Where's the poshest place you've eaten and was it as good as you'd hoped?

[Sweetasstevia]

Have you eaten somewhere incredibly upmarket - was it fab or snooty and horrid?
I got taken to Le Gavroche for my 30th over a decade ago and I remember gold shavings on the plate!!! It was a bit staid though - my DH and I were the youngest in there by at least 20 years. Fave restaurant of all time has to be the Tower in Edniburgh - oh my word!!!

Years and years ago, DH and I had a meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Le Havre before catching an overnight crossing. The meal was completely unmemorable apart from the soup, which tasted as if someone had dropped a salt cellar in it.

Find in general that over-salted food in France has become a bit of a problem - especially if the chef is a heavy smoker (thinking of one restaurant in particular), and often food like chips is pre-salted to encourage more drinking.

The cliff in Barbados, had the most stunning steak, never had anything like it before or since.

I would say Corrigans or the Oxo Tower.

Both were lovely but Corrigans was posher.

Poshest place I've eaten is at Facil in Berlin. 2 michelin starred and it cost about 80 for lunch time 3 course menu with wine. I'm not usually one that goes for posh eateries, but this was worth every penny. Amazing food, amazingly unsnooty staff who were so lovely. Fab experience!

The Elephant in Toquay is Michelin-starred and very nice.

Have had gorgeous food and lovely dining experiences at Ondine in Edinburgh and Sheekey's in London.

Not sure...

I've eating in most of the 'posh' hotels in London and some of the trendy restaurants but the bestest meal I ever had was at an awards doo practice lunch and it was bloody lovely. Sadly on the night the menu was tweaked and wans nowhere near as good.

Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. We were brought as part of a group and it was amazing; the food was perfect, the hotel itself was fabulous (we had a little tour of the bedrooms. One of the bedrooms, it was called "Lemongrass" I think, was a bit OTT), and the gardens were lovely.

The trip included staying overnight and we met Raymond Blanc at breakfast (which was nothing special, just a nice buffet) the next day.

I have been to Le Manoir too and would thoroughly recommend it. I still remember what I had to eat 18 years later! The chocolate dessert was to die for. We stayed the night too...those were the days!

Recently went to La Gavroche and I agree it's overly formal, over staffed, almost comical - the kids were very amused by all the fussing. Food was ok, ice cream was slop on a plate and very dissappointing, dc still talks about the amazing pea soup, the cheese trolley was magnificent and the butter was something else... But much preferred The Ledbury - very relaxed, no dress code, waiters were less servile and even had a sense of humour...it was just more fun...the food was fabulous and we really felt spoiled. Locatelli's was great for the dcs, they got the star treatment and we loved Chez Bruce food and service were pitched perfectly.

Petrus had great food but a tad on the formal side, great place to take your parents, they were incredibly courteous and discrete, when Dh was 20mins late, delivering a glossy for me to read in the reception area with drinks and complimentary posh popcorn, it was a really nice touch. They even gave us a tour of the kitchen on our way out, I loved that!

we ate at the Savoy, when Marcus Wareing was there. The cheese and champagne trolleys were a bit comical, and we did feel a bit fussed-over. It was fine, but I do prefer the more informal places. Best food I've eaten was at The Ledbury, which is far less stuffy. Chez Bruce and the Glasshouse are also great, without being too poncey. Oh, and Social Eating House.

Loved Le Gavroche too. I am fortunate to have been to some fabulous places. My favourite meal in England, so far, is Gidleigh Park. Really want to return but unfortunately the "no children" rule means it will have to wait a while as our daughter is normally with us when we visit Devon. I might drag hubby to Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester at some point - the lunchtime prices are very reasonable for a 3*.

My favourite meals anywhere (and this will out me) are:

L'Arpege. A 3* mecca for vegetarians, which took the eating of food to a transcendent, almost spiritual level. This was food with knobs on and then a few more knobs on. The perfect ingredients, picked at the perfect time, cooked perfectly, presented perfectly, served with the perfect choice of wine. I have never gone back because I think it woud spoil the memory.

Guy Savoy. Another 3*. A culinary journey of pleasure, indulgence and great fun from start to finish. Just amazingly wow, and to meet the greatest chef in the world was just gob smacking and the restaurant staff had so much joy and enthusiasm for their work. Many top chefs I've spoken to regard this as one of the finest restaurants in the world.

Le Cinq. "Only" a 2* but the service at this restaurant is out of this world. They even give you a beautiful stool to place your handbag upon. The chef created a bespoke tasting menu just for me with no prior warning (not an easy feat) and the sommelier gave us so many extras and freebies we were decidedly squiffy when we left.

Posh let downs:

Senderens. I have never been in and out of a restaurant of this (supposed) callibre in less than an hour. Service was crap and food was dire. I couldn't wait to leave.

But food doesn't have to be posh to be good. One of my favourite meals in my life was eating camembert with my mum, just after she'd finished her breast cancer treatment and could eat unpasturised cheese again. A celebratory meal which I will always remember.

And yesterday my mum made me cheese on toast with tinned tomatoes and that was pretty special too.

Guy Savoy. The food was amazing - there was a square of orange marshmallow that fairly stopped me in my tracks, you could taste every part of the orange, the juice, the peel and a hint of the bitter pith - but in all honesty we were all petrified and didn't enjoy the experience as much as we should have. It was a bit much for our first experience of something posher than Costa! The staff tried to make us feel more comfortable but we were way out of our depth.

I think my best meal was at Vanilla Blacks, the food was so good it made me giggle with delight....but the surroundings and service were fairly ordinary, which was absolutely fine by me - the food took centre stage.

L'Enclume in Cartmel. It was amazing, worth every penny.

Some Michelin starred restaurant in courchevel. Don't remember the food I got very drunk. The wine was great.

Paris House in Woburn earlier this year. Just googled and it has retained its Michelin star.

Food was really nice, the staff were lovely and the surroundings absolutely beautiful.

All the food was really nice. It was a lunch tasting menu and I tried some things I wouldn't normally eat. The cheeseboard was the most memorable thing I have ever been served.

I've had lunch at The Ivy and the food was exceptional. I had caesar salad followed by kedgeree. It was one of the best meals I've ever had, but then other best meals I've ever had have been barbecues on beaches and that sort of thing.

I'm quite a foodie but not inclined to spend £100s on a meal, so eating out in posh restaurants is a rare thing for me.

I had dinner at Claridge's about ten years ago. It was amazing - not just the food, which was really very nice, but the whole atmosphere and service (despite the fact that we were clearly not regular diners, we were treated like royalty).

megbusset I had forgotten about Claridges. So posh there's a lady in the toilets to turn the taps on for you when you wash your hands. Very bizarre!

Claridges...about 12 years ago. Other Ramsey places have been good, but that was the best. The thing I remember most about Vere in Dubai was the loo doors... I was 5 months pg and sitting on loo looking at me in the mirror wasn't attractive.

I remember a strawberry soup at a Michelin starred place in France.... 22 ish years ago, and that fab restaurant in St Martin de Belleville.

I also remember puking 13 x on the motorway after a posh meal in Beaune. Yuck. V memorable. 8 months later DS arrived! Scallops and rare steak weren't a good choice on reflection.