Category: UK

The Park at the Mandarin Oriental – so long and thanks for the desserts! (Closed)

For a group booking it will be hard to beat this location,  for either the glamour of the venue or the value for money.

When I went to The Park, it was with a group of 12  people, and we were choosing from an early evening set menu that included unlimited wine with the first two courses.

The food and the service were of the high standard you would expect from the Mandarin Oriental, but what really surprised us was the range of options.  How many places do you know that do a set menu where 12 people can all have different desserts?.

On the down side, you do have the Mandarin bar next door, so anything you save on the food will most likely get spent on the fabulous cocktails.

You will however need to get in quick, before The Park disappears in the planned refurbishment to fit in Heston Blumenthals new London venture : see Foliage replacement – the Gossip.

Marks out of 10

Food 7.5

Service 7.5

Ambience 7

Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saison – any occasion!

Looking for an occasion to make a return trip to this oasis in Oxfordshire.

Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saison is just stunning, situated in the village of  Great Milton  just outside Oxford.  You can get a train to Haddenham and Thame station (10 minutes away) or Oxford station (25 minutes away) or if you have money to burn  you can always park your helicopter on the private helipad.

The Helicopters were arriving and departing quite frequently when we were there, it was the only thing disturbing the tranquility of the place.

We went for the tasting menu followed by coffee and Petits fours in the garden. One course was a standout (much too everyone’s surprise). It was “stuffed courgettes” – I hate courgettes!  I have no idea what they did to them,  but the dish was a talking point for a long time afterwards. The rest of the meal was splendid too.

After lunch, weather permitting it’s nice to be able to wander round the grounds, and explore the large vegetable patch and  Japanese Garden.

My visit was a while ago, before I started photographing my food and surroundings, which is a real shame. All I have now are my memories, one of the strongest of which is how relaxed I felt on the visit. A visit that encompassed one long sunny Sunday afternoon but somehow felt like I had actually been on holiday for a week.

Marks out of 10

Food 8.9

Service 8.9

Ambience 9

 

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Mint Leaf – pose on the cat walk!

You will find the Mint Leaf just off Haymarket in Piccadilly, it’s an ideal pre-theatre location.

The entrance is a bit off putting, but once you get in, there is a smart bar and very “Modern Indian” Restaurant. The food is off a high standard and designed for sharing. I would recommend you order maybe 6 or 7 of the smaller dishes to share between 2. This being subject to appetite and wallet!. This approach can get expensive, so I would look out for one of the toptable deals that offer  a 50% discount, they come up quite often for the Mint Leaf.  Some nice wines too – no discount on them unfortunately.

There is also what I can only describe as a Cat Walk in the main dinning room, so I guess you could “pose” here too.  The restaurant has 1 AA Rosette, which it certainly merits.

 

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Lambeth Pier Fresco Cafe (now Riverside Cafe) – AKA “The Hut”

Lambeth Pier Fresco Cafe AKA “The Hut” has to be one of my favorite breakfast locations, it is just a hut on the river at Lambeth Pier with views of the Houses of Parliament.

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At first glance you may think tourist trap – they have postcards and cheap trinkets on sale outside. The location is just too good. It’s right next to where the Tourist buses park for River boat trips and Japanese tourists pose next to the red telephone box. Don’t let that put you off, as “The Hut”, which is pretty much a glorified Sandwich Bar with outside tables, does a mean bacon sandwich and is a great place to watch the world go by.

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UPDATE : September 2010 – The Hut is now under new management and called Riverside Cafe. It no longer has the souvenir stand and has extended its menu to cover a larger selection of breakfast options.

Marks out of 10

Food 4.5

Service 5

Ambience 5

 

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Baltic – getting colder!

I used to love Baltic, good tasty Eastern European food and a great selection of flavoured vodkas, plus they had a Jazz singer on Sunday evenings to add some atmosphere (its a big room so it needs it!). My last visit was disappointing, let down very badly by the service, although on the plus side they knew it and gave us both some free vodka’s. The food is not as good as it used to be, but still of a reasonable standard. The vodka list has shrunk and the bar now seems to focus more on cocktails.

I would also say this is more of a winter venue due to the type of food they serve.

 

 

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The Ivy – A list or Z list?

Celebrity hang out? I am not convinced. I have been here twice now and if you do spot anyone familiar, it is pretty much a Z lister. Then again I have not really been there on the popular nights. It was so hard to get a table, we just took what we could get.  To guarantee a table, you may have to book 3 months in advance.

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The venue is not pretentious, it’s actually very cosy, a bit of a refuge from all the hustle and bustle of theatre land. The food is surprisingly simple and Italian in influence. It is not cheap, but neither is it rip off prices. I particularly enjoyed the honeycomb ice cream desert.

They layout of tables is very good for people watching, no facing the wall for the Gents in this venue. On one visit, we were entertained by the chap at the next table (who had obviously just got back from a holiday in Spain) repeatedly shouting ¡HOLA! to get the waiters attention, the amusing part was when his girlfriend got up to go to the loo, and did not return!

 

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