Gavin Convery

You mean the OLD charlie dimmock. They are making her wear bras now. Are you kidding? I can't believe she'd do that. Yes, people are lamenting about it on the BBC America forums. "They're caged!" they are all screaming. However as Alan is no longer on the show, its certainly a lot more noticeable. I can't believe that Ground Force has become a cult program in America. Then again I always said Alan Titchmarsh was a cult.

In homage to Charlie Dimmock you could pile up a fullsome portion of cream and then dab a small dollop of jam on top.

Went for a slightly longer lunch this time. As usual 3 slices of delicious bread were brought immediately to the table (no charge!) I started with a glass of the Bordeaux white - sauvignon I think at £4 and a glass of iced water(no charge) Luckily I had arrived shortly after the roast loin of middlewhite had been taken out of the oven - apparently it is cooked slowly in the bread oven. This was served with a portion of shredded celeriac mixed with anchovies, capers and parsley. This was a seriously good piece of meat, the fat was unctuous and flavoursome, the flesh moist and tender - superbly balanced by the celeriac. At this point Jonathan Meades wandered in, occasional food critic for the Times - he was wearing a bright yellow shirt Dessert was a strawberry trifle served in a small bowl with a spoonful of good cream on the top and sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds - deeelicious. Good balance of fruit, custard and sponge. Another glass of wine settled me in to an afternoon of low activity at work and guilt induced me to order a macchiato which was very strong - I would have preferred a bit more foam. It can't really get much better than this....total cost £28.95: 2 x wine £8 Pork £14 Trifle £5.20 Macchiato £1.75 Highly recommended 9/10

Here's my 2p: Best restaurant in Peckham - Holly's Best restaurant in the City - The Don Best sommelier - The Don (honourable mention to the Capital but I haven't been there this year) - the wine list is also excellent and surprisingly cheap (relatively) Best foie gras - Berkeley Square Cafe. Best Friday night supper as cooked by my wife - Warm chicken salad sandwich Best meal - Le Cinq (Paris), Pied a Terre Best service - Le Cinq Best value - The Jolly Sportsman (outside Brighton) - also wins the "most urban gastropub in the middle of nowhere" award Restaurant I am most looking forward to visiting in the next 6 months - Tom Aikens, Savoy Grill and GR@RHR (if I can get in)

A trip to my barbers by Spitalfield Market ended with an impulse decision to have lunch at St John Bread and Wine which has just opened on 94-96 Commercial St. directly opposite Spitalfield Market. The room is dressed in typical St John white with the menu on a large blackboard specifying 11am or 12pm At 11am you could have such treats as Seed Cake with a glass of Madeira or a little chocolate bun At 12pm there is a more extensive menu with dishes ranging from £3 to £12.50 I chose ox heart and horseradish to get the full St John experience. Fair dos to St John's, they did exactly what they said on the tin....A plate of grilled ox heart strips was presented with a small pile of horseradish cream on the side. I ordered a glass of the house red - vin de pays d'oc I think - smooth, drinkable. I have had my doubts about the whole concept of St Johns being a lover of more fancy food, but this was delicious once I had got the balance of ox heart to horseradish right and smooshed some of the horseradish into the ox heart juice then mopped it up with the bread. Did I mention the bread - it was superb, tangy,nutty,free! I got the bill and an eccles cake to takeaway, total cost £12.20 inclusive of service for an excellent and simple lunch. I will go back next time and spend longer and maybe mix and match some courses.

Andy, In general it was very good. We made sure they knew we had been recommended by one of their ex-colleagues and so, I guess, received some favourable treatment along the way. Amuse was a melon soup - palate cleansing without being stunning. First dish was a pressed chicken terrine with shallots which was tasty but not mindblowing Then a scallop with chanterelles and small dice of asparagus - good materials, tasty Foie gras with marinated fig - this was superb, probably the best Foie Gras I have tasted - talking to the Chef later on it turns out this is Hungarian Foie Gras which is untrammeled by EU regulations and so made the way they used to make it with no force feeding. Crab risotto with plum sorbet - delicious - a small bowl (Fat Duck red cabbage soup style) with the risotto in the bottom, a crisp biscuit and then the plum tomato sorbet on the top. I could eat this one all day. Then lamb with white bean puree - the lamb was from Orkney and was quality but a little cool. Selection of cheeses - all British/Irish e.g. Cashel blue, Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire Desserts - strawberry plate - several different strawberry desserts incl. strawberry smoothy, can't remember the rest and a chocolate fondant - disappointingly dry. The desserts were the least successful. Wines were provided by the glass and I don't have the details of them. But we also had a half bottle of Saussignac Richard Doughty Coup de Coeur 1998 - this was a surprise as this is a very rare wine and one of my favourites ever since a tasting at Richard Doughty's vineyard near Bergerac. He is English and a passionate supporter of Saussignac - his 1997 beat Chateau Yquem in a blind tasting - it is superb. Cost £35 (compared to £8 at the vineyard). The sommelier took us to their wine room downstairs and it is clear that he has some unusual bottles but I didn't look at the main wine list so can't give any more details. Cost was £42.50 for the seven course surprise menu and we had the usual Kir Royale, brandy,eau-de-vie the latter while sitting out on their small terrace at the front of the restaurant. I would say there are some inconsistencies in the food and I would still rather pay that bit extra and go to Pied a Terre but given the set dinner menu of £18.95 for 3 courses it would be definitely worth a punt.

Circeplum - got any details - address, prices etc??

Did you go a la carte or tasting menu? Any other recs besides the sweetbreads?? BTW presumably your reviews are in the subscriber only section of thisislondon or is there somehwere free to peruse them??

Apparently the sommelier guy at L'Arpege said that Stephen Black always did the cooking - I don't think he had a high opinion of Conrad Gallagher who is now a fugitive in NY for some reason - tax dodges I think. Dine online tells me that a 7 course degustation menu is £42.50 which hopefully will be good value - I always go for those menus - probably because I am greedy and yet tight northern b**tard at the same time.

I have a reservation here for tomorrow night and wonder if anyone has been yet. The chef is Stephen Black who cooked at Conrad Gallagher and then 197 when Conrad Gallagher became a fugitive. As it happens a friend of mine who dined at L'Arpege in Paris recently met a sommelier there who used to work with Mr. Black and highly recommended him. Did I see a review in Metro or was I dreaming?? Circeplum?

Yeah, Arancia is cool - a bit rough around the edges in the most unprepossesing part of Bermondsey but extremely cheap and close your eyes and you could almost be in Italy.....

But then if you want thai, I always find it better to go to Mantannah in Norwood which is not as ridiculously cramped and also does unusual dishes especially vegetarian - in fact there is a whole vegetarian menu which is the equal of the meat/fish one.

My daily email from Top Table informs me that Foliage have a new chef - Nori San. Apparently he spent time with Michel Trama at L'Aubergade (used to be a great restaurant...), Charlie Trotter and Tetsuya Wakada. They have a special offer on the 8 course tasting menu of £55. Has anyone experienced Nori San's cooking or been to Foliage since he arrived?

I think the prices are a bit too steep for the area - I had lamb shank which was hearty but not really sophisticated enough for the price. I did think the desserts were outstanding and I loved the pine nut ricotta tart which didn't strike me as soggy although admittedly I only managed to cadge a couple of mouthfuls from my wife. Still if you live in Peckham you haven't really got much choice....and as it's easy enough to get into town I wouldn't make a special journey to Holly's.

Yes, only 2 out of 10 but it felt more. The food was not fancy just very satisfying and the wine markups appear to be only 100%, several wines by the glass with a choice of three different sizes. A good selection of real ales and bottled beers, plus a decor choice of funky rustic bar or urban smart dining room with a mediterranean patio overlooking the downs - all very stylish for the middle of the country. A bugger to find but definitely worth it and also child friendly - they did the standard pasta with butter or ragu (too spicy for my 5 yr old).

Had dinner at Boxwood last Friday on a rare excursion with the wife. Started with 2 Kir Royales, starters were the salad of spider crab and fried oysters with lemon and fennel, both fresh and tasty dishes. GR came in at this point and swanned around the tables although for some reason not to ours (probably feared the acerbic tongue of an Egullet member) Mains were Veal sweetbreads with endive and vanilla jus and Dorste Lobster with Chips. Chips were decidely soggy allumettes style (not up to Macdonalds standard ). Both dishes served in cast iron dishes. The sweetbread (large and singular) was served with dark sauce in dark dish with dark roasted endives - the effect lacked contrast both visually and on the palate. We then moved from our comfortable sofa for two down the end of the lower room due to heavy smoking by a bunch of hooray city types (hey I work in the City but don't want to eat my dinner surrounded such people). Staff couldn't have been nicer although some junior members looked a bit harassed. Sommeliere was v. enthusiastic and sweet - she gave me a taste of two sweet wines to see which I preferred and admitted that that their wine list was not fully stocked as yet. Puddings were fine enough. Decor was of that NY style with very soft lighting to flatter the worst facelift but lacked a little character - I can't say I will be rushing back. On the other hand a lunch yesterday at the Jolly Sportsman in East Chidlington (North of Brighton) was excellent and great value for money at £14.95 for three courses - pate and toast, Cod with chorizo and red pepper polenta, roasted fennel and fresh pesto, Poached pair with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce; a glass of Tokay Pinot Gris and a stunning, cheap wine list (Chablis Grand Cru by Dauvissat for £58!). And what a view! (Andy do you know this pub - it's in the GFG?)

Simon, A spaghetti of chicken stock? Could you explain??

circeplum, Which paper would that be then? Or could you give us a quick resume of what you ate.....? Did you get to see the Chef's table and where it was in relation to the actual cooking?

According to the Savoy website, the Grill is open again. Interestingly, there is a chef's table. Here's the sample menu off the website: A Sample Menu The new menu reflects Marcus' fondness for modern European dishes and Savoy Grill classics. Dinner Menu: £35 for three courses Starters King prawn tortellini with lime and chervil, vegetable ribbons and white aspargus, served with a celery emulsion Roasted hand-dived scallops with fresh pea puree, tomato confit and a mint-infused veloute Caramelised calves' sweetbreads on pancetta and onion marmalade, grilled asparagus with apple and endive salad Fish and Shellfish Pan-fried fillet of John Dory, sauteed romaine lettuce, parsnip puree, field mushrooms and deep fried parsley, matelote sauce Crispy pave of Salmon, crushed new potatoes with lobster and chervil, leeks braised with thyme, light lobster bisque Braised fillet of brill, braised fennel hearts, sauteed baby squid with chervill vinaigrette, fennel veloute Fillet of sea bass steamed with basil and rock salt, paysanne of vegetables with cos lettuce, chopped chervil in olive oil and clams, shellfish and basil broth Meat and Poultry Braised Wiltshire pork belly, sauteed Jerusalem artichoke, braised red onions, artichoke puree and apple sauce, sauce Banyuls Roast Anjou pigeon, sauteed cepes with baby spinach, pommes Anna, pan-fried foie gras, Madeira jus Rump of Cornish lamb, fondant potatoes, baby artichokes, cherry tomatoes and black olives, lamb jus scented with rosemary Roast veal cutlet, caramelised root vegetables, creamed truffle pomme puree, veal jus Fish and Shellfish Pan-fried fillet of John Dory, sauteed romaine lettuce, parsnip puree, field mushrooms and deep fried parsley, matelote sauce Crispy pave of Salmon, crushed new potatoes with lobster and chervil, leeks braised with thyme, light lobster bisque Braised fillet of brill, braised fennel hearts, sauteed baby squid with chervill vinaigrette, fennel veloute Fillet of sea bass steamed with basil and rock salt, paysanne of vegetables with cos lettuce, chopped chervil in olive oil and clams, shellfish and basil broth Meat and Poultry Braised Wiltshire pork belly, sauteed Jerusalem artichoke, braised red onions, artichoke puree and apple sauce, sauce Banyuls Roast Anjou pigeon, sauteed cepes with baby spinach, pommes Anna, pan-fried foie gras, Madeira jus Rump of Cornish lamb, fondant potatoes, baby artichokes, cherry tomatoes and black olives, lamb jus scented with rosemary Roast veal cutlet, caramelised root vegetables, creamed truffle pomme puree, veal jus

Curiosity has got the better of me, so I have a table booked for next Friday for dinner. The dinner menu sounds more dinnerish than some of the burgers/sandwiches etc suggested on the website...I'll let you know how it goes.

I have a table at Moro next Friday but have read some discouraging reviews on another website (no names no pack drill). Anyone been recently and any recommendations?

And no-one else has been here yet.....I plan to make this my next night out(unfortunately not until June!). Having been to Paris recently this seems to be about par for the course money wise....

As you can read in my recent review of Le Cinq I had some reservations about the dining experience at a 3 star restaurant in Paris, despite wide experience in the rest of France. But I was happy to report service that was relaxed, friendly while still with a certain sense of occasion. As a practical demonstration of enthusiasm for food being the best means of gaining respect, it was perfect as once we had explained that we had come to Paris for the day just to eat at their restaurant we received even warmer attention. The main focus of good serving staff at any top restaurant should be your enjoyment and the best will adapt their behaviour to the mood that you present - if you want it more formal they will give you that, more relaxed they will give you that. I guess the key word is 'respect'

JJS, Indeed this was a no holds barred lunch and normally we'd split the bill. Fortunately my friend prefers tasting menus to a la carte, as I do, as it gives you a chance to try a bit of most things. We have also got into the pairing of wines by the glass to courses having had some successful meals at The Capital and Pied a Terre in London - the Capital is particularly good in this respect. At least we can remember his 50th by remembering that this was the most expensive meal we have ever had (so far!)

Let me hasten to add that I wouldn't normally spend this sort of money if I could possibly help it. But it was my best friends 50th birthday so an exception was made. As to the wines, they were intriguing and all the more enjoyable in that I wouldn't have chosen them - but they had obviously been carefully thought about as nothing grated. We did have the Beaune with the lobster as you guessed. The progression of the meal was good and as you spotted there were certain common ingredients dotted throughout at least the first part of the meal, namely truffles, chestnuts and a kind of sweet theme in that the artichoke tart, leeks, scallops and lobster all had a certain sweetness to them, hence the marsala and madeira. Then you kind of hit the main course which gave a different twist. I thought they had a simpler set menu at lunch but couldn't see one, but maybe if you asked one would be forthcoming.