Jamie's Italian, Riverside Level, The Oracle, Reading

My birthday is on a tricky day.  On the second day of the new year, it's not easy to find an activity to follow the weeks of excitement which have just passed.  Last year I'd had a surprisingly great day with my friends in Basingstoke.  Wanting to continue in a similar fashion, this year's birthday venue was going to be somewhere I'd never previously had a memorable meal...Reading Town Centre!  An unlikely place for Jamie Oliver to have set up a branch of his latest 'Jamie's Italian' venture, I was intrigued, if not a little sceptical.    I can't deny - I had visions of lengthy queues, tiny portions and mockney pretensions, but it still remained an appealing option for a birthday lunch, given the novelty factor of having anything so trendy in Reading of all places!

Housed on the very busy Riverside area of the Oracle shopping centre, (it's not particularly exclusive - there's a big McDonalds opposite), I was relieved not to see a queue outside (particularly as you can't book a table for less than 6 people).  In fact, the wait for a table was only around 5 minutes (more than acceptable), and I was delighted that we were led to a table upstairs which was far more spacious and impressive than the rather cramped downstairs eating area.  The circular room, overlooking the river, with views into the kitchen and very high ceilings, felt modern and relaxed, and whilst there were some overly commercial traces of Jamie (ie displays of his books to purchase), there were others, such as the style of the specials board, that differentiated this place from other Italian chains - I'd been expecting something like the ubiqutous Carluccios for example, but this place felt distinct and somehow a bit more special. In the summer al fresco dining is possible on the balcony - I made a mental note and hoped the meal was going to be good, so that I could return on a balmy summer evening.

Birthday rules make cocktails the drink of choice.  Only a small selection existed but I was suitably impressed by my Rossini, which was served with a strawberry layer at the bottom of the glass of Prosecco, which when stirred became a hot pink colour and tasted divinely fruity and bubbly.  Starters were ordered (the freshly baked 'top italian bread' selection, and a vegetable antipasti 'plank'). 

The breads arrived rapidly, and the conical presentation was quite wonderful.  Composed of foccacia brushed with a tiny smidgen of garlicy, herby goodness, and crispy flat bread, and sourdough, I struggled not to devour it all at once, even though there was no sign of the antipasti.  Two tins of italian chopped tomatoes had for some reason appeared on the table.  Slightly odd free gifts perhaps?  David was brave enough to ask of their significance, and we were told the 'plank' of antipasti would rest on them.  All fair and good, but the novelty was lost by the antipasti not arriving for a good 15-20 minutes after the tins.

But when they did arrive, they were exciting and artful and very gratefully received.  The presentation again was perfect, and our plank boasted chargilled marinaded vegatables, a teeny tiny ball of buffalo mozzarello, pecorino with chilli jam, crunchy italian coldslaw, olives and an aubergine caponata.  All tasty tiny bites, and I was pleased with the variety and quality.

Appetites whet, we were ready for mains, and they arrived in a suitably timely manner.  My concerns about small portions appeared entirely unfounded, as we were both presented with huge plates of freshly made on the premises, pasta.   We'd both believed David's Rabbit Ragu Parpadelle was going to be of the tomatoey variety, but instead it was of a creamier variety, with lovely warma and comforting herby flavours.  I hadn't felt very adventurous, and had opted simply for the 'Beautiful Bucatini Carbonara'.  The thick tubes of pasta were perfect for soaking up the sauce, and the leeks were a lovely addition to the dish.

Utterly stuffed, there was space for neither dessert nor coffee (especially as we had plans to spend the rest of the afternoon in Reading's fantastic real ale pub - The Nags Head), so we ended the meal feeling service and value rated pretty highly (and the toilets were also very swish).  We'd enjoyed not feeling at all rushed, especially somewhere so popular, and we had enjoyed everything we'd eaten, and felt it really was quite different to the Italian chains on the high street.

Utterly bizarrely, as we left I took a couple of pictures of the outside of the restuarant.  Almost immediately a security guard from the Oracle informed me in no uncertain terms that the shopping area I was in was private property, and the photos I'd taken were therefore the property of the Oracle. World gone mad indeed.  We left the consumer madness of said shopping centre and continued the wonderfulness of my birthday afternoon at The Nag's Head with a huge selection of real ales and ciders (including some brilliant ones from Mr Whitehead) along with some Connect 4.  Who would have thought there was so much fun to be had in Reading?

A Fluid State 2010 (02-05 Dec 2010. London)

A host of King's Brambling cocktails

It was an exceptionally cold evening. Trudging around the Liverpool Street area looking for the secret location of ‘A Fluid State,’ I wondered where I was going to hide my wellies and surplus layers at what I suspected would be an uber trendy event.

In a move that highlighted my inability to be fashionably late, we were one of the first people to walk into the industrial 8,000sqft space which hosted this more-drinky-than-foody-festival. Unsure of what to expect, given that the website had rather obliquely described ‘Experiences’ and Art, I gratefully stashed all my surplus clothing into the cloakroom and enjoyed the efforts made by the organisers to transform the ticket desk into a 60s style airline. We were greeted by the air hostesses in gold lamé outfits, presenting us with 'passports' and boarding passes for our ‘flights’. Any sense of incredulity was swept away by our welcome cocktail –‘King’s Brambling’ – a fruity concoction (lime, blackberries and apple juice), with a kick of ginger liqueur (The King’s Ginger). I love ginger, and this boozy start was a sign of things to come...

 

Cactus Smoothies & Cherry Bomb Smoothies

We found ourselves in ‘The Garden of Eden’ the first of our ‘Experiences’. Still clutching our cocktails we welcomed a sample of soup from Crussh and chatted to the MD (Christopher Fung), who enlightened us as to the company’s philiosophy.  We also marvelled at the bravery of a scantily-clad ‘Eve’ (brave not only because of the freezing temperatures, but also because of the snake she had draped around her), and at a beautiful tree of forbidden fruit- dehydrated apples, which were shrunken but so sweet and fruity that the powder dry texture remained delicious, coated in a thick layer of dark chocolate.

Forbidden Fruit

The flight worked as follows: there were three elements to each experience - like three courses. The first was an Ocho Blanco Tequila Cactus Smoothie; green and mild, almost like you might expect a courgette to taste like if it was smoothified.  It was infused with a 'kiwi and starfruit jerky'! The tequila wasn’t strong, but I began to worry about the mixing that was going on drinkwise as we sampled the next drink/sweet combo, the Bourbon Acai Cherry Bomb with dark chocolate ganache by Damian Allsop. The dark chocolate and rich, sweet boozy cherry flavour was fantastic together. Allsop’s theory is that chocolate should be made with water and not cream, thereby creating a flavour more pure than others. The final course was the one that felt like dessert – an organic sorbet of wheatgrass (which was green and light) with a crispy, biscuity tuile of bees pollen (you could see tiny dark orange flecks on the tulle) served with more Kings Ginger Liqueur. Delicious!

After the ethereal nature of the Garden of Eden, it was time for something darker and more substantial. The ‘Twilight Hours’ proved a welcome contrast in terms of atmosphere, but the glamour of the evening continued as we were served Louis Roederer champagne, before entering a secret chamber, inhabited by irreverent monks. We were seated at tiny tables, and each encouraged to don hoods (conveniently sewn into the walls above our heads) and confess our sins. We were then served a deliciously dark Meantime London Porter which was the perfect accompaniment to the hearty Game Stew that followed. The brief sit-down meal, in what felt like a dark and secret small space, was a welcome change to the normal food festival nibbling that we’d been in indulging in.

Fantasy Island: Preparing the Dragon's Breath Popcorn

Then time for a complete change as we entered the kitsch ‘Fantasy Island’ area. Performers, lurid colours and green screen technology were just a minor distraction from the genius of the deconstructed pina colada cocktails on offer (it made my mind boggle, but Spherification was involved, and the result was amazing). The sense of wonder that accompanied ‘Dragon’s Breath’ popcorn (served with liquid nitrogen), Pink Pigeon  rum and pineapple crisps left us wandering out of the area in a bit of a daze. A hungry daze…

Deconstructed Pina Coladas (and the joy of spherification)!

Scotch Egg Joy

As we stumbled back into the cold London night we reflected on an evening which had been an experience quite unlike any other. Pricey – around £54 in total for the entry ticket and the three experiences, we felt it entirely worth the money given the quality, innovation and artistry involved in everything that we’d sampled. Having never experienced a food or drink event which was this imaginative or special, this is highly recommended, and we will most definitely be returning next year!



The final area we visited (we left out one area – ‘The Palm Upper East Side’- the Mad Men inspired gin bar having imbibed far more alcohol that food already) was the least visually exciting, but promised the most substantial food offerings. Alcohol, however, was still the primary focus of this experience. Entitled ‘The Reconciliation’, this was a tequila tasting zone, but each tasting was paired with a tapas sized tasty morsel. The first sample was Heradura Reposada Tequila matched with a light and beautifully citrusy seabass ceviche. It was easily the most delicious savory bite of the evening so far. More substaintial and much appreciated was the second dish of chilli, coriander and lime scotch egg created by Eat My Pies.  Beautifully presented and with a lovely consistency, this wasn’t spicy, but lovely salty and comforting food with more Ocho Blanco tequila. Finally, a dessert, a chocolate tequila slammer with more Damian Allsop chocolate – blissful!



Wheatgrass Sorbet with Bees Pollen and Tequila

Oval Lounge, 24 Clapham Road, The Oval, Kennington, London, SW9 0JG

1st January 2011.  I woke up face-down on an airbed under a huge christmas tree in Amie's living room, after a night of New Year's Eve perfection (dinner, bubbly, london fireworks, extreme booze-fuelled boardgame competitiveness) with just one thought...an extreme desire for that classiest of hangover-busting breakfasts, EGGS BENEDICT.

Blindly reaching for my blackberry, I googled 'Eggs Benedict Oval London', found the Oval Lounge's website, and promptly fell back asleep (at this point, hours of sleep had totalled around 4, and there was no chance that my hangover addled brain would be able to develop any sort of plan to find a specific pre-planned breakfast venue). 

Hours later, venturing outside and back home in state of dazed new year bafflement, myself and the boy decided the best plan of action was to head home and stop at any breakfast serving establishment that came our way.  Realising we had a wait for our bus, we decided to walk round the corner of Oval station to see if there were any suitable breakfast places.

Seconds away from giving up when we passed place after shut place, I had a sign...  Quite literally, a sandwich board sign.  The boy hadn't yet spotted it, but like a woman on a breakfast mission, I power-walked towards it. 

There's nothing quite like the unexpected joy of finding the exact type of venue you had in mind!  The Oval Lounge was perfect.  We made a bee line for the comfy sofas, and very much appreciated the chilled out music and relaxed atmosphere.  The breakfast menu wasn't vast, yet boasted a healthy option, a full english option, a veggie option and, AN EGGS BENEDICT OPTION, served with toasted buttered english muffins, hollandaise sauce and a choice of ham, crispy bacon, or spinach. 

What Joy!  The eggs were perfect - soft and runny yolks with hot crispy, salty bacon and fluffy buttery muffins.  Also served with divinely juicy mushrooms and respectable tomatoes and enjoyed with freshly squeezed orange-juice, I was convinced that 2011 was going to be a good one!

Come Dine with Amie: An Autumn Evening in Paris, 30th October 2010.

I have a terrible sense of direction, and a memory that is becoming as bad. I knocked on a door, and found myself being ushered into a party, and had to shout ‘I’m at the wrong house! Sorry!’ before running next door to Amie’s. It was the night before Halloween but our evening was going to be far more sophisticated; a French-themed fourth instalment of our Come Dine with Me competition.

The kitchen was warm and full of tempting aromas. The lovely hostess was gorgeously attired and incredibly calm. I was the first to arrive…or so I thought until surprise guest, (the seldom seen) Mish descended the stairs! With Amie’s two housemates also joining us, Amie was cooking for 10! I’d struggled to cook for 8 people, so I was astounded by her calm demeanour as she was cooking for the largest number of guests so far in the competition.

The table was of course beautiful, and contained what has become the CDWM staple - sparkly table confetti. But there was more than just sparkly stuff on the tables…olives and marinated artichokes too – I hoped the others would turn up soon! The promise of a feast was making me hungry!

Eventually the other guests arrived and we enjoyed our aperitifs (bubbly enhanced with crème de cassis) before taking our seats and taking part in the ritual of reading the menu.

Amie had created not one, but two menus! One entirely translated into French! We were invited to ‘Come Dine With (A)mi(e)’, and enjoy an ‘Autumn Evening in Paris’.

We had a selection of hors d’oeuvres to start – saucisson, pate (home made by Amie’s uncle in France), and towers of French toast, with a tomato salad, along with the yummy olives and artichokes which had marinated nicely.

So far so good, but I was somewhat filled with trepidation at reading the next item on the menu….

I’d never eaten snails before. If offered to me at a restaurant I’d politely but firmly decline. But hey, this was Come Dine With Me and everything had to be sampled for the good of the competition. Armed with only cocktail sticks, we tried our best to skewer the elusive snails inside the shells and very thankfully they tasted good! The garlic, parsley and butter sauce was actually quite heavenly – I love garlic, and was particularly good when mopped up with the crusty bread.

We were certainly in need of a palate cleanser after all the garlic and a lemon, lime, mint and gin sorbet did the trick. The serving was huge and left our mouths feeling lemony fresh, (leading to some awfully low quality humour about cleaning products).

But enough of that – it was time for mains! Chicken Chasseur in a mushroom and red wine sauce, with French beans and an absolutely indulgent creamy potato gratin. We were quietly told that this dish actually originated from Amie’s (welsh) grandmother, but it was most definitely sophisticated and accomplished enough to pass for French!

Photo by Jerome Taylor (of course!)

It wouldn’t be a French meal without a plateau de fromages though, and the even though we’d stuffed ourselves, we soon cleaned the cheese board. Amie had sourced a particularly lovely selection – the brie stands out in my memory, but I remember enjoying it all.

Somehow, we still had space for dessert – and I’m so glad we did as it was an extravagant one! Orange and ricotta cheesecake with a chocolate base, and I have to say the BEST meringues in the world! A last minute addition (they weren’t even on the menu), these were incredible – firm but slightly soft and squidgy on the inside – I’d never had any that good before!

Another photo from Jerome - many thanks!

All good things must come to an end, and very finally was home-made coffee ice-cream. I don’t drink actual coffee, but this was perfect – it was an intense hit of coffee flavour, but cold and milky and sweet and the ideal thing to end the feasting.

The evening, in true CDWM style, carried on until the early hours (we even utilised the extra hour that accompanied that night’s move back to GMT) with much noise and laughter. As I finally fell into bed (I’d been partially wearing my pyjamas for about 4 hours at this point), I was almost sad that we were nearly at the end of our competition, where we’d been treated to home cooked feasts that had all been put together with endless amounts of effort, attention to detail and innovation) but one final meal remains, (and very best of luck to them – the standard remains impeccably high!)

Come Dine with Sofia and Jerome: A Taste of the Orient. August 14, 2010

This rather great photo was taken by our lovely hosts,

Uncharacteristically late, flustered and still clutching an umbrella despite the sweltering humidity, I found myself swept into a circle of champagne clinking, as I arrived at the third instalment of our Come Dine with Me competition. The bubbly presented in neon pink flutes, perfectly matched our hostess’ dress, and immediately set the tone of what was to be an evening filled with fantastical food, frivolous drink and frequent posing for the camera.

Fia and J, exuded nothing but calm as we took our seats at the beautifully decorated table and examined our elaborate menus with joy, (well…those of us who’d already taken our turns to host the competition were gleeful. The others felt competitive fear. Extreme competitive fear). Being one of the former group, I was astounded by the variety and culinary confidence promised by the 7 course oriental extravaganza promised by the menu. As well as being extensive, the menu was decorated with Chinese symbols, that literally translated into ‘food, glorious, food’ (well, ‘food’, ‘glory’,’ food’ - but you get the idea).

My stomach was rumbling, so thankfully there wasn’t long at all to wait for the first of our three (!!) starters; Vietnamese prawn summer rolls (goi cuon nuoc chan), served with chilli dipping sauce. These entirely reworked my preconception of ‘spring rolls’ and their deep-fried oily nature, as these ‘summer rolls’ were made of rice paper so thin it was almost translucent and didn’t require any cooking (therefore served at room temperature making them an ideally refreshing dish in the unexpectedly warm weather). Cool and crunchy as they were, the flavour was spot on, and accentuated by the kick of a glorious chill sauce (which was also very artistically presented).

 

Our appetites whet, we were soon ready for the second starter of a hot and sour thai soup (tom yam aed), with large chunks of oyster mushroom. These mushrooms were amazing - intensely velvety, soaking up the strong flavours – real lip smacking goodness. The ingredients had been sourced from authentic asian supermarkets, and it showed as each dish was truly singing with flavour. This continued into the third and perhaps my favourite starter (if I had to choose a favourite – I’d loved everything so far), the ‘yum wun sen sai mu’ (a Thai glass noodle salad with pork), served with ‘Bejing Bellini’! I’d worried that post-soup my appetite might not be ready for a third starter but the delicacy of the glass noodles, combined with the meaty juicyness of the minced pork, was heavenly, and we couldn’t help but devour it all.

We were certainly ready for our palate cleanser by this point. But this was no -neutral-and-not-all-that-exciting-sign-of-slight –pretension-palate-cleanser... Oh no: this was a sorbet. A GIN AND TONIC SORBET! What an utterly genius idea (and surely the only way to make a G&T even better)! Served daintily in shot glasses, we raucously demanded more of this heavenly creation! Made with an ice-cream maker this was a wonderfully boozy but refreshing and tangy slush-puppy of a drink. We consumed copious amounts increasing merriment, hilarity and hangovers the next morning.

After some silliness, posing and rapping, it was time for the main course – a Sumatran lamb curry had been promised. Being Indian, my idea of a curry is a distinctly sauce-y affair. But this was entirely different! The lamb had been slow roasted to melt-in-the-mouth perfection and served shredded, without sauce but still juicy. A wondrous concoction when served with pretty mounds of jasmine rice with a star-anise daintily placed on top. Once again, our plates were soon empty as we marvelled at the deliciousness of all we’d eaten so far.

Yet, still there was more! Dessert – Sofia’s speciality – was spectacular! Individual spongy chocolate spongy fondants were served hot, oozing with melting chocolate so intense that the cooling (home made) green tea ice-cream was a real pleasure to eat with it (who doesn’t love the hot/cold dessert combination)? If possible - it tasted even better than it looked.

A pomegranate gin cocktail was followed by yet more G&T sorbet as the evening took a decidedly more hazy boozy turn, complete with much photo-posing, uber-competitive ‘Articulate’, and just as competitive ‘Singstar’. Somewhere amongst the late night singing we took time to record our video diaries and score our hosts on their evening. Whilst I can’t reveal my score just yet, I really truly was astounded at how every single dish was beautifully presented, inventive and most importantly bursting with flavour. I’m really really hoping that they cook for me again…

The Bathhouse, 7-8 Bishopsgate Churchyard, London, EC2M 3TJ

Sometimes it’s easy to miss things so incongruous that they should stand out a mile away. At least, that’s how justify my managing to complete a full circuit round Old Broad Street, Liverpool Street Station and Bishopsgate without spotting the compact Victorian Turkish bathhouse building in the centre of a courtyard of high rise offices. Filled with City workers enjoying the last of the Friday evening sunshine, the pretty, mosaic covered exterior of The Bathhouse looked worryingly tiny. However, once down a spiral staircase where the gorgeously ornate dining room was surprisingly expansive. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the sudden lack of light, I could appreciate the room sumptuously decked out in dark flocked wallpaper, with dramatic red velvet drapes and tables filled with candlesticks. The polished marble floors and almost secret underground location made for a welcome escape from the heat and crowds outside.

A club and venue (music, DJ Sets, burlesque shows) on various other nights of the week, during our Friday night visit The Bathhouse was in dedicated restaurant mode, although we admired the ‘Golden Birdcage’ DJ booth behind our table. Classical music and candlelight made for a romantic atmosphere, (although I did feel the prettiness of the surroundings would have been lost on a boy).

As I’m fairly easily excited by quirks and attention to detail, I was quite delighted to find our menus were folded and sealed with candlewax, and our wine list was found within the pages of an aged encyclopaedia (sharing pages with medical diagrams and pictures of weapons – cool huh?).

The menu looked exciting, with organic produce from British suppliers, which was impressive – especially for a place where there was a risk that they’d be more focused on the entertainment side of things rather than the food. Service was also notably friendly, which might not be expected as such a trendy venue.

Starters of ‘Crab & smoked haddock cakes with baby watercress and a quenelle of tartar cream’ and ‘Breaded Camembert with dressed baby leaves and raspberry conserve’, were flavoursome, of a good size, and particularly notable for the quality of the extremely posh tartar sauce (although I’m still not sure exactly what a quenelle is).

Kathleen’s main course ‘Confit of Middle White pork belly, served with a veal bone marrow risotto & crackling’ sounded brilliant (although, as someone who’s not meant to eat beef, I though veal bone marrow was more guilt than I would be able to handle), so I opted for the ‘Coq au Riesling, free range British chicken cooked in a Riesling white wine sauce with baby onions & smoked pancetta, served with sourdough’.

 

The slow-cooked chicken bathing in the boozy sauces with the salty pancetta made for a satisfyingly comforting main course. Kathleen revelled in the meatiness of her risotto and the crispness of the crackling. Portions were large, and we were perhaps wondering whether these were the most suitable dishes for a hot summer evening.

Thankfully, although we were feeling well fed, neither of us believed that would justify skipping dessert. Eton Mess (with popping candy), chocolate pot with home made shortbread, Elderflower and prosecco martini jelly, were all worthy contenders. However, filled with delusions that Earl Grey panacotta with Kendal Mint cake would be a light and palate cleansing dessert option, we both chose it. Whilst sadly there was very little bergamot flavour coming through, the creamy panacotta was well accompanied by the silvers of the mint cake, although light it certainly was not, and I was defeated even by the innocuously small looking portion.

 

Fairly pricey under normal circumstances, my Gourmet Society card gave us 50% off the food making it really quite reasonable. The waitress apologised that service hadn’t been super speedy, but we’d actually found it to be a perfect pace. The toilets were decorated in a slightly risqué manner (not a bad thing), and the ambience was great – plenty of diners without it feeling frantic or feeling like we were packed in too closely together.

A definite success and a definite recommendation. I imagine it’s difficult to get in when it is in club/gig mode (the bouncers on the door as we left indicated that), but for Friday evening dinner, it felt like a beautiful and successfully quirky place quite different to what you might expect in the City.

The Pineapple, Lake End Road, Dorney, Bucks, SL4 6QS

Beautiful weather and many weeks of hard work, called for a well deserved lunch-time escape to the village of Dorney.   Although Dorney is home to a manor house, a rowing lake (a venue for the 2012 Olympics), and the first pineapple grown in England, in the eyes of the hungry folk who work round this way, it is most importantly home to sandwiches of IMMENSE proportions at The Pineapple pub.

Immense isn't a word I'm using lightly... it applies to the gigantic size of the sandwiches, the generosity and quality of the fillings, and perhaps most of all, the choice.  Lunch here is such a ritual for anyone working in the area, just about every person in our office has a menu saved somewhere on their desktop.  And for good reason.  Each trip is preceded by much deliberation pouring over the menu (sometimes for hours, or even sleeping on it before making a final decision), as the menu is extensive.  The imaginative menu  of almost 80 selections, extends into around 400 different options as each can be served on "crusty white bloomer, wholegrain brown, toasted bagel, tortilla wrap or french baguette" and then technically into over different 1000 variations as each can be served with chunky chips, soup or salad.  Always generously filled (for example with substantial slices of just-roasted meats), it's a fine art to construct an option that won't be so huge it defeats you (although, if it does, they will obligingly pack it up for you to take away).

(C) The Pineapple

Understandably, there is a downside.   Options inevitably lead to much time between ordering and eating.  But this is ok, as whether it's a group of 12 or a group of 2, you can phone in orders before 11am, and spare the lengthy wait.

My love of beer gardens is well documented on these pages, and The Pineapple has an enviable one (which appears to be recently revamped).  A bit of a sun trap, it's quite a delight even when one considers the proximity of the main road.  With plenty of tables it is always a far better option than sitting indoors during a busy lunch service, as although the pub has character, it often feels cramped rather than cosy.

We enjoyed some beautiful sunshine out on the decked area of the garden today.  Being experts at dining at The Pineapple we were there early to beat the crowds, and we'd of course pre-ordered.  Some dishes, such as The Screaming Banger (sausages and chilli relish) or The Christmas Dinner, are best enjoyed on hugely thick slabs of bread.  However, a bagel or a wrap, whilst perhaps seen as a bit of a cop-out, are good for The BBC (Bacon, brie, cranberry), or the Smokey Blue Mountain (bacon, blue cheese and leafy salad).  The advantage of wraps, are that they leave space to enjoy the satisfyingly chunky chips, so even though Sharon was fondly remembering the Fisherman's Friend (fishfingers and tartar sauce), wraps were quite literally the order of the day.

'By the Bayou' was a previously untried choice for me, and I was  pleasantly surprised.  'Blackened' chicken was thankfully not charred, but had a Cajun seasoning that wasn't overpowering, but with a good kick, tempered by a honey mustard dressing, which wasn't too sweet on account of the leafy salad and the spicy chicken, but was a little too much in Sharon's Chicken Licken (but she reported the avocado to be a good addition).

We had in summation, a really lovely lunch (and even though we split a portion of chips and a portion of salad between us, we didn't manage to finish either - with a fixed price of about £7 for a main course this is pretty great value if you go for the giant sandwich option).  Despite it only being a Thursday the indoors and outdoors soon filled up, so it is worth noting that arriving early can dramatically improve your dining experience.  The car park is always overflowing, but parking can always be found on the road, or in the small (free) car park by the Jubilee River, just about 100 yards down the road from the pub.  The toilets could definitely do with a revamp, and this isn't always a great place to visit in winter in a large group, but for a relaxed summer afternoon, it is pretty great and definitely worth a visit.

(To preorder or reserve a table, call The Pineapple on 01628 662353.  Lake End Road, Dorney, Bucks, SL4 6QS)