Bapi

Yes I have heard that too- that's astonishingly good value bearing in mind some of the a la carte dishes nudge the £35/40 mark. Had a very pleasant set lunch there a couple of weeks back which I'll get round to writing up soon.

Sheffield was my old stomping ground as a student- so naturally I had absolutely no money to spend eating out !! I am not sure that it is still wholly fantastic for food. However, places I have heard and read about that may be worth a visit are: As Fisherman mentioned, Thyme up in Crosspool on the West side of the City (Number 51 bus will get you there). Probably the best place actually in Sheffield. Old Vicarage ( Ridgeway just outside of Sheffield) although one eGulleter had surly service there recently.1 Michelin Star Slammers- which I think is on Eccleshall Road serves an eclectic seafood menu. The owners of Thyme have opened a café /come Bistro in Broomhill( studentsville-where I lived for may years.) Also in Broomhill is an insane place called UK Mama serving Caribbean food. Slightly dippy service but it was always good fun- we ended up here on my stag do( but don't let that put you off). Primarily as I categorically refused to go to the Balti King -a Broomhill favourite for students. Nirmals on West Street- the food is good but - Mrs Nirmal has had the tendency in the past to offer little extras when dining which then find there way on to your bill at the end of the evening ! Let us know how you get on.

You mean you are not one and the same?

You are a jamy bugger aren't you mate ? How in hell did you get away with that ( and on your own especially? ) So is Robert Thompson ostensibly doing the majority of the cooking and letting Germaine Schwab have a well earned rest - or is the latter still very much hands on?

Yin, Thanks for the information. I had often thought about trying this place in its previous incarnation as the eponymous Heathcote's. But we always seem to end up at The Inn at Whitewell , in the forest of Bowland instead. I noted that they have made an attempt to make the place much more accessible - hence the name change and the difference in the style of food. Gone, for example, is the £60 tasting menu. A shame he couldn't quite keep this flagship at that level and although it pains me to do so - I would agree with Gary, that seems he spread himself a little too thin in the business stakes. The missus reported a poor meal at Simply Heathcote's in Manchester whilst on business a couple of years back. Glad to hear you had a good meal though and one certainly can't argue with the pricing. May well give it a try when next in God's county. Cheers

Putney Bridge do a very reasonable Sunday Lunch. PS Rhodes in the Square no longer exists, but Rhodes 24 may be open.

That's cheered me no end We are there for Lunch on Friday, but for the "all in" lunch which sounds eminently reasonable. Splurging a bit and re-visiting the Waterside inn a couple of days later - so it will be interesting to comapre the two. Will report back in due course.

Can somebody please slap him?

Er, I have been known to wander into my other local Indian restaurant, after R has ordered a delivery from them, and cadge a lift back home with the curry !! Work smarter - not harder-young Marshall Hallie - I'll send you list of the places we use via PM, when I get the chance.

don't they do it in ludlow too? (your second home!) gary You're a fine one to talk - who was practically trying to break in to every curry house in Ludlow? This was on the way back from our not wholly unsubstantial meals I might add.

you lazy fecker! i am truly amazed at your laziness talk about lifestyles of the rich and famous! gary Hi praise indeed- thank you kind Sir. In mitigation, more often than not we either get deliveries from our local places. However, our favourite local Indian doesn't deliver - so if I am on the way home I get a cab and pick it up usually. Alternatively ring the cab firm- and confirm that you wish to order a cab to pick up a takeaway. Ask their procedure for doing this - but more often than not the cabbie will pick up and pay for the meal and then charge you the cab fare to pick it up and deliver it to your door. Not quite as lazy as it sounds Gazza- not everyone has a car in London you know? Our local cab firm think nothing of it as they once said someone rang up and ask them to pick up a box of matches and a packet of fags and deliver them! I have to admit somewhat embarrassingly that when I get off the tube and whilst walking home past a parade of shops that, er all the local takeaway chaps whose places we have frequented wave at me as I walk past their shop windows. Not that I have been in there too often - oh no hell no

Oh dear- welcome to my world Hallie. But congrats on the new place by the way The Parsee seems to deliver and Highgate is not that far away. But agree we are not best served in the North. Best to find a few restaurants you like in the vicinity and then send a cab out for your takeaway food, as we do.

Just thinking the very same thing !!

Steady there Thom - you'll be turning into gary marshall soon with that level of consumption Glad to hear you are back at The Merchant House tomorrow - please let us know how you get on. Johhny- Thanks for the info- will be sure to give you a try when we are next over in Sheffield.

I was tempted Moby - but the missus is tired. Ho hum

Maryln, Ouch- as you can read - we had a very good service there last year. Could have been a tip off from Mr Lynes though. Sorry to hear that your experience was not up too par.

A puce Homer Simpson with hair. Aaah The Riverside- my friend went there many moons ago with his (then) soon to be ex. She demanded to go away and he really didn't want to be there, in fact they argued continuously and she wept most of the night. His comment on the night away was that he loved the place and the food just not who he was with ! I suspect that this was possibly before your time though Johhny. If you don’t mind me asking who did you work with at Overton Grange then? Was it with Claude Bosi or Wayne Vickerage or was it before their time?

She lurks on EG - don't you, you mad harridan?- which is why I am so gleefully rude. They are off for their anniversary for a weeks holiday and I am fairly sure they are going to the Punchbowl for one meal and to a place called Sheila's Cottage in Ambleside for another. Thanks again Sarah

Excellent stuff, I was going to ask you whether you had been as my friend and his frumpy wife are off up there next Friday for a week. I'll let them know. Cheers B

I doubt it, his piece of elastic doesn't stretch beyond Anthony's at the moment Pranian man-I studied at Sheffield - so whilst I had read about the place I obviously couldn't afford to go. But the behaviour you describe is quite frankly - inexcusable and frankly the sort of thing that would never make me go back to place. What can possibly make these supercilious idiots think that customers want to spend their hard earned money and free-time being treated like that? After all, there are basement clubs for that sort of thing aren't there gary ?

Welcome back Thom

Hard for you to do I know , but avoid the cheese young Marshall

I ain't no Chef Groupie!! I was generously contributing to Shaun Hill's Pension by purchasing the book. Anyway, don't you need to be blond, blue eyed and wear pink lycra tight clothing to be a Groupie??…………………..oh, sorry Gary.

Creature of habit that I am -we pootled back up to Orford a few weeks back for a short stay and a bit of a break from the Big Smoke. I 'd e-mailed them and asked them to put some flowers in our room, as I know Rosie suffers from terrible hayfever( I jest- more than my life is worth at the moment ), however very kindly they had popped a bottle of champagne in there for us as well, along with a nice note; which I thought was a rather charming thing to do. The missus is 5 months down the line to sprogdom( and as mentioned above, doing a passable impression of my very own little Velociraptor at times). Hence she is naturally being abstemious, which er, left me to demolish 99.75% of the contents of the bottle. But thankfully as we had arrived in good time for lunch outside on the patio, where I consumed the champagne along with a very interesting home cured gravlax. Interesting as the flesh had an unusual maroon colour and taste which stemmed from the addition of beetroot, it worked surprisingly well. Rosie opted for the potted brown shrimps, which although the portion was in a small ramekin, it proved more than enough and extremely tasty. Main courses were for me a generous portion of lemon sole with sautéed cucumber, capers and a nutty butter- also very good and a cod dish which escapes me for Rosie. Bless their hearts- in my e-mail to them, I had also made an insouciant comment about wanting their Griddled Prawns again and if possible, some Langoustines to boot. OK I'm cheeky. I wasn't expecting a result but lone behold, that very evening the Blessed Helena came over to let me know that they had saved me a plate of Langoustines. Marvellous stuff I thought. I enjoyed two Carlingford Lough Oysters( because I am also greedy), then Griddled Tiger Chilli Prawns with crisp Asian slaw and a wonderful coriander and mint dressing as my starter. Lip smackingly delicious. This was followed by a mountain of langoustines with excellent aioli and thick cut chips. Not exactly a balanced meal by my own choice - but one of my most enjoyable this year. Not everyone likes fiddling about extracting the flesh from Langoustines - but I am in the category that firmly believes the task is worth the effort. Took me ages to get through them though. I washed this down with a nice little half bottle of Albarino. ( I'm not Gary you know ) After more freakin shopping the next day in Aldeburgh, we returned for lunch and had half a pint of smoked prawns, a shrimp risotto redolent with a lemony twang - pure comfort food for Rosie and expertly fried lemon sole goujons for little old me. Other highlights at dinner that evening were the usual suspects for me again- half a dozen oysters and Properly hung Sirloin+ café de Paris butter+ hand cut chips. Beautifully rare, tender meat that almost sliced itself when I pointed my knife at it. Finished with a frangipane and loganberry jam tart - yum. A wonderful couple of days away at a great little operation and heartily recommended.

My tuppence worth: The River Cottage Cookbook- Huge Furry Whippingtool- marvellous River Cottage Meatbook- Ditto - A Carnivore bible Thai Cooking - David Thompson- Excellent photography, good recipes and an interesting read. Larousse Gastronomique- Everyone should have one Le Gavroche- a beautiful book- Michel Roux Jr Sauces- Michel Roux Snr - Indispensable- The sauce Nantua recipe - takes ages to make only a smallish amount of sauce - but lord it's worth it. How to Eat- Nigella Lawson-Patronising title, but a good book- Ham cooked in Coca Cola under the White Trash lunch section is a favourite of ours How to Cook Better- Shaun Hill - Top Bloke- well written and easy to use. Moro-cook book- The Clark's - a well conceived and packaged book