PoppySeedBagel

I was told that Global knives require a very different sharpening technique, as they are thinner than normal knives - you have to sharpen at a sharper angle. We've got a special Global sharpener thing with round stones that you use once a quarter (you have to add water before using it), and we've got a ceramic 'steel' for use after every cutting session - this seems to keep them like razors.

I can get salt marsh lamb (from the Essex marshes) from my local butcher in Reigate in Surrey and very good it is too. A few years ago I bought some milk-fed lamb from Waitrose but it was disappointing - but then what supermarket meat isn't?

Try the dates - the nicest fresh dates I've ever had - all fudgy and delicious - and consistent.

I use Abel & Cole and am generally very pleased with them - sometimes the mangoes & avocadoes haven't been ripe, but that has been my only complaint about quality- generally it's been good to very good. The mix of produce is good too, and you can always add seasonal items. Have a look at the web site. The ability to say which items you don't want works well - so you can avoid things you don't like, or know won't be at their best at this time of year (I'm not currently getting tomatoes for example). The drivers arrive when they say & generally I would recommend it highly.

I went for lunch the other day - I used to go quite a bit when it was QC - I too loved the food, but didn't take to the room - beautiful but cold. They have wrought quite a transformation, and it now feels much more welcoming. It was a lot busier than it used to be. The staff seemed more prefessional than others above have mentioned too, though the service was slow - strange in a restaurant that is in a business district. I was meeting some old friends - one I hadn't seen for 25 years, so we spent all the time talking, and we were all in a hurry so didn't have time for starters - so all I can comment on is my experience: I didn't get time to taste their food except one pudding. On the downside, I was given a menu with no prices on - maybe they always do it for the ladeez, but it's annoying - I've hosted lunches there before now, and would not be impressed b this - again, strange in a business district to do this. The food? well I always used to enjoy the food at QC - this was just as beautifully presented, but my only course was curiously pallid in flavour - everything was perfectly cooked, but tasted of little... It could, of course, have been the fact that I was there for the talking not the eating, but I did *try* to concentrate on what I was eating a bit - the glass of wine that the sommeleier recommended (very professionally I must say) was also pallid. For the record my main was rabbit and king prawn with mushrooms. Between us we only had one pudding - the taste I had (gingerbread with pear) was very good, and the coffee was excellent. Overall - I shall return, as it was a warmer experience than I ever had at QC - the food was obviously prepared with such care that I am prepared to accept that I was unlucky and not concentrating enough. I had a look at the cheese trolley - it looked good!

I agree that La Fromagerie is well worth a trip - try them both - you get continental chic, and solid British good food - a great contrast

If you want to be in London I'd agree Marylebone is excellent - North London is probably better for a wider variety of ethnic/specialist foods (the Jewish and Hindu communities are in north/north west London). If you want to live outside the M25, Oxted in Surrey is the best small town that I know for food - there are truly excellent butchers, greengrocers and a cheese shop there.

Another tip - stand on the right on the Tube escalator, or you'll get snarled at [nothing to do with food, but it is important to follow local customs...] I do hope that you enjoy yourself - I'd also recommend Strada for good pizzas in London.

My wonderful husband took me to the Waterside to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary – it was a surprise so I only know for sure where we were heading when I saw ‘Bray’ on the signposts, and knew we were staying at the same place as we were eating. The weekend had, of course, perfectly beautiful weather, which put the final shine on everything. Our room was The Boathouse it’s tiny, but almost perfect – well thought out, and the sun streamed in, in the morning. The downside is there’s no river view, but lying in bed bathed in sunshine, eating croissants with rhubarb jam, I didn’t care. The food was really exceptional. We had the same Menu Exceptionnel, by the sounds of things, as Bapi – we both chose the foie gras with white beans and citrus sauce. This for me was one of the very best things I have ever eaten – the floury beans contrasted so well with the unctuous liver and the sauce was perfectly balanced. For the fish, I chose the lobster with port and ginger and husb. had sole – normally this is served with brown shrimps, but he’s allergic to shellfish so they did a sauce vierge, which was beautifully fresh. I found the lobster the weak point of the meal but suspect that’s because (I now accept), I really don’t much care for lobster – the sauce was fine, but seemed unoriginal to me compared with the citrus sauce in the previous course. We then both had the duck with pineapple – as Bapi commented this is expertly carved at the table, and the flavours all went really well together. Again it was served with a turnip fritter and purple sprouting broccoli – they’ve obviously worked out the dish and it doesn’t mutate. The passion fruit and rum granita was gorgeous – I agree that it complements the food perfectly. The pudding was rhubarb and raspberry soufflé – sheer light perfection. Sadly I could only eat one of the petits fours. I thought the food was better, more assured than Le Gavroche – but it’s a while since I’ve been there wand then only for lunch. We shall definitely return to the Waterside Inn – lunch on a summer Sunday must be absolutely gorgeous.

We always get those eggs Fi - I'll think of your pictures when I open a box in future- thanks! Re double yolk eggs - our Waitrose also often stocks boxes specifically of double yolkers.

This seems as good a place as any to mention Drakes on the Pond in Abinger Hammer in Surrey - it's had a star for 3 years, and I went there for the first time on Saturday - it's only half an hour from where I live. The food was generally excellent, if sometimes a bit tepid, but I've just Googled and I can't see that any national newspaper has ever reviewed it. We don't have that many restaurants serving food of such quality and it's strange that it's been ignored.

Andy that is depressing - I never even knew it existed, though I live near to Brighton and go reasonably frequently - but I regret to say I doubt I'll bother... Borough Market benefits from being an extremely old-standing market site which can't be used for anything but a market, and having on the market committee people who are very serious about food. However Borough is run basically as a charity, ie the stall holders are not charged anything like market rates for the area (thank goodness, or it would be total rubbish food-wise) It may be worth finding out if there are any market charters for the Brighton site - there may be, as Brighton is a very old settlement I think - and then getting yourself onto the committee...

I've always just seen them as a good laugh - years ago there was a reviewer in the Yorkshire Evening Post on a Saturday who judged his meals almost entirely by the size of the prtions and if he got a chocolate mint with his coffee he was in heaven. It was the first thing I turned to. Our local paper has a man who reviews a diffrent teashop each week - he has quaint turn of phrase ('I motored through the Surrey dusk') and he never really comments on the food, just, very baldly, on what he observes happening in the café - it's so badly written, it's charming.

Have to say I agree and the food has always been lukewarm when I've been there. At least the food's not greasy, but it's never been anything to write home about.

I've been to the Providores about 3 times in the last year, though not (for no particular reason) in the last 6 months. I really like it - [my husband doesn't, but chiefly because the tables are very close together and it's quite echoey]. I have consistently loved the food - unusual combinations of flavours which work incredibly well. It's also very professionally run, with friendly staff and good service.

Given Nandos got a good write up for feeding kids try them - there's one on Goodge Street now - or try Strada - there's one in Market Place just off Great Portland St

I don't know if it's the best, but I'd agree that the Fox & Anchor do an excellent fry up.

So is the addition of peanut butter to Flapjacks A Good Thing Andy - I saw that recipe in the Waitrose magazine too and wondered...

Magnolia - there are lots of places - you're near Marylebone High St so there's Providores wine bar to consider, there's Villandry on Gt Portland St, and there's The Firevault in Gt Titchfield St (great fireplaces too!) - all capable of being pretty good value - and there's a Strada in Market Place not too far away for good pizza. I had good food but slow service at Mash on Gt Portland Street a while ago.

Agreed Gary - but equally I have seen very profitable high end places and also unprofitable mid/low-market places - it depends on so many factors.

Aladdin is definitely the middle class choice this year - a 3 Boden rating I would say looking round the audience.

As an accountant who acts for a fair number of people in the restaurant business I would say that there is as much variation in the profitability of restaurants as there is between firms of lawyers - and you can't always tell by looking either - some high-end places aren't very profitable, some middle of the road places absolutely coin it - it always amazes me how different the figures can be.

I like Strada too - good gutsy food, and excellent pizzas. I can't get into the Nandos site to find out where they are.

Heh! I often eat vegetarian food, but how can someone who's veggie be a food critic except of Vegetarian News?

Let's set up an EIS company to run it - tax relief on the way in!