camdan

I rather like the FD. I'd say it was more comparabe to SB.

Aye, was quite nice, but not as nice as an egg. Genius.

1-You eat at Gregg's ? 2-It's been a while since I have eaten out at a high end establishment admittedly, but I am fairly certain one isn't supposed to bloody drink the toiletries. ← 1-Not for a while, but I seem to remember enjoying it more. 2-Oh. I thought everything in a posh restaurant was edible...

We were not hugely impressed; a pleasant meal with some nice wine but nothing was really outstanding and many things just didn't work. The sausage roll didn't taste as good as one I could get from Greg's for a 20th the price. The sea urchin/pork combination didn't work for me. The pre-dessert of granny smith puree and lemongrass foam tasted like a tub of lemon curd and the lime parfait dessert was topped with what appeared to be a rather pretentious digestive biscuit. Also would restaurants please stop using that fucking Molton Brown shit in their toilets? The smell is horrible and overpowering and it ruins one's enjoyment of the wine.

I was expecting them to laugh in my face and hang up. Was very surprised to get a table. Then again, I've never tried to make a short notice reservation at a 'good' restaurant before.

I hope I shouldn't be worried by the fact that I just managed to book a table for four at 7 o'clock on Monday?

Got myself a delicious cup of fail this afternoon. Fourth time lucky...

I got a Saturday evening table a week ahead, so it's not hard to get in. Probably wise to book though.

Sent. Come on, third time lucky...

Well they don't seem to actually define what the places are doing wrong. Do you get one star for the occasional dirty fork or for being infested with rats? So long as the chefs aren't wanking in the food I don't care a great deal - a few bugs are good for the immune system, we shouldn't be trying to live in a bubble. Also, the search system sucks.

I'm considering broadening my ethanolic horizons to include brandy and by the looks of things armagnac is the place to start in order to get decent quality at a not ridiculous price. So, what would you recommend as a good introduction? Should I just go with Janneau or is there something a bit more obscure that might be better? I realise it's a fairly expensive choice of tipple, so I'm prepared to spend a reasonable (mid two-figures £) amount. The only decent brandy I've ever had before was Hine Antique, which I thought was very nice. I've had cheap and nasty ones as well, which have tasted cheap and nasty.

What's the sake selection like at Hiro?

Had the Underground menu yesterday. And a lot of alcohol. Abso-fudging-lutely superb. 9.5/10 (because I'd never give a perfect score). Deserves more stars.

Took a trip to Sat's yesterday for the Surprise Menu (with matching wines). Very nice, and we were presented with souvenir menus handwritten by the man himself at the end. Highlights were a lovely piece of seared foie gras (the only time I've ever really liked that stuff) a beautifully done scallop and some sublimely pink grouse. There were, however, a few misses, and whilst it's definitely a very interesting restaurant for my money it isn't in the same league as The Fat Duck. 7.5/10.

I am owed a small fortune by a friend and told him to pay it off in food. So, cost aside, should we go to Nobu? Or would we be better off attempting to eat every single piece of fish in (for example) Hiro or Sushi Say? Also, where does one get good sake in a London Japanese? And has anyone been to Umu or Zuma?

Anyone been here and have any good reports? A friend of mine owes me a sizeable food/drink debt and it would be easier if it could be settled in the North East. I have little hope that somewhere serving 'Parsnip Foam - Foie Gras Ice Cream' will be anything other than a rollercoaster of pretension but hopefully one of you wants to change my mind.

I think you mean that the decor wasn't to your taste — unless the ceiling fell down since I was there, or something. ← And I also meant the food was to my taste, but as you had the intelligence to work that one out without me presenting a neon sign differentiating opinion from fact, I wonder why you felt the need to make that post? That said, I think the interior of the restaurant would be greatly improved by the ceiling falling down.

Good food. Bad decor. Friendly but slow service. And my rum baba should have had about ten times more rum on it. 6/10.

Just got back from London (dinner at St John, 7.5/10, hardly world class but pretty good, and probably the manliest restaurant in England) and saw some chappy on the train carrying one of those fashion boutique style bags, with the Fat Duck logo on. Anyone have any idea what's going on there?

I was pretty unimpressed by Juniper to be honest. Maybe because the only thing I could make it to was a Tuscan night, and I don't enjoy Tuscan food very much, but it all seemed pretty dreary to me. Certainly, it's no Fat Duck. I hope my meal at Anthony's next month is better. What are peoples' opinions on Anthony's vs Juniper? I'm surprised not to have seen more debate about it given their similarities.

I'll hopefully be going here with friends on April 14th. My best friend has built up a sizeable debt to me over the past couple of years and this is how he's paying it off. He suggested Nobu, I said Anthony's, I hope I didn't make a mistake?

I'm afraid that's unlikely, I'll probably just have to take a chance, and see what the good people at thewhiskyexchange.com (the finest site around) can offer me.

I've been a fan of single malts for about three years now and feel like trying a Bourbon. Malt wise my favourites are Lagavulin and Talisker, although I don't know if that helps. I'm looking for something good (so I know if it's a drink with potential for me) but not ridiculously priced. Suggestions?

Longest and nicest lunch I've had in Manchester was probably Jem&I in Didsbury (not central I'm afraid, and not much in the way of cheese either).

I'll probably drink it. The cupboard is room temperature, so about 15-20 degrees, which I realise is probably a bit warm, but the other option is in the shed which gets very cold in winter and I gambled on 15 being the better option than -5.