What Restaurant did you eat at last night?

Went to the Bananatree in Chelmsford yesterday for leaving dinner for a colleague who's moving back to Poland. Had the beef rendang which was pretty good, had a good taste to it and wasn't overpowering in the spices either.
 
Whilst we didn't eat it there, last night we did eat food from The Man Behind The Curtain. They're doing home delivery of ingredients and then a cook along live on Instagram on Friday evenings at 8pm.

Last night we had wagyu beef, biscuits & gravy, salt baked potatoes with caviar creme fraiche. There was also a side salad dressed with a sauce made from the wagyu beef fat. For dessert there were ice pops.

The food was really tasty and the cook along was a bit of fun. We'll be doing it again in a couple of weeks with a halibut dish.
 
Saturday night we ate at The Hand & Flowers. We were both getting cabin fever and a change of scenery was badly needed. H&F to the rescue.

Of course it wasn't unexpected to see the staff wearing PPE, but it still took some getting used to. It definitely didn't feel like a 'normal' meal out what with the PPE, spaces between the tables and so on but it did us both the world of good. As usual the food was excellent and it was just what we needed.
 
the-evaluator said:
Saturday night we ate at The Hand & Flowers. We were both getting cabin fever and a change of scenery was badly needed. H&F to the rescue.

Of course it wasn't unexpected to see the staff wearing PPE, but it still took some getting used to. It definitely didn't feel like a 'normal' meal out what with the PPE, spaces between the tables and so on but it did us both the world of good. As usual the food was excellent and it was just what we needed.
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Yeah - I went for a beer after the golf on Friday and it was a bit strange seeing all the staff walking around with PPE/visors/gloves etc but understandable. It was nice to have table service in the beer garden however!

As a side issue - Hand and Flowers looks lovely but can I ask - does the price of the starters/desserts actually feel worth it??

Maybe I'm not used to those prices being from Scotland but £21.50 plus for a Vanilla Crème Brûlée just sounds mental!!
 
It's a 2 michelin starred restaurant so it's never going to be cheap, but to answer your question - yes.

I've been there several times over the last 10 years and although the prices have creeped up quite a bit I've never left feeling ripped off. I do feel the steak is overpriced but the rest of the mneu is there or there abouts.
 
the-evaluator said:
It's a 2 michelin starred restaurant so it's never going to be cheap, but to answer your question - yes.

I've been there several times over the last 10 years and although the prices have creeped up quite a bit I've never left feeling ripped off. I do feel the steak is overpriced but the rest of the mneu is there or there abouts.
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Thanks - yes - I understand it's 2 star but I've just never thought that a desert could be over £20 - no matter how good it is.
 
booyaka said:
Thanks - yes - I understand it's 2 star but I've just never thought that a dessert could be over £20 - no matter how good it is.
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I’ve never dined at The Hand & Flowers, so I can’t really comment on the value or otherwise of an evening there, but after Googling the menu it seems a tad pricey to me.
With all this Covid unpleasantness going around, we haven’t eaten out anywhere for a while, but of our three favourite restaurants, only Union Square Cafe, E 19th St, NYC comes anywhere near the prices at Hand & Flowers, and USC have a 3 course menu for $72, (£57).
Le Train Bleu, in Gare de Lyon, Paris, which in my wife’s opinion is truly to die for, has saddle of lamb for €46, (£41.50), and Coq d’Argent, Poultry, London EC2 has Côte de Boeuf for two at £43.
If I could guarantee a warmish evening, I’d make a reservation at Coq d’Argent in the open air rooftop area for our next night out, when all this nonsense dies down.
 
the-evaluator said:
Your point being?
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Michelin have 'diluted' the guide in recent years, the purists wouldn't be happy about a pub being in the guide nor would they approve of the noodle carts and hole in the wall places that are now listed. What some people expect of a 2 starred place, wouldn't be what you get at The Hand & Flowers as it is a pub rather than a restaurant.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it is worth noting. Personally, I'm all for it.

Hilariously, a place near me has a Michelin Plate but if you looked at their marketing you'd think they'd been awarded 3 stars. Though it is very good!
 
Purists need to realise that good food isn't all about ironed white table cloths & staff wearing white gloves and being stuffy, overly formal and bowing as they back away from the table. I don't much care for that style of restaurant.

Having eaten at the Hand and Flowers many times I think it's very deserving of the 2 stars and would invite the purists to visit and make their decision based on the food and service rather than the Green King logo on the front of the building.

The Hand & Flowers may claim to be a pub, but it isn't, it hasn't been a pub in the traditional sense for ages. It's a restaurant that serves beer by the pint, something I wish more places did. You can in theory turn up and get a pint at the bar but in reality that's not how the place operates.
 
Currently at a Toby Carvery in Whitewebbs for a family member birthday. Not sure it was a great idea to load macaroni cheese on top of the roast, but tastes great.:D

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And cookie dough sundae
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Raby Hunt for the second time on Wednesday also stayed over in one off there rooms.

next ones are

Moor Hall in September
Gordon Ramsey’s in October
Aqua in Germany in November (if we get there)
Sat Bains in December
 
Merlin5 said:
Currently at a Toby Carvery in Whitewebbs for a family member birthday. Not sure it was a great idea to load macaroni cheese on top of the roast, but tastes great.:D



And cookie dough sundae
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Going to one on Tuesday lunch for the 50% offer first time we will have eaten out since probably February. Is it exactly like before where you go to the counter etc ?
 
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