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AnnyBaxter

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  1. Bapi - thanks for the reply. Do you think that there is any worth in starting a "Dodgy Boozers in the East End" thread? I'm sure that there must be a few anecdotes that would be better out than in...ever bin in the Grave Maurice?
  2. Tony, the 100-00 per head was the figure given 'off the top of his head' by the maitre d' showing us the kitchen. In fact the chef's table opens today and has two costs: 560-00GBP for lunch and 680-00GBP for dinner for up to 8 people. This includes champagne and canapes on arrival, a kitchen tour, a discussion with the head chef about the menu (dependant upon what's in the kitchen that day and what you fancy eating) , depending on choices then 6-8 courses and coffee and chocolates. Booze, naturally, is additional. Cheers Anny
  3. Gavin and I dined at The Boxwood last evening. I booked on Thursday via Ramsay's central booking service. We were very impressed by the service, the friendly & keen waiting staff and especially with the sommelier, a jolly chap called Michael (I believe). The room is on three levels with the bar in the middle and not too large. We were rather surprised that there was background music, it was inoffensive and made us feel of a certain age but by 9pm the buzz in the room rendered this almost incidental. The menu offered a good selection of starters and mains reasonably priced up to 10-00GBP and 15-00 GBP. The two specials were verbally described (with prices) by the maitre d'. Gavin had the elvers served on thyme toast (a special starter at 15—00 GBP) which was a first for him – they looked like linguine and tasted of thyme. I had the fried duck egg on green and white aspargus with parmesan shavings. The portions were large (by Baxter standards) but both thoroughly enjoyed. For mains Gavin had the Dorset blue lobster grilled with garlic butter and chips (---soggy): lobster was tasty. I had the braised beef ( special 15—00 GBP). The beef was similar to a beef dish I had at Amaryllis, slow cooked and mouth melting. Again, by our standards, the portions were large – but they didn’t defeat us. The fun bit was when we each had a different glass of wine with each course. The sommelier was great value allowing us to taste his recommendations and always assuring us that if we didn’t like his recommendations we could try something else. Apologies for not remembering to take the itemised bill or remembering what they were. For pud we had to try the Black Forest Gateau (since neither of us had had this for over 20 years) with a sweet, red dessert wine (can’t remember what it was) and the rhubarb fool. These were very good value at 5-00 GBP each. Total cost was about 135-00 GBP plus tip. Whilst having coffee and cigs at the bar Mr Ramsay made an appearance about 9ish to check out his latest venture
  4. We had lunch at the Savoy Grill on Saturday (booking on the Thursday before) And no, we didn’t get a booth. As you enter the room these are on the right hand side and are actually quite low – unimposing and not very private. There are as many ordinary tables and chairs which make up at least 50% of the remainder of the room. The three course lunch was 25-00 GBP and the menu (excluding accents, circumflexes and graves) was: Starters Omelette Arnold Bennett Tian of potted shrimps with Shiso cress, cocktail sauce and Melba toast. Chilled vine tomato and red pepper gazpacho with crab and avocado toast. Asparagus veloute with fresh asparagus and poached quail’s eggs Ballottine of foie gras on potato and spring onion salad with toasted Polane crips and creamed truffle dressing. Ravioli of confit duck, baby spinach, foie gras veloute. Mains Roasted rack of lamb with Provencale herb crust and rosemary jus. Braised Wiltshire pork belly, sautéed Jerusalem artichoke, braised red onions, artichoke puree and apple sauce, sauce Banyuls. Roast breast of corn-fed chicken, root vegetables, summer truffles, morel veloute. Braised fillet of halibut with baby gem lettuce salsify and asparagus, Sauternes sauce Crispy pave of salmon, crushed new potatoes with lobster and chervil, leeks braised with thyme, light lobster bisque. Pan-fried dorade with lightly braise fennel, tomato confit, feves, fennel veloute. Afters Apple tarte Tatin with vanilla ice cream and a caramel sauce (for two) Selection of desserts from the trolley Selection of English and French cheeses A sort of cut-down version of the dinner menu in Gavin C‘s earlier post. Being a day ending in a y, naturally, we had an aperitif of Laurent Perrier. We had a wild mushroom veloute with truffle oil as an amusee. (to satisfy the veloute law). To start, Gavin had the Omelette Arnold Bennett with a Qupe VS – this was nice and runny with a few, small pieces of smoked haddock and I had the Ballottine of foie gras with a Riesling.SP – the foie gras was cooler than room temperature but soon warmed up in the palate with the Riesling and tasted delicious For mains Gavin had the Pave of salmon with Seghisio 99 – the salmon was cooked perfectly to translucence. I had the pork belly with Pernand Vergelesses – the pork was good altho’ a little salty for my tase and not as good as my favourite pork belly ever at Chez Bruce. I succumbed to the chocolate tart thingy and Gavin had the cheeses (which he felt were a bit dry). We then pushed the boat out and had coffee with Casterede Calvados 1967 and R Groult Doyen D’auge Armagnac The bill was about 160-00 GBP that is 110-00 GBP on water, coffee, service and, ehm, drink! We enjoyed the food, the selection of wines, the service and the very unstuffy atmosphere (we’d never have dreamt of dining there under the old regime). I recognised the sommelier but couldn’t recall if it’d been at Amaryllis or Claridges. The staff kindly gave us a copy of the menu (as above) and a tour of the kitchen. This is bigger than the kitchen at Claridges and the chef’s table is separate in a raised. air and sound conditioned booth over the main cooking area. The table is black and shaped like a piano top and can take up to 8-10 people at 100-00 GBP per head excluding drink. We’d definitely go back as we rated it good value for lunch.
  5. Gidleigh Park is probably the best hotel/restaurant combination (dreadful description; makes it sound like a US theme park, it's a country house hotel) I have visited. The staff are warm and welcoming and it seems completely natural to be informed that "our tradition is for no room keys". We had a huge room overlooking the gardens and the bowling green, with fresh fruit supplied. Dinner is served between 7.00 and 9.00pm (residents do not need to book a time) and we decided on the degustation. Forgive me but I can't find my copy of the menu so accurate descriptions of our meal are not to hand. A langoustine bisque, seared fois gras, sea bass, rare filet, an orange tartlet and a prune and armanac souffle were all in there somewhere. Outstanding food. Before the puds was the cheese. We decided that only French was what we wanted (petty reposte to the American chap who was sharing the dining room; he took it in good spirit and we had a fine conversation in the bar afterwards, all about restaurants and food). It's a fabulous place. It's an expensive place. Our one night stay was 580 GPP, thats 500 GBP for DBB (brilliant kippers for B) which includes afternoon tea, tea/coffee served in your room in the morning and (unless they forgot to charge us) a couple of beers after a ramble on Dartmoor. Champagne and wine accounted for the other 80 quids. Rooms can be had for less but you don't get the stunning size/views. Gavin It's really Gavin but since One's Wife joined last night I forgot to do the identity switch thing!
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