Andy Lynes

There's that green "I'm going to be sick" one. Will that do? (Just wait till I start telling everyone what a nice chap Jay is. You'll want to be prepared for that I expect so I'm giving you fair warning).

Well, to be honest, I stood near him and quaffed Laurent Perrier. He was hanging out with Ferran Adria and I was simply too intimidated to go and say hello, but as he knows about eGullet I suppose I really should have done. He looks pretty ordinary but had a real presence when he got up to accept his award, a "leader of men" air about him.

OK my turn. This should be dead easy : Baltic Herrings Roast Poule de Bresse (for 2 people) Chocolate Pithivier

Opens to the public tonight, is anyone booked in yet? Did any media type get to the launch party last night?

Got to be Hibiscus.

The list, as published in restaurant magazine is fully contextualised with an explanation of how it was compiled and some or all of the names (can't remember which) of those consulted. The reader should therefore be in a position to decide for themselves how valid the results of the survey are. In my opinion, it would be unlikely that someone contemplating visiting Marc Veyrat's restaurants for example would decide against it based on the fact that they are entirely absent from the list. Even if the list is reported out of context, what is the real attendant risk? Someone attempts to book the French Laundry who otherwise may not have? Who is to say that a meal at Louis XV would necessarily be a lesser experience than Plaza Athene?

Laurent - Perrier actually. Very nice though.

He was Master of Ceremonies and Roger Moore gave out the awards.

I did ask actually but felt it best to leave the reply out of the article. I asked Mr Methane if he would like to respond on this thread, so hopefully you might get a direct reply.

You could almost reach out and touch the excitement and air of expectation in the crowd at the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony at Hush restaurant last night. We knew he'd been invited, but would he turn up? Then all of a sudden he brushed passed us. We stifled a gasp. A little smaller then he looks in his pictures, a bit thin on top, but still retaining his boy-ish good looks. Yes, Bruno Brooks was in the house!! Say what you like about the list itself, who appears and in what position, but there is no doubt that Restaurant Magazine managed to attract the elite of the restaurant world to London. Jay Rayner also turned up. Other chefs not mentioned so far included Neil Perry of Rockpool, Mark Edwards of Nobu and Kevin Thornton of Thornton's in Dublin. It was an extraordinary crowd to be part of and I'd like to say a big thanks to Thom for inviting me. Shaun Hill made the best acceptance speech of the night for his "Outstanding Value" award (The Merchant House is now officially the 14th best restaurant in the world by the way) by saying that it was difficult enough to be the best restaurant in Ludlow, nevermind the world and that he was going to put his prices up. The boys from el Bulli came a close second with a lengthy oration which I'm sure was very moving, but which was made entirely in untranslated Spanish. The crowd drifted away quite quickly after the awards finished at around 10.00ish so I had little opportunity to schmooze on behalf of eGullet, but did however manage to obtain agreement for a Q and A in the near future from a very glamerous looking Angela Hartnett. The Restaurant Magazine staff lurked around until the end and spent the time looking like the cat that got the cream, which they had every right to. I did have a rather drunken, and I have to say very short conversation with Novelli during which I told him I had recently met up with his former executive chef Richard Guest, to which he replied "Eee is lik ma bruzzer". I think he meant that he thought of him as a sibling. All in all, a hell of a night, one which I won't forget in a hurry. Despite downing buckets of free champers, chased down with countless hideously overpriced Tiger beers, I awoke this morning hangover free, which was a bonus.

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I moved this thread from the general board because all the yanks were moaning that it was a Brit restaurant. Now it's here, Simons giving out clues to a US based restaruant menu!! OK let's get this straight, the Menu Game thread on the UK board of for UK restaurants only. Thank you for your kind attention. Carry on.

I believe Majumdar has got it, damn him! Basildog, can you confirm?

Michelin starred and mentioned on the UK boards......hmmmm. How about The Castle in Taunton, although I'm sure they have a set price menu as well (we are talking about the dinner menu here aren't we?).

This might help narrow things down a bit : Michelin Guide

£33.00 set menu at Merchant House.

Chez Bruce have a £30.00 set menu, no a la carte pricing. It's too cheap for Locatelli. I think it must be outside of London. The Star Inn ?

Total shot in the dark.......Sevens restaurant in Truro. On the basis that its down your way and chef kevin Viner used to have a Michelin Star.

Terrine of Ham Hock is a Terry Leybourne sig dish, so could this be Cafe 21 in Newcastle? Edit : no way is it St John, its too descriptive by half for Mr Henderson.

Hallie, deeply disappointed to hear that you don't enjoy Belfast as a city to eat in. I used to get there quite a bit for work and loved every moment of it. Here's an updated version of a post I made about a year ago : In the recent past I have been a regular visitor to Belfast and so know the city's restaurant scene quite well. I have reviewed two restaurants, Shu (website here) and Tatu. As a relatively small city, Belfast has many more excellent places to eat out that you might imagine. Leading culinary light is Paul Rankin, who worked for the Roux brothers in London before returning to his native city to open Belfasts first Michelin starred restaurant, Roscoff about 10 years ago. His kitchen has and continues to train most of the great chefs of the area, including Robbie Millar of Shanks in Bangor, about 10 miles down the road (designed by the Conran partnership but not a Conran restaurant) who also has a Michelin star. Roscoff has now been transformed into Cayenne and has a more informal "funky" feel to it that is being copied by a number of other restaurants, and focuses more firmly on the spicey fusion side of Rankin's style, which also has a solid French basis from his Roux days. You can see a menu here. The Rankins have now opened Rain City" on Botanic Ave and is loosely based on an American diner/cafe. It apparently has had mixed reviews although a source tells me that he has had excellent meals there. Here's a good review. Fontana is just down the road in Holywood and also headed up by an ex-Roscoff chef. Their website is here Another big noise is Michael Deane of Restaurant Michael Deane and Deane's brasserie, both of which are housed in the same building near to the Opera House and the Europa Hotel. Deane trained under Mosimann at the Dorchester alongside Ian McAndrew (a formerly Michelin starred chef who has now retired from the kitchen which is an enourmous shame has he was utterly brilliant). Deane worked for McAndrew in his Canterbury restaurant before opening his first place in St Helens. His style is similar to Rankin's in that it has fusion elements but also some classic French stuff. He is big on things like curry oils and lemongrass jus. The restaurant is straining for a second star (doesn't have it yet as far as I am aware) and is very proper and quite solemn in a way. I like it though. Website here Ginger restaurant was getting people excited last time I was there, but I havent been myself. Heres a review.

Thanks! I'll let you know how it goes. We are in the process of trying to buy a puppy so may decide to wit until after our holiday to get it. I wouldn't want to land you with a not fully trained puppy. Indeed, I don;t relish the thought of driving 400 odd miles with one either.

If the good people at Ebb would like to post something about their restaurant I'm sure we'd love to hear about it. And I don't say that simply because I am hoping to spend my summer holiday in Padstow this year if we can find a cottage to rent that will take a dog. No, I have the best interests of all our members out there and would never just think of mself.

I noted this in a thread on the Media board here. Has anyone been to Fino yet? As good as everyone says?

Do you know something we don't?

Basildog, sounds like a great, hope there are many more like it to come (you'll have to order one of those electronic foot baths for after service). The Ebb sounds interesting, how come they beat Stein to the property, he must have been after it surely?