What Restaurant did you eat at last night?

L'enclume. Fully deserves all the plaudits. 3 and a half hours of a succession of wonderful bits of food. Some knockout dishes, but bizarrely, my favourite was white turnip with a Maran egg and nasturtium leaves in a turnip broth. How you can get that flavour out of those ingredients is beyond me. Lovely staff, and a very relaxed, unstuffy setting. Cartmel is a lovely village too. The cheese shop is well worth a visit if you're there the next day.
 
Did some private dining in the shard this week. Floor 35, nice views, nice food then went to floor 52 for some drinks, which had nice views and expensive drinks. Thirty minutes, 5 people, £200 bar bill. I **** you not.

I am not very good a reviews. :(
 
Had lunch today at - http://www.the-vineyard.co.uk/

This is an ex Michelin Star restaurant and the executive chef is Daniel Galmiche, who is on TV quite a lot.

My missus and I had the very well priced 3 dishes from the lunch menu which cost £29.00 each. We also ended up adding a cheese course and she had two wines to match her starter and main £7.00 wine for starter and £12.00 wine for main. No pictures unfortunately but I must say that my expectations were not too high but I was absolutely bowled over with the entire experience. I had the scallops followed by the duck and both dishes I would say would be up there with what I ate recently at Le Manoir. I would not be surprised if they got a star back as I spoke to our waiter about it and he said that was their aim for this year.

Well worth a visit. 30,000 bottles of wine in their cellars as well.

Next up is the Hand & Flowers next week as managed to bag a cancellation. :D
 
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The wife and I went to the Hawksmoor seven dials the other day.

Starters: potted beef and belly pork ribs.

Main: 800g chateaubriand, triple cooked chips, baked sweet potato and bone marrow gravy.

Missed out on pudding this time around as we couldn't eat another thing.

Tried several cocktails, a lager who's name escapes me at the moment but would drink again and a couple of cheeky crystal head vodkas. Cool bottle but not a vodka I would buy for home.

The staff where really friendly and really added to the meal/pre meal drinks in the bar area.
 
Last week my missus called up the Hand & Flowers and left a message asking for a cancellation. To our amazement they called back the next day and we booked in for lunch today.

I have to be honest I don't really know what to say, apart from that it was a massive disappointment. Service was attentive and I like the pub, and I like Tom Kerridge, but I was so unimpressed with the food I left actually feeling like I had been properly stitched up.

My starter of salt-cod scotch egg was so salty it could have been anything. Really not good. The missus had a terrine, which was just ok. Standard semi-decent pub fare. She had another one last week (she loves a terrine) at the ex-Michelin star restaurant, The Vineyard, that was on a totally different level to what was served to her. My main of grouse was ok, but nothing more than ok. Her main of chicken cooked in beer was just chicken. Ok they shaved some truffle over it, but that does not make it two Michelin star chicken. We paid £4.50 for their special chips which we again, just ok.

Deserts were a bit better, I did like my chocolate cake served with a tine glass of really hoppy ale. The mix of the two worked really well together but by this point I was so peeved it was too little, too late.

I just cannot recommend the place for the prices they charge and I left wondering all the other people with beaming faces on the way out had just experienced their first supposed 'fine dining experience' as they have a lot to learn about fine dining.

I know it is just a pub, but it has TWO Michelin stars and I know pubs in and around Reading with none that serve up better quality food.

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Balls, I skimmed and hadn't seen you had a bad time. that's awful. Such a shame as I'd really love to go.

Hibiscus. We got drunk.



















I'll slap up Fera after lunch. I thought it was OK at Hibiscus, but I think the Greenhouse was better and Le Gav for the same star rating.
 
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Oh, and a Hawksmoor roast. You have to have a roast when in England. With a side of mac n cheese. :p
 
Went to The Connaught for Champagne Afternoon Tea as it was the girlfriend's birthday. I've been their before, went to Helene Darroze a couple of years ago, so I had high expectations even it was just for tea.

Brilliant, although a gigantic sugar rush. The sandwiches were basic but beautiful, and some of the delicacies and cakes were incredible. Good day all round - empanadas in Borough (signed up for one of Neal's Yard cheese classes), martinis on the balcony of the Oxo Tower and a leisurely walk through Mayfair, there are certainly worse ways to spend a Monday.

Doing a cheap Hawksmoor next Monday - friend has a £100 voucher and it's £5 wine club/byob, so trying to have a decent meal without actually spending any money whatsoever :)
 
Wilkotron said:
Le Mistral in Nottingham City Centre. One of the best french restaurants we've ever been to.

Very quaint inside, food was phenomenal and the service was absolutely spot on.

The menu doesn't have a vast amount of choice, but with food of that quality anything you pick is simply fantastic.
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I went there a few weeks ago, really enjoyed it

went to Hart's Saturday and that was extremely good (as usual)
 
Did Neon Jamon for lunch in Liverpool again yesterday. Stunningly good food and amazing value; bill came in at £100 for four of us each having four tapas and 2 rounds of drinks.

I normally turn my nose up at tapas as it reminds me of the microwaved/re-heated from a packet crud turned out by La Tasca. This stuff is beautifully prepared, their charcuterie section is incredible and the chorizo croquettes with béchamel sauce are worth the trip alone.

Wine list is spot on as well, plenty of good reds to wash it down with.

If you are in the area (Allerton, South Liverpool) or even in the city centre, make the trip to Neon Jamon, it's fantastic.
 
Alberts Restaurant in Didsbury, Manchester.

Great stuff to e had there. I had the duck breast to start and the roast lamb in a honey/red wine sauce and it was absolutely top class. Will definitely be going back there at some point.
 
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