Calling Foodies... restaurant recommendations please

[DarwinLoves]

It's my husbands 50th birthday this year and I'd like to arrange to take him to an amazing restaurant.

Happy to go to London or Scotland! (I know this is a bit of a distance but it's where our willing babysitters live!)

He's a chef and he loves fine dining, we don't get to go often so happy to blow the budget.

Any recommendations please?

What kind of food? For fantastic old school French cookery - you can’t beat le Gavroche in my opinion. I haven’t tried core but it’s meant to be fantastic. Likewise the Ledbury. I like galvin at windows for view although I don’t think the food is the best in the galvin stable. I used to like galvin la chapelle, but had a bad experience and won’t go back now. I like social eating house better than the more formal pollen street social. For good value Michelin, glasshouse in Kew is good. If you don’t want french/English, Trisha in Marylebone is yum and hakkasan (bruten st) is always fun and buzzy.

Pied a three and Marcus both nice but underwhelming. Locanda Locatelli is delish is perhaps a little safe. Not been to dinner, but probably fun in a more inventive way.

Scotland where? You could make a weekend of it and go to the Three Chimneys in Skye (they have rooms now too). It’s amazing.

Cinnamon Club if he likes Indian food.

I love Pollen Street Social and St John Bread and Wine.

London. I genuinely believe you can't beat le Garvoche.
The Ned is also great but a different vibe.

Scotland, The Bonnie Badger in Gullane is new but so good we have been twice.
Braidwoods in Daley, not most exciting location but exceptional food.
The late Andrew Fairlies restaurant at Gleneagles has been left in very safe hands and provides old school sophistication.

I’ve had a great experience at Fera. Gavroche is too stuffy in my opinion. Restaurant Story also supposed to be incredible. Another vote for Glasshouse at Kew which I think is my second favourite restaurant ever. Or it’s sister restaurant Chez Bruce.

Restaurant Story near Tower Bridge. Very very expensive but a memorable experience. It's a tasting menu with lots of different courses. Gauthier in SoHo is another good one.

I was also going to recommend Story but see I have been beaten too it. They say it’s a London alternative to the Fat Duck.

Have you asked him. In my experience chefs have very clear ideas of the restaurants they want to eat in and the ones that don’t float their boat.

Is he more traditional in his tastes or something more modern I.e Scandi influences?

If he loves the classics, then either Le Gavroche or if you are happy to be outside of London, The Waterside Inn. Perfect French food and they treat you like a VIP.

For something more modern, Adam Handling Chelsea. Stunning tasting menu. Been twice and it's not been open long.

You also can't go wrong with The Fat Duck. Excellent food and lots of theatre.

21212 in Edinburgh is amazing.

Fat Duck was the best theatrical meal we’ve had (way better than Story IMO). For excellent food served less theatrically we also loved Dinner by Heston. If you can get the train out of London, best meal plus hotel experience we’ve done was Le Manoir - mind blowing.

Story is an amazing experience.

I would also recommend Helene Darozze at the Connaught, always feel really special when I go there

Oops see story is already here

Manoir was amazing but I didn’t mention as you said London or Scotland. Have also heard v good things about Restaurant Story but not been. Re. Fera - I’m not a fan of Simon Rogan’s food, but I know I’m in the minority. Not been to Adam handlings new place in Chelsea but been to his other two, which were good but didn’t blow my socks off.

I went to Story not long after it had opened and found it a bit wanky tbh. Virtually every dish had some kind of pickle/sour stuff with it - fine occasionally but the taste never went away. And it just felt a bit too try-hard. That was years ago now, so they may have sorted it.

Favourite meals in London - Pied a Terre, Le Gavroche, the Square, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester (but that's owned by the Sultan of Brunei so you may wish to boycott). Both the Fat Duck and Waterside Inn in Bray are fab, though preferred the WI and found the FD a bit...complacent?

Given that you've set your location search quite wide, I'd also suggest L'Enclume in the Lake District.

For a Chef I would find out which chef’s food he would most like to experience.

Tom Kitchin in Edinburgh is spectacular as is the Three Chimneys in Skye and Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles.

L'Enclume is the best and most memorable meal. I've ever had. I'd love to go back one day. Story is similar but a bit more bonkers and witty with the presentation.

Another vote for L'enclume.
Never had a meal quite like it!

Brilliant, thanks so much for some fab ideas. I didn't really want to ask him where he wants to go specifically but thereredbarrows your suggestion to find out what chefs food he'd like to most eat is a great idea, I'm sure I could work that into a conversation in a general way!

We live in Kent so have babysitting options overnight here to allow us a stay in London or we can all fly to my parents in Scotland and they are happy to have the kids for a couple of nights so we can go most places there.

Away to hit google with the suggestions!