Gavin Convery

I concur with the positive reviews - I particularly liked the soft roes on toast...heavenly! But the wine list is awful...:-(

Hope you've got your room booked - I tried to book today for beginning of May and the receptionist seemed to know immediately that the hotel was full. If you are booked then you have a lot to look forward to - I went there 8 years ago with food poisoning from the night before and we couldn't have had more sympathetic hosts. Sunsets are to die for....

I'm stunned that Sketch didn't get anything at all as that was the best dining (actually lunch) experience I had last year....I would put at 1-2 stars. Has Fat Duck improved in the last couple of years...otherwise I certainly wouldn't put it at 3 stars. Yes the food is interesting but not totally successful imho and not actually as interesting as Sketch..

Fat Duck?? I'd rather eat at Sketch anyday...more inventive, more yummy, more expensive, or ideally Pierre Gagnaire,Paris.

Probable: Tom Aikens(London) Merchant House(Ludlow) St John Bread and Wine (what again!) Possible: Maison Bricourt(Brittany) Auberge de L'Eridan(Annecy) Impossible: El Bulli French Laundry

Other than St John, anything else of that ilk in the clerkenwell area. Is the House in Islington still on its way down?

Simon, I want to go there this saturday - is it busier or quieter at the weekends? Is it particularly smoky in the dining room?

Anyone been here recently, has it gone downhill?

I like their tasting menu which covers most of the bases and can be had with a glass at each course for £100, but forget the Muscat...I think I reported in detail elsewhere. Also I seem to remember that lunch is phenomenal value for menu....here it is and it's £24 http://www.pied.a.terre.co.uk/lacarte.htm

Within the body of work of any artist, I don't suppose it is irrelevant to compare different periods. You could argue that I can't remember enough about the event years ago - in fact it made enough of an impression that I could sufficiently to feel that Ramsay is now not at the heights he was then. Maybe this reflects the demands of Michelin more than anything. And given that back then he only had 1 star versus 3 now one would hope that that would indicate progress rather than regression. I also mentioned Pied a Terre to point up a more contemporary example and also mentioned that it may be just me. I would be interested if you had any recent experience of Ramsay's versus other restaurants and how you felt about the comparison. As with all these threads, they are just personal experiences and you always have to compare with your past experiences even if these are more than a couple of years ago.

Sorry Gavin, can only help with food queries here. Nice one.... ...but not necessarily true...

Dinner last Friday for my 10th Wedding Anniversary. Last time we had eaten at a Gordon Ramsay was at Aubergine back in the good old days. Unfortunately this experience suffered in comparison...where has the passion gone?? This was tasty food albeit very simple and some benchmark dishes such as the pannacotta and canon of lamb, but I just felt there was something missing, some risk taking, some daring combinations. Not bad value at £80 for the gastronomic menu but if I think back to my two recent meals at Pied a Terre there is no comparison. Is it just me or does anyone agree??

Can you clarify that, has he left or is it that you know that he no longer actually gets his hands dirty? He hasn't left but appears to have handed the cooking over to a youngish Irish chap. He was personable enough but does not have the skill that Corrigan has at his best. I particularly agree about the Foie Gras - after having some of the best (hungarian) at the Berkeley Square Cafe, this was watery and tasteless by comparison. Shame....

I like the Cherwell Boathouse - by the river, excellent wine list, food is OK - they have recently smartened up the interior. And you go for a punt after lunch.....

As a long term fan of the Lindsay House against all other criticism, I decided to visit recently. Unfortunately, Corrigan is no longer cooking there and this was patently obvious - although there were some good things - goat's cheese sorbet, the Irish whiskey selection, generally this was a disappointment, so I now have to move to the side of the criticisers...

I was unfortunate enought to plump for Tides on the way back from a trip to Carmarthen...is there still a connection with MPW? The food was laughable and grossly overpriced. Nice views though....

Andy, As you dined alone did you feel uncomfortable about that in any way. I always feel a bit nobby no-mates when I do that even though I know it's because I'm travelling alone and can't just pick up a companion (well not without a hefty wedge of cash ). Maybe I'm just too sensitive....

The Sportsman at Seasalter is not actually in Seasalter but a few miles further on towards Faversham past an array of retirement bungalows and caravan parks. Finally you come to a bend of the road where you can see the pub and a row of beach houses overlooking the sea. Inside the pub is seaside rustic chic with scrubbed boards and lots of blue and cream - nice and airy. We were sat at a big pine table in the back - first black mark, no highchairs, no, I hadn't checked and the meal got off to a sour start. The menu is chalked up on a board as is the wine list which has a small selection by the glass. Starters could have been 'rock oysters with chorizo' or 'cured bresaola', we both plumped for smoked eel with horseradish sauce and soda bread, followed by Sea Bass with Tapenade for Julie and Turbot with cockle broth for me, roast chicken with sautes to be shared by the girls. The eel was excellent, the moistest smoked eel intermingled with the horseradish sauce, laid on soda bread and then topped with wild rocket. The sauce was subtly horseradishy and sweet. Orla wolfed it down and then wished she'd ordered that instead of chicken. A glass of Timara sauvignon/semillon went nicely. Second minor fault was the amount of time between courses but there was some interesting local character to keep us amused - four Kent geezers with Phil Mitchell hairdos but obviously big into their food tucking into mixed antipasti, oysters and bresaola with a bottle of chilled Fleurie! Main courses were nicely presented, my Turbot was a small but thick piece laid on greens topped with cockles and cherry tomatoes surrounded by a lemony, oil broth sort of thing - delicious - some proper cooking is going on here. The Sea Bass was also pronounced excellent by Julie. The Chicken went down a storm - suitably simply roasted for kid's palates, but the star was the saute potatoes which tasted as though they had been poached in chicken stock before being sauteed in goose fat. Yumm! Desserts were strawberry gratin which was served with a strawberry sorbet and jersey clotted cream, lemon tart with blackcurrant coulis and pannacotta served with berries and a shortbread biscuit - all excellent. Despite some minor gripes this is one of the best pub meals I have had - and certainly a better bet than the Oyster Stores or whatever they're called in Whitstable. Highly recommended. If you have kids the best beach is in Tankerton the other side of Whitstable with a mile of groynes and pebbles with quaint beach huts (£10,000 to you mate) ranged up the slope.

I have just booked GR@RHR for dinner and was gratified at how easy this was assuming you follow the strict guidelines of booking exactly one calendar month ahead - I booked for the 12th of September today. If you wanted the 10th you would have to phone yesterday as they are obviously not open on Sunday. Then you must start phoning at 9am precisely and keep hitting redial until you are connected. I was offered, 7, 7:30, 9 and 10pm - 8 and 8:30 had both gone by ten past nine. But I also booked yesterday for the 11th of Sept. as a fall back and was offered all times. No mention was made of turning tables.

Following Jay's recommendation further up this thread I have a table booked at the Sportsman at Seasalter for tomorrow lunch. It has a bib gourmand in michelin and 3/10 in the GFG. I shall report back. http://www.whitstable-shellfish.co.uk/spor...rtsman_main.htm

I have booked for dinner and the Chef is still Chris Staines, no plans for a new chef - so obviously Top Table got it wrong.

Akiko, How was it? Or anyone else been since the new chef arrived?

Anyone been to confirm Coren's review?

Well, I have just come back from Newcastle (my home town) and there isn't much there. However you could try Seaham Hall which is about a 20 min drive from Gateshead which is a gorgeous hotel, the Chef worked with Marc Veyrat, however I don't feel he is at the Michelin starred level he would like to be at. Also, the ex-chef of Seaham Hall has apparently set up shop in some hotel down near the Quayside - just up Grey's Street, and that is meant to be v. good - but I have no furter details. There is also Treacle Moon also by the Quayside and Fisherman's Lodge in Jesmond Dene (lunch £19.95, dinner too expensive) both owned by the Seaham Hall lot. But I haven't been to either. Tony, Never eat in a pub?? Have you been to the Star at Harome - I did recently and it was excellent.

Fay Maschler reviewed this in the standard yesterday assuming that it was meant to compete in Le Caprice territory. She didn't rate it from that point of view and moaned about the price of the wines. Her preamble indicated a preference for relaxed St John's style eating (see St John's thread) Gareth, can you compare and contrast vis a vis Le Caprice or St John's ?? Essay on my desk by 9am.