Andy Lynes

Congratulations - well deserved in my opinion. Any idea of your score?

Do, because its worth having. I've owned it for a while (picked it up in a remainder shop actually) and cooked from it very recently. Its nicely designed, great pics and there's a fair amount of text to read as well as the recipes. I like the fact that its based on many years of cooking and is not just the latest in a long line of volumes knocked out quickly to cash in on a TV series.

I have never eaten at the restaurant, but recently interviewed Sally Clarke over the phone for a forthcoming article. Difficult to get a true picture of anyone under those circumstances of course, but for what its worth, I found her to be very pleasant, intelligent, articulate and passionate about her restaurant and cooking.

Used to be around 25 quid for three courses - what are we talking now, £30?

For the sake of balance, here's a link to Matthew Norman's recent 8/10 review for the Guardian.

As I understand it, only the second floor 'La Cuisine de Joel Robuchon' restaurant will take reservations, the ground floor eating bar and first floor dining room will not. There's also a bar and terrace on the third floor but I've no idea if that will serve food or not.

A week on Thursday in fact. I'm interviewing the great man this Friday - hope he cooks me something!

Arbutus has been shortlisted in the "Best new" catagory of the Time Out Eating and Drinking awards 2006. They are up against Ambassador, La Collina, Papillon and Time Out guide contributor Fushia Dunlop's Bar Shu. Winners will be announced on 18 September.

I agree, although sometimes you can strike it lucky by getting in early and have a great meal before the inevitable price rise (at least in London - many restaurants open with relatively low prices that increase within about 6 weeks and then keep on rising).

I spoke to Simon recently and he said that the underground is basically the old gourmand/degustation menu but that he's gone "underground" with it as he's trying to change the locals impression that it costs 110 quid a head to dine at L'enclume. He'd rather they focus on the fact that you can lunch there from 25 quid.

My guess would be East Is East - if you sound the Z as Zuzz rather than Zed it just about works. Otherwise I haven't got a clue.

I regularly get out ordered in restaurants, but yesterday lunchtime I hit paydirt with roasted John Dory, shellfish and bouillabaisse at La Noisette. The large fish had been roasted whole on the bone and was brought to the table on a silver platter surrounded by clams - razor and otherwise. It was presented for my inspection and then skillfully filleted tableside. The fillets were placed on some perfectly turned saffron potatos and petals of confit tomato, the shell fish arranged around and then the bouillabaisse sauce poured on top after the plate had been put in front of me. A side dish of rouille was also offered. It was simply one of the best main courses I've had this year. Great presention, superb ingredients treated in just the right way and masses and masses of flavour. The three course a la carte menu is currently a relative snip at 45 quid and although I was not impressed with my chilled poule au pot with salt cured foie gras (under seasoned cold chicken and veg in jelly - hmm) a strawberry and vanilla millie-feuille made for a great finish. A quick visit to the kitchens found Bjorn pulling the entrails out of live crayfish -twist the tail "petal" second from the left, tug and out it comes. "They don't like it," Bjorn kindly explained. And yes they can nip you and it does hurt, but not as much as if you attach one to your nose. Bjorn knows, he's tried it.

Little expense was spared on the restaurant's refurb last year. The chair you were sitting on cost 450 quid and the paneling on the walls was done by the bloke who made the chair. It was, apparently, not cheap. Most, if not all of the art are originals. They also invest a great deal in crockery and stemware and there's linen on the tables, so its more than just what's on your plate, although frankly that would be enough. I think its worth remembering that it is a husband and wife run place and as you say, they are certianly not greedy with their pricing, so they don't have vast amounts of cash to employ herds of waiters. And that is very much part of its charm I think.

Is Brighton Chef about to become Cambridge Chef?

Kaiberlan - welcome to egullet. Do you know Bjorn and his cooking well? Were you a regular at The Greenhouse perhaps?

Here's the Caterer news item. Personally, I think they should move to Brighton - they'd have at least one regular customer. Mind you, to survive, they'd have to offer a two course pizza/pasta early bird dinner for £5.95 and hold a weekly Bacardi Breezer promotional night. Apart from that, the city would welcome them with open arms.

The Boot Inn in Calstock which is close to the Devon/Cornwall boarder, a really beautiful part of the country . Its run by brother and sister Harry and Lucy Crabb. Lucy was the first head chef of The Blueprint Cafe in London and was Delia's head chef at Norwich football club. Really lovely place, proper locals boozer but with a nice dining area on the side with simple, seasonal dishes but really well done.

The last but one new Ludlow. By the way, did you know that Darron "Bunny" Bunn has left Orestone and is opening his own gastroenteritis called The Chasers in a village just outside of Torquay. Don't have an address as yet - maybe Ginger Chef can fill us in?

Had lunch at chef Ian Bates's new place The Old Spot, Wells, Somerset yesterday and just wanted to say that I agree whole heartedly with Jay Rayner's review in last weekend's Observer. My only (sort of) disagreement is with his final point where he says "Is it the kind of place I would normally travel half a day to reach for lunch? In all honesty, no" Although I don't normally travel half a day to eat anywhere, I was reminded a bit of all those journys to Ludlow to eat at The Merchant House. Ian Bates's food doesn't taste like Shaun Hill's but there is a similar integrity and intelligence about the approach, and if this doesn't sound too poncy, the flavours have a similar resonance. It's proper grown up cooking and if I hadn't have had to eat in Cornwall that night, I would have booked in for dinner on the spot. The Old Spot also recieved a maximum 5 stars from the Bristol edition of the metro. You can read the review here.

15 August.

...and a certain Mr Rayner.

I can highly recommend the pear tatin to share - probably the equal of The Square's version and that really is saying something. They serve it with jugs of caramel sauce and cream on the side which sounds over the top but is in fact utterly delicious.

I think you'll find that's not quite as high up as Windows. However, in order to replicate the experience, simply stand on your table and peer out at some ants that happen to be passing by the restaurant and shout "Wow, the people look like ants from up here!" Just as much fun, but much, much cheaper. For the full effect, you should also arrange for Massive Attack to mime silently outside the pub (they were playing Hyde Park the night I went to Windows. I had a great view of the giant screen but unfortuately couldn't hear a note).

Well, you could always go there anyway and see what they've got and walk away if they can't give you a window table. You'd be near enough to dozens of other restaurants to salvage something if it didn't come off as planned. The food I think is excellent and worth suffering a less than perfect table for, although everything you've read about the wine list is true. Alternatively Mews restaurant in Lancashire Court has just opened this week - chef is David Selex ex-Grocer on Warwick, where the food I thought was really terrific, even if hiding a restaurant behind a food shop wasn't the cleverest of concepts.

You all forgot AA Gill. Four stars!