Your last restaurant meal

Anyone here been to Ramsay? How was it?

I've eaten at 2 of Ramsay's restaurants.
Firstly Claridge's is unbeatable in my opinion, under Mark Sargeant. The food is unbelievable, the table staff are young and friendly and although the place is very grand and appears formal, it's great fun. The staff really look after you well and it's very relaxed. I still find that this is the best food I have ever eaten, and the wine list is superb also.
Maze was very different, fun, interesting and the food and wine superb. I had a chat with Jason Atherton who is extremely talented and got some Chef of the Year award 2 weeks after. Extremely good food with lots of interesting ideas, but I can't help compare food with Claridge's at this level and still find this unbeaten.
It's probably a bit boring to favour Claridge's now, but I'm just being honest.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rasher:
The staff really look after you well
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

I would too if the sanction was a bollicking from Gordon.

One of the best restaurants I ever had the pleasure of patronising was Brighton's (sadly no more) 'Black Chapati'. The Sri Lankan patties could not be described as anything other than orgasmic.

It was just a shame about the asshole running it and the fluorescent lighting

How so, Rash? Always seemed pleasant enough to me.

Sorry Malky, just my experience. Maybe he mellowed in later years, but he used to be very rude and arrogant. It was almost as though he didn't want people to come and eat there, so I stopped going many years ago - maybe hadn't been since early 90's. It was a shame because the food was unique (at the time), and I think he did the food for the place (pub) that became The Office, but I can't remember its old name. If you ask around I think you'll find I'm not alone. I guess the closest to the food is Indian Summer in East Street, but that's over-rated IMO. Maybe worth the novelty value once.
I'm a fussy bugger, me.

Perhaps the old thing about a creative temperament.
There's always 'La Marinade' in Kemptown.
p.s. The Office was, I'm sure you'll remember, the gothy/ student den the 'Green dragon'

Green Dragon - that was it!!
If you like Thai, and I'm sure you do, try Krakatoa in Poole Valley.

Hmm we are lucky to have so many good and varied restaurants in Brighton/Hove. I have just been sitting outside Barny's in Hove having a salad and beer and ogling actress Catherine McCormack (she who played Mel Gibson's wife in Braveheart)who was sitting nearby.

The last time I ate out was in Tenby last week. Very nice fish and chips they were too!

Pizza Express with the missus & children. Nothing special. Had a salad, but the artichoke hearts & roasted vegatables were obviously out of a tin. Should have had a pizza.

quote:

Originally posted by erik scothron:
I have just been sitting outside Barny's in Hove having a salad and beer and ogling actress Catherine McCormack

It's a bit like that sometimes. Doesn't Nick Cave live in your street Erik? Gets his chinese takeaway from that place in Church Road. I know Gary Moore lives in The Drive.

Just back from Beijing.
We had a table for 7, & ate a fairly standard selection of chinese food to UK taste, ie no bugs/snake/eyes, etc, a few Tsing Tsao beers, & with a tip it came to about £4 a head, & no jippy tummy afterwards! Bloomin marvellous.
matt.

Rasher, I have heard Nick Cave lives nearby but I dont know what he looks like ditto Gary Moore. Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim live near as do Heather Mills-McCartney, Steve Coogan and Chris Eubanks (who lowers property values I suspect). Several B list TV actors too.

I had an embarrasing introduction to fatboy. I was having my hair cut when some dreadful music started playing on the shop radio so I said to my hairdresser 'So you are not a music lover then?' We always have some banter so this kind of remark would usually provoke some good natured joshing but this time my hairdresser kept on repeating 'dont you like it, dont you like it, its fatboy slim' He was laughing his head off as were all the other barbers and people waiting to get their hair cut. So I laughed too and said 'I dont care whose music it is, its total crap'. Everyone fell about laughing so I increased the insults.

Then my hairdresser said 'well let me introduce you to Norman Cook 'Fatboy Slim' himself........'

He was waiting for a haircut with his son.

Luckily he has a sense of humour and we all had a bloody good laugh about it. How on earth was I to know...? He didnt look very fat to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
I've eaten at 2 of Ramsay's restaurants.
Firstly Claridge's is unbeatable in my opinion, under Mark Sargeant. The food is unbelievable, the table staff are young and friendly and although the place is very grand and appears formal, it's great fun. The staff really look after you well and it's very relaxed. I still find that this is the best food I have ever eaten, and the wine list is superb also.
Maze was very different, fun, interesting and the food and wine superb. I had a chat with Jason Atherton who is extremely talented and got some Chef of the Year award 2 weeks after. Extremely good food with lots of interesting ideas, but I can't help compare food with Claridge's at this level and still find this unbeaten.
It's probably a bit boring to favour Claridge's now, but I'm just being honest.

Thumbs up for Maze too My next great meal will probably be in Beijing.

Andrew

At work , each friday, we have a long lunch at the same italian restaurant. I often have the pizza pesce espada or the pizza carpaccio. It's a very nice and predictable routine. The wine makes us a bit less productive in the afternoon.

Good restaurant. The people are from Bari.

I can't use the word 'productive' without thinking of a Radiohead song.

A seafood platter (for 2) in Fowey, Cornwall.

It included a whole crab, whole lobster, langustines, monk fish with chilli and cream, seared scallops. All washed down with.....damn forget now, the food was excellent, prepped enough to enjoy without getting too messy!

Guy

Poppadums with the chutney tray followed by Chicken Madras and vegetable Pillau rice washed down with 2 pints of Cobra.

Steven

You certainly know how to live.

Regards

Mick

I enjoyed it in a spotlessly clean and air conditioned restaurant.

That's the esential.

Previously, a week before, I enjoyed egg à la russe followed by Schneider Schnitzel (cooked by an Austrian chef) in a green and red pepper sauce and accompanying veg washed down with three pints of Guinness.

I went to an Indian Restaurant last night with a buddy & had a Chana Puree to start followed by a prawn Dansak & boiled rice with mushroom & garlic bahji.
To be honest, I was full after the starter and left most of the main course. It just wasn't the day for eating really. I had a couple of cool lagers, but even then I couldn't finish the last one.
I'm cooking at home tonight.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GuyPerry:
A seafood platter (for 2) in Fowey, Cornwall./QUOTE]

Seafood Platter For 2 - for 1 or for 2?!

Hi folks,

I hardly dare admit to this one.

Covent Garden, Central London, £1.99 per head. Cornish pasty with brown sauce on a plastic plate and a large mug of tea. Lovely.

Who says you can't eat out cheaply. Lots of lovely cockney chat as well!

Cheers, ecm - food snob.

Just been on a training course to Ireland and had a fabulous meal at a place called "Durty Nelly's" in Banratty near Shannon.
Th sawdust on the floor and the duet playing the piano and banjo outside in the summer evening creates a great atmosphere

The meal

Fresh Mussels in garlic butter
Sirloin steak with stir fried veg, broccoli and garlic potatoes
crepes filled with vanilla ice cream and hazlenut sauce
Irish coffee