[Food] Restaurant 2024 thread

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

There's a very promising looking Taqueria opening up in central Hove where Pesca used to be. Looking forward to it!

El Bolillo

www.elbolillo.co.uk

 

[CHAPPERS]

Little Fish Market are offering 20% off tomorrow night due to cancellations, if anyone is looking for a last minute treat.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Little Fish Market are offering 20% off tomorrow night due to cancellations, if anyone is looking for a last minute treat.

This goes to show how cancellations can impact restaurants. Hope they fill the spaces.

 

[Machiavelli]

Had brunch in Vegu, the vegan Korean place, in Lewes the other day.

Would definitely go back. Tasty food at good prices. I had the kimchi soondubu and my two mates both had the budae toast.

View attachment 187616

We went yesterday. It's excellent. They were very busy so we had a long wait -- they apologised for the delay and offered complementary drinks -- but it was worth it. I had the Bibimguksu which was fine, my partner had the Soondubu which was even better, and we shared the Perilla Mushroom Toast which was delicious. It's great value, and well executed.

Went to Permit Room on Monday. It was OK, but won't be rushing back. It was also hugely busy -- perhaps reflective of the Lib Dems in town or other restaurants being closed on a Monday. They wouldn't serve our 17yo a beer despite being out just with his parents, which I found somewhat odd. It was all a bit heavy food-wise, so maybe our ordering was out. The black dahl was nowhere near as good as my memory of the Dishoom one is: it was lacking in spice and depth, and just a bit OTT on the butter and cream. A prawn dish was too heavy on the coconut milk, but a very good tandoori chicken.

 

[Bakero]

We went yesterday. It's excellent. They were very busy so we had a long wait -- they apologised for the delay and offered complementary drinks -- but it was worth it. I had the Bibimguksu which was fine, my partner had the Soondubu which was even better, and we shared the Perilla Mushroom Toast which was delicious. It's great value, and well executed.

Went to Permit Room on Monday. It was OK, but won't be rushing back. It was also hugely busy -- perhaps reflective of the Lib Dems in town or other restaurants being closed on a Monday. They wouldn't serve our 17yo a beer despite being out just with his parents, which I found somewhat odd. It was all a bit heavy food-wise, so maybe our ordering was out. The black dahl was nowhere near as good as my memory of the Dishoom one is: it was lacking in spice and depth, and just a bit OTT on the butter and cream. A prawn dish was too heavy on the coconut milk, but a very good tandoori chicken.

Glad you enjoyed Vegu.

I had brunch in Permit Room last month and, though it was OK, I also gound it lacking in comparison to Dishoom. Fewer options and adapted versions that are just not as good eg the keema and eggs comes with chicken livers in Dishoom but these are nowhere to be seen at Permit Room. The bottomless chai doesn't flow as freely either. However, it would always be worth popping into for a bacon or wrestler's naan.

 

[The Clamp]

Shall be returning to Wild Lemon in Shoreham tonight.

It will be my fourth visit.

A few weeks ago I had snails for starters. Lovely, beefy, and garlicky. Cooked to perfection.

Sirloin for mains with dauphinois potatoes. Again, smashed it.

No desert that time but their deserts are amazing.

Again, great service. Great atmosphere. A lovely addition to Shoreham.

I shall report on tonight’s visit later.

 

[The Clamp]

Back from Wild Lemon.

They had the roast menu on today.

For starters I had sweet potato and coconut fritters with chilli sauce. Amazing.

Roast chicken with all the trimmings. Parsnips, roasties, huge Yorkshire pudding, half a chicken, cabbage, swede, cauliflower cheese, stuffing, and a stunning gravy.

Then a coconut cheesecake with raspberry sorbet. Outstanding.


Owner / chef came out to chat with us as he sometimes does.

The young waitress, a refugee from Ukraine was attentive and friendly while not being over fussy.

I love it there and I recommend anyone try it.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Have been to Wild Lemon three times now. Really nice food and friendly unpretentious service. We had the roasts there in April for my mum’s birthday and they are really good value.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Just got back from a fine dining evening at Hugo’s, a stalwart of the Berlin fine dining scene which has held a star for 25 years now.

A lovely place which is best described as straight up classical and well executed fine dining without any major “concept” and which isn’t trying to be overly smart or clever. My favorites were the caviar and veal tartar with veal tongue, there’s that surf and turf thing again, and a quite stunning octopus with beetroot gazpacho and yoghurt, couscous and bell pepper. The latter looked good and tasted even better. A notable mention for the egg yolk with porcini, Parmesan and peas dish.

Wine was one Italian red to go with the wagyu course otherwise it was white from either Austria or Germany including a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay. Staff were great as well.

I have mentioned in the past I am getting fed up with new places and their concepts and whilst I like the establishment to be challenged, some times you need simple straight up good cooking….I got this tonight.

That was a lovely evening. Negroni night cap on the sofa and then bed.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I had a work related meal at The Devonshire in Piccadilly on Wednesday. The food was nice but we were packed in like sardines a bit like you could imagine if it was on Valentine’s Day . Anyone on one side of our long table of 17 who wanted to visit the toilets meant everyone else had to get up to let them out and we were so close to the walls , anyone over 6 ft had to duck to avoid their heads hitting the hanging paintings on the walls behind them. It was a work freebie but at circa £65/70 a head excluding drinks, a bit disappointing.

 

[CHAPPERS]

One Kitchen @ One Garden.

Slow service, food okay tasting but portions of what was, I think, supposed to be a brunch offering were tiny and it REALLY shouldn't take that long to come out when you were as quiet as they were. I'd hate to see them up against it. Good coffee.

The pancake with lemon and sugar on the kids menu for a fiver was probably the most overpriced serving I've ever seen. Why they price the option with lemon and sugar the same as the one with strawberries and cream I'll never know. Inexplicable.

9 quid for two curried fried eggs on a tiny amount of spinach and a downright rudely sized portion of toast can f*** off.

Won't go back and I really wouldn't bother with it if I were you.

Oh and this new thing where I'm to go and pay at the till is fine but there were 5 staff members serving and really they should do it themselves if they can imo.

A generous 5.1/10

 

[CHAPPERS]

I went to HongKong SiuMei on Kenny Gardens last week in NORTH LAINE for a little lunch.

Just had a simple crispy pork belly with rice and a cucumber salad but what I had was very pleasing. Gonna revisit this week and have a few more bits to give it a proper go. Would highly recommend for a decent cheap lunch and certainly for an early dinner where you can get lots of different stuff. Service was very friendly and attentive and the place is nice and CLEAN.

7/10 but that's just a baseline score for the moment as I only had one dish. Wil give the gyoza a go next time as that's a good barometer I reckon.

 

[The Clamp]

Wild Lemon again Sunday just gone.

Roast again.

Wanted to show the place off to my college friends. We were celebrating 31 years of friendship and I knew they had a good chance of liking it .

Had the pork belly with crackling. Roast potatoes, parsnip, cabbage, swede, carrots, cauliflour cheese, great gravy and plenty of it and lovely big Yorkshire pudding.

Friends had the vegan option, the lamb, and the overnight beef.

Service and hospitality up to it’s fantastic usual standard.

They even had the match playing quietly by the kitchen so I could keep an eye on the score.

Will be going on another evening this week as I’d like to start trying more on the main menu.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Lunch at Wild Flor today for the 25 quid set menu.

I had cured trout followed by steamed venison pudding with creamed kale. We shared a choux bun with chocolate custard and a poached pear with stout custard for afters. Everyone was excellent and there’s definite value in their set menu. The a la carte offering is pretty pricey and I you could certainly do the credit card some damage in there but I do think it’s worth finding out so will go back and have a proper go. Service decent and its a nice venue.

Edit: they have a veal dish with sweetbreads on the a la carte which sounds GREAT

8.3/10

 

[Half Time Pies]

I went for lunch at Palmito a couple of weeks back, I went expecting something amazing based on some of the comments on here and I thought it was a bit of a let down to be honest. Seating was too cramped for my liking and felt almost like we were sharing a table with the couple next to us. The food reminded me a bit of burnt orange but not as nice. I am a vegetarian and maybe the meat options are better but for me it was no more than a 6/10.

 

[Nitram]

Bancone, Borough Market for lunch today.
An Italian specialising in pasta dishes. Absolutely outstanding - great food and service and good value for London. £77 for the two of us including service.
Focaccia, speck and a cauliflower salad to start, pasta with chicken livers and Borlotti ravioli, cannolo and a chocolate dessert to finish.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Bancone, Borough Market for lunch today.
An Italian specialising in pasta dishes. Absolutely outstanding - great food and service and good value for London. £77 for the two of us including service.
Focaccia, speck and a cauliflower salad to start, pasta with chicken livers and Borlotti ravioli, cannolo and a chocolate dessert to finish.

Yep, in my top 5 Italians in the smoke for sure.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

There's a very promising looking Taqueria opening up in central Hove where Pesca used to be. Looking forward to it!

El Bolillo

www.elbolillo.co.uk

Went here a week or so ago. Overpriced pompous shite. Can’t see it lasting.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Went here a week or so ago. Overpriced pompous shite. Can’t see it lasting.

The drinks menu looks a tad overpriced?!

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

The drinks menu looks a tad overpriced?!

It was £12 for a single taco, one bite each with my wife. I’d give the taco 8/10, it was tasty but the prices are just a joke. Cocktails were good but already forgotten what we had so probably not that great.