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

Trishna is okay, but it's just okay. If I didn't know it had a Michelin star, I wouldn't be able to tell from eating the food!

If you want a really good Indian meal, skip it and go to Benares. Now, that won't disappoint.

@Davros

Yes I saw that and have already made plans to visit some of those restaurants I got quite emotional watching Angela say thank you for her risotto lesson.

You'll love The Frog. Such great food. I don't eat beef often but my friend and I tasted some of each others dishes and the beef she had was the best I have ever tasted.

Ashas is my favourite in Birmingham

Yes. It is truely amazing. A favourite of mine - that I have to visit every time I go - is AlFarid in Exeter. Beautiful restaurant. Amazing Moroccan food. Really crap website!

And The Pig restaurants. Have been to the ones in Devon, Dorset and bath. Kent is next in the list. Fresh food. Lush. Bloody expensive to stay there though.

Make a weekend/ week of it and go to San Sebastian.
I've not been to many of the big name places, but do love the crown at whitebrook and the Angel in Abergavenny

katherinejaneway and others, please report back on trying new places due to this thread. I'm hatching going to Frog but we're meant to be on an economy drive!

@TheCatsACunt if you're heading to Cornwall and want good Italian try Pieros in Truro. Tucked away in a back street, quite small and family run. Nit sophisticated food, just good Italian and the best garlic pizza ever.

@Davros

Well my friends and I are off to Kanishka for a meal in September. Last time we went it was an event, this time it is a la carte so looking forward to the meal and hopefully properly meeting the chef.

Honest Lawyer in Cockermouth. Never fails, wonderful food, lovely staff. Just wish I lived nearer and could go more often !

Lovely, I'm sure you'll have a fab time.
I've just remembered another - the Woodspeen in Newbury

Adams in Birmingham or for a fab weekend getaway the Riverside Inn at Amyestrey www.riversideaymestrey.co.uk/... Lovely rooms, fantastic food

Etch in Hove is lovely and also The Little Fish Market. Have a weekend by the sea!

We've been lucky enough to be able to do do foodie overnight trips since we had kids.

Highlights for me would include:

• L'Enclume, Cartmel (mind blowing food and very pretty village)
• Casamia, Bristol (best service ever, go for the chefs table)
• Gilpin, Lake District (stay there and have massages)
• Man Behind The Curtain, Leeds (I think this is my fave, love the concepts, decor, soundtrack)
• The Wilderness, Birmingham (not starred but I loved it, bit like MBTC)
• Bibendum, London (just amazing food)

I wasn't that keen on Le Cochon in York or Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham. House Of Tides in Newcastle was ok but not amazing. Sat Bains was half amazing and half meh.

Am hungry now....

Thanks @Leighhalfpennysthigh - will check it out!

I thought of some more:

I had amazing Indian food at Memsaab in Nottingham
Olivers in Falmouth is very good

I've been to Bibendum a few times but not for some years. It was always average but I'll have to try again

Going to the hand and flowers, and the coach, soon and have high hopes...

@KatherineJaneway glad you like y polyn too! Apart from sat bains infamous egg dish (which was, admittedly, excellent) we found the courses decidedly forgettable, and in some cases quite unpleasant. We were so disappointed, we’re big foodies.

I bet Bibendum is better now Claude Bosi is there, I loved Hibiscus when he was there.

@KatherineJaneway oh and we didn’t enjoy the ambience either - felt ridiculously over formal and didn’t like being watched like hawks as we ate either! The my felt like guards in duty, they never took their eyes off us

I’ve been to the Hinds Head, it was average
Would love to go to the hand and flowers and the sportsman's

A few that come immediately to mind, all in London

Pollen Street Social
Dinner, ordering the specialties only (meat fruit, steak with special chips, soft serve)
Xu in Chinatown
Restaurant Story (a bit like Fat Duck lite!)

@burntpinky take a trip to St Albans and go to Tabure!
It’s modern Turkish food served tapas style, the restaurant is sleek, stylish and they offer wine pairings to match everything.
Truly my favourite restaurant anywhere

Another vote for The Three Chimneys on Skye. Food was amazing and then saw a couple of seals when left.

Been to Le Manoir several times as it's near to us and our usual major celebration place. Always amazing.

Also been to the Hand and Flowers in Marlow and again the food was good. The seating arrangement very odd though so sat at right angles to my DH and staring into the eyes of the bloke opposite who was at right angles to his partner. Very odd

@Ohmygoodnessreally

That's such a pity. Was Sat there when you went? He was there when we went but some friends of ours went a few weeks later and he wasn't there and they didn't enjoy it as much so wondered if that was a factor.

@KatherineJaneway he was, the host actually took us into the kitchen to meet him without us asking, which we did enjoy....he signed our menu
I’ve wondered since if they sensed how we were feeling and were trying to keep us sweet so we didn’t quibble over the massive bill 😂