SideBurns

Being in a bad mood one day, I bought a Maple and Pecan Pie from Marks and Spencer. On getting back home, where I was hosting a mini-dinner party, I didn't open the packet until dessert. When I did, the pie was fine, but was tiny compared to the size of the packaging and the picture on the front, and it didn't taste that great. In fact, I ended up throwing it out. Seeing as that didn't make my bad mood any better, I wrote a letter to M&S outlining my concerns about the pie and how it had spoilt the party (it didn't really). I didn't hear anything for several weeks, until a letter finally found its way to me, desite half of my address missing on the label. Inside were vouchers for twice the value of the pie and a letter promising to investigate. To this day (two years later) I have never come across a maple and pecan pie in another M&S store. It might have been a poor pie, but I didn't intend to get a whole product line withdrawn from sale!

I'm curious as to the prices at No. 6? Their website is currently under construction so the menus and prices aren't showing.

The prices on the website are substantially higher than those quoted. It's £27.50 for two-courses, and £32.50 for three. Which is a shame as I'm moving back to Cornwall in three weeks and was looking for somewhere to go, but those prices put it out of my student price range.

Thanks for the replies, it's good to know that I'm not looking for the impossible and that my wallet might take me further than I originally thought! I'm curious as to the sound of the place in the Workers' Museum. Did you wish you spoke Danish because everything was in Danish? Or because of the atmosphere etc? It sounds like a really interesting place.

Excellent, thanks Chufi, that sounds just about perfect. I wasn't sure if they were just apples covered in puff pastry, or whether there was something else going on, so thanks for the clarification and the recipe - and I like the idea about crumbling some speculaas in the middle as well.

Dear all, At the end of this month I'll be spending three days in Denmark and Sweden, with Copenhagen being my base. I'll probably spend two days in Copenhagen, and one in Malmo over in Sweden. While I'm there I'd love to sample some authentic Danish and Swedish food, but to do so on a budget as this is an end-of-year trip, and I know Scandinavia isn't usually known for it's friendliness to the price conscious amongst us. I've read through the thread on Copenhagen, but it seems to talk much more about high end places (Michelin stars make me run a proverbial mile) and isn't restricted to Danish cuisine (although I did note the recommendations for smørrebrød), so I thought I'd start a new thread seeing how I'm looking for something quite different. Price wise, I'm not quite sure what to set as the ball park figure as I don't know how much to expect to need to pay, but in the Netherlands I'd be reasonably happy paying around €10 for a decent lunch, and about €20 for a good dinner. Being British though I'm used to paying slightly inflated prices! Any suggestions for lunch and/or dinner places would be appreciated. Many thanks in anticipation! Jack.

Thanks for the suggestions regarding the poelier; I've since found out that there's one about 60 metres from my front door, but in the direction I never venture, so I've missed it for the past 9 months! I intend to rectify that some time next week when my freezer supplies run out. I was wondering whether anyone might have an authentic recipe for 'appelbollen'? A friend and I are frequent visitors to a cafe here in Utrecht that does a fantastic one, and the thought of going back to the UK where said cafe does not exist is a little painful. I've tried searching on the internet, but I only get one recipe repeated on a few sites which says it's a German dish, so I'm not sure how authentic that one is. I'd love to hear a proper Dutch recipe if there's one around. Jack.

Well I've just back from an oddly deserted Berlin. Well, apart from the squares packed with football fans! It's a really lovely city and despite only being there for two days I think it's probably the best place I've visited this year so far. Highly recommended. I visited Berlin's Farmers' Market on the Saturday morning as well which worth a little trip. Anyway, I didn't really eat out anywhere properly. The first night I found an outdoor concert along from where I was staying and indulged in the obligatory wurst. On the second day I went to the absolutely amazing KaDeWe for lunch and ate at the Lenotre pattiserie on the 6th floor, having a Quiche Lorraine and the Chocolate Etoile - both very good. Unfortunately I only ventured up to the 7th floor restaurant after I'd eaten, but it looked like a nice place with good food. Of course, anyone going to Germany has to try a Bretzel as well - delicious.

It's such a small world! I'm just off the Biltstraat, and I've walked past the butchers often without popping in, so I'll be sure to do so before long. There's a poulier just down from Super de Boeur as well which I keep meaning to try - have you had any experience with them? As for the restaurant I mentioned before, it's called Tante's and is on the Oude Gracht just up from the Rebrandt cinema. Essentially it was €24.50 for a three course meal with tomato soup to start and tiramasu for dessert. For the main course you get a meat platter (chicken, beef, beefburgers, pork and bacon), vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, onions, salad), chips, bread etc and you fry it all yourself. It's an all-you-can-eat set up, and for two hours, you get free drinks as well. So it's pretty good value. The place isn't that special, and I don't think the food quality is that high (but then, I was cooking it!), but it's a nice way to spend an evening with friends. Think I might give Roberto Gelato a try tomorrow afternoon!

Ah, no I didn't know that - in fact, it might have been a reason for not going this weekend had I known! Oh well, any suggestions for places that aren't as likely to be as busy would still be gratefully received . Jack.

Chufi, I just wanted to say 'dank u wel' for all of your effort in compiling this thread . I've been living in the Netherlands in Utrecht since September, and it's been so frustrating not being able to sample real Dutch cooking in restaurants here. I've spoken to some Dutch friends and they always look surprised and reply along the lines of "why would you want to go out and eat Dutch food?!". But I think this thread proves exactly why I'd want to go out and do that. Unfortunately being a student and only cooking for myself I haven't really had the opportunity to try out many of the recipes you've put forward, but I'm saving them all up for when I go back to the UK in July. Baking is my passion, and it's been all I can do to stop myself spending all day in the kitchen baking boterkoeken and gevulde koeken! Just a quick question though; I hardly ever see duck meat for sale in supermarkets or at butchers, isn't it really eaten here? Also, all of the eggs I've ever seen have been chicken eggs, and I haven't been able to find duck or quail eggs for instance - am I just not looking hard enough? Many thanks again, Jack.

Hey everyone! I'm going to be in Berlin for the first time for two days this Friday and Saturday, and I'm looking for somewhere to eat on the Friday night. I'm on a pretty tight budget and don't really want to spend more than €20-€30 for two or three courses including drinks (non alcoholic). As I'm on a budget, and don't posses that sophisticated a pallet (!), somewhere serving traditional good home-style German cuisine would be perfect. I don't know Berlin at all, but I'm staying on the Hallesches Ufer, just down from Potsdamer Platz, so somewhere in that area would be ideal, but I'll probably buy a public transport pass, so it's not essential. I'll certainly make sure that I visit KaDeWe on the Saturday afternoon to splurge a little for lunch; after what I've read on here it sounds like quite a fantastic place! Many thanks in anticipation. With all best wishes, Jack.

Hello everyone! I'm new to eGullet, but I've been reading the forums for a while and I've been keeping up to date with this thread - thanks to everyone who's made suggestions! I'm English, but I've been living in Utrecht since last September, and thought that I'd add a few suggestions of my own, although I haven't really eaten out that much since arriving here (being on a student budget and all!). In Utrecht: Humphry's - A restaurant at the town end of the Biltstraat. I've been here a number of times as it's just round the corner from where I live, and it's a really nice little place. It only does a three-course fixed-menu for €19.95, which changes a little every month. Very friendly staff, a nice atmosphere and good food. I think they have branches in other towns as well. De Bakkerswinkel - This has been recommended before, and I can recommend the branch in Utrecht on the corner of Drift and Wittevrouwenstraat. It's a lovely little tea rooms and bakery. It's a little on the pricey side, but the downstairs seating area is delightful and backs onto the canal. Graf Floris - This is a cafe on the Oudegracht serving one of the best appelbollen that I've had in the Netherlands, nice atmosphere and décor as well. Venezia - My favourite ice-cream parlour in Utrecht, with little stalls and outlets in the city at this time of year, although I haven't tried Roberto Gelato recommended by IlCuoco yet, but it's just up the road from me, so I shall give it a go before making a definite pronouncement. There's supposed to be a very good little pancake restaurant in the nearby town of Bunnik as well (just down from the University campus - De Uithof), but I've never been, although everyone who has comes away raving about it. I haven't had that much experience eating out in Amsterdam, but here's a few places that I have been: Restaurant Greetje - This one's been reported on before and I went about a month ago. Very good food, if a little more expensive than I'd usually like to pay, but it was good value for what we got. I can't remember the dish, but it was very well cooked and I'd certainly go back wallet permitting. The staff were very friendly, but we were lucky to get a table, so I'd recommend booking. It's a little off the beaten track on the Peperstraat, but it's a good location to get out of the hubbub in the centre of town. Winkel - Chuffi mentioned this one before with it's supposedly best appeltaart in Amsterdam. It's just next to my favourite shop in Amsterdam - Delicious Foods - and I popped in on Friday to give their taart a try. And very good (and huge) it was too, certainly better than any I've had in Utrecht, and it's in a nice location in the Jordaan with a seating area outside if the weather's good. The Noordermarkt is held in the same place on a Saturday selling some fantastic fresh produce. We're going out to a restaurant on the Oudegracht in Utrecht on Tuesday where you essentially get given a whole load of raw food (vegetables, meat, fish etc) on an all-you-can-eat-and-drink basis, and a little frying pan and stove to cook it yourself. We're been before, but the name escapes me at the moment, so I'll add it once we've been back. Thanks again for all the suggestions so far, look forward to hearing many more . All the best, Jack.