Odette's, London. My Lunch.

Odette’s is located is the fashionable district of Primrose Hill, London on Regents Park Road. The restaurant is surrounded by quaint little shops that sell everything from Cutlery to Cup Cakes. It is a great place to wander and browse in small shops in a relaxed environment without the hustle & bustle of central London.

First Impressions.

On entering the restaurant I was greeted by the maître de, who was very pleasant and showed us to our table. The restaurant is compact and the décor is very warm and cozy. The exposed stone work and modern looking wall paper giving you that intimate feeling. The bar in the basement is cozy and here you can enjoy pre dinner drinks whilst you look at the delightful menu. There is a walled garden terrace at the rear of the premises where you can also enjoy your food, If the weather is good!!!

Service.

The service was outstanding throughout the lunch, all the staff were polite, helpful and very friendly. They also had a good knowledge of menu and answered many questions.  The maître d (Ceri) was a chirpy chap with a good sense of humor and very organised. He ran the front of house with military precision.    

The Food.

There was a good selection of food on the menu, with a choice of a 7 course taster menu or al la carte. There was a good selection of starters and I went with the Pigs Head & Black Pudding Terrine with crisp pig’s ears and apple jelly. What a delightful combination and well presented. It tasted delicious. The Scallops & Chicken Wings starter was also cooked to perfection and well presented and tasted fantastic. For main course we went with the Salt Marsh Rack of Lamb with seasonal vegetables which was excellent. Well cooked, tasty and a good selection of seasonal vegetables. The Halibut with Gnocchi, Pancetta and pea pure was also very good, however the Halibut was overcooked which did spoil an almost perfect dish. For desert we went with the Lemon Curd Artic Roll with Raspberries filled with lemon curd. This was outstanding, well prepared and very well presented. The Cheese served with a selection of bread was enjoyable. A good selection of 5 tasty cheeses on a slate.

Overall

I enjoyed my meal at Odette’s. The service was excellent during a busy lunch time service and the staff were well prepared and organized. The food was almost perfect and we had a great time there. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone and I would definitely return.

Service-   10/10

The Food-  9/10

The Verdict-  9/10

The Bill- £125 soft drinks and 3 courses for 2 people with coffee. 

Would I recommend Odette’s? – Yes.

The Foxhunter, Nantyderry. My Visit.

After a hard day’s tastings at the Abergavenny food festival I decided to book a table at The Foxhunter, home of  Matt Tebutt. I was not dissapointed.

The Restaurant is located about 7 miles from the town  of Abergavenny in a little village called Nantyderry.  This is a stunning rural setting and here you can relax in the peaceful  and tranquil surrroundings of the Usk Vally.  

 First Impressions.

The Foxhunter is an old rural pub with a very modern and warm interior. On arrival my friends and I were greeted by a very polite young lady and shown to our table. We sampled a home made aperitif that was very tasty whilst we browsed the Menu. The restaurant was very busy and the atmosphere was vibrant. The young girl who waited our table knew the menu well and was very informative when questioned.

Service.

The service was outstanding throughout the evening. All the staff were polite, helpful and very friendly. The elderly gentleman who explained some of the wines was informative and funny. He reminded me of a retired army major and I think he could tell a funny story or two. He was a bit of a character. 

The Food.

The menu was simple however, the variety outstanding. To start I tried the Lamb sweetbreads with celeriac & apple remoulade.  A very tasty dish, well presented. This was something different from the normal starters you get at most restaurants and as a butcher who appreciates the different cuts, it was cooked to perfection. Other dishes we tried were Soy shoulder of pork, gem lettuce & pickles, Grilled squid, chermoula & cous cous & Scallops with mushrooms & ham.  For main course I had the Partridge with watercress, choucroute & game crouton. A very tasty dish well cooked with a delicious flavour. Other dishes we tried were Calf’s liver with Jersey cream mash, Longhorn Sirloin with roast potatoes and Hake with a herb crust.  Everyone at the table commented that they would have eaten each others dish as they all looked delicious. Finally for desert I sampled the Tisen Lapp with roasted figs. This was delicious, the sponge was light and tasty as it should be, and the roasted figs were delicious.  Other deserts we tried were Apple & Blackberry cobbler, Almond cake with berries and the cheeses.  All the dishes were cooked to perfection and very well presented. We all had a wonderful evening at The Foxhunter and did not stop talking about our meal all evening.

The Verdict.

The food was first class the service was outstanding and the atmosphere in the Restaurant was superb. My friends and I had a great evening and to finish it off Matt Tebutt walked around the restaurant after a busy nights service talking to the diners. This made the evening for my friends and what a top bloke, he sat at our table for 10 minutes and had a chat with everyone.  

Service-   10/10

The Food-  10/10

The Verdict-  10/10

The Bill- -£200 Drinks, 2 bottles of wine, 3 courses for everyone and coffee. 

Would I recommend? – Yes.

Purnells, Birmingham.

First Impressions.

The restaurant is inside  an old victorian redbrick building on the corner of Corwwall & New Market Street, Birmingham. Once inside you enter the chic modern décor that tastfully transforms this old building into the 20th century.  The decore is modern yet comfortable and provides a subtle and comfortable feel.

       

Service.

The staff  were warm and welcoming and gave us ample time to view the menu. We were provided with some tasty nibbles whilst we made our choices and enjoyed cocktails in the lounge area. The service during our meal was also very good and the staff explained every dish in great detail, however, some of the strong european languages were difficult to understand.  

The Food

We choose the Purnell's Tour, 8 Course Menu, with wine, that certainly appealed to our taste buds and we were not disappointed. The menu was well balanced and the variety of food and blend of spices was outstanding. My favorite dish was the Breast of Duck in a liquorice charcoal with tamarind, purple potato terrine, green beans and rocket. Who would have thought of putting charcoal on duck breast, it was fantastic.   At the start of each course the waiter carefully explained the dish and the wine. This was well executed and each dish timed to perfection even though the restaurant was very busy. 

We finished the night off with a wonderful selection of cheeses and a glass of port. What a great way to end a fantastic nights dining

The Verdict

This is fine dining at it’s best and sets the standard that others should follow. The quality of the service was very good and the food was outstanding. The dishes were creative and presented to the highest standard. A credit to the Michelin standard of restaurants. I would be struggling to find fault with the whole dining experience.  During my visit the restaurant was very busy and this boded well for a vibrant atmosphere. I am certainly looking forward to my next visit. 

The Bill  

Food £80 per person plus £50 per person for the wine selection.

Food  10/10

Atmosphere 10/10

Service 9/10

Would I recommend Purnell’s?  YES.  Would I go there again? YES.

La Becasse, Ludlow.

First Impressions.

La Becasse is a fine dining restaurant situated in Corve Street, a short distance from the town centre of Ludlow. This period property has a number of small cozy dining area’s, typical of this traditional period property. The dark oak wood panel walls and tasteful décor make the restaurant intimate but comfortable.  On arrival we were greeted by a very pleasant  maitre d and shown to our table. He was pleasant informative and made us feel at home.  

Service With A Smile

The service here was very good. We had two servers throughout the meal and they were very professional.  The maitre d who took us to our table on arrival was very polite and informative, he made us feel welcome and relaxed as soon as we arrived. If I was to find fault, and this was only a minor error, it was with one of our servers.  I would say she was very quick and brief with some descriptions of our food as she was paying particular attention to another table and conversing in her native language of French, to the diner and often took her eye of the ball with other tables in the room including my table. Perhaps her youth and inexperience was a contributing factor and it let her down.

The Food

I decided to try the lunch time taster menu as the variety of dishes suited my taste as did my wife. We started with a Tomatoe & Melon Salad with cucumber foam. This was a well balanced dish with light and flavorsome. This was followed by a Beef Carpaccio with egg yolk, parsley, gherkin and sour dough croutons. A tasty follow-up to the first course with some tangy dressings. The Sea Bream that followed was cooked to perfection and the balanced dressing gave the fish a fresh and flavorsome taste.  This was then followed by Chicken Ballotine, my favorite. This was delicious and the jersey royals were full of flavor.  Blood Orange jelly and olive cake was zesty and nice coke granite added to the flavors. Finally the Chocolate Tarte with caramel and banana, goat’s cheese ice cream and peanut brittle was delicious and I wanted more.

The Verdict

This fine dining restaurant certainly sets the standards that others should follow. The quality of the service was very good and the food was outstanding. The dishes that I was served were creative and presented to the highest standard. A credit to the Michelin standard of restaurants. I would be struggling to find fault with the whole dining experience.  During my lunchtime visit the restaurant was reasonably busy and this boded well for a vibrant atmosphere. I am certainly looking forward to my next visit. 

The Bill  

Food £39 per person

Food  10/10

Atmosphere 9/10

Service 9/10

Would I recommend la Becasse, YES.  Would I go there again, YES and very soon.

THE CROWN, WHITEBROOK.

First Impressions.

My wife took me to The Crown for a birthday treat as I am a big foodie fan and the reviews I have read are excellent. The Crown describes itself, “ Set in 5 acres of tranquil landscape gardens in the beautful  Wye Valley. The Crown is one of a total dining experience led by the quality of the food, the ambience of the restaurant and the friendly staff. In fact is is located alongside a country road in the middle of nowhere with steep graded banking and trees all around.

 I was looking forward to my overnight stay and meal with great anticipation. On arrival we were greated and shown to our room. The room was no bigger than a shoe box.  As I opened the bedroom door another door was immediatelly infront of me. This was the door to the very compact en-suite. I turned right and observed a bed of medium size filling the room with barely enough room to walk around it without touching the walls on all sides and the furnishings were cosy & pleasant.  Not a good start, however, as it was only one night I decided to put up with it and not complain. I did  not intend  disapointing  my wife who had gone to a lot of trouble and expense for my birthday treat.

As we relaxed on the bed for a few hours I noticed some home made welsh cakes on a coffee tray. I decided to try them with a cup of freshly brewed  coffee. They were dry and hard and had obviously been there all day. 

Service With A Smile

The staff were very pleasant throughout. On arrival we were greated by a very curteous young lady who explained everything to us. The staff that served us throughout the night, from the time we entered the restaurant were pleasant and curteous but they lacked a little knowledge when I asked questions of the food authenticity. The decore of The Crown is like an old country pub with a modern twist. Exposed beams in the ceeling, clean white paint and large leather sofas in the reception area make the place feel cosy.  The crisp white table cloths and modern cutttelry bring a tasteful presence to the dining room.

The Food

I decided to go for the tasting menu however there was no menu to follow as the matre de explained this changes daily and the chef cooks a variety of food so the food would be created for us. My wife was a liittle aprehensive as she likes to know what she is eating but we decided to be adventerous.

A starter of Potatoes & Truffle served with a Parducci Chardonnay was delightful and full of flavours for such a simple dish. 

This was followed by Foie Gras, Apricot and White Choclate served with a Heller Estate Chenin Blanc. A little under cooked to my taste, however, satisfactory.

We then had Brill, Peas , Capers & Asperagus served with a Pacherenc Blanc SecChateau Bouscasse, 2006. This was a delightful dish well cooked and presented and on of my favourites. Full of flavour a  tasty variety of food.

Following on from this we had Duck, Maple, Date & Lentils,  served with a Cotes du Rhone Nature 2008. The Duck was tough and undercooked. Duck is one of my favourit edishes and I was very disapointed. When I asked the waitress for the breed she did not know and on returning from the kitchen stated it was a gressingham. I have  tasted many in my time but this was sub standard.

The first of the deserts was a Chocolate, Banana & Yohurt served with a San Emilio Pedo Ximenez. The flavoures were delicious and zingy, a delightful dish.

The second desert was Blackberry cheesecake with Apple & Parma Violet that was served with Elysium Black Muscat. Another delightful desert with a tasty variety of flavours.

The Verdict

My verdict is harsh but please understand I have dined in some of the finest restaurants. This is no more than good quality restaurant foodand not Michelin standard. Some dishes were sublime, some disapointing. The service was good but not brilliant. The ambience in the restaurant was stuffy and certainly not vibrant. With only a limited amount of tables in the two room dining area it lacked a certain buzz. I expect the server to know most things about the food prepared and cooked, however, this was not the case and she kept returing from the kitchen with a limited explanation.   Both my wife and I were disappointed and as for the room, I have stayed in bigger rooms in a Travel Lodge.

The Bill  

Room £125.00

Food £175

Food  5/10

Atmosphere 3/10

Service 7/10

Would I recommend The Crown, NO.  Would I go there again, NO.

Y Polin, Nantgaredig, Carmarthen.

When I dined at Y Polin the arrival and welcome was warm & friendly and we were shown to our table promptly.  After ordering our food & wine we had a 45 minute wait for the starter to reach the table. When the wine arrived it was dumped on the table and the waitress left without asking us if we wanted to taste the wine.  The starters, Scallops & Pate were well presented however, the pate had been taken straight from the fridge and was too firm to spread with the toast. The main courses, Belly Pork & Lamb Hot Pot arrived 35 minutes after our starters left the table. The lamb was very good tasty & well presented however, the pork was burned and the strong smell of charcoal was overpowering which was very disappointing. The deserts, panacotta with plumbs & Crème Brule were very good and they arrived a little quicker than the rest of the food. I was very disappointed by the whole dining experience as it was a birthday surprise and I was disappointed as it was just like an average pub grub experience. All the reports I have read have been excellent and after watching the television series about the owners and their approach to good local food I would say that their standards have certainly gone down hill. I dine out on a regular basis and don't mind paying for quality. The total cost for two people including a bottle of wine was £95 and when the bill was initially presented we had been overcharged. I have to say this was rectified quickly. Compared to many restaurants that I have dined in this one would not get my vote and I would not return there again.

Cost £95.  3 courses for 2 & 1 bottle of wine.

Food 6/10

Atmosphere 8/10

Service 2/10

Go again – Never