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What is the best restaurant you’ve ever eaten at?

182 replies

PosyPrettyToes · 15/12/2023 20:28

Just ate some delicious pho for dinner and it reminded me of a tiny place a few streets away from my childhood home. (Rural, EU foreign country) There was a little Vietnamese family run restaurant and it was the most INCREDIBLE place. They didn’t speak anything but Vietnamese, and while my dad spoke a little, it wasn’t very good and most of the diners spoke none at all. There was no menu either, they had a card with vegetables on you could point at if you were a vegetarian, you’d sit and delicious food would just start appearing. It was always packed, and they never turned people away - if there were spare seats on your table you’d get budge up gestures and be joined by whoever just came in. I loved that place! We used to eat there every week as a family.

From what my dad understood, the couple who ran the restaurant moved over with their adult daughter who was some kind of wealthy banker, and they were supposed to be retired but they got bored so they started the restaurant. We later understood all the waiting staff were their grandkids and all spoke the local language perfectly well but the grandparents thought it was fun to bamboozle the locals Grin

OP posts:
BingoMarieHeeler · 15/12/2023 20:29

Dinner by Heston purely for the mash 🤤

App13 · 15/12/2023 20:29

Dinner by heston

monsteraa · 15/12/2023 20:30

Paul Ainsworth's restaurant in Padstow.

Spirallingdownwards · 15/12/2023 20:33

Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons

WhamBamThankU · 15/12/2023 20:34

Sat Bains

ThreeRingCircus · 15/12/2023 20:34

I loved The Hand and Flowers.

theotherfossilsister · 15/12/2023 20:37

A really amazing outdoor mezze/tapas place in Athens just outside the anarchist area

Wish I could remember what it was called

MargaritaThyme · 15/12/2023 20:38

Sat Bains in Nottingham. Just wonderful food, but also relatively unpretentious for a 2* restaurant. Or it was when I went, but that was a few years ago.

I’m sort of over the whole Michelin umpteen course tasting menu thing. Too often, it’s more about the chef’s ego & neuroses (yes, Mr Blumenthal, I am referring to you) than the diner’s enjoyment. Or even, at a more basic level, feeding people.

WetTowelsWillRemainOnFloorWhereTheyHaveBeenLeft · 15/12/2023 20:38

For the whole experience I’d say Story by the Sea, which was a pop up of Tom Seller’s Story restaurant. He came out to chat with us probably to see why we’d brought kids to such an expensive place.
Food was fabulous, panoramic view of the sea, everyone was in a good mood and well behaved. Staff were absolutely lovely.

Also years ago, conversely, a cheap as chips Kurdish diner-type place in Santiago de Compostela. The falafel, yoghurt and pita was all home-made, super fresh and cost next to nothing.

MrsHamlet · 15/12/2023 20:40

L'enclume
Or a tiny place in the middle of nowhere in Azerbaijan where I got invited to join someone's wedding.

Lunaballoon · 15/12/2023 20:43

The Ledbury. Absolute perfection ❤️

SqueakyDinosaur · 15/12/2023 20:46

De Waaghals in Amsterdam. Tasting menu, vegan or vegetarian only. We picked vegetarian, and it was truly one of the most delicious, thoughtful and interesting meals I've ever had.

ChallaMama · 15/12/2023 20:47

The Coal Office - in Kings Cross, London.
Absolutely divine super fresh food in an unfussy and totally chilled atmosphere.

Hakunatomato · 15/12/2023 20:50

A restaurant on Nungwi Beach in Zanzibar called Baraka. Tables on the beach directly watching the sunset. Beautiful pumpkin coconut curry. lemon chicken pot meal, giant spring rolls filled with stir fried veg inside. Lobster curry. About £15 a head with a cocktail or two.

Mummypete · 15/12/2023 20:51

Muu in Porto. I’m not even a steak person but it was just the whole experience and care put into the service. An absolute bargain at probably half the price you’d pay for that in London.

Spottywombat · 15/12/2023 20:51

Spirallingdownwards · 15/12/2023 20:33

Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons

Quite a few years ago, when I was young, my place of work were planning a pub lunch out. I assumed I'd be fine with my normal clothes, which were pretty scruffy and I've never worn makeup so I was a bit OMG when we ended up at Le Manoir.

They are a class act, treated me so well, even though everyone else was dressed up and I was definitely no. I did try to hide behind my boss as much as possible.

Food is gorgeous there.

Spirallingdownwards · 15/12/2023 20:53

Spottywombat · 15/12/2023 20:51

Quite a few years ago, when I was young, my place of work were planning a pub lunch out. I assumed I'd be fine with my normal clothes, which were pretty scruffy and I've never worn makeup so I was a bit OMG when we ended up at Le Manoir.

They are a class act, treated me so well, even though everyone else was dressed up and I was definitely no. I did try to hide behind my boss as much as possible.

Food is gorgeous there.

Yes the whole package. Glad you liked it too.

AdaColeman · 15/12/2023 20:55

A wonderful little restaurant in Dublin, up near the Castle. The menu was short but perfectly executed.

The food was delicious, but really it was the waiting staff that made the place so special, a group of four old boys who'd been together for years. There was a lot of quiet banter between them, while they did real old school service, with a lot of the dishes finished at the table.
I loved going there for the theatre of it all.
I noticed the other day that the restaurant had closed permanently, I hope all my lovely old boys are alright.

saraclara · 15/12/2023 20:56

Depends when you ask. A couple of weeks ago I went to Roti King near Euston and had a couple of proper Malaysian roti with a bowl of chicken kari and a mug of chai, and was in heaven. So today, that's my answer.

MooQuackNeigh · 15/12/2023 20:56

Don't know if its still run by the same people, but the old thatch cottage in western super mare. I had beef escalop with stilton sauce and sauteed veg. Great red wine followed by a slab of chocolate cake. mmm

WithIcePlease · 15/12/2023 20:57

Manoir here too
Went a couple of times in my 20's
One of the stays cost £99 each with an offer from the observer.
Just looked and for a similar date now it's £1,100 with no dinner!!
Raymond came and chatted to us both times. We were the youngest there by a long way

Buttercup176 · 15/12/2023 20:58

ThreeRingCircus · 15/12/2023 20:34

I loved The Hand and Flowers.

H&F was one of my worst, everything was so salty, really disappointing. Such a shame as we stayed in their accommodation which was great.

The Olive Tree in Bath is lovely.

grayhairdontcare · 15/12/2023 21:00

The Square