Food

Two-Starred Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

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I had been enjoying two two-starred and several one-starred dining experiences over the past year or so without Ms B, because I was working abroad during most weeks, only coming back to London over the weekend. For a long time I had been planning on making this up to her, at least to some extent, by taking her out to a two- or three-star restaurant in London. Besides, our ten-year wedding anniversary was approaching fast, so time was of the essence. When we found out that two-starred Hélène Darroze at The Connaught offered a “weekday dinner formule” for a mere £60 per person, including three courses, two glasses of wine, mineral water, and coffee, we immediately made a reservation. From several food-loving friends we had heard plenty of great things over the years about this fine culinary establishment on the ground floor of one of London’s most luxurious hotels. We […]

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Food

Fine Dining in Norfolk: Neptune

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We’ve just returned from our lunch at Michelin-starred Neptune in Old Hunstanton near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, and what a lovely meal it was. They offer a £32 two-course lunch deal, which we opted for: poached salmon mousse, crab sauce, rocket, and soused mackerel, little gem, caper & beetroot dressing for starters; confit of Goosnargh duck leg, mushroom, hispi cabbage, potato rösti, as well as fillet of hake, baked leeks, charlotte potatoes, courgette & samphire. We loved the atmosphere of this 18th century former coaching inn from the moment we entered. Everything here says ‘small, family-run venue’.    Chef Kevin Mangeolles previously worked as Chef Poissonière for Pierre Koffman at London’s famed two Michelin-starred La Tante Claire and gained his first own Michelin star at The George Hotel on the Isle of Wight, from where he and his wife Jacki relocated to Norfolk to open the Neptune in 2007. They’ve […]

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Food, London

Ametsa with Arzak Instruction – Best of Basque

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We have been lovers of Basque cuisine ever since we visited San Sebastian, the culinary capital of Planet Earth, five years ago. That weekend in the northwest of Spain was a real eye-opener to us and made us realise what a great ingredient good food is to our lives. Michelin-starred Ametsa with Arzak Instruction opened in our adopted home town London in 2013, four generations since the family tavern opened in San Sebastian in 1897. ‘Arzak’ (three-starred since the 1970s) is generally considered to be one of the world’s ten best restaurants. Since we started our travel and food blog three years ago and since we started researching Michelin-starred restaurants, we were surprised to read so many bad and mediocre reviews about Ametsa. We don’t spend big on restaurants, so it was only when we found a £59 deal on Buy-a-Gift for a three-course meal for two and a glass […]

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Food, London

Fera, Claridge’s – Fine Dining in Mayfair

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We have just returned from our lunch at Michelin-starred Fera at Claridge’s , whose kitchen has been headed by Australian chef Matt Starling since February 2017. Fera focuses on British cuisine. We had been having meals at Claridge’s in the past, when it was called “Gordon Ramsey at Claridge’s” and when it was labelled London’s most overpriced, overrated restaurant. However, Ms B, my wife, found out that instead of charging you £300+ for a meal for two with wine, like in the olden days, there was now a surprisingly acceptable lunch deal on offer: three courses and a glass of champagne or gin and tonic for £42 per person. For an additional £10 you can add their signature snacks (we didn’t, because we weren’t that hungry). There is an undeniable wow effect when you enter the dining room through a curtain-lined entrance which leads to a rotunda, where the room […]

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Food, London

Galvin at Windows – Our Restaurant Review

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We’re just back from our visit to Chef Patron Chris Galvin‘s Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows, which boasts incredible 360 degree views of London from the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane. I should say “usually boasts”, because we picked the worst time to visit, considering that it was a dark, rainy, cloudy day, but the friends we met up with (two other couples) and us, we were still immediately bought in on the atmosphere. The interior décor combines modern elegance and state-of-the-art comfort with the glamour of the 1930s. Everyone I know hates 1960s architecture, and rightly so, but this true gem, which was completed in 1963, is one of the nicest buildings I’ve seen. It looks surprisingly modern from the outside, but the main selling point is its Y-shaped layout, which means you are always next to at least three window fronts. The fact that this […]

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