Charlene Leonard

well, if that had happened to me I would have just got up and left without paying. I really don't prescribe to the "i never complain" theory, if the service/food is crap then I will tell them. Unless I am with clients or someone else is paying then it would just be too embarrassing. If no-one ever complained then there would be no improvement and if they reacted like they did to you, I would just get up and go.

thanks Circeplum, I've got to go to Shepherds Bush tonight so have just booked myself a table at Edera

am I right i thinking you can't book? How long did you have to wait for a table?

I wonder why they loved it? Do you think they come away thinking it is representative of English food and that they have just had a truly "English" experience rather than for the quality of the food. No wonder British food gets a bad rep!

Had to go to Rules for a business lunch yesterday. Despite the fact this is “London’s Oldest Restaurant” I have never been before. The room is adorned with oil paintings and stags heads and lots of mirrors and red velvet. I liked the room, the tables were well spaced and there were lots of booths for intimate tete a tetes. And the clientele…well, lets just say I’ve never seen so many bald heads since I got stuck in the Hall of Mirrors with Simon Majumdar. There are several good wines by the glass and I had a very pleasant NZ Sauvignon Blanc. I started with Rabbit and Foie Gras Terrine (£9.95) which was disgusting. Served straight from the fridge, the terrine consisted of tasteless rabbit and minced carrots with a piece of foie in the middle and this was the killer - it tasted like no other foie gras I have ever tasted, it was bitter, vinegary and inedible. It was served with pear chutney which tasted overwhelmingly of cinnamon and was also used to accompany the Stilton and Walnut tart. Main course was grilled cod with mussels, brown shrimps and parsley butter (£17.95). It was a well-cooked piece of cod apart from the skin – if fish is served skin-on then I want it to be crisp not flaccid and limp, this may have something to do with the fact that the parsley sauce was served over the fish instead of around it.. However, an accompanying salad was well dressed and generous. Two others at the table had the Roast Rib of Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Dauphinoise potatoes for two (19.95 each). A huge fluffy Yorkshire was ceremoniously brought to the table and divided between the plates. A large silver platter of thickly cut beef was served on a bed of roasted onions and spinach with a side of bubbling Dauphinoise. The Yorkshire pudding was excellent but the beef lacked flavour and was slightly tough, and this from a restaurant which waxes lyrical about “cattle raised in the High Pennines blah, blah” well, it’s just not good enough. Perhaps if one was to go back and try the game they specialise in, it might be better? I just cannot understand why people (primarily in seemed 60year old businessmen and American tourists) are prepared to pay £10 for a starter and £20 for a main course for essentially mediocre food – is the fact the it is the oldest place in London really that alluring?

would it be really sad to say that on both nights we ended up back at the Premier Lodge Hotel Bar? (hides face in shame)

Went here last weekend for a Hen night. We hired the private dining room “the Vaults” which is in the basement of this former bank. The room comfortably seats 14 and has its own bar and sound system so you can bring your own music but we were happy with their funky chilled selection. They had no problem with us putting out “amusing” place mats and sparklers and service was friendly and efficient from the start. We started with a Cosmopolitan which was enamel strippingly strong hence perfect for the start of a hen weekend! A pre starter of pea soup was ok, I don’t really like peas so it was never going to bowl me over. I had to pre-choose 3 starters, mains and desserts for the group (£23 for 2 course, £26 for 3). I picked Open lasagne of shrimp and mussel with caper cream, Warm salad of duck confit with grilled red peppers and raspberry vingarette and Asparagus with poached egg and chive butter for starters. Mains were Chicken with butter mushrooms, smoked bacon, morels and mashed potatoes, Grilled halibut with purple sprouting broccoli and tomato hollandaise and Asparagus and golden cross goat cheese asparagus. Hence the veggie had to have asparagus for both courses. Duck salad was fine, the confit was a bit to dry and the portions seemed to vary considerably around the table. The hailbut was way over cooked and as Andy said the tomato added nothing to the hollandaise. I ordered a side of fried artichokes which turned out to be Jerusalem artichokes, these were delicious, sliced artichokes in a light crispy well seasoned batter. Puddings were passion fruit crème brulee, chocolate amaretto fudge pot with raspberries and cheese. The cheese was too sweaty but that’s all I remember by this point. Service was excellent, and whilst the food was no more than OK it was the perfect place for a hen night. Bill was £460 for 12 which was exceptional value.

the guy was obviously devoid of any manners, it was late and he would have been able to see that everyone else was finishing their meal and he should have gone to bed hungry!. However, I do find it mildly amusing that in most pubs outside our fine capital, lunch is only served until 2pm - what is all that about? I imagine it goes back to the days when most pubs closed at 3pm, does everyone get up earlier in 'the country' or get hungrier sooner?? I certainly don't start hollering and shouting about it though, just order another pint and have a bag of crisps.

but what does she know?

oh, to be a fly on the wall as Basildog tries to "squeeze" Tony into his restaurant.

actually I do come here to read the highly subjective opinions of people who I respect and trust. God forbid a day when the only reviews we get on here are sterile, formulaic ones. And who are you to decide how "constructive" a review is? If you take Simon's (and many others for that matter) reviews in the good humour and generosity in which they are intended, you will learn so much and enjoy yourself even more.

oh I see, now we're equating not wanting to sit in a kitchen with a hidden hatred for fine dining. makes perfect sense.

do lots of places have chef's tables? can't think of anything worse except the possibility of going on a date with Simon to Aberdeen Steak House.

isn't Rock where are the posh kids go during the summer holidays? I hope the place doesn't become overrun by twats in O'Neil sunglasses and Fat Face clothes.

Delia Smith Online Delia Smith has a pretty good recipe which might be of some use. eggs encocotte with morels

how do you cube a ground chickpea??

but Peter you did say now you're saying only the seafood platter was good. Seafood platter is hard to get wrong especially when you are above a fish market. But I did have food that requires an element of skill and execution and it just didn't do it for me. BTW - there is also a fantastic fish and chip shop on the high street whcih you must try There is no greater pleasure than unwrapping a piping hot bag of fish and chips whilst sitting on the seafront as the cool seabreeze whips around your ears....

Best and Worst of 2002 and Peter, you really must pay more attention to me and circeplum.

or doesn't mind if I sneeze all over their food.

pork belly is my absolute favourite cut of meat at the moment. I prefer to keep it in one whole piece with the bone on and aim for very crispy skin and melting succulent meat underneath. Two current favourite recipes are one in the Moro Cookbook, which involves lots of fennel seeds and is then blasted in a v.hot oven for 15mins and then cooked for a further 45mins. Gary Rhodes also does a superb version with bay, salt and garlic rubbed into the skin and is slowly roasted for 3-4 hours. I have also been fortunate enough to sample a dish by Miss J of red braised pork belly which melted in the mouth. I do think that Chinese recipes/restaurants tend to do pork belly the best.

correct, horrah!! p.s what's that green icon mean??

not The Sportsman...

also what amazes me is that everyone had enough money on them to pay in cash but would normally pay by credit card. why are all these people carrying quite a bit of cash on them and then choosing to pay by card?

alas, no.

getting hot.