Lakorn Thai is an average Thai restaurant close to the Sadlers Wells Theatre in Islington. The food is not outstanding nor is it bad.

The restaurant seemed to have two dining areas: one close to the entrance and one through an archway. Lakorn Thai was nicely decorated and was also quite light due to its cream interior.

On this particular evening, the restaurant was quite cold even though we were given a table near a heater. While I was waiting for my friends to arrive, there were at least two different groups of people who left the restaurant without dining there. The reason that they gave was that the place was too cold.

The selection of food that we had was the vegetable spring rolls, vegetable tempura and vegetarian Pad Thai. The food was brought out surprisingly fast, not long after we had ordered.

The spring rolls were nice and crispy. The tempura included broccoli, mushrooms and peppers. The batter was light and the tempura tasted good with the dipping sauce.

The Pad Thai was slightly disappointing. It was too sweet and did not have any tangy flavours. The noodles were cooked well and the dish had big chunks of tofu, egg and beansprouts. Even though we asked for extra vegetables in the Pad Thai, this request did not seem to have been met.

The staff were friendly and gave us service with a smile. There were a couple of communication issues though, as a few of the staff did not really understand English very well. So when we asked them questions, they just smiled politely and then another member of staff would come and step in to deal with our query.

Lakorn Thai, 199 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TJ

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Browns feels more like a restaurant but you can go here just for drinks! There are wicker seats near the window, seats along the bar, and then there’s the big dining area. It has quite a nice relaxed atmosphere with its jazz music softly playing in the background. The atmosphere is also created by its soft lighting and dark wood decor.

Browns has a range of teas and coffees as well as cocktails and soft drinks. I decided to have the Ceylon tea but unfortunately it was not available on this day. So, I went for the regular Earl Grey.  The tea was served by the pot and it was nice that it was loose tea leaves.

Everything about Browns seemed quite nice and it would have been a place that we would have returned to. But then, when we wanted to order a second drink, the problems started. Firstly, it was hard to get the attention of the staff. It was like they were walking around with blinkers on!

Then, once we finally managed to order the drink, it never came. Even when we went up to the bar to ask if the drink had been made, we were told that it would be served shortly.

Quite a bit of time lapsed and still no drink. Browns did not realise that the ridiculously slow customer service was not doing them any favours. After a couple more queries about the drink, it finally came.

Even though we were quite happy at first that the staff did not rush us, the lack of attention and poor service really disappointed us.

All in all, Browns is a pleasant place, but the service that the staff provided could be greatly improved.

Browns Bar & Brasserie, 9 Islington Green, Angel, London, N1 8DU

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I have walked past this cafe every day for months, and never gave it a second look until now.  Maybe it’s because secretly I’m a snob, or maybe it’s because I have a tendancy to judge a cafe based on it’s neighbourhood.  Whatever my reasons for not trying this cafe before today, I’ve learnt these two valuable lessons…one, never judge a cafe by it’s neighbourhood and two, stop being such a snob!

From the outside it really doesn’t look like much, but this probably has to do more with the area than the cafe itself.  Once inside though, it’s a completely different story.  The cafe is very clean and stylish, with both indoor and outdoor seeting.  There’s also a small lounge area with sofas.  A great deal of effort has obviously gone into the decor.

When it comes to choice, the Hamlet menu tops the bill.  Whether you simply fancy a light snack, tasty salad or a builders lunch, the menu has it all.  But this is me remember, so  I ordered burger and chips!!

The staff at Hamlet Cafe are extremely friendly and I didn’t feel pressured into placing my order, though it did take me a while.

Excellent selection of food and beverages, brilliant atmosphere and great staff.  If you ever find yourself passing by Hornsey Road, I highly recommend that you take a break at Hamlet Cafe.

Hamlet Cafe, 437 Hornsey Road, Islington, London, N19 4DU

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