The Gun – a real hidey hole

The Gun is a rather special pub in the Docklands.  I have had drinks there on more than one occasion.  It’s quite hard to find, but well worth the trip. It has great river views and is certainly a good vantage point for viewing the Millennium Dome.  However what is really special about this place is the River Room. This private dining room is accessed from behind the bar, you go up a narrow set of stairs and then you are presented with this amazing hidden room.

The room is very elegant, and has a telescope you can use to take in the stunning view.  The food is not spectacular but it is good enough to make this venue a real treat.

Marks out of 10

Food 5

Service 5

Ambience 6

 

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Alfie’s – what’s it all about! (Closed)

Didn’t like the name before I visited, didn’t like the food when I visited.  Then came the bill!, I certainly didn’t like that.

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Alfies at the Bermondsey Square Hotel is not cheap, we went shortly after it opened when they were doing an introductory 50% discount, even with the discount I felt completely ripped off.

For starters I had asparagus with egg (expecting a nice runny egg to dip the asparagus in – got a hard boiled egg and some horrid mushroom sauce).  Then it just got worse, more of the disgusting gravy with my next course, it wasn’t the mushroom sauce but something rather close in taste and consistency.

We ordered a bottle of Chablis for about £26, and like the food it was decidedly inferior, basically I can only describe it as plonk.

This place is way below the standards of the other restaurants in the area.  How it can be described as “a significant addition to Bermondsey’s burgeoning foodie scene”  or as “a place that champions fresh English dishes” is a joke.  I rather wonder if the people who wrote this “advertising copy” actually ate there!

Marks out of 10

Food 2

Service 4

Ambience 2

 

UPDATE December 2010 – Alfie’s now have a new chef;  not sure I can bring myself to go back though.

UPDATE January 2011 – In a few weeks time Masterchef Judge Gregg Wallace is opening a new restaurant in the Hotel, replacing Alfies, see Big Hospitality Artical for details.

UPDATE April 2012 – Have yet to read a positive review of the restaurant (Greggs Table).

UPDATE September 2012 – The Hotel and restaurant are currently being used for the reality show Hotel GB – have to say that the place seems to be more about PR than food.

 

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Harveys Fish Market, Oyster Bar & Restaurant – not the plaice to go!

Harveys of Ramsgate, part of Kent Inns of Distinction, is marketed as a dedicated seafood restaurant  using locally landed fish. A fabulous idea, in theory.

Celebrity TV chef John Burton-Race of the Michelin-starred New Angel in Dartmouth is connected with it, loosely I hope, based on the standards achieved here, both in terms off food and service.

I can not see this place, surviving  the winter. I certainly will not be returning or recommending this unjustifiably overpriced venue. Neither the food quality or the level of service matched the look of the venue. Bland Fish, and one of the worst deserts I have ever had (hard meringue!). Plates passed across my companion at the table, come on – anywhere that typically charges £20 for mains, needs to deliver something a bit special. Then there is the ambience issue,  sitting next to a large noisy table of 10 in a half empty restaurant is far from ideal. This is most definitely not my idea of “fine dining”.

Its pretension without the quality, delivering expensive badly cooked food. Just another “Faux Gourmet” experience.

They could have done so much more in this prime location overlooking Ramsgate Royal Harbour.

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UPDATE October 2009 : Made a return visit to Harveys after all, in light of comments and the award of an AA Rosette. For details see Harveys Fish Market, Oyster Bar & Restaurant – still not the plaice to go!.

UPDATE April 2010 – Back in Ramsgate, this time to try Eddie Gilberts. For details see Eddie Gilberts – reasons to leave London? (Eddie Gilberts 7, Harveys 2)

UPDATE October 2010 – About time!  Harveys is finally closed – RIP please! For more information see post from Isle One.

 

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Alle Murate – Art for Arts’ Sake!

Alle Murate is one of the most unusual and interesting restaurants I have been too for a while. Unfortunately that comment does not apply to the food, which was out of keeping with the surroundings. It should have been modern cutting edge instead it was rather staid.

The restaurant is situated in a amazing set of rooms and has a 500 year old fresco on the ceiling and upper walls, it is a non religious one, which is quite rare.  In the down stairs part of the restaurant under the Plexiglas floor there are some excavated Roman ruins.

Dinners are given headsets for self guided audio tours. It is quite surreal. Definitely worth a visit for the Art work alone.

Click here to access a selection of Videos

Marks out of 10

Food 6

Service 6

Ambience 7.5

 

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Ristorate Dorando, San Gimignano, Tuscany – Faux Gourmet!

Situated in the beautiful Tuscan medieval hill town of San Gimignano, Ristorante Dorando is the place that first got me using the term “Faux Gourmet”.

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San Gimignano

I use it to apply to places that have all the apparent trappings of a gourmet restaurant, i.e., the look, the prices and the marketing hype, which then subsequently fail to deliver anything close to the level of food or service expected in real gourmet restaurants.

Marks out of 10

Food 4

Service 4

Ambience 4

 

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La Giostra – princely!

The menu in La Giostra is a bit scary, if you do not read Italian, as the descriptions are quite detailed. However the friendly and knowledgeable waiter was on hand to help.

La Giostra serves top notch “real” Tuscan food, in a fairly casual enviroment, however do not expect to do a walk in here, the restaurant is good and everyone knows it, it does not need to pick up passing trade.

Marks out of 10

Food 7

Service 7

Ambience 7

 

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