G Ramsay Connaught to Open Oct 1

[Jon Tseng]

This review shows some of the "quirkiness" of Durack. Who doesn't expect a supplement with a white truffle dish?

Well lawyers, it seems!

Come on, you //must// have seen the thread the other week:

Georgio and the Truffle

;-)

J

[g.johnson]

For members based outside of London, the following reviews came in over the weekend on Menu:

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/food_an...sp?story=344752

Cabrales, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'for members based outside of London'. We can get the Indie out here in the sticks, you know

Adam

But it takes the mule train four days to reach Oxford, no?

[cabrales]

Cabrales, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'for members based outside of London'. We can get the Indie out here in the sticks, you know 

Adam -- I was trying to not sound like I was linking to things that many London-based members would have already seen.

[AdamLawrence]

For members based outside of London, the following reviews came in over the weekend on Menu:

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/food_an...sp?story=344752

Cabrales, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'for members based outside of London'. We can get the Indie out here in the sticks, you know

Adam

But it takes the mule train four days to reach Oxford, no?

Bloody fenlanders......

Adam

[Jon Tseng]

Bloody fenlanders...... 

I believe "Tab" is the appropriate term of abuse.

Bear in mind that the most notable dining place at the Poly of East Anglia is... Sticky Fingers (although even that may have closed by now)

;-)

J

[AdamLawrence]

Bloody fenlanders......  

I believe "Tab" is the appropriate term of abuse.

Bear in mind that the most notable dining place at the Poly of East Anglia is... Sticky Fingers (although even that may have closed by now)

Much as it pains me to say it I would reckon Midsummer House to be better than anything in Oxford city at the moment.

[g.johnson]

Bear in mind that the most notable dining place at the Poly of East Anglia is... Sticky Fingers (although even that may have closed by now)

That's because we spend more time winning Nobel prizes than eating.

[Jon Tseng]

>Much as it pains me to say it I would reckon Midsummer House

True, but le manoir is but a short bus ride from Carfax

>That's because we spend more time winning Nobel prizes than eating.

Exactly my point... all work... no sense of refinement or enjoyment... no wonder they stuck it in a swamp...

>Smug Public School Bastard

And surely that should read "Smug Colourblind Public School Bastard", especially for those using the default skin...

Effortless superiority (an' all that) ;-)

tootle-pip

Jon

[g.johnson]

Ah yes, that Oxonian refinement that gave the world Margaret Thatcher, John Betjeman, AJ Ayer and Dudley Moore when Cambridge could only manage Newton, Wordsworth, Wittgenstein and Cook.

I tried to think of a distinguished Oxford Scientist to pair with Newton but there aren’t any.

[AdamLawrence]

Bloody scientists.

Anyway, how about Robert Boyle? Bit off to go back to the seventeenth century for your lot and pick all of ours from the last hundred years.

Dudley Moore was organ scholar at Magdalen when my father in law was a choral scholar. According to Robin his finals were awful, but the dons were fighting amongst themselves to viva him because they knew it would be such a hoot.

Adam

[g.johnson]

Bit off to go back to the seventeenth century for your lot.

I didn't realize Wordsworth, Wittgenstein and Peter Cook were 17th century, but then I haven't an Oxford education.

[Kikujiro]

Um, guys, please.

[macrosan]

I didn't realize Wordsworth, Wittgenstein and Peter Cook were 17th century, but then I haven't an Oxford education.

Well I've never heard of the other guys, but Peter Cook was definitely 17th Century.

[MsRamsey]

Bit off to go back to the seventeenth century for your lot.

I didn't realize Wordsworth, Wittgenstein and Peter Cook were 17th century, but then I haven't an Oxford education.

Uh no. Wordsworth lived 18th to 19th C., and Wittgenstein 19th to 20th C.

[Jon Tseng]

I tried to think of a distinguished Oxford Scientist to pair with Newton but there aren’t any.

Well Stephan Hawking started at Univ, before being tempted away by the promise of filthy lucre and a house in a swamp...

Buy I agree with Kikujiro. This is soooo immature (which partly explains why it is so amusing)

J

[Tonyfinch]

I didn't realize Wordsworth, Wittgenstein and Peter Cook were 17th century, but then I haven't an Oxford education.

Wittgenstein was a beery swine

Hobbes was fond of a dram

And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart

"I drink therefore I am".

Monty Python 1668

[cabrales]

I received an e-mail from The Savoy Group, linking to a webpage with Menu's menu. Below is a picture of the Menu dining room:

http://www.the-savoy-group.com/Connaught/R...enu/default.asp

Indicative dishes include:

Pressed tomato mosaïque with marinated goats’ cheese

Roasted pumpkin and amaretto tortelli with sage butter

White onion velouté with deep fried frogs’ legs in salsa verde

Confit fillet of halibut with marinated peppers and raw fennel salad

Classic Bouillabaisse served with braised celery hearts, saffron potatoes

Oven-roasted cannon of lamb served with polenta cake, Niçoise garnish

Caramelised sweetbread with braised Treviso confit garlic served with a wild mushroom sauce

Roasted figs with Moscato zabaglione

Pear tatin with lavender cream

Parfait of torrone, pistacchio sauce and a seasonal fruit compote

[Suzi Edwards]

I ate lunch at the Connaught last weekend (hottest day of the year so far???) It was somewhat disappointing.

Firstly, we were the only people booked into the non-smoking grill room, so they moved us into the "other room" The gouty old chimneys at the table next to me supping claret were a walking advert for heart attacks. Horrible. Why can't we just ban smoking in restaurants and be done with it?

The room is a gentleman's style oak panelled dream, with shades over the windows (!!!!!) to prevent any real natural light coming in. It reminded me of an old supervisor's room at college. The flowers were lovely though.

Service was hit and miss with simple questions like "what is this bread and how is it made?" being answered with "we call it "carta di musica". I have never tried it" For the record it's made with lots and lots of salt. Horribly over-seasoned, like 60% of the dishes we ate. I think there's been lots of talk on the boards about the seasoning at Petrus...I think there might have been a chef-exchange to the Connaught.

We ate an amuse of salami and ham (the ham i get from brindisa is nicer), starters of asparagus with fried duck egg and parmasan and carpaccio of tuna and swordfish (from the brakes brothers school of catering, i think it had been plated up some days before) Mains of roasted salmon with chilli, lettuce fondant and gnocci (since when has wilted lettuce been a fondant?) and beef filet with roasted onions (lovely onions). For desert I had the cheese, a selection of eight that almost defeated me...I ended up sharing with Jack who's cherry tart had disappeared before I got a spoon to it.

Coffee was served with chocolate coated roasted almonds. For me the highlight of the meal. A post desert of tiramisu was one of the low-lights.

Two glasses of champagne, a half bottle of Montrachet and a half of Northern Californian red (the price of which nearly made the North American Jack faint) took the bill to GBP180 without tip. Given saturday lunch is GBP25 per head....this turned into an expensive lunch.

I'll go to Clariges next time. At least the room is more fun there...