Best dinning experience?

jamesco

timmyflash wrote:

Noma would be an excellent joint christmas present with ladyflash - must keep an eye on booking that.

She took me to the Fat Duck for my birthday as a surprise. Was nervous when i realised where we were going. Just rocked up in ususal skate shoes, jeans and casual shirt, but staff as nice as could be and the food was pretty amazing. We were first in so were first to see each dish so was all a surprise, which i liked. But to be honest, it's difficult to compare to a normal 'nice restaurant' as it's just so different. One, because it's a taster menu, but also, it's designed as an 'experience' i assume as you can remember visuals better than just taste. Shame we couldn't have the paired drinks, but it's already hella expensive.

+1 That was exactly our experience, 'cause it is an experience I'd love to go back and order à la carte, but it was such a bunfight getting a reservation that I don't know if I can be bothered trying again. The paired drinks were great (except for the sherry, which tasted like old socks smell) - bottomless glasses, so you get your money's worth!

meanredspider

Le Manoir was a very nice experience when we went a while back. Eaten some fabulous food on business trips - particularly when I was working in China and also Italy. One highlight was "inventing" the dish of asparagus and ice cream in Germany at a speciality asparagus restaurant. Had some fabulous meals in northern France too.

Choosing the best? Impossible. Though if I had to stay in one place to eat for the rest of my life, it would probably be Parma.

il_principe

jamesco wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

+1 for Le Gavroche - it really is an experience and the service is the best I've ever seen, (meeting Michel Roux jnr twice helped as well).

Dinner by Heston is also well worth a visit. Went in Oct and my sister has sorted a reservation for me as a wedding gift, so going again in a few weeks.

Le Gavroche is on my todo list, but the service, food & value at Dinner by Heston were a bit of a disappointment the one time we went, especially compared to the Fat Duck. Maybe because it's a large space and a hotel restaurant, but I reckon that other one-star places like La Trompette are better all round.

For meat, Argentina had the best restaurants I ever ate (and ate and ate) in. Best street-food was Vietnam.

Our waiter at Dinner was brilliant and the sommelier was very helpful - even dashing off elsewhere to grab a bottle she recommend that was actually cheaper than anything on her menu. Result. Completely different style to Gavroche though. The only mark down I'd give Le Gavroche (if you twisted my arm) was that they couldn't tell me which varieties of Innis & Gunn they had.

Must get to the Fat Duck.

t4tomo

Rolf F wrote:

I was at Handlebars in Silverton, Colorado last year. On the menu was half a fried chicken for 12 dollars. The whole chicken was $15. Well what would you have done........

Eaten somewhere that wasn't full of obese americans stuffing their cubby faces full of fried food?

kelsen

t4tomo wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

I was at Handlebars in Silverton, Colorado last year. On the menu was half a fried chicken for 12 dollars. The whole chicken was $15. Well what would you have done........

Eaten somewhere that wasn't full of obese americans stuffing their cubby faces full of fried food?

Clever Pun

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

...enough top notch cooked animal to keep any self respecting carnivore in seventh heaven.

I've got a saying: Its not a meal unless something died.

Veg can die too

Harvesting veg is like a mass extermination

DonDaddyD

This place: http://www.santamariadelsur.co.uk/

Loved it, dream of returning.

Clever Pun

Il Principe wrote:

jamesco wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

+1 for Le Gavroche - it really is an experience and the service is the best I've ever seen, (meeting Michel Roux jnr twice helped as well).

Dinner by Heston is also well worth a visit. Went in Oct and my sister has sorted a reservation for me as a wedding gift, so going again in a few weeks.

Le Gavroche is on my todo list, but the service, food & value at Dinner by Heston were a bit of a disappointment the one time we went, especially compared to the Fat Duck. Maybe because it's a large space and a hotel restaurant, but I reckon that other one-star places like La Trompette are better all round.

For meat, Argentina had the best restaurants I ever ate (and ate and ate) in. Best street-food was Vietnam.

Our waiter at Dinner was brilliant and the sommelier was very helpful - even dashing off elsewhere to grab a bottle she recommend that was actually cheaper than anything on her menu. Result. Completely different style to Gavroche though. The only mark down I'd give Le Gavroche (if you twisted my arm) was that they couldn't tell me which varieties of Innis & Gunn they had.

Must get to the Fat Duck.

Yes you must, it's an amazing experience.

Not been to la gavroche yet, that strikes me as a very traditional probably not dissimilar to the Waterside Inn?

I'd love to visit the French Laundry in California as well having been luck enough to Get to Kellers pop up at Harrods, the food was amazing if stupidly priced

kelsen

Clever Pun wrote:

kelsen wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Noma was my best dining experience...amazing. Seeing as it's the best restaurant in the world you'd hope so

Read an article about this place recently. Did you do the whole live shrimp/ants thing, and if so, how was it?

live Finnish shrimps in a kilner jar on ice, they were a little against being eaten but once you dipped them in the lovely caramelised butter they accepted their tasty fate.

The article I read was discussing the ethics of eating something that was still alive, particularly ikizukuri in japanese cuisine - the practice of serving sashimi from seafood that's still alive on the plate!

Anyone with a nervous disposition should not search for Ikizukuri on Youtube. I did and regretted it :?

Blonde Cyclist

Hibiscus was good but to me L'Atelier de Joel Roubochon was even better. French food cooked Japanese-style. Pricey, 2 starred and completely worth it. You can sit at the counter and watch the food being cooked too!

keyser__soze

itboffin wrote:

What your best dinning experience?

Churrascaria Plataforma @ 316 W. 49th St., New York, NY 10019.

Nice place. If you're on the company get yourself over to Keen's on W36th, best steak I've had in NY, better than Lugers or Porter House imho. If you're not, then it has to be the Burger Joint in the back of the Parker Meridien hotel on W56th. Plain and simple burgers or cheeseburgers to die for at a rock bottom price. DB Bistro Moderne NY has good burgers too, but a fair bit pricier - $150 for the truffle one! I skipped that and settled for the bargain-tastic $32 one.

Outside of the US the restaurant at L'Oxalys where we were staying in Val Thorens was quite a nice place for an apres-ski slap up meal. We were there at the end of the season so got a four course meal in a two-Michelin starred restaurant for £30 each.

kurako

I'll weigh in with Chez Bruce, Wandsworth Common. A michelin starred chef without a TV show is such a rarity these days ;-P

www.chezbruce.co.uk/

SimonAH

Kurako wrote:

I'll weigh in with Chez Bruce, Wandsworth Common. A michelin starred chef without a TV show is such a rarity these days ;-P

http://www.chezbruce.co.uk/

Ooh, I'm tempted I have to say as a treat for MadameAH. Check out the wine list!

clarkey cat

L'Atelier de Joel Roubochon was even better

Fantastic restaurant. Also, incredible (but not well-publicised) Saturday lunch deal. 3 courses, bottle of water, glass of white - came to £60.

Chez Bruce, Wandsworth Common

Also great. Ran by the same people at La Trompette and the Glasshouse if you can't make it to Wandsworth Common. I used to live in Tooting Bec and regularly came here for the Sunday lunch.
Its where Gordon was trained by MPW I believe.
The private room upstairs can be had for small gatherings (up to 12 I think) and had a couple of very nice birthdays in there.

asprilla

SimonAH wrote:

Kurako wrote:

I'll weigh in with Chez Bruce, Wandsworth Common. A michelin starred chef without a TV show is such a rarity these days ;-P

http://www.chezbruce.co.uk/

Ooh, I'm tempted I have to say as a treat for MadameAH. Check out the wine list!

Chez Bruce is very good indeed.

For my 40th I've already started saving up for the Sommelier's Table at the Connaught; you select 8 wines beforehand and then the chef creates a tasting menu to complement them. £1200 covers the food and the wines are on top.

I've got 5 years to save.

clarkey cat

I've got 5 years to save.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InaRIYFPMiY

asprilla

clarkey cat wrote:

I've got 5 years to save.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InaRIYFPMiY

Coffee / keyboard moment.

gtvlusso

Best:

Some womans house in Trinidad in Cuba (near Bay of Pigs)

Picture the scene;

2 sunburnt tourists
1930's American car taxi thing with bits falling off and the engine out of an old trawler
Town we have never heard of and know nothing about in Cuba (off the tourist trail)
Pitch black at night

Said taxi 'extreme mentalist' states that he know the best restaurant in town......we agree to go with the guys local knowledge.

We walk into a womans house, small child sat in front of TV with broken leg to the right of us, we walk through to the back garden;

We then get a choice of 'pork' or 'beef' - we both go for the pork.

Along comes the best meal I have ever had in my life! Succulent, delicious!

A few more people turn up and are placed on equally inadequate garden furniture in this ladys back yard......we feel more at ease!

All for $10 including 2 bottles of 'wine'......We left a $10 tip.

2nd Best;

Cafe Wha? Bleecker St in New York - ate dinner with Jessica Simpson.

welkman

clos maggiore covent garden, full tasting menu with wine. Despite being the eyoungest people in there they went out of their way to make us feel relaxed and the service was superb. The food was the best I have ever had. Funny thing is that my wife thought that I was going to propose to her over dinner; like I would be brave enough to do something like that in public. Would reccomend if going as a coulple but not in a big group.

ketsbaia

http://roussillon.co.uk/ in SW1. Great place.

okgo

welkman wrote:

clos maggiore covent garden, full tasting menu with wine. Despite being the eyoungest people in there they went out of their way to make us feel relaxed and the service was superb. The food was the best I have ever had. Funny thing is that my wife thought that I was going to propose to her over dinner; like I would be brave enough to do something like that in public. Would reccomend if going as a coulple but not in a big group.

Was about to suggest this place, went there a couple of months ago, asked to be seated in the convervatory, arrived got the best seat in the house, and spent the next 2.5 hours eating the amazing tasting menue with matching wine. Wasn't cheap, but it was lovely, and it got the thumbs up from the gf.

Will probably book somewhere special for her bday this year, thinking Gavaroche.

clarkey cat

Gavaroche.

Do it - HOWEVER - word of warning. £100 a head for the tasting menu... £56 (I think) for matching wine. Add on a cocktail to start... bit of service. Yep - you're looking at nearly 400 nicker.

Look on the bright side: she'll pretty much have to.




You been to French Table? Want to try it out.

okgo

I spent £300 on clos maggiore so its not a huge difference.

No, not yet, think I might give it a whirl for valentines

asprilla

clarkey cat wrote:

Gavaroche.

You been to French Table? Want to try it out.

I went a couple of years ago and I remember it being good but it doesn't stick out as being amazing. Cheese board was great if I remember rightly.

tailwindhome

A mate took his son fishing at the harbour. They caught a bucket of mackerel which were cleaned, gutted and on the BBQ within the hour. Bit of bread, some homemade potato salad and a nice white wine.......awesome.

And if you're ever in Belfast I'd recommend Tedford's. http://tedfordsrestaurant.com/

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

clarkey cat wrote:

Gavaroche.

You been to French Table? Want to try it out.

I went a couple of years ago and I remember it being good but it doesn't stick out as being amazing. Cheese board was great if I remember rightly.

I confess to being a bit of a fan of the French Table. The trilogy of pork, the puddings, the service, it's just all good.

The Sugar Table (when it was around) was brilliant.

@TWH - a bit south of you, but I remember being very impressed with the fish I had in Kinsale abotu 11 years ago.

@Asprilla: great idea. But that's the cost of a lurvely wheelset...

asprilla

Should have pointed out that £1200 is for 8 people. However, I'd expect the cost of 16 bottles of wine from a once in a lifetime opportunity to come to at least the same again.

I've got my Reynolds Assaults, why would I want another set.....

clarkey cat

asprilla - you been to the Dining Rooms in Hersham Village?

Thats a good spot for a sunday lunch.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

Should have pointed out that £1200 is for 8 people. However, I'd expect the cost of 16 bottles of wine from a once in a lifetime opportunity to come to at least the same again.

I've got my Reynolds Assaults, why would I want another set.....

It's five years' time. It'll be time for an upgrade. Have the wine on your 50th.

asprilla

clarkey cat wrote:

asprilla - you been to the Dining Rooms in Hersham Village?

Thats a good spot for a sunday lunch.

Yes, yes. Excellent English cooking and good value. You'll never walk out of there feeling under fed!