Favourite restaurant - poll!

[GreatOrmondSt]

Good afternoon ladies,

I was just curious.. what are all of your favourite restaurants? What kind of food? Local? Chain restaurant?

I'm looking for new restaurants to go with my DH on date night! :)

Amy

Ffionas, Kensington Cuurch st.
Run by a fab Welsh lady, called, yes, Ffiona and does she she know how to cook!
Most amazing hostess and ever so generous....(Misses the PC days - pre-children - when we used just pop out the door for a quick dinner there)

Kensington Church St, even

I much prefer one offs. Also I prefer somewhere with a bit of atmosphere, not full of crumblies or over serious sorts. I do love a local Italian, run by Italians, with about 10 waiters to a table. Fabulosa! We went to one when we got engaged and then again when I found out I was pregnant with DS.

The only chain I went to regularly was when we lived in Blackheath - Tony Allen ( from Tony and Giorgio ) had a branch of a local Italian chain - its called Locale now I believe. Ticks all the boxes for me - a stylish room with good acoustics and music, a mixed crowd, a good bar, fabulous food with fresh ingredients, great service, a good buzz. To me going out to eat is about much, much more than the food.

I'd really like DH to whisk me away to Noma in Copenhagen, but that ain't never going to happen.

Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese.

Am a bit bored with most others.

Saying that, Tom Aitkens does an amazing slow cooked lamb which I can recreate (not very well) at home.

Chez Bruce on Wandsworth Common

Or The Fat Duck, but that's not really an option for a random date night.

Whereabouts do you live north or south?

I'm off to a bar and grill that has four branches in Leeds, Manchester,Chester, London, Glasgow, called Blackhouse grills.

I'm a sucker for a 70s dinner too!

Chez Bruce is fantastic. Was very happy when that was my local restaurant but now we've moved we don't get much chance to go back.

Cafe Des Amis - Canterbury. Mexican - really lovely, all freshly made. Lovely atmosphere and has been great for years. Don;t live there any more and really miss it!

Please no-one say the Wolseley! The Wolseley site had a brief incarnation as China House - and that used to be my favourite restaurant until Wolseley took over - it was dead cheap chinese/thai food but in the beautiful surroundings of the old building which I think used to be a bank.

In London my favourite at the moment is Claridges - went there for my DSis's birthday and it was amazing.

My favourite reasonably priced restaurant chain is DimT.

My absolute favourite restaurant is Plantation in Bristol - Caribbean. But I have to claim an interest as it's my fabulous SIL's.

Apart from that I love local Italians. Also a really good Chinese. Or a fab pub serving good quality, local food, well cooked.

Have a nice evening

I forgot my absolute favourite (and has been for years) is the Thai restaurant in the Churchill in Kensington Church St!
Haven't been for a while but have heard that the price has increased from £4.95 to £5.95 in 15 years!!!

No starters or desserts, just mains.

Won lots of awards too.

Thanks for the suggestions ladies! Some great ideas. I absolutely love Italian. We usually go to ASK as they typically have great offers on and their food is consistently good. But DH and I would love to branch out a bit :)
Taffetacat - where is this local Italian you speak of? I'm based in London.

Rindercella - I've never tried Caribbean before, what's it like? Sounds exotic!

Amy

Bella Napoli in Dean St is a "local" Italian and so is Luigi's in West Hampstead.
Both very good and authentic and good prices for London.

love love love Wagamama. For the best tacos - try Chilangos. As a one off restaurant/treat place - The Vineyard in Wrotham.

There are a few that stick in my mind and actually two different ones I was referring to. One was in Chislehurst, Kent - Due Amici, and the other in Rickmansworth, Herts - Maurizio's. One off Italians run by a family are just the best, IMO. But having said that I really like Locale in Blackheath, too.

If you're in town, my friend who works on Charlotte Street says there is a great one opened there very recently, can't remember its name, sorry. Its not Gennaro's one, though.

Chez Bruce is my favourite restaurant too.

For a chain, I love Wagamama.

taffetacat, I'm surprised to hear that Locale is good! For the past two years I've been convinced it was a mafia front I never see anyone in there! I'll have to try it out!

bue - I frequented Tony Allen's place/now Locale in Blackheath about 8 years ago, to be fair.....

Smiths in Eccles, Greater Manchester Smiths.
The set menu is changed every 4 weeks, the food is delicious, generous portions and you get potatoes/veggies on the side too. The staff are all really friendly, polite & helpful and the atmosphere is very relaxed.

taffeta cat...i think you mean Mennula. Fab italian on Charlotte st.