The Giraffe Cafe, Wimbledon

Posted on by

The Giraffe Restaurant Empire seems to have taken over the world with its popular multicultural menu and fun enthusiastic vibe. But refusing to settle for any imperfections, the Giraffe team has recently reworked a few of the branches, introducing the new snazzier and healthier Giraffe cafe. I went along to try out the brand new eatery in Wimbledon.

Located just a short ride from the main train station and up into leafy Wimbledon village, the restaurant is easy to find. For me it is an area of London that brings back fond memories of working at Wimbledon Tennis in the summers, and visiting the bustling pubs here for an after-work drink. The Giraffe cafe suits this smart suburb and will, I’m sure, appeal to the discerning residents.

We arrived at 8 o’clock on a weekday and the restaurant was relatively quiet; I can imagine it is busier earlier on when the after-school hordes come in for wholesome snacks and smoothies. It is cosy and intimate especially where we sat towards the back and perfect for a relaxed meal. The decor is quirky with an informal arty feel.

Cucumber tinged tap water was immediately brought out to us while we pondered the menu. I have visited the predecessor, Giraffe restaurant, and much prefer this layout, though I’m sure the change will annoy some regulars. The menu is much much more precise, and thank God, because previously just about anything could be found on the menu, eclectic, global even, and completely overwhelming.

After a recommendation, we chose the edamame beans to share as a grazing starter. I wondered if they were going to be similar to the Wagamama variety, but they were far better coated in a sticky salty soy and chilli sauce. It was the perfect finger food to nibble on while gossiping and sipping our wine.

The mains require more careful consideration – a diverse menu of essential salads, seasonal favourites, curries and burgers. We opted for the basil chicken curry, with mint, basil and green chilli, served with brown rice, and the California chicken focaccia club sandwich, which is stacked high with avocado, rocket, tomatoes and tarragon dressing. The curry was light and fragrant, mild but filled with fresh flavoursome vegetables, delicious and healthy. The sandwich was just as good, a combination of tastes and textures, with quality ingredients, prepared with real attention to detail. We were also offered Giraffe’s speciality sweet potato fries, which we couldn’t resist – they were incredible, thin and crispy and soft and sweet inside.

A short break before pudding but then we were back on with an awesome banana waffle split – certainly the best looking dessert on the menu, and a portion of Jude’s vanilla frozen yoghurt. I’m all for low fat, but I didn’t much like the taste of the frozen yoghurt, drizzled in honey it was far too sweet and not very satisfying. The waffle however made up for it, stylishly stacked, it was a devilish treat and quickly hoovered up by us.

We had such a lovely evening at the Giraffe cafe that the time disappeared in a flash, and soon we were the only table left while the staff quietly cleared up around us. Whether you’re health conscious or not, the Giraffe cafe is a lovely restaurant to visit, with friends, family or a partner. It is a mean feat to pull off, serving tasty authentic dishes from all over the world, but the new Giraffe cafe rises to this ambitious challenge, and I predict many more Giraffe restaurants will be evolving into this savvy new style of cafe.

Visit the website and book a table here.

Charles Matton, ‘Enclosures’, All Visual Arts

Posted on by

Hidden away in once grotty King’s Cross is the All Visual Arts building, a pristine space that exhibits innovative and aesthetically intriguing collections. A wonderfully unique show has just opened here with free entry to the public: the first major retrospective of French artist, Charles Matton in an exhibition entitled ‘Enclosures’.

Matton spent the years from 1985 until his death in 2008 creating the most enchanting miniature rooms in boxes, replicas of real interiors and revisiting memories from his life as well as a few fabricated from his imagination. All thirty eight enclosures are painstakingly authentic, and created by Matton and his assistant to exactly 1:7 scale. Tiny mirrors, elaborate book shelves, hectic and messy art studios – each box is perfected to evoke a vivid and significant place. They are quite enchanting, and unlike anything I have ever seen before; they are, as Grace Glueck from the New York Times, puts it ‘a voyeur’s delight’.

Some of the boxes use double-sided mirrors, a wonderful invention that seems to create real magic within the boxes. We are unable to see our reflection when looking into the artwork but the tiny rooms surrounding are reflected -immaculately, creating a seemingly impossible illusion. I found the artist studios most awe inspiring. Matton uses such unbelievable detail to recreate the studios of famous artists such as Francis Bacon and Alberto Giacometti; torn newspapers litter the floor, paint pots lie discarded and miniature works of art sit half-made.

I have never heard of Charles Matton before, and was delighted to be introduced to his exquisite and poetic world in this lovely retrospective exhibition.

Continues until 7th October, visit the website for more information here.

Clip Joint Comedy night at The Camden Head pub

Posted on by

Comedy and I don’t usually get on… the pressure to laugh always deters me… however occasionally I do surprise myself by making the effort to go along to a comedy show, and more importantly enjoying it. Clip Joint wasn’t hysterical, but all in all it was a light hearted and amusing night, and for £4 a ticket the evening was, I think, a success.

The friendly Camden Head pub hosts exciting live comedy acts in a dark and cosy upstairs room. Clip Joint is a new act performed by Dougie Anderson and Iain Lee – it is a monthly show with clips of films and TV series that they find funny, talking and explaining the scenario, in the hope that the audience will share their amusement, for whatever reasons. On Friday they also brought along a special guest, Iain Morris creator of ‘The Inbetweeners’ and generally brilliant Comedy writer whose credits also include two episodes of ‘Flight of the Conchords’.

Anderson and Lee are fun guys, and it’s hard not to feel at ease with them. Both TV presenters, you can tell immediately that they are experienced and at ease performing and talking on cue. Despite the slightly strange layout (watching very random clips on a small TV on the stage) the hour long show felt relaxed and everyone in the mismatched audience seemed to enjoy it.

Unfortunately I think it would be impossible to describe the individual clips here, but take my word for it, they were the bizarrest, most incongruous things I’ve ever seen. Audience members are encouraged to bring along their favourite clips to share with the crowd, though our group was terrified and quiet. Eventually one regular confidently strode up to the video machine with a hilarious rendition of the Chicken Duck Monkey song by Mike Phirman. I’ve managed to find it on youtube, so I’ll leave you with this silly happy video now…