Apsley's: A Heinz Beck Restaurant, The Lanesborough Hotel, Hyde Park Corner, London

The morning began with grumblings from Mr N, about our heading for lunch to a restaurant with a dress code. By noon he was appreciative that I’d insisted on proper shoes, as this was certainly the classiest dining experience of the year.

The Lanesborough Hotel in Knightsbridge (allegedly the most expensive in London), is a huge imposing building (formerly St George’s Hospital) opposite Hyde Park. Smartly dressed porters ushered us in from the rain, and suddenly we found ourselves in an oasis of festive calm. The manic two-days-before-Christmas fervour was soon forgotten as we relaxed in the luxurious bar with a beautiful open fire. We smartened up and marvelled at the art-deco bathrooms, and stashed all our wet-weather gear in the cloakrooms, and anticipated an exciting meal.

Michelin starred Apsley’s, is the first Heinz Beck restaurant outside of Italy, and the restaurant itself was bathed in light despite the dark and drizzly weather. Elaborately shiny plates with mosaic motifs decorated the tables as the extremely courteous staff seated us (and much to our delight, bought us a stand just for P’s handbag to be placed on!)

We were here on a reduced price lunch offer, but you would never have guessed it from the exceptional level of service we received. But the deal was well worth it. We began with a glass of sparkly Franciacorta, and then we had a moment of Food Geek joy as the Olive Oil was formally introduced to us. Formalities over, we soaked it up with the perfectly baked focaccia and olive bread.

After an amuse bouche it was time for starters proper. The lunch menu was small but perfectly formed, and we’d each chosen a different option. My zingy pumpkin and ginger soup was poured at the table into a dish of crispy taleggio ravioli, maintaining the different textures of crispy and soupy, and tasting amazing, D’s Octopus salad with couscous and P’s lamb starter were equally well presented and quickly devoured.

Keeping in the festive spirit, myself and P had opted for the Norfolk Bronze Turkey, being sure that it would be distinctly different to anything we’d eat on Christmas day. We were not wrong. Served with mustard seed, celery, apple and beetroot (and some surprisingly tasty Brussels sprout outer leaves), this was tangy and satisfying. D’s halibut main course looked like classy fish fingers coated in paprika, with three brightly coloured accompaniments of which the aubergine was proclaimed to be the best.

Dessert looked fantastic and tasted even better. Cocoa sable was brittle dark chocolate biscuit with the most intensely fruity strawberry ice-cream I’ve ever tasted, combined with a subtle hint of liquorice. P’s muesli crumble with yoghurt with yoghurt foam and blueberry sorbet looked like it should be breakfast, but P loved it.

Very well fed, we decided to take our tea in the cosy bar. A tray of intensely chocolatey petit fours, with heavy silverware and pretty crockery enjoyed on comfy sofas by the fireplace, made it feel like a special occasion, which is absolutely was in every sense. An affordable pre-Christmas treat this was a real gem of an experience!

The Commonwealth Kitchen, 25 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5AP

It was a moment to savour – I had finally discovered an exceptional restaurant in the most touristy part of London! Minutes from Trafalgar Square, The Commonwealth Kitchen is the holy trinity of special, affordable and fantastically located. Part of the Commonwealth Club, K had the pleasure of having visited previously due to her Foreign Office connections. If you weren’t in the know, you’d walk right by, (perhaps reflected in the fact that we were the only guests in the restaurant on a Tuesday night). However, the restaurant is open to non-members, and a long running special offer on this website, or the alternative of a bargainous set menu, makes it incredibly good value.

The restaurant is modern and sleek, but retains character with its artwork and eye-catching features, including a huge clock elevated over the dining room. We may have been the only diners in a large space, but it didn’t matter – the nicely designed circular booth counteracted the vastness of the room, and the friendliness of the staff ensured the atmosphere was relaxed.

We chose from the a la carte (which changes monthly), although the set price menu would also have been absolutely fine. Even though the menu was short, it offered many exciting options, even for me, the temporary (and somewhat reluctant) vegetarian.

We’d barely received our excellent glasses of Chardonnay, and Slovenian Quercus Pinot Bianco, when we were treated to complementary nibbles of parmesan palmiers, and a tasty hand-made crisps. This nice touch was followed by another, when we chose from a selection of beautifully presented bread. Far more exciting than your usual selection, I had a chilli option, and K some pain de campagne (country bread). The excitement didn’t end there; as we were then presented with an amuse bouche of a cherry tomato stuffed with mozzarella, which was simple but special.

Finally, we got onto mains proper. My chilled cucumber and mint soup was good for the warm evening, and presented like a drink! The richness of Westcombe cheddar scones (which were three cute little squares of sesame seed topped cheesy goodness) were a scrumptious contrast to the cool minty flavour.

K’s Soya barbeque Rhug estate pork belly, with pickled Norfolk radish, green tea and apple puree, was prettily presented with bite sized pieces of pork, topped with delicate slivers of radish.

We’d both opted for vegetarian main courses. K’s bubble and squeak, with glazed shallot, caramelised English chicory and butternut squash, had a brilliantly home-cooked flavour, but my main course won the prize for the best presentation!

This is NOT dessert

 

Looking like a sweet cheesecake with a raspberry coulis, my tastebuds were confounded by the deeply savory St Tola goats cheese cake, with beetroot, toasted pine nut hollandaise and swiss chard. Truly, this had top marks for presentation, and was a huge portion size, especially considering the richness of the creamy cheese, which was tempered by the beetroot.

Utterly stuffed, we didn’t have room for a dessert, but our curiosity got the better of us. We’d both been eyeing up the suitably summery strawberries gratin, blondie, champagne sabayon and balsamic ice cream, and finally decided that sharing one between us wouldn’t hurt (we convinced ourselves that portions would be small).

We were of course wrong, as a very generous portion of dessert (which looked like a main course), arrived. It was just too tasty to be concerned about being full. The sweetness of a blondie (a sugar version of a brownie of course), a foamy sabayon and coolness of the ice-cream was utterly divine with the strawberry pieces. It was a fantastic dessert – far more exciting than options found on most menus.

All in all, this really was one of the best meals I’d had in a long time. Being vegetarian hadn’t been an issue at all, and the entire experience was lovely from start to end. The staff were exemplary and all the food had been exciting and extremely tasty. I will certainly be coming here again!

Tummies Cookery School, Station Road, Cippenham, Slough, SL1 6JJ

Tummies is a bit of an institution.  An oasis of good food in a desert of urban sprawl, I've been a frequent visitor to their deli and restaurant (particular highlights of which are the sun-trap of the back patio, and the colouring pencils on every table - the many walls are plastered from ground to ceiling in the best submissions from the last 24 years).

However, this latest visit was more than just a meal.  It was an all day extravaganza!  I was taking part in the Cookery School, enjoying what was the perfect gift of watching a fantastic feast being cooked, which I knew I'd then get to eat!

The set up was excellent.  The demo kitchen is bright, professional but still homey, and our small group was looked after by co-owner Tammy, who provided endless drinks, whilst we watched Head Chef Claude Mariuax create a three course meal, imparting the knowledge (and recipe cards), for us to be able to replicate it at home.

The starter was a goat's cheese pastry, topped with seasonal asparagus which was wrapped in parma ham, and served on a bed of rocket.  It seemed pleasingly straightforward to assemble, but the rich and contrasting flavours belied the simplicity.   

 Speaking of rich, the individual ramekins of dauphinous potatoes, were made with a heavenly combination of whipping cream, butter, gruyere and garlic.  The flavour was so enticing that despite the amount we'd eaten, we had no problems finishing it, along side the main course of roasted rump of English lamb, cooked in a delicious red wine sauce! 

The richness was tempered by the colourful and sweet roasted vegetables that made up the french style ratatouille.  It certainly changed my perception of ratatouille, as it wasn't cooked in a tomato sauce, but instead cooked and cooled down quickly in a way where the veg didn't release any water and stayed firm and delicious.

 

Despite a break before dessert, I was still sure that I wouldn't be able to manage the limoncello curd cake after eating such a large meal.  I sampled the tiniest of bites, and was struck by the beautiful lightness, and the moist and zesty flavour.  I'm normally a fan of chocolatey cakes, but this lemony wonder was perhaps the very best cake I'd ever tasted!  I managed far more of it than I ever would have imagined - the creme fraiche it was served with adding to the deliciousness.

As I cycled home (slowly and not very steadily after the delicious wine), I contemplated how much I'd enjoyed the whole experience, and how it was almost more delicious because it felt like home cooking rather than restaurant food.  It certainly was the best of both worlds, and was an unforgettable treat.

The Hinds Head, High Street, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AB

It's exciting to go somewhere that you recognise from the telly!  It was a special occasion, and neither of us had ever been to Heston Blumenthal's Hinds Head in Bray, despite living so nearby.  Billed as his more accessible restaurant (ie, we only had two book around 10 days in advance, and hopefully the experience wasn't going to bankrupt us),  my parents and sister had already visited, and had given it rave reviews (my sister particularly raving about triple fried chips and the best pie she had ever tasted). 

Rated as Michelin Pub of the Year in 2011, I wasn't sure whether it would be more like a pub, or a restaurant.   Our booking was at 8.45pm on a Friday, but it was very busy as we arrived, and it certainly did seem like any busy pub at upon first appearances.  We were a little early, but we were immediately shown to our table in the much more tranquil restaurant upstairs.  A cosy, low-timbered room, with a warm atmosphere, the majority of the tables were full, but we'd been given an optimal large table in the corner of the room, so we had plenty of space.  It reminded me of a brilliant place I'd eaten at in Germany, in a watermill. 

Everything exuded quality and attention to detail, from the service, to the super-light, shapely water glasses (lovely, the waitress agreed, but a nightmare to clean).    The dinner menu looked great but eye-wateringly pricey (steak and chips for £26 - although nothing compared to The Fat Duck's offerings at £180 per head), but the three course set menu, with two options for each course was bargainous in comparison, at just £27.50 each.

Naturally, we took great pleasure in ordering "everything from the set menu," as it all looked appealing, and we intended to each try a bit of everything.  Having heard so much about the triple-friend chips, we ordered one of those too. 

The service was spot on: very friendly and incredibly professional.  (Although perhaps re-folding my napkin when I was away from the table was a bit too much!)  We admitted that our plan was to share, and we were immediately bought enough cutlery to be able to share each of the six dishes we'd ordered between us. We were assured that "anything is possible at The Hinds Head" and it certainly seemed that was true.

Although there was no mention of beer on the drinks menu, when we passed the downstairs bar, D had spotted locally brewed (in my home town of Marlow) Rebellion's Smuggler, which was in very good condition.  I went for pink and fizzy Rose de'Salici Brut Col de'Salici  - a delightful fruity prosecco.

There was bread to nibble on, but it wasn't long before the starters arrived.  These were truly excellent.  The Pea and Ham Soup was the ultimate comfort food.  Very green (and served in something was was not dissimilar to to a mini-cauldron), it was full of very fresh whole peas, and delicious chunks of ham.  The flavour, texture and quality of ingredients were astounding. 

It was so good, I wasn't very keen to share it, but I'm glad I did, as I got to sample the other starter - the Tea-Smoked Salmon with Soda Bread, which was exquisite.  D described it as the best smoked salmon he'd ever tasted, and I could see why.  It had a complex, delicate flavour and almost melt-in-the-mouth consistency.  It was quite brilliant.  (We also very much liked how the wedge of lemon was ingeniously covered in a little 'jacket' to catch the pips as you squeezed it). 

With truly top-notch starters, the bar had been set very high.  When mains arrived, we were perhaps a little concerned that pie looked a little... petite.  The macaroni dish looked impressive - not at all cheesy, but beautifully gratinated with tiny pasta, so that it almost looked like rice, with a poached egg delicately balanced on top.

The fears of the pie being too small were completely unfounded, given the richness of the dish.  Lovely pastry packed with the chicken and ham - there was very little sauce, just really good quality ingredients.  The macaroni was in a different universe to the tinned macaroni cheese of my childhood (which holds a special place in my heart as comfort food).  The tiny pasta shapes, were bound with such flavoursome wild mushrooms, that they almost tasted fruity.  The dish sung with flavour, but was very rich, so again, I was glad we were sharing, as a full portion would have been difficult to eat single-handedly. 

The triple fried chips were chunky, salty and very very crunchy.

Utterly stuffed, we asked for a little break before dessert time.  We enjoyed the ambience and relaxed feel of the restaurant, and marvelled at how close it was to Maidenhead Rail station.  We commented on how the toilets were the second best D had ever seen (he said they lost a point for not having real fluffy handtowels), but we both agreed the cool 50s style made for very nice bathrooms.

In preparation for dessert, we were handed this introductory note for the 'Quaking Pudding':

I still wasn't entirely sure whether a 17th Century pudding was going to be tasty, but I knew there was always going to be the fallback option of the blackberry fool (and in normal circumstances, I was too full for dessert anyway).

The desserts then made their grand entrance.  The pudding was as promised 'quaking' and wobbling away, as if it had a life of it's own (whilst the blackberry fool looked more conventional), but had the unexpected added bonus of pistachios. 

Forgetting how full I was, I dug into the Quaking Pudding, and was almost taken aback by how familiar the taste was.  The warm flavours of cardamom, cinammon, a hint of ginger, in a milky base, meant it tasted exactly like 'chai' (indian tea, just like my mum makes).  It was quite disorientating to taste something that was so reminiscent of home in such a restaurant, but it was absolutely delicious.  Ingeniously, it was served with what looked like cucumber, but was actually delicate slivers of sweet and tangy sugared apple. 

The blackberry fool was very creamy, but well punctuated by the blackberries, pistachios, meringue pieces and a hint of aniseed - delightful.

We'd come to the end of our food extravaganza.  Expectations had been high but the food, service and atmosphere were absolutely perfect, and I couldn't recommend The Hinds Head highly enough.   

Restaurant Molzmuhle, Wegberg, Germany

The very best restaurant I have eaten at this year, was very nearly not documented in these pages. Hours of Google-searching different combinations of 'watermill - German - restaurant - near - Monchengladbach' proved fruitless in discovering the name or location of this wonderful place I'd visited in April with Rebecca (who is such a good hostess, it was the third time I'd been to stay with her in Germany). She couldn't help me either, being away with no internet access. I sadly resigned myself that this exquisite dining experience would remain unblogged, until I miraculously found a flyer for Hotel-Restaurant-Molzmuhle hidden amongst a pile of random bits of paper from various travels. (The flyer, like the website (and the menu) are entirely in German, but thanks to the powers of technology, an acceptably translated version can be found here - I say acceptable, but do notice the reference to 'erotic vegetables' on the translated menu page!)

So often when travelling, the restaurants you visit are the ones you walk past, but the joy of having a friend whose local favourite restaurant is in a forest in Wegberg, meant that I experienced a place I never would have found on my own, which was so good that it made me radically rethink my impressions of German cuisine.

The building is a beautifully restored 17th century watermill, and dinner was a candle-lit affair (would definitely score highly as a romantic location, but was no less lovely for a girly evening of indulgent food and drink), and the service was impeccable - the waiter didn't speak much English, but was very friendly and tried to be as helpful as possible. So this wasn't an issue - Bec helped translate the menu for me and we'd soon ordered. The wine was wonderful, and the bread was warm and served with exciting condiments.

My starter was a tart of french onion and gorgeously creamy and rich cheese. Bec's mushroom soup was one of the freshest and most flavoursome I'd ever tasted (she kindly let me sample some). Portions were generous and very artistically presented.

This was followed by an amuse-bouche of very small pieces of rabbit, which sadly didn't look very appealing. It wasn't quite to our tastes but we sampled it all the same.

Luckily, we were far from disappointed by our main courses. We were both delighted by our respective choices - seafood for Bec and roast chicken with incredible flavour for me. But the delight levels (already very high) went through the roof once we reached dessert. These were quite possibly the two most beautiful and indulgent desserts I've ever seen and tasted.

Apple strudel ice-cream.

Chocolate brownie with poppy seed ice-cream - lusciously chocolatey and gooey.

Overall:

Atmosphere: This place feels special (as being in a 17th century restored watermill should feel) - a good balance of relaxed and romantic.

Service: Attentive, professional and friendly.

Food quality: It looked amazing and it tasted even better.

Value for money: A three course meal with wine came in at EUR 50 a head, which is pretty good value indeed for the quality of what you get.

Overall: Highest mark possible 10/10

Contact details:

Restaurant Molzmuhle

In Bollenberg 41
41844 Wegberg

Germany
Tel.: 02434/99770
http://www.molzmuehle.de/
molzmuehle@t-online.de

Breakfast at Mallory Court Hotel

I firmly believe that there are few things in life more wonderful than a full english breakfast. I'm not ashamed to say I love them in their many varieties. When I lived in Bristol I was spoilt for choice - there were the many hangover-aiding breakfasts in Havana (Cotham Hill), the great-plan making ones with Rachael in the second-hand bookshop, Circles (Bedminster), and an amazing greasy-spoon breakfast (complete with endless mugs of builders tea), with Lee in the now sadly defunct York Cafe.

Hotel breakfasts are a different beast entirely. The big chains do big buffets but eggs, bacon and sausages are far from appealing when cooked in advance and left under bright lights to keep warm. Independent hotels are far better with breakfasts cooked to order. Rachael always insisted that the inclusion of hash-browns was of optimal importance in the breakfasts of the hotel she managed, and I agreed with her. But the quality can still be variable.

The breakfast at the Mallory Court, was quite possibly the best full-english i've ever had. Aesthetically it was beautiful, and the quality and flavour of the sausage, bacon, eggs and mushroom were quite amazing. The portion may look small, but the richness of the food made it the perfect size (even with the pictured fried bread swapped for toast). I'd opted for poached eggs after Graham inspired me by ordering some, and we both found one with a wonderfully runny yolk, and one with a harder yolk. The precision with which this had been accomplished made me think that this was done purposefully, but it is mere speculation on whether they did this to hedge their bets on the diner's preference.


From the moment we walked into the breakfast room, the service couldn't have been more attentive and professional. Being a huge fan of tea, I loved the ceremony that of having tea leaves and tea pots. All I needed was my cooked breakfast, but the continental buffet looked ample and well stocked. The addition of freshly squeezed fruit juices was also a very appealing touch.

Overall:

The quality of the food and presentation made this the classiest full english i'd ever had, and the attention to detail and professional friendly service, in lovely surroundings made for a rather wonderful breakfast experience.

10/10