Loving Annie

Dear Polarbear, Unfortunately we only have one meal where we don't already have reservations, otherwsise that would have been fun! It's a short trip, and only the one night is undecided. So... given that - what have you found to be the pros and cons of the three, (I don't know their differences) Thank you for your help, it really is useful to have someone in the know let me know:) Annie

Dear Bernice, Thank you too ! With three of you saying the same thing about the AA rosettes, this is a clear "no".

Dear John Harters, Thank you for responding. Good information for me to know, it helps. I will find the Michelin starred restaurants and not focus on how many AA rosettes they have. As for your dilemna, I found the best food in April 2009 was at The Square and Hibiscus. The fanciest atmosphere was Gordon Ramsay RHR. I'd avoid Pied A Terre, Waterside Inn and LeManoir aux Quat Saisons - the food just (in my humble opinion) did not warrant the stars they had. While Marcus Wareing at the Barkeley was sumptuous in the atmosphere, I wasn't as fond of their food as some. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester has gotten 2 dreadful reviews from food bloggers I respect (4.5 hours for the meal to take place, overcooked steak, ridiculous prices) - and everybody else seems to love it. Haven't eaten there yet, and am wavering a bit, since 3 stars is a bit of a seductive lure. There, you still have a dilemna

Dear David, Thank you so much for the useful reply! That will make my decision making process easier.

We usually adore The Square or Hibiscus, but wanted to try something new next time we will be in London. All three of these restaurants sound extrordinary. How do we choose?! Superb food is our first priority, an incredible dining experience in terms of taste, quality and presentation. We've read the guidebooks to narrow it down to these three, but now are a bit lost trying to decide. What are the pros and cons of each of these 3 places? Thank you for the help!

What is the best way to gauge when choosing a restaurant if we want a really wonderful foodie experience? Michelin or AA rosettes - Which carries more weight among Chefs, which is more prestigious in terms of how their cooking is regarded? Is One Michelin Star equal to 3 AA rosettes? Are Two 2 Michelin Stars equal to 4 AA rosettes? I'm a little confused as to which one to rely more heavily upon.

We will be visiting Oxfordshire for a week and staying at the wonderful new small luxury boutique hotel in Woodstock called Hope House Hotel. It's a once a year special splurge for us, so we're really going all out and not worrying about the budget. (We have dinner reserations at Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons, and will be crossing our fingers to see if we can also get into Fat Duck one evening.) But we are looking for truly excellent foodie experiences for our other meals, nearby to Oxford, Blenheim Palace and Waddesdon Manor. These are the following recommendations we have gotten from the newspapers, but we were hoping that someone here who has actually dined there could give us some feedback as well. Adam Simmonds at Danesfield The Nut Tree in Murcott Lords of the Manor Feathers Hotel Not sure if these are the BEST places to go as far as extrordinary food - or if LeManoir & Fat Duck will blow these others away and we shouldn't expect too much. Please help, in as much detail as possible with regard to taste, presentation, quality, service, atmosphere, etc. Or if you have some other suggestions that you think are superior to these four above, that would be welcome. Thank you ever so much! It's hard to decide when we live so far away.