Best ever restaurant experiences...
Discussion
Could you name a few contenders?
I've just been out for an Indian, and it was very good. Your usual tatty Indian, nothing special (it was in Cork), but the food was very good. And nice, chilled Cobra too. Expensive, but that's the weak £ for you. €35 for one person.
It got me thinking. What constitutes a good restaurant experience? For me, it's not as simple as damn good food. I want ambience, and I want nice staff. I don't want them falling over me, but I want them there when I need them, and I want manners. I want good, interesting food too.
So I was thinking what were the best restaurant experiences I had had, and I summarised thus, in no particular order:
Deane's in Belfast - my first Michelin star experience, and I thought it was superb. I got engaged earlier in the day at Giant's Causeway, so it'll always be a special restaurant for me. We had a lovely seven-course meal, Krug, great staff, a really good night. A bit plain inside, but everything else was great. Even got a signed copy of the menu as a memento.
Chutney Mary in Chelsea - the day after I'd watched Everton lose to Chelsea in the FA Cup Final so I was a bit glum. This place soon cheered me up. It's an 'Indian' restaurant but not like any other. Dishes you've never heard of, but fantastic all the same. I had a mixed platter of four different dishes and they were all amazing. Great food, great staff, nice environment.
Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, Beaumaris - Wow. If you're ever in North Wales and need somewhere to stay and eat, do this. We stayed here for a night just as a bit of a getaway, and booked a table in the restaurant to see what it was like. Superb. My fiancee even says it was better than Deanes. The setting is great, up in the loft with exposed beams and all that. Great staff, great service, superb food. Topped off my a nice room too.
They are the three that immediately come to mind. Let's hear about yours.
I've just been out for an Indian, and it was very good. Your usual tatty Indian, nothing special (it was in Cork), but the food was very good. And nice, chilled Cobra too. Expensive, but that's the weak £ for you. €35 for one person.
It got me thinking. What constitutes a good restaurant experience? For me, it's not as simple as damn good food. I want ambience, and I want nice staff. I don't want them falling over me, but I want them there when I need them, and I want manners. I want good, interesting food too.
So I was thinking what were the best restaurant experiences I had had, and I summarised thus, in no particular order:
Deane's in Belfast - my first Michelin star experience, and I thought it was superb. I got engaged earlier in the day at Giant's Causeway, so it'll always be a special restaurant for me. We had a lovely seven-course meal, Krug, great staff, a really good night. A bit plain inside, but everything else was great. Even got a signed copy of the menu as a memento.
Chutney Mary in Chelsea - the day after I'd watched Everton lose to Chelsea in the FA Cup Final so I was a bit glum. This place soon cheered me up. It's an 'Indian' restaurant but not like any other. Dishes you've never heard of, but fantastic all the same. I had a mixed platter of four different dishes and they were all amazing. Great food, great staff, nice environment.
Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, Beaumaris - Wow. If you're ever in North Wales and need somewhere to stay and eat, do this. We stayed here for a night just as a bit of a getaway, and booked a table in the restaurant to see what it was like. Superb. My fiancee even says it was better than Deanes. The setting is great, up in the loft with exposed beams and all that. Great staff, great service, superb food. Topped off my a nice room too.
They are the three that immediately come to mind. Let's hear about yours.
Arese said:
It got me thinking. What constitutes a good restaurant experience?
For me it is when a new benchmark is set in the quality of the food. I'm not into nancy fancy restaurants providing gourmet food with obscene prices to boot, as not only do I begrudge paying through the nose but I tend to find the atmosphere a little snooty and formal.
I like to have a few drinks and relax, and snappy service with a smile and good food.
I've had many good experiences, but very few 'best' ones. My problem is that I tend to stick with what I know and trust, as most times I venture elsewhere I end up bitterly disappointed and wishing I hadn't bothered.
Gordon Ramsay in New York. Perfect food, perfect service, formal but not stuffy, loved every minute of it. The £ was strong at the time so that made the bill easier than eating the same menu in the UK but the whole experience was magical.
As an experience the Fat Duck tasting menu is hard to beat. It is very much a show, a look how clever we are and some of the dishes were truely spectacular but overall Ramsay was more 'real' Massively expensive though.
As an experience the Fat Duck tasting menu is hard to beat. It is very much a show, a look how clever we are and some of the dishes were truely spectacular but overall Ramsay was more 'real' Massively expensive though.
bazking69 said:
Arese said:
It got me thinking. What constitutes a good restaurant experience?
For me it is when a new benchmark is set in the quality of the food. I'm not into nancy fancy restaurants providing gourmet food with obscene prices to boot, as not only do I begrudge paying through the nose but I tend to find the atmosphere a little snooty and formal.
I like to have a few drinks and relax, and snappy service with a smile and good food.
I've had many good experiences, but very few 'best' ones. My problem is that I tend to stick with what I know and trust, as most times I venture elsewhere I end up bitterly disappointed and wishing I hadn't bothered.
I like going places where I can eat food I can't, or don't have the time to, cook myself in a domestic kitchen. Proper pizza in a 400C oven, slow cooked pork & ribs, refined and complex sauces made from roasted veal bones, exotic foreign food or intricate pastries. I also love eating food you would never have thought of, or have never seen cooked before.
On top of that has to be the service, of which there is no excuse not to be spot on, ever. A good test is when you walk into an establishment you are greeted, and not just by the person on the door, but from all members of staff you meet or walk past you to your table, like they are all happy to meet you and welcome you. It's a tiny thing for a manager to achieve, but for me it gets everything off to a great start.
About is atmosphere and setting. It might be a crappy beachside shack, or a top end marble dining room, but it needs atmosphere, customers, adn the right food for the setting and clientele.
I also use the toilet test. If the loos are in bad shape, what can the kitchen be like?
Wine/Drinks list. Should suit the location, but not be overpriced.
Value for money - if the food execution and delivery is poor, service is sloppy, the wine list is expensive and badly chosen and the toilets dirty and smelly, I resent paying any amount of money for the experience. If it is good, and I have a good time, then I'm happy to pay what some people feel is a ridiculous amount.
I woudl like to say that in the majority of cases, you get what you pay for in a restaurant. However, there are exceptions that break that rule - overpriced cr*p or brilliant places for smaller budgets.
My best dining experience is the Waterside Inn in Bray, just because the minute we arrived we had 3 hours of excellence. Which was perfect for the special occasion we were celebrating.
Second to that was the £2 thai dinner I experienced while the sun went down when we were staying on Koh Lanta. Also perfect. We were eating out the front of a mini-mart, toilets weren't up to much but the service was charming, the table was on the sand and my feet were resting on a coconut palm.
Edited by prand on Thursday 6th August 13:16
I think one of the best experiences I had was over in the US.
At a chinese called Shogun you sit round a massive hot plate, and after choosing your choices of meat, a chinese chef appears and cooks it infront of you, but actually turns it into a show, juggling and chucking pieces of meat at you using his spatula, and every time without exception it would land in your mouth. It sounds quite uncouth but it is actually a great experience.
Your meals was then pushed towards you from where you helped yourself. If you wanted more of anything, it was done for you immediately.
At a chinese called Shogun you sit round a massive hot plate, and after choosing your choices of meat, a chinese chef appears and cooks it infront of you, but actually turns it into a show, juggling and chucking pieces of meat at you using his spatula, and every time without exception it would land in your mouth. It sounds quite uncouth but it is actually a great experience.
Your meals was then pushed towards you from where you helped yourself. If you wanted more of anything, it was done for you immediately.
bazking69 said:
I think one of the best experiences I had was over in the US.
At a chinese called Shogun you sit round a massive hot plate, and after choosing your choices of meat, a chinese chef appears and cooks it infront of you, but actually turns it into a show, juggling and chucking pieces of meat at you using his spatula, and every time without exception it would land in your mouth. It sounds quite uncouth but it is actually a great experience.
Your meals was then pushed towards you from where you helped yourself. If you wanted more of anything, it was done for you immediately.
Teppinyake.At a chinese called Shogun you sit round a massive hot plate, and after choosing your choices of meat, a chinese chef appears and cooks it infront of you, but actually turns it into a show, juggling and chucking pieces of meat at you using his spatula, and every time without exception it would land in your mouth. It sounds quite uncouth but it is actually a great experience.
Your meals was then pushed towards you from where you helped yourself. If you wanted more of anything, it was done for you immediately.
There's a good one in Southend.
Three Chimneys - Skye. Only had a lunch here but excellent local seafood served without pretensions.
Chateau de Mazan - Provence. Superb food, gorgeous surroundings, friendly sommelier and the largest finest cheese board I've ever seen, over 3' long!
Belvedere - Ko Phangan. Hillside seaview sunset views, fresh caught red snapper, Chang beer and good company.
L'Autre Pied - London. Lovely taster menu, very plush decor, good staff.
Many more excellent meals, but these are the most memorable
Chateau de Mazan - Provence. Superb food, gorgeous surroundings, friendly sommelier and the largest finest cheese board I've ever seen, over 3' long!
Belvedere - Ko Phangan. Hillside seaview sunset views, fresh caught red snapper, Chang beer and good company.
L'Autre Pied - London. Lovely taster menu, very plush decor, good staff.
Many more excellent meals, but these are the most memorable
Here:
http://www.carltonriverside.com/index.htm
Took the missus for an anniversary break 3-4 years ago. We had a special set meal, four courses with wine expertly matched to each course.
Best food I've ever had, and far from the most expensive. It's still run by the same people (husband & wife sommelier and chef respectively), we'll hopefully go back there soon.
http://www.carltonriverside.com/index.htm
Took the missus for an anniversary break 3-4 years ago. We had a special set meal, four courses with wine expertly matched to each course.
Best food I've ever had, and far from the most expensive. It's still run by the same people (husband & wife sommelier and chef respectively), we'll hopefully go back there soon.
La Parrilla, Dubai.
An Argentinian restaurant would you believe. Great location ( on top of Jumeirah beach hotel, overlooking the Burj al Arab), amazing hospitality, unobtrusive yet total service - expert and genuine recommendations, simply amazing food, a perfect evening.
Pricey but oh so worth it. Was introduced to 2 new drinks, a fabulous wine from Portugal and a Fresh Plum Mojito, had some seriously good Argentinian beef, every mouthful was a work of art.
An Argentinian restaurant would you believe. Great location ( on top of Jumeirah beach hotel, overlooking the Burj al Arab), amazing hospitality, unobtrusive yet total service - expert and genuine recommendations, simply amazing food, a perfect evening.
Pricey but oh so worth it. Was introduced to 2 new drinks, a fabulous wine from Portugal and a Fresh Plum Mojito, had some seriously good Argentinian beef, every mouthful was a work of art.
Clos Meggoire in London really raised the bar for me, as did the Boxwood Cafe for a sub-100 pound lunch. Simon Radleys is pretty damn good and having a bestoke menu at Fraishe on the Wirral. I think my favourite meal ever has been eating at the restaurant in the Four Seasons George V hotel in paris but can't remember its name! But then sitting at the little pizzeria on the outside of Ste Devote on Top Marques weekend watching all of the Pagani and Wiessmen testdrives is best of all, setting and all that :-D
prand..and others said:
..some good stuff...
Good stuff guys. I'll keep my eye on this thread as we're always looking for new places to try.matt3001 said:
Simon Radleys is pretty damn good and having a bestoke menu at Fraishe on the Wirral.
We spend a lot of time over there with Mrs Arese' family so we'll hopefully get to try that out. (http://www.restaurantfraiche.com/) I take it?Have you tried the Marsh Cat in Parkgate? Not been for a couple of years but it was excellent then.
Another interesting experience I had was at Pau Brasil in Manchester, which is now known as Bem Brasil. It's a Churrascaria, served in a Rodizio stylee! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodizio South American beef, droooool...
bazking69 said:
I think one of the best experiences I had was over in the US.
At a chinese called Shogun you sit round a massive hot plate, and after choosing your choices of meat, a chinese chef appears and cooks it infront of you, but actually turns it into a show, juggling and chucking pieces of meat at you using his spatula, and every time without exception it would land in your mouth. It sounds quite uncouth but it is actually a great experience.
Your meals was then pushed towards you from where you helped yourself. If you wanted more of anything, it was done for you immediately.
The experience was so good, you couldn't even tell the difference between a Japanese Restaurant and a Chinese one... At a chinese called Shogun you sit round a massive hot plate, and after choosing your choices of meat, a chinese chef appears and cooks it infront of you, but actually turns it into a show, juggling and chucking pieces of meat at you using his spatula, and every time without exception it would land in your mouth. It sounds quite uncouth but it is actually a great experience.
Your meals was then pushed towards you from where you helped yourself. If you wanted more of anything, it was done for you immediately.
coyft said:
Had dinner at Raymond Blanc's, Le Manoir last night. Fantastic food, impeccable service and beautiful surroundings. The breakfast buffet this morning looked like a work of art, was very tasty too.
I was going to name Le Manoir as one of mine. It was my first Michelin experience and set the standard for me. Beautiful place and fabulous food without the service being either too stuffy, stuck up or overbearing (which a lot of aspiring restaurants could learn from).As other posters have said, it is about the combination of food, service and atmosphere, whether that is a beachside shack, cafe or Michelin starred.
Two that stick in my mind at opposite ends of that scale.
The Dorchester - went when I was about 17 with my parents and a friend of my mum's from Japan. We got a very warm welcome and then the maitre'd spotted my mum's friend taking photos of all the food. He asked about it and mum explained she wanted to write about and photograph English food. He then took us on a tour of their kitchens, introducing us to the chefs who explained about their food and cooking, showed us ingredients etc. We had a fantastic time and that has always stuck in my mind, as it was totally unasked for and a brilliant gesture on their part.
Sing Tong Thai in Brighton - a small Thai cafe above a pub. I used to work in the pub and got to know the owner/chef. One day he invited me and some friends to join him as he had prepared a birthday meal for his partner. Restaurant was closed to the public that night. I have never eaten such spectacular Thai, accompanied by the chef being the most generous and genial host. It was an incredible experience. There was more food that I have ever seen, all of it stunning and the atmosphere was superb as we were encouraged to eat and try dish after amazing dish. Fantastic night
One of my favorites was a small italian in Midhurst (Don Pepino). Its in their front room, husband is a very fat Italian chef, wife is the waitress. Amazing simple Italian food cooked and served by people who love sharing good food with you. Dessert was the best, I'd just been diagnosed as a diabetic so was avoiding sugar. I told the waitress this and suddenly out comes the chef and we start discussing the cheeses he has and he whips me up a fantastic cheese board. Small independent, amazing food and service by people who did it for love not money. Superb.
Shame its gone now
I also love the Latymer in Pennyhill park. You pay through the nose but get good value for money. The staff are excellent - very friendly, the food divine. It has the ambience of style and wealth without being snobish and vulgar. Going there in a couple of weeks with my parents and in-laws, dining at the Chefs table in the kitchen.
Shame its gone now
I also love the Latymer in Pennyhill park. You pay through the nose but get good value for money. The staff are excellent - very friendly, the food divine. It has the ambience of style and wealth without being snobish and vulgar. Going there in a couple of weeks with my parents and in-laws, dining at the Chefs table in the kitchen.
A few opinions on places already mentioned: The Fat Duck is really an experience (I'd recommend anyone do it once) but the Waterside was also wonderful, both excellent service though overall a very, very different experience
Chutney Mary was good as well and I found Benares excellent (though maybe a little pricey)
Many places are 'good' but don't exceed their reputation or the expectation you have of them.
On that basis, I think one of the 'best' meals probably actually goes to breakfast at Le Manior - we'd had a really wonderful dinner the night before but I just wasn't ready for the choice and quality of the breakfast there.
If I'm honest I thought GR@Claridges was expensive and a bit 'stuffy' - we just didn't feel that comfortable there and shows that its the overall impression that counts. The food was first class but it just didn't hit the mark generally.
Many of the smaller 'no name' places offer excellent food, good service and a price that's definitely reasonable - several around where we live that we go to time and again. They wouldn't compare 'money no object' to some of the big names but sometimes you just want a damn good meal at a place that remembers your name...
Arese said:
prand..and others said:
..some good stuff...
Good stuff guys. I'll keep my eye on this thread as we're always looking for new places to try.matt3001 said:
Simon Radleys is pretty damn good and having a bestoke menu at Fraishe on the Wirral.
We spend a lot of time over there with Mrs Arese' family so we'll hopefully get to try that out. (http://www.restaurantfraiche.com/) I take it?Have you tried the Marsh Cat in Parkgate? Not been for a couple of years but it was excellent then..
the Marsh Cat is still excellent as are Mr Chows (on the other end of the same row as the m cat) and 107 in Heswall have also go a rather extensive list of places I wont eat in again, but I think that would fall foul of the name and shame rules 
Edited by AndrewW-G on Sunday 9th August 19:46
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