8t/sangthai">Sangthai </a> in York</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/cmmort">cmmort</a> says: &#8220;The Sangthai is a really REALLY good restaurant! Hidden away off the main road through Escrick, it feels exclusive and upmarket straightaway, and you are given a warm and friendly welcome by the staff as soon as you step in the door.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/york/restaurant/1o02h8t/sangthai">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/york/restaurant/1o02h8t/sangthai"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/1o02h8t_2f850252.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/nottingham/restaurant/143fq8/saltwater">Saltwater </a> in Nottingham</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/jaybee24uk">jaybee24uk</a> says: &#8220;Fantastic venue, great crowd, no trouble. I always take my brother when he comes and visits me down from Scarborough, he loves it. Drinks and food a little pricey, however I like the venue. You can sit outside and have fantastic views of the city, great on a sunny day.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/nottingham/restaurant/143fq8/saltwater">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/nottingham/restaurant/143fq8/saltwater"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/19610_65c87fb3.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/sheffield/restaurant/1k7b57/marco-at-milano">Marco At Milano </a> in Sheffield</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Dr_A">Dr_A</a> says: &#8220;Whilst the words of reviewers on this website is often a good measure of a restaurant, I probably should open with the fact that none other than the Observer voted Marco at Milano inside the top ten Italian restaurants in the UK, and the Guardian placed it 15th of the 100 best for al fresco dining.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/sheffield/restaurant/1k7b57/marco-at-milano">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/sheffield/restaurant/1k7b57/marco-at-milano"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/14981_64ed1aaa.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1h73l7e/terraces-bar-and-grill">Terraces Bar and Grill </a> in Brighton</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Katrina_Smith"> Katrina_Smith </a> says: &#8220;What a difference! Terraces has transformed now new and original manager is back in town, thank goodness for that!  Was there for lunch at the weekend and felt so snug by the roaring fire looking out to the crashing ocean - the food was delicious (especially the home battered fish and chips)and very reasonable.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1h73l7e/terraces-bar-and-grill">Read more</a></td>
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<td><a href="httphttp://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1h73l7e/terraces-bar-and-grill"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/162770_cac2e1b5.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="absbottom" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<p><strong>Have you visited all of these great places? Are your favourites on this list? If not, <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/places/review">review them</a> and let the TrustedPlaces community know about them!</strong></p>
<p>[tags]TrustedPlaces, London, Summer, Sun, Garden[/tags]</p>
<p><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
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		<title>Mayfair Park and Tower Race</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/Ok8bWiZ6Yqo/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/04/21/mayfair-park-and-tower-race/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:31:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Magda</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/04/21/mayfair-park-and-tower-race/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mayfair Park &#38; Tower Race event organised by Galvin’s at Windows, is taking place on Wednesday 17 of June in scope of raising the funds for Galvin’s Chance project. The aim of the project is to help disadvantaged young people at risk from gun and knife crime by opening up opportunities for gaining sustainable jobs [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mayfair Park &amp; Tower Race event organised by Galvin’s at Windows, is taking place on Wednesday 17 of June in scope of raising the funds for Galvin’s Chance project. The aim of the project is to help disadvantaged young people at risk from gun and knife crime by opening up opportunities for gaining sustainable jobs in the hospitality industry.</p>
<p>The plan of the race is that competitors will run around the Serpentine in Hyde Park and will finish by going up the 28 floors of Hilton in Park Lane to end up at Galvin’s at Windows where the event continues. Anyone can participate with a commit of minimum of £250 for the cause.</p>
<p>Charity and having fun at the same time sounds challenging, doesn&#8217;t it? If you find it interesting, details, tips about the training and info on how to sign up can be found on the <a href="http://mayfairparkandtowerrace.com/"> Galvin’s Chance Website</a></p>
<p><img src="http://mayfairparkandtowerrace.com/tower_launch_home.jpg" alt=" Mayfair Park &amp; Tower Race " width="500" height="220" /></p>
<p class="style5"><span class="style2"><span style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; font-size: 9pt"> by <a href="http://mayfairparkandtowerrace.com/" class="style4">Galvin’s Chance Website</a> </span></span></p>
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		<title>Galvin at Windows Oyster and Champagne Event</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/-is_6b0cJaM/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/03/12/galvin-at-windows-oyster-and-champagne-event/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:01:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jonathan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Guest Blogger]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Partnerships]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Bibendum]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[bloggers]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[champagne]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Galvin at Windows]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[oysters]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[worldTV]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/03/12/galvin-at-windows-oyster-and-champagne-event/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Jonathan Brown from Around Britain with a Paunch
Oysters and champagne aren’t a bad combination are they? Now imagine indulging in a flight of 8 champagnes and 9 oysters at a lavish venue overlooking Hyde Park on a gloriously sunny afternoon. Throw in some great company. And then pinch yourself. Surely this is a dream…
Fred [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>By Jonathan Brown from <a href="http://aroundbritainwithapaunch.blogspot.com/">Around Britain with a Paunch</a></em></p>
<p>Oysters and champagne aren’t a bad combination are they? Now imagine indulging in a flight of 8 champagnes and 9 oysters at a lavish venue overlooking <st1:place w:st="on">Hyde Park</st1:place> on a gloriously sunny afternoon. Throw in some great company. And then pinch yourself. Surely this is a dream…</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/galvinatwindows">Fred Sireix</a>, the general manager of <a href="http://www.galvinatwindows.com">Galvin at Windows</a>, was the brains behind the event. The fantastic oysters were supplied by <a href="http://www.wrightbros.eu.com/">Wright Brothers of Borough Market</a>; the champagne came from the good folk at <a href="http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/retail">Bibendum</a> with Bruno <a title="OLE_LINK2" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a title="OLE_LINK1" name="OLE_LINK1"></a><span>Murciano </span>as the sommelier. And all the action was filmed and broadcast on <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/worldtv">worldTV by the BBC’s Nigel Barden</a>. And <a href="http://trustedplaces.com">Trusted Places</a> did a great job of bringing together the best of the foodie community.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The view from the 28<sup>th</sup> floor of the <a href="http://www.hilton.co.uk/londonparklane">Hilton Hotel</a> is far more staggering than the snapshot below illustrates. It was a fittingly mercurial backdrop to an event that just kept on getting better.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browners/3344223582/" title="View over Hyde Park by browners82, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3621/3344223582_8164896b8d.jpg" alt="View over Hyde Park" height="333" width="500" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After a brief but fascinating introduction about the ins and outs of oysters by Mr Wright from Wright brothers, our first task was to judge a flight of 5 oysters out of 10. They lay cool and serene awaiting judgement. I can assure you they tasted a lot better than they look here!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browners/3343392535/" title="Oysters pre score by browners82, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3343392535_a63a6d7c19.jpg" alt="Oysters pre score" height="333" width="500" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. Cumbrae (Scottish)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. Spéciale de claire</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3. Carlingford (Irish)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">4. Frenchman’s Creek (Duchy of Cornwall) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">5. Helford Native (Duchy of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cornwall</st1:place></st1:city>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They were all so very different, ranging from intensely briny to almost sweet. All were imbued with a deep minerality and zingy freshness. You can see my score below on the plates! I just hope I haven’t inadvertently got myself blacklisted…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browners/3343391555/" title="Oysters and their scores by browners82, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3343391555_d1dd736a50.jpg" alt="Oysters and their scores" height="333" width="500" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The final results of the oyster tasting were as follows:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1st – Special De Claire from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2nd – Frenchman’s Creek – Wright Brothers, Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3rd – Helford Native – Wright Brothers, Duchy of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cornwall</st1:place></st1:city> Oyster Farm</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4th – Carlingford Lough – <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region></st1:place></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">5th – Cumbrae – <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It pains me to say it but the Special de Claire from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region> was a worthy, if controversial winner. Their flesh was silky and their flavour was ever so slightly sweet. The next time I’m in Borough Market I’m going straight to Wright Brothers and ordering a dozen Special de Claires and then going to file for bankruptcy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Having guzzled 5 oysters we were all now getting a bit thirsty. Luckily, 8 champagnes were then wheeled out to slake our parched palettes. We then rated each flute out of 10 and totted up our results. For what it’s worth here are my thoughts!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browners/3344235716/" title="Champagne notes double spread by browners82, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3344235716_f3667bb163.jpg" alt="Champagne notes double spread" height="333" width="500" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> After much pushing of beads on the abacus the winners were announced by Bruno Murciano:</p>
<p><span lang="IT">1. Celler Batlle Gramona Gran Reserva 2000 (Spanish)<br />
2. </span>Nytimber 2002 (English)<br />
3. <span lang="FR">Beaumont des Crayeres Brut (Galvin label Champagne)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Having lost out to the French in the oyster battle, the English and Spanish triumphed in the battle for the top sparkler! Hurrah. The Nytimber and Celler Batlle Gramona Gran Reserva were spectacular. Embarrassingly, my notes seem to suggest the Cava smelled of posh carpets. But then again that is one of my favourite aromas!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whilst the oysters and champagnes were the stars of the show the event it wouldn’t have been half as much fun without such great company. I was lucky to be on a table with <a href="http://asliceofcherrypie.blogspot.com/ ">Julia Parsons from A Slice of Cherry Pie</a>, <a href="http://www.journalisted.com/lucas-hollweg">Lucas Hollweg</a> from The Sunday Times, <a href="http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/blog/?p=308">Dan Coward from Bibendum</a> and <a href="http://www.imbibemagazine.co.uk/">Clinton Cawood from Imbibe</a> magazine who were all on cracking form.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browners/3343392117/" title="Oyster twitter by browners82, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3343392117_67d6e76c05.jpg" alt="Oyster twitter" height="333" width="500" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> As children of the new media revolution, many of us broadcast our thoughts as we ate and drank across a range of social media. I’ve tried to gather them up below so you can get a feel for everyone’s excitement:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">        </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23galvinw">Twitter search #galvinw</a> for increasingly addled twitter notes<span style="font-family: Symbol"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt"><span style="font-family: Symbol"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">        </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/worldtv">Footage from worldTV</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">        </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/blog/?p=308">Bibendum’s live blogging</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>It </o:p>was great to meet up with so many brilliant people including so many fellow bloggers below:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://techfluff.tv/"><st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Hermione Way</st1:address></st1:street></a><br />
<span lang="ES"><a href="http://www.londonelicious.com/">Krista</a><o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/">Niamh<span></span></a></span><span lang="ES"><o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://asliceofcherrypie.blogspot.com/">Julia  </a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<a href="http://douglas-wine.blogspot.com/"><st1:place w:st="on">Douglas</st1:place> </a><br />
<a href="http://cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/">Chris </a><br />
<a href="http://www.dailynetworker.co.uk/">Oli Barrett</a><br />
<a href="http://renatenyborg.wordpress.com/">Renate Nyborg</a><br />
<a href="http://wineconversation.com/">Rob McIntosh</a><br />
<a href="http://www.winechatter.blogspot.com/">Denise</a><span></span><br />
<a href="http://helengraves.co.uk/">Helen</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/blog/">Dan Coward </a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks again to Fred, Trusted Places, Bibendum, Wright Brothers and worldTV for putting on such a memorable event. They even managed to orchestrate a perfect sunset for us.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/browners/3343398879/" title="Sunset by browners82, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3343398879_b9b4321258.jpg" alt="Sunset" height="333" width="500" /></a></p>
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		<title>Brand New TrustedPlaces</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/FJfz4FOEUf0/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/03/05/brand-new-trustedplaces-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:23:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sokratis</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Product Updates]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Something new]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[TrustedPlaces]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/03/05/brand-new-trustedplaces-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Who was it that said ‘Nothing is constant but change’? Not sure, but he was a smart chap. True to those wise words your TrustedPlaces has just had its latest incarnation. 
So what’s new?
Well you’ll have noticed that the navigation is now different. You can use the Explore drop down and get access to all [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Who was it that said ‘Nothing is constant but change’? Not sure, but he was a smart chap. True to those wise words your <a href="http://trustedplaces.com">TrustedPlaces</a> has just had its latest incarnation. </p>
<p><strong>So what’s new?</strong></p>
<p>Well you’ll have noticed that the navigation is now different. You can use the Explore drop down and get access to all categories, quickly <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/places/review">add a review </a>and come back here to this<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/blog"> blog</a>.<br />
Also notice the bar on top of you window? That stays there permanently when you scroll down and gives you access to MyTrustedPlaces – an area with all your content, activity from your friends and much more. If you’re not a member yet, you can quickly create a free account or <a href="http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=41735647130">Connect with Facebook.</a></p>
<p><strong>Quick reviews (or reviews &#8216;a la Twitter&#8217;)</strong></p>
<p>We’re making one key change on the way you can share your view on places or quickly jot down a note of where you are hanging with your friends. You can now write a quick comment and update you status, just like you do on Facebook or <a href="http://twitter.com">Twitter</a>. Our brilliant developers have written some clever stuff that looks into your note and checks if it matches any places. You can then match that note (using Locate) to a place and write a full review then and there or leave it for later.  We want to make it as easy as possible for you to share your views and feel this is a great way to do that. </p>
<p><strong>Earn £50</strong></p>
<p>Finally, there is another important addition to TrustedPlaces – <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/merchant/referrer">referrals</a>. We’ve all been feeling the pinch lately and we’ve decided to do our bit to help. You can now refer a local business to our premium programme and earn cash. Speak to your favourite pub landlord, shop owner, restaurant manager or any other type of business owner/manager and let them know about TrustedPlaces. Send them an email with a link that you can grab here and invite them to join. Once they do that and they upgrade to a premium account for a year (which costs £199) we will give £50 to you and £40 of free advertising to them. We believe that this is a great way to support local businesses and give something back to the community that has helped us get to where we are now. <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/merchant/referrer">Sign up to the programme here. </a></p>
<p>We’re really fired up about this latest release and hope you share the excitement. <a href="http://trustedplaces.com">TrustedPlaces </a>now gets 920,000 unique users every month and we still spend zero money on marketing. We want to thank everyone that has helped us along this journey (that is you guys, the people who continue to write and share those excellent reviews).  A big shout- out also goes to our friends at <a href="http://www.caffeinehit.com">caffeinehit.com</a> who worked tirelessly on the new design. </p>
<p>Apart from what I explained above, you’ll notice plenty more other tweaks on the site and as always we’d love to have your <a href="mailto:feedback@trustedplaces.com">feedback</a>.<br />
To finish off, let me say that we’re not really done with this release. Watch out for more changes coming up in the coming weeks. </p>
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		<item>
		<title>Funny &amp; Weird Reviews</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/zYGdTNU2IUE/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/02/27/funny-weird-reviews/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:55:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Magda</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/02/27/funny-weird-reviews/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  

Photo credit: Happy April Fools Day by borrowed time&#124;demi-brook under a CC license 
We love reading the reviews on TrustedPlaces whether they&#8217;re really long and packed with information or just short and sweet. They all tend to do a good job of letting us know exactly why (or why not) we should be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<style type="text/css"> <!-- .style3 {font-size: 9px} --> </style>
<p><img src="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g61/trustedplacesblog/2380439623_6cc387d64c.jpg" alt="Funny and Weird Reviews" width="448" height="480" /></p>
<p><span class="style3">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/demibrooke/2380439623/">Happy April Fools Day</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/demibrooke/">borrowed time|demi-brook</a> under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB">CC license </a></span></p>
<p>We love reading the reviews on TrustedPlaces whether they&#8217;re really long and packed with information or just short and sweet. They all tend to do a good job of letting us know exactly why (or why not) we should be checking out a new place.<br />
Sometimes there&#8217;s a killer line in the review that really makes us sit up and take notice.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve pulled together some of our favourite funnies of recent months to give you a giggle and let you see why us TrustedPlaces staff always have a big smile on our faces. Add your review if you have a funny one to share with us.<br />
Some of the funniest and weirdest reviews on TrustedPlaces:</p>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1803y8b/testi">Testi</a> in London<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/andybrown"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/andybrown">andybrown says:</a>:&#8221;I can not, literally, I am unable to express adequately in words (and I know quite a few) just how far I am transported by grilled onions in pomegranate sauce. I&#8217;d eat chimpanzees bumhole, raw, if it only came with a side order of grilled onions in pomegranate sauce. This is all set off wonderfully because the staff are friendly, the prices are absolute dirt cheap, the decor is like an Istanbul souvenir shop on acid, and I just want to mention the grilled onions in pomegranate sauce again because I love them so much I&#8217;d gnaw on my own leg were it only accompanied by grilled onions in pomegranate sauce.&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1803y8b/testi/1w0ql7"> Read More</a></td>
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</a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1803y8b/testi"><br />
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1f36z88/saf-restaurant-and-bar">Saf Restaurant &amp; Bar</a> in London<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/intoxicating"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/intoxicating">intoxicating says:</a>:&#8221;That night I dreamt of molten butter spread deeply onto toast triangles, almost curdling cream, sticky, runny, bursting egg yokes, the sensation of tearing blazing red flesh and sucking warm marrowbone goo, twirling swines on spits, fried swordfish steaks, tear salty oysters and garlic sodden crayfish tails. The rich aromas from an oil fired Aga stuffed with plucked, basted fowl….&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1f36z88/saf-restaurant-and-bar/167tw7"> Read More</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1f36z88/saf-restaurant-and-bar"><br />
</a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1f36z88/saf-restaurant-and-bar"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/300644_f729f9be.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="middle" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1r22y7s/gem">Gem</a> in London<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/up_shiraz"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/up_shiraz">up_shiraz says:</a>:&#8221;Little pancakes to start and then cold and hot mezze all round. The dips were tasty and the hot bits delicious&#8230;Government Warning: Do not arrive at the cinema after the hordes, sit right at the front and try to follow extreme Bond action camera movements on a full stomach of Kurdish food!&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1r22y7s/gem/1f0qt8"> Read More</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1r22y7s/gem"><br />
</a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1r22y7s/gem"><br />
<img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_1r22y7s.480.jpg" alt="Photo" vspace="15" width="80" align="middle" border="0" height="80" hspace="15" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1i27b80/bumblebee-natural-foods">Bumblebee Natural Foods</a> in London<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/stantoncarlisle"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/stantoncarlisle">stantoncarlisle says:</a>:&#8221;For my money this has got to be the best wholefood, Lentil you must be mental, olde style healthfood/wholefood store in London. There&#8217;s no razzmatazz or hoopla just good grub at sane prices. The cheese is fookin A.!&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1i27b80/bumblebee-natural-foods/1r0s28"> Read More</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1i27b80/bumblebee-natural-foods"><br />
</a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1i27b80/bumblebee-natural-foods"><br />
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/norwich/cafe/1h06b8t/gallery-cafe">Gallery Cafe</a> in Norwich<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/dopeincredible"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/dopeincredible">dopeincredible says:</a>:&#8221;I slug back an Americano. Mildly bitter, like the memory of a history detention circa 1987, it doesn&#8217;t just pep me up, it hits like a battering ram made of Jackie Chans. My pulse races as my veins swell with electricity and I become slightly panicky about something indefinable.&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/norwich/cafe/1h06b8t/gallery-cafe/1l3h07"> Read More</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/basingstoke/bar-pub/1p16m8s/wellington-arms">The Wellington Arms</a> in Basingstoke<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Browners"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Browners"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Browners">Browners says:</a>:&#8221;My scallops couldn&#8217;t have been cooked any better. Some people don&#8217;t like their sea food covered in butter - but I do! The bed of samphire had me purring like a kitten having his tummy tickled&#8230; Fortunately our plates were cleared before I had embarrassed myself by licking them clean!&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/basingstoke/bar-pub/1p16m8s/wellington-arms/1m9ql7"> Read More</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1873a7w/st-johns-tavern">St Johns Tavern</a> in London<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/iamroninator"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/iamroninator">iamroninator says:</a>:&#8221;OK, it&#8217;s a gastro pub, and not cheap - but genuinely excellent quality food - no poncy-by-the-numbers shenanigans here. One downside (and it&#8217;s not their fault) the last time we were there, Bill Oddie was also dining there. Random.&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1873a7w/st-johns-tavern/1k7pd8"> Read More</a></td>
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<td><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1q7258m/the-queen-s-larder">The Queen&#8217;s Larder</a> in London<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/AlexWoods"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/AlexWoods"></a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/AlexWoods">AlexWoods says:</a>:&#8221;Now, you may have realised from the timbre of my musings (and by my use of the word “timbre”) that I have just been enjoying a rather lengthy and boozy lunch there. As a consequence I am in much trouble at work (despite a LARGE box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to apologise for my late return and the delicate bouquet of ale and pickled onions I brought along) but I would gladly suffer the indignity all over again for the pleasure of sitting outside this charming old town boozer.&#8221;<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1q7258m/the-queen-s-larder/1d8ou8"> Read More</a></td>
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<p><strong>Have you visited all of these great places? Are your favourites on this list? If not,<br />
<a href="http://trustedplaces.com/places/review">review them</a> and let the TrustedPlaces community know about them!</strong></p>
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		<title>Top 10 Quirky Places for Valentine’s Day</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/BSjeH20p6A0/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/02/12/top-10-quirky-places-for-valentines-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:02:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sokratis</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[intimate]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[quirky]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[romance]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Special Occasion]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Top 10]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[TrustedPlaces]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Valentine's Day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/02/12/top-10-quirky-places-for-valentines-day/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[



Photo credit: Valentine&#8217;s Day NOMs! by merwing*littledear under a CC license 
In last week&#8217;s blog, Top 10 Places to Celebrate Valentine&#8217;s Day, we gave you a list of some of the most romantic restaurants across the UK. After conversations with some of you we realised that something you&#8217;d be more interested in is something a [...]]]></description>
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<p><img src="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g61/trustedplacesblog/3249454654_5be27bfc57.jpg" alt="Chinese New Year" width="500" height="375" /></p>
<p class="style5"><span class="style2"><span style="font-size:9pt;margin:0;padding:0">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/merwing/3249454654/" class="style4">Valentine&#8217;s Day NOMs!</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/merwing/" class="style4">merwing*littledear</a> under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB" class="style4">CC license</a> </span></span></p>
<p>In last week&#8217;s blog, <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/02/05/top-10-places-to-celebrate-valentines-day/">Top 10 Places to Celebrate Valentine&#8217;s Day</a>, we gave you a list of some of the most romantic restaurants across the UK. After conversations with some of you we realised that something you&#8217;d be more interested in is something a little different to celebrate Valentine&#8217;s Day. So here&#8217;s a list of some romantic but quirky places for you to take that special someone: </p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1w4217h/harrods-chocolate-bar">Harrods Chocolate Bar </a> in London </p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/nell4tune">nell4tune</a> says: &#8220;Oh my god what is happening to me? I must be going mad!!! A waiter comes up and escorts us to a table - YIPPEEEEHHH!!!we made it! I&#8217;m thinking - there is fondue set in my name - A Fantastic Chocolate Desire - A chocolate Miserable - A Chocolate Milkshake - A Chocolate Bar Colibri - aaarrrgggghhh!!! everthing there has my name on it. My kids had to calm me down - what is wrong with me??!! Would you believe it even my kids! I am a chocoholic!! I need help.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1w4217h/harrods-chocolate-bar">Read more</a></p>
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        <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan"><br />
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1i72z7e/lmnt">LMNT</a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/tuppy14">tuppy14</a> says: &#8220;Eclectic, Erotic, Eccentric&#8230; Ancient Egyptian themed from the outside, but with all types of decor inside, from classical Greek to medieval and English hunting and Tutankhamen the place is a feast for the eyes. Tables are spread high and low, access by ladder in some places. The menu is also a mixture of styles, mostly poultry, game and fish, but not your normal dishes.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1i72z7e/lmnt/1b3tq8">Read more</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/cafe/1p9276v/troubadour-cafe-and-deli">Troubadour Cafe &amp; Deli </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Lacrimosa">Lacrimosa </a>says: &#8220;The Troubadour is well worth a visit for the bohemian decor, the sea of old string instruments hanging from the ceiling, the layers of old varnish on the woodwork, and the candle-lit tables. It would be terrific for an informal date - low-lit, intimate, and certain to bestow you with kudos for knowing somewhere so individual.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/cafe/1p9276v/troubadour-cafe-and-deli/1733z8">Read more </a></p>
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    <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/cafe/1p9276v/troubadour-cafe-and-deli"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/125995_aed21a8f.c140x140.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o52q7y/vertigo-42">Vertigo 42 </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/QueenB">QueenB</a> says: &quot;Head for the tallest building in the city. You can see the blue strip of lighting from miles away. Enter through a lilac-lit building entrance that reminded me of the Mayors Office. Check in with a very smart glamour-puss of a receptionist and get shown to the lift that will whisk you directly up to the ear popping 42nd floor. There you enter a dark, stylised reception area, greeted warmly by staff who take your coats and show you to your seats. With mirrored walls on your right and glass from floor to ceiling on your left, you can&#8217;t help but feel a little unsteady on your feet!&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o52q7y/vertigo-42/1d1oa8">Read more</a> </p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o92d7u/mosaica-at-the-factory">Mosaica @ the Factory   </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/jo104">jo104</a> says: &quot;I heard about this restaurant through word of mouth &#038; round the corner from my house. Hidden on an industrial estate is a magnificant restaurant situated in the old chocolate factory. I booked here for a special birthday surprise &#038; had to book a month in advance for a saturday evening. We went onto the Clarendon Rd Industrial estate past a guard &#038; opened the door into the restaurant which was like walking into a completely different space &#038; time. The tables are heavy oak &#038; set out for exactly the no of pre-booked people so no overcrowding. There is lots of artwork &#038; candles adding lots of atmosphere.&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o92d7u/mosaica-at-the-factory/1q81l8">Read more</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1r72k7e/archipelago">Archipelago </a>in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/vexille">vexille</a> says: &quot;A beautiful little restaurant that&#8217;s decorated like it could be Aladdin&#8217;s cave and does a suitably different selection of meats including kangaroo, crocodile, zebra - you get the message! Always feels &#8216;busy&#8217; with pretty ornaments on display on your table and scattered across the room - with price tags on most things. It&#8217;s one of those places to take someone on a first date. Unlike most restaurants, as the decoration is so unique you&#8217;ll have no trouble finding something to talk about during those quiet moments!&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1r72k7e/archipelago/1g4d78">Read more</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1h23m71/bom-bane-s">Bom-Bane&#8217;s </a> in Brighton</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/foodrambler">foodrambler </a>says: &#8220;This restaurant, run by Jane Bom-Bane of fantastical mechanical hats and musician Nick Pynn, is like nowhere I&#8217;ve ever been before. Food, music and poetry are all mixed up in a beautiful jumble of a place. I recommend going along for &#8220;Bom-Banes: The Musical&#8221;, which is performed three or four times a month. It consists of a three-course set meal for £25, eaten whilst the staff sing and play their hearts out.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1h23m71/bom-bane-s/1e6qw8">Read more</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/isle-of-harris/hotel/1i96a7u/blue-reef-cottages">Blue Reef Cottages  </a> in Isle of Harris </p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Julesdit">Julesdit</a> says: &#8220;These are truly a 5* remote romantic retreat. Amazing views and fantastic facitities. Each cottage has its own sauna and Jacuzzi. Neil &#038; Rhoda who own and run the cottages are great and on hand if you have any problems. They managed to sort out a veg box for us, full of beautiful local produce. The hamper &#038; bottle of champagne was a very welcome treat after a long day of travelling.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/isle-of-harris/hotel/1i96a7u/blue-reef-cottages/110qt8">Read more</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/glasgow/bar-pub/1713a7t/the-butterfly-and-the-pig">The Buttefly &amp; The Pig </a> in Glasgow</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/spokane12">spokane12</a> says: &quot;Odd and quirky are two words that apply to this place. It is like sitting in your grandma&#8217;s - if your grandma had mismatched cutlery. It is kind of Alice in Wonderland. Confused - you will be when you see the menu. It takes a while to work out what you are reading and then think about it as food! Crazy but the food is great and friends and work colleagues keep coming back here for lunch..&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/glasgow/bar-pub/1713a7t/the-butterfly-and-the-pig/1f9iv6">Read more</a> </p>
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<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/york/bar-pub/1e86y6n/the-biltmore">The Biltmore </a> in York</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/cmmort">cmmort </a>says: &quot;The Biltmore Bar and Grill has certainly bought a much-needed element of what can only be described as &#8217;swank&#8217; to York’s nightlife. While olde-worldy pubs, towny chain bars and kooky artsy/studenty bars are plentiful, The Biltmore has filled a hole that we definitely felt needed to be filled. The interior of the bar looks stunning, I particularly like the upstairs glass fronted wall showing shelves and shelves of champagne and wine bottles. There are comfortable booths along both sides of the main space downstairs, with small tables and high stools dotted around the central bar (which also provides perching opportunities). There is also a small external terrace. Upstairs there is a small lounge/bar area and then a restaurant on a balcony.&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/york/bar-pub/1e86y6n/the-biltmore/132kr8">Read more</a> </p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
                          <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/york/bar-pub/1e86y6n/the-biltmore"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/299327_a4918d34.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Have you visited all of these great places? Are your favourites on this list? If not, <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/places/review">review them</a> and let the TrustedPlaces community know about them!</strong></p>
<p>[tags]Top 10, TrustedPlaces, London, Valentine&#8217;s Day, Romance, quirky, Special<br />
Occasion, Intimate[/tags]</p>
<p><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Top 10 Places to Celebrate Valentine’s Day</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/GTGZmonT_e0/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/02/05/top-10-places-to-celebrate-valentines-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:55:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sokratis</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[intimate]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[romance]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[romantic]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[TrustedPlaces]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[UK]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Valentine's Day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/02/05/top-10-places-to-celebrate-valentines-day/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[



Photo credit: Snow Heart by -[Northeast Photography]- under a CC license 
After snow falls not seen in the last 18 years its time to warm our hearts
  with ideas of where to take that special someone. Whether you&#8217;re looking for
  an intimate evening or something a bit unusual we&#8217;re sure to have it. [...]]]></description>
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<p><img src="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g61/trustedplacesblog/2186201494_55de283562.jpg" alt="Chinese New Year" width="500" height="375" /></p>
<p class="style5"><span style="margin:0;padding:0">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njevans/2186201494/" class="style4">Snow Heart</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/njevans/" class="style4">-[Northeast Photography]-</a> under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB" class="style4">CC license</a> </span></p>
<p>After snow falls not seen in the last 18 years its time to warm our hearts<br />
  with ideas of where to take that special someone. Whether you&#8217;re looking for<br />
  an intimate evening or something a bit unusual we&#8217;re sure to have it. Have<br />
  a look at this top list of romantic restaurants across the UK: </p>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" >
<tr valign="top">
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1h6ix7/le-mercury">Le Mercury</a> in London </p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/LOVEANDKATE">LOVEANDKATE</a> says: &#8220;&#8230;its not just an intimate restaurant crammed full of tables on the ground floor-theres 3 floors of crammed intimate restaurant space!!!!!, it just goes up and up and up rickety wooden stairs&#8230; and yes, very dim candle lit, romantic and even though you&#8217;re squished in we didnt notice or were aware of others sat around us&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1h6ix7/le-mercury/1y0ft8">Read more</a></p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p>
        <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan"><br />
        </a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1h6ix7/le-mercury"><br />
            <img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/23973_b394759e.c140x140.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></p>
</td>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1n4578/clos-maggiore">Clos Maggiore </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Litro_K">Litro_K</a> says: &#8220;I found Clos Maggiore to be a complete gem and the kind of place I’d love to be surprised with a visit to for another special occasion. The service and general dining experience really beats most other Covent Garden venues hands-down. Worth booking in advance next time you have a cosy tête-a tête to attend to.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1n4578/clos-maggiore/1a19r9">Read more</a></p>
</td>
<td width="10">&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
        <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1n4578/clos-maggiore"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/7315_67407b43.c140x140.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
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<td height="50">&nbsp;</td>
<td width="10">&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o82b7d/la-trompette">La Trompette </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/sulin">Sulin </a>says: &#8220;I’d been wanting to try La Trompette for a while after reading such marvellous reviews online, and the fact that they were recently awarded their first Michelin star didn’t hurt either, and so I booked a table for the two of us last Sunday at 7pm. We turned out to be the second couple in the restaurant, following close at the heels of the first couple.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o82b7d/la-trompette/1i4pg8">Read more </a></p>
</td>
<td width="10">&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
    <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o82b7d/la-trompette"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_1o82b7d.c140x140.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></p>
</td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td width="10">&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1p75e7/gordon-s-wine-bar">Gordon&#8217;s Wine Bar</a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Alba58">Alba58</a>        says: &quot;This is such at an atmospheric place with the added bonuses of good wine and food! As a previous reviewer said..No lager louts..superb! Close to the river for a romantic walk before or after visit&#8230;&#8230; it&#8217;s perfect! The cellar is so cosy and subtle&#8230;. blokes &#8230;if you want to impress&#8230;this is THE place to go without breaking the bank!!!! take me take me!&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1p75e7/gordon-s-wine-bar/1s0i28">Read<br />
      more</a> </p>
</td>
<td width="10">&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
          <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1p75e7/gordon-s-wine-bar"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/7394_2909caad.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1q3288z/andrew-edmunds">Andrew Edmunds  </a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Angel_Bury">Angel_Bury</a> says: &quot;An utter delight, cosy, romantic and damn tasty. You get what I see as proper classic French style food here brilliantly cooked with not irritating frills and tidbits. I had some good old fashioned foie gras with brioche and a brilliant pork and clam casserole, so delicious and finished off with awesome ginger icecream for pudding with which the waiter was incredibly helpful when it came to picking out a glass of matching sherry.&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1q3288z/andrew-edmunds/180328">Read more</a></p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" alt="t" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
    <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1q3288z/andrew-edmunds"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_1q3288z.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan">Hakkasan </a>in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/missynm">missynm</a> says: &quot;Yes its pretty pricey, but i&#8217;d say you definitely get what you pay for! An usual setting, Hakkasan is to be found down a side street of tottenham court road, very discreet. You are greeted at the door and make your way directly down steps into the basement of the building. Service is equally discreet but friendly and attentive. The way the restaurant is set out with decorative wooden screens separating the dining and bar areas work really well and even though the place is noisy (seating a couple of hundred people) the low lighting and choice of music creates a sense of privacy at your table.&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan/1p1qa8">Read more</a></p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" alt="r" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
    <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/4424_2ab84825.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/160xc7/the-witchery-by-the-castle">The Whitchery By The Castle </a> in Liverpool</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/belinda">belinda </a>says: &#8220;Wonderful atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff, wine book the size of a novel and great food &#8230; can&#8217;t beat that. Love this place, if you are visiting Edinburgh I would say it is a must and if you live there then this is a great place for a romantic dinner or to take visitors&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/160xc7/the-witchery-by-the-castle/1j06b8">Read more</a></p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
            <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/160xc7/the-witchery-by-the-castlehttp://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/160xc7/the-witchery-by-the-castle"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/42996_84b7fa17.c140x140.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1o5287y/terre-a-terre">Terre a Terre </a> in Brighton</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/mazphd">mazphd</a> says: &#8220;One of the most delightful aspects of this restaurant is also its location. Set atop of one of the main streets on Brighton&#8217;s East Street this is a people watching opportunity at its best! Inside the space is light and airy with high ceilings and clean lines that set a chic ambiance suitable for friends, romance and even taking your parents to.&#8221; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1o5287y/terre-a-terre/157848">Read more</a></p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
                  <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1o5287y/terre-a-terre"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/ldc_1o5287y.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1o1297t/due-south">Due South </a> in Brighton</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/Miss_Piggy">Miss_Piggy</a><br />
                      says: &quot;We went on valentines&#8217; and had a lovely time. We were meeted and greeted by the head waiter and walked to our table. Champagne was provided by a charming smiling waiter with nibbles. The staff were charming and attentive without being intrusive. The food was lovely and carefully presented&#8230;The service was spot on. I did not feel rushed to eat but could savour and enjoy the wine and champagne.&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1o1297t/due-south/1b71v8">Read<br />
                      more</a> </p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
                        <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/brighton/restaurant/1o1297t/due-south"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/124769_e1e4f2e1.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/1y32a7i/restaurant-martin-wishart">Restaurant Martin Wishart </a> in Edinburgh</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/user/afterevent">afterevent </a>says: &quot;I really enjoyed my visit to restaurant Martin Wishart. I went there with my girlfriend and she was was impressed too! The atmosphere is quiet, but that also means its a romantic and intimate place to go with the one you love! The staff here are really friendly too and go out of their way to make you relaxed.&quot; <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/1y32a7i/restaurant-martin-wishart/1x7ln7">Read more</a> </p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
                          <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/1y32a7i/restaurant-martin-wishart"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/137754_7d769d91.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Have you visited all of these great places? Are your favourites on this list? If not, <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/places/review">review them</a> and let the TrustedPlaces community know about them!</strong></p>
<p>[tags]Top 10, TrustedPlaces, London, Valentine&#8217;s Day, Romance, Special Occasion, Intimate[/tags]</p>
<p><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Gong Xi Fa Cai!</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/trustedplaces/~3/2WLhCHevRDQ/</link>
		<comments>http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/01/27/gong-xi-fa-cai/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:33:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sokratis</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Chinese]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Chinese New Year]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Restaurants]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[TrustedPlaces]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://trustedplaces.com/blog/2009/01/27/gong-xi-fa-cai/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[



Photo credit: Chinese New Year by yemenyi under a CC license 
As thousands of Chinese across the UK greet the Year of the Ox today, many believe
  a little help from the animal&#8217;s hard-working spirit may be just what&#8217;s needed
  in the months ahead. 
	According to Chinese belief, the Ox is a symbol [...]]]></description>
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<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2132/2256618233_f860145f6b.jpg" alt="Chinese New Year" /></p>
<p><span class="style3">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/yewenyi/2256618233/">Chinese New Year</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/yewenyi/">yemenyi </a>under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB">CC license </a></span></p>
<p>As thousands of Chinese across the UK greet the Year of the Ox today, many believe<br />
  a little help from the animal&#8217;s hard-working spirit may be just what&#8217;s needed<br />
  in the months ahead. </p>
<p>	According to Chinese belief, the Ox is a symbol of wealth<br />
  and success through hard work and resilience &#8212; a welcome sign considering<br />
  the country&#8217;s economic difficulties. Luckily for you we have compiled a list<br />
  of some of the best Chinese places across the UK from places to celebrate a<br />
  special occasion to cheap eats: </p>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" >
<tr valign="top">
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan">Hakkasan</a> in London </p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan/1r80t9">arisp says</a>:&quot;&#8230;if what you&#8217;re looking for is somewhere smart, dark, with a very cool interior and perfect ambience that makes great cocktailss. If you&#8217;re visiting the restaurant which quite good if a bit pricey make sure you book way in advance - especially for a Friday or Saturday night.&quot;</p>
</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
<p>
              <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan"><br />
            </a><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/138d47/hakkasan"><br />
            <img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/1e63w8_523a7704.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></p>
</td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="5" height="10px">&nbsp;</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1p32f7r/hunan">Hunan</a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1p32f7r/hunan/195c77">hollowlegs says</a>: &quot;When I heard about Hunan, about 6 months ago, I had to go. A Chinese restaurant, named after the region in China known for it&#8217;s liberal use of chillis. Perfect! Although they do claim that their food isn&#8217;t strictly Hunanese on their website, what sealed the deal for me is that they don&#8217;t offer menus. Instead, they bring you out food of the choice of the kitchen and don&#8217;t stop until they tell you to.&quot;</p>
</td>
<td width="10">&nbsp;</td>
<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
        <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1p32f7r/hunan"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/126279_7bae2555.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1852o7p/yauatcha">Yauatcha</a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1852o7p/yauatcha/1k7rw7">barbd says</a>:&quot;This is a special place - for those dreary London winter afternoons. Quite pricey but as always, you get what you pay for. Simply delicious dim sum, and many other tasty treats too, washed down with a cold fresh white wine. Can&#8217;t think of anything else that I&#8217;d rather be doing (well one or two things<br />
    ;)&quot;</p>
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<p><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br />
    <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1852o7p/yauatcha"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/104569_88cb457e.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/liverpool/restaurant/1h26f80/tai-pan">Tai Pan </a> in Liverpool</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/liverpool/restaurant/1h26f80/tai-pan/1e5ly7">jamtart6 says</a>: &quot;Unsure about the cost of this huge restaurant as it was a work night out but the food is absolutely amazing! Sweet and Sour Battered fish is a taste experience, loads and loads of food for the banquet and quite honestly the best chinese food I have ever eaten.&quot;</p>
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          <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/liverpool/restaurant/1h26f80/tai-pan"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/302508_7fe99809.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1d52h77/peninsula">Peninsula</a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1d52h77/peninsula/1n5po8">Browners says</a>:&quot;When can you say you&#8217;ve ever accidentally eaten jellyfish as the first thing you put in your mouth on your birthday! After this brief bout of culture shock things soon got much more palatable. All of their dumplings were brilliant. None of them stuck to the bamboo steamers like you find at places like Ping Pong. In particular, the cheung fun was extraordinary. Almost worth the trip on its own.&quot;</p>
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            <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1d52h77/peninsula"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/1d52h77_4c8265ae.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/doncaster/restaurant/1p03s8t/the-china-rose-restaurant">The China Rose Restaurant</a> in Doncastar </p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/doncaster/restaurant/1p03s8t/the-china-rose-restaurant/130jb8">twallac says</a>: &quot;This Cantonese restaurant is a gem! On arrival, you are greated by the very efficient and friendly staff and guided to the bar area to peruse the menu. At first sight, it isn&#8217;t the usual menu (no chips or prawn crackers!) and this is your first clue to the authenticity of this establishment.&quot;</p>
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                  <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/doncaster/restaurant/1p03s8t/the-china-rose-restaurant"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/173405_9c872a94.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o9287l/wong-kei">Wong Kei</a> in London</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o9287l/wong-kei/1o8pm7">terryturbojr says</a>: &quot;Sitting downstairs on my own, watching the West End pass by as I eat crispy pork and rice, beef brisket noodle soup, mixed seafood cirpsy noodle or, my personal favourite, assorted meat fried ho fun is one of my favourite London pass-times. The food is cheap and basic and the staff brusque but it&#8217;s fantastic - and that&#8217;s why it gets 5 stars.&quot;</p>
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                        <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o9287l/wong-kei"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/124725_c555a8c8.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/cambridge/restaurant/1071j7w/peking-restaurant">Peking Restaurant</a> in Cambridge</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/cambridge/restaurant/1071j7w/peking-restaurant/1n05b8">dzr says</a>: &quot;This tatty looking place serves some of the most astonishingly good Chinese food I&#8217;ve ever eaten. Friends of mine who&#8217;ve spent time in China attest to its authenticity. It is about to move new, and hopefully more appropriate, premises soon, and hopefully then it will get the recognition it deserves.&quot;</p>
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                          <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/cambridge/restaurant/1071j7w/peking-restaurant"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/47372_306f2c22.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/1g9607l/wing-sing-inn">Wing Sing Inn</a> in Edinburgh </p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/1g9607l/wing-sing-inn/1l98t8">Hugo says</a>: &quot;Wing Sing Inn comes with a health warning, be prepared for an authentic, rough and ready gastonomic adventure into Northern Chinese cuisine. This is rough around the edges and not a smooth experience for people who want a sanitised or normal Chinese meal - go elsewhere.&quot;</p>
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                            <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/edinburgh/restaurant/1g9607l/wing-sing-inn"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/300693_f7b2f070.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/leeds/restaurant/1z12e8s/mulan-restaurant-and-bar">Mulan Restaurant &amp; Bar</a> in Leeds</p>
<p><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/leeds/restaurant/1z12e8s/mulan-restaurant-and-bar">frank_fryer says</a>: &quot;The food here is so fresh and delicious its unreal! The food is prepared before your very eyes so you know it is fresh and to your liking. The noddles are the best i have ever tasted which is why i keep coming back again and again! The menu is full of variety so there is always lots to pick from there really is something for everyone.&quot;</p>
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<td><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/white.jpg" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /><br /><a href="http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/leeds/restaurant/1z12e8s/mulan-restaurant-and-bar"><img src="http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/139204_d6237c13.480.jpg" alt="Photo" width="80" height="80" hspace="15" vspace="15" border="0" align="absbottom" /></a></td>
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<p><strong>Have you visited all of these great places? Are your favourites on this list? If not, <a href="http://trustedplaces.com/places/review">review them</a> and let the TrustedPlaces community know about them!</strong></p>
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