Crazie HomiesPrior to my friends moving to Notting Hill I would always pass Crazie Homies and think it was a durty Mexican hole in the wall restaurant. I then heard rave reviews and found out it was another one of Tom Conran's restaurants. After 7 years of thinking it was a chavvy restaurant (it is opposite a large council estate) I finally managed to eat there (after 2 attempts, as there was a long queue each time). I am not one to wait when it comes to my stomach; those who know me know that I can get a bit irrational and turn into a Gremlin when I am hungry.

Verdict: the food was fantastic, the margeritas were super strong (was that 2 shots of tequila?), the service was great and the company was even better. After a long day at work, the margerita went straight to my head and the crazy decor and flashing lights everywhere were wonderful! My chicken burrito was stuffed with chicken and the salsa and hot sauce were divine. I wasn't that hungry but stuffed so much Mexican down my gob, it was great.

I recommend going and am going to try and go there more often as I can roll home from there!

Hello?? Yoo hoo, I think they are hiding in the kitchenThe lovely Aussie Fashionista at Strada enjoying her Linguine Alla Pescatore, the food was good, but the lunch service was not as entertaining as when we were served by the actor Cristiano in Clapham - and service was much slower! A lunch meal in a business area should not have slow servers on shift, we had to flag down the waitress a few times, it was a disappearing act and she nodded at everything we said but didn't deliver. I am turning into D thinking in this economic climate, should staff not try a little harder as it wasn't even a busy lunchtime.

Push the buttonIn a small restaurant in Soho where you can see the waitresses, although they most likely hide to avoid working, there was this small call button. We needed something and D decided to push it to get the server's attention. I thought it was rude but it was a great way to get their attention - from their hiding spot they emerged and helped us.

It is funny how in the credit crunch we have experienced consistently bad service at the last 3 establishments we visited. Each time D and I take off the service charge and when arrogantly questioned as to why we do it, he goes into a mini lecture about how 'in a credit crunch, wouldn't you want to look after your customers?' We are not in busy restaurants and we have to wait an extreme amount of time for menus, drinks, the bill and more - it is not like we ordered a bespoke souffle or some exotic fish that takes time to be fetched from the sea?!

And in the last three instances, we looked over and there is the wait staff staring into space or chatting with other wait staff. I want to own a restaurant in the UK to show how it should be done. The customers pay your salaries people, let's try not forget this minor point!

I think wait staff don't care as they are only getting 5quid an hour so they are complacent and are not bothered if the business folds as they will find another crappy job at another restaurant! There is no ownership or pride of place or even consideration for the business owner - it seems to be plain selfishness and laziness.