Bye bye Tiffin Room, hello Italian Bar

Advantages: Varied menu; reasonable prices
Disadvantages: Not the best food in the world

...I wasn't filled with enthusiasm at the prospect of visiting Southsea's latest Italian restaurant, simply because it had taken the place of the Tiffin Room at the India Arms, considered by many to be the best local Indian restaurant. It seemed fair to give it a chance, however, so I met my son on Great Southsea Street early one Friday evening and we wandered down to give the Italian Bar and Grill a closer look. This establishment is actually part pub and part restaurant. The menu is displayed in the pub window and at first did not encourage me. Alongside pasta, pizza and salads there was a section for burgers ? not my kind of food and not what I had been expecting. We decided nevertheless that the prices looked reasonable and that we would probably find an appealing salad or pasta dish, so in we went. The door leads into the bar area...

denella 08.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Italian Bar & Grill, Southsea

Chilis Bar and Grill Hatfield

Advantages: Great tasting food!
Disadvantages: Bit pricey

...My other half and I are both big shopper and big eaters. I love to dine out, nothing like having someone else make your food for you! We have been going to Chili's based in Hatfield, in the Galleria shopping centre for a few years now since it opened. My review is based on this one restaurant as I haven't been to another. Look and Layout ---------------------- The Chili's in Hatfield is quite large with plenty of seating. There are large square tables that can seat 4, or be pushed together for larger parties. There is a large circular booth which seats approx. 8 people and all down the sides of the restaurant are 2 seat and 4 seat booths. There is a nice bar also in this Chili's. It has a few tables next to it, so you can order some food there and continue to drink, as well as bar stools for those who are only there...

chugglebunny 04.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Chili´s Grill & Bar

An Italian in Southsea

Advantages: Good food and service
Disadvantages: Crowded at weekends

...It was perhaps surprising with my love of eating out that, after more than a year of moving back to Southsea, I still had not visited the Italian restaurant Rosita's on Elm Grove. Surprising as, apart from an uninspiring-looking Indian restaurant, Rosita's is actually my nearest, being less than five minutes' walk from my home. I quite often go out for a meal with a friend on a Monday evening, and on this particular occasion she did not feel like venturing very far as she had just returned from a walking weekend in Devon. Rosita's seemed like the most sensible plan. The restaurant has recently been refurbished, the old bay window with the red canopies having been replaced by a flat front made entirely of glass, which I feel has detracted somewhat from its individual character. The red canopies still exist above the first-floor windows...

denella 14.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Rositas Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar, Southsea

Zinc Bar & Grill - A Funky and Relaxed Experience

Advantages: Good value healthy food
Disadvantages: Service quite slow

...I have been to Conran's Zinc Bar & Grill on numerous occasions and will happily continue to do so! Situated on Regency Wharf just off Broad Street, Zinc offers a friendly relaxed atmosphere whether you simply want a few drinks with friends or a meal in the upstairs grill. For those clientele not eating in the restaurant there is a huge downstairs bar and a cocktail bar and champagne bar upstairs at the top of an impressive spiral staircase. The seating downstairs is very comfortable - scatter cushions and soft leather sofas - and there is also floor service if you would prefer not to place your orders at the bar! During the busier weekend period there is a resident DJ playing a mixture of the latest funky tunes and 70's classics. The management do not seem to have any objection to clientele creating their own dance areas either...

NIKKIT 02.05.2004 · Read review
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Review of Zinc Bar&Grill

A civilised Italian lunch

Advantages: Excellent surroundings; very good food and service
Disadvantages: No folded pizzas

...sections you would expect to find in an Italian chain restaurant, with starters, pasta, oven pasta dishes, pizza, risotto, specialities and salads. Perhaps the only difference is that Prezzo also has a section for roast chicken dishes, although I understand that in their newer branches this is replaced by a section for calzone, or folded pizzas. On arrival the waitress had shown us the 'specials' board which featured just one main course: fusilli pasta with asparagus, mushrooms, roasted peppers and green pesto at £7.95. It sounded healthy and I hadn't had pesto for a long time, so I made that my choice. My son opted for traditional lasagne at £8.55, and his partner ordered a pizza with prosciutto ham, mushrooms, marinated olives, fresh rosemary, mozzarella and tomato at £7.95. I was pleased to see that a special knife with a serrated edge was...

denella 05.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Prezzo Italian Restaurants

The Italian Job

Advantages: action and entertainment
Disadvantages: far cry from the origanal

...Director: F. Gary Gray Producer: Tim Bevan, Donald De Line and Jim Dyer Writers: Donna Powers and Wayne Powers Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron,Donald Sutherland, Edward Norton Seth Green and Mos Def. Released in 2003 this action pact remake was loosely based on the 1969 original. (and when I say loosely I mean loosely) **BRIEF PLOT When in Venice, John Bridger, (played by Donald Sutherland) meets up with his best friend Charlie, (played by mark Wahlberg) and then puts the plan into action. The plan is to rob a large bulk of heavily guarded gold bars from under the noses of the Italian police. As the brilliantly executed plan unfolds we are introduced to the rest of the gang, Steve Frazelli, (played by Edward Norton), 'wheelman' Rob, (played by Jason Stathem). Explosive expert Left Ear, (played by Mos...

blissman70 10.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Italian Job (DVD)

The Italian Job

Advantages: Action, mini coopers
Disadvantages: None

...It's not often that a remake of a classic movie is a hit but in my opinion the 2003 version of the Italian Job was a great movie. The original version of the film is classified as a British caper film with lots of darsterdly deeds. It came out in 1969 and starred Michael Caine. Now I can't say that I've seen this version but from all accounts it was a classic. Apparently, according to an article I read, in 2004 the magazine Total Film named The Italian Job the 27th greatest British film of all time. The line "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!", said by Michael Caine in the film, was voted the favourite movie one-liner in a 2003 poll of 1000 movie fans. So, to remake the film was a pretty bold move but in my opinion a good one. The film's director, F Gary Gray called this version a homage to the original but he still...

Spottydog11 08.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Italian Job (DVD)

An Italian that I like to do!

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: none!

...restaurant. It was the equivalent of one shop front but has recently expanded- they have bought the property next door and so now the restaurant is twice the size! Inside it is decorated authentically with yellow painted walls and pictures of Italy on the walls. There are blackboards dotted around with the daily specials on and a little bar area decorated to look just like a little Italian bar which gives the atmosphere of a friendly original place. The tables are set out so that you are not directly aligned to the table next to you which is great as I can't stand it when you feel so close to the people next to you that you can overhear their conversations. Instead, here the tables are spread out at angles so that you feel as though you have ample space. The tables are made from wood and don't have any table cloths which is another bonus as...

lorriellah 20.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Rustico Italian Restaurant

A little taste of Italy - by the Banks of the River Trent..

Advantages: Wide selection of food, affordable prices
Disadvantages: just needs to work on the finishing touches with service

...It's not every day that a new restaurant opens in a small rural Nottinghamshire village. Nor is it every day that my local shuts for a private function on an evening. However, due to the latter, and the fact that I had a craving for a great big bowl of pasta, for my Sunday evening tea, I somehow ended up at Pontefino's in Gunthorpe, Notts. Gunthorpe is actually home to three Trent waterfront restaurants, the other side of the river from my house, but nevertheless within an easy stroll. The third of these was the Anchor pub, and somewhere I had frequented only once in the last 4 years. This old pub was unable to compete with the modern competition of the massive chain restaurant nearby and the slightly more upmarket Tom Brown's Brasserie. So a couple of months ago I noticed it was reinventing itself as a slick stylish Italian...

helencbradshaw 01.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Pontefino Italian Restaurant & Bar, Nottingham

A Lean mean grilling machine

Advantages: Healthy way to cook
Disadvantages: could be better designed for cleaning

...The George Foreman Health Grill This is my second George foreman I have owned the first one lasted for years and I replaced it with this model a year ago. The George foreman is a great invention. It takes about three minutes to heat up before placing your items under to cook. Appearance This grill is silver so fitting in with most modern kitchens. It does have George Foreman's signature plastered across the front and the lean, mean grilling machine logo. It has double sided grills that are angles downwards so that the fat runs out. It does come with a spatula specially designed to help you lift the item off the grill without scratching. The cord is relatively long for an electrical appliance and winds round the bottom for easy storage. What can you cook? Just about anything that you can...

Wisemind 10.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of George Foreman 13350 Health Grill