Talk to me about your favourite restaurant ever

[burntpinky]

Posting for traffic but just that: what is your favourite restaurant ever and why?

DH and I are well into our food (and it shows unfortunately!!) and now that we have a DC are going to do 1-2 weekends away per year, just us, to indulge in our favourite pastime (DC will be well cared for by nana whilst we are away - she was a foster carer for over 40 years until recently!)

Our current favourite is Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 which we've been to several times. Also been to Hand and Flowers, which was nice, but wouldn't rush back. I went to Chez Bruce (pre DH) YEARS ago which I enjoyed and The Square which was supposedly 2 M* but I didn't enjoy. Have also tried The Ritz (not great) and 15 by Jamie Oliver (set lunch menu which was fabulous).

Would love to try Black Swan at Oldstead and Le Manoir, but certainly Le Manoir will have to be an extra special occasion as it is so pricey.

So whilst we do love those sorts of restaurants, we also like less fancy too - Rojano's in Padstow being another favourite, Cornish Arms but we also have a local pasta restaurant - dishes are a tenner and the chef also provides the table service but it's so tasty and we love it (he's Italian).

Basically we just love food! (and reading menus and cookbooks is an obsession).

We love to travel just for a restaurant so please hit me with your favourites and why

Muu in Porto

@Davros

If you go to The Frog you must order the cheese doughnuts and chicken butter. They are heavenly!

@kittlesticks , Cumbria rhymes with Northumbria, I shouldn't have pulled you up on it, especially with baby brain. Just jealous - I may not have eaten there but I do know how to get there.

OP, for Belfast you need Ox.

Who’s you mind telling me where the pasta place is from your opening post? I’m hoping it’s Cornwall as I’ll be there shortly.

katherinejaneway I've made a note of those dishes or is it one dish? I hope to find out for myself

@sallyvating Are you being serious?!

Glad you liked Bologna!

The three restaurants I return to in London are:

Dinner (Mandarin Oriental) - expensive but worth it

Cafe Murano (Covent Garden) - great value for London

&

Padella (Borough market) - amazing pasta and (almost!) cheap as chips!

Oh and if you ever go back to Venice, La Corte Sconta is my favourite restaurant in the world - so far (DH hated Venice (?!) but has agreed to go back just to eat there again!)

Nostra in Reykjavik was wonderful, as was Dinner by Heston at the Mandarin Oriental

Cookies Cream in Berlin - vegetarian but you won’t care.

Glonojad in Krakow.

Amazing and absolute bargain.

Auberge Du Lac situated in the grounds of Brocket Hall, wonderful!

I’ve thought of some more

The Feathered Nest in The Cotswolds is good, as is The Killingworth Castle. The Nut Tree in Oxfordshire has a Michelin star and is great, really good food.

Driftwood hotel in Cornwall was amazing, loved it. The three chimneys in Skye was ok, not sensational but good. I wouldn’t go back.

Didn’t rate Rick Steins in Padstow at all, really overrated imo. Or The Seahorse in Dartmouth, which Giles Coren raved about. I preferred Rockfish.

This is my favourite restaurant ever, a bit of a trip to Peru, but it was an experience, it's in a city, yet surrounded by ancient ruins, and you can see llamas, from time to time, while you enjoy beautiful food. www.resthuacapucllana.com/menu

Not fancy but the best indian restaurant I have eaten at was a very unassuming place in Cardiff bay. Called the Duchess of Delhi and the food was just amazing! The lamb shank was to die for. Everything we had was just brilliant. From the outside you wouldn't think it, but it really is amazing food. We have recommended it to a few people and they have all said it was the best Indian food they have had.

Oh and the Hathersage Social Club in the Peak District is a gem. Proper foodie heaven.

Always hate seeing sat bains mentioned on these kinds of threads, wasted best part of £600 there on one meal and was not worth a tenth of that!!

Y polyn in Wales is lovely.

@Waterandlemonjuice I like the seahorse but agree food at rockfish is great. Can be marred by large groups of over excited children fresh from water activities i suspect mine could be included in this description but no visit to Dartmouth is complete without dinner there.

I've just remembered the Taverna dello Spuntino in Grottaferata outside Rome and they have a lovely boutique hotel too

Didn’t rate Rick Steins in Padstow at all, really overrated imo.

Me either, I've easily had better fish elsewhere, Outlaw at the Capital for example.

Another vote for Y Polyn. They wear great T Shirts that say something along the lines of 'fat equals flavour'. Food is really good but it is out of the way. Staff were lovely.

@Ohmygoodnessreally Always hate seeing sat bains mentioned on these kinds of threads, wasted best part of £600 there on one meal and was not worth a tenth of that!!

What was it you hated about it?

Cappun Magru in Cinque Terre was fabulous - not just the food but the view and setting were totally idyllic. I'd love to go back.

Trattoria il Foccolare in the hills of Ischia - quite rustic and family run, with a totally beautiful setting. It was amazing watching the sun go down over the trees and sea.

Le Rabassier in Brussels is great if you like rich food and truffles.

Closer to home, I also really rate the Laughing Gravy near Waterloo. Not particularly fancy compared to some of the places on this thread but their venison wellington is delicious!

The Chophouse in Braintree, Essex. Amazing food and well priced. I wouldn't be surprised if it got a Michelin Star soon.

Also, Magdalenes in London. Fantastic!

@Davros

Two separate dishes but both are really amazing.

Also try the dish Mother. It is a really interesting combination of flavours and is a signature dish.

If anyone has any recommendations for Venice I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks katherinejaneway thanks for the photos, I'm drooling and can't wait to go. Did you see that recent TV programme with Angela Hartnett and Fred Sirueux in Venice? Although I do t rate AH as a restraunteur, I quite like her and she knows Venice