Review - Limoncello, Abingdon 5 December 2008

Limoncello Restaurant

13, Ock St
Abingdon
Oxfordshire
OX14 5AL
Tel: 01235 530900

I like Italian food, but sometimes it can seem as if the myriad chains of Yet Another Generic Italian Restaurant are strangling real, quality Italian meals. So it's great to see a small, family-owned Italian restaurant in Abingdon doing so well.

Limoncello is situated on Ock Street in Abingdon, and despite it's proximity to the (frankly dire) Ask!, never seems to be lacking business. A nice touch is the plate of olives on the table from the outset, giving you something to nibble on while you peruse the menu without having to pay extra for it (as so many places do).

The food itself, while not spectacular, is good, honest fare, well-cooked and well-presented. I started with grilled sardines, which were lifted from the ordinary by a light mint dressing, and The Darling G's mussels were well complemented by their tomato, garlic and basil sauce.

For main courses, I chose a sirloin steak which was perfectly cooked - and the tomato, garlic and oregano sauce, while strong, was not overpowering. The Darling G went for a rack of lamb which was perfectly cooked for our tastes (though maybe a touch too rare for others), though its red-wine sauce was a little bland. The side dishes of saute potatoes, green beans, carrots and fried shredded courgette were well-cooked and tasty.

Service was quick, attentive and old-fashioned, with even the traditional large pepper-grinder coming out for every single course! I found myself wondering if they'd do the same for my espresso.

The whole meal was washed down with a pretty good bottle of house Red, and finished with a liqueur coffee for The Darling G and the ubiquitous double espresso for me (plus a couple of free Limoncellos!). The bill including drinks and service was a not-unreasonable £60.

So the conclusion? Don't bother with the execrable Ask!. Support a local business rather than a chain, walk a few yards up the road and eat at Limoncello.

Review: Wagamama Oxford, 30 November 2008

Wagamama
8 Market Street
OXFORD
OX1 3EF
phone : 01865 249 183

Noodles shouldn't really be interesting. However, visit Wagamama and I can assure you they will be!

Sited on Market Street, just far enough from Cornmarket to avoid the crowds of Japanese tourists and frantic Christmas shoppers, the cube-shaped exterior and large glass frontage hint at what's to come.

Inside, the blocky theme continues with chunky tables and bench seats, arranged not in the usual clusters of two and four but instead in long refectory-style formations. Of course, being British, we found a spot at a discreet distance from our co-diners.

As for the food - well, this is fast-food Japanese style. The food was very quick in coming, hot, tasty and well-presented, and with portions large enough to satisfy even my stomach.

The Darling G went for the Steak Soba (fried noodles) and I chose the Wagamama Ramen, a noodle soup with chicken, fish, mixed vegetables and the obligatory (pointless and tasteless) Tofu, my feelings on which are well documented. You can see the Ramen in the above photo, and I liked the quirky wooden soup spoon (though it actually made it impossible to eat the soup with any dignity!)

The cost of the meal was reasonable, at £31 including drinks and service. Green Tea was free, which was a thoughtful touch.

Overall, Wagamama Oxford is fun, funky and fast. A good destination for a quick and filling lunch when you're out and about, though personally I still prefer Yo! Sushi overall.

Easy Pork Steaks That Taste Complicated!

Given the globe-trotting nature of The Darling G's employment, you may have correctly surmised that I spend a great deal of time eating alone. As a result, it can be difficult to make sure that I eat properly - but I try, and what I thought I'd do is share with you the odd recipe or two that I use, when alone, so cook up something tasty (and quick) to eat! This one, for example, normally takes me about 25 minutes overall. Plenty of time for a busy Man. And it looks, and tastes, as if it took a great deal longer.

Oh - and if you're single, you can use them as an 'offer to cook', which should result in you no longer being single. Just call me the Lurve Doctor.

So for this one, you'll need:

• Two Pork steaks (or chops, I don't really care);
• Various veg (I used baby sweetcorn, brocolli, mange-tout and leeks. Choose anything that'll steam quickly);
• A lug of Veg stock (or pork stock) and some water;
• A couple of spuds;
• A glass of red wine;
• Plenty of butter.

Peel and chop your spuds, and stick them on to cook.

Put a frying pan on a low heat. Add a good knob of butter and a bit of oil. Chuck in the pork. Cook the steaks on a lowish heat for 10 minutes. Leave them alone - don't move them.

You've got plenty of time now to sort out your veg and pop it all into a steamer. Stick the kettle on as well.

Turn the pork steaks. Another ten minutes. DON'T MOVE THEM.

10 minutes later:

Steaks out of the pan, spuds off the heat, water into the steamer, veg onto the steamer, Put the steaks aside to relax, set the timer for another 10 minutes.

Whack the heat right up under your frying pan, pour in your wine and scrape the pan clean. Add your stock and water. Let it reduce while you mash your spuds.

In the last two minutes, throw a bit more butter into the sauce and stir like mad. It'll thicken up and go glossy.

Pork steak. Mash. Fresh, steamed veg with a killer wine reduction. Less than 30 minutes from first getting the idea, and rather tasty if I do say so myself.

And it could get you lucky. Aren't I helpful?

Review: Cafe de Paris, Monaco 18 October 2008

Cafe de Paris is one of the main tourist traps in Monte Carlo, situated as it is on Casino Square.

For a quick coffee while touring the Principality, there's nowhere better, and you can sit in the square watching the tourists dribble over the vast array of supercars parked outside the Casino and Hotel de Paris. The hot chocolate is especially good, served in a jug rather than just a small cup.

As for dinner - that was more of a mixed blessing really.

Firstly, it's a good idea to dress for dinner - while there seemed to be no public statement of the fact, simply everyone, French or otherwise, were outfitted in suits and dresses.

Despite its size, service from the waistcoated staff is quick and attentive.

Our starters were both excellent - Gerry went for their onion soup, which was fresh and tasty (though not as deeply flavoured as others) and I chose a soupe de poisson, served with side dishes of grated cheese, croutons and rouille. It was fully flavoured, and deeply satisfying. First class. However, while my main course of grilled whole seabass was as good as my starter, Gerry's chicken was disappointing - slightly overcooked and a little dry.

The meal was washed down with a bottle of white, and we skipped desserts.

Overall, this meal was an enjoyable experience, but not really worth the 135-Euro price tag. It was merely a good meal, and for that sort of cost in the UK I would expect excellence, which sadly wasn't delivered.

In conclusion - you should definitely visit Cafe de Paris. But go there during the day for coffee, and find somewhere else for dinner.

Review - BeefBar, Monaco 17 October 2008

42, quai Jean-Charles Rey
98000 Monte-Carlo, Principauté de Monaco
Tel. +377 97 77 09 29

Monaco. The glittering Principality with petrol in its veins, and a place where a simple steak frites can be elevated to fine dining.

BeefBar is situated overlooking the harbour in the Fontveille quarter, so you enjoy your meal while gazing covetously at the superyachts moored there. There's no dress code (which seems quite rare for the better restaurants in the area), however we were advised by the concierge at our hotel that I would be 'more comfortable' wearing a shirt. Thankfully, a tie wasn't necessary!

The menu is simple - a few starters, some cold meat dishes, and a range of cuts of beef, arranged on the menu not by cut, but by nationality, with a description of the key points of each nations' offering.

I started with pan-fried foie gras served topped with ground nuts and figs, which was absolutely sublime - however, I actually preferred Gerry's starter of chunks of seared tuna, marinated in garlic, shallots, wine vinegar and ginger, served with individual pots of wasabi cream and ground pistachio. It was almost, but not quite, a ceviche, and utterly fantastic.

Both of us chose sirloin steaks for our main course - Gerry opting for an Argentinian steak, which was as good as Argentine beef always is - and I went for a Kansas beef, from a slightly older animal (27 months as opposed to 18). Both were superb - the differences in flavour were clear, with the Kansas beef more intense and with a fuller, herbier flavour.

The steaks were served with a small pot of creamed potato, which I think will become my accompaniment of choice for beef in future. However, as no mention was made of this accompaniment on the menu, we also ordered some side dishes, and this was unfortunately where we were a little disappointed.

The frites were excellent, and the dish of steamed legumes also well cooked and presented - however the kitchen forgot about our leek gratin, and when it did come out was cold and the parmesan topping unmelted. The waiter handled our complaint well, and as one would expect we weren't charged for the offending dish.

The whole meal was washed down with a bottle of decent French red, surprisingly reasonable given the cost of the rest of the meal!

We didn't bother with desserts, as the portions of the previous courses were more than adequate (especially the 400g steaks). Though the portion of creamed potato was a touch small for two.

Total cost for the two courses, including wine and service, was a not-inconsiderable 195 Euros. However, given that this was in Monaco, which is somewhere we're unlikely to visit very often, it was worthwhile even at that cost.

A True Man's Dinner

A recipe for the times we Men are alone, and cooking just for ourselves.

Ingredients:
1 Steak (see below for specifications);
1 Griddle Pan;
A good handful of peppery salad;
A large handful of asparagus spears;
1 Bottle good Scotch, plus the mixer of your choice;
Salt & Pepper to taste.

First, take your bottle and pour a large Scotch.

Next, place the griddle pan on a high heat, turn on the extractor fan and open a window. You'll need it.

Heat the griddle pan until it's smoking hot. Then heat it some more. And some more. Heat until you can hear the cast-iron singing and the kitchen feels like a sauna.

Heat some more.

Take 1 steak. Sirloin. This is not for preference, it's mandatory. Aged darker than an Aboriginal's arms, streaked through with yellow-tinged fat, thick as two of your fingers. Cheap Tesco meat is not an option here.

Add the steak to your griddle pan.

Cook for three minutes. Revel in the sweat pouring off you. Pour another large Scotch to replace the fluids lost.

Turn the steak. Ignore the flames and smoke. Cook for another three minutes. Boil 2 inches of lightly-salted water in a steamer. Pour another Scotch -for medicinal purposes.

Remove the steak from the pan, and the pan from the heat. Place on a bed of peppery salad (I recommend Waitrose Watercress, Rocket & Spinach) and leave to relax for ten minutes.

Put the asparagus onto the steamer, and cook for ten minutes while the steak is relaxing.

Season to taste, and serve it all with a peppercorn sauce if you must. Bearnaise is for girls.

Revel in the glory of being both man and cook.

Enjoy. And pour another Scotch.

Review: Frankie & Benny's, 4 October 2008

Frankie & Bennys
New York Italian Restaurant and Bar
Ozone Leisure Park, Oxford OX4 4XP

Last weekend Gerry and I took the boys out tenpin bowling, and we decided we'd stop for a spot of lunch beforehand.

We're trying to avoid the usual haunts of McDonalds and Burger King, and take the boys to places they may not have been before, so for a combination of convenience and speed decided to use Frankie & Benny's - after all, it's right next to the bowling alley!

In all honesty, we wouldn't use it for any other reason.

In style, look, decor and even menu, Frankie & Benny's feels like the poor Italian-American cousin of TFI Friday. And let's face it, even that's not saying much.

We didn't bother with starters, instead choosing to share some garlic & tomato bread - a simple pizza base that is almost impossible to mess up, and so it proved on this occasion.

The boys both had pasta dishes from the kids' menu, Gerry went for Chicken Penne Romana, and I plumped for the Manhattan burger.

The food was - alright. Average. Filling without being satisfying. My burger, for example, was large and well-topped, yet the meat was a touch overcooked and despite the amount, the cheese was strangely tasteless. The pasta dishes for the boys were bland and the portions too large, especially for a three-year-old. Our youngest's spaghetti bolognese was a pretty daunting size, even to my gluttonous eyes!

Another small niggle I have - and this is aimed at ALL restaurants which have a children's menu - why do you not have smaller cutlery for children? What's the point in having a small portion, if the knife and fork are too large for small hands? A teaspoon, while a nice offer from a helpful waiter, ain't much use for spaghetti really, is it?

that said, in their defence they offered a well-stocked goodie bag to each of the kids, who also left with a balloon.

Service was attentive throughout, except when it came to paying the bill. I was kept waiting far too long while the waiter chattered with a colleague, and the longer we waited the more fractious the kids became.

Overall, F&B's offered distinctly average food and an equally average experience, not quite managing to be good in any area, while avoiding complete awfulness. Pricing as well was distinctly average, coming out at £38 including service.

In all, then, Frankie & Benny's is a place I'd avoid. Mediocrity is never something I enjoy where my stomach's concerned, and sadly mediocrity seems to be all that F&B can manage.

Review: Carluccio's Oxford 5 October 2008

Carluccio's
42 Oxford Castle, OXFORD OX1 1AY
Tel: 01865 24413

I have to confess that the idea of a quick lunch in Carluccio's Oxford didnt fill me with huge anticipation. To be honest, I was expecing Yet Another Generic Italian Restaurant - and my feelings about those are well documented in prior reviews!

However, I was utterly mistaken in my expectations, and ended up pleasantly surprised!

The place itself feels a little strange, walking through the deli area to get to the tables. While we had a table tucked away at the back, well away from the main door and any potential draughts, I would think it would feel a little exposed sitting near the retail area.

The shop itself is, of course, an Aladdin's Cave for a foodie, with a wide range of traditional Italian delicacies, along with other treats and dry goods. The only thing missing was the smell - while there's lots of good food around, there wasn't the welcoming smell of fresh produce and herbs that one might expect.

For lunch, we started with the savoury bread tin, which comprised a lovely range of breads including a delightful focaccia, with a light texture and a well-salted crust. There was also an excellent sun-dried tomato and walnut (I think) wholemeal. All was served with a first-class, fruity olive oil for dipping.

Our antipasti were a chicken pate for The Darling G (good flavour, and with a firmer texture than most, which gave it a more substantial feel), and for me a surprising dish - Vitello Tonnata. This was thin slices of medium-rare veal, topped with a tuna mayonnaise and capers. I was surprised at how well they went together, and thankfully the capers added to the overall dish rather than overpowering it, as they can so often do.

On to the main courses, where Gerry went for Penne Luganica, which was a delicious ragu made with sausagemeat. I opted for Linguine al Frutti Di Mare, which was packed with seafood and had a clean, clear sauce sparkling with garlic and chilli.

Portions for both courses were more than adequate!

We were in a hurry, so skipped desserts and coffees, but if they were anything like the other courses then I'm sure they'd be good. The bill was reasonable at £41 including a tip for (excellent) service, however neither of us were drinking which pushed the overall cost down.

In all, and as I mentioned at the start, this is anything but a Generic Italian Restaurant. The food's excellent, the service quick and attentive, and the price reasonable. While the nature of Carluccios would make it less attractive for an intimate dinner for two, for a good lunch it's hard to fault it.

Review: ASK Italian, Abingdon 28 September 2008

Pulpit House, 1 The Square, Abingdon OX14 5SZ
Tel: 01235 529699

Just what Abingdon needs - Yet Another Generic Italian Restaurant.

Ask is new here in Abingdon, opening its doors at the beginning of September.

The building itself is fantastic, with wrought-iron pillars and balustrades to the (unused) first floor, and a large terrace area to the front. The building has stood empty for a very long time, so at least it’s good to see it being used.

As you can imagine, Ask is a novelty in town at the moment, so it’s always pretty busy - however we didn’t have a problem getting a table for 4 on Sunday evening. The design of the building means it’s pretty loud, but not too loud for conversation.

However - while the architecture and ambience are great, the food leaves quite a lot to be desired.

The starters were OK - I ordered the mussels and Gerry the stuffed mushrooms. I found the mushrooms nondescript and the mussels, while tasty, were overpowered by the tomato sauce.

The main course - chicken & prawns with butter beans - was again totally overpowered by tomato, and I’d venture a guess that the base sauce was exactly the same as that used for the mussels. Gerry’s Penne with Gorgonzola was claggy (I’d guess that the pasta may even have been reheated) and, surprisingly, lacked any sort of cheese flavour.

We asked the waiter about it and he mentioned that they’d changed the recipe after someone had complained that the dish was 'too cheesy’, which strikes me as odd. Surely if you order a Gorgonzola dish, you’re going to expect it to taste predominantly of the cheese?

A cheesecake for dessert was reasonably good, and the whole meal was reasonably priced, working out at about £35 per head for four of us including wine and coffee.

So overall, Ask Abingdon is Yet Another Generic Italian Restaurant in a town already saturated with Italian food, offering nothing spectacular or memorable about it.

If you want good quality Italian food, I would suggest walking a few yards along the street and going to Limoncello, which is smaller but is, at least, a genuine Italian family restaurant.

Review - Gaucho, 25 April 2008

Sometimes, one just has to have Big Chunks of Red Meat.

And, if one's going to go for a carnivorous carnival, then it's GOT to be Argentinian beef!

Sat on the corner of Sloane Avene and Ixworth Place, Gaucho is a long dining room with an open kitchen, and surprisingly dark despite the windows running the full length of the room. The furnishings and style is unashamedly 70's-man black, chrome and mirrors, and the 'cowhide' seats are an interesting touch...

The bread that our (fantastic) waiter brought out was a revelation, and set the tone for the rest of the meal. The Colombian 'cheese rolls' were light, cheesy and quite frankly fantastic.

We then shared a mix of three of Gaucho's signature ceviches - saltwater trout, prawn and lobster, and swordfish. All were wonderful, but the saltwater trout was especially amazing!

Then, it came time for the main course - Big Chunks of Red Meat.

Prior to choosing, the waiter actually brings a chopping board over, showing the four main cuts of beef Gaucho offer - rump, fillet, sirloin and rib-eye - along with a sample of their lamb and a marinated 'corkscrew cut' rump steak.

Gerry chose the marinated steak, and I went for a 400g sirloin.

Both were absolutely superb - the sirloin, served blue to my liking, was beautifully grilled on the outside, with those touches of slight charring that make a steak interesting, yet it was superbly tender and melted in the mouth. The marinated rump was equally well done, and the whole served with a good plate of fries, mash for The Darling G and a tasty tomato and mixed-leaf salad.

We decided not to bother with dessert, not wanting to spoil our meal by over-filling!

The service was attentive and friendly without being cloying, the branded toothpicks in their 'matchbook' holders a funky touch, and the bill a pretty reasonable £95 including service - which, surprisingly for London, wasn't included as standard!

Everything they say about Argentinian Beef is true. If you're feeling like a caveman, craving lumps of red meat - go there, you'll love it.

Gaucho
89 Sloane Avenue
LONDON
SW3 3DX
Tel: 0871 3327368

Recipe: Chocolate St Emilion Slice

The Darling G made this for an Easter dessert - and it's wonderfully moreish.

300g Dark Chocolate
150ml milk
150ml Golden Syrup
140g unsalted butter
1 Egg, lightly beaten
150g Amaretti Biscuits, broken into pieces
3 meringue nests, broken into pieces
Cocoa for dusting

- Line a 23x13cm loaf tin with clingfilm so that it hangs over the edges.

- Break the chocolate into pieces and combine with the milk, syrup, butter and a pinch of salt in a wide saucepan. Warm gently over a very low heat until everything has melted.

- Slowly stir in the egg to allow it to cook slightly in the chocolate mix before removing the pan from the heat. Fold the broken biscuits and meringue into the chocolate, being careful not to crush them too much - you want whole pieces in the finished terrine togive it texture.

- Pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin, smooth the top with a spatula and tap the tin a few times to force any air bubbles to the surface. Cover with the overhanging clingfilm, and chill for at least 4 hours until firm. Dust with cocoa and slice thinly to serve, allowing the slices to come up to room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Review - Pierre Victoire Oxford 2 May 2008

Gerry and I popped in here for the first time this evening (we didn’t want to queue for Edamame) and we were very impressed, especially as this is part of a chain!

I think we got lucky getting in without a reservation - we saw the somewhat fearsome maitre d’ turn down several less fortunate couples.

As for the food, Gerry and I were both pretty impressed. Gerry started with the Asparagus, topped with parmesan, poached egg and hollandaise, and it was a really lovely dish (though I would have preferred it without the parmesan. While it really worked well flavour-wise, the parmesan shavings were quite large and thick and while the asparagus, poached egg and Hollandaise just melted away quickly, I was left with a large piece of parmesan in my mouth, which made it the dominant flavour and texture. I went for Moules Marinieres which was excellent, and the first time I’ve ever had fennel in a Mariniere, but it worked well.

Mains-wise, G went traditional with the Duck a l’orange (excellent and the duck nice and pink) and I tried the Pork in Mustard which was equally good, sitting atop red cabbage and bacon.

A bowl of frites went down well with both dishes!

I think the only negatives for me were the slightly slow service (not in terms of the food, but in getting extra drinks and paying the bill etc), and as already mentioned the Maitre d’, who is pretty fearsome and seemed quite abrupt, though not rude.

Overall though, at £55 including drinks, coffee and service, this is a pretty good value place and certainly one we’d go to again - though perhaps we’ll book next time!

Pierre Victoire
9 Little Clarendon Street
OXFORD
OX1 2HP
Tel: 01865 316616

Hotel Review: myHotel Chelsea, 25 April 2008

The Darling G and I stayed here on Friday 25 April, as part of her birthday celebrations.

The hotel is an interesting mix - they’ve got it almost right, but we found there were a few less-than-positive notes which were surprising, though they didn’t spoil the overall experience.

The room was smaller than we expected, but nicely finished in a dark red. The fixtures and fittings were all of a high quality, but with the small size of the room it was a little cluttered. Aveda shampoos and the like were a lovely quality touch.

Unfortunately, the bed wasn’t particularly comfortable - having spent the previous night in the Marriott County Hall, we both found the bed far too hard, and neither of us slept particularly well. Additionally, the bath-plug didn’t work properly and got stuck, almost causing a flooded bathroom. And while most of the fixtures were of lovely quality, it was surprising that the room kettle was actually an aging, dirt-cheap Travelodge type plastic thing, which really didn’t go with the overall ambience.

Oh, and there was no bottle-opener in the minibar.

On arrival, the room itself was far too hot, but the air-conditioning made short work of that. The room itself was pretty quiet, especially considering it was on the ground floor, right on Ixworth Place.

We were staying on the ‘myromance’ package, which included a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne, chocolates, massage oil and an ostrich feather. I suppose the ostrich feather is merely an erotic touch - it would have been kinky if it were the whole ostrich!

We eschewed the Continental breakfast on the Saturday morning, choosing instead to have a full English, which was excellent. That said, for £18 it needed to be good!

One small thing that I found intensely irritating was the addition of a ‘Gratuity’ onto everything in the hotel. Simply buying a Scotch in the bar had £1 added onto the already steep cost - and this was done automatically. The drink itself was also expensive - a Scotch and Coke at myhotel Chelsea actually cost almost as much (£8 including service) as a Vodka Martini at the Marriott! That’s not right, guys - sort it out.

There was a slight cock-up on the bill on checkout - the bar had actually added the bottle of champagne as an additional cost (plus a further £6 ‘Gratuity’ for it), when it was supposedly included in the room rate. However, the Reception staff were quick to resolve that for me.

While it was well-placed for the Kings Road (and there’s also a fantastic Argentinian restaurant called Gaucho close by, more on that later), at £239 I can’t really say it was particularly good value - the much larger, and more impressively equipped Marriott room was only £10 more for the night.

Overall, this is a lovely little boutique hotel, and one of those quirky places that sounds great and looks fantastic until you really get up-close and examine it in depth. There’s nothing really wrong with it - it just doesn’t quite live up to its own hype.

myhotel Chelsea
35 Ixworth Place
London
SW3 3QX
Tel: 020 7225 7500

Review: Locale County Hall, 24 April 2008

Locale was a last-minute choice for us, as it was close to the Marriott County Hall and in the middle of a downpour anywhere close was preferable!

The first thing that struck us as we walked in was the wonderful aroma of freshly-grilled beef. The kitchen is a long, thin slice of the restaurant, and is open to view from the dining area.

The restaurant itself is quite stylish, with beautiful looking, waif-thin waiting staff of both genders. Service itself was reasonably quick and efficient.

However, the food itself was a mix in terms of quality.

As starters, Gerry chose the Calamari, and I went for the Salude Miste - a mix of Italian cold meats served on Sardinian flatbread with tomato salsa and shaved fennel. The calamari was pretty generic, tasting like it was pre-purchased (and not a patch on that at Ha-Noi Cafe in Abingdon) and as for the Salude Miste - sadly, that was a triumph of style over substance, with the meats lacking flavour and the bread dry and dull.

However, the meal was rescued by the main courses. My pizza Frutti Di Mare had a wonderful crisp base, and a fantastic tomato and basil sauce with the fresh basil shining through. The seafood was fresh-tasting and lively, while the capers were thankfully not over-used! Gerry's dish - short, thick pasta with an italian sausage ragu was tasty and a far cry from a usual bolognese sauce.

We had other things to do, so we skipped dessert - and this was probably a good thing, as the two courses with a couple of glasses of wine was a total of £58 including the (already added) 12.5% service charge.

Overall, this was a reasonable meal, with nothing that really provoked complaint - but if you are going to spend £30/head on two courses, even in London, you can do much better.

Locale County Hall
3b Belvedere Road
LONDON
SE1 7GP
Tel: 020 7401 6734

Review: Kitsons Restaurant, 26 April 2008

This isn't the first time we've eaten at the excellent Kitsons Restaurant in Abingdon - but it is certainly the biggest table we've ever booked!

As the major part of The Darling G's xxth Birthday celebrations, we took over the entire restaurant, seating some 40 guests and a jazz band for three courses.

Organisation & Planning
We did our best to make things easy for Chris, the owner of Kitsons, by ensuring that we had a solid guest list as early as possible, and making sure everyone had already made their menu choices. To avoid mixups, we even had name-cards printed for the table plan which included that person's menu selections.

Sam, the (new) Manager, was well prepared and even went to the trouble to call us on the morning to make sure absolutely everything was still just how we wanted it. They also gave access to one of The Darling G's friends, so that the whole place was beautifully decorated.

Food & Service
There were plenty of service staff working, meaning everything went pretty smoothly on the night. There was a slight hiccup at the very start of service, but nothing major and after that the waiting team were right on form, and everyone got their food pretty quickly.

And what food it was!

The quality and presentation of Kitsons food is beyond reproach. We'd organised a limited range of main courses, to keep life easy for the kitchen, and everything came out beautifully cooked and exquisitely presented.

Best choices were the Wild Mushroom Pie and Foie Gras Parfait in the starters, and in the mains the Rump of Lamb was wildly popular, served with fondant potatoes and courgettes. Also popular was the 'Kitsons Chicken' - a signature dish of pan-fried breast, confit leg and poached thigh. Vegetarians were well served with a Pea and Asparagus Risotto, which was well-received by the few herbivores at the party.

Dessert-wise, we had a range including Chocolate Torte, Orange Parfait and the absolutely sublime Vanilla Cheesecake.

There were no complaints, not a single plate went back into the kitchen, and the service team made sure everyone was looked after, glasses topped up and additional drinks and coffee quickly and efficiently available.

Value
Given the sheer size of our party, with over 40 covers and an ongoing bar bill, I have to say that Kitsons gave us fantastic value as a whole.

The deal offered by Chris ensured everyone had three beautifully-prepared courses, coffee and service for £30 per head, and even the bar tab wasn't *too* astronomical - considering we went through 25 bottles of red and 10 of white!

Overall, taking into account the bar bill, liqueurs for those who could cope, and a hefty additional tip for the service team, the whole lot worked out at a fantastic £50 per head.

This is quite simply superb value for the quality and service we received on the night.

Overall
Kitsons has only been open in Abingdon a few months, and I sincerely hope it stays with us for a very long time to come.

The mix of service, quality and value at Kitsons is absolutely tremendous. The food, every time we have eaten there, has been simply superb and is worth every penny of the bill and more.

I can't recommend this restaurant strongly enough, and they deserve a solid following not just in Abingdon, but from the whole of Oxfordshire.

Kitsons Restaurant
First Floor
15 High Street
Abingdon
Oxon OX14 5BB

Tel: 01235 526966

Review: Petrus, 24 April 2008

A trip to Petrus was part of my planned celebrations for The Darling G's xxth Birthday.

First thing to say is that it wasn't particularly easy to get a reservation - and even with over 4 weeks' notice, the only time they could fit us in was 2215 on the Thursday night, which was quite amazing really. That said, we did get called the day before and offered a 2115 seat, which was much more bearable!

As for a review - what can anyone say about this place that hasn't already been said?

We went for the 8-course 'Tasting Menu', which started with an astonishing Jerusalem Artichoke soup and then took us through Foie Gras, Turbot with Liquorice, Saddle of Venison and many more.

The food was just beautiful, however the most amazing thing about the restaurant wasn't the food - it was the service! It seemed that there were individual waiters not for each table, but for each activity - so one waiter would remove our plates, another our glasses, a third would bring the fresh wine glasses, the sommelier bring the next glass of wine, then a runner would appear with your dish on a tray, and he would wait for the Head Waiter, who would then place your plate in front of you with a theatrical flourish. It made for great entertainment.

One word of warning - normally when you have a tasting menu, there are 'matched wines' and you get a small amount of the Sommelier's recommended wine with each course. While this isn't something that is specifically offered at Petrus, they will happily match wines for you - however they give a full, large glass of each wine with each course, which meant that by dessert our tastebuds were more than a little blunted by the quantity of alcohol!

As we were Petrus virgins, we were thoughtfully given a copy of the Menu, signed by Marcus Wareing himself, which is a lovely touch and will no doubt bring back memories in the future.

All told, then, an absolutely stunning meal and experience - but equally stunning was the final bill, which came to a heart-stopping (if not sobering) £396 including service! My bank account will be feeling dinner at Petrus long after my stomach has forgotten it...

So - a beautiful place, wonderful food, fantastic service. But definitely, given the cost, a once-in-a-lifetime meal.

Petrus Restaurant
The Berkeley
Wilton Place
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7RL
Tel: 020 7235 1200