Reviews are coming in thick & fast this week and these are both located in re-generated areas of London and Cambridge, where we hope accessibility has been thought of?? We’ll be the judge of that…..
The first is of Le Bab which came to our attention as a new cooking genre of Gourmet kebabs. Situated in Kingly Court, a modern re-generation of Carnaby St. which is London’s latest ‘foodie destination’.
Kingly Court London’s Latest ‘Foodie Destination’. Looks Fun & Accessible. Le Bab is on 2nd Floor (Hope There’s Lifts)
If you follow this link to the Google view of Kingly court it shows how easy/or not it is to negotiate. Unfortunately Le Bab is too new to be included and in any case it doesn’t clearly show the interior of a unit – unlike our Picture Access Descriptions.
Only Interior Shot we Could Find. Looks Manageable re Space & Smooth Flooring.
Intriguing Dishes From Le Bab – Roe Deer Adana (Cavolo nero kimchi, Jerusalem artichoke crisps, damson & chilli jam, game mayo, fried cavolo nero stem pickle) and Pork Shawarma (Winter salad, burnt quince puree, crackling, pork aioli, zhoug)
Le Bab is a restaurant that’s
“reinvigorating kebabs with provenance, seasonality and technique honed in Michelin starred kitchens.” And is “experimenting with British produce and Middle Eastern flavours.”
Can’t wait to try as the food sounds lovely and looks intriguing. We’ll update once we’ve tried it out.
In the meantime they sent us information on their accessibility as follows:
“What a fantastic app and concept, we would love to be a part of this.” (From them to BBS. Thanx, Ed.)
“There is disabled access to the top floor of Kingly Court (where we’re situated), and we have ambulant disabled facilities on site (the construction of which should be completed in a couple of weeks – we only opened a few weeks ago!) but, unfortunately, a wheelchair wouldn’t fit through the doorway of the facilities. There are, however, full disabled access toilets on the same floor as us in the Kingly Court toilets.”
We are therefore awarding them a provisional 2.5 BBS Ticks, well done for choosing an accessible location for this new venture!
We also received this review from The Relative Lieutenant, of The Pint Shop in Cambridge located in the re-energised Market Square area. (Use this link to see the virtual view of the square). It’s a place to “eat and drink equally” & as they say they’ve recreated the “spirit of those original Beer Houses, namely; craft beer, intimacy & fun, throw in some killer food, cooked on coals, just as it was 1830”. Here’s the review:
“I visited the trendy “Pint Shop” in Cambridge (for a pint!) and in summary the disabled access is pretty good but not perfect.
The Pint Shop is located in the south west “foodie” corner off the Market Square almost opposite Jamie’s Italian. As you walk towards the former 18th Century trader’s building you see a tell tale sign in the window “Meat, Bread, Beer”. The entrance is quite close to the kerb but not that tricky.
Easy To See What The Pint Shop’s All About
Slight Trip Hazard at Entrance
Push open the door and you have flat floor access to the bars and the downstairs part of the restaurant. I was unable to find a lift to the first floor – which is accessed by a great spiral staircase which is probably from the 18th Century.
Dining Room at The Pint Shop. Looks Like There’s Plenty of Space & Light Plus a Smooth Walking Surface of Parquet Wood.
The disabled loo was “the usual” – just about big enough but not when you store “other items” in it (Pint Shop please note). The support bars either side of the loo were in the “up” position but why are they so difficult to pull down. The red alarm cord tied up so it did not reach the floor (who trains the cleaners?). Not sure what the bars either side of the mirror are supposed to do.
Bars a Plenty in the DT…
But Cord Tied Up Where You Can’t Reach if You Fall
The access to the loo was unusual in that it was blocked by a table. Uh..hhh….
A Table Makes Access Challenging!
To end on a positive note the Pint Shop has a nice and reasonably accessible bar ….With a selection of excellent and unusual ales and excellent bar snacks (scotch egg perfect). I was not able to try the restaurant this time. But in any case it’s all about the beer. Looks good, tastes good and by jolly it does you good!”
Looks Like The Relative Lieutenant Has Taken The ‘Does you Good’ Medicinal Quality of Beer to Heart??!
The Pint Shop gets 2.5 BBS Ticks for access, facilities & style. If anyone has been to either of these areas in Cambridge & London let us know your experiences.
