dallardice

About half-full last night when we sat down at 10pm. The owner told us the menu would be changing to an autumn/winter menu later this week, and the prices would be going up a pound or two and moving to a la carte pricing. As long as it works out at only a pound or two, that's great - £20.50 is stunning value for four courses. Apparently the chef used to be at the Green Olive, I didn't catch his name.

I have only visited The Fat Duck once but enjoyed your tasting menu thoroughly. Having said that, I felt that once a year would be sufficient to appreciate your cuisine because so much of the joy was in the innovation and surprise in your dishes. On multiple visits I thought the innovation might be less impressive. In this respect, I feel the Fat Duck is different from other top-flight restaurants I have visited where I often want to revisit quickly to try other dishes. Do you think your style of cooking, with its novel combinations and preparations, could ever be supported in a restaurant which relied on regular visits by a neighbourhood clientele? Is there room in the UK for only a few "Fat Ducks" which innovate to quite the same extent and if so would you expect some of your concepts to diffuse into more traditional French cuisine?

Anyone been to the Independence, the Perseverance's sister, in Upper St, Islington nr Highbury Corner? Thought it might be a cut above the average Upper St places (not difficult)

The tasting menu gets you all the signature small dishes - I was there for a lunch a few weeks back and we must have had about 15 "tastes" brought to our table including the courses actually listed on the menu. The lime and tea foam was there, so was the mustard icecream with red cabbage gazpacho, the parsnip cornflakes.... Go for the tasting menu. Also, I found the sommelier's choice of wines by the glass to go with the tasting menu very interesting - a lot of German wines I wouldn't have chosen, but which worked very well. Plenty of wine too People going for the lunch menu got some of the "in-between" courses but certainly not them all.

I was at Paul Bocuse last year when the man himself was hosting a end-of-season party for the local football team: he was happy to sign a current menu for us.

At the Ducasse country inns, La Bastide de Moustiers, and L'Hostellerie de L'Abbaye de la Celle, vegetables featured quite strongly on both menus - I remember in particular a fantastic asparagus starter at Moustiers. I see that today's menu at Moustiers (www.bastide-moustiers.com) has two vegetable-based courses before the main, while la Celle (http://www.abbaye-celle.com/) is more meat and fish-based now. Fine, if not exceptional food at both, but lovely rooms and excellent service. La Celle is in Southern Provence and Moustiers on the eastern edge.

Yes, I think Zagat is unreliable in this respect (sorry), although we did have four courses, with Cheese and Dessert. The menu dégustation is €145/head, although they have a menu d'affaires (which is not available at weekends) for €59. As I said, we found Carré des Feuillants cheaper, which I think Zagat puts at €10/head higher.

Almeida in Islington still looks full every night at the height of the evening rush. Red Fort on Saturday about 2/3 full (and a very disappointing meal, despite the long delay for mains after the maitre d' had told us he'd sent one of our main courses back because it wasn't up to scratch. Shame it meant that the other one was delivered tepid)

I'd have to check my notes to be sure but a Ch. Montus Cuvee Prestige Madiran 95 at €100, and then 50cl of a dessert Pacherenc de Vic Bilh at €60. And a couple of glasses of fizz as an aperitif - so the food did come to nearly €400. :wow:

Don't think Carre des Feuillants would work - we ate there Monday and the food and ambience wonderful, but a very adult space and sophisticated food. Very friendly service and fluent in English (but not automatically switching when you want to practice French), so I'm sure they'd be welcoming, but the atmosphere, while friendly, was formal. Cost for two of us, 4 courses, 2 bottles of middle-priced wine was €350. I'd recommend La Grande Cascade for location and family-friendliness - there were a few large groups of mixed-age there on Sunday - but would have to mark it down on service (patronising and rushed) and cost (€560 for two). Might be reasonable for lunch though.