Le Champignon Sauvage

[sheepish]

Looks fantastic, and a lot less than 5 hours from me. What does one do to get the multi-course treatment? Other than some recent iffy reviews, one thing that has put me off what would be a once or twice a year special meal (sans enfants) is "only" having 3 courses.

[david goodfellow]

How much was it, Alan?

[sped98]

A very attractive £75 for the 12 courses ;-)

[Richard1]

A very attractive £75 for the 12 courses ;-)

Glad you enjoyed your meal. So why do they not offer a tasting 'David cooks for us' menu to everybody who graces their restaurant? Seems very pretentious that they opt to treat folk in such differing manners. Were you the only two in or are you a fellow starred chef etc? Or have I got it wrong and you pre ordered a multi course menu in advance? Either way I still think they are missing a few tricks, especially front of house, despite the two star status, which as I stated before, stands for what these days?

[olicollett]

I too have often wondered about the tasting menu here - I've suggested to friends making the trip in the past but I wouldn't really want to go for a weekend to just have an ALC. £75 sounds very reasonable too!

[Charles Reid]

I think David knew you were coming......if you catch my drift

Special treatment for possible critics ,very clever

[olicollett]

Btw should add - lovely pics sped98 - notice you used a 7D, what lens did you use with it if you don't mind me asking? I find my 17-55 f2.8 too bulky for restaurants but my 50mm f1.8 is a bit too long a focal length on my 40D

[sped98]

I got the 7D with a 50mm 1.4 but was horrified with my first batch of pics...All blurred due to the tiny depth of field.

So i then got a 17-70 macro...perfect for the food pics, I`ve just got to learn how to use the bleedin camera now.Still having trouble with focus issues.

Check my Northcote pics , slowly getting the hang of it....very slowly.

As for the bulk...its huge and sounds like a gun going off, certainly not discreet.

Gourmettraveller blog pics are good , she uses a Leica d lux2 , theyre small , decent quality and about £300.

[olicollett]

Ah interesting idea with the macro! my 17-55 does focus reasonably close but it's just the size that annoys me. I thought the ideal camera/lens combo would be a Leica M8 but rangefinder cameras can't focus anything closer than ~0.7m which is a shame!

Think i'll stick with my 50mm for now, I think it'll be a lot better at lunch times when I can get some shots with more DOF!

[CalumC]

After an embarrassingly long absence from egullet, and from visiting LCS, i'm back, and rather excited to be having dinner in October to celebrate my graduation. Even more keen for it now since I'm now a waiter and considering a career in hospitality! Will report back sometime after.

[CalumC]

Also, my better half has just asked me to mention, should David be reading, that if the Duck egg custard and rhubarb tart could be on the menu, that would be fabulous.

[sheepish]

Went for the first time today for lunch. Amazing value. Real shame the place was more than half empty. Got the kids with a grandparent for a few days. Went to Jamie's in Cardiff last night because, well I'd never been before and Cardiff isn't awash with good places to eat. It was heaving. Meal cost about the same there, and while it was perfectly "nice" it wasn't LCS class. Cod cheeks. Pigeon with Indian spices. And a liquorice parfait. I'm not a desserts man, but that was fabulous. It's getting on for 2 hours drive away but I will be maneuvering for another visit asap.

[JudyB]

Has anyone been here recently?

One of my colleagues went on Tuesday this week and had what was obviously a very enjoyable meal. What intrigued me was that he said there was a tasting menu on offer, although they didn't go for it as it didn't appeal to enough of their party.

Does anyone know if this is a regular thing, or an intermittent experiment?

[sheepish]

Wasn't on for Friday lunch in October. But then there were only 4 tables taken so would have been hard to justify. I would have taken it though.

[david goodfellow]

Rubbish meal here today. Venison rump tougher than my well aged arse. Dry chewy tasteless Cod cheeks which were left uneaten on the plate.

Service was all the way from Siberia. Truly shocking.

This is the only place in the last decade that I was desperate to leave.

Two Michelin stars?

Your having a laugh.

[Harters]

You weren't keen then David?

[david goodfellow]

I did so want to enjoy it, but everything was wrong on the day.

We will never go back, that's for sure.

[IanT]

We were there again in April, it's a consistently cracking restaurant, solid 2* level and one of the top five places to eat in the country.

[Andrew]

Interesting David, I've been there twice. Once had one of the best meals ever and the other was totally average. Given the same person is behind the stove each night it is somewhat surprising. The one thing you expect for somewhere with a star (or in this case 2) is consistency.

Andrew

[david goodfellow]

Good point Andrew, my feelings entirely.

Same again, some very good, but also some average fare.

And sorry to those supporters, Two Michelin stars?

No way was this a two star experience. No way at all.

[RDB]

Good point Andrew, my feelings entirely.

Same again, some very good, but also some average fare.

And sorry to those supporters, Two Michelin stars?

No way was this a two star experience. No way at all.

Surely it was a two star experience as it is a two star restaurant deemed as such by Michelin. Up until they demote it to one star or Promote to three, then it will remain as such two star. I am unsure how you can make such claims? Maybe you should go again a few times to make sure your assessment relates to fact rather than emotion. This is what Michelin do to ensure a restaurant is consistent, they go again, they do not decide to abandon based upon a "perceived bad meal". Sometimes it is common response when individuals do not experience what they feel they should experience, to claim the restaurant is not worthy of its stars.

Edited June 10, 2012 by RDB (log)

[Harters]

Surely it was a two star experience as it is a two star restaurant deemed as such by Michelin.

That's certainly not how I would evaluate a dining experience. Like David, I am more than happy to go somewhere and feel that the experience matched the star level, wasnt up to it, or was better. Please, let us not behave like sheep being herded around by Michelin - to suggest, as you seem to be doing, that we put to one side faults in an experience simply because of a star level might be OK for you, but I'd find it plain silly to do.

Edited June 10, 2012 by Harters (log)

[naguere]

I have eaten here three times with family and always it was splendid.

The chef's wife running the front of the house and dishes that you could never have thought of'

being brought to your table.

I cycle past it every day going for my swim and salute the young girl polishing

the windows. (or Madame if I see her en passant In Suffolk Road.)

[Sidney]

Well at least David it made a change for you to be talking about a restaurant instead of all the crap on GBM. I find it very sad that good chefs get stars in their eyes and want to go on TV. The chefs get so far up their own arses they forget what good cooking is all about and never return to being the craftsmen they were.

We love CS but have found them to be inconsistant occasionally. But Madam, a lovely lady, does not take criticism kindly.

[RDB]

Surely it was a two star experience as it is a two star restaurant deemed as such by Michelin.

That's certainly not how I would evaluate a dining experience. Like David, I am more than happy to go somewhere and feel that the experience matched the star level, wasnt up to it, or was better. Please, let us not behave like sheep being herded around by Michelin - to suggest, as you seem to be doing, that we put to one side faults in an experience simply because of a star level might be OK for you, but I'd find it plain silly to do.

I am afraid what is silly is claiming something "matches a star level, wasn't up to it or better", unless you judge your experience specifically and exactly to the inspection criteria which Michelin uses. You and anyone else may say that they found the experience good, bad or indifferent etc , but to state globally that a restaurant is not two star based on a personal criteria makes the claim wholly redundant. Even if you state a hundred times a restaurant doesnt deserve its star, until Michelin deem it otherwise, it deserves the star(s).