Richard Bagnold

This ever popular venue showed one of its trump cards by being open all day on a Bank Holiday (as are all within the chain) and as usual, no reservations taken after 6pm meaning drop in only. There was quite a queue as the weather was good, but within the wait, it was nice to see that sherry and chai tea was being offered to those waiting in line – a very nice touch. The food on this occasion was thankfully on better form than the previous visit with some pleasing options as usual within an absolutely buzzing atmosphere. If you haven’t tried the pistachio kulfi dessert and you are a fan of milk-flavoured lollies that have an almost condensed milk quality, you need to get in to here and try one quite soon.

Food Grade: 64%

The coconut milk and spiced rum cocktails were absolutely divine and the main dishes continue to have a wonderful comfort feel to them. Some of these dishes on this occasion that friends had, I had already done at Dishoom King’s Cross, but I hadn’t done the absolutely superb Behl (Puffed rice, Bombay Mix and nylon sev tossed with fresh pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime, tamarind, mint), raita for the spicey chili cheese naan bread in to (to cool it down beautfully) and the creamy milk-based ice cream Kuhli stick in different flavours (pistachio and mango) – these were all simply outstanding.

I now like this chain so much I simply have to do the last one (Covent Garden) and I have to do the bacon naan roll for breakfast, so will time it so that I can squeeze in just before the end of breakfast and spill in to the lunch menu. Looking forward to this already.

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A very welcome return to this restaurant after numerous years to bring back up to date. The restaurant is much the same in look and feel from 2010 which is modern, light and wooden panelled with a very nice bar area. Lunch is still the best option for value for money with the set menu lunch coming in at £33.50 for the 3 course lunch menu, but with all the extras this turned out to be essentially an 8 course menu in total hence being one of the best value for money Michelin starred lunches available still to this day. Interesting to see was the amuse bouche that is essentially the same from 7 years ago, as was the concept of the nibbles and Scandinavian favourites (such as the skyr) but otherwise the menu was still as creative. Certainly modern, with a couple of moments that were more style than huge flavour, but fun none the less. Definitely recommended for lunch to see whether you would be happy to go the whole nine yards for a more expensive evening meal.

Nibbles came in the form of crisps of potato, squid ink and parmesan, cod skin and Skyer yoghurt with parsley and chives & star anise as a novel and pleasing way to start (particularly the cod skin). Spanish oils from the North and South of Spain with the scorching climate of the south of Spain producing an oil lighter in colour and perhaps a little softer in flavour.

Nibbles came in the form of crisps of potato, squid ink and parmesan, cod skin and Skyer yoghurt with parsley and chives & star anise as a novel and pleasing way to start (particularly the cod skin). Spanish oils from the North and South of Spain with the scorching climate of the south of Spain producing an oil lighter in colour and perhaps a little softer in flavour.

The amuse bouche of tomato gazpacho with tomato snow was virtually identical from 7 years ago and still as refreshing with its basil and lemon grass and this time served in a shellfish. For starters I opted for salmon with mustard skyr, cumin powder, sorrel snow, sorrel, pickled cucumber and rye bread. The semi-wild salmon (caught from Scottish lochs and placed straight in to ice containers and moved by train immediately to London) was beautifully soft and not too oily. The salmon itself was cooked only slightly (to retain moisture and to not lose too much protein that will escape as a result) and the blow-torched to help tighten and pull together. For all the effort however, it definitely needed the other elements to bring it more to life in flavour; the mustard skyr with dill was lovely and thank god for the pickled cucumber which gave it the general lift it needed.

The Elwy valley Welsh lamb shoulder, was served with spring onions, and heritage carrots – this was a visually pleasing show, with the saddle parts of the lamb being smoked at the table utterly succulent tender saddle lamb. However, for all the visuals, the lamb saddles were not as smokey as the picture suggested at all, but they were utterly tender to the bite. The shoulder of lamb was far more successful in flavour return.

Pre-dessert was a clove and ginger sabayon with sorrel granita and this was actually a very good combination. The sabayon made with yolks, wine and sugar gave a rich and sweet quality to the earthy and icy granita and was an original and fresh transition. The main dessert was not the house speciality of skyr but the set menu lunch version with sweetened skyr yoghurt, granola, melon and meadow sweet. The granita was again a mix of earthy, creaminess compared to most desserts and the yoghurt worked in a rich way that seemed somehow healthy at the same time. A take-away bag of petit four completed an impressive set menu lunch with some definitely good hits on return.

I would say that this is still a text book example of how Michelin starred dining can be enjoyed with not too much to fear in a stylish but relaxed environment where the staff were accommodating, not too formal and with an extremely reasonable £38.81 final price tag all in including service for 8 courses. It isn’t at the top of the 1 Michelin starred family as lunch menus go for overall impact, but you cannot argue with the value for money and the food was certainly not offensive at the same time. Recommended for anyone that wishes to have a peek at modern and fine dining without breaking the bank.

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Having been awarded a Michelin star in 2017, I am very late to the party to visit this small and elegant restaurant, just off Sloane Square. Highly attentive service with warmth of hospitality was evident on my first visit and the menu itself was notably stylish in presentation relative to its 1 star family. Whilst there were limited euphoric moments for the food, it was all elegantly done with some definite moments enjoyed and with impressive skill. The premium is higher than most Michelin starred tasting menus with matching wines, but so are most probably the restaurant’s overheads based on where you are dining in Belgravia combined with the small number of covers. Heartfelt hospitality took the sting out of the £184pp (with pre-dinner champagne and wine throughout) which the meal turned out to be and I would say this venue is ideally suited to more romantic and quiet occasions.

The meal began with intricate warm cheese tartlets with tomato powder, parsley & tarragon financiers (a form of sponge made with beurre noisette) with nori seaweed and with a third plate of mini dumplings. All of these were delicate and clearly displaying a lot of effort as nibbles to the start. I detected a slightly longer wait than usual at the start of the meal for this and the breads to arrive, but not so much that it entered the danger zone. The home-made breads here were particularly good and the sheer crispy butter base of the white bread with its perfectly fluffy interior was fantastic as was the cheese sour dough.

The meal began with intricate warm cheese tartlets with tomato powder, parsley & tarragon financiers (a form of sponge made with beurre noisette) with nori seaweed and with a third plate of mini dumplings. All of these were delicate and clearly displaying a lot of effort as nibbles to the start. I detected a slightly longer wait than usual at the start of the meal for this and the breads to arrive, but not so much that it entered the danger zone. The home-made breads here were particularly good and the sheer crispy butter base of the white bread with its perfectly fluffy interior was fantastic as was the cheese sour dough.

The egg shell of Caesar salad foam was an original and pleasant way to start revving the engines and the wilted spinach with mini croutons at the base made an altogether great amuse bouche. The gentle handling of the Caesar foam was the most gratifying part and it was evident at this stage how much attention to detail was going to be afforded to the menu at this point. The lobster was beautifully cooked and thankfully was enhanced rather than bowled out by the supporting glaze of tomato. The tube casing of the foam was made from tomato as well and had a deep and punchy tomato flavour which was grand, but being ultra-picky, it seemed to stick in between the teeth and clamp the teeth together which detracted the overall enjoyment. The artistically done ‘egg’ side of mozzarella was gooey, fun and similarly decent in flavour.

The langoustine arrived in beautiful presentation and I really enjoyed this. The melon bites with aromatic spices were wonderful. Melon has such a glorious texture and with its life-giving juiciness always feels so good to eat but its flavour is frankly dull, so having it livened up in this way was enough to make you want to just chomp on these all week as this would actually be good for you as well! These Asian notes complimented the lemon grass on the side of the langoustine and I loved the touch of tamarind as well which was also softened by the melon. When all were combined I did begin to lose the langoustine a little with the number of other components on top, but the actual combination of flavours was undeniably good and credit to the original composition here.

The scallop was reportedly very good and my replacement of pork with maqui berries, honeycomb and edible flowers was exactly the one I wanted to try and thankfully this was possible (with a small surcharge). The slivers of pork on this starter dish were absolutely outstanding along with their perfectly crispy skin and the dish itself was one of the most visually impressive I have had in a while. Its earthy tone (even with the honey) was not an issue here but it felt a little too thick at the same time, preventing falling in love with the dish (which my eyes were). I appreciate that this was not the chef’s choice for the tasting menu for probably precisely this reason of being out of place, but I would personally opt for slightly less of the heavier elements on this dish even if I was to have in the context of on its own.

The foie gras that came next, was actually quite light in comparison to my surprise and with its surrounding seaweed cigar and mousse-like texture was very pleasant in its balance. This was the first time I have had foie gras with gooseberry and again, full marks for originality and fresh spin. The next dish was pigeon and my taste of that revealed a deep flavour, steeped in umami but is not my personal favourite when veering on the soft-cooked side as this was in the centre of the pigeon. My brill on the other hand was an absolute maestro. The fish was perfect and with the support of the girolle mushrooms, bean puree and perfectly pickled elements, this really had everything – succulence, texture (from the supporting broad beans), flavour and harmony all together – a great dish.

Similar happiness was also caused by the beef which had a lovely sweetness to its glazed coating. The artichoke and truffle was as good a choice as any to accompany with the supporting puree and crunch from slice of artichoke. I found that I didn’t need the whole portion of artichoke proportionate to the beef, but the meat here was extremely good as were the lovely and creative sides, including the cheese spelt and especially the beef stock gel which was so clarified and well done, it appeared to be coloured glass and part of the plate when first presented. Scraped with the other elements with a small spoon, this was a delightful add on.

Final elements of the meal included the raspberry dessert with ginger from the broken biscuit bits and ginger ice cream which was a nice touch. The latter was very smooth and had just enough kick from the ginger to be noticeable an different and also do its job of countering the onslaught of sweet that raspberry can give, but was not too obtrusive at the same time. Among the simple and effective choices of petit fours, I have to say that the salted caramel here was actually better than my all-time favourites served at Marcus (and Tredwell’s) which have been in pole position for a very long time.

My initial thoughts at the end of this meal were slightly underwhelmed at purely the flavour impact which, feels harsh on reflection as there were couple of great moments in the mix to the parts that weren’t as successful for me. Aesthetic factor thrown in as well, there is no doubt in my view as to the skill and flare provided at the same time and there were some fine moments. The hospitality was heartfelt throughout and we felt very well looked after here as another good plus point for the experience. The main dining room is small enough to have to monitor your volume so I would say The Five Fields is more suited to romantic and quieter occasions rather than for business or larger parties and if you were wishing to treat your other half on a one to one to feel bespoke, the environment at this venue will cater for that in spades.

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I really wasn’t expecting what we experienced here. Rarely do I get that “I’ve just found something special” feeling but I know this to be the case when you are leaving a venue and genuinely puzzled to not recall anything that wasn’t superb. As a summary, the two-man team that served the 3 tables on our visit produced a personalised experience of obvious quality and care, combined with utterly superb flavour combinations in a unique setting. This was in fact, the find of the year for me and on every level, was a sheer delight. With the exception of barely one or two venues, I would rather go back to Fraiche than any other restaurant in the UK at time of writing and this is surely the key.

The restaurant is a stylishly converted living room with a lovely conservatory back area that looks directly in to the kitchen. The whole interior holds a bespoke format for visual effects and lighting, especially for the end of the meal and as you enter, immediately on the walls are large, digital film projections in the holding area as a bespoke touch. The general thing that impressed me the most was the fact that the owners will not compromise on squeezing in more tables if they cannot guarantee the high standards that they wish to maintain and that says a great deal to me.

The restaurant is a stylishly converted living room with a lovely conservatory back area that looks directly in to the kitchen. The whole interior holds a bespoke format for visual effects and lighting, especially for the end of the meal and as you enter, immediately on the walls are large, digital film projections in the holding area as a bespoke touch. The general thing that impressed me the most was the fact that the owners will not compromise on squeezing in more tables if they cannot guarantee the high standards that they wish to maintain and that says a great deal to me.

On to the meal and this began with nibbles of pecan nuts coated with a series of spices and caramelised sugars with perfect textural crunch (just soft enough). Although simple nuts, I would say these were actually the nicest nuts I have ever had and worthy of comment in themselves. An opener of gooseberry foam was served as the welcome which was light and enjoyable, followed by the first course of Nordic smoked salmon with bergamot, pineapple and almonds. This salmon starter was sublime, plain and simple with freshness of ingredients all working beautifully together.

Next up was tempura battered pickled courgette flower with carrot, cauliflower and goats curd and was an absolute stunner – perfect balance of pickle with just the right amount of goats curd to soften this element (and vice versa) all around a large, delicate tempura crisp. The mushroom butter that was served for the brioche was frankly the nicest butter I have had in a very long time and was a triumph of a dish. It was also served with a cep surprise which was a mushroom ‘shell’ (which had consistency similar to thin chocolate) with liquid mushroom inside. This was followed by the purest tomato starter with strawberry, pickled strawberry, smoked tomato, nasturtium leaves, basil oil, feta, tomato consommé & tomato mousse. One negative on this dish was the liquids made the biscuit base soggy towards the end, but it was otherwise a perfect collection of flavours.

The breads came in the form of granary with treacle, tomato with cheese, fennel and seaweed, all beautifully cooked. It was also nice to see a venue give the option of classic olive oil (from Spain) as well as slightly salted butter to accompany the breads. These was followed by turbot with pea puree, fennel smoked yoghurt and sea herbs (incl samphire) which was interesting, new and a delight at the same time, served with perfectly cooked (hay smoked) baby charlotte potatoes with lime butter. However, the explosions came thick and fast at the arrival of the Guinea Fowl which was served with potato crisp, barbequed artichoke heart, crispy cabbage puree, variants of mushroom and shallots. All of these components worked superbly together and I have simply never had thigh of game so immaculately and deliciously done like this before. There was general consent at the table (of three diners) that this was the finest version of game ever had.

A take on lemon meringue pie came in the form of nitro-poached mascarpone mousse placed on a spoon already prepared with lemon gel and thin crust of pastry which came next as the first palate cleanser. Whilst I have had this type of interlude at The Fat Duck (the inventor of this method I believe) and Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms in their varied forms, the thing I liked about this version at Fraiche was the fact that portion size was good (not too big a mouthful to contend with) and we were advised to leave the poached spoonful for 10 seconds to prevent a cold ‘burn’ on the inside of the mouth – simple, good advice(!). Grapes then arrived at the table as another palate wash with the added twist that they were fizzy inside! I presume that these were injected with the same, fizzy sake that was served with them and made such a fun course to have – something I certainly have never had before. The sake was a little too sour for my taste, but I could see how this was acting a contrast to the sweet grapes themselves. Lemon grass panna cotta with sour cherry foam and brick pastry followed which was delightful (and pastry that was mercifully not too hard).

Dessert options were given in the form of either savoury or sweet – the savoury being cheese and the sweet being a traditional dessert (in this case strawberry). Both were opted for by the table and the cheese was a particular highlight of the whole meal. An extremely knowledgeable floor manager took us through the selections and there was an accompanying supplement to go with each cheese chosen (depending on which ones opted for). These included pistachio powder, pickled blueberries, vanilla, compressed prune & date, pear jam and compressed fig. A whole honey comb was also brought to the table to be scraped fresh off the slab for one of the cheeses as well. The triple butter cheese in particular was just outstanding, so much so that another piece was requested after. The strawberry dessert (including white chocolate, lemon verbena, compressed strawberry, bitter strawberry and strawberry sorbet) was, whilst not the dish of the meal, still pleasant in itself and well presented. Petits fours were served in the holding area with softened mood lighting effects and not one was unenjoyable. Finally, all enjoyed the take away bag of muesli to have in the morning to perk up for the day as a final, nice touch.

So, the overall verdict of this venue from myself is that it was one of the best food experiences I have had in the UK and great value for what it was – £85 for the masterly tasting menu of 15 courses and a mere £45 for the matching wine flight of impressive and enjoyable selections which, for a Michelin starred venue is actually fantastic value comparatively. The only negative of the experience I would say is that our reservation was for 7pm and the front door was locked until exactly 7pm which meant that we had to go in to another bar having arrived 5 mins before, then getting a little concerned at 10 minutes past the hour that we would be holding the service back after being late (some establishments can officially cancel your booking if you are more than 20 mins late). Having the doors open slightly earlier would arguably be better on this point but this is a small aspect and thankfully the establishment was completely ok with the delay.

The final, interesting thing I reflect on is the definition of what a 3 Michelin starred venue is: “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”. Now, although the average level of visual and technical finesse in 3 Michelin starred venues is generally higher than that seen at Fraiche, I would say that the food on this menu comfortably knocks many 2 and 3 Michelin starred menus (that I have had) out of the park on overall flavours, fun and balance of menu. And whilst I would place Fraiche comfortably akin to the 2 Michelin starred family myself (a considerable well-done tick here), interestingly, it can arguably be sat within the actual 3 Michelin star definition as I would happily make a deliberate journey from London to Liverpool just to go back to this restaurant – ergo, making it worthy of a special journey.

All in all, throughout all my travels for 2017 so far, this is the find of the year for me. Expect to plan long in advance for a booking here and I now appreciate why this is the case.

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Excellence served in all areas is how this can legitimately be summarised. From the moment, you enter the side of the Mannaie de Paris (9th Century building now the Mint of the Euro coins), you are aware you are in a grand venue and as the doors to the restaurant automatically open on approach, the Executive chef, Guy Savoy himself stood in the reception to greet us and other guests arriving personally. This was a lovely touch to see and frankly a rarity in comparison to the UK). The whole experience was undeniably first class and although not every dish caused mountains to shake as much as I was expecting, this really was superb cooking, the finest ingredients, simple concepts executed with brilliance, caring service and a celebration of gastronomy in one hit….all within a dining room I wasn’t that keen on as the one and only negative.

I shouldn’t be too harsh on the interior. It was dark, small and puzzling to have a bare, hole in the wall fireplace with no decoration to fill it. Our table by the window was lovely to have overlooking Pont Neuf and what could be seen through the tree line outside (going in the winter without any leaves would obviously afford a better view of The Sein). However, that was not the reason for coming. The meal started with simple vegetable bites which gave an indication of what was the meaning of this restaurant – an absolute reverence for the freshest and purist ingredients.

I shouldn’t be too harsh on the interior. It was dark, small and puzzling to have a bare, hole in the wall fireplace with no decoration to fill it. Our table by the window was lovely to have overlooking Pont Neuf and what could be seen through the tree line outside (going in the winter without any leaves would obviously afford a better view of The Sein). However, that was not the reason for coming. The meal started with simple vegetable bites which gave an indication of what was the meaning of this restaurant – an absolute reverence for the freshest and purist ingredients.

This was the full season tasting menu and it began with concassé of oysters, seaweed and lemon granita (tartare of raw oysters with seaweed) for my associate and host, Mr Bainbridge and this was reportedly the best oyster he had ever had. My replacement was a quail egg with pea puree and peas with accompanying toasted soldier to dip in to – a very simple, elegant and lovely substitute. Next came the lobster surprise (medallions of poached lobster with lobster gelèe, in chilled lobster consommé with lobster roe which revealed a clarified consommé). Opinions were divided at the table as I found this, for all its subtleness, too flat and lacking in lobster flavour which genuinely seemed odd.

On contrast to this however, the caviar with smoked sabayon (confit new potatoes stuffed with caviar, black truffle, nasturtium leaves, smoked sabayon with potato crisps) frankly came with angels singing. Imagine a 3 Michelin starred chef personally making you oven-cooked crisps from the freshest potatoes and then serving you the finest and lightest smoked hollandaise sauce to dip them in to. I believe this was as close to cholesterol heaven as you can possibly be for the bites that were afforded here.

The vertical vegetables (a medley of raw and cooked vegetables with vegetable jus bavarois, vegetable broth perfumed with lemongrass, bound with a celery puree) was a picture of beauty and the definition of how the best in the world can un-bore a salad; faultlessly fresh vegetables but perhaps the visual was more powerful than the flavour here. The line caught John Dory in a seasonal preparation (whole-roasted John Dory with a sauce vierge of finely diced courgette, redcurrant tomatoes and fresh herbs) was as succulent as they come and was allowed to not be too fogged by other ingredients so the Dory was allowed to do virtually all the talking on the palate.

Artichoke soup with black truffle and layered brioche (with parmesan shavings, layered mushroom brioche spread and truffle butter) is a speciality of the chef and whilst the soup was a tad plain and earthy on its own, the immaculate truffle butter, spread on the finest brioche (so utterly light, crispy and crumbly) dipped in to the soup was a minor upgrade to soup with a roll that most may be used to. I should mention at this point that the glass of Sancere and Pouligny Montrachet for the opening courses were utterly fresh, both lovely matches for their respective courses and whilst the latter was earthier and with more mineral punch than expecting, it was still very good to be able to get Montrachet by the glass – another well done aspect.

Pigeon isn’t one of my favourite meats if truth be told, but this barbecued version with, young peas and giblet jus (whole-roasted pigeon finished on the barbecue, pigeon breasts accompanied with a royale and jelly of young peas, with pea shoots, young turnips stuffed with pigeon liver and basmati rice, petit pois a la Françoise) was outstanding – without doubt the best pigeon I have ever had with such a lovely, BBQd flavour. Even more of a success was the vinaigrette of giblets and pigeon jus to accompany with a wonderful balance of vinegar and richness – highly original and beautiful.

The goats cheeses with wine jellies from Provence and the Touraine (matured cheeses) was good to come in a toned down portion but the lack of choice was a slight shame. The jasmine and apricot with muesli shortbread (apricot quarters steeped in their natural juices on a honey, oat and raisin shortbread; light jasmine tea cream and apricot sorbet) was the purest form of apricot had on record. This was followed by the visually impressive dark chocolate parcel (Papuan dark chocolate cream in an edible shell, chocolate and sea salt biscuit with chocolate sorbet). There really wasn’t anything anyone could say about this other than, in terms of a chocolate dessert, it was basically perfect.

The trolley of ice creams sorbets, dessert jars and traditional biscuits was outstanding. The package included, ice creams and sorbets, rice puddings crème caramel, chocolate mousse, spiced prunes in wine, diamond shortcake, macaroons, marshmallows, cheesecake and tartlets. Again, I haven’t had a finer crème caramel and the rice puddings in their lovely little jars were utterly delicious when I don’t normally enjoy rice pudding.

The €395 per person for the food is a very steep price tag of course. But, if you want the absolute best of ingredients and have these in an environment that wants you to enjoy the highest levels of gastronomy and why people do this, then I would argue it is worth the price tag for very special occasions. Bizarely, the wine was cheaper than the food on this occasion and although the food itself was not quite as up there as Le Calandre and La Pergola, it was still a wonderful experience all round. The grins of other guests glancing at each other in and around the restaurant said it all and thinking about this visit as a whole, produces music in my head akin to the ending of an epic film.

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Without a shadow of doubt, this is the best value evening meal I have had in any Michelin starred venue with its 5 courses for £28 menu ‘choisi’ (whatever the chef has to play with for that week and season). Cooking here is classical and I left more than full as a result, having been looked after by Simon Bonwick’s (head chef) team who are all from his own family. A heartfelt experience had here which describes the food aptly as well. In spite of a moment of unease with the food, it is simply exceedingly recommended as a place, set in a charming English village location. It also has one of the nicest frontage areas for dining (by the front window) that I have seen among other Michelin starred pubs.

I believe 5 of the 9 members of Simon Bonwick’s family were working on the evening I visited, led ably by the most experienced. The fact that the chef puts on a menu that happens to be whatever is sourced shows an obvious degree of confidence and enjoyment in his trade whcih is lovely to see (many establishments do not wish to risk the pressure) so even above the sheer value of the menu for £28, I was all the more happy to allow him to stretch his culinary legs. It was a suprise to me that he is also the only one in the kitchen cooking and preparing all the meals which I find impressive in its own right. The chef’s one, lone kitchen porter was assisting with washing the dishes, which took me back to my days as an 18-year old doing the very same.

I believe 5 of the 9 members of Simon Bonwick’s family were working on the evening I visited, led ably by the most experienced. The fact that the chef puts on a menu that happens to be whatever is sourced shows an obvious degree of confidence and enjoyment in his trade whcih is lovely to see (many establishments do not wish to risk the pressure) so even above the sheer value of the menu for £28, I was all the more happy to allow him to stretch his culinary legs. It was a suprise to me that he is also the only one in the kitchen cooking and preparing all the meals which I find impressive in its own right. The chef’s one, lone kitchen porter was assisting with washing the dishes, which took me back to my days as an 18-year old doing the very same.

Nibbles at the table started with cheese shortbread with olives chick pea on crisp with olive and walnut which were a warm welcome to the pub. Pan de campo bread made with yoghurt and grape juice was simple (I did not get much of the latter but home made it most certainly was) with lightly salted butter – no frills, just good quality on both.

The Brittony prawns with garlic, olive, thyme were absolutely lovely – large, plump and juicy and lightly fried giving a pleasant crispy coating and showed the first sign of such good value to have these huge prawns on the menu as a mere bonus. The crab with lemon mayonnaise, kashew dressing, apple & tomato was a lovely mix but regrettably I had more than 2 bits of shell to contend with, which made it hard to enjoy as the rest of that course was spent going on a reconnoissance mission to avoid anymore which marred the enjoyment of the dish.

The turbot with layered mushroom and mushroom discs, crispy shallot, creamed mash and mushroom jus gave a deep sense of earthiness from the mushroom and I enjoyed its simplicity. I felt the mushroom did rather drown out the other elements here, not least a huge piece of fresh turbot which was another lovely aspect to the value for money menu and this was as succulent as they come. At first I thought the mash was a little subtle and needed salt but can see how it actually complimented and calmed down the almost truffle-like power of the mushroom.

The lamb was nicely done with an exceedingly decadent jus that had taken 3 days to simmer and reduce forming an utterly sticky and shiny jus. The depth of this jus was not in question and it was a delight to hold but at the same time being at the limit of thickness and saltiness for me. What was perfectly lovely to mix this in to were the vegetables which were an instant flashback to family Sunday lunch vegetables in my case as they were at the perfectly cooked level by not being hard and having just enough crunch. The lamb itself was deliberately served pink in order to not render the fat too much; although there was quite a bit of fat to contend with, its inclusion panned out well as I believe this enhances the overall flavour.

The raspberry bavarois (similar to a mousse) and sorbet was another no holds barred dish, one I felt I almost needed sunglasses to look at but was delightful – not too sweet and not too boring as well. I didn’t even have enough room to eat all of the dishes but I ploughed on and just about managed to get the pistachio and raspberry macaroons to go with coffee at the end which, for a mere £3 extra gave the total of a 6 course Michelin starred dinner for £31 which made me almost feel guilty paying this when I know how much effort had gone in to this as well.

Overall, you get the sense you are in very hospitable and accommodating hands here on every level. Whilst I did not get many stratosphere food explosions in the mouth, simplicity is not an issue for me if it tastes superb – the prawns and the lamb with its jus were the highlights that produced these happy feelings. The key here is that I now know you can come here to have quality ingredients at sensational value for money and can walk away very happy. I need to return to this venue (and perhaps try some of the favorites on the a la carte) and I would say you should definitely give it a go as well. To those that are wary of the idea of ‘fine dining’, I would say this is the absolute examplar of why there should be no fear associated with this notion. Some equally good wine choices by the glass as well and this completed a highly satisfying experience.

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Another visit, another wonderful time but this time with slightly mixed results. Readers of this site will know that I have been to Chiltern Firehouse a great many times….and this is not a coincidence. It remains one of the most alluring venues in the country and with its outdoor fireplace gazeebo terrace and beautfully decorated boutique hotel bar, it is arguably one of the nicest places to visit in the world. I still absolutely love the buzzing vibe, comfortable seats, joyful atmosphere and all topped with a menu that simply pleases every time with fun and creative twists on simple ideas. Although some staff on this occasion suffered from self-importance issues, it was still a very pleasurable experience as always and had a very positive effect on those guests in my party that were knew to the enviroment and wished to have a good time. Overall, Chiltern Firehouse once again proved to be able to provide this.

Foood Grade: 77%

Particular favourites of this visit were the colourful and fragrant salad with a mix of vegetables and fruits that worked very well as well as a nicely done eggs benedict (cheesy element to the muffins that were also nice and manageably small. The hollondaise was ever so slightly bland but an additional side of ketchup for that and the fires enabled me to make a makeshift sauce choron and the bottom line is that it showed that the management wanted to provide for the guest, no matter how strange my request was and that’s the important aspect which gains full marks.

A tiny piece of paper / label was discovered in the blueberry muffins which was immediately taken away with aplogies given and a fresh dish portion served with it taken off the bill. This was nicely dealt with by the management making everyone happy at the end of the day on that part. Another mistake I only realised until afterwards was on my count and that was forgetting to enforce someone having the steak tartare, so we are all human(!).

The dishes that everyone had that I didn’t try were reported with no disatisfaction whatsoever and I was particualrly pleased to have things again that I knew of such as the fried chicken nibbles at the beginning of the meal as well as the wonderful toasted meringue and apple granita dessert. Less enjoyable I thought was the rather bland and dry pistachio and almond cake as not even the ice cream could provide enough moisture to remedy the situation. I also found the cod skin snacks at the start a little chewy and detracted the lovely salmon from being enjoyed properly – it woudl have been better if these were truly crispy and nothing else. However, these were blips in an otherwise highly pleasing series of dishes that everyone was happy with.

That aside, the service was still very accommodating all round. The slow cooked egg starter was very pleasant albeit with a farily confident price of £14 for what was an entirely small starter portion. The salmon was beautifully cooked and presented and the glass of Pinot Noir was indeed very good. You do obviously need to pay extra for the privilege of having the vino here (£15 for the glass) as opposed to the wines by the glass at Dabbous had earlier at lunch for example.

For full details of my overall verdict of Chiltern Firehouse, please simply keep reading the below / previous four visits, but the fact that I have been here on that many occasions should answer how much I rate the overall package here. I am actually slowly making my way through the entire menu here now and look forward to doing other options on my next visit.

The steak tartare was as good as I recall it and with the addition of the spicey BBQ home sauce, it remains the most gooey and lovely steak tartare I have found in any of London’s restaurants. The lobster and crab omelette was completely unlike a traditional omelette, however it was certainly pleasing with its layer of seafood jelly on top of the underside egg and beautifully presented. I stupidly did not taste the foie gras with eel however, the duck salad was mine and although I would have preferred the salad to be overall a little less ‘heavy’ and be toned down in its coleslaw feel, the duck was utterly succulent and wonderful to have. That was great as was the peanut sauce to go with the duck, but I will be happy to try something else next time. The cheeses were done well and the sides, although a little bit overpriced (£6 for the very small portion of chips for example) added more smiles being done so well with the smoked carrots and wonderful, simple dressing for the lettuce hearts.

The iced apple and panna cotta was indeed a fabulous dessert. The lady serving us did think that it was Nuno Mendes’ favourite so we had to try this…and I’m very glad we did! Utterly superb in the power of the apple and originality of wonderful soft meringue surrounding the panna cotta. All in all, this was just a great collection of original and fun dishes, which were all enjoyed in a similarly lovely and fun environment at the same time. We were made to be felt entirely welcome throughtout and thankfully the number of staff meant that even though it was virtually a full house, we were still served reasonably quickly.

I seem to pick something new up everytime I come here and this time it is the score for afternoon tea. You can get tea served in the hotel bar at anytime during the day and there are choux and eclairs available (see final photo), but it is not the traditional high tea with sandwiches and all the trimmings. However, actually something makes me quite pleased this is the case as I think this sort of feel would not work in this stylishly modern hotel and high tea like this better rests with equally nice but more formal and larger environments such as The Berkley, Claridges, Browns and The Lanesborough etc. Anyway, that’s the score for tea at Chiltern Firehouse in case it interested, so now you know.

Another wonderful visit here – I don’t think it’s in danger of doing any wrong anytime soon.

Having been put on the reserve list for the main restaurant, I very luckily managed to gain a quick sitting near the end of service to try the steak tartare (which I was most gutted I couldn’t try on my last, spontaneous pop in visit) as the head chef had previously recommended. I am so glad I did as this was point blank the most enjoyable steak tartare I have ever had. There are plenty of other ways I have seen this done (at Brassiere Chavot, The Gun and Berners Tavern for example, there are more) and all of these have been great; this one at Chiltern Firehouse was simply even better. The hot sauce made with apple and garlic was truly superb – normally I absolutely don’t do things too hot or spicy as I think it kills the other flavours and is sometimes more uncomfortable than enjoyable(!), but this sauce was lightly smoked and utterly superb. The pine nut mayonnaise and supporting tarragon, shallot, gherkin and smoked puree on the side to add to flavour as per individual taste was a nice touch and the whole thing was just out-of-this-world and just transported me away to my happy place….and this is bliss.

On a separate note to the food, I can’t not make a mention to the overall establishment, which is beautifully designed and arranged. Bar snack food can be had in the outdoor terraced area but outdoor seating closes after 9pm (still not completely sure why, but I presume this may be to reduce noise levels for the hotel guests). Care has been taken on the elegantly designed clothing for staff and there is a lovely atmosphere all round. On the actual service side itself, we were made to feel very welcome from the moment we stepped out of the cab and were greeted at the door and inside the staff could not have been more genuinely friendly. My sincere thanks to all of the staff that looked after us on Friday 28 Aug in amongst a very busy crowd and to any that are reading this; it was so appreciated receiving this genuinely warm hospitality, which, I think is lost on many who take it for granted. It makes such a higher and more pleasant lasting impression and memory which I have. A lovely experience all round and the food, be it snack or not, on its own, was explosive.

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A second visit to restaurant Sat Bains after quite a long absence and was good to get back to see it from the normal restaurant side. Once again the service was exceedingly warm and professional and the menu appeared to be the same formula for creativity. Overall it was a collection of delicate dishes but I sensed that the £140 for the higher tier tasting menu and one glass of wine would have been more acceptable to someone new to this format of food. Price aside, the meal produced a steady stream of enjoyable dishes but sadly none of which reached firework level. Desserts were very good and for me, was the period that, on balance, reminded me of its place within the 2 Michelin star family. Still recommended for a notable occasion and once away from the motorway roundabouts and underpass, it is a hidden sanctum for food and restaurant enthusiasts.

We were placed in the conservatory part of the restaurant and whilst this feels a little cramped in comparison to Le Manoir, it was still visually pleasing. Snacks took the form of a thin pastry cigar with the garden herbs with a lovage emulsion and a mini cone with horseradish ice cream. I thought both of these were utterly light and lovely, epsecially the perfectly balanced horseradish ice cream and the refined nature of the cigar. I believe Esperanto in Stockholm uses exactly the same formula for their dried celeriac cigar with herbs inside so it is difficult to say who inspired who, but the result was a delicate and lovely way to begin this visit, the opening nibbles being one of the highlights of the meal on reflection.

We were placed in the conservatory part of the restaurant and whilst this feels a little cramped in comparison to Le Manoir, it was still visually pleasing. Snacks took the form of a thin pastry cigar with the garden herbs with a lovage emulsion and a mini cone with horseradish ice cream. I thought both of these were utterly light and lovely, epsecially the perfectly balanced horseradish ice cream and the refined nature of the cigar. I believe Esperanto in Stockholm uses exactly the same formula for their dried celeriac cigar with herbs inside so it is difficult to say who inspired who, but the result was a delicate and lovely way to begin this visit, the opening nibbles being one of the highlights of the meal on reflection.

Breads took the form of south rough, black treacle and bread crisps with cultured butter. The light, bread-crisps were a particular highlight here with butter that was pleasing but just a little (and I very rarely say this) over salty for me.

The raw scallop was even more of a treat than the cooked and with the strawberries gave a genuinely pleasing sensation. We were both a little less keen on the dry-iced chicken with chicken skin. Normally, the latter makes virtually anything explode for me, but on this occasion I couldn’t see how freezing the chicken gave anything more than an original way to serve; it seemed to lack flavour and as the iced chicken thawed in the mouth, it with was almost unpleasant. The semi-crushed potato with cream and caviar however, restored a sense of relief and was a simple and very pleasing dish.

The beef tartare unfortunatley felt somewhat gloopy with the use of so many mushrooms and the thickness of the slices and I prefered the restrained and finer use of mushrooms in steak tartares at Adams in Birmingham and Isle of Eriska. The pestle and mortar used at the table for all the garden herbs with olive oil was a nice piece of theatre and was powerful in flavour to go with the ‘tagliatelle’ that was actually long shavings of kohlrabi. The only draw back of this dish was that it was so lifelike to tagliatelle that we both forgot what it was and the crunch of the kohlrabi was initially a negative surprise(!). Once adjusted, the combination of the cheese and the garden pesto was clear as a bell and full marks on originality for this dish.

The turbot was a success, plain and simple and with the shallot puree, was another highlight of the meal. The cheese within sweet pastry and apple sticks was new but a little too busy for the cheese return; if there was one dish that the phrase less is more was applicable to, it was this one. The cross over of savoury fudge was clever and as a literal nibble, was over in a couple of seconds. I don’t think any pre-dessert can easily beat Daniel Clifford’s pousse café at Midsummer House but it was a fun change.

The opening chocolate dessert was a pleasant level of decadence but the real stars emerged in the form of the clever milk cracker dessert (genuinely the flavour of milk in the form of a cracker crisp) and the Thai curry ice cream. This latter was marvellous. Hiding inside the candy floss as an impressive treat, the gentle heat from the chilli in the ice cream was tempered superbly by its wonderful, creaminess and textural smoothness. Although I have had Thai green curry in dessert at one other place before (Paris House), this was a highly original and absolutely A-grade dessert.

Petit fours were very much the same style as had 5 years ago (thin, wafer shards of chocolate with stomach-calming ingredients, embeded in a log). Flavours on this visit included green tea, caramel with pepper, rosehip fennel and chai spices, all of which proving a light and better way to finish a long meal.

In summary, the meticulous nature of the dishes here is evident. Whilst we left with what felt to be an anti-climax, overall there is no question of the levels of skill which were good to see. I sense the evident popularity of the restaurant will be keeping the turnovers healthy, but I feel my two visits have now gained the majority of what can be gained from the venue and the current rate of visiting once every 5 years does not need to be exceeded.

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What a great place to go. For two reasons: a) the theatre and fun level of the menu served is perfectly evident, and b) it also hasn’t forgotten the appeal of having a more economic set menu at lunch which, I have no doubt will be done exceedingly well based on the tasting menu I had here on this occasion (at the 10 year aniversary point of the restaurant). As usual, this latter point of the price does not come in to the nominated food grade (but is a factor naturally on overall written up thoughts) and the design and flavours were easily in the stronger end of the 1 Michelin starred family; based on Glynn Purnell’s universal plaudits and veteran status within the UK I was very pleased to see it confirmed in the flesh when experienced. The biggest indicator of it being good for me is the fact that I instinctively wish to go back and it is very much recommended, especially for more romantic occasions – you are in good service hands here t’boot.

A place is seldom how you expected it to be in your mind I thought on entering. The open bar lies before you virtually as soonas you enter and the hallway leading to the lavatories has a pleasant lighting effect with sounds of birds whisteling in a forest. Once inside the bright restaurant, the modern design is obvious (similar to that of Northcote and Adams I thought) which may not be to traditionalist taste, but for romantic and perhaps quieter occasions it fits the bill well. As usual, once more diners are placed and the wine flows more, the quiter and more careful feel is replaced with more filled atmosphere.

A place is seldom how you expected it to be in your mind I thought on entering. The open bar lies before you virtually as soonas you enter and the hallway leading to the lavatories has a pleasant lighting effect with sounds of birds whisteling in a forest. Once inside the bright restaurant, the modern design is obvious (similar to that of Northcote and Adams I thought) which may not be to traditionalist taste, but for romantic and perhaps quieter occasions it fits the bill well. As usual, once more diners are placed and the wine flows more, the quiter and more careful feel is replaced with more filled atmosphere.

Service throughout was very good and the ‘Faux’ nibbles came with black canary potatoes with chorizo, cod skin crackers and a delightful cauliflower cheese emulsion. All of these were interesting, light and tasty – a great start. The whipped feta with red grape and rosemary home made breads were also an enjoyable way to have bread and the effort in this was clear to see, making it almost a course in itself.

The cheese and pineapple starter included edible silver for decoration, nitrogen poached cheese for crunch and cheese sauce with pineapple chunks to start the proceedings. Personally, this went down a treat as I found the combination of sweet with the more rich smothering of cheese perfectly joined although I know it was not the favourite for everyone at the table.

In a similar lightness, the poached hens egg yolk with cheese crips to dip in to like ‘soldiers in eggs’ I thought was superb – easy, delicate enjoyment. This egg accompanied the ‘BLT’ which had bacon spheres comprised of cauliflower, black pudding and birch syrup for the bacon and ‘lettuce’ elements (with the latter on decoration as well) with tomato macaroons that were frankly the some of the deepest and sweetest tomato flavoured anything that I have had in quite a while. This was a powerful hit and was such fun to have in this way as well.

Whilst others at the table opted for the orkney scallop with pickled mooli, smoked eel and lumpfish roe (which was reportedly very much thumbs up), I couldn’t resist going for the fabled Monkfish Masala from the GBM winning menu of 2009. The succulent monkfish was packed with moisture and the masala sauce was more of the texture of chickpea than I was expecting but was a beautiful masala flavour and a lovely combination which was a lovely thing to do. Readers of my site will know I am absolutely avid Great British Menu fan and love watching every year, so having one of the all round ’10’ dishes is always a special moment for me.

The roast loin of veal, pea tartare, tamarind and liquorice was another lovely course. The only aspect I found not brilliant was the liquorice sauce which was thick, dry and sticky, as if held in a fridge for too long but other than that the meat was lovely with the flavours complimenting very well. The entire table adored the accompanying soy cured mackerel, shiso leaf with baby fennel on the side which was a delicate delight. I haven’t had an addition to a meat main like this before and at this stage of the meal I was convinced that this was a leading light of 1 Michelin starred venues across the land.

The sweets came initially with blueberries, frozen lemon, toasted seeds and beurre noisette which was a lovely combination and brilliant choices as well to have a pre-dessert with one of the all-time favourite savoury indulgences of beurre noisette which was another aspect I have not had in a pre-dessert before. The burnt English custard egg surprise with strawberries and tarragon was another absolute belter and again, I could see very much why this was a GBM hit at the same time. Custard is a childhood favourite of mine and when it is doen to this level in a Michelin starred restaurant it creates a strong emotion of happiness with me – thank you Glynn.

Finally, the mint choccy chip was essentially, after the dry ice had dissapated, the most luxurious play on an ‘After 8’ you can get and a classic combination done beautifully – such soft handling of the chcolate and the mint and really was excellent.

I loved this meal and this is stapled as a highly rated and very much upper echelon of 1 Michelin starred venues that I have been to purely on the food alone. What made it such a pleasant experience all round were all other elements of genuine hospitality and fun that came with it. I walked away content to have paid what we did for the menu of that standard and a desire to return – is that not the very purpose of restaurants?

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My third visit to this Michelin starred pub that has now completed its complete refurbishment with the downstairs remaining largely unchanged save for tables being placed all around the bar, bonquets and windows for the adjoining downstairs Annex but the upstairs has been redesigned and now looks utterly superb and unique. I’m afraid you will just have to enjoy going there to see why, but the photos should give you a good idea. Service was top notch this time round and the food was entirely pleasing. Not as amazing as previous expriences on the food front but this is still a stand out Michelin starred pub in one of the country’s most charming villages, populated perhaps by the nation’s wealthiest pensioners.

The lunch menu for the Saturday visited consisted of a 4 course option for £48 or 6 courses for £58 – thereby making the 6 courses better value (and very often when you opt for the full ‘smack’ there are usually a surpise or two). It was also a way of guaranteeing that the mini scotch eggs would be gained and this is lovely to do and the pea soup was a super hot and refreshing opener.

The lunch menu for the Saturday visited consisted of a 4 course option for £48 or 6 courses for £58 – thereby making the 6 courses better value (and very often when you opt for the full ‘smack’ there are usually a surpise or two). It was also a way of guaranteeing that the mini scotch eggs would be gained and this is lovely to do and the pea soup was a super hot and refreshing opener.

For the remaining elements of the menus there was a consistent level of satisfaction across the board for al 4 diners with no one dish that stood out as the absolute superstar but all providing pleasure. The crispy pork cracker to go with the main of pork stands for me on this visit as the higher moment with the tomato salad being surprisingly plain and too simple. The lone carrot with the beef woudl have been more suspect if it wasn’t pickled to near perfection and the jus with the beef being quality.

Other than that, the other main buz came from being in one of the nicest pubs in the country for lunch and although the staff needed a couple of gentle prods for the basics on occasion, they were all extremely accommodating and warm. The village of Bray in my book is one of the gems of the country and although it was an absolute nightmare to get there out of London on this occasion, it was still very worth the trip in all senses and always lovely for a stroll around the village by the river.

The fact it is smaller means it is far more doable as big scotch eggs can be frankly too much, but this was a few bites only with perfectly runny yolk yet crunchy, salted breadcrumbs, wonderful sausage meat and with a subtle mustard mayonnaise to dip in to. Frankly glorious.

The beef dish was the main dish that was sent to Major Tim Peake having been painstakingly designed by Heston Blumenthal to get through the UK, Euro and NASA space agencies to be then sent up in a vacumed can and I have to say, having had from the plate, this was magnificent, no question. The mashed potato was beautifully creamy, the shallots and carrots beautifully pickled to just the right amount to slice through the rich, truffled sauce which (was also superb), served with crackling for texture and oyster leaves for an element of surf’n’turf. Actually, the latter was the only element I thought could have benfitted from being toned down slightly as just a tiny bit of the oyster leaf was enough to give a sizeable waft of the sea, but absolutley not a show stopper. This was essentially the best beef with ‘mash and gravy’ dish I’ve ever had and was absolutely knock out.

The dessert was the only thing I was only luke warm on – the treacle ice cream was definitely lovely and original and that definitely good, but with just a little too much zing from the grapefruit and other citrus elements on the quite thick biscuit. But all in all it was unique, well made and certainly fresh as was its purpose. On completion of this meal what I was able to do this time was have a quick peek upstairs to find another two dining rooms which were completely reset from the lunch service and another private dining room at the far end which resembled more of a banquet room fit for a king and queen hosting a dinner in a lovely setting.

Overall this was a lovely menu to have and worth the journey but more importantly confirms to me that Heston Blumenthal really does keep the most important thing of the food tasting nice as the main effort from his overall intent and I absolutely loved his beef dish which, I’m fairly sure Maj Peake will have very much enjoyed from the entire concept of operation right through to its execution.

I should also say that the macaroni cheese was the best version I have ever had here. Again, Heston Blumenthal seems to avoid an amuse bouche just as with Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental and due to the demand, the old stables have been converted in to the extended dining room to cope. But the result feels a little like herding as many tables for two and three in a space as possible for cramming in rather than making the design truly special for the diner. In summary, if you can spare the time to make a visit it’s absolutely worth it and if you are passing close by, it is a no brainer to make a long-shot enquiry to see if they can squeeze you in (however unlikely). Simply gorgeous food.

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