Loving Annie

Andy: Good to know! Food Snob: Thamk you, thank you, thank you. This was the final decision for me, hearing yuor feedback. Exactly the consciseness I wanted. Will e-mail you.

Good Monday evening to you, Phil D, Two bloggers with very refined palates, even if their reviews are from a year or more ago! Frankly, it's a bit confusing. Usually Andy Hayler, et al. are good gauges - and then the general public tends to agree as well. But in this case, opinions seem to be so split. Genuiness at wordpress hated it and his fine dining blog opinions were spot on. I am happy to spend more than 150 pounds per person for a truly scrumptious meal. I loathe spending even 75 pounds for a mediocre one. (Waterside Inn is a good example - highly rated with 3 stars, the food was nothing impressive compared to Gordon Ramsay RHR or The Square or Hibiscus, and VERY overpriced.) Grrr - I guess I won't know unless I try it for myself.

Polarbear, Thank you:)Let us know how your meal was, okay?

AnsyHayler still seems to adore this place as of Feb 2010, giving it an 8 out of 10 on his website. I am really hesitating. So many other reviews on both square meal and elsewhere say the food isn't as good as at Gordon Ramsay RHR, and it is overpriced. So here's what I want to know about Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester - who (besides Michelin) loves it???

Nikloman and Bainsey: Lords of the Manor for lunch it is:)!

Good Monday morning to you, Bainsey. How are you? I read that article. If there is some additonal recognition given to them by Michelin, GFG or AA, then we would definitely try it on a future visit. Read some 2010 local reviews which were not as favorable, which is why we are hesitant right now.

Good Monday morning to you, Hot Trotter. Thank you. That is useful to know about the gfg outside of the city not being as relaible. I think I have it down pretty well now, much appreciation to you and everybody else who has spoken up! Because our vacations tend to be culinary delights - as well as historic/homes/castle/gardens explorations, we will divert our driving to restaurants having at least one Michelin star AND a minimum of 3 AA rosettes. We got lucky and snagged a reservation at Whatley Manor in Wiltshire for dinner! (Also are going to go to Chapter One in Kent on the way back to London from Hever Castle.)

PhilD, We decided to end up going to Chapter One - mainly because it is halfway between Hever Castle in West Kent where we will be visiting in the morning -- and London, where we will be in the late afternoon. We will try The Sportsman in Seasalter on a later trip, maybe next year when we go to Sissinghgurst, or Canterbury. Thank you for the suggestion!

Christina, Thank you! Oh my, I had no idea they were gauged so diiferently. If AA was a hotel inspector, I could see it. But on food alone, well, that is odd. Maybe they were trying to evaluate the whole experience, but that should be moreso on a 4 or 5 rosette level, I would think. And even so, sublimne cooking is sublime cooking - even if the carpet is old, you aren't eating carpet:) And the owner-run criteria is even stranger. Who cares, as long as the place IS well-run?

Tim, It really IS a small world, isn't it? Computer message boards help with that, too:)

Which of the two would be best for a delicious lunch? And why? (We will be visiting the Hidecote Manor gardens, so in the general neighborhood, and happy to have a pretty drive.) Vineyard at Stckcross lost their 2 Michelin Stars because the former Chef left, and the new Chef started in October 2009, too soon to be included in the November deadline. However, Chef Daniel Galmiche appears to be quite ambitious, and has cooked at Michelin star level for 22 years. Lords of The Manor Chef Matt Weedon already has One Michelin star. How to compare the two? Anyone dined there recently who could answer this? Thanks:)

Sheepish, Thank you. You'd be fun to go to the Michelin Starred restaurants with then - I could cover the vegetables, pasta and dessert -and you could cover the fish, meat and wine! We'd have quite a comprehensive review to write up afterwards:)

Judy B - thank you so much for those 5 suggestions ! I will look each of them up:)

Harters, If the GF Guide is a good gauge of fine dining, (is it?) then Adam Simmonds at D.H. would be very worth a visit if that was accurate - And he should earn a Michelin Star next year.

Good Thursday morning to you, dear Sheepish. Go to The Square! Most assuredly go to The Square. Had an excellent meal there last April, and also in 2008. I have a website that has all my Michelin starred London restaurant reviews if you want to take a peek. TrueTravelTreasures.blogspot.com We just made reservations for Lords of The Manor.

Sheepish, Totally agree with you. Went last April for lunch, and aside from how lovely the Conservatory room was at Le Manoir, my feeling was that it was 1 star food at 3 star prices. Except for the asparagus, which were superb:) In that vein, found Waterside Inn to be an enormous disappointment. Fat Duck's theatrics were wonderful with the molecular gastronomy, but the food at The Square and Hibiscus were both better. Maybe it is just that everyone has their individual favorites, but it seems that 2 and 3 stars should consistently be superb - and they are not. Michelin seems to be a way to gauge quality, but then maybe places get lazy after a while. I can't think of any other way to explain it. If Adam Simmonds at Dansfield House has 4 AA rosettes and has been recently listed as the "19th best restaurant in England", then how is it that it doesn't have Michelin stars -- but a pub such as Nut Tree or the Hand & Flowers, has one?

Nickloman and Pam, Thank you both! We will be well fed indeed:)

Good Monday morning to you, Soundman! Thank you so much for that! We will be staying at Callow Hall as soon as the renovation has been completed, sometime in 2011. And now, we will have good places to dine:)

Dear Harters, I'm going to have to buy a Good Food Guide. Plus, I found the Michelin website http://www.viamichelin.com/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm and it has map locations with it, that help people like us who don't know our way around. Thank you for being so gracious to us as tourists, and helping sort all this !

Dear maLO, Oh my - that would be wonderful with regard to Alain Ducasse - thank you! Do you think Adam Simmonds deserves a star? Annie

Phil D, Thank you for explaining more about this. It's slightly easier when we will actually be in London itself, because I can consult http://www.fine-dining-guide.com/1PercentClub/Rankings/Top_London_Restaurants_Ranked_2010_1_to_71.html and that is an excellent resource because it combines Michelin, GFG and AA for a total score. It gets a bit harder out in Oxfordshire, or Kent, or Derbyshire, for instance, if we want to visit the famous attractions and stay a few days, while also having one more good meal, let alone a good meal close to say, Hever Castle or Chatsworth or Woburn Abbey. Ah, to have such problems is to know that life is pretty good regardless:) Annie

The rumor is true. See http://www.gauthiersoho.blogspot.com

Nickloman, Thank you! I have a much clearer idea now, and if I have the option, will go for a minimum of 1 Michelin Star in the areas we will be visiting. Annie

Had an extremely disappointing meal there last April 2009 Made a special request a week in advance for a vegetarian tasting menu, and while presentation was pretty, it was just a mess of undistinguised not particularly tasty ingredients, one course after the other. Big disappointment. Now you could say they aren't known for their vegetarian tasting menus - bit neither is The Square or Hibiscus, and they did brilliantly. (Yes, I eat meat, just sometimes like to mix it up to see what the Chef can do.)

Dear David, Thank you again, as you helped me on my other question as well! Yes, it did help. I think it is worth it then to find the Michelin starred restaurants in Oxfordshire, even if it means an hour's drive or so from where we are staying. If we lived there, we would enjoy the more casual approach, but since this is such a special trip, we are going to go for the amazing memory venues! Plus, the drive through the countryside should be pretty, if there is still enough daylight at 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the end of April. Too bad there aren't any Michelin starred restaurants in Oxford! They must not get enough luxury traveller/diner traffic to justify it, shame.