Gavin Convery

Interesting report Tarka, and I can sympathise partially as my starter last time really lacked any great flavour. However the rest of the courses were fine and tasty. My lunch in Dec 2003 was staggeringly good with one of the most delicious main courses I have had. I get the unfortunate feeling that things are slipping though and that some of the excitement has been lost from the kitchen as economics take hold. From my point of view it is sad as I am finding it increasingly hard to find challenging new restaurants in London.

I went to Sketch for Dinner a couple of weeks ago, too lazy to write up. My overall impression was still good but not as enthusiastic as when I had lunch before Xmas. I sort of get the feeling that they are suffering now because of the high prices and having to cut it down to fit into the new menus. It was relatively quiet for a Friday night. I'll be interested in your report Tarka.

Scott, I have to admit that after a dinner there earlier this year I felt this had gone downhill since I went previously when Hywel Jones was there and although everything looked ostensibly good it lacked any dynamism of flavour. This is clearly completely at odds with your experience so perhaps there have been some changes. Thanks for the update...can anyone else confirm Scott's experiences? As far as best value lunch is concerned does GR@RHR come in to the equation at £35....Robyn?

Andy - You are right, it is a gastronomic desert......I have relatives who live near by and so am familiar with the area. I have yet to find anywhere of note. But if anyone knows different then I'd be pleased to hear also. There are rumours of somewhere in Laugharne owned by Neil "Bob the Builder" Morrisey....

Al Murray's missus looked nice didn't she....

east@west lindsay house l'escargot

Robyn, Thanks for that report - the lunch menu certainly sounds nicer even than the menu degustation I had last year which while nice didn't create fireworks. As to GR not being in the kitchen, I would imagine that he rarely cooks at RHR if ever and there is probably a permanently deputised head chef there anyway. He has too many fingers in too many pies to stay in one place at any time. Looking forward to your other reports.....

no-one, that's why viewing figures are going through the floor (despite all the well worn "shock" developments that are engineered by the programme makers). does anyone seriously think that there is any prospect of genuine "conflict or drama" with that crowd (no matter how often Gordon says "fuck")? oh! i know! i know! this will become a hit show in america...syndication is the magic word...really, think about it..what has really gone there from across the pond... Tony Bourdain please step forward

given the top drawer people who get to appear on this gem of a programme, who could possibly disagree? You have to wonder whether Jay is biased here given his free dinner and personal attention from GR

It's sad to say but I am becoming slightly hooked on this now. It seems to be more interesting now they've got their act together and surprisingly the coverage on ITV2 was better than ITV1 as they just showed the kitchen live without any commentary. It was fascinating to watch the way it all worked. Fame at last for Jay Rayner! No wonder he got served all three courses and the food was OK - did you see how Gordon was sweating at his very presence and making sure everything was perfect for him. Makes you wonder whether food critics get this special treatment all the time (a la Petrus?)

Nice to see the Sea Cow mentioned in the Independent article - it has a fresh fish counter, refectory tables for communal eating, decent wines and more exotic varieties of fish. But I know most of you would never dare venture south of the river...oh well, your loss

It seems to me that the main point of these I'm a Celebrity type programs is to induce a warm feeling of schadenfreude - you may not be a celeb but at least you don't have to endure such torture as part of your attempt to build a career. Unfortunately for Gordon Ramsay, I don't think this program is doing him any favours because despite all his shouting he still can't seem to get the Celebs whipped into any kind of shape - he seems to be in a greater hell than the rest of them. The person who comes out of it well is Angela Hartnett - what a ballsy woman!! Hmm, I think a trip to the Connaught may be called for (after this show is over).

Do you have any more details of your meals at Belle Etoile? I am staying near Sarlat this Summer and am looking for some reasonably priced restaurants (I have Hotel du Centenaire and Pont de l'Ouysse already booked for the high end). Thanks...

I wondered whether the reason they started on a Sunday night is because it's a slow night. Then again as Menu and GR@Claridges are both in hotels I suppose they get a lot of custom every night. I agree, BLH, a missed opportunity and you just feel as though they have tried to throw every format including the kitchen sink (sorry!) into this program.

Well Hell's Kitchen started last night on ITV1 (and 2) with Gordon Ramsay shouting and various micro celebrities battling it out to not be voted out by the viewers. I don't think this is a patch on Kitchen Nightmares but will probably become more interesting as the week moves on hope. The problem is I have no empathy for any of the so-called celebrities. Perhaps I don't watch enough TV but I couldn't identify some of them at all.

It's years since I went to St John but I'm fairly regular at B+W...is it worth the effort going to the mothership? Are the tales that B+W is now better than Mum true or just hearsay. Yeah I know it's all subjective.....

Sarah, Thanks for that report, it seems to mostly mirror my experience last september. Enjoyable but ultimately lacking...especially as I ate at Aubergine several times when GR was definitely in the kitchen and his cooking was much more flavour driven rather than trying to be understated and elegant. Unfortunately, the race for 3 stars isn't always beneficial for the more adventurous diner.

Looks like I chose badly then, but I'm disappointed that a £50+ wine should have been so uninspiring.

Tarka, I don't think they have, they've just reined in their profit expectations. Here is a sample on their website: http://www.sketch.uk.com/downloads/lectureAlcMenu.pdf Gavin

Howard, I take your point about apples and oranges but clearly the michelin inspectors have to squeeze such disparate fruit into their star system regardless of style. My subjective rating mechanism is purely based on the extent to which I enjoyed particular dishes and I tend to prefer those dishes which excite me in some way - hence my love of Sketch and my lack of love for GR@RHR (which I would describe as comfort food for plutocrats) and strangely my ambivalence towards the Fat Duck which I didn't find as nearly as exciting as I hoped it would be. On the other hand I love St John B+W because it excites me by the quality of its ingredients handled sympathetically. Gareth, Funny that, I found El Raco de Can Fabes the same as you - very bland food although it looked lovely and the staff were charming...and yes Tante Claire was disappointing at the end...looks like we have the same experiences if not the same bank manager...

Paul, The menus have now been adjusted so I now believe Sketch will be cheaper than PG. I am going Friday so will report back as to any change in quality since I went last December.

Howard, When you say 'near Dusseldorf', how near do you mean. I go there for business and would be interested in going if it's only a Taxi ride from the centre. Also, were you dining alone? If so did that seem acceptable to the restaurant?

Can I at this time mention the Peckham Farmer's Market.......I'll get my coat

Gareth, Thank you for that report. Although I enjoyed a meal last year at the Capital, it doesn't really rank up there with Pied a Terre (rumours of it going down too) or Sketch. I have made my (negative) feelings about GR@RHR clear elsewhere. Then again I don't particularly rate The Square or Le Gavroche...where are our top level restaurants going??

BLH, How does the food compare in terms of the quality..are they comparable or are you really in a different league going to Gagnaire?