Dan Q

Tag: review

Review of Bonn Square

This review of Bonn Square originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Bonn Square, Oxford OX1 1EU, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐

Named for Oxford’s twin city in Germany, Bonn, and that – and the war memorial that acts mostly as a seat among the undersupply of benches – is the only interesting this about this plaza. You can’t sit and eat here because you’ll be mobbed by pigeons. You can’t hold a quiet conversation here because of the foot traffic that ploughs through during daylight hours and the buses that growl by into Queen Street.

It’s just: an empty space that could desperately have enjoyed more love than went into giving it a couple of sad-looking trees. Nothing more, nothing less.

Review of Gloucester Green Market

This review of Gloucester Green Market originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Gloucester Green Market, 78 The Heyes, Oxford OX1 2BU, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The weekday market offers the best multi-cuisine street food experience you’ll get almost anywhere: stalls as far as the eye can see serving Italian, Japanese, Indian, Goan, Ethiopian, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese… the list goes on. Take an explore and try something new on a Wednesday or Thursday soon.

The non-food stalls are a mixed-bag. If you know what you’re looking for, you might find it. If you don’t, you might find something anyway, but don’t hold your breath.

Review of Not Dogs

This review of Not Dogs originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Not Dogs, LinkStreet, Birmingham B5 4BS, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Veggie fast food done right! From the hippy attitude to the delicious and imaginative ‘dogs, this is my favourite vegetarian eatery anywhere.

Review of Alpha Bar

This review of Alpha Bar originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Alpha Bar, Covered Market, 89 Market St, Oxford OX1 3EE, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Delicious salads made to order plus a mixture of different hot and cold foods served daily. Always includes a great vegetarian selection, so long as you get there before it sells out! Often incredibly long queues at lunchtime, and prices are a little high for what you get, but otherwise a great lunchtime venue.

Review of Vodafone

This review of Vodafone originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Vodafone, 3 Cornmarket St, Oxford OX1 3EX, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Like most mobile phone shops, this one enjoys a confusing layout and less-than-completely-helpful staff.

If you know exactly what you want then you can have a reasonable experience, but if you know exactly what you want then you’d be better to go online. If you’re not sure what you want, you’re going to have an unhappy time full of upselling and jargon… so you’d do better to go online.

The network itself is good: broad coverage, good data speeds, nice international deals. But this shop is a perfect example of why their shops ought to already be a relic of history.

Review of Aqua Vale Swimming and Fitness Centre

This review of Aqua Vale Swimming and Fitness Centre originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Aqua Vale Swimming and Fitness Centre, Park St, Aylesbury HP20 1DX, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Moderately long queue but a good family-friendly fun pool once you’re through the gates. Changing rooms are close to poolside and so get uncomfortably humid – you can’t towel yourself completely dry because you’re getting wet from the air itself. Otherwise, a great place for a family trip with children of any age.

Review of Gurkha Village

This review of Gurkha Village originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Gurkha Village, 174 Oxford Rd, Kidlington OX5 1EA, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Delicious food whether eating-in or at home, but beware the long wait times: routinely 45 to 90 minutes for a delivery, and sometimes a little slow even if you’re sitting at a table in the restaurant!

Worth it, so long as you aren’t in a hurry. And if you order using Just Eat or a similar service, be sure to follow-up with a phone call to make sure they noticed it!

Review of Oxford Parkway

This review of Oxford Parkway originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Oxford Parkway, Oxford OX2 8HA, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Convenient, fast, relatively-economical transport to London. Lots of reasonably-priced parking if you’re driving, but – better yet – free covered double-deck bike racks if you’re cycling.

Review of Finders Keepers Shared Letting

This review of Finders Keepers Shared Letting originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Finders Keepers Shared Letting, 27 St Clement's St, Oxford OX4 1AB, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Over my time as a renter I used about a dozen letting agents, and Finders Keepers (who operate – or certainly used to operate – both student and non-student lettings out of this office, despite the name) were without a doubt the best I used in Oxford. They were honest, clear, and fair.

They still had the problem that every letting agent in Oxford (and most of the South of England, for that matter) seem to have of having stacks of seemingly-arbitrary fees (“So I have to pay to apply to rent this place… even if you later reject me?”) and excessive bureaucracy (“So even if I can show you that I have or even offer to GIVE you year’s rent up-front, I still need a guarantor because you don’t think my income is high enough?”). But at least they were transparent and generally good at responding to queries.

In summary: the best letting agent I’ve used in Oxford, but bear in mind that comes with the caveat that they’re still “like an Oxford letting agent”.

Review of Co-op

This review of Co-op originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Co-op, 26 High St, Kidlington OX5 2DH, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Convenient supermarket with reasonable parking. However, recent changes to the layout of the store have dramatically reduced the availability of many product lines (and it’s hard to see exactly why the changes have been made): the frozen section, for example, is now particularly sparse.

Review of Marshall SKODA Oxford

This review of Marshall SKODA Oxford originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

Marshall SKODA Oxford, 2 Oxford Rd, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1AA, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Knowledgable, friendly staff. However, had an exceptionally long wait for a (pre-scheduled) test drive and was later quoted an asking price that was higher than the price from the dealer’s website, which is less-impressive!

Review of The Chequers

This review of The Chequers originally appeared on Google Maps. See more reviews by Dan.

The Chequers, 131 High St, Oxford OX1 4DH, United Kingdom.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A pleasant historic bar with multiple floors spanning indoor and outdoor seating areas, right in the heart of Oxford, and a great place to meet friends. Excellent selection of beers, albeit a little expensive. Food is typical pub fare and is perfectly acceptable, but nothing to write home about.