I get some weird looks when I order in here. Mostly from my wife who tells me that I order the…read morewrong things and that her milkshake choices are better. I can't say that isn't true the majority of the time! I like Shaketastic. Of all the candy bar milkshake chains, they're my favourite. The staff aren't the most charming or talkative, but they work hard and are constantly doing something. You can't ask for much more than that. My shake today was so-so. I think they over blended my cherry bakewell as there's usually little bits of the icing and cherry as well adage real almond flavour. I didn't get much of that. I'm sure it was a one off issue as the other 20 times I've been here, it's been great.

What's not to like about candy in a milkshake? It's a bit of a no-brainer, really…read more They have some tasty American things (Lucky Charms! Fluff!) that are really nice. My husband almost always gets bakewell tart, which is at least one whole Mr Kipling bakewell tart pulverised into a milkshake. I mix it up, but the aforementioned Lucky Charms is a favourite. The downside is that it's often quite full of kids, understandably. Unfortunately they're often on their own and obviously too excited to queue, so as a grown up, the wait can be a bit long. Plus the whole process of making a milkshake isn't the fastest. It's also not the cheapest place, but they do loyalty cards, which takes a bit of the sting out of the price. Definitely a great treat on a warm day! Or a cold day. Basically on all the days.

This place has been here as long as I can remember. Quite nice but the man who runs it seem a bit…read morescary to me!

Towards the end of the high street. 3.5 for a scoop of ice cream is not bad. The coconut flavor has…read morewhat appears to be real coconut flakes.

We were going up Ruislip High Street and were surprised to see that the ice cream chain that used…read moreto be here had been replaced by La Dolce Vita, but at least they sold gelato so the ice cream craving could still be fulfilled. I was dubious - it doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside showed a huge variety of gelato and sorbet, over 30 flavours. I tried a tiramisu which was tasty but a bit too coffee-strong for me. In the end I had a Snickers cone and my OH had a banana peanut butter cone. A one scoop cone was about £2.75, but it was large (I couldn't finish mine in the end, but OH managed his and my leftovers). Both flavours were really nice - not quite as wow as gelato from Italy, but definitely really creamy with rich flavours. In the end we both agreed the banana peanut butter was nicer, as the Snickers was a bit rich. An improvement over the old place that was here, a large part of that down to the friendly woman behind the counter. Perhaps the timing of opening an ice cream place at the end of September is ill-advised, but on an unseasonably warm day like today, it was appreciated by us and pretty busy, too. More research into the other flavours is clearly needed.

Now firstly I'd like to point out that Cremeria Vienna is a bit of an odd name for what is…read moreessentially an Italian Geletaria. However this aside the ice cream is amazing. Anyone who has ever had a gelato in Italy will know that the Italians can definately make ice cream, well they manage to reproduce the stuff here in a small shop opposite Waitrose in the Spires in Barnet. Gelato bellissimo!

I've always had a mantra with this particular chain - great starters, great puddings - but the…read moremains are so-so. Well on my most recent trip this began to unravel as I had a great yet simple main and it was on the two course menu as well. It was just an Italian sausage pasta - which was very similar to an n'duja but not nearly as spicy. The ragu was great and I really like how they do their garlic bread now too. I've always rated the Pinner branch as one of the best of the chain, and now with the improvements to the menu it can only get better.

I had a really enjoyable Sunday lunch at Carluccio's, which tempted me into their establishment…read morewith a beautiful bakery window display and promises of a reasonably priced two course lunch. There are a number of Italian restaurants on High Street in Pinner, but this one has a light and airy atmosphere that set it apart from its compatriots. It looks to have been very carefully renovated, with a clean and organic look, and lovely bathrooms. We did not have to wait to be seated. My partner and I ordered a Three-Pastas-for-Two-People tasting menu, which came to 21 pounds even -- not bad considering that individual plates of pasta range from 7.5 to 11.5 and the term "tasting menu" is in a way decieving because all three pastas are full size. We selected the Penne Arrabiata, which was fantasticly savoury with Kalamata olives and capers and just the right amount of oil (often this dish is too oily!). We also enjoyed the special Penne with Zucchini and Fried Spinach Balls -- I know it sounds odd, but we were intrigued and this dish was surprisingly delicious! The Porcini mushroom pasta, while good, was outshone by the excellence of our two other selections. I'm Italian and cook my own Italian food, so my standards for Italian restaurants are unduly harsh, and I actually really enjoyed everything and would certainly return. I estimate only 15% of Italian restaurants I try reach this mark. Eagerly looking forward to dessert, my partner ordered an Italian hot chocolate which was excellent and on the lighter side with a good head of foam. I picked the compelling sounding Bicerin -- you recieve three little pots which contain espresso (your choice of beans), thick Floretine drinking chocolate, and cream. This was also my ploy to also try the Floretine drinking chocolate which my partner worried might be too intense, though fear not, because it was amazing and would be what I ordered next time. I'm not the biggest fan of say, Cafe Mocha, so this didn't radically change my mind about the combination of coffee and chocolate the way I hoped it would. But I did have fun playing with the ratios and experimenting, so I think it's an excellent way to see if anything could change your mind about that combination. From the bakery section, my partner had the deep chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream (you may add a scoop of ice cream to any bakery selection for I believe another 1 or 2 pounds) and I had a plum tart. I'm embarrassed to admit I find cream products like custard or, well, cream, slightly intimidating so I deeply enjoyed that the plum tart was simply plum and pastry without any sea of unknown gloopy dairy. The cake was deliciously chocolatey without being overwhelming, which was important since we were having warm chocolate drinks. The service, while initially seeming to be about one person understaffed (it's actually quite a large establishment as you start walking towards the back) bounced back as who I assume to be the manager stopped by our table and helped us with our desserts. He was very friendly and attentive. Technically, my review is a rounded up 4.5, because there are a few nitpicks. Everything is hard surfaces and hardwood, and the tables are packed quite densely in there, which means quite a bit of noise if the restaurant is busy. Secondly, while I believe the food is good enough to warrant the price, it doesn't give you the swelling feeling of "great value" -- just "fair value." They have special menus for things like Christmas, and also have a little shop up front along with their bakery that sells a variety of tasty tidbits and coffee. I'll definitely return!

I love frozen yoghurt and here you can choose which flavour you like and mix and match! Get a tub…read moreand you add as much frozen yoghurt as you like with the topping/s of your choice. Then you pay( weighing determines cost). My favourite flavours are: tropical, passion fruit and bumble gum. It can be quite expensive so don't over- fill your tub!