go to another 5 of the 50 best restaurants

i want a “fine dining” goal, but this isn’t it. I need to look for a better way to pursue this.

Another one bites the dust.

So what do I think.

Great meat.

But I think you need to know what you are doing. I ordered marrow salad to start with and was suprised at the marrow – it was a bit flobby and oily and tasteless – I have always equated marrow with that bit you get on a lamb chop (which I like) as opposed to this marrow (ox maybe) which quite frankly wasn’t to my taste. My buddies had the languostine (which were very nice – if a bit pricey) and the mussels with cucumber.

Mains: I had a barnsley chop (double lamb chop – with nice marrow!) – beautifully cooked and fantastically tasty – I think they know a thing or two about sourcing really good meat. Rack of lamb and sirloin was eaten by my chums. We had sides of potatoes and the most delicious cabbage. All simply cooked but really good. We drank a very nice bottle of Pic St Loup – suitably warm and oaky.

Pudding: I had treacle toffee ice cream (tasted just like thorntons…), others had blancmange and shortbeard and chocolate cake.

The surrounding are functional and slightly like a butchers shop but stylish.

Pretty good and fairly reasonably priced – I think I would visit again.

I managed to find a special offer for the River Cafe in the Guardian on Saturday a couple of weeks ago – I tried to book it for my dad’s birthday but they where fully booked – I asked to go onto the waiting list just in case there were any tables that became available – there weren’t. A couple of weeks ago they phoned me (three times…) to tell me that they had extended the off and to ask if I wanted to come another day – I said “Yeah Baby” and booked a table for 4. Jim,Kelly and Helena (all 43thingers) came with me and we had a lovely meal. It is a lovely setting.

I ate the spaghetti with tomato sauce (see picture) – the tomato sauce is made in the summer with the best tomatoes and then preserved until the winter – it was simple and yet delicious – I followed that with the sea bass on roasted fennel and spinach and for pudding I had the pear and almond tart – all very good. A campari and soda to start, a nice white for main and a small red glass of red too. One thing that really impressed was that the staff were super helpful and excited about the food and wine and loved explaining. My friends all loved the chocolate nemesis slightly too much….

All very good. I can recommend.

In a word delightful – they take care of you in a way that only places that cost lots of money can – but for a special occasion it is very special.

We arrived early on a frosty November morning and spent half an hour wandering around the beautiful gardens (see flickr for photos) – they grow much of produce served at the tables.

Inside in front on a roaring fire we supped champagne cocktails (I had a Framboise and my mum had a peche – both fruit coulis with Clariette du Die – a french sparkling wine). There were very nice small black and green olive and nuts with our drink and some perfect little appetizers. We were having the 3 course menu du jour – for £47 pounds. We all chose the same starter – the confit and parfait of foie gras served with a quince puree – it was fantastically good with a nice sized portion – not too stingy or too overwhelming – a delicious toasted brioche complimented very well. We chose to accompany this with a half bottle of Sauternes and this worked really well – I must do this next time. The bread and butter was really excellent as well and the setting lovely.

For mains me and my dad both chose the shoulder of pork on a celeriac choucroute – again wow – now I know Mr Blanc loves his pork from reading his books – I think he says that in his village in France the pig is almost worshippped. Superb intensity of flavour and texture with a lovely thin piece of crackling that was crunchy without risking damaging your teeth – tiny little turnips accompanied delightfully! My mum had the halibut and this seem very nice too. A nice bottle of white burgundy complimented very well but was served a little too cool initially.

My mum chose the chocolate pudding whilst me and my dad managed to switch dessert for the cheese board – which was really something special – we both got 6 lovely pieces including Maroilles and Roquefort and some other lovelies that I can’t remember – I had a nice glass of Noval port with.

Finally excellent coffee (slightly nutty) and petit fours.

So where do I put Manoir? in my list it has a got to be in the top three. I will ponder exactly where at a later date.

Oooh and I am looking forward to it – ooh mumma I am. Thank goodness for lovely parents who will foot the bill for my gastronomic adventures!

I am already preparing myself for the cheese course – obviously by having some of the delicious cheese that I bought from france the previous weekend – some Comte and Munster since you ask!

It is a hip and cool place full of crazy cats and bright young things – I am amazed they let me in.

But seriously folks. Started with a very nice glass of complimentary fizz (oh you are a hansome devil – it whispered coquetishly in my ear ;-) ) Very tasty food – started with slow poached salmon (almost raw) on fruity udon noodles – very nice lovely flavours. Then followed by some fantastic skewers of quail again with noodles and a tiny amount of coffee sauce. The quail was lovely dense and very nicely flavoured. They brought steamed veg, salad and potatoes without asking – nice touch – although they charged us for our second bread basket which just seeemed a bit tight. Not a massive wine list – but I chose a corker of a spanish red – Tempranillo variety – can’t rememember the name though.

Now the puds are meant to be one of things to go to Sketch for and they did not disappoint. Although they had sold out of the selection of petit deserts that I was lusting after. I had to cope with a pierre gagnaire chocolate tart which was fab.

One special mention is that the toilets are very cool – you go up some stairs and then choose the pink or blue route and enter an individual egg shaped pod. Excellente!

Service was pretty good but they could have been a little more attentive. I would definitely go back again – it is the kind of place that you could definitely take a party and let your hair down in – with the only hair raising coming when you got the bill but hey you only live once.

Yummo – finally managed to arrange with some chums to go to Sketch on their groovy special offer on toptable.com – I will let you know if it great :-)

1 down, 4 to go. I ate at Nobu in London for the first time in my life and I must say wow. Their signature black cod in miso is out of this world and the starter of tuna and scallop chips was marvelous. The only possible let down was their sushi, as whilst it was very good, it was no better than some of the sushi I have had on the west coast of the USA. Service was amazing too, good advice, very well looked after.
Next up – The Fat Duck.

http://www.50bestrestaurants.co.uk/

Of course it is only a matter of time and opinion before they change the list.

Upset about Jardin des Sens and not upset about the Wolseley. The picture above is from the Jardin Des Sens.

Better get eating…

Really thinking about going to Sketch next week as there is a good deal on TopTable.

My next list of 5 is:

1. Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxford
2. St John, London
3. Nobu, London
4. Sketch (Gallery) London
5. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris

Technically I have only been to 3 so far, unless you count multiple visits:
01. The Fat Duck Bray United Kingdom
02. El Bulli Roses Spain
03. French Laundry Yountville, Ca. United States
04. Tetsuya’s Sydney Australia
05. Gordon Ramsay London United Kingdom
06. Pierre Gagnaire Paris France
07. Per Se New York United States
08. Tom Aikens London United Kingdom
09. Jean Georges New York United States
10. St John London United Kingdom
11. Michel Bras Laguiole France
12. Louis XV Monte Carlo Monaco
13. Chez Panisse Berkeley United States
14. Charlie Trotter Chicago United States
15. Gramercy Tavern New York United States
16. Guy Savoy Paris France
17. Alain Ducasse Paris France
18. Sketch (Gallery) London United Kingdom
19. The Waterside Inn Bray United Kingdom
20. Nobu London United Kingdom
21. Arzak San Sebastian Spain
22. El Raco de can Fabes San Celoni Spain
23. Checcino dal 1887 Rome Italy
24. Le Meurice Paris France
25. L’Hotel de Ville Crissier Switzerland
26. Arpege Paris France
27. The Connaught London United Kingdom
28. Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons Oxford United Kingdom
29. Le Cinq Paris France
30. Hakkasan London United Kingdom
31. Cal Pep Barcelona Spain
32. Masa New York United States
33. Flower Drum Melbourne Australia
34. WD50 New York United States
35. Le Quartier Francais South Africa South Africa
36. Spice Market New York United States
37. Auberge d’Ill Illhauseern-Alsace France
38. Manresa Los Gatos, Ca. United States
39. Dieter Muller Lerbach Germany
40. Trois Gros Roanne France
41. The Wolseley London United Kingdom
42. Rockpool Sydney Australia
43. Yauatcha London United Kingdom
44. The Ivy Barbados United Kingdom
45. Gambero Rosso San Piero in Bagno Italy
46. The Cliff Barbados Barbados
47. Le Gavroche London United Kingdom
48. Enoteca Pinchiorri Florence Italy
49. Felix Hong Kong China
50. La Tupina Bordeaux France