Rate the last restaurant you went to
Discussion
prand said:
On the plus side, we caught a friend having dinner with someone she shouldn't have been, the look on her face was priceless!
I had a similar experience some time ago. I went out for lunch with my sister and saw a couple I knew but who should not have been out together sat in the corner. I just nodded and sat eleswhere in the pub. After the meal I went to the bar to pay when the man from this couple approached me and said "A bit of discretion required, I think we have caught each other out here". The look on his face when I introduced my sister. 
Ionkontrol said:
So why only 4 out of 5? I looked at the menu and there's far too much in the way of olives and pesto for my liking. Ballotine of chicken stuffed with spinach and mushrooms sounds disgusting.
Does it have to be in the UK? We were in Desenzano del Garda last week, and my (rather enthusiastic!) Tripadvisor review of Bagatta alla Lepre can be found here.
It really was THAT good - I just kept smiling all the way through the evening.
It really was THAT good - I just kept smiling all the way through the evening.
Brindisa, Borough Market, SE1.
Comfortably the best tapas I've had outside of Spain, Padron peppers probably the most moorish thing I've eaten ever. Always a great atmosphere, service typically very good, even when rammed (i.e most of the time)
A touch pricey at £260 for 6 of us this time round, but it was worth every penny of that.
Comfortably the best tapas I've had outside of Spain, Padron peppers probably the most moorish thing I've eaten ever. Always a great atmosphere, service typically very good, even when rammed (i.e most of the time)
A touch pricey at £260 for 6 of us this time round, but it was worth every penny of that.
Mugaritz, San Sebastien. 6/10.
Some moments of genius, but too few and far between for such a highly regarded restaurant (currently ranked 4th). Experimental 22 course lunch. Some interesting ideas but most lacked flavour and texture. Service was immaculate but the food left us disappointed, especially at that price.
Some moments of genius, but too few and far between for such a highly regarded restaurant (currently ranked 4th). Experimental 22 course lunch. Some interesting ideas but most lacked flavour and texture. Service was immaculate but the food left us disappointed, especially at that price.
HarryFlatters said:
Had a sushi bento box and some ebi tempura from here
5/5, it really was excellent and the staff are very friendly
Also, I've discovered that Miso soup is a terrific hangover cure
5/5, it really was excellent and the staff are very friendly
Also, I've discovered that Miso soup is a terrific hangover cure
A bowl of Miso and a can of Pocari Sweat - the ultimate hangover cure whilst resident in Sagami-Ohno, Japan, for a few years.Seems the Metro has changed a bit (I can remember when it was just
had ham said:
A bowl of Miso and a can of Pocari Sweat - the ultimate hangover cure whilst resident in Sagami-Ohno, Japan, for a few years.had ham said:
Seems the Metro has changed a bit (I can remember when it was just a slag heap fields)..
I haven't been in years, but I know that something is wrong when there's a queue to get into Yo Sushi or some retched burger diner and no queue to get into the utterly brilliant place I went to.Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – Royal Hospital Road – Menu Prestige
It all started while walking the dog last year, Masterchef had been on and my OH were talking posh food. She asked if I’d ever like to go to a Michelin starred restaurant and I said ‘Sure, why not?’ and forgot about it. Come Christmas and I got a couple of small pressies and a card containing an invite to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for the 7 course Menu Prestige. Bonus.
I phoned in January to book and tried to get a table for Easter but it was fully booked so eventually settled for a Friday evening in early May.
Neither of us are big eaters so we ate little for lunch and caught the train to London so we could have a drink too. Talking food on the way, we were famished by the time we arrived. We were the first to arrive at 6:30 and it wasn’t actually open so we spent a couple of minutes chatting to the doorman before the front door opened and we were welcomed inside. We were shown to our table which was against the wall but both seats at an angle so we were facing each other and towards the rest of the room.
One of the servers asked if we’d like some water and if we’d like to see the wine list which was way beyond my knowledge to fathom. I asked if they did a wine pairing for the meal but limit it to 3 or 4 glasses each. Of course, they’d accommodate that and pair each 125 ml glass of wine to go with one or two courses.
We were first offered a selection from a tray of freshly baked breads and also a choice of salted or unsalted butter. Mrs Toasty had a Bacon and Onion Brioche and I tried a slice of sourdough and an olive bread. All damn good but the brioche was exceptional, sweet and full of bacony onionness.
A server arrives and jokingly berates me for brushing crumbs onto the floor while he deftly removed any remaining specks from the table. This would have to be very well judged as some people may take this the wrong way but it made us feel more comfortable knowing that it wasn’t all stiff etiquette.
Amuse Bouche 1 – A slate arrived with 3 pairs of tiny packages, a very light and fluffy dimsum dumpling, a black pudding quail scotch egg and a seaweed wrapped salmon jelly parcel. We hadn’t expected these but they were all perfect and at that size ‘couldn’t possibly spoil your appetite’.
Amuse Bouche 2 – Another pre-course, a small bowl of pea mousse with drops of mint oil. This was about the only dish that wasn’t to my taste, actually not to my preference of texture as while it was flavoured well, I felt it was too thick and heavy for a starter (or pre-starter).
Course 1 – Pressed foie gras, smoked and confit duck pickled pears and Tasmanian mountain pepper. Finally, we start the meal, the PETA puppies won’t be too happy about the foie but it was very smooth smeared on some very buttery toasted brioche and the pickled pear offering a sharpness to clear the palate. The wine served with this course was a semi sweet white, Reisling I think, not something I’d normally drink but perfectly pleasant.
Course 2 - Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque, oscietra caviar and sorrel velouté. Probably the one I was looking forward to the most. I’d never had proper caviar before and it was little like the cheap black stuff you get on canapes at occasional functions, far more subtle in texture and flavour I was left feeling ‘Is that it?’. Still the ravioli (or should that be raviolo) was very delicate and gone in a few mouthfuls washed down with a much dryer white Burgundy.
I’m starting to feel full.
Course 3 - Isle of Gigha halibut with Atlantic King crab, finger lime and ras el hanout infused broth. A perfect square of fish fillet covered with a small cylinder of king crab. The server brought two teapots of a broth made from 42 Moroccan spices and gently poured them over the fish. The aroma was incredible, like opening a spice cabinet, the flavour was just as good and the texture so light. And with a last sip the Burgundy was finished.
Course 4 - Cotswold lamb and spring vegetable Navarin, with wild and new season garlic or Bresse pigeon with grilled polenta,smoked ventrèche braised shallots and dates. The meat course. Mrs Toasty isn’t a big fan of red meat so I had most of her lamb as well as my pigeon. I was starting to get the meat sweats at this time and was thinking more of Adam Richman in Man vs Food rather than Masterchef. We ploughed on regardless, each having a different red in a different shaped glass with my stomach getting in the way of remembering which type of wine it was.
Course 5 – Selection of cheeses or Mango, jasmine and passion fruit soup. Why did I go for the cheese? Greed is the only answer, it was £10 extra and I thought I wouldn’t normally get the chance. The cheese trolley came around and I munched my way through goats cheese, Roquefort, Cheddar, Comte and Stinking Bishop along with two types of freshly baked cracker. My OH had the soup served in a tall glass and drunk through a straw with a quick slurp.
The Maitre D comes around and we chat for a little while about Masterchef. He is utterly charming and he asks whether we’d like to see the kitchen later and meet the chef Clare Smyth. In for a penny and all that, we say we’d love to.
Course 6 – Agen prune crème brûlée with Granny Smith apple juice. It’s a crème brulee with a small glass of fresh apple juice on the side and I think I might just be able to finish this after all. We’re served glasses of chilled Muscat, another new experience for me. The first sip and ugh, far too sweet. A mouthful of pudding and another sip and wow, the cloying sweetness has disappeared, replaced with a refreshing slightly sparkling wine with a hint of pineapple. Top nommage.
Course 7 - Lemonade parfait with honey, bergamot and sheep’s milk yoghurt sorbet. Another sweet and I don’t normally eat one! Mrs T is defeated and pushes it around the plate. It’s possibly the most beautiful of the dishes with gold and sugarwork but the sheer pressure building in my stomach is taking it’s toll. Relentless, I plough on determined but no longer really enjoying it.
Mrs Toasty goes outside for fresh air, comes back a few minutes and asks if we can go. I can’t face getting on a train now so I order coffee hoping that might perk me up.
Coffee – and petit fours. We’re sitting staring at the delicate cubes of rose flavoured Turkish delight and chocolate ganache so delicate it can only be picked up with a special fork. But wait, there’s more. A server brings a covered dish with smoke creeping out the sides, places it on the table and opening it to reveal strawberry ice cream balls covered in white chocolate. Mrs T can’t cope and I can’t help myself. Thankfully there were no wafer thin mints or I really would have burst.
The Bill – As I’m waiting for the bill, I knew the food was covered at a cost of £250 (now £270) and realised I’d forgotten to check the price of the wines. Whoopsy. The Reisling, of which I was least keen, was £18. Per 125ml Glass!
The others were a little less expensive but with tip (the service was impeccable throughout) . Overall the bill came to just shy of £500 which is ridiculous for a meal but just about acceptable for a one off special occasion IMHO.
Mrs Toasty is outside talking to the doorman again, trying to let her stomach settle, and I head for the door. Jean-Claude, the Maitre D, calls after me and asks if I’d still like to see the kitchen and meet Clare. It would have been rude to decline so we go back inside and into the kitchen which is all bright lights and busyness. Clare briefly looks up from plating dishes and says hi with a smile. We thank Jean-Claude and finally make our way out.
The aftermath – You may wish to skip this part We caught a direct train home, 1 hour end to end. Halfway, I was pacing up and down our carriage, a little while later I was considering getting off early when I spotted an on board toilet light a beam of light coming down from heaven and it was free! A few minutes later I returned to my wife, sweaty but relieved beyond belief. We made the rest of the journey home OK.
2am and I’m struggling again I get up to go to the loo and retch. Once more and I’m talking to God on the great white telephone.
My poor stomach just couldn’t cope with the sheer gluttony it had just been put under. Come the morning and I was fine and hungry once more.
The verdict – If you can justify the cost and can eat a heck of a lot, I’d recommend going. The staff and food were excellent in almost every way, the dining area small, stylish but with enough room to move around. I would love to go back one day but next time I’ll order from the a la carte menu and choose only a couple of dishes.
It all started while walking the dog last year, Masterchef had been on and my OH were talking posh food. She asked if I’d ever like to go to a Michelin starred restaurant and I said ‘Sure, why not?’ and forgot about it. Come Christmas and I got a couple of small pressies and a card containing an invite to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for the 7 course Menu Prestige. Bonus.
I phoned in January to book and tried to get a table for Easter but it was fully booked so eventually settled for a Friday evening in early May.
Neither of us are big eaters so we ate little for lunch and caught the train to London so we could have a drink too. Talking food on the way, we were famished by the time we arrived. We were the first to arrive at 6:30 and it wasn’t actually open so we spent a couple of minutes chatting to the doorman before the front door opened and we were welcomed inside. We were shown to our table which was against the wall but both seats at an angle so we were facing each other and towards the rest of the room.
One of the servers asked if we’d like some water and if we’d like to see the wine list which was way beyond my knowledge to fathom. I asked if they did a wine pairing for the meal but limit it to 3 or 4 glasses each. Of course, they’d accommodate that and pair each 125 ml glass of wine to go with one or two courses.
We were first offered a selection from a tray of freshly baked breads and also a choice of salted or unsalted butter. Mrs Toasty had a Bacon and Onion Brioche and I tried a slice of sourdough and an olive bread. All damn good but the brioche was exceptional, sweet and full of bacony onionness.
A server arrives and jokingly berates me for brushing crumbs onto the floor while he deftly removed any remaining specks from the table. This would have to be very well judged as some people may take this the wrong way but it made us feel more comfortable knowing that it wasn’t all stiff etiquette.
Amuse Bouche 1 – A slate arrived with 3 pairs of tiny packages, a very light and fluffy dimsum dumpling, a black pudding quail scotch egg and a seaweed wrapped salmon jelly parcel. We hadn’t expected these but they were all perfect and at that size ‘couldn’t possibly spoil your appetite’.
Amuse Bouche 2 – Another pre-course, a small bowl of pea mousse with drops of mint oil. This was about the only dish that wasn’t to my taste, actually not to my preference of texture as while it was flavoured well, I felt it was too thick and heavy for a starter (or pre-starter).
Course 1 – Pressed foie gras, smoked and confit duck pickled pears and Tasmanian mountain pepper. Finally, we start the meal, the PETA puppies won’t be too happy about the foie but it was very smooth smeared on some very buttery toasted brioche and the pickled pear offering a sharpness to clear the palate. The wine served with this course was a semi sweet white, Reisling I think, not something I’d normally drink but perfectly pleasant.
Course 2 - Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque, oscietra caviar and sorrel velouté. Probably the one I was looking forward to the most. I’d never had proper caviar before and it was little like the cheap black stuff you get on canapes at occasional functions, far more subtle in texture and flavour I was left feeling ‘Is that it?’. Still the ravioli (or should that be raviolo) was very delicate and gone in a few mouthfuls washed down with a much dryer white Burgundy.
I’m starting to feel full.
Course 3 - Isle of Gigha halibut with Atlantic King crab, finger lime and ras el hanout infused broth. A perfect square of fish fillet covered with a small cylinder of king crab. The server brought two teapots of a broth made from 42 Moroccan spices and gently poured them over the fish. The aroma was incredible, like opening a spice cabinet, the flavour was just as good and the texture so light. And with a last sip the Burgundy was finished.
Course 4 - Cotswold lamb and spring vegetable Navarin, with wild and new season garlic or Bresse pigeon with grilled polenta,smoked ventrèche braised shallots and dates. The meat course. Mrs Toasty isn’t a big fan of red meat so I had most of her lamb as well as my pigeon. I was starting to get the meat sweats at this time and was thinking more of Adam Richman in Man vs Food rather than Masterchef. We ploughed on regardless, each having a different red in a different shaped glass with my stomach getting in the way of remembering which type of wine it was.
Course 5 – Selection of cheeses or Mango, jasmine and passion fruit soup. Why did I go for the cheese? Greed is the only answer, it was £10 extra and I thought I wouldn’t normally get the chance. The cheese trolley came around and I munched my way through goats cheese, Roquefort, Cheddar, Comte and Stinking Bishop along with two types of freshly baked cracker. My OH had the soup served in a tall glass and drunk through a straw with a quick slurp.
The Maitre D comes around and we chat for a little while about Masterchef. He is utterly charming and he asks whether we’d like to see the kitchen later and meet the chef Clare Smyth. In for a penny and all that, we say we’d love to.
Course 6 – Agen prune crème brûlée with Granny Smith apple juice. It’s a crème brulee with a small glass of fresh apple juice on the side and I think I might just be able to finish this after all. We’re served glasses of chilled Muscat, another new experience for me. The first sip and ugh, far too sweet. A mouthful of pudding and another sip and wow, the cloying sweetness has disappeared, replaced with a refreshing slightly sparkling wine with a hint of pineapple. Top nommage.
Course 7 - Lemonade parfait with honey, bergamot and sheep’s milk yoghurt sorbet. Another sweet and I don’t normally eat one! Mrs T is defeated and pushes it around the plate. It’s possibly the most beautiful of the dishes with gold and sugarwork but the sheer pressure building in my stomach is taking it’s toll. Relentless, I plough on determined but no longer really enjoying it.
Mrs Toasty goes outside for fresh air, comes back a few minutes and asks if we can go. I can’t face getting on a train now so I order coffee hoping that might perk me up.
Coffee – and petit fours. We’re sitting staring at the delicate cubes of rose flavoured Turkish delight and chocolate ganache so delicate it can only be picked up with a special fork. But wait, there’s more. A server brings a covered dish with smoke creeping out the sides, places it on the table and opening it to reveal strawberry ice cream balls covered in white chocolate. Mrs T can’t cope and I can’t help myself. Thankfully there were no wafer thin mints or I really would have burst.
The Bill – As I’m waiting for the bill, I knew the food was covered at a cost of £250 (now £270) and realised I’d forgotten to check the price of the wines. Whoopsy. The Reisling, of which I was least keen, was £18. Per 125ml Glass!
The others were a little less expensive but with tip (the service was impeccable throughout) . Overall the bill came to just shy of £500 which is ridiculous for a meal but just about acceptable for a one off special occasion IMHO. Mrs Toasty is outside talking to the doorman again, trying to let her stomach settle, and I head for the door. Jean-Claude, the Maitre D, calls after me and asks if I’d still like to see the kitchen and meet Clare. It would have been rude to decline so we go back inside and into the kitchen which is all bright lights and busyness. Clare briefly looks up from plating dishes and says hi with a smile. We thank Jean-Claude and finally make our way out.
The aftermath – You may wish to skip this part We caught a direct train home, 1 hour end to end. Halfway, I was pacing up and down our carriage, a little while later I was considering getting off early when I spotted an on board toilet light a beam of light coming down from heaven and it was free! A few minutes later I returned to my wife, sweaty but relieved beyond belief. We made the rest of the journey home OK.
2am and I’m struggling again I get up to go to the loo and retch. Once more and I’m talking to God on the great white telephone.
My poor stomach just couldn’t cope with the sheer gluttony it had just been put under. Come the morning and I was fine and hungry once more. The verdict – If you can justify the cost and can eat a heck of a lot, I’d recommend going. The staff and food were excellent in almost every way, the dining area small, stylish but with enough room to move around. I would love to go back one day but next time I’ll order from the a la carte menu and choose only a couple of dishes.
toasty said:
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – Royal Hospital Road – Menu Prestige
It all started while walking the dog last year, Masterchef had been on and my OH were talking posh food. She asked if I’d ever like to go to a Michelin starred restaurant and I said ‘Sure, why not?’ and forgot about it. Come Christmas and I got a couple of small pressies and a card containing an invite to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for the 7 course Menu Prestige. Bonus.
I phoned in January to book and tried to get a table for Easter but it was fully booked so eventually settled for a Friday evening in early May.
Neither of us are big eaters so we ate little for lunch and caught the train to London so we could have a drink too. Talking food on the way, we were famished by the time we arrived. We were the first to arrive at 6:30 and it wasn’t actually open so we spent a couple of minutes chatting to the doorman before the front door opened and we were welcomed inside. We were shown to our table which was against the wall but both seats at an angle so we were facing each other and towards the rest of the room.
One of the servers asked if we’d like some water and if we’d like to see the wine list which was way beyond my knowledge to fathom. I asked if they did a wine pairing for the meal but limit it to 3 or 4 glasses each. Of course, they’d accommodate that and pair each 125 ml glass of wine to go with one or two courses.
We were first offered a selection from a tray of freshly baked breads and also a choice of salted or unsalted butter. Mrs Toasty had a Bacon and Onion Brioche and I tried a slice of sourdough and an olive bread. All damn good but the brioche was exceptional, sweet and full of bacony onionness.
A server arrives and jokingly berates me for brushing crumbs onto the floor while he deftly removed any remaining specks from the table. This would have to be very well judged as some people may take this the wrong way but it made us feel more comfortable knowing that it wasn’t all stiff etiquette.
Amuse Bouche 1 – A slate arrived with 3 pairs of tiny packages, a very light and fluffy dimsum dumpling, a black pudding quail scotch egg and a seaweed wrapped salmon jelly parcel. We hadn’t expected these but they were all perfect and at that size ‘couldn’t possibly spoil your appetite’.
Amuse Bouche 2 – Another pre-course, a small bowl of pea mousse with drops of mint oil. This was about the only dish that wasn’t to my taste, actually not to my preference of texture as while it was flavoured well, I felt it was too thick and heavy for a starter (or pre-starter).
Course 1 – Pressed foie gras, smoked and confit duck pickled pears and Tasmanian mountain pepper. Finally, we start the meal, the PETA puppies won’t be too happy about the foie but it was very smooth smeared on some very buttery toasted brioche and the pickled pear offering a sharpness to clear the palate. The wine served with this course was a semi sweet white, Reisling I think, not something I’d normally drink but perfectly pleasant.
Course 2 - Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque, oscietra caviar and sorrel velouté. Probably the one I was looking forward to the most. I’d never had proper caviar before and it was little like the cheap black stuff you get on canapes at occasional functions, far more subtle in texture and flavour I was left feeling ‘Is that it?’. Still the ravioli (or should that be raviolo) was very delicate and gone in a few mouthfuls washed down with a much dryer white Burgundy.
I’m starting to feel full.
Course 3 - Isle of Gigha halibut with Atlantic King crab, finger lime and ras el hanout infused broth. A perfect square of fish fillet covered with a small cylinder of king crab. The server brought two teapots of a broth made from 42 Moroccan spices and gently poured them over the fish. The aroma was incredible, like opening a spice cabinet, the flavour was just as good and the texture so light. And with a last sip the Burgundy was finished.
Course 4 - Cotswold lamb and spring vegetable Navarin, with wild and new season garlic or Bresse pigeon with grilled polenta,smoked ventrèche braised shallots and dates. The meat course. Mrs Toasty isn’t a big fan of red meat so I had most of her lamb as well as my pigeon. I was starting to get the meat sweats at this time and was thinking more of Adam Richman in Man vs Food rather than Masterchef. We ploughed on regardless, each having a different red in a different shaped glass with my stomach getting in the way of remembering which type of wine it was.
Course 5 – Selection of cheeses or Mango, jasmine and passion fruit soup. Why did I go for the cheese? Greed is the only answer, it was £10 extra and I thought I wouldn’t normally get the chance. The cheese trolley came around and I munched my way through goats cheese, Roquefort, Cheddar, Comte and Stinking Bishop along with two types of freshly baked cracker. My OH had the soup served in a tall glass and drunk through a straw with a quick slurp.
The Maitre D comes around and we chat for a little while about Masterchef. He is utterly charming and he asks whether we’d like to see the kitchen later and meet the chef Clare Smyth. In for a penny and all that, we say we’d love to.
Course 6 – Agen prune crème brûlée with Granny Smith apple juice. It’s a crème brulee with a small glass of fresh apple juice on the side and I think I might just be able to finish this after all. We’re served glasses of chilled Muscat, another new experience for me. The first sip and ugh, far too sweet. A mouthful of pudding and another sip and wow, the cloying sweetness has disappeared, replaced with a refreshing slightly sparkling wine with a hint of pineapple. Top nommage.
Course 7 - Lemonade parfait with honey, bergamot and sheep’s milk yoghurt sorbet. Another sweet and I don’t normally eat one! Mrs T is defeated and pushes it around the plate. It’s possibly the most beautiful of the dishes with gold and sugarwork but the sheer pressure building in my stomach is taking it’s toll. Relentless, I plough on determined but no longer really enjoying it.
Mrs Toasty goes outside for fresh air, comes back a few minutes and asks if we can go. I can’t face getting on a train now so I order coffee hoping that might perk me up.
Coffee – and petit fours. We’re sitting staring at the delicate cubes of rose flavoured Turkish delight and chocolate ganache so delicate it can only be picked up with a special fork. But wait, there’s more. A server brings a covered dish with smoke creeping out the sides, places it on the table and opening it to reveal strawberry ice cream balls covered in white chocolate. Mrs T can’t cope and I can’t help myself. Thankfully there were no wafer thin mints or I really would have burst.
The Bill – As I’m waiting for the bill, I knew the food was covered at a cost of £250 (now £270) and realised I’d forgotten to check the price of the wines. Whoopsy. The Reisling, of which I was least keen, was £18. Per 125ml Glass! The others were a little less expensive but with tip (the service was impeccable throughout) . Overall the bill came to just shy of £500 which is ridiculous for a meal but just about acceptable for a one off special occasion IMHO.
Mrs Toasty is outside talking to the doorman again, trying to let her stomach settle, and I head for the door. Jean-Claude, the Maitre D, calls after me and asks if I’d still like to see the kitchen and meet Clare. It would have been rude to decline so we go back inside and into the kitchen which is all bright lights and busyness. Clare briefly looks up from plating dishes and says hi with a smile. We thank Jean-Claude and finally make our way out.
The aftermath – You may wish to skip this part We caught a direct train home, 1 hour end to end. Halfway, I was pacing up and down our carriage, a little while later I was considering getting off early when I spotted an on board toilet light a beam of light coming down from heaven and it was free! A few minutes later I returned to my wife, sweaty but relieved beyond belief. We made the rest of the journey home OK.
2am and I’m struggling again I get up to go to the loo and retch. Once more and I’m talking to God on the great white telephone. My poor stomach just couldn’t cope with the sheer gluttony it had just been put under. Come the morning and I was fine and hungry once more.
The verdict – If you can justify the cost and can eat a heck of a lot, I’d recommend going. The staff and food were excellent in almost every way, the dining area small, stylish but with enough room to move around. I would love to go back one day but next time I’ll order from the a la carte menu and choose only a couple of dishes.
That was a great write up, and not the ending I expected It all started while walking the dog last year, Masterchef had been on and my OH were talking posh food. She asked if I’d ever like to go to a Michelin starred restaurant and I said ‘Sure, why not?’ and forgot about it. Come Christmas and I got a couple of small pressies and a card containing an invite to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for the 7 course Menu Prestige. Bonus.
I phoned in January to book and tried to get a table for Easter but it was fully booked so eventually settled for a Friday evening in early May.
Neither of us are big eaters so we ate little for lunch and caught the train to London so we could have a drink too. Talking food on the way, we were famished by the time we arrived. We were the first to arrive at 6:30 and it wasn’t actually open so we spent a couple of minutes chatting to the doorman before the front door opened and we were welcomed inside. We were shown to our table which was against the wall but both seats at an angle so we were facing each other and towards the rest of the room.
One of the servers asked if we’d like some water and if we’d like to see the wine list which was way beyond my knowledge to fathom. I asked if they did a wine pairing for the meal but limit it to 3 or 4 glasses each. Of course, they’d accommodate that and pair each 125 ml glass of wine to go with one or two courses.
We were first offered a selection from a tray of freshly baked breads and also a choice of salted or unsalted butter. Mrs Toasty had a Bacon and Onion Brioche and I tried a slice of sourdough and an olive bread. All damn good but the brioche was exceptional, sweet and full of bacony onionness.
A server arrives and jokingly berates me for brushing crumbs onto the floor while he deftly removed any remaining specks from the table. This would have to be very well judged as some people may take this the wrong way but it made us feel more comfortable knowing that it wasn’t all stiff etiquette.
Amuse Bouche 1 – A slate arrived with 3 pairs of tiny packages, a very light and fluffy dimsum dumpling, a black pudding quail scotch egg and a seaweed wrapped salmon jelly parcel. We hadn’t expected these but they were all perfect and at that size ‘couldn’t possibly spoil your appetite’.
Amuse Bouche 2 – Another pre-course, a small bowl of pea mousse with drops of mint oil. This was about the only dish that wasn’t to my taste, actually not to my preference of texture as while it was flavoured well, I felt it was too thick and heavy for a starter (or pre-starter).
Course 1 – Pressed foie gras, smoked and confit duck pickled pears and Tasmanian mountain pepper. Finally, we start the meal, the PETA puppies won’t be too happy about the foie but it was very smooth smeared on some very buttery toasted brioche and the pickled pear offering a sharpness to clear the palate. The wine served with this course was a semi sweet white, Reisling I think, not something I’d normally drink but perfectly pleasant.
Course 2 - Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque, oscietra caviar and sorrel velouté. Probably the one I was looking forward to the most. I’d never had proper caviar before and it was little like the cheap black stuff you get on canapes at occasional functions, far more subtle in texture and flavour I was left feeling ‘Is that it?’. Still the ravioli (or should that be raviolo) was very delicate and gone in a few mouthfuls washed down with a much dryer white Burgundy.
I’m starting to feel full.
Course 3 - Isle of Gigha halibut with Atlantic King crab, finger lime and ras el hanout infused broth. A perfect square of fish fillet covered with a small cylinder of king crab. The server brought two teapots of a broth made from 42 Moroccan spices and gently poured them over the fish. The aroma was incredible, like opening a spice cabinet, the flavour was just as good and the texture so light. And with a last sip the Burgundy was finished.
Course 4 - Cotswold lamb and spring vegetable Navarin, with wild and new season garlic or Bresse pigeon with grilled polenta,smoked ventrèche braised shallots and dates. The meat course. Mrs Toasty isn’t a big fan of red meat so I had most of her lamb as well as my pigeon. I was starting to get the meat sweats at this time and was thinking more of Adam Richman in Man vs Food rather than Masterchef. We ploughed on regardless, each having a different red in a different shaped glass with my stomach getting in the way of remembering which type of wine it was.
Course 5 – Selection of cheeses or Mango, jasmine and passion fruit soup. Why did I go for the cheese? Greed is the only answer, it was £10 extra and I thought I wouldn’t normally get the chance. The cheese trolley came around and I munched my way through goats cheese, Roquefort, Cheddar, Comte and Stinking Bishop along with two types of freshly baked cracker. My OH had the soup served in a tall glass and drunk through a straw with a quick slurp.
The Maitre D comes around and we chat for a little while about Masterchef. He is utterly charming and he asks whether we’d like to see the kitchen later and meet the chef Clare Smyth. In for a penny and all that, we say we’d love to.
Course 6 – Agen prune crème brûlée with Granny Smith apple juice. It’s a crème brulee with a small glass of fresh apple juice on the side and I think I might just be able to finish this after all. We’re served glasses of chilled Muscat, another new experience for me. The first sip and ugh, far too sweet. A mouthful of pudding and another sip and wow, the cloying sweetness has disappeared, replaced with a refreshing slightly sparkling wine with a hint of pineapple. Top nommage.
Course 7 - Lemonade parfait with honey, bergamot and sheep’s milk yoghurt sorbet. Another sweet and I don’t normally eat one! Mrs T is defeated and pushes it around the plate. It’s possibly the most beautiful of the dishes with gold and sugarwork but the sheer pressure building in my stomach is taking it’s toll. Relentless, I plough on determined but no longer really enjoying it.
Mrs Toasty goes outside for fresh air, comes back a few minutes and asks if we can go. I can’t face getting on a train now so I order coffee hoping that might perk me up.
Coffee – and petit fours. We’re sitting staring at the delicate cubes of rose flavoured Turkish delight and chocolate ganache so delicate it can only be picked up with a special fork. But wait, there’s more. A server brings a covered dish with smoke creeping out the sides, places it on the table and opening it to reveal strawberry ice cream balls covered in white chocolate. Mrs T can’t cope and I can’t help myself. Thankfully there were no wafer thin mints or I really would have burst.
The Bill – As I’m waiting for the bill, I knew the food was covered at a cost of £250 (now £270) and realised I’d forgotten to check the price of the wines. Whoopsy. The Reisling, of which I was least keen, was £18. Per 125ml Glass!
The others were a little less expensive but with tip (the service was impeccable throughout) . Overall the bill came to just shy of £500 which is ridiculous for a meal but just about acceptable for a one off special occasion IMHO. Mrs Toasty is outside talking to the doorman again, trying to let her stomach settle, and I head for the door. Jean-Claude, the Maitre D, calls after me and asks if I’d still like to see the kitchen and meet Clare. It would have been rude to decline so we go back inside and into the kitchen which is all bright lights and busyness. Clare briefly looks up from plating dishes and says hi with a smile. We thank Jean-Claude and finally make our way out.
The aftermath – You may wish to skip this part We caught a direct train home, 1 hour end to end. Halfway, I was pacing up and down our carriage, a little while later I was considering getting off early when I spotted an on board toilet light a beam of light coming down from heaven and it was free! A few minutes later I returned to my wife, sweaty but relieved beyond belief. We made the rest of the journey home OK.
2am and I’m struggling again I get up to go to the loo and retch. Once more and I’m talking to God on the great white telephone.
My poor stomach just couldn’t cope with the sheer gluttony it had just been put under. Come the morning and I was fine and hungry once more. The verdict – If you can justify the cost and can eat a heck of a lot, I’d recommend going. The staff and food were excellent in almost every way, the dining area small, stylish but with enough room to move around. I would love to go back one day but next time I’ll order from the a la carte menu and choose only a couple of dishes.
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