Siharris28
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Posts posted by Siharris28
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Thinking of going here David would you say it was child friendly?
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Hi all,
Couldn't find recent recommendations for Balboa Peninsula and Island. We're staying on the Peninsula for a week in April, would appreciate lunch spot recommendations, preferably that could accomodate twin 7 month olds! Heard about Il Farro which sounds good, would like a good seafood place, maybe Mexican as well?
Thanks a lot.
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Interesting thoughts on The Punchbowl Harters. We've just got back from a few nights staying there. The rooms are very nice, although not cheap. We ate there for four nights running, twice in the restaurant and twice in the pub bit. I thought the food was generally very good - I had the venison dish you described and loved it. Steak was also very good.
However, the service in the pub area was poor. They kept making mistakes and when corrected, groaned as if we were being difficult. Informal is fine, but error-strewn isn't. Service in the restaurant area was fine, so I would recommend eating in there, no difference in price.
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Fantastic news, just round the corner from my office...
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Jan Moir's jaded insight into fine dining is worthy of a read.
Eight years (or so)at the coalface is a lot less time than I have endured, and I don't get paid for it
Expectations are low for her "tribute" to Alexander McQueen (sorry not food related).
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How do you get a booking and will it be obscenely expensive?
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Hello all. Got back from Paris last week, had a great time, really loved the Abbesses area. Thought I would get a few thoughts down on the food establishments visited - thanks for all the suggestions. Not all Montmartre-related but a hell of a lot easier to put this all in one place!
L'Ebauchoir - Bastille - Very Good
Thought this was a great bistrot - packed out, we were lucky to get a table, nice buzzy atmosphere. Perfectly pleasant terrine to start with, then I had an absolutely delicious grilled swordfish with citrus fruit, perfectly charred on the grill but meltingly tender within. The better half had a scorpion fish which was fine but didn't match the l'espadon. Perfunctory millefeulles for me (personally prefer the genuine many layered article over the thick slabs which seem to be more commonplace now) and something fruity for the lady. A tangy bottle of Sancerre and the meal came in at €100. Really good would definitely return.
Le Cafe Qui Parle - Montmartre - Disappointing
Bit gutted about this, menu looked good, place was busy, nice vibe, but food really wasn't anything special. My wife had the vegetables with black olive gazpacho to start - vegetables were flavourless and no depth to the accompanying gazpach which was rather thin. I had marinated salmon (this seemed to be on almost every menu we saw in Paris) which was very good although a bit samey after a while.
I then had a couple of fairly decent slices of duck, although the celery concoction upon which they rested was interesting but not particularly satisfying after a while. The other half had a chicken salad special which was probably more of a lunch dish and not a great choice but had another dose of the same relatively unflavourful vegetables and was all fairly bland. Desserts weren't bad and had a nice, reasonable Alsace Pinot Noir, came to about €90. Wouldn't go back there based on that experience.
La Grande Cascade - Bois de Boulogne - Excellent
Thought we should have some kind of Michelin experience so came here on a sunny lunchtime. Was even more formal than expected but the Penguined-up waiters didn't bat an eyelid at my jeans. Lovely setting and a really nice vibe.
Aperitif trolley came round and couldn't resist a couple of glasses of Ayala - €24 per glass but was very pleasing. We went for the menu du marche, which looked like good value at €85 per head including two glasses of wine each.
I kicked off with plump langoustines en croute, with guacamole and assorted accoutriments. The langoustines were superb although thought the guacamole could have had more of a kick to it. My other half went for marinated salmon on a disc of watermelon which was perfect for the summers day.
I then went for veal kidneys - wouldn't normally go for this, but enjoyed it - rich, earthy and beatifully cooked, served with a delightfully crisp and light vegetable rosti. My wife selecetd a white fish dish (pollack I believe) which was very pleasant but nothing groundbreaking.
I finished up with sables de Breton with strawberries, whilst my wife's chocolate liegois was encroaching upon best ever dessert territory apparently.
Really enjoyed this place, great terrace, lovely food and pretty good value. The menu du marche reminded me a little of the lunch deal at Le Gavroche - have to say Gavroche edged this for quality and better wine there as well - also cheaper at £48 so perhaps highlights the price differential between Paris and London (noting also that Gavroche is 2* compared to 1* at Grande Cascade).
Les Caves des Abbesses - Montmartre - Great
Great find this - didn't want a full meal after the Grande Cascade blowout, found a small dining room at the back of this unpreposessing wine merchant on Rue des Abbesses. A fantastic platter of charcuterie and cheese to share for €12, loads of bread and a great wine selection (unsurprisingly) to boot. Great atmosphere as well, seemed to be more of a locals hangout.
L'As du Falafel - Marais - Did as described on the tin
Simple - very pleasing falafel, well served, did the lunch job very well.
La Table d'Eugene - Montmartre - Outstanding
Adored this place - worthy of the hype. Bit concerned when we were the only two in there at 8pm - didn't realise les parisiens ate so late, more in line with expectations for the Spanish. Filled up by 9pm.
A Tandoori prawn starter for my good self - great prawns and very tasty, although thought the tandoori baste could have been more at one with the crustaceans. Bayonne ham for my partner in crime, served with aubergine caviar on a parmesan biscuit. Pronounced as excellent.
My wife loved the veal main course (supplement required) served ambitiously with various mounds of foam and precisely cooked vegetables. I also was well pleased with my slow cooked lamb, cooked for seven hours in a small pot (not le creuset surprisingly) - huge flavours, delectable.
My better half was slightly disappointed with the cherry pannacotta dessert, chiefly due to the lack of contrast between the aforementioned cerises and sweet cooked cream. My chocolate mousse was very good but not up to the high standards of the other two courses.
Loved the restaurant, thought the food was Michelin * territory, would go back in a flash and travel across Paris if necessary. Interesting, out-of-the-way area as well. Not many tourists knocking about.
Frankly, we ate very well in Paris. I am now on a regime to try and rein the flab back in. Thanks for all the recommendations, looking forward to a return sometime soon!
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North Africa is one third of a continent, which cuisine interests you most? Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian? Ethiopian if we wish to stretch it a bit to the Southeast?
(I do not know of any Lybian restaurants so far, and our Egyptian cafés are mostly focused on chicha-smoking.)
Wally le Saharien (Algerian) has only one dish, couscous méchoui, but it is perfectly made.
L'Atlas (Moroccan, fassi cooking) on boulevard Saint-Germain serves what is IMO the very best hand-rolled couscous in Paris.
If you don't mind holes-in-the-wall, Chez Hamadi (rue Boutebrie) is also the best, in a different style (Tunisian).
Neighborhood couscous joints (there is one in every couple of streets or so, depending on the area) can be pretty good and should be tried.
For Jewish-Tunisian couscous (a distinct genre, very rich, with slow-cooked garnishes like tfina loubia, tfina bkaila, tfina arissa, etc., or "complet poisson"), two quartiers: the top part of rue du Faubourg-Montmartre around rue Richer, and boulevard de la Villette. Try La Boule Rouge and Chez Chalomé.
Hmm, apologies for the generalisation. Jewish-Tunisian is sounding interesting, might try one of those...
Many thanks.
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Keen to try some North African cuisine on our trip to Paris in July. Which restaurants are recommended? Saw a reference to "Wally le Saharien" on another post, which is quite near our hotel. That a good bet or should we try somewhere else?
Cheers.
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Le Gavroche for lunch on Wednesday. Shown into a corner table next to two rather eccentric (and culturally insular) old gents. Good buzz about the place.
The wife kicked off with asparagus w/ veal crisps, frresh and tasty, while I went for mullet on fruit and herb flecked rice, whcih was full of savour and delicious. I then had rabbit and mustard sauce, simple yet tasty, while the wife had guinea fowl with Nicoise stuffing, which really was delicious - you can tell they spend a lot of time on the reductions etc. She finished with a chocolate parfait, I went for the cheeseboard.
The food was all great, as you would expect. What struck me was the generosity of the lunch offer. Two rounds of canapes, full pick of the cheeseboard on the set lunch deal (was expecting a couple of slices of their choosing), great wine, coffee refills and plenty of petits fours.
Service was fine, but slightly impersonal I thought. They were busy, but a bit more personality in the service would not go amiss.
Anyway, really enjoyed the lunch (in there for 3 hours) definitely want to repeat the experience!
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Hi all,
I have trawled through many of the threads on here, but cannot quite work out which would be the best inexpensive (say €120 for two inc. booze) place to eat in Montmartre (or adjoining arrondissement) when my wife and I head to Paris for a few days in July.
Probably going to La Grande Cascade and Astier for the other two days we are over, but would like to stay near the hotel one night.
Any recs gratefully received.
Thanks,
Simon.
Is Mon Oncle any good?
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Hi all,
I have trawled through many of the threads on here, but cannot quite work out which would be the best inexpensive (say €120 for two inc. booze) place to eat in Montmartre (or adjoining arrondissement) when my wife and I head to Paris for a few days in July.
Probably going to La Grande Cascade and Astier for the other two days we are over, but would like to stay near the hotel one night.
Any recs gratefully received.
Thanks,
Simon.
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Hi All,
I'll be spending an evening in southampton soon and am looking for restaurant recommendations. Any suggestions?
I originate from a town just outside Southampton, and frankly, it always used to be a culinary desert. Not heard much to convince me that has changed, although my parents reckon the White Star Tavern is good and Kuti's is alright for a curry.
If you can travel a bit, the Vatika restaurant at Wickham Vineyard is supposed to be excellent.
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Just want to add my tuppence-worth...
Franco Manca is by far and away the best pizza I have had not just in London, but outside of Italy.
As far as post below goes, hard to tell whether something really 'went wrong' or you just don't like that style of pizza (although in fairness the base shouldn't be soggy, and never has been when I've eaten there, so maybe there was something wrong... although as your gf liked it, who knows). In any case, I've eaten there lots and never been disappointed.
It's also exactly the kind of place that London needs more of - cheap and cheerful, and all about the food's excellence and integrity.
Yes it's in Brixton
Yes it's next to the smelly market on Electric Ave (which I happen to love, but horses for courses i guess)
Yes it's only open for lunch
And yes, it is miraculously cheap!
But, truly, this place is awesome in it's simplicity, honesty and integrity.
Frankly, it wipes the floor of Red Pepper in Maida Vale which is mentioned up-post (and which I like, so no sour grapes here), and it comes in at well under half the price.
And as for the gripe about the 'inauthentic' chorizo; I think that's really a little petty, especially from someone who hasn't tasted the pizzas in question, and also, as pizza napoletana indicates, really a little naive if it's a criticism of 'authenticity'. Maybe the paprika is 'inauthentic', although it is used in some regions of Italy in cured pork products (the Spanish had their fingers in many pies back in the day, as did the Moors before them)... In any case, you can be assured it's not the kind of operation to go in for a sloppy fall-back compromise or slaving to fashion when it puts porcini on a pizza, teaches English farmers to make mozzarella and flies over Neapolitan artisans to build its ovens! And all of that is done not in the name of trendiness or tradition or faux-authenticity, but just to make the best pizzas possible. Laudable.
Anyway, all I'd say is go and try it if you can, it's worth it.
Haven't made it here yet - mainly because it's only open for lunch - what are the chances of them opening for dinner?
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Went to the Princess Victoria tonight, really enjoyed it. Had smoked eel to start, which had smoked mackerel pate and cured herring with it. Pleasing but not awe-inspiring. Then had salt beef brisket with an unctuous beef and mustards sausage accompanied by bone marrow dumpling plus bubble & squeak. Really, really good. An excellent pear sundae to finish.
Good meal, nice place. Prices higher than advertised by Durack but worth it.
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I meant Wareing. I was thinking "maybe I should go before he gets star 3 and then it becomes far too expensive and impossible to book". But I am a lot less tempted now.
I think l'Ambassade is worth visiting just based on the amount of polarisation present on this board and between critics (AA Gill's review was particularly amusing). Maybe it will be another Hibiscus for me. We'll see.
Sorry, my mistake.
With regards to Wareing, I agree with what has been said above.
After my meal (admittedly way back in October) I was unimpressed - one standout dish, but the rest were pretty...lifeless
Food Snob, I take it you have seen this Timeout
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I am in London for a day. I would like to have authentic Indian without being ripped-off please can i get your suggestions.
Tooting if you can get there (Kastoori, Lahore Karahi, Mirch Masala)! Although East End/Southall may be easier for you to get to.
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Try Bistrotheque in Wadeson Street, E2.
Or Buen Ayre in Broadway Market, E8 if you like grilled meat.
Both jolly good, or at least they were last time I went.
Hawksmoor is superb if you like steak - on the Commercial Road.
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Well it's not far from me - i work in Winchester but I don't drive, which makes the whole Little Chef concept a bit pointless for me.
Will be heading that way at some point in the foreseeable as its en route to my parents. Will try and stop in and give it a go...
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My wife is the afternoon tea connoisseur and having visited various places around London (and beyond) she says her favourite so far is the Landmark. Sandwiches are hard to compare across the board but these were excellent, fluffy and light and extremely more-ish. However, the cakes really stood out and unlike most places the plates were refreshed (most just offer more sandwiches).
At the moment she rates it above the Wolseley and the Lanesborough (both excellent) but she wants to compare it to Claridges and the Ritz. I foresee an expensive month for me!
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Went to a great brasserie-style place in the Oberkampf area called Astier last time I was there. Not Michelin fireworks but great food and a brilliant cheeseboard at reasonable prices.
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This is a long shot given its obscure location (southern tip of Isle of Wight), but has anyone eaten or stayed at The Hambrough in Ventnor. Heard very good things about Mr Thompson's cooking and thinking of getting my parents a stay there for Christmas.
Any thoughts gratefully received.
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Balboa
in California: Dining
Posted
Thanks all off next week looking forward to it
hzrt8w - we are staying yards from Newport Pier - any other recommendations there?