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I was a little less polite when I saw that they had scrambled one egg! I have mellowed since.

Went to the lakes a few weeks back for a weekend away. Lunched at Gilpin. The food was ok but the set lunch menu was short on choice and inspiration. For starter we both chose the salad with arancini, Jerusalem artichokes and a truffled mushroom duxelles type preparation. It was quite good. For mains I chose roast Goosnargh chicken, this came with mashed potato, sautéed mushrooms, lardons and truffle cream. It was huge and a bit rich but quite nicely cooked. We also ordered the olive oil poached salmon, this came with odd blanched button mushrooms, chunky sliced carrots and chive butter sauce. The fish and sauce was good, the garnish less successful. We passed on dessert. The food was ok. It was differet to how I had imagined it would be. I was thinking L'ortolan style but it was a bit more Waterside in terms of portion and presentation. The hotel seems nice and the staff were good. The snow may have caused some restrictions as it had certainly restricted customers; there were only two other tables but it was quite grim weather wise. It is a nice place though and on a good day I imagine food and atmosphere would be better. For accommodation I booked Linthwaite house on a promo from their website. My initial impression was good. The reception area is nice with a big fire and country hotel feel. The room was decent and was a nice size and as ordered had views of the lake. We had a nice walk up to the frozen tarn then had a couple of drinks in the bar. Dinner is £50pp and is four courses with about four choices per course. Canapes were served and were not bad but erred on the safe side of cautious. The first course is a no choice amuse sized soup, on this occasion it was honey roast parsnip. Not something I would choose and seemed a bit mean considering it was one of my four courses. For starters we had Scallops with ginger and monkfish with crisp pancetta and some oxtail. The monkfish was ok if a little over done. The scallops alone were fine but the dish a whole was a stinker. The sweet, spicy hot ginger was totally overpowering. Mains of venison and roast rib of beef were ordered rare but came well overcooked. To end we split cheese and chocolate fondant. The fondant was offered with pistachio ice cream but came with a weird almond essence flavoured ice cream. The cheese was selected by the kitchen and came plated. Coffee and petit fours rounded things off. I did mention a few of my observations to our waiter and he did offer to remedy the main courses but we had eaten most of them by the time we had his attention. The poor fellow was running about like a scalded cat and was perspiring quite heavily while we spoke to him. I think it was the longest time he stood still all night. The food all looked nice and was nicely plated but there were far too many problems. The place was packed. Maybe too busy? Breakfast was ok if a little petite. For what it cost it was poor value for money. Also, make sure you are seated in the main dining room as the area I was in was like an overspill / business space complete with a.v. Gear. It was not a nice room. I would go back if I was passing for a simple lunch on the terrace in the summer as the location is good and the views are also fine. The service was mostly good in the bar and lounges, just a bit frantic at dinner. Cheers Martin

Unfortunately, there are very few places in Liverpool that are worth mentioning. That said there are a few places that are decent. I had a good lunch in Mayur on Duke St last week. It's a modern Indian with a Chef ex of the Taj hotel group. It is on a block that also has Mexican (Savina), Italian (Il Forno) and Japanese (Sapporro) restaurants. You could give the Monro a try for a pint if you are on Duke St. Most of these places are decent for a casual meal. Panoramic at the top of Beetham tower has the advantage of the best views in the city. I have only ever gone for drinks and the view. It is worth a visit for a drink. Not sure about the food. London Carriage Works on Hope St can be quite good. Of the few meals I have had there the best was the "miles better" cheaper local option. Just down the road is 60 Hope St, reviewed positively by Harters last week. Not tried it but generally it is well liked. There is also The Quarter nearby for a casual feed - the food is usually decent although nothing out of the ordinary, the atmosphere is good. If you are near Hope St then a pint or two and a snack in the Everyman bistro is an option. Also in the city centre there is Blakes in The Hard Days Night Hotel with a 4 or 5 in the Good Food Guide - the bar in the Hotel is not bad either. The newish San Carlo on Castle St is popular as is Chaophraya in Liverpool one. For a pint you could try the Ship and Mitre or Rigbys on Dale St. The Albert Dock is nice for a walk but with the exception of Vinea, most places offer style over substance. For something more memorable I second Fraiche in Oxton, or alternatively, a trip to Chester for Simon Radley at the Grosvenor. Both can be reached by Merseyrail from the city centre and a taxi from the station. Martin

How about Providores. I haven't eaten here myself but it was one of the more interesting places I found for breakfast when I was looking for somewhere. http://www.theprovidores.co.uk/tapa.html# Martin

I was having a rummage about trying to decide on a spot for lunch (Gilpin Lodge or maybe Hiping Hall) and I found this. http://www.thetorridon.com/restaurant/chef.asp I don't know how up to date this info is, though it seems more than a little off the beaten track. Anyway, has anyone eaten at HH or Gilpin recently or suggest somewhere else? Martin

any other suggestions - I like French and British Food, she likes a fishy slant... You could do worse than one o one. The 50% off food from toptable and possibly squaremeal makes for good value and there are some very good fishy options. The oysters and the King crab legs were both rather good and the halibut wasn't bad either. The wine is a little expensive - if I remember correctly.

There are a few places that have changed chef in the last few months. Foliage, Vineyard and Capital spring to mind. I imagine they will lose out. I have only eaten at the Waterside Inn once and it was five years ago, but I was not overwhelmed. I would like to think the new kitchen and time to fully take the helm will have improved things but I am not certain three stars is the correct rating. In terms of winners – L’Enculme should have more than one. Helene Daroze is worth two in Paris and seems to work in her London kitchen during the week. What about Sketch? I remember reading that Pierre Gagnaire is spending a little more time in London – Ducasse and Robouchon both have two stars but Sketch remains on one. I think Corrigans will win one star, based on the many positive reports and his previous star status. My experience, unfortunately, was a non event. Food wise Le Champignon Sauvage is worth a promotion to three. I think they will stay on two. Marc Wilkinson at Fraiche is also capable of more than single star status. Maybe Le Gavroche and RHR will swop ratings. Who has got the potential to win three stars? Possibly Marcus Wareing, Robert Thompson, Sat Bains, Simon Rogan, Andrew Fairlie or Nathan Outlaw to name a few? There is a definite lack of movement at the very top end. Do we have to trade stars at the two / three star level or are they awarded on merit regardless of the total number at each level? There are some really odd choices at one star level, especially in the Pub and Asian selections. I suppose that is what makes the whole thing so interesting. Of the places I have eaten this year I would say I was most impressed by LCS and L’Enclume. Martin.

I have also asked a number of butchers for beef cheeks and have received the same response, although none seem certain what it is they can or can’t sell. Waitrose do have them but not in all shops, as do The Ginger Pig in London. Donald Russell on line butchers also supplies them - both ox and calf. I ate one from Ginger Pig last night as a beef & kidney pudding! Martin.

Lunched in Northcote yesterday. The place was packed, I suppose the great British menu is a great way of raising the profile. We had booked for one thirty but were not seated until after two. The food was very good, better than my last visit when it was decent if a little uninspired. We ate Risotto with kale and chestnuts and Smoked salmon with chilli tempura squid and followed with Partridge in puff pastry and a tremendous lump of line caught cod. Desserts were queen of puddings and a blackberry and yoghurt trifle. We had coffee and dinky, hot Eccles cakes in the lounge. There was also a canapé of artichoke mousse with crisps. Service was good although I didn’t recognise anyone from past visits; I suppose some will have been transplanted into the pubs. We rounded things off with a trip to Clitheroe for sausages and a poke about in the wine shop. We also stopped off at Huntleys, well worth a stop if you are passing – very good selection of all things edible. Good wine shop too.

I had a very good lunch at Le Gavroche a couple of Thursdays ago. The lunch deal at £48.60 is great value and having read that a deviation from set menu to alc was possible for a small supplement was most helpful. We ate lobster bahji & pork rillettes as canapés and for amuse a single crisp tempura prawn with pineapple chutney. Starters were dodine of duck with pistachios and fig chutney and oeuf poche a la reine. The third option was langoustine veloute with scallops which we passed on as we breakfasted on scallops at borough market!! The duck was good but the egg even better, served atop a hollowed brioche stuffed with chicken and morsels of foie gras with the added bonus of large slices of truffle. Mains comprised of carbonnade of beef cheek with potato puree and from the alc, a veal sweetbread with artichoke and carrots (supplement £14 if I remember correctly). I chose the veal as I did not fancy fillet of roussette, or guinea fowl and the beef was a little too similar to the oxtail dish I had in L’Ortolan the day before (guinea fowl also featured at L'Ortolan - which was very good too). We shared a very generous portion of great cheese and a mind bogglingly sweet omelette soufflé aux pruneaux with armagnac. Good coffee and petit fours rounded things off nicely. We washed this down with a glass each of champagne and a half bottle of pinot blanc and a half of cotes de Bordeaux and a bottle of water. This was my first visit and I had a very jolly couple of hours. I enjoyed the food more than a dinner at the waterside inn a few years ago, although the style was similar. Service was slick but welcoming and friendly. Michel Roux Jr said hello as he did his rounds, chatting to most tables as he went. I don’t get to London more than once or twice a year so I tend not to go back to the same place twice but I can imagine returning here sooner rather than later. Cheers - Martin.

http://www.caterersearch.com/blogs/guide-girl/2009/10/jerome-ponchelle-takes-head-chef-role-at-the-capital.html New chef for the capital and wiltons and landau. Lots more changes for the guide books.

Dinner at L’enclume. This is another of the many places I have wanted to visit for a long time. We booked a few months back and I had been expecting a report or two to appear between then and now but not a peep. We were advised that an earlier reservation would be better if we wanted the big menu so we took 7.30. The website does not have a menu’s as such – just three options at £55, £75 & £95. I quite like that there is a little mystery involved. We opted for Menu 3. Most of the dishes were similar or slight variations on those mentioned previously. All were good and some were better. There was only the odd component here or there not quite hitting the spot. We ate Melon & meadowsweet “Martini” fizz Cumberland cones & domes Baby beets & fennel snow Creamed foie, radish & smoked eel Grown up yolk from the golden egg Swallet cheese with butternut tart, rabbit & pine nuts Razor clam with aubergine and sandwort Kohlrabi in brine, fresh curds, wild roquet Chantenay carrots, ham fat & nasturtiums Sea scallop meat and pearls, cepes, liquorice Chick ‘o’ hake in verjuice Hotpot Short rib from Lindale, damson, dittander Expearamenthol frappe Stiffy tacky pudding Surrealists nitro slammer Black passion Cheese The restaurant was full and the atmosphere was relaxed and jovial with much noise and laughter throughout. Walking about the village it seemed that most places were doing a good trade too. The Cavendish and Rogan & Co for pre dinner drinks had plenty of custom at sevenish. I agree with Spanielking about the standard being 2*.

http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009/10/02/330236/former-abbey-and-juniper-owner-gets-executive-chef-role.html An interesting appointment. As it is quite local I will probably give it a try sometime soon, if the price is right. I did quite enjoy my lunch at "new" Juniper. It was decent (not quite as unique as the original)- and good value. However I did have reservations about the more costly dinner menus.

This will give you some pointers. http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...estaurants.html http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/good-food-g...rants/index.jsp Le Gavroche does seem very well thought of at the moment. There is also 20% discount available at Ducasse at the Dorchester through toptable.

Thanks, Your info is most helpful. I may give Le Cinq a try. I still have so many ideas in my head (La table Joel Robouchon, Grande Cascade). Thankfully the holidays are on - I would have a meltdown given all the choice. Any other info glady received. Martin.

Le Cinq and Le Bristol both have similar sounding prices at lunch at 85e. Can anyone let me know what the cost of a couple of glasses of house wine, some water and coffee adds to the total. Also, can anyone compare Michel Rostangs 95e menu with wine etc included to Le Cinq and Le Bristol for lunch? Or more simply where should I try to get a reservation this Friday.. Martin

Hello all, I will be visiting Paris arriving 20th Aug (Thursday am departing Saturday pm). As you can imagine I am keen to pack in as much as possible and was wondering, bearing in mind the summer closures what would be the best options for 1: Gastronomic lunch (I am inclined towards la table Joel Robouchon because of the low cost / but are there other options offering better overall value) 2: A nice old style bistro or place with outside seating for a laid back dinner. 3: An interesting gastro bistro / 1* place for dinner on Friday. Finally I shall be staying in Sofitel la defense so any tips for the locale gladly received. Thanks Martin

http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...he-capital.html More changes for micheiln 2010

I had a very nice lunch here on saturday just gone. Perhaps not as nice as a previous lunch a year or two ago but good non the less. The place was very busy. I would guess 30 - 40 in the restaurant, another 8-10 in the lounge and a wedding! Food Was good value at about £25 for three courses + amuse. Not much doing on the wine front for less than £25 (there are a couple of cheap pages at the end of the biblical list). The price of booze in the bar is eye watering. It will be interesting to see who they employ. Retaining two stars or even keeping one may prove interesting and the alc / tasting prices are steep without the chef with the **stars? It will be interesting to see how it goes. Martin

Thanks. I am going in August and I am looking forward to an interesting and hopefully very tasty lunch.

Just wondering what the menu prices at Mugaritz are at the moment. Their web site is not displaying prices. Martin.

Le Champignon Sauvage - June 09 I have been attempting to fit in a visit to LCS for quite some time now but never quite managed to find the right time, but a few months back there was a promo in a Sunday paper offering discounted hotel rooms. A quick phone call and a couple of emails later, all sorted and here is what we did. Firstly, our reservation was for Saturday night and we were arriving on Friday so we took a leisurely drive down the M6/5 then into the Cotswolds. We had lunch at Bibury Court which was ok food wise and decent value at about £35 for lunch for two with a glass of wine each. The best dishes were the starters, a very good Guinea fowl terrine and a risotto of smoked salmon ad peas. The mains were Lamb shoulder and Pollock and were served in generous portions; the Lamb was tasty enough but lacked any real wow. The Pollock was fresh and looked good but is not a great fish and didn’t pack any punch. The desserts, a crème caramel and roasted apple with unpleasant sultanas and a raspberry and elderflower trifle were both icy cold and a rather poor end to the meal. Not bad value for the £ but I probably would go elsewhere if I had the choice. First night in Cheltenham we went out for drinks and a wander to see what was what. First off we had a couple of cocktails at the HaHa bar which were a bargain at £3 during happy hour. We then walked down the hill to John Gordons, the rather nice wine shop / wine bar for a bottle of wine. There was some live jazz playing. You can have any bottle from the shop opened for £6 corkage and there seemed to be a downstairs bistro. We dined at India Lounge which was quite enjoyable and very busy. It is not far from the Daffodil restaurant. Saturday morning we had a full English in our hotel the set off into the rain and cold. After a short while doing not much we decided to head to the beer festival in Winchcombe and took the steam train from the racecourse and have a pint or two. It killed a few hours. Dinner. We arrived at LCS a little early after a refreshing siesta and we were shown directly to our table as there was a group of people sat at the bar area. Much comment has been passed previously about decor so I won’t go on, except to say that the room is nice and I was comfortable all evening. We were presented with menus and soon followed canapés – parmesan mouse with powdered chorizo coating, arancini and a whipped goat’s cheese with savoury crackers. (I may not have these exactly correct but they were a good start). After a short while perusing the menu we were approached by Helen, who had a brief chat and took our wine order. Shortly afterward she returned to take our food order and gave us the option of David cooking a menu surprise. It wasn’t a difficult decision. We ate: Angelica veloute with coconut foam – not something I have ever considered eating but packed plenty of rich vegetable flavour lightened by the coconut. This was followed by pigeon done three ways – raw, cured and a rillette served with fig compote. This was spectacularly good, the tartare being especially good but all of the preparation tasted good, both rich yet fresh. The seared scallops with pig head carpaccio came next and were also very tasty. The unctuous, fatty pig offset by the pickled pear and then the plump scallops combined flavour and texture brilliantly. Seared flank of Dexter beef with snails and parsley puree was strongly flavoured and earthy. The tender braised snails augmented by the fresh green parsley puree topped by crisp, well flavoured, tender beef. Very good puree balanced the strong meat flavours. Next up came butter poached bass with beetroot and samphire. A quite delicate and light preparation, again making very good use of the garnish to compliment the main ingredient. This was followed by Cinderford lamb with Jerusalem artichoke cream, globe artichokes and peanuts. The lamb was tender and well flavoured. This garnish was on the menu with zander but all the flavours were complimentary and the addition of a few highly pungent crushed peppercorns added to the effect. Finally on to desserts. First came lemon meringue with lemon jelly and sorrel ice cream. The lemon by this stage was a welcome and refreshing start or continuation! Sorrel ice cream was well made, rich and creamy with a subtle sweetness. This was followed by the bitter chocolate and olive tart with fennel ice cream. I was beginning to flag by this point so I would say this was the least enjoyable dish for me. It was, however, served fresh and hot, oozing molten bittersweet chocolate and the ice cream was remarkably good. The potentially odd fennel anise flavour matching up well to the power of the tart. A selection of good petit fours and a double espresso rounded the evening off. We drank a bottle of house sparkling rose and a bottle of Chateau des Annereaux. I would say my favourite dish was the pigeon. There wasn't a bum note throughout though. A very accomplished, confident grown up restaurant. It was good!! We stayed at Lypiatt House an easy 5 – 10 minute walk down the same street. The hotel is good, rooms modern and comfortable and a decent breakfast too.

For lunch on the wirral I would usually go to either Sawasdee for Thai - with the open kitchen mostly in the small dining room - in Birkenhead or Golden Orchid Thai, in Hoylake for business lunch at £6 - £7 - the food is decent in both places. For Pub food you could try the Wheatsheaf at Raby - not sure what food quality is like (or what the lunch menu contains) but generally people seem to like the place. If the sun is shining then a walk at Parkgate with some fish and chips and an ice cream is nice. There is also the marsh cat restaurant which is popular but I have not been for years. Another option that may be worth a look is - http://www.contessahotels.com/hotels.html I was in the Hillbark last autumn and there seemed to be a tasting menu of about 15 courses. It looks like there is a new hotel in Port Sunlight. Finally you could try the http://www.thorntonhallhotel.com/dining_italian.html The chef spent time at old Juniper with Paul Kitching - if he hasn't moved on.

If not fraiche then Aiden Byrne at the church green in Lymn is not that far away.

Dinner was very good, surprise menu a treat. Food and service both great. I will write up more when I get a chance in the next few days. Martin.