[Food] Restaurant Thread 2022

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Is the 'All you can eat' deal at that place by Bramber Castle still available? Went there about 25 years ago - fabulous value for £25 quid back then. If still there, how much is it now?

I guess you mean The Old Tollgate. Used to be a decent carvery back in the day. Haven’t been for a few years but last time you were limited to the amount of meat you could have.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Manteca, 49-51 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3PT

A friend recommended this place a few months back, then Jay Rayner, then other publications. It also has the added personal interest of being on the ground floor of a good friend’s former loft apartment. With all this in mind and being a fan of nose-to-tail and Italian food I was keen to try.

Whilst the only noticeable concession to nose-to-tail was the excellent pig’s head croquette, it’s a fine place which will be added to my list of favourites.

A handful of sharing plates to start: duck liver parfait, the aforementioned croquette and nduja steamed mussels. The creamy spicy sauce the mussels came in was superb and the only thing which stopped me licking the plate clean was the presence of other punters.

Mains were two dishes: a Campanella lamb ragu and the star of the show which was rigatoni in a vibrant Kermit green kale, wild garlic and chili sauce. All the sauces were wiped from their plates with focaccia.

Finished off with a chocolate cake and a winter citrus curd thing and two espressos. Had some glasses of fizzy wine, some white and some red which were recommended...the red especially.

Service was friendly and on-point and the venue had a nice contemporary feel and a buzz to it.

I’ll definitely be back. And I hope the release a book as I want to try and make the Kermit sauce myself.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I also went to Smokestak in Shoreditch on Friday. The usual meaty suspects are on the menu along with some interesting starters and sides like chargrilled hispi with anchovy and garlic butter. What got me was the value; we paid £101 (for two people) including two gasses cava, two APAs and a tip and left barely able to walk properly as we’d eaten so much food. I reckon we could have trimmed the bill down to 35-40 each and still walked out stuffed. That said, I think it’s better to go with a group so you can order more variety from the menu and share; urban BBQ is suboptimal with just 2.

Only complaint was the pork could have been pulled a bit more.

 

[Gwylan]

lovely evening at burnt orange
had lamb kofta which was very filling
leaks and potatoes very nice
mrs d had monk fish which was devine

always nice there

Went there for the first time last week. It's had lots of good reviews so I was expecting something special. It was very good but the vegetarian options are a bit underwhelming - there's a lot of cheese and cream. Having said that, Mrs Gwylan (who's not veggie) said that the monkfish was top drawer.

It was good but if I want a special meal out in B&H, Kusaki is still my top choice.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Gille Brighde, Lower Diabaig, IV22.

The GLDHI and I are spending a week with some long-standing close friends of mine in the remotest part of Britain I’ve ever stayed. You’ve forgotten milk? That’ll be 35 minutes to travel back up the 10 mile precipitous cul-de-sac that links Torridon to Diabaig, up and over the Pass of the Winds (aptly named, considering the fact it’s entirely single track with approximately 50% of the journey meaning you can’t travel at more than 10 MPH for various reasons) to the nearest shop.

“You want milk? Donald, have we got any milk?”
“I’m not sure Morag. I’ll ask Hamish”… “Hamish says he thinks we once had some, but he’s not completely sure”.

Luckily, we hadn’t forgotten milk. Turns out we did forget loo roll though.

Wind the clock back 12 hours for a second…

“Look, there’s a Co-Op. shall we buy some food before travelling to the cottage?”, says the GLDHI as we leave Inverness airport.
“No” reply all three men in the car; “let’s pick some up from the various farm shops we’re bound to pass on the way” I add.
“Umm, where’s the nearest supermarket?” I ask a random man in Shieldaig, after a 90-minute drive West.
“There’s a Co-Op in Inverness”, he replies.

I studiously ignore looking at the GLDHI, but I know she knows I have seen her roll her eyes.

“OK. We haven’t passed any farm shops yet. That’s just bad luck, right? I mean, there has to be some, right? What with the only activity we’ve seen being farming”.
“No.” says Gordon.

We traipse off to Gairloch, 90 minutes away. And 90 minutes back. There, we found a butcher (Donald MacDonald), who turns out sells everything, including a leg of lamb. Easter Sunday sorted.

Lower Diabaig is a sea-side crofting village, with 18 cottages (numbered 1 through 22 - don’t ask - “Diabaig”). No other descriptors are required. It also houses a restaurant on the harbour-side. A restaurant that garners 4.9 on every review site we check. A restaurant that is booked weeks in advance by people who are happy to travel a minimum of 45 minutes both ways to visit, where the designated driver would have to be mad to have even one drink if they intend getting home safely.

Seafood platter x3 (containing herring, langoustines, smoked mussels, hot- and cold-smoked salmon, lobster, mackerel, trout, and monkfish medallions - for £16), scallops; 2 x langoustines, 1 x venison goulash, 1 x chicken stuffed with haggis; 3 x “Aart’s legendary sticky toffee pudding” (the lightest pudding with a seriously good toffee sauce); 4 G&Ts; 2 bottles of Gruner. £270.

An extremely good meal if eaten in London. Unbelievable in this ridiculously cut-off, utterly stunningly-beautiful part of the country.

We’ll definitely return this week. Partly for the food, partly so we can buy some toilet roll from them - they’ve already sold us some lady fingers (so the Italian could make tiramisu for pudding yesterday) and allowed us to take some rosemary to stud the lamb leg we bought from Donald MacDonald.

Oh, did I mention I forgot to pack the shirts I folded and put on the chest of drawers? Well I did. 2.5 hours of browsing Amazon prime to try to rectify my folly.

“IV22. Are you kidding?”
“Sure, we’ll deliver. How’s 4 May? Yes, that is Prime”
“I’m sorry. Did we say we could deliver this shirt on Tuesday? We meant 7 May”

I eventually managed to find 4 shirts (that ordinarily I wouldn’t be seen dead in) that are apparently going to be delivered tomorrow.

I’m not holding my breath.

EDIT: The shirts did arrive. We arrived back from Skye to find them lying on the sitting room floor under the front window, together with a note from the postie: “Raining. There’s a knack to opening this window from outside”.

 

[monty uk]

Could I please have recommendations for good restaurants, or high end pubs with restaurants, with terraces and/or conservatories? For lunch.

Up to and including Michelin Star level.

Located in the country in the West Sussex-Hampshire area - West of the A23. Ideally not large towns.

 

[Nitram]

https://www.cafemarmalade.co.uk/marmalade-restaurant
I’ve been a few times to Marmalade in Kemp Town, Brighton. A bistro type atmosphere offering great food at reasonable prices. The set menu is good value and high quality.
https://www.cafemarmalade.co.uk/menu

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Colosseo - Boundary Road, Hove ( and before the snobs turn their noses up at the location, the area has had a number of decent restaurants pop up over the last few years ! ).

Have to say, certainly one of the best Italians in the city.

Mrs WS started with Parmigiana Di Melanzana - according to Mrs WS the best she's ever had ( and she's had a lot - stop sniggering at the back ! - it's her favourite dish ). No starter for me as I decided I'd have a dessert instead ( which I didn't in the end ).

For mains I had Seabass with saffron potatoes and various other veg - cooked absolutely spot on and the serving was some of the largest Seabass I've ever seen. Mrs WS had Crab Ravioli ( and there was no scrimping of the crab ) with cherry toms, chilli, squid, mussels and king prawn. I tried the ravioli and it was the best I'd ever tasted.

Throw in a couple of bottles of decent wine and free drinks with the owner* and the cost was £95 including a £10 tip.

Great little place and will be making it our 'can't be buggered to cook' go to place.9/10

* For transparency, I sort of know the owner as he used to work at Galileo's previously and that used to be our 'go to' place.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Could I please have recommendations for good restaurants, or high end pubs with restaurants, with terraces and/or conservatories? For lunch.

Up to and including Michelin Star level.

Located in the country in the West Sussex-Hampshire area - West of the A23. Ideally not large towns.

Try Interlude in Horsham ( or just outside ) - I think that falls within your geographical boundaries. Only thing being, I don't know if they do lunch. The food is top notch ( one star I believe ) but a little out there.

 

[monty uk]

Try Interlude in Horsham ( or just outside ) - I think that falls within your geographical boundaries. Only thing being, I don't know if they do lunch. The food is top notch ( one star I believe ) but a little out there.

Thanks, will look.

 

[monty uk]

Try Interlude in Horsham ( or just outside ) - I think that falls within your geographical boundaries. Only thing being, I don't know if they do lunch. The food is top notch ( one star I believe ) but a little out there.

Thanks for the recommendation. Looks great, Unfortunately they only serve dinner, so will have to schedule that for another time.

Still looking....

 

[wuntbedruv]

Chequers Inn Rowhook may fit your bill, basically on the Bognor to Dorking Road around the arse end of Horsham.

 

[Originunknown]

Could I please have recommendations for good restaurants, or high end pubs with restaurants, with terraces and/or conservatories? For lunch.

Up to and including Michelin Star level.

Located in the country in the West Sussex-Hampshire area - West of the A23. Ideally not large towns.

Heritage at chequers Slaugham, or south lodge.

Tristan in Horsham.

 

[wuntbedruv]

Heritage at chequers Slaugham, or south lodge.

Tristan in Horsham.

Tristan and South lodge both currently shut for a period.

 

[swd40]

Parsons table in Arundel http://theparsonstable.co.uk

 

[Machiavelli]

I might have missed if a certain mod has posted on this gaff but, if not, what are you waiting for?

Ciarans, Portland Road, ie in, or at the very least close to, Up and Coming Sunny Portslade

The two people behind this used to work at Cin-Cin, the quality is similar in my view, but this is a heck of a lot cheaper. It's a smaller, homelier place than Cin-Cin, and this means that they have irregular opening hours and sittings. On a Wednesday night, they have what they call Supper Club. This is a three-course-ish offering for £35, with an aperitif thrown in (we had a fino: classy). It's also a BYO, which are three of the best letters in the English language, eclipsed by BBC and NHS, but can't think of too many others. I managed to do the BYO justice.
Being a small outlet and that stunningly good value offering, the food is about churning it out, so all starters (yes, in the plural) and pudding prepared in advance. Main course was hot and most of the chef's attention on the night was focused on this. The menu reads of things I want to eat and, stylistically, I'd probably call it modern British. Starters were:
-- monk's beard, cod's roe and crispy egg
-- watermelon, mint and some English feta whose name I've forgotten (see BYO info)
-- heirloom tomato bruschetta type thing
Main course was confit duck leg with French peas. Pudding was shortbread, strawberry granita and something I think described as yoghurt but was more a kind of creamy lemon syllabub thing (there is a name for this, which I've also forgotten -- see BYO info).
This is a great, local neighbourhood restaurant. Great value, even better ingredients, carefully put together by people that love food, impeccable service. Lucky for those in Up and Coming Sunny Portslade.
In short, I will be going back, perhaps regularly.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I might have missed if a certain mod has posted on this gaff but, if not, what are you waiting for?

Ciarans, Portland Road, ie in, or at the very least close to, Up and Coming Sunny Portslade

The two people behind this used to work at Cin-Cin, the quality is similar in my view, but this is a heck of a lot cheaper. It's a smaller, homelier place than Cin-Cin, and this means that they have irregular opening hours and sittings. On a Wednesday night, they have what they call Supper Club. This is a three-course-ish offering for £35, with an aperitif thrown in (we had a fino: classy). It's also a BYO, which are three of the best letters in the English language, eclipsed by BBC and NHS, but can't think of too many others. I managed to do the BYO justice.
Being a small outlet and that stunningly good value offering, the food is about churning it out, so all starters (yes, in the plural) and pudding prepared in advance. Main course was hot and most of the chef's attention on the night was focused on this. The menu reads of things I want to eat and, stylistically, I'd probably call it modern British. Starters were:
-- monk's beard, cod's roe and crispy egg
-- watermelon, mint and some English feta whose name I've forgotten (see BYO info)
-- heirloom tomato bruschetta type thing
Main course was confit duck leg with French peas. Pudding was shortbread, strawberry granita and something I think described as yoghurt but was more a kind of creamy lemon syllabub thing (there is a name for this, which I've also forgotten -- see BYO info).
This is a great, local neighbourhood restaurant. Great value, even better ingredients, carefully put together by people that love food, impeccable service. Lucky for those in Up and Coming Sunny Portslade.
In short, I will be going back, perhaps regularly.

Ohh. This has totally passed my post lockdown radar. BYO you say? Close to Quaff? Well, you can see where my brain's going.

Thanks for the tip

We MAY be off to Salt Room again tomorrow if we both return negative Covid tests today. After that I'll add it to the list!

 

[Gabbafella]

Stumbled upon a little place called Nostos last week, it's by Palmeira Square, I pass it most days and had always assumed it was a bar or some sort but it's actually a lovely Greek restaurant. Very friendly and helpful staff and the food was fantastic. Would definitely recommend it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Bricole
Senefelderstraße 30
10437 Berlin

We kicked off the long Himmelfahrt weekend with a visit to Bricole. Bricole has been around for around 5 years now and is a small but perfectly formed fine-dining restaurant with a neighborhood feel to it. Like many of us during the lockdown, the team behind this restaurant reassessed what it was they wanted from life and work. They decided to really push the skills they’d honed and see where it took them and only open Monday to Friday. Last March they were awarded their first star.

The cooking is modern-European, a 5 or 6 course tasting menu with wines mainly from Germany and Austria. There was also a vegetarian option. A glass of champagne helped us with the decision process..settling for the 6 course meat menu with wine pairing.

1) Snacks / Bread & whipped Caramelbutter

2) Radish pickled and marinated Buttermilk, Dilloil and Algaecaviar
Trout from „25 Teichen“ Ice from green apple, Cucumberbroth and Miso

3) Kagoshima Wagyu beef A5 Onionchutney, pickled/flamed pearlonion and ponzu

4) Confited winter codfish Mussel Beurre blanc and marinated pointed cabbage

5) Brandenburger guinea fowl. Filled savoy roulade, confited beetroot and malt vinegar

6) Tangerine solero Nutbutter - Chocolate broth, yogurt and cereals
or Cheese Comté, Reblochon de Savoie, Brillat Savarin and Fourme d’Ambert

The only let down was the caramel whipped butter. Other than this the food was spot on, favourite was the cod. All perfectly executed with the precision and consistency you’d expect from a 1 star place. The service was friendly and warm. The restaurant itself is relaxed, a charming space and in a nice leafy part of the city and has a neighborly feel.

I spoke to the waiter about their recent star, he said the were informed 3 days before the award ceremony in Hamburg and initially thought it was a scam; they had an email from an address which was a variation on the name Michelin which told them about the award and asked them to reply with some info. A few phone calls later and they were convinced, shocked, and one their way to Hamburg. A nice post-pandemic story.

I like this place and will be back.

 

[Machiavelli]

The Ox Club, Leeds

This is another one of those places that majors in FIRE. Meat, smoke and fire. Except it does it better than any other place that majors in meat, smoke and fire. And oysters. Oysters with bloody mary granita. Grilled bread with chicken schmaltz. Some mackerel starter. Rib of beef, cooked on the fire. Stone-baked heritage potatoes with wild garlic and chives -- which were so much better than chips. Beef fat Jersualem artichokes, which were even better.
This was one of the best meals I've had, despite being rather tipsy, having drunk a fir bit of unpasteurised Pilsner Urquell in their bar. Set us up well for the game the next day.