No Expert News – No Expert …but I know what I like

What’s coming Next?

Christmas is on its way, so it’s time to organise the restaurants we are going to visit over the course of the next few weeks.

This year for a change and as a precursor to moving to Kent permanently, we are focusing on that area. We have a trip planned to what is probably the most famous Kent restaurant of them all (at least in the gourmet category) – The Sportsman a rather special Michelin starred restaurant located in an unassuming pub on the outskirts of Whitstable.

The other places on our list are less well known, they include favorites like Age & Sons and the Caboose Cafe plus we have plans to try the beautifully located Wyatt & Jones in Broadstairs, with its stunning views of Viking Bay (or at least they were stunning until the recent floods). I sampled Wyatt & Jones food earlier this year at the popular Broadstairs Food Festival so am looking forward to seeing what the kitchen can produce, especially since they bake their own breads, smoke their own fish and butcher their own meats.

We are also keen to check out The Empire Room which is due to open soon in the Royal Harbour Hotel, Ramsgate.

Return to top page

What’s coming Next?

Christmas holidays of course. This is the time of year where it’s often difficult to find that special meal. Either the restaurant you want is fully booked, or it’s just doing a boring and overpriced Christmas Menu or it’s closed for the holidays. However over the last few years we have found that if you look carefully and book with enough advance notice you can still find some gems around the Christmas season.

This year we have chosen two very different but highly acclaimed restaurants that we have not visited yet :-

The Medlar

One of this years shining stars, it is run by an ex-Chez Bruce team, so it has quite a pedigree to go with its newly acquired Michelin Star and its string of stellar reviews.

Roganic

Simon Rogan’s famous London Pop-up (an off shot of L’Enclume)

Click here to view some of the amazing dishes that come out of the Kitchen.

We are also returning to a couple of favorites:-

Jose – Best Tapas in London!

Bar Boulud – Best Burgers in London!

Can’t wait 😉

Return to top page

What’s is No Expert doing next?

Well, we are working our way slowly through our Wish list, with visits to Bob Bob Ricard and the oh so famous Sketch, which should be interesting!

Sketch won a No Expert award for the worst restaurant web site a while back, but they have completely revamped it now. The new one is much easier to navigate, but still a bit OTT and not exactly easy on the eyes, as you will see if you click on this link.

We are also trying out a new place at Londons Vertical Gateway or Battersea Heliport as it is better known. It’s called Patrisey. I am sure it won’t be in the same league (food wise) as the two restaurants I have just mentioned – It has a VIEW and from experience we have found that the better the view the worse the food tends to be. Here’s hoping it’s one of the exceptions to that unwritten rule 😉

There is a bit of a Russian Theme here with Bob Bob Ricard off course and the fact that Sketch and Hotel Verta (where Patrisey is located) look like the sort of venues where you might spot the odd Russian Oligarch.

What’s coming next ?

The restaurants on our list for the next couple of months include some old and some new :-

LONDON – ENGLAND

Chez Bruce – Making a return visit, just because it’s so good.
Chor Bizarre – A new venue for us, reviewing the branch in Mayfair, not the one in Delhi or Noida 😉
La Trompette – Making a return visit after a gap of a couple of years to this Nigel Platts-Martins restaurant in Chiswick.
Launceston Place – Making a return visit after a gap of almost two years to Tristan Welch’s restaurant in Kensington.
Maze – Making a return visit, Alex Marks formally of the Foliage has replaced Jason Atherton as head chef.
Morton’s Club – Making a return visit to this exclusive private members club.
Roux at Parliament Square – A lunch time visit for a change.
Seven Park Place by William Drabble – A first time visit to this highly acclaimed restaurant in St James Club and Hotel.
Trinity – A first time vist to this Clapham Restaurant, its has been on the wish list for a while.

NEW SOUTH WALES – AUSTRALIA

Rick Stein at Bannisters – Our Australian correspondent visited Ricks restaurant in Cornwall a couple of years ago so should be in a good position to see how the Australian outpost compares. Apparently it’s a tad warmer there than Padstow.
Quay – One of the Sydney’s top restaurants.

What’s coming next ?

Having lunch at Dinner – Heston Blumenthals historically themed and much talked about venture at The Mandarin Oriental.

Planning trips to :-

The Glasshouse – The only restaurant in the Nigel Platts-Martins stable of restaurants we have not been too.
Kitchen W8 – Phillip Howards restaurant in Kensington which was recently awarded a Michelin star. Phillip Howard is Nigel Platts-Martins partner at The Square, so there is a bit of a theme here too!
Bistro Bruno Loubet at The Zetter

and maybe, as we head into Spring, visit some Seaside Restaurants around the Kent and Suffolk coasts.