THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • HEADPHONE REVIEW | Libratone Q Adapt

    HEADPHONE REVIEW | Libratone Q Adapt Noise Cancelling Headphones

    Introduction

    Noise cancelling headphones have become increasingly popular in recent years, as we look to envelop ourselves in our own world, cutting out the distraction of the world around us. It’s especially beneficial in open plan offices, packed tubes, homes near busy roads and well, maybe even a snoring partner. You’re going to have to fork out a fair wedge for a decent pair; my money is on the Scandinavian designed Libratone Q Adapt, do happen to come in a sub £180 price tag.

    Build And Quality

    I had not heard about the Libratone brand before. When you think of headphones, the mind tends to go for Bose, Beats or even Sennizher, so when I was offered a pair of the Q Adapt noise cancelling headphone I was intrigued.

    When reviewing tech items, we ask for new out of the box items, just as you’d find in a shop, in order to give a full summary. So my first impressions aren’t great – the pair sent, still had earwax or ear fluff – or whatever it was – on from the previous reviewer. I have to say this nearly made me heave.

    However, I’m glad I stayed the course and reviewed them, as they are, without a doubt, the best noise cancelling headphone I have ever reviewed.

    Out of the box and charged the headphones are simple to pair with a Bluetooth device. They also come with a standard mini jack socket so you can plug them directly into your iPhone, computer or iPod.

    Controls for the unit are simple. Volume and skip functions are controlled by various hand actions on the right-hand ear cup. Pausing your audio happens when you just take them off your ears.

    The Noise Cancelling feature has three levels of reduction, and I have to add, the best I’ve ever tried. The first setting filters out lower rumbles, the second filters out higher frequencies, the third, and most impressive reduction is impressive. They call it the CityMix and I can see why.  You could be standing in the middle of traffic and be none the wiser. Although I didn’t try these on an aeroplane, I imagine this would be incredibly effective.

    My gripe with the set is that they felt a little loose on the head, even at the smallest and tightest setting – but without knowing how many people had used these before me, I can only summarise that numerous different head sizes have stretched them.

    The design is classic and unfussed, and they come in three colours, Cloudy White, Elegant Nude and Stormy Black.

    You can use them to answer calls and speak wirelessly.

    Sound

    The fact that these earphones do such a great job of filtering out external sounds, means your audio sounds incredibly clear. The bass response is warm and crisp. They provide a very comfortable listening experience – no sharp edges to the sound, music sounds fully rounded – while speech feels crisp and clear.

    Verdict

    If you’re looking for a pair of headphones, which feel comfortable, have a long-lasting battery (30 hours playback) and have incredible noise cancelling capabilities and have £149.00 to spend, then the Libratone Q Adapt headphones are the option for you.

     

    LOVE

    Awesome noise cancelling ability

    Classic design

    Feel comfortable, even after an extended listening period.

    LOATHES

    They felt a little loose

    You can buy them from Amazon (£143.00 at time of publishing) John Lewis, £179.00 (at time of release)

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Lost and Found: Bottomless Brunch, Birmingham

    ★★★★★ – BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH LAUNCHES AT THE LOST & FOUND

    The weekends are for great nights and slightly late mornings, and of course good food to awake your spirits, as well as supping on some alcoholic beverages at lunchtime and forgetting the week. The Lost & Found take this occasion seriously with their Bottomless Brunch bonanza.

    The choices of Bellinis, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, in any order, are a delightful motivation to get out of bed on a Sunday morning. From 11 AM to 3 PM, you can indulge yourself in as many Prosecco glasses in a two hour booked period. The Bellinis were moreish with a raspberry floating in each glass – having one of my five a day (in abundance). What is lovely about the brunch food menu is that there is something there for any appetite. From delicate porridges to hearty breakfasts, one can take pleasure in eating rich, tasty and well-presented dishes. The hearty ‘English breakfast’ was incredibly delicious with tasty sausages and poached eggs cooked to perfection. My plus one opted for a bun-less ‘Bacon & cheeseburger’ with a fried egg and skinny fries, and according to him the dish was oozing with flavour and juices, and it definitely did not need a bun.

    What contributed to the superb event was the Victorian backdrop and out-of-time ambience that The Lost & Found encapsulates very well. The mood is just terrific for a Sunday brunch and chill. Josh looked after us again, and I must say his dedication and attention to detail rivals any other host I have met. Josh took time to explain to us how the menu worked, putting us at ease when making a decision, as well as letting us know in advance that due to staff shortage the meals may take longer than we might expect. Also, Josh made sure we were well and truly Bellini-ed and I was left feeling very fuzzy and cosy sitting comfortably in the booth.

    For just £22 per person, you are getting a very good experience with endless drinks for two hours, plus good quality, top-notch food and with an ambience that provides an escape for a weekend.

  • FILM REVIEW | Beach Rats

    ★★★★ |  Beach Rats

    A young man plays it very cool with his friends while he hides his true sexuality in the new film Beach Rats.

    19-year old Frankie (Harris Dickinson) lives with his mother and dying father in Brooklyn, New York. His mother constantly nags him to get a job but he spends his days doing drugs and hanging out with his gang of homeboys. They are all very macho and straight and while away the hours hanging out on the boardwalk and chatting up local girls. But what they don’t know about Frankie is that he secretly spends his time on gay hookup sites and meets other men at a local cruising spot for sex.

    There is one girl, however, from the neighbourhood (Madeline Weinstein) who he hooks up with – he really likes her and she really likes him, but expectedly it doesn’t go anywhere. And when he gets involved in an incident with his friends that involves a gay man his life suddenly takes a turn.

    UK born Dickinson is very good as Frankie. He nails down the accent and the attitude almost perfectly. With no previous film credits, he’s a natural and very compelling to watch on the big screen (and boy is he sexy)! Director Eliza Hittman gets almost everything right in this film, with the exception of the last 20 minutes that gets a bit too unbelievable. But it’s Dickinson you’ll remember when the screen credits go up. He’s on to bigger and better things.

  • FILM REVIEW | The Justice League

    THE JUSTICE LEAGUE – The biggest superheroes in the DC Universe come together Avengers Assemble style as earth is under a massive alien threat yet again and the Marvel lads are all on their hols but can Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash & Cyborg be able to work together and are they in time…

    FILM REVIEW | The Justice League

    Spoiler alert the answer is No!

    Nutshell – After the death of Batman in the previous film, sacrificing himself saving humankind, Batman is inspired to recruit a reluctant team of superpowered latex clad buddies to deal with an unprecedented outer space threat. The Justice League is formed and after the destruction of Wonder Woman’s island paradise and Aquaman’s submerged home the global chase for three all-powerful MacGuffins is on, watch out for the big surprise guest appearance.

    Running Time – 120 minutes; Certificate – 12A.

    Tagline – ‘Justice For All – You Can’t Save The World Alone’

    THEGAYUK Factor – OMG it’s full of great looking guys in hot fetish gear. Led by the fittest guy ever from Game Of Thrones Jason Momoa who is a new gay icon – for us muscle lovers – as Aquaman and his outfit is stunning and boy does it show his ass off along before the many times he strips down to swim. We cannot wait for his stand-alone movie which will be two straight hours of pure Grade A handy shandy material. Add the bulging spandex crutches of Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller and Ciaran Hinds and you get one horny film with the bonus of the new queen of camp Gal Gadot and her ring of truth which only makes us think of Momoa’s ass once again.

    Cast – Affleck, Gadot, Momoa, Cavill lead the league but we also get Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, JK Simmons and Amy Adams playing the least sexy Lois Lane – ever – for your ticket price plus another huge star at the end of the final credits.

    Key Player – The saviour of the DC universe Wonder Woman holds all the attention here and always draws your eye line from the sleep-inducing Affleck’s Batman, he is about as entertaining as finding sand on your favourite dildo. She saved the Bat Vs Supe’s film with just 3 scenes, her own film is the second biggest moneymaker of the year and she is top dog in the League by far.

    We have no idea why we loved this film so much… oh so much…

    Budget – An absolutely massive $300 Million which is less than many countries earn in a year – its a cliché but most of it is on the screen with very big production scenes maybe more should have been spent on the script though, which brings a whole new meaning to the word formulaic.

    Best Bit – 0.21 mins; When Aquaman strips off for the first time showing his many tatt’s and boy does he take his time otherwise the battle and chase of Wonder Woman’s Amazonian tribe on horseback is by far the best action beat.

    Worst Bit – 0.19 mins and 0.34 mins and 0.48 mins…..; Basically every time the Flash comes on the screen, he is weak, his scenes are weak and he is less Premier League and more like Southern Conference League up against everyone else here and anyway Superman is faster so whats the point of him? He probably suffers from premature ejaculation too.

    Little Secret – Already there is a hugely successful big budget gay porn version out of this Justice League from Men.com where Batman rodders Superman, Cyborg gives a good going over on the The Flash, Wonder Woman is played by a drag queen and Aquaman humps every guy in the film repeatedly… sign me up. It is already controversial for adding other characters like The Green Lantern everyone’s least favourite superhero (Thanks, Ryan Reynolds) and also the only black character in either the Avengers or League teams is… oh dear – played by a white porn star – racism in gay porn so what’s new?

    Further Viewing – Really!!! With over 50 films featuring the superheroes above just go to Google and type in stretched spandex over bulging crutch movies and whilst you are there just search for Marvel or DC Comics and you will have two weeks worth of identical movies to watch with everyone saving the world each and every fucking time in just under two hours.

    Any Good – This is a very expensive perfectly adequate film, you will smile, laugh, get excited and be entertained throughout, the trouble is it is just so damn generic and we have seen it all so many times before. A magical object is hidden on earth that can now destroy us all and good guys/bad guys with whatever powers they need to survive 50 rounds of unrealistic fighting and nobody ever seems to get injured or hospitalised. It’s all about as realistic as a Donald Trump promise to protect LGBT+ rights. Do stay right to the end of the credits as the last secret scene is well worth the 10-minute screen scroll wait and it gives a huge clue as to where we are all going next as if six superheroes in one film weren’t enough?

    Rating – 62 out of 100.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Smashburger, Wednesbury

    ★★★★ | Smashburger, Wednesbury

    Smashburger launches the first site in the Midlands, and what a messy affair it was!

    The method of smashing is a unique way of enhancing flavour into the burger as the meat is cooked in its freshly pressed juices. The result is a delicate, intense and a full-flavoured burger inside your soft bun. According to General Manager Colin, the ingredients are prepared and cooked fresh every day, and the burgers are almost smashed to order. Situated at the heart of Gallagher Retail Park in Wednesbury, this restaurant is certainly worth a sharp right on your way out.

    The Beef Bacon Cheeseburger, made with Applewood smoked bacon and American cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and red onion served on a multi-grain bread is probably one of the best burgers I have had in my mouth. The bread was soft and complemented the burger beautifully soaking up the juices and sauce oozing out of the burger. There is no way to avoid running mustard/ketchup sauce down your hand as it is a truly messy encounter. The sour pickles married well with the tangy mustard and galvanised the whole meal – Fourth of July happened in my mouth. My plus one had Spinach, Cucumber & Goats Cheese Beef Burger on a brioche bun which was very well presented and it had plenty of fresh vibes to it.

    What was very impressive about Smashburger was the excellent customer service experienced throughout the joint. Chloe was particularly pleasant and very hospitable offering us to try the churros at the end which was an offer you could not refuse. The atmosphere was very busy but the staff bantered and looked after every customer with genuine care.

    There was a problem with the fryer as a couple of items of the meal were slightly over-fried, particularly the Haystack Onions, and the Churros also were overly cooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. It was not a happy ending, but I would read this book again! I would like to think it was a one-off blip.

    The service was second to none. The quality and concept of the burgers through smashing was ingenious. The highlight for me of it all was the Oreo Hand-spun Shake – O.M.G! The best chunky shake I have had – it is going to take a lot to beat that!

  • EARPHONE REVIEW | Jam Ultra

    EARBUD REVIEW | Jam Wireless Audio Ultra

    Introduction

    If you’re not a fan of the headphone, then earbuds are the only other option – and what with Apple doing away with the standard audio jack, wired head and earphones could be a thing of the past. Wireless earbuds are a marvel – no tangled wires, no choking yourself when getting up from your desk when you’re still attached to your computer. There’s a lot of freedom. But there are problems too. Earbuds don’t always stay in the ear, you have to remember to charge them and then there’s the worst bit – pairing them. Jam have sorted two of these issues out perfectly with their Ultra earbuds – the pairing issue – not so much.

    Build And Quality

    Out of the box and charged in their own little charging dock, the Jam Ultras are incredibly easy to use. The individual earbuds have built-in batteries and as you lift them out of the dock they pair with each other – pairing them to your device, be it, phone or desktop isn’t too much of a sweat either. Most of the time.

    Speaking of sweat they are resistant to it, which is fantastic if you should use them whilst out jogging or in the bath. They are dark in colour and once fitted into the ear are almost unnoticeable. None of the ridiculous white stork thing that’s going on with Apple’s own earbuds.

    They last for three hours on one charge – but with their own charging dock, which can charge them up to 10 times, these buds can last for 30 hours. Rather brilliantly because there’s a USB port you can also charge your phone while you’re at it.

    They have a simple look to them, dark and with a slight material texture to them. Once they’re in, the noise blocking from the external world is brilliant. If you’re looking for noise cancelling headphones these, although not actually “noise cancelling”, are a great find.

    Now here’s the problem – I found that these were impossible to use for TV or for watching any kind of streaming. They can’t keep up with your device and the lipsync is terrible.

    They also, rather annoyingly have a habit of desynchronising with each other – meaning that one ear suddenly goes dead and then comes back after a moment. Considering the wireless feature is probably why you’d buy these earphones, it’s utterly infuriating.

    Controlling the earbuds is a simple process. There’s a pause button, which doubles up as the pairing and off button. You can’t change the volume or skip to the next tune on these.

    You can use them to answer calls and speak wirelessly.

    The JAM ULTRA’s come with their own charging dock.

    Sound

    The fact that these earphones do a great job of filtering out external sounds, means audio feels very present – and up close. The bass response is good for the tiny speakers – but perhaps the top end feels a little dead, which gives an overall mid to bottom sound palette.

    Verdict

    If you’re looking for sub-£100 wireless earphones that come with their own docking station – which are easy to set up then these are a good fit. If you’re looking to watch TV with your earbuds then these aren’t for you.

     

    LOVE

    Good bass response for little speakers

    Nicely packaged

    Charging Dock

    LOATHES

    Desynchronising earphones

    Shortish battery life

    You can buy them from Amazon.com

  • CAR REVIEW | Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps AWD

    ★★★★ | Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps AWD

    CAR REVIEW | Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps AWD

    House Trained Cat With Trimmed Claws

    With all of its extras, £59,000 worth of Jaguar sits on the drive. It sounds a lot except its starting price is just £42,000.

    Just don’t tell anyone.

    Sat there in its big blackness of black paint, black wheels and privacy glass, it attracts attention. It attracts compliments. It is safe to say that on the road the compliments are equally forthcoming.

    There is something about a Jaguar that you don’t get with any other premium brand car. There is a lot of acknowledgement and a lot of admiration. Perhaps it’s because of its inherent Britishness that does it. Perhaps it’s the drama that has surrounded the Jaguar brand.

    Since being taken over by the Tata Group in 2008 the changes at Jaguar were slow and steady at first. Within 8 years they started getting it together. Add a couple of years on top of that and Jaguar now have a bigger range of cars than ever before and the brand is now as desirable as it was in the 60s.

    It’s not to say that the 80’s and 90’s Jaguars were not desirable, it’s just that they were questionable in terms of reliability, build quality and resale.

    It’s not all good news though. The XF R-Sport I tested failed me in one area. I’m being picky, probably more so than I usually would be but only because I saw it, it annoyed me. The top of the boot area under the parcel shelf lacks a cover. You wouldn’t see it. I can’t quite explain it. It’s just missing. It’s an area that gets missed by many. To me, it’s like the final piece of the boot lining jigsaw.

    What isn’t missing is driver enjoyment. From the outside, the big cat is very attractive. Sleek headlights and integral grill now replace the tired retro look they tried. The looks work. It makes for an elegant design. The lines flow from bonnet to boot. There are no tricks.

    Driving the XF R-Sport AWD is made easy thanks to the parking assist pack with surround cameras. An option worth having. The cameras show the front wheels making parallel parking a breeze. There is now no excuse to scuff the alloys on a curb.

    Adopting a perfect driving position is very easy with almost infinite adjustment available on the memory seats. Handy to have should you wish to car share with a significant other. This then sets you up to enjoy anything you want to throw at the XF R-Sport. I wouldn’t want to be a passenger in the XF. It’s not that you don’t get enough space to stretch out or comfort, it’s just that driving the Jaguar is where you enjoy it the most.

    Together the car flows along. The 250ps turbocharged 2 litre Ingenium engines power delivery is smooth and progressive in its application of power making the XF R-Sport a pleasure to drive. It lacks some out and out slam-you-into-the seat throttle reactions but that would only remove you from the linear feel of the cars flowing progress. If you want that from your XF you can always opt for the S model. Don’t think that this XF won’t get out of the way of its own shadow. With a 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds, it isn’t slow. And all this with a commendable low Co2 output.

    All this power gets transmitted via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The ratios are nicely spaced. If pushed it will hold on to the gear which can be a minor inconvenience. Pull out hard and fast and then come off the throttle would often result in a sudden jerk in the ride where the gearbox had held onto the low gear. The price you pay for all that power and the 0-60 time.

    The big structure of the shell is in aluminium and this helps make the XF feel light yet being of light construction does not in any way feel like it flexes. It is a taut chassis and good job too. The handling of the all wheel drive system fails to fail you. It holds on with immense grip. Adaptive Surface Response (AdSR) along with adaptive dynamics make split-second changes to the car’s behaviour. It works well. There were times when you could feel it change from soft barge to sports saloon and its job of keeping you on the road was good. I can’t say I went out of my way to provoke it but I tried a couple of times and I can say it sort of left me feeling a little flat.

    It’s not that it is a bad thing in any way. All the gizmos go someway to make the big cat very safe if a little too safe. It keeps the car planted to the road and while it makes you feel like the king of the road, unlike some power saloons, it won’t try and kill you. I can live with that.

    There were a few things that to me didn’t quite work. The cruise control seemed a little finicky to set at first. There are many switches on the steering wheel. What I expected to find was adaptive cruise. For such a big and powerful car I expect to find this standard equipment for anything that comes with cruise control.

    The Jaguar illuminated kick plates were a nice touch. I’m not a fan of blue lighting though. What would have been nice was illuminated steps in the rear. ‘XF’ set in these would have looked quite nice.

    I can forgive it the kick plates and boot trim. However, the XF does go some way in making a luxury barge a great British barge. Driving dynamics aside It’s not quite up there with the Germans in interior tactility. It’s very close though and what would look better on the drive? A Jaguar or a Munich motorway muncher? I’ll tell you this for nothing, I’ll have the Jaguar thanks. For a start, people let you out in traffic.

    Love

    Price
    Smooth progressive engine
    Economy

    Loathe

    Lack of adaptive cruise control
    A bit too safe in the handling department
    Trim tactility

    The Lowdown
    Car – Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps AWD
    Price – £58,860 (as tested)
    MPG – 40.9 mpg (combined)
    Power – 0-62mph – 6.2 seconds
    Top Speed – 147 mph
    Co2 – 159 (g/km)

  • FILM REVIEW | The Florida Project

    ★★★★★ |  The Florida Project

    From filmmaker Sean Baker, writer and director of 2015’s critically acclaimed film Tangerine, comes another film about living life on the edge in the bittersweet The Florida Project.

    Tangerine, which was shot on iPhones, told the story of two trans sex workers surviving by any means possible in Hollywood. The Florida Project, shot on 35mm, has a similar trajectory involving a single mother and her adorable 6-year old daughter surviving by any means and barely eking out a living in a rundown motel on the tacky fringes of Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. It’s an area filled with cheap motels (with tacky names such as Futureland Inn) and even cheaper and tackier gift shops and fast food restaurants (Orange World). And like in Tangerine, Baker uses non-professional actors in this film.

    Bria Vinaite is excellent as Hailey, a single young mother who struggles to find money to pay the weekly rent and to care for her very adorable six-year-old daughter Moonee (an excellent and natural Brooklynn Prince). Moonee has made friends with all of the little children at their motel complex (appropriately called The Magic Castle) in an area where Disney did not sprinkle magic dust on. The children spend their days getting up to no good, causing mayhem wherever they go, much to the annoyance of the motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe – in an award-worthy performance). Hailey’s downstairs neighbour Ashley (Mela Murder) works at the nearby Waffle House and gives them free food, but after an incident that involves her son and Moonee, she forbids her son to hang out with Moonee, and severs her friendship with Hailey. One thing leads to another and slowly the magic seeps out of The Magic Castle.

    The Florida Project is just fantastic. While it doesn’t quite come close to Tangerine with its sarcastic and biting humour, it nonetheless is a cute and charming movie of childhood through a little girl’s eyes and the hard truths that reality will eventually rear its ugly head. And the cast are just superb. Baker, who co-wrote the script with Chris Bergoch, has another winner on his hands.

  • FILM REVIEW | Paddington 2

    PADDINGTON 2 – Your second favourite bear after that hairy muscled gay bloke you met in the darkroom at XXL or Brut is back for a sequel and this time he falls foul of the law and is eating porridge rather than marmalade sandwiches.

    Nutshell – The most polite Peruvian ursine returns and is in a battle with Hugh Grant’s baddie for a special book with a hidden treasure trail that Paddington needs as a very special family present. Things go amiss when he gets framed for theft and is sent to prison for 10 years which is a long time in bear years, can he escape, find the book & treasure and save the day in probably the happiest film of this and any year?

    Running Time – 103 minutes

    Certificate – PG

    Tagline – ‘Free Paddington’ and ‘It Takes A Bear To Catch a Thief’.

    THEGAYUK Factor – This is probably the most perfect family movie ever so nothing “gay” here… move along. This is the movie to take your Mum to or your little nephew but you will probably enjoy it the more than any of them. If you want gay smut just wait 7 days for the Justice League as there is hoards of it there.

    Cast – Hugh ‘Downton Abbey’ Bonneville, Julie ‘Acorn Antiques’ Walters, Hugh ‘Four Weddings’ Grant and every other major Brit you can think of such as Joanna Lumley, Brendon Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Ben Miller, Michael Gambon etc etc plus Peter Dr Who’ Capaldi for good measure.

    Key Player – Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington is perfect you cannot imagine anyone else doing it now he has the friendliest tones imaginable and can make you care, laugh or cry with just a simple turn of phrase.

    Budget – $80 Million. The first film was a huge surprise hit making $250 Mil worldwide – this with pre-brand recognition will make a lot more as, whisper it quietly, this is an even better movie. The first film is the biggest money-making independent family film of all time expect that record to have gone well before Christmas here.

    Best Bit – 1.14 mins; There are three very sad and dark sequences here and the last one is a real doozy and it comes right after some great laughs and a huge action sequence and it will hit you like a sledgehammer – superb filmmaking, taking your hankies.

    Worst Bit – 1.27 mins; There are two sequences in the final credits the first one is a Hugh Grant song and dance number that is just screaming for a much hookier better song. The only hiccup in this whole enterprise – rare for a sequel indeed.

    Little Secret – The creator of the character and books Michael Bond was told that the sequel had been greenlit on his 90th birthday. He sadly died at 91 on the exact same day as the last day of shooting, he never saw the finished film but adored the first one and we know he would love this even more. He published the last ever Paddington book in April of this year… that is active in your old age.

    Further Viewing – Paddington 1 obviously, Mary Poppins, The Railway Children, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Labyrinth, Witches, any quality British family film of the last 50 years or any of the 10 great Muppet movies.

    Any Good – It is so rare for a sequel to be better than its predecessor as there are so many traps and issues with sequels. We rate this alongside the great step-ups like Aliens, Terminator 2, The Two Towers, Star Trek 4, Return Of The Jedi and Fast & Furious 5. Let’s make it simple, this is marvellous, perfect entertainment for everyone, very funny, great action and an instant classic… with fur on to be watched with a smile on your face for years to come. Be prepared to be taken back to your childhood in spades.

    Rating – 94% out of 100.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate, London

    ★★★★★ | Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate

    Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate, London

    Are you looking for a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon? Look no further, Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate in the City is the place to go.

    Gaucho Restaurant, which sits right in the middle of the UBS buildings right near Broadgate Circle, is hosting Saturday Electro Brunch. It’s an excellent, fun and perfect mix of music, food, and alcohol, and it’s also the perfect place to while away a Saturday afternoon. And it’s not just brunch, it’s Electro Brunch, and it’s an orgy of food and alcohol, and a real live D.J. spinning electro beats, in a sumptuous and very classy atmosphere, all for the low price and excellent valued £49.99.

    Yes, for just £49.99 you get all you can eat and drink, from 11-4 on Saturdays, and the excellent price of £49.99.

    We went on a recent Saturday afternoon to have a taste, and we were not disappointed at all. Brunch being the keyword in the name, the food are all brunch items, and I tried to have as much as possible to get a real flavour, and taste, of the menu, as the portions are appetizer size, and that was not a problem. The 2 small sizes of the French Toast were perfect. Served with peanut butter and strawberries. The Avocado on Toast popular as it is now on menus, couldn’t have been fresher. And my lunch companion wanted gluten-free bread, and Gaucho accommodated her, no problem! She also asked for, and got, salmon on toast, a dish that wasn’t even on the menu!

    Of course, I had to have the Steak & Eggs, and it came out as ordered. Small portion, but the steak was mighty tender, and with Chimichurri dressing which is on every table, it made it all the more superb. And the oven baked chorizo was practically a main meal in itself and consisted of a nice slab or chorizo, fried eggs, delicious mushrooms and served in a small frying page, and while the chorizo was not as well cooked as I would’ve liked, it was very good. And the coup de gras were the pancakes. Though small, the two had almonds and just the right amount of syrup, dessert size portion, but a dish that I would highly recommend – tres Bueno! Also on the menu include Eggs Florentine, Fried Provoleta, Beans on Toast, Eggs Royale, and Bacon or Choripan Sandwich – there’s just so so so much!

    And let’s not forget the drinks. You get a choice of the Gaucho Bloody Mary, the Aperol Spritz, Rubia Pilsener Lager, and Domaine Chandon or non-alcoholic refreshing juices such as the Apple Gone Loupe or Orange Zinger, both very refreshing and cool. For £10 more you can upgrade to the Electro Brunch Premium, which includes the above as well Pornstar and Espresso Martinis! So you owe it yourself to experience this – you’ll have an amazing time with a staff that’s so very nice and lovely in a setting that’s delectable and delicious.

    Gaucho’s Electric Brunch is on every Saturday from 11 – 4 at Broadgate, Canary, Chancery, Piccadilly, Sloane, Smithfield, Tower Bridge

    £49.95 PER PERSON
    BIRMINGHAM, LEEDS & MANCHESTER – £45.00PP

    Gaucho requires a deposit of £10 per person to secure your booking
    Guests can have as many plates as they like within two hours.
    All dishes and beverages are included in the price for 2 hours from the time of seating, so indulge yourself.

    Home

     

  • TV REVIEW | Red Dwarf XII: Skipper

    

Next year Red Dwarf will celebrate its 30th anniversary: a fact that has been marked by many lovingly inserted callbacks throughout the last two series of the show – last week’s recreation of the opening scene from ‘The End’, the series very first episode, was the biggest one to date – but this week’s edition; Skipper, the series finale, is set to take it even further.

    Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) falls into his annual depression when reading an old report the Captain made on him. Reminded of all his failures he laments on the fact he wanted to make so much more of himself in life – and death. Soon he yearns for a chance to make amends. We’ve all been there.

    Soon the opportunity arrives when Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) presents the Hologram with a dimension skipping device that allows him to live his life in other and opposite dimensions allowing him to find the reality where he lives the life he always wanted.

 So, after a (very) quick goodbye Rimmer sets off on an adventure that sees him journey through the shows rich history meeting old friends and other versions of his shipmates.

    Though we are still hoping for something amazing in the anniversary year (Doug Naylor has mentioned a stage show) this comes very close to an anniversary special: the callbacks, the journey and choice Rimmer makes it both nostalgic and looking to the future in a way Doctor Who did in its 50th anniversary year.

    A great closure to the XI and XII series journey that begun in May 2015 that leaves the door wide open for more.
 Happy anniversary Red Dwarf and all who sail her, let’s journey together for many more years to come.

     Red Dwarf XII continues tonight on Dave at 9PM