Rate the last restaurant you went to
Discussion
Rate the last restaurant you went to, preferably with a bit of blurb, as people will have vastly different standards on this site!
I bought a taste card last month, so plan on doing a lot of eating in reasonably nice restaurants.
Last night I went to Marco Pierre White's Wheeler's of St James near green park tube station. The food was very good, I was expecting tiny portions, but in fact I had a bigger steak and more triple cooked chips than I could shake an onion ring at. It was also surprisingly inexpensive for what it was of the place, plus added tastecard discount.
I've never had a waiter apologise for us having to top up our own wine glasses or had such a large table for just two people. This is probably one of the 'nicest' restaurants I personally have been to so I don't have much to compare it to. The woman next to us was pretty furious that her Eton Mess didn't look like what she expected Eton Mess to look like...
Anyway, I'd give it 8/10.
I bought a taste card last month, so plan on doing a lot of eating in reasonably nice restaurants.
Last night I went to Marco Pierre White's Wheeler's of St James near green park tube station. The food was very good, I was expecting tiny portions, but in fact I had a bigger steak and more triple cooked chips than I could shake an onion ring at. It was also surprisingly inexpensive for what it was of the place, plus added tastecard discount.
I've never had a waiter apologise for us having to top up our own wine glasses or had such a large table for just two people. This is probably one of the 'nicest' restaurants I personally have been to so I don't have much to compare it to. The woman next to us was pretty furious that her Eton Mess didn't look like what she expected Eton Mess to look like...
Anyway, I'd give it 8/10.
Last one I went into was in Vienna on Saturday evening - Kulinarium 7.
Was a strange experience - I booked it because of the recommendations on Trip Advisor, but when we got there the menu was pretty disappointing. A couple of taste options (3 or 5 course) - or you could choose dishes (which we did) but there was only a choice of 3 options per course. And I was not impressed that one of those 3 options for the main was lasagne. Much as I like lasagne, I hadn't really planned to eat somewhere serving pub grub.
However, the food was far better than the menu (or prices) promised. Absolutely superb with a few Amuse Bouche chucked in for good measure. Of course - I didn't know that would be the case when I ordered, so I definitely skipped the lasagne - but after the starter, I wished I'd tried it because it would certainly have been a lot better than a freezer to microwave job. In fact, we asked the waitress - and it was actually layers of sliced fillet steak layered with vegetables and topped with Gruyere cheese - sounded pretty good to me!
Goes to show that first impressions can be deceiving. When we were given the menu's I was pretty ready to walk out and find somewhere else, but if I was in Vienna again I'd be very happy to eat there again. Although I've eaten in restaurants with better food, they were a LOT more expensive. The food here was excellent and it's probably the first time where I genuinely thought it was under priced.
I'd say 9/10 when balancing price vs quality.
Was a strange experience - I booked it because of the recommendations on Trip Advisor, but when we got there the menu was pretty disappointing. A couple of taste options (3 or 5 course) - or you could choose dishes (which we did) but there was only a choice of 3 options per course. And I was not impressed that one of those 3 options for the main was lasagne. Much as I like lasagne, I hadn't really planned to eat somewhere serving pub grub.
However, the food was far better than the menu (or prices) promised. Absolutely superb with a few Amuse Bouche chucked in for good measure. Of course - I didn't know that would be the case when I ordered, so I definitely skipped the lasagne - but after the starter, I wished I'd tried it because it would certainly have been a lot better than a freezer to microwave job. In fact, we asked the waitress - and it was actually layers of sliced fillet steak layered with vegetables and topped with Gruyere cheese - sounded pretty good to me!
Goes to show that first impressions can be deceiving. When we were given the menu's I was pretty ready to walk out and find somewhere else, but if I was in Vienna again I'd be very happy to eat there again. Although I've eaten in restaurants with better food, they were a LOT more expensive. The food here was excellent and it's probably the first time where I genuinely thought it was under priced.
I'd say 9/10 when balancing price vs quality.
The fish and chip place on Brighton Pier.
Really poor this time. I've been a few times and its normally been pretty good.
This time however, it was manned by some particularly surly eastern Europeans. The chips were burnt but under cooked and the fish was under cooked with some raw batter in the thicker parts of coverage. Very greasy too.
Did not like.
Really poor this time. I've been a few times and its normally been pretty good.
This time however, it was manned by some particularly surly eastern Europeans. The chips were burnt but under cooked and the fish was under cooked with some raw batter in the thicker parts of coverage. Very greasy too.
Did not like.
Monteiths - on the Royal mile in Edinburgh.
http://www.monteithsrestaurant.co.uk/index.php
My girlfriend and I went there for Valentines day. Was very impressed with the options on the menu. After ordering the wine( New Zealand marlbrough Savigion Blanc) and approving it the waiter took it away as the table wasn't big enough for the bottle and all the other bits on the table(he returned regularly throughout the meal with the bottle to top up the glasses. They never got empty) Whilst waiting on the starters a very freshly baked small bloomer of sundried tomato white bread with honey and thyme butter appeared to devour. I had some very tasty whitebait for starter she had chicken parfait. Main courses were T-Bone pork chop with savoury apple crumble with sides of baby potatoes and carrots for her with a rare Ribeye sirloin with duck fat chips, roasted vine tomatoes and some of the butteriest bernaise sauce I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Dessert was a Cranachan for her and pached pear with pear sorbet and a shot glass full of warm caramel for me. Dessert was followed by a glass of vintage port each and a cappuccino each served in bone china coffee cups.
The service throughout the meal was attentive but not intrusive at any point. The atmosphere was cosy but with enough space between tables and the music and lighting were both set perfectly. The music was loud enough that I could hear it and hear my girlfriend but not hear the next table and the lighting was just dim enough so that you could still read the menu and see what you were eating and the décor but it was cosy and the candle on the table gave off some effective ighting rather than sitting there just getting in the way.
In all the meal took over two hours. Its not the sort of place that you would be eating at daily but it was a special occasion and well worth it.
http://www.monteithsrestaurant.co.uk/index.php
My girlfriend and I went there for Valentines day. Was very impressed with the options on the menu. After ordering the wine( New Zealand marlbrough Savigion Blanc) and approving it the waiter took it away as the table wasn't big enough for the bottle and all the other bits on the table(he returned regularly throughout the meal with the bottle to top up the glasses. They never got empty) Whilst waiting on the starters a very freshly baked small bloomer of sundried tomato white bread with honey and thyme butter appeared to devour. I had some very tasty whitebait for starter she had chicken parfait. Main courses were T-Bone pork chop with savoury apple crumble with sides of baby potatoes and carrots for her with a rare Ribeye sirloin with duck fat chips, roasted vine tomatoes and some of the butteriest bernaise sauce I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Dessert was a Cranachan for her and pached pear with pear sorbet and a shot glass full of warm caramel for me. Dessert was followed by a glass of vintage port each and a cappuccino each served in bone china coffee cups.
The service throughout the meal was attentive but not intrusive at any point. The atmosphere was cosy but with enough space between tables and the music and lighting were both set perfectly. The music was loud enough that I could hear it and hear my girlfriend but not hear the next table and the lighting was just dim enough so that you could still read the menu and see what you were eating and the décor but it was cosy and the candle on the table gave off some effective ighting rather than sitting there just getting in the way.
In all the meal took over two hours. Its not the sort of place that you would be eating at daily but it was a special occasion and well worth it.
Royal Chicken and Pizza. Leicester. I'll not be going again and wish I'd seen this before I did go.
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Cockroaches-...
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Cockroaches-...
I went to Panas Gurkha Restaurant in Lewisham, South East London (on Lee High Road for those that know the area)
http://thepanas.co.uk/
This place was previously a generic Indian curry restaurant with a tired menu; very old fashioned and nearly always empty. At some point it all got refurbished.
Myself/SWMBO ignored it for a long time since we assumed that the menu and the general quality would be the same. But we tried it and it was really quite astonishingly good.
Poppadoms were hot, crisp and very slightly oily, as they should be - not rubbery and chewy like some other places. I don't know whether they had actually fried them to order but they tasted as though they might have. Accompaniments were the usual onion salad, mango chutney etc. about which there was nothing noteworthy.
My main was lamb passanda. The lamb was soft and moist and had a surprising amount of flavour. The sauce was thick and again very deeply flavoured, with strong tones of almond and saffron. SWMBO had two vegetarian dishes (mutter paneer and brinjal aloo) which she pronounced very good. I tried the brinjal aloo and it was as it should be. Pilau rice was expertly made and there was a decent sized portion (many other places have cut back to save costs). Naan bread was perfectly OK.
Total bill was about 35 quid for poppadoms, 2 main courses, 3 side dishes, naan bread, 1 large beer and 1 Coke. The wine list is small and unexceptional, but that did not concern us.
Excellent service and a very attentive (if slightly over-attentive) manager. A gem of a place in an area that otherwise has little going for it. We shall be going regularly.
The quality of food is my opinion higher than Babur, which is a "modern Indian" restaurant in Brockley that we have frequented in the past and that wins all kinds of awards. Babur is a very nice experience, but the prices have gone sky high and the food is more modern haute-cuisine than authentic Indian.
I would say 9/10.
http://thepanas.co.uk/
This place was previously a generic Indian curry restaurant with a tired menu; very old fashioned and nearly always empty. At some point it all got refurbished.
Myself/SWMBO ignored it for a long time since we assumed that the menu and the general quality would be the same. But we tried it and it was really quite astonishingly good.
Poppadoms were hot, crisp and very slightly oily, as they should be - not rubbery and chewy like some other places. I don't know whether they had actually fried them to order but they tasted as though they might have. Accompaniments were the usual onion salad, mango chutney etc. about which there was nothing noteworthy.
My main was lamb passanda. The lamb was soft and moist and had a surprising amount of flavour. The sauce was thick and again very deeply flavoured, with strong tones of almond and saffron. SWMBO had two vegetarian dishes (mutter paneer and brinjal aloo) which she pronounced very good. I tried the brinjal aloo and it was as it should be. Pilau rice was expertly made and there was a decent sized portion (many other places have cut back to save costs). Naan bread was perfectly OK.
Total bill was about 35 quid for poppadoms, 2 main courses, 3 side dishes, naan bread, 1 large beer and 1 Coke. The wine list is small and unexceptional, but that did not concern us.
Excellent service and a very attentive (if slightly over-attentive) manager. A gem of a place in an area that otherwise has little going for it. We shall be going regularly.
The quality of food is my opinion higher than Babur, which is a "modern Indian" restaurant in Brockley that we have frequented in the past and that wins all kinds of awards. Babur is a very nice experience, but the prices have gone sky high and the food is more modern haute-cuisine than authentic Indian.
I would say 9/10.
I went to Ottos on the grays inn road. it was superb. Otto the owner is clearly an eccentric and loves what he does.
the wine was fantasic value(they have a 10 quid fixed mark up on a lot of the bottles) and the food superb - particuarly the hare I had..
I did post here whether anyone had been (and it seems not) and I really would recommend it as something quite different in central london
the wine was fantasic value(they have a 10 quid fixed mark up on a lot of the bottles) and the food superb - particuarly the hare I had..
I did post here whether anyone had been (and it seems not) and I really would recommend it as something quite different in central london
Edited by princeperch on Friday 22 February 19:43
The last time I went to a restaurant was July last year and it is going to take a lot of courage for me to be able to go out to eat somewhere again.
I went to Finbarrs in Durham with my parents and daughter. At the time we had a nice meal and very good service. Unfortunately 48hrs later my father and I (only 2 to have same food) became very ill. Test results were positive for campylobacter. The restaurant still deny that we got food poisoning from them, but since I only saw my Dad for a 2hr period that day and had not seen him for 2 weeks prior or 3 months after it is the only connection. My Dad spoke to environment health (who visted Finbarrs after being reported by my Dads GP) and they recommended us to request their report through freedom of information act as there were a number of key issues raised.
We were both very ill for 3 weeks, but both stubborn and refused hospitalisation that was recommended. Consequently I would rate them 0/10 and suggest everyone to stay well clear.
I went to Finbarrs in Durham with my parents and daughter. At the time we had a nice meal and very good service. Unfortunately 48hrs later my father and I (only 2 to have same food) became very ill. Test results were positive for campylobacter. The restaurant still deny that we got food poisoning from them, but since I only saw my Dad for a 2hr period that day and had not seen him for 2 weeks prior or 3 months after it is the only connection. My Dad spoke to environment health (who visted Finbarrs after being reported by my Dads GP) and they recommended us to request their report through freedom of information act as there were a number of key issues raised.
We were both very ill for 3 weeks, but both stubborn and refused hospitalisation that was recommended. Consequently I would rate them 0/10 and suggest everyone to stay well clear.
Prezzo in Uxbridge.
Wife ordered the Pizza that has an egg on it, Fiorentina I think, egg white was raw, had to go back. They were very good about it and she ordered a different dish.
I had the salmon & avacado salad, but the salmon was cold (on purpose, but I prefer it hot). And far too much dressing.
Kids both had pizza, thin and crispy taken to a new level, for thin read see thru.
Overall, 3/10 for food, 9/10 for the way they handled the issues.
Total cost £67, paid in £60 Tesco vouchers bought with £15 of points on there x4 deal, and £7 cash. So can't argue with the value.
Wife ordered the Pizza that has an egg on it, Fiorentina I think, egg white was raw, had to go back. They were very good about it and she ordered a different dish.
I had the salmon & avacado salad, but the salmon was cold (on purpose, but I prefer it hot). And far too much dressing.
Kids both had pizza, thin and crispy taken to a new level, for thin read see thru.
Overall, 3/10 for food, 9/10 for the way they handled the issues.
Total cost £67, paid in £60 Tesco vouchers bought with £15 of points on there x4 deal, and £7 cash. So can't argue with the value.
Pasta King , Dumaguete,
Last night , for a change I started with Absolut over rocks with tonic, tall glass , served with kalamansi. ( miniature lime/lemon , size of marbles ) these you cut and squeeze into your glass to suit your taste , gf had a San Mig light, , then ordered the antipasto , this is big enough for a main meal, olive oil and balsamic with pepper grinder on the table to suit . Gf ordered the carbonara spaghetti , garlic bread. Vodka finished so ordered a glass of Chilean Merlot house wine, " , nice big size glass much needed because I have a big bugle, gf sipping happily on her San Mig so no refill. Open kitchen is on the same level as the dining area so good atmosphere , waitresses in black t shirts and black shorts and.....smiling as they work .
Excellent quality , both the antipasto and the pasta.
£ 9 .tip included.
Restaurant is air conditioned so is pleasant to linger and eat slowly, fancy a smoke to finish ? , sit outside and people watch , Friday night is busy with much activity on the pavements and roads and temperature in the mid twenties , very nice .
9/10
Last night , for a change I started with Absolut over rocks with tonic, tall glass , served with kalamansi. ( miniature lime/lemon , size of marbles ) these you cut and squeeze into your glass to suit your taste , gf had a San Mig light, , then ordered the antipasto , this is big enough for a main meal, olive oil and balsamic with pepper grinder on the table to suit . Gf ordered the carbonara spaghetti , garlic bread. Vodka finished so ordered a glass of Chilean Merlot house wine, " , nice big size glass much needed because I have a big bugle, gf sipping happily on her San Mig so no refill. Open kitchen is on the same level as the dining area so good atmosphere , waitresses in black t shirts and black shorts and.....smiling as they work .
Excellent quality , both the antipasto and the pasta.
£ 9 .tip included.
Restaurant is air conditioned so is pleasant to linger and eat slowly, fancy a smoke to finish ? , sit outside and people watch , Friday night is busy with much activity on the pavements and roads and temperature in the mid twenties , very nice .
9/10
Bangkock Lounge Thai restaurant
Shefford Bedfordshire
Very nice atmosphere, staff friendly and attentive, the food is very good and nicely displayed and not in massive quantities, so it doesn't leave you overwhelmed.
Good choice of dishes of various meats, fish and vegetarian dishes, nice selection of deserts and drinks. The staff bring hot towels to clean your hands with after your meal and it was very reasonable pricewise.
It's advisable to book as it gets very busy,has a big car park and whilst i wouldn't go every day, it does make a nice change
Shefford Bedfordshire
Very nice atmosphere, staff friendly and attentive, the food is very good and nicely displayed and not in massive quantities, so it doesn't leave you overwhelmed.
Good choice of dishes of various meats, fish and vegetarian dishes, nice selection of deserts and drinks. The staff bring hot towels to clean your hands with after your meal and it was very reasonable pricewise.
It's advisable to book as it gets very busy,has a big car park and whilst i wouldn't go every day, it does make a nice change
Pothole said:
AMLK said:
The last time I went to a restaurant was July last year and it is going to take a lot of courage for me to be able to go out to eat somewhere again.
That's a bit silly, isn't it? How many times have you been to restaurants and not been ill from it?Nudos, Newcastle upon Tyne.
I first read about this place in a review in that free Metro paper they put on buses, just after it opened, which is probably 6 years of so ago. They gave it 4/5, citing their only real gripe was that the "portions were too big". I prefer to call this "value for money", and stuff my face accordingly. They are a "noodle bar" style restaurant, with table service, focusing on street food type fare, and small nibbly things like seaweed rolls, sashimi etc to accompany it.
With this in mind, I've been eating there regularly for those past 6 years, and it has consistently been great. I have tried a lot of things on the menu, but tend to go for a pork dan dan ramen, with crispy chicken dumplings and crispy garlic pork when I go, because they are just brilliant. It's a fairy informal place, where the food is served as and when it's ready, rather than having the starters all coming at once, followed by mains etc. I like this as I means you get a lot of flavours to choose from at once, and I like dipping into lots of little things, as well as having a good sized main. The food always tastes really fresh and vibrant. I tend to go there at the same time in the day, and I've been most days of the week. I usually see them get their fish delivery while I'm eating as the van pulls up outside, and as a result all of the sashimi I've had there has always been excellent.
In terms of ambiance, it's a dark, wooden decor inside, with various bits of art on the walls. The staff are competent, though usually only speak limited Engrish, but do a good job. There are always a lot of Asians in there, which I see as a good sign. It's usually fairly quiet inside, which I prefer to being full of loudmouths, or the waiters blasting their favourite tunes on the stereo etc.
A solid 9/10 restaurant from me, serving up hearty Asian food. Great flavours, fresh ingredients, reasonable price. The only competition for a quick Asian lunch in the centre of Newcastle is the @Bangkok cafe, which I have not been to in a while, but was an excellent Thai cafe / restaurant, which is literally 30 seconds walk from Nudos. A coin toss was usually the only way to choose for me.
I first read about this place in a review in that free Metro paper they put on buses, just after it opened, which is probably 6 years of so ago. They gave it 4/5, citing their only real gripe was that the "portions were too big". I prefer to call this "value for money", and stuff my face accordingly. They are a "noodle bar" style restaurant, with table service, focusing on street food type fare, and small nibbly things like seaweed rolls, sashimi etc to accompany it.
With this in mind, I've been eating there regularly for those past 6 years, and it has consistently been great. I have tried a lot of things on the menu, but tend to go for a pork dan dan ramen, with crispy chicken dumplings and crispy garlic pork when I go, because they are just brilliant. It's a fairy informal place, where the food is served as and when it's ready, rather than having the starters all coming at once, followed by mains etc. I like this as I means you get a lot of flavours to choose from at once, and I like dipping into lots of little things, as well as having a good sized main. The food always tastes really fresh and vibrant. I tend to go there at the same time in the day, and I've been most days of the week. I usually see them get their fish delivery while I'm eating as the van pulls up outside, and as a result all of the sashimi I've had there has always been excellent.
In terms of ambiance, it's a dark, wooden decor inside, with various bits of art on the walls. The staff are competent, though usually only speak limited Engrish, but do a good job. There are always a lot of Asians in there, which I see as a good sign. It's usually fairly quiet inside, which I prefer to being full of loudmouths, or the waiters blasting their favourite tunes on the stereo etc.
A solid 9/10 restaurant from me, serving up hearty Asian food. Great flavours, fresh ingredients, reasonable price. The only competition for a quick Asian lunch in the centre of Newcastle is the @Bangkok cafe, which I have not been to in a while, but was an excellent Thai cafe / restaurant, which is literally 30 seconds walk from Nudos. A coin toss was usually the only way to choose for me.
We went to a place called "Tops" in Manchester city centre.
I read a few good reviews and it sounded ok. By a huge distance, it was the worst experience in any food place I have ever had (and I include the usual fast food joints in that). The staff were the most miserable bunch I've seen in a food place, the food was, at best, luke warm with no signs of real control over allergens or temperature control. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect visible records to be on display, or multi-coloured tongs for this, that and the other. But barely warm chicken, nut products directly next to allergen free is simply unacceptable.
If you want to go somewhere after a funeral, with the intention of going to another funeral in the near future, then go there.
I read a few good reviews and it sounded ok. By a huge distance, it was the worst experience in any food place I have ever had (and I include the usual fast food joints in that). The staff were the most miserable bunch I've seen in a food place, the food was, at best, luke warm with no signs of real control over allergens or temperature control. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect visible records to be on display, or multi-coloured tongs for this, that and the other. But barely warm chicken, nut products directly next to allergen free is simply unacceptable.
If you want to go somewhere after a funeral, with the intention of going to another funeral in the near future, then go there.
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