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Waterside Inn, Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AT

Waterside Inn, Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AT

Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AT

In the dark days before Britain discovered food, you would head into the countryside for a meal with all the enthusiasm of a Roman centurion venturing into Boudicca’s local for an afterwork pint. Dining options seemed limited to a clutch of dowdy restaurants and woodbine-scented pubs, all seemingly locked in an eternal battle to see who could get the most breadcrumbs onto the menu. It was not a good time to be a scampi.

By Philip de Semlyen at 06/05/2008 - 22:52 | 2008 | Approved | £££££/$$$$$ | Berkshire | French | Review | Views | add new comment | read more | 56 reads

La Becasse, 17 Corve Street, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1DA

La Becasse, 17 Corve Street, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1DA

17 Corve Street, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1DA

14 Feb 2008 On arrival we called to check the parking arrangements and located free parking behind the restaurant - great start :o) We were shown to a lovely room with old wood panelling, to a perfectly laid table near the window. Crisp white linen, rose pink glass chargers set the scene for a lovely Valentine's Day lunch with our friends Robin and Michele.

We opted for the Gourmand Menu @ £55 although we were very tempted by the eight course Valentine's Menu with champagne @ £65. It was possible to opt for the Menu Du Jour at £24 for 3 courses. It was explained to us that exchanging one or two of the items in the menu was perfectly acceptable. Our service was impeccable all the way through the meal. We were waited on discreetly yet shown great attention when it was required. The food was a beautifully presented work of art, tasted amazing and was delivered with the correct timing for a leisurely lunch with friends. Recommends from our meal are: Winter artichoke salad - was a delight, the quails egg and fried risotto balls were a perfect delicate balance with the flavour of the artichoke. Crab risotto with champagne foam was a great hit too. Lovely texture and flavour. Parmesan crusted scallop with curried vegetable and parsnip crisp was wonderful in contrasting taste and texture. Venison steak with beetroot and juniper berry jus, blackcurrant, chestnut and a brussel sprout was enjoyed by all. Cheese option @ £9 supplement is very extensive and served from a wonderful wood and glass display brought to the table. The aroma was tempting. Selecting 4 cheeses with the expert guidance of the waiter was a pleasure. His knowledge was extensive about taste and texture and location. Served with fine crisp wafers in a choice of flavours, the desserts were out of this world - presentation made it all the more desirable. Coffee served with a supply of delicious chocolates brought our meal to a successful end.

By m at 19/02/2008 - 12:43 | 2008 | Approved | French | Review | Service | Shropshire | ££££/$$$$ | add new comment | read more | 110 reads

Le Vivier, 6 rue Dominic Maisto, 13200 Arles, Provence, France

Le Vivier, 6 rue Dominic Maisto, 13200 Arles, Provence, France

6 rue Dominic Maisto, 13200 Arles, Provence, France

This was near our hotel and looked really promising. The interior was quite shabby, the seats on the chairs had “gone” (not literally) and it had not been redecorated for some time, but this need not be a bad sign in a French restaurant. The food is the thing and the menu looked excellent. We went for the €25 menu: my soupe de poissons had been diluted once too often and was very watery, but came with the traditional croutons, aoli, grated cheese and garlic. L started with foi gras with lavender bread and lavender ice cream, and while it sounds a bit unlikely, it was actually the star of the meal. When did you last have ice cream and foi gras on the same plate? My main course of fish gratinée was nice enough, but it was a tiny portion, and no bread or vegetables accompanied it. L had a variety of grilled fish, well presented, but some were overcooked. My dessert - chocolat crème – tasted OK, but the presentation was complicated and didn’t really come off as the pudd slid dangerously around the plate on its way to the table, dislodging some of the fruit garnish. Of L’s plate of four cheeses, two were very salty, and he had to ask for bread as no biscuits or bread came with it.

By Daisy Middleton at 29/11/2007 - 16:44 | 2007 | France | French | OK | Review | ££/$$ | add new comment | read more | 101 reads

Au Tout Petit, 4, rue d'Amphoux, 84000 Avignon, France

Au Tout Petit, 4, rue d'Amphoux, 84000 Avignon, France

4, rue d'Amphoux, 84000 Avignon

We didn't book, and they were full when we arrived, so with regret we walked away. But the man ran after us and said come back in five minutes and we'll have a table for you. We did, and they did !

I had La Trilogie autour des champignons d’automne en poêlée, soupe et glace (cèpes) which was a pungent mushroom soup, a bowl of sauteed wild mushrooms with - I think - marjoram, and ... mushroom ice cream! It all comes together on a tray, and oddly enough, it works. L had trout with almonds, mushrooms (it's that time of year), mange tout and barley, which he really enjoyed.

By Daisy Middleton at 29/10/2007 - 22:13 | 2007 | Approved | France | French | Review | Service | ££/$$ | add new comment | read more | 88 reads

La Tomate, 6, Rue Four des Flammes, 34000 Montpellier, France

La Tomate, 6, Rue Four des Flammes, 34000 Montpellier, France

6, Rue Four des Flammes, 34000 Montpellier, France

We tried to get into this place three years ago, at the height of the holiday season and with no reservation. Fat chance. Back in Montpellier again in early October, we took the precaution of booking, though it was probably unnecessary. It looks exactly like a restaurant in the Languedoc should - I’m a sucker for a red checked tablecloth, me. The waiter brought a bottle of chilled tap water immediately, none of that paying extra for bottled water nonsense. The back of the menu has a la carte, but the front has a range of fixed price menus. The €16.90 caught our eyes, and although there were five courses, for that price we felt confident that the portions would be small, more like a tasting menu, really. Hah!

By Daisy Middleton at 29/10/2007 - 20:11 | 2007 | Approved | France | French | Review | Romantic | ££/$$ | add new comment | read more | 46 reads

Café Rouge, 6-7 South Grove, Highgate, London N6 6BP

Café Rouge, 6-7 South Grove, Highgate, London N6 6BP

6-7 South Grove, Highgate, London N6 6BP

Twice recently I’ve been out with a friend, and they’ve suggested Café Rouge. The first time was the Hampstead branch, half an hour before they closed, and they didn’t have much food left, or much enthusiasm for serving it either. We paid over a tenner each for lamb chops and some lukewarm pasta in gloopy sauce with about four mushrooms. We shovelled it down because it was only minutes to closing time, and anyway we were hungry. It didn’t seem fair to make a judgement under the circumstances, there are many restaurants which won’t even sit you down at 10.30pm.

By Daisy Middleton at 18/09/2007 - 15:26 | 2007 | £££££/$$$$$ | French | London | Rejected | Review | add new comment | read more | 98 reads
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