chrisp

I called them about 4:30 today and got through after about 10 minutes of trying off and on. I was then on hold for another 10 minutes (mostly a recorded message telling me about the Christmas closing, but that was replaced by a different recorded message half way through). I finally got through to someone who told me they had no spaces available on any day for the next two months but put me on a waiting list for the days I wanted. ← I'm on the waitlist as well. Does anyone have any idea whether there's a good chance of getting in once you're on the waitlist? I mean are there a certain number of places which are held back for VVIPs which are released a day or two before the appointed day or do places arise only in the event there are actual cancellations? ← I was on a witlist for a table of four for this weekend and they phoned me Wed with a table unfortunately the other two now can't make it so we had to give it up ← Aargh you should have given it to me!

Haha didn't take them long to crash back down to earth, did it?

On the other hand, they do have a nice walk-in cheese room.

In the little Spanish town we go to on holiday (L'Escala, Catalonia if anyone's interested) there are loads of good fishmongers within walking distance. This year instead of doing fried prawns over and over again I thought I'd make the most of it and bring along a decent cook book to help me tackle the more exotic produce there without making a complete hash of it. I remember one year I saw loads of little crabs for sale, about 1-2 inches across, and thought they looked interesting, and were dead cheap, so I bought a bag. Once home, I had no idea what to do with them so I just boiled them up and made an aioli. Out of a pound of crabs I think we had one mouthful of edible meat. I don't know what I was thinking. Anyway, it doesn't have to necessarily be Spanish, just a seafood cookery book that will give me a few good ideas for what to do with the freshly landed squid or interesting whelks and clams that show up in the fishmongers occasionally. Does anyone have any favourites? Something suitable for the keen amateur would be ideal. And based in the UK to save on Amazon's postage charges Much appreciated, Chris P.S. Can anyone tell me what I should have done with those crabs?

I have never as much of a problem as other people - I always wade through around 20 minutes of constant redialling and then I get through. It happened yesterday in fact... And at 10.40 they still had two tables for 6 on a Friday night! How long are you trying for? Persevere! ← On average, once every couple of seconds until about 11am when I usually just give up. Once I got through at 10:45 and all places had gone so I think by 11 I can be pretty sure it's not worth continuing. Right that's a good 30 seconds wasted, need to get back to the redialing now...

OK this is crazy. I have tried every week at 10am sharp for about a month and have never got anything other than an engaged signal! Does anyone know of any service that can be used to automatically retry engaged lines? I used to be able to press 5 on my old BT line and it would do an automatic callback, but that doesn't seem to work on my mobile or work phone.

It's a stupid idea that makes no sense on heaven or earth, and just causes confusion, resentment and disappointment. Just my opinion of course, but I mean, where will it stop? Rising rising stars which are awarded to restaurants likely to be good enough next year to win one the year after??

Agreed, and then some. There's no way on earth a nice little bistro like Wild Honey can be rated the same level as Foliage.

i think me and anthony flyn should go out for a drink ← Sorry mate - if it helps, you get a star from my family

Ooh but Kastoori gets a bib!

No star for Fraiche? Dammit, thought Merseyside would have one over Manchester.

I think it would be great if every child in the country could cook a decent simple vegetable soup. It's dead cheap, very good for you and the skills you learn making it can be applied to a load of other dishes. But I'm sure others will have much better ideas.

Thanks for the explanation. I wonder what proportion of those businesses go on to fail a second time? I would imagine that the suppliers would be very wary about extending any credit at all and might demand payment on delivery, which could cause cash flow problems while punters might well wonder what was wrong with the place that it went under the first time and stay away - a recipe for disaster surely? ← Unless the punters are none the wiser? I certainly didn't know this place had closed until I read it here, and if it's going to reopen run by the same family then I doubt anyone else would notice either.

Except on Merseyside we already have our own Michelin-starred place (well, almost). Thank you, Fraiche.

Am I the only person who always hears "Jonty Rhodes", the South African cricketer, whenever someone on TV says "John Torode"?

Hear hear! The Greyhound is so mediocre it beggars belief it gets into the Michelin year after year, where just down the road the Fox and Hounds is doing lovely fresh Mediterranean food and gets nowhere. ←

Always nice to meet a fellow fan! Do you live in the area? It seems the F&H is completely unknown outside of Battersea, which is just the way I like it. Hard enough getting a table as it is most evenings.

You wouldn't go out of your way to eat at thestaratharome? You're mad sir/madam. For a start, you'd never get there if you didn't go out of your way. ← Sorry, I did not mean to include the Star in that bracket as I think they are closer to the Sportsman, I was meaning more Ramsey/Gun/Rosendale. I have not been to the Star for about 10 years where as the others are more recent. ← The distance betweeb what Harris is doing at the Sportsman and what is being served up at the Rosendale should be measured in light years. I would say there is no comparrison but obviously there is. By comparrison to the Sportsman the Rosendale is completly hum drum and workaday. ← Have to say Van de Groot must have the best PR in London. How the Greyhound and Rosendale have curried so much favour escapes me. there's nothing wrong with either, but not so much truly exemplary either. and the wine list is, erm, highly overrated. and overpriced ← Hear hear! The Greyhound is so mediocre it beggars belief it gets into the Michelin year after year, where just down the road the Fox and Hounds is doing lovely fresh Mediterranean food and gets nowhere.

Yes, cheap it was not. But I've long since resigned myself to the fact there are no genuine bargains to be had in this city any more. Oh, except Tayyabs perhaps

I did a search on the word Landau and it came up blank so I assume I'm one of the first to visit? There aren't many reviews kicking around yet as I think it's new (or newly-refurbished), but it has a very slick operation going already. Had the tasting menu for Sunday lunch and was mainly excellent, albeit quite "familiar" to those who have been to haute cuisine places in London. Clearly the chef is gunning for stars from the word go. Anyway it comes highly recommended. Main review and pics here

Why is baldy veg guy allowed to stay? Is he on the production team or something?

And this was Royal Hospital Road was it, not Claridge's? Sounds like you were very unlucky - you have my sympathies.

Gordon Ramsey- I guess he has to be on the list, our last meal, Dec ’06 was shockingly poor!! ← What happened?

There's plenty of fun to be had at the Gallery of Regrettable Food: http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/ Stomach-churning pictures too.

Actually I think they're all still excellent suggestions - can't go wrong with any of these.