Editor’s Note: Now and then we'll spotlight one of our amazing Google Places reviewers. Both so you guys can start to get to know one another and so we can pull together and share our favourite local places. Today, we introduce you to Dominique Lim from London.
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Dominique moved to London as undergraduate before returning home to Singapore. During that time away she missed the live music, street art and sheer size of the city, so she requested to transfer here to work. Four years later, she still loves discovering new coffee shops and finding the best spots for an al fresco lunch. Lucky for us, she’s taken time out from reviewing to tell us about her favourite London places.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Lots of things, really! Drinking coffee, reading (usually a crime novel) and dancing are probably the activities I find myself doing the most of at this point in time.
Do you have any secret talents?
I have an incredible talent for assimilating useless information which can come in useful for pub quizzes, as long as the questions aren't about cricket.
What’s your favourite thing about sharing reviews on Places?
The reach that Google has. If you write a review on a place, you know your review's appearing on a site that will feature among the top three search results.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Lots of things, really! Drinking coffee, reading (usually a crime novel) and dancing are probably the activities I find myself doing the most of at this point in time.
Do you have any secret talents?
I have an incredible talent for assimilating useless information which can come in useful for pub quizzes, as long as the questions aren't about cricket.
What’s your favourite thing about sharing reviews on Places?
The reach that Google has. If you write a review on a place, you know your review's appearing on a site that will feature among the top three search results.
What’s your top London tip?
Bunhill Fields Cemetery is a great place for an al fresco lunch on a weekday. Buy something from the amazing Whitecross St Market, wander in here to get away from the hustle and bustle that is the City of London, and spend some time in the company of great writers including Daniel Defoe and William Blake.
Sounds dreamy! What’s your ultimate guilty pleasure?
Tough one. I've got to say that would either be karaoke or baked goods.
And what are your five favourite places in London?
Good Vibes Fitness - I have been a customer of Good Vibes for over a year now and absolutely love the place. You can find Power Plate, yoga and pilates sessions over at their studio. The Power Plate classes have done wonders for my strength and figure, while the yoga classes have been more challenging than I expected.
Frame Shoreditch - Frame's my favourite dance studio of all time. They have truly great and fun teachers, some of whom have worked with the best in the industry as dancers for Rihanna and the like, who make class enjoyable and unintimidating. You'll always find a good mix of complete beginners to expert dancers in class, all of whom will have big grins on their faces at the end of the lesson.
Prince Charles Cinema - Prince Charles Cinema must rank as one of London's national treasures. It's not pretty and I'd argue that the seats of the downstairs cinema are a bit hit and miss, depending on how tall you are, but, given the variety of films this place screens — recent releases, incredibly old movies, bad films, sing-a-longs, special themed screenings — and the low, low prices, it's a small thing to quibble at.
London School of Economics and Political Science - Full disclaimer: I attended the LSE and have many fond memories of this place, so you could consider my review to be biased. I'm not going to write about the quality of the courses or its international reputation as these are well-known. Rather, I'm going to write about LSE's great public lecture programme, which often feature renowned speakers such as Alain de Botton, Bill Gates, Eric Ries and Angus Roxburgh, to name but a few who have spoken in the past two months. If you've a free evening and want to spend it enriching your mind, this should definitely rank high on your list.
Wild & Wood - I visited this place when it first opened and loved it. The decor - recycled church pews, wooden panelling for the walls - is amazing and the coffee isn't bad either. In terms of the pricing, the flat whites are pretty much around the same price as any other independent coffee shop. I wouldn't consider them expensive given that the owners do have overheads to cover. The pastries, from Clarke's and Villandry, are tasty, and I highly recommend the ham and cheese croissant if it's available.
Posted by Alexandra Sheppard, London Community Coordinator
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