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Moulin Rouge
by sbw80 I've been to Paris four times, my friend has been three, yet there was still so many things we hadn't done. We decided another trip was in order so we booked a long weekend at the being of July and Moulin Rouge was on our itinerary from quite early on due to the raving reviews it had always received from people we ... know. ~Options~ After quite a bit of research I found viator to be the cheapest place to book tickets from. The options are: 9pm Show and Champagne - From £82 11pm Show and Champagne - From £82 7pm Dinner & Show: Toulouse - From £137 7pm Dinner & Show: Belle - From £156 We paid £156 each for the show and dinning from the Belle menu. ~Arriving~ Be prepared to queue when you arrive at the venue, we were quite lucky in that there was not many people there when we arrived but lines got pretty long after that. Also, if possible hide your coat and camera if you have them. Any coats that are seen will be taken off you and you'll be charged three euros for the privilege. They also charged for our umbrellas. When I attempted to argue with them I was told that no coats are allowed to hang on the back of chairs (Which is not true, there were coats and jackets on chairs all over the place. They also ask you if you have a camera and if you say yes they make you hand it over. Luckily I'd read this in a review beforehand and left mine at home (It cost £600, there's no way I'm leaving it in a cloak room). The venue itself it grand and elegant but is completely ruined by the number of tables and chairs squeezed in making the place cramp and very stuffy once the place starts filling up. The walk ways between tables are for narrow and takes a great deal of balance and people moving in order to get to the toilets. As there were only two of us we were sat with an Australian couple (Who were really nice and funny) at a table of four. They were in front of us in the line (And we'd already had a humorous conversation over coatgate so it gave us something to bond over) and therefore seating is allocated on a first come basis. We were pretty close to the front on a raised area next to a main walkway and so had very good seats for the show. I'm not sure that the people sat at the back could say the same. ~Dining~ When eating at the Moulin Rouge you have to arrive at seven for a nine o'clock show. Two hours you say, that seems like a reasonable amount of time to eat. As we choose the belle option we were given a menu containing the following options: Starter Duck Foie Gras with sea salt, mango vinaigrette and salad Lobster thin pie with crushed tomato, lobster chiboust cream and herbs salad Main Fried sea bass fillet, creamy risotto with wood mushrooms and meadow mushroom cream Sirloin steak with small fried potatoes with thyme, French beans with fresh butter and pepper sauce Desert Sainte Honore with raspberries, light whipped cream and crunchy caramel pastry Moulin Rouge Opera pastry with chocolate wings and chocolate hazelnut saurce Gourmandise of three chocolates pastry with crispy chocolate pearls You are also served a mise en bouche in a shot glass at the start of the meal but none of us could actually tell what was in it. I haven't covered the other dining options here but they are available from the Moulin Rouge website and vegetarian and vegan options are also available as well as a reduced price option for children. I choose the lobster, steak and the Opera pastry. Pretty much immediately after sitting down both my friend and I and the couple we were sat with were given the menus and were asked to choose our options very quickly. Then the other couple were given their drinks (A half bottle of Champaign which they will leave unopened if you ask and a glass of wine as an alternative to Champaign) which we had to wait a while for ours. We were then served the mise en bouche, started and main course in the space of twenty minutes, they really don't want you to linger and appreciate their food. I'm a pretty slow eater which cause the waiters (Who literal keep running around) no end of grieve but buy my table a little extra time with the main course. So much so that we had to wait for ages for the desert. The main course and desert were really good(I'm not a fan of very chilled lobster and therefore didn't eat much starter) . I can't say it was the best meal I've ever had but it was certainly enjoyable and I didn't hear any complaints. The presentation of the deserts is very pretty. The meal does come with a half bottle of campagn but once you've drank this you're on your own and drinks are very expensive. We did ask for water at the beginning of the meal and were provided with a jug. When we asked again later it came in a bottle (a sure sign that they are going to charge you for it). Our feisty Australian was not taking this, she argued, they argued back but in the end we were not charged for any water even though we drank the bottle too. During dinner we were provided with a band that had a male and female vocalist as entertainment. They were ok but nothing to write home about, they do a good job as background music. ~The show itself~ The show lasts for two hours with a 30 minute interval in the middle. Once the dinner part is complete the chandeliers in the ceiling move and you realise that the little stage you watched the band on is actually a lot bigger than it first appeared. You remain in the same seats where you ate for the show. The show has a number of different sequences that follow different 'stories'. I struggle to say that the themes chosen were any good as every time it seems like the showing is going somewhere they add semi naked women to the mix for no reason what so ever other than to show breast. Semi naked slaves, yeah sure you can get away with that, semi naked clowns? Now you're just taking the... Now, I do realise that if you visit Moulin Rouge you're going to see some semi nudity. I'm not a prude, I think I'm pretty open minded, but there comes a point where something is not art, it is just soft porn. The clowns were the final straw for me. I actually think if they'd held back and used it for more effectively it would have much more impact. When it's everywhere it becomes normal and dull and boring. Oh, another breast, how exciting. I also think that Moulin Rouge needs to open itself up to a more equal opportunities policy. The men in the show, in comparison to the women, couldn't get enough clothes on. There were very very few instances of topless men which seems a bit unfair to me. Is it because men are held in far higher esteem than women. It's ok for women to be cheap and walk around topless but men are too good for this? I just think a little equality is needed and the semi naked men might distract me from the terrible experience. There were three highlights of the show for me. Firstly, the traditional Paris cancan sequences. When they do this they do it right. The music, lights, costumes, cancans and dancing is spectacular and is really what you imagine the Moulin Rouge to be, bringing alive the images that you hold from the old posters. Yes, there is some nudity, but it fits with the sequence and is not naked for nakeds sake. I could have watched this for hours but sadly it is only like 1/6 of the actual show, if that. My other two highlights were actually the support acts used for scene changes. The comedian/juggler is incredibly funny and the two man acrobatic routine is amazing (There's a section carried out to singing in the rain which was amazing). I am a bit iffy about the use of animals. During the show a number of snakes and miniature ponies are used (Not at the same time). A number of times I saw animals being dragged around. I've googled a lot since my visit and can't find anything that states that the animals are looked after. Had I known animals were used before hand and could not find any information about their treatment I would not have gone to see the show. ~After the show~ You're shown the door as quickly as possible at the same time that the people for the eleven o'clock show are shown in (Faster turnover than the staff at McDonalds) which makes for a nice cramp situation. If you do have any half drank drinks stand your ground and finish and hang on to any unopened bottles of Champaign otherwise you'll lose them pretty quickly. ~It's all about the money, money, money~ We walk away from Moulin Rouge feeling that everything has a purpose, and that purpose is to make as much money as possible. Everything has an added charge except the toilets (I'm surprised they don't try to charge for them). The table next to us bought roses for the women, had extra Champaign, had photos taken and it must have cost them a small fortune. The speed of the staff has nothing to do with being attentive, it's to get you through the system as soon as possible, so they clean tables and remove table clothes whilst your sat there not to improve your own enjoyment but to make sure they can get the next lot in faster. Customer service is zero. Some staff are nice and have a sense of humour but for the most part they are pretty rude which is probably because they have to go at such fast speeds and have a large number of tables to look after. At one point towards the end of the show a waiter running around dropped a bottle of water which bounced of my foot and smashed on the floor. It hurt but there was no word of apology and the glass remained in the small walk way for ages with lots of people walking over it. That would be unacceptable in most places. ~Conclusion~ I think I was expecting art and for the most part what I got was cheap smut. It could be because I'm a woman and this is aimed for towards men although even the loud leering men who cheered for every semi naked woman in the first ten minutes seemed bored of the whole thing by the second half. A case of too much of a good thing maybe? If you really feel the need to go so you can cross it off your list I would book just the tickets, yes the food is nice but it's the most I've ever paid for a meal and the worse dinning experience I have ever had. Read the complete review |
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Kervansaray Night Club (Istanbul, Turkey)
by garymarsh6 Kervansaray Restaurant & Night Club. Kervansaray Restaurant and night club is a beautiful night club in the city of Istanbul. It produces traditional Turkish shows that include regional folk dancing, Turkish Belly dancing and a short cabaret show at the end of the evening. Arriving at the club it appears quite ... swish and is well furnished in traditional Turkish furniture. There are apparently three function rooms in the building two holding up to 200 people and one over five hundred. Bookings can be made on an individual or group booking basis. We visited this restaurant/night club one evening for a Turkish cultural show which included a troupe of traditional folk dancing, belly dancing and a cabaret.I was not particularly looking forward to it as I tend to get bored quite easily but my travelling companions wished to see the show so I relented and went too. I can happily inform you that we had a most enjoyable evening and thought it was good value for £60. The show was accompanied by a four course set dinner and half a bottle of red or white wine each or two beers or two soft drinks. The wine was quite palatable but nothing to get too excited about. The standard of the meal was quite ok although nothing special. Starting off the meal with a small salad although lacking any dressing it was just plain salad accompanied by filo pastry filled with a soft creamy cheese and a pepper, aubergine and tomato salad which gave the bland part of the salad a bit of a lift. The next course was a lentil soup which was quite tasty accompanied by bread. It was served piping hot and there was a bit of a bite to it making it quite pleasant and warming. The main course was a mixed thick lamb and vegetable stew served with rice. I found only two pieces of meat in the dish I was served but I was quite full by the time we started this main course anyway so I was not too fussed. It was very hot indeed and quite tasty and quite filling. The dessert was fruit salad and ice cream. Tea or coffee. Throughout the dinner five male dancers and five female dancers performed different folk dances accompanied by several changes of clothes. They were not particularly entertaining and my boredom began to set in. I did not find them particularly interesting in the slightest. After they had finished their various routines a couple of mediocre belly dancers came on and performed some belly dancing routines. There was then quite a drum role and some excitement from some of the Turkish clientele and some of the waiting staff. Not quite understanding the significance of this they announced that the dancer Asena was about to appear. The lady came out in a modern looking black belly dancing outfit. The music started up and she began her routine. She was absolutely mind boggling my eyes nearly popped out of my head she was beautiful and had me completely mesmerised with her performance. As she danced it was almost as if her head was detached from the rest of her body. Her movements were very exact, moving her hips, her abdomen and her breasts in time to the beating and pulsating music. I can honestly say I was completely spell bound by her dancing. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance and she was able to capture and engage everyone's attention with her dancing. When she finished her dance routine she was applauded spectacularly and received a standing ovation. I thought she was fantastic and even more so we were still unaware of her fame. Her performance was stunning and worth seeing if nothing else. It was only later that we found out that she is one of the most famous belly dancers in Turkey and has had her own TV shows, appears on various shows on Turkish television and has performed for visiting Presidents Royalty and other dignitaries. She has apparently even performed at Buckingham palace. I then excused myself from the table to have a nicotine fix outside on my return there was some guy on the stage. I groaned when I heard him speaking to the audience especially after the fantastic show from Asena and was thinking Gawd don't tell me I am going to have to sit through this. He was working the audience and found out the nationalities of all the people at the tables then went on to perform a song in every single one of those languages including Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Turkish, Norwegian, French, German, Dutch, Italian Spanish and English singing a Beetles song. He turned out to be a very talented guy and held the audience in his hands. He was a great performer called Ercu. He managed to get a Japanese guy up on the stage and did some cringe worthy things with him including him singing. Put it this way the poor Japanese guy would never win a singing competition however being a game for a laugh Ercu and the Japanese guy had the audience and his friends in hysterics. We had a very enjoyable last evening in Istanbul and I can honestly say that I thought the evening was worth every penny or rather every New Turkish Lira! We have some fantastic memories to take away with us from this superb and delightful night club and I recommend it very highly for a good evening entertainment. I would give this club 5 Dooyoo stars. I would also like to give Asena 100 Dooyoo stars! ;-) Address:- Cumhuriyet Cad. No: 52/A Harbiye, Istanbul. Turkey. Telephone reservations:- 212 247 16 30 Read the complete review |
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Es Paradis (Ibiza)
by als0101 Me and a group of five girls have just got back from ibiza, and I have been so excited to discover you can review places in ibizaaa! If you're thinking of going holiday soon, or are interested by these types of reviews I will also be adding more, so watch this space. **Tickets** To explain quickly, for people that ... don't know, Es paradis is a nightclub situated in San Antonio, Ibiza. We went to Es Paradis, on a Monday night to go to the waterparty. We booked the tickets before at home rather than when we got there. Big mistake. Because our holiday was a package through Thomsons, we had been told they sometimes sell nightclub tickets. We thought it might be an idea to buy tickets before, to ensure we get tickets if busy and to save us the hassle of buying them there. However, when we went around the West end on our first night (main strip of bars in San Antonio) we discovered that free wristbands were being given out free! The tickets cost us a miserable £35 (which we thought at the time was pretty cheap!) and to discover that you can get in free, we felt scammed. Don't buy club tickets from home, especially Thomsons. Another example to support this is the fact that they were selling Space tickets (another big nightclub for the less knowledgable readers!) for £50, whereas when we got to ibiza, tickets were 60euros including a free bar at a preparty from 6pm-9pm and travel there included. This was a pretty good deal, and there will be plenty more as well. I strongly recommend buying tickets there. You can shop around and find out loads of different prices and packages. When we got to Ibiza we also found out that other events we're on the same night which we wanted to go to, so we missed out. Another downer about buying the pretickets was the fact that because I was the one that booked it, I had to take my credit card to the door to claim admittance. This isn't necessarily a problem for other people, but it was quite annoying for me as initially I wasn't going to take this card abroad. One more nuissance was on the print out receipt/info from Thomsons (after we booked it), it said we had to go there before 12pm, no later. Now some people reading this might be thinking this isn't too late and gives you a lot of time, but in reality the actual water for this club isn't switched on til around 4/5 am so you were waiting around a while. The only advantage that we got from booking it in advance was that we were able to leave the club and get a stamp. When entering the club, a bold sign when you enter and exit boldly says, no stamp until 4. Because we paid in advance, they let us get a stamp. This let us leave the club and come in later, which was good to go to cheaper bars and get better drinks. **Getting there** As San Antonio is one of the main resorts in Ibiza, it is also the hotspot for the young, night-lovers. Es Paradis is a short walk from the West End, which is handy as you can get cheap drinks before. We stayed around San Antonio bay and it cost us about 10-12 euros in a taxi and it also costs 2.50 euros to get a boat across the bay. For us it was perfect location, and we also walked back, wouldn't advise walking both ways though, cause it takes about half an hour. **The club itself** We were pleasantly surprised when we walked into the club, as we found the atmosphere and deco seemed a lot better than people made out. The music was mainstream dance, which we loved because we could sing along to most of the songs and knew them. Often when we went to other nightclubs, wordless unknown songs we're being played by DJ's we had never heard of which was a put off after a while. The nightclub wasn't too busy when we got there, but throughout the night it picked up and by the end it was packed. I think this just added extra to the Ibiza atmosphere, but also got quite dangerous later on when the water came on. There is a central dancefloor that you walk down over steps. This dancefloor filled with water eventually, and became practically a swimming pool. This became pretty dangerous especially if you stood next to a group of drunken rowdy lads! I don't want to put people off or sound like a whiney bore, but its just something I thought I should mention. The health and safety in this country is far different than here at home and I've heard some pretty nasty stories about accidents! Not saying don't go, just wear good footwear (flipflops not really a good idea). As mentioned before, the water doesn't get fully turned on til 4am, so you have quite a lot of time to kill. Best thing to do is go to bars before at West End and head to es paradis later. Only thing is though, I think the free entry wristbands aren't valid after either 12 or 2am, so if you want free entry you'd have to go early! When the water came in it was really fun! We loved it, but we did end up setting off a bit earlier than when it finished, consider us boring or not, but we were knackered. We also didn't buy any of the drinks there, as the prices were really expensive. It cost 12 euros for a mixer, but it cost 6 euros for water which is cheaper than places like amnesia (9euros for a tiny bottle of water!!!). Just go to bars before and get trolleyed, not in here. Having these events on so late, also lets you watch the sunrise which is beautiful! Something you have to go see when you're in Ibiza is the sunset and sunrise. The interior of the club is really attractive, and well decorated. It looks almost like a circus and quite magical which gives a unique and original feel to it. For all the lads as well just to mention, there are some hot dancers all over the place ;) Me and my friends went in bikinis which was worth doing, as you get soaked! We took small crop tops with us though, and then put them in our bags after. Try and get a waterproof bag though, because otherwise everything will be wet through!! **Overall experience** The club in general is one of my favourite, personally even better than Amnesia and Space. However, I have heard some people say it was bad, although I can't believe this, so it will depend on personal taste. I would definitely love to do this again, and also go to other events at es paradis. Unfortunately we had so much planned in ibiza, we didn't have chance to go again, Read the complete review |
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