Richard Bagnold

This was a lovely change of scene giving simple and enjoyable Italian food for lunch. The set menu of £23 for 3 courses was very attractive value for money and the mains also had small and larger sized / priced options that I also thought was very good as an option. All in all this was a very nice lunch and the lasting impression was of a casual and comfortable visit with definitely pleasing food.

The food itself was very nicely done I thought and the great moments were the truffled rice balls (truffle arancini) having a superbly balanced truffle flavour, the wonderful foccacia bread at the start (wonderful moistness as well as being fresh) with very good olive oil, beautifully textured beef slices with horseraddish and cripsy onions and the amazing disaronno (Amaretto liqueur) flavoured tart – the former having the perfectly fresh but warm eggyness and wonderful balance with simple cherries in support.

The food itself was very nicely done I thought and the great moments were the truffled rice balls (truffle arancini) having a superbly balanced truffle flavour, the wonderful foccacia bread at the start (wonderful moistness as well as being fresh) with very good olive oil, beautifully textured beef slices with horseraddish and cripsy onions and the amazing disaronno (Amaretto liqueur) flavoured tart – the former having the perfectly fresh but warm eggyness and wonderful balance with simple cherries in support.

The main pasta dishes were pleasant and certainly had agreeable flavours but a bit of bone and grissle in the rabbit dish made me a little wary of ongoing mouthfuls. The wines were well chosen by our barman and was very good having wine option chats with the barman whilst dining at the counter and the half bottle of Asti dessert wine for £20 (also DOCG & the highest tier of verified Muscato grape) was a lovely finish.

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This is a lovely 1 Michelin starred Indian restaurant with impeccable service. We were made to feel extremely welcome throughout our visit from entering to leaving and all the floor staff knew their products and made sure we were attended to at every turn. We opted for the set menu on this occasion which was £35 pp for a welcome bellini, popadoms (with excellent chutneys) starter, main, sides, naan breads (plain), desserts and tea with petits fours. This was absolutely excellent value for money on the pre-theatre evening menu (available up until 7pm) and I was honestly defeated hands down on this menu being utterly stuffed at the end.

That would be my only criticism as we were almost unable to walk afterwards and hadn’t even finished all the dishes. The food itself was hearty, fulsome and absolutely enjoyable. Highlights on this occasion were the date and tamarind chutney (sublime) to go with such light popadoms as well as the supreme of chicken breast, creamy chicken tikka (done just about as well as it possibly can be), velvety pistachio kulfi (intensly creamy ice cream) and actually the white chocolate coated mint leaf petit four which was superb. All in all, this really was a great set menu and very good value for money served by very caring staff. A superb option if you like carefully prepared curry and reasonable prices combined!

That would be my only criticism as we were almost unable to walk afterwards and hadn’t even finished all the dishes. The food itself was hearty, fulsome and absolutely enjoyable. Highlights on this occasion were the date and tamarind chutney (sublime) to go with such light popadoms as well as the supreme of chicken breast, creamy chicken tikka (done just about as well as it possibly can be), velvety pistachio kulfi (intensly creamy ice cream) and actually the white chocolate coated mint leaf petit four which was superb. All in all, this really was a great set menu and very good value for money served by very caring staff. A superb option if you like carefully prepared curry and reasonable prices combined!

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Quite simply this is still one of the most reasonable Michelin starred restaurants in London. £23 for 3 courses on the weekend lunch menu (as well as weekday lunch) is outstanding value and the quality of the dishes was wonderful on this visit. I particularly loved the snacks at the beginning which were on the a la carte, especially the quail’s scotch egg which was utterly sublime. Wine is also available by the carafe adding to the easy going, comfortable and value for money mood of this restaurant; our chardonnay was very crisp and light and chosen well by the staff to match our dishes. This is the sort of place one can drop in anytime and get well prepared dishes and which, most importantly taste excellent. This is a completely safe bet option for great return everytime – really glad to have got back after 5 years (which I didn’t realise had been that long!) and return to what was clearly an upgrade in terms of the dishes.

Food Grade: 86%

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This was frankly a belter of a meal. I probably over did it volume wise on this occasion but for 4 people I didn’t want to take any chances and was lovely to get as many dishes as possible to experiment with which, basically ended up as a full blown banquet. It included the same, lovely South West coastal Indian food with emphasis on fish as a result and everything brought to the table was just wonderfully delicate. From the dahl, to the fish broth, to the cauliflower crispy fries to the black cod and even the rice – every dish was beautifully made and a pleasure to have. It was also interesting to see the okra fries and comparing to those of Dishoom; the ones at Quilon I felt were ever so lighter. Apart from minor language barriers with some of the staff, the hospitality here was entirely warm and attentive and as my third visit here, I am now utterly convinced this will always be a wonderfully safe bet and superb experience from the warmth of the staff combined with the beautifully prepared food. I might add I felt in very comfortable hands from the staff on the special and unique occasion it was as well.

Food Grade: 80%

The mini popadoms were so light and cripsy, the home made condiments of chili and coconut cream (and mango chutney obviously) were all entirely lovely and the dishes of coconut cream chicken (utterly succulent), fish broth, prawn masala, beautifully balanced lemon rice and especially the mango curry which was beautifully creamy (with an almost cheese undertone) were all hitting the pleasure valves. What was also lovely was having different pre-dessert sorbets which were catered for the different curries we had had. As an aside, there was also a very good seafood and vegetarian set of tasting menu options, and maybe this is why Sir Paul McCartney was looking like he was enjoying his meal very much as well, being a staunched vegetarian.

Curries will never be pieces of technical wizardry, by the nature of what they are, but when passion and pride has gone in their preparation, it is clear as a bell on the palate and this is what I had – Indian food (from the SW coast of India) done very well, packed with lovely extras producing a meal where I left with a belly fit for hibernation and another kind of glow from having been looked after so nicely. Bravo Quilon, a lovely visit, and I look forward to coming again whenever I can.

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This is simply an outstanding value for money eatery. Why? Because there are not that many other places you can have a glass of Kir Royale (champagne and crème de cassis) for £4.25 and a three course set menu supper for £11.90(!). The quality of the cooking will suit almost any taste buds (was warmed to see that the hollondaise to go with my salmon fish cake main was made in the kitchen) and the liver mousse, salmon cakes and chocoloate pot were all completely lovely no question. The only negative being I was only just full at the end, but then again, at £11.90 for the 3 courses (as long as ordered before 7pm) one cannot expect the earth on a plate (some more veg woud not have gone a miss though). The service was very caring and I cannot sing highly enough about this chain for its unpretentious nature and simple quality for such good value. Encore Côte!

Food Grade: 62%

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My third visit to the haven in Cambridge and what I can only describe as a national treasure. It was a gorgeous day to visit and I don’t think I’ve seen Midsummer House looking so picturesque as it was yesterday (pretty much in its absolute prime) and the new pathway and garden furniture has made it look even more of what is basically an enclosed sanctury of excellence. The summary for this visit is that the menu was probably the most creative and theatrical I have seen it on any occasion and although it was always going to be difficult to trump previous dishes had to date, the whole show was just exquisite.

I was able to utilise the garden for the first time (for pre-lunch drinks) and this was lovely to do and it really did feel special to be there. Sometimes, I find myself being more excited over the canapés than the main dishes as every restaurant will have main courses, but only those with real class and love for the entire experience will stretch to pre-meal nibbles of the highest calibre and this was certainly the case with the bloody mary foam canapé to enjoy in the garden with our champagne (a very refreshing Bollinger as the house fizz). The mini eclair made of cream cheese inside with truffle sauce on the top to look like a normal, sweet eclair was frankly a masterstroke and so delicate, as were the crispy cheese puffs with lime that accompanied. I loved the liver mousse ‘lollies’ wrapped in strawberry tuile and all these treats just made one extremely happy and confident things were going to be great….again(!).

I was able to utilise the garden for the first time (for pre-lunch drinks) and this was lovely to do and it really did feel special to be there. Sometimes, I find myself being more excited over the canapés than the main dishes as every restaurant will have main courses, but only those with real class and love for the entire experience will stretch to pre-meal nibbles of the highest calibre and this was certainly the case with the bloody mary foam canapé to enjoy in the garden with our champagne (a very refreshing Bollinger as the house fizz). The mini eclair made of cream cheese inside with truffle sauce on the top to look like a normal, sweet eclair was frankly a masterstroke and so delicate, as were the crispy cheese puffs with lime that accompanied. I loved the liver mousse ‘lollies’ wrapped in strawberry tuile and all these treats just made one extremely happy and confident things were going to be great….again(!).

The whole 10-course tasting menu for me was the same as a day out to Thorpe Park for a 10-year-old and I will allow the photos to do most of the talking. I will obviously mention though, that the absolute fairground ride moments for me on this occasion (based purely on the mouth sensation) were the bloody mary canapés, nitrogen goats cheese to go with the ‘fillet’ of beetroot (carved and scooped at the table), egg with truffle and Jerusalem artichoke velouté, foie gras on fried sourdough, smoked quail egg wrapped in potato string and the strawberry ravioli dessert – so quite a few!

We were also guided and looked after superbly by the sommeliers who allowed us to try a taster for the follow up white and red before choosing and the standout wine was the creamy Chablis Beru which was utterly luxurious as the main bottle to accompany the first two hours of the meal. The red thereafter by the glass was well chosen (Faustine) to go with the lamb and the final star of the show on the drinks side being the wonderfully flowery and fresh, sparkling Asti which, again is just a knock out for the restaurant to recommend and was simply gorgeous – doubly so in the sun!

Although this was a lunch, I actually viewed this as a day out as we were able to dine (with breaks in the garden or upstairs) for the entire afternoon almost right up to half an hour before dinner and although the staff rarely get to feel it, I can say this is utterly appreciated as a diner, as you simply feel so welcome as opposed to be being pushed out to make way or another service. So thank you to Mr Clifford for having this approach, allowing a higher experience and to all the staff who sweated to keep the grand experience going for the whole afternoon – a strong effort from the team which does not escape me and was really appreciated by all of us.

Third visit and third magical experience at Midsummer House – the conclusion is that one is basically guaranteed to have an utterly sumptuous experience here and this will remain one of the highlights of my 2015.

The sweetbreads with syrup foam was an instantaneous love and all the dishes on his tasting menu were utterly enjoyable – there was not one dish that I thought was average, although if there had to be one in last place it would probably be the pineapple dessert, but even that with its candy floss and popping candy was such fun. Another note needs to be mentioned on his utterly sublime layered shot glass of maple syrup, egg yolk, Jack Daniels egg-white foam with chive, salt and pepper seasoning.

I have re-created this on dinner occasions and is exceedingly difficult to get to his level but even the amateur version is wonderful. And this was just a pre-dessert! It was a superb transition from sweet to savoury and unlike anything I have had before hence its special mention. The only negative if there is one is the lack of a more simple set menu at lunch or the ability to have something more simple on a Saturday making it not a quick drop in or saver option in terms of cost.

Daniel Clifford himself even spared the time to have a coffee with myself and best bud at the table after the meal as he could see good food meant a lot to us and was superb to have this on two levels: 1) it is rare these days to see celebrity head chefs and owners actually at the pass in the love of their original talent and 2) it was just lovely to meet the guy, talk about things, put the world to rights on food and for him to have the time to say hello. Overall, this was a marvellous meal and rates among the highest experiences in terms of joy of flavours I have had.

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Well what a peach to finally do! This is what I would describe as the ultimate burger fest available in London on two counts: 1) the care and attention to the food is immaculate in that the meats and bbq and bacon jam sauces are carefully thought out and made as well as the vanilla syrup infused brioche bread (with glaze of the syrup on top of bun) to go with the pulled pork burger and the potato bread to go with the brisket; and 2) the brisket burger was an immediate holy moly moment – both burgers were wonderful, but I knew instantly with the brisket I would be recommending to close friends to try this as soon as humanly possible.

Then there were other lovely touches as well like the cheese sauce to go with the chips as a bechemel cheese sauce with bacon, meaning it did not go hard within 30 seconds of cooling and proving to be an utter guilty pleasure delight and I also loved the communal tables. This has to be done again and am so pleased it is finally in the bag so I can say outright what the score here is: it is the pinnacle of comfort food, worthy of a drop in lunch or pre-going out ‘you need a decent hit and quickly’ meal or, probably the greatest hangover food you are likely to come across in the world. I didn’t have enough room for the onion rings but I am reliably told these are to die for so I will come back with avengance for these next time. I should also mention that one burger and a side will be plenty to fill most human beings up, but as I must take advantage of all visits (as these can mostly only occur at the weekends and there are so many to do), I went for both options to maximise as much tasting as possible.

Then there were other lovely touches as well like the cheese sauce to go with the chips as a bechemel cheese sauce with bacon, meaning it did not go hard within 30 seconds of cooling and proving to be an utter guilty pleasure delight and I also loved the communal tables. This has to be done again and am so pleased it is finally in the bag so I can say outright what the score here is: it is the pinnacle of comfort food, worthy of a drop in lunch or pre-going out ‘you need a decent hit and quickly’ meal or, probably the greatest hangover food you are likely to come across in the world. I didn’t have enough room for the onion rings but I am reliably told these are to die for so I will come back with avengance for these next time. I should also mention that one burger and a side will be plenty to fill most human beings up, but as I must take advantage of all visits (as these can mostly only occur at the weekends and there are so many to do), I went for both options to maximise as much tasting as possible.

It was was my good fortune to meet Dan Fiteni (one of the founders and lead on the bakery side) who happened to be there for the Marylebone festival outside coincidentally going on at the same time and was great to say hello and speak about it.

An absolute keeper and one I am already looking forward to taking my associate Mr Bainbridge to whenever possible.

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This was a lovely place to stumble across and very pleased my old Uni mate recommended and took me here. This is basically a little piece of France in the heart of Nottingham, owned by Corsican born Stéphane. The menu is utterly in French keeping as is the calm beat within the homely setting inside where it simply feels wrong to rush. And why would you when the food is as good as it was! My tartlet was just right, the red wine and blueberry sauce to go with the veal was just fantastic and it was lovely to have a French crêpe for dessert. The only thing in fact that was a suprise was the butter in sachets but this is not the end of the world I do understand as a café – just more fiddle work for the diner… It did not in anyway detract from the flavours at all though, which were all lovely including the gratin and supporting vegetables as well as the Cotes du Rhone that went very well with it all.

The interesting thing about this venue, is that three times a year Stéphane and his wife travel to a different region of France and source all of the ingredients from that specific region in accordance with the local produce and what the markets are selling at that particular time. Then they design the menu based on what they have sourced and gain the accompanying wines from the same region as well. They then bring this all back to Nottingham and serve the next day as a 4 course ‘discovery evening’ in the downstairs section of the restaurant for a limited time (approx 2 days only each time they do this). It’s a wonderful notion to do and frankly if you live in Nottingham, you would be a fool not to book a table for these rare food treat occasions. The next one I believe is in September and I’m already trying to juggle work to attend.

The interesting thing about this venue, is that three times a year Stéphane and his wife travel to a different region of France and source all of the ingredients from that specific region in accordance with the local produce and what the markets are selling at that particular time. Then they design the menu based on what they have sourced and gain the accompanying wines from the same region as well. They then bring this all back to Nottingham and serve the next day as a 4 course ‘discovery evening’ in the downstairs section of the restaurant for a limited time (approx 2 days only each time they do this). It’s a wonderful notion to do and frankly if you live in Nottingham, you would be a fool not to book a table for these rare food treat occasions. The next one I believe is in September and I’m already trying to juggle work to attend.

A lovely, charming and homely establishment which I hope to enjoy again.

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This was a superb meal, no question. The short version is that all the dishes we had (on the tasting menu) were meticulously crafted and it was very consistent in that there really wasn’t a single thing that I didn’t like, plain and simple! That’s very hard to achieve in a long tasting menu as there are always going to be the odd thing here or there that not everyone will like on average, but there were only one or two moments that fell in the ‘ok’ bracket and that’s the lowest it got for me – everything in the main was seriously delicious. My absolute favourites were the pea mousse and foie gras egg, the cheese soup and the pigeon – these basically put my dining heart in to an 8 year old at the fair ground mode, I was that happy. I am also happy to go on record and say that the apple pie and custard macaroon (green one on the end) was the nicest macaroon I have ever had in my life.

The matching cocktail menu to go with the tasting menu included wines, sake and cocktails and the whole show was a triumph as a result. The pin-point precision of the presentation, the creativity and fun and, most importantly the genuinely lovely flavours, all made it a very good experience. I have absolutely no idea why this establishment was not given a Michelin star on its first round as, based on all others that I have been to, it is irrefutable from where I was sitting – MH sits comfortably in the top bracket of all the 1 Michelin starred venues in London; quite straight forward. So I do hope it gets its just reward. I should mention as well that pre-dinner drinks on the 12th floor overlooking parts of Manchester (as the bar is owned by the same group) is a very nice way to start proceedings before getting the lift back down to the 2nd floor for your meal. I was especially pleased with the swish and warm service and hospitality on both floors – we really were looked after well here and it never fails to highlight how important this is.

The matching cocktail menu to go with the tasting menu included wines, sake and cocktails and the whole show was a triumph as a result. The pin-point precision of the presentation, the creativity and fun and, most importantly the genuinely lovely flavours, all made it a very good experience. I have absolutely no idea why this establishment was not given a Michelin star on its first round as, based on all others that I have been to, it is irrefutable from where I was sitting – MH sits comfortably in the top bracket of all the 1 Michelin starred venues in London; quite straight forward. So I do hope it gets its just reward. I should mention as well that pre-dinner drinks on the 12th floor overlooking parts of Manchester (as the bar is owned by the same group) is a very nice way to start proceedings before getting the lift back down to the 2nd floor for your meal. I was especially pleased with the swish and warm service and hospitality on both floors – we really were looked after well here and it never fails to highlight how important this is.

It was also a true highlight to be able to speak to Aiden Byrne near the end of service, who very kindly came to our table to say hello and was lovely to have a quick chat and tell him face to face the above sentiments and in plain English, just how much we genuinely loved the dishes. I don’t think I’ve seen such a dedicated eye and leader (something of great interest to me from my normal job) getting hands dirty where necessary like that in the open kitchen before.

So am very glad to have been to this option over a very nice occasion and the main summary is that I had no idea it would exceed expectation that much. Bravo Mr Byrne, and thank you again – we were looked after so well and it was an absolutely quality meal and evening in general.

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Well what can I say apart from that was sehr gut! A huge, warehouse design done stylishly with very warm service all round and simply gorgeous tapas size Bombay street food which is also extremely well priced, answers my question as to why this is seemingly the hot ticket in town as at the time of writing for Indian food. There wasn’t a single dish that I didn’t like and the absolute gems were the calamari made with brown sugared batter and the stunning chutneys given on the side as gratis. These are the three niceset chutneys I think I have had in London and are therefore worth a mention on their own: mint and coriander (being the concorde of the three), date and tamarind and mixed chili were all lovely and were basically impressive in their own right.

I was like a kid in a sweet shop getting to the bottom of the calamari bowl where the juices of the Dishoom drizzle gathered – I will happily put a marker here in that this drizzle is worth a visit to Dishoom on its own. The chicken thigh meat simply fell apart when getting in to it as it was so tender and the signature black house dahl that takes 24 hours of constant cooking at a low heat (producing a gorgeous, creamy flavour) was very good I have to say and was the perfect accompaniment to dip the naan bread (with a melted cheese centre) in to. The latter had a fair kick, so be slightly prepared if you are sensitive to spice but it is absolutely worth the beads of sweat.

I was like a kid in a sweet shop getting to the bottom of the calamari bowl where the juices of the Dishoom drizzle gathered – I will happily put a marker here in that this drizzle is worth a visit to Dishoom on its own. The chicken thigh meat simply fell apart when getting in to it as it was so tender and the signature black house dahl that takes 24 hours of constant cooking at a low heat (producing a gorgeous, creamy flavour) was very good I have to say and was the perfect accompaniment to dip the naan bread (with a melted cheese centre) in to. The latter had a fair kick, so be slightly prepared if you are sensitive to spice but it is absolutely worth the beads of sweat.

All in all, this is hard not to like – delicious and ‘easy on the palate’ Indian dishes in a comfortable and swanky environment, all served with genuinely warm hospitality. I would book in advance to avoid the customary long queues for when they are not accepting bookings (check their website for details) or, if you are on your own, you should be able to get a seat at the counter quite easily. Shoreditch and Upper St Martin’s Lane, you are next(!) to compare and do breakfast at. A great first impression and experience.

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