tony h

I haven't been to Roses but I did go to nearby Figueras (Dali's museum) & Cadaquez (Dali's house complete with with penis shaped swimming pool!) last year - a car is a must. It can't be impossible to get there by public transport but having done a similar trip some years ago it is not easy and will take hours & hours.

It was designed by the same person who designed the new big brother set (which starts friday). So I guess not real at all.

Given that France & Spain are littered with undeserving 2 & 3 star restaurants i think he'll be quite safe for a while

I have to admit - it was a lot better last night.

I sat & watched aghast at the utter rubbish unfolding on my screen. Take a great idea – a bully chef & meek celebs & turn them into cooks (chef is too grand) – how could it fail? Add Jordan, Deaton & the son of Judith Chalmers – that’s how. The producers seemed to completely miss the point – it’s the training part that’s interesting not the crap verbiage of some wannabe celebs & has-been quiz master. A great shame & missed opportunity. PS – If Gordon, Mark & Angela are concentrating on this fake restaurant – who’s looking after their places?

130 euro for the food

Attached to the Merrion Hotel you have to navigate through a twee sitting room to find your way into a very large spacious and modern room adorned with an impressive collection of modern Irish art. The menu is extensive and inviting an it took quite sometime to decide what to have as there was so much to temp you – this is always a good sign. This being lunch and with perhaps only a glass or two of wine (Plus the previous night hangover) I eventually went for the tasting menu. I did try to get 1/2 portions but the waiter didn’t seem to cop on. The tasting menu is based around the sea & the land and designed to reflect traditional Irish recipes – albeit with a French twist. It all started with Guinness & Oysters – this was oysters set in Guinness jelly with an oyster froth set in a small glass & resembled a miniature Guinness. Sweetness of the oyster perfectly balanced by the tamed bitterness of the jelly. Both good & fun. Then came a Molly Malone inspired cockle & mussel broth – this was quite exceptional. Seriously good selection of seafood in a to-die-for veloute. I could easily have eaten a lot more of this. The “bacon & eggs” disk came san egg on my request – allergic to them. The bacon was a braised crubbeen filled with a mouse of ham hock and pieces of bacon – thinly sliced and set on a bed of sauerkraut-like cabbage. I really liked this – very refreshing & palate cleansing. Next was pigeon breast stuffed with pieces of foie gras, wrapped in cabbage, then wrapped gain in the skin and moulded into a sausage shape – then roasted to perfection & served with seriously good Jus & some potato slithers & other veg (I don’t recall which). This is the product of a very good kitchen indeed. Although I have to say I can’t imagine the mother of any Irish person I know using foie gras (“ah dear now, we’re out of the foie gras - pass me the grey mince & galty cheese instead”). Great dish – nothing to do with Ireland. As was the next: Cod & Peas. Every Irish person I know hates fish – it was seen as a punishment from the “fish on Friday” days. Also, cod & mushy peas has no bearing on any of the Irish I talked t afterwards. Anyway – it was bloody good. Peas dressed with champagnes vinaigrette (try getting that down the chippy) on top of which was a stunningly good piece of deep fried cod. This came with a sweet serving of chips in a paper bag. Last main course was Irish Stew & colcannon. The colcannon was quite stunning (but a wee bit cold) – great mash potatoes with superbly savoury ham hock and flecks of cabbage. The irish stew was crap & did not deserve to be in a restaurant of this calibre. There’s only so much mutton dress as lamb you can do. First dessert was miniature Irish coffee jelly – this was a bit too similar to the starter both in bitterness & look. However, second dessert of apple pie & ice cream was quite sublime – the apple tart was a long thin slither (quite substantial) with apple tart on the bottom and apple crumble on top – very spice and very comforting. Trust me – this was a lot better than it sounds. Over all, a very good meal despite the lamb course – I’m sure this was an oversight. I look forward to trying the more French orientated dishes in future. Worth seeking out if you can pull yourself away from Bewleys, Westmoreland St.

Here's my £0.02 (which is all I can afford these days) The Capital is simply wonderful for lunch - but loses its appeal in the evening. I put this mainly down to Chavot being restricted to cheaper ingredients at lunch & god does he make them sing. In the evening I think he relies (in part) on the expensiveness of what he's putting on the plate to impress - and this doesn't always work. Also - that room just doesn't cut in in the evening - not comfortable or cosy enough.

The food was better at PG - more inventive - sketch is no slouch & compares favourably to any of the big hitters in london or nearby - but there was something about PG which places in that area above 3 stars (just like Arzak)

Sketch is good, very very good, but Pierre Gangaire wins hands down if not for the fact that you're in Paris. Its pure theatre. (plus you can afford the wine at PG, I couldnt at sketch)

no, that award must surley rest with Martin Berasategui - no one, anywhere, comes close.

Replace Grand Vefour & Tallevent with Pierre Gangaire & Leydoyen - much more enjoyable plus Leydoyen is one of the most wonderful rooms anywhere & PG will knock your socks off. I haven't been to the other 4 (yet) although Astrance seems to be the hardest to get into these days so something must be going right.

tell them not to hold their breath

off the top of my head - I believe Peid a Terre are also running their lunch menu as pre-theatre. you may want to check as quality is very high for 21 quid.

thanks for the replies (all) I suppose I should been more specific - what I as getting at is this: should I spend and evening a Bocuse or go somewhere more intersting & I think the answer is a big YES. I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to go to a 3 star but I suspected Bocuse is a spent force and after recent & awful visitis to Grand Vefour, Tallivant (sp), Martin Breg-thingy (San Seb) my faith in 3 stars is somewhat shaken. I partly agree - if the food is still exceptional then keep the 3 stars - however - the 3 stars means just that - exceptional. Is rehearsing what you've done in the past good enough - I don't know? Michel Gerard seemed to do that when I was there last autumn - even proud of preseting a (lobster) dish which the menu said was "perfected in 1979" (or there abouts). It was very good - but I was bored by the end of the meal. Anyway - Bocuse is now off the list - thanks for your help

that's why I'm asking - my faith in michelin has been shaken recently (PS I like oil rigs - but no link to egullet? tut tut )

I'm off to Lyon soon & was wondering if Bocuse was any good or past it?

yes - went last week & had a very enjoyable evening nothing new to report except the foie gras portions seem to get smaller each time I visit

any point dropping the egullet name when trying to beg a reservation?

easy: pierre gagnaire

bugger - anthony's is closed on monday nights no 3 now booked cheers, tony

Gary - I'll be in Leeds for 1 night at the end of the month - what's better No 3 or Anthony's? Cheers Tony

a la carte - the pre-starters were the starters for the lunch menu Sadly, I was too full to attempt dessert

sorry, no idea as to your experiecne - that what I was hoping for

no idea - i didn't look - just the awful total. on the subject of tipping - in more down market places I will always tip well good service as I know the staff depend on it. However, for top end places i see absolutely no distinction between food and service - they are one in the same. after all, i've never returned to a place where i know the service is really really good but has bad food - but I'll put up with shit service for heavenliness on a plate.