Following on from the Masterchef thread.

Come on all you guys on business expenses, what’s the best splurge you’ve got a away with?

Have you been to a 3, 2 or 1 star Michelin restaurant?

Molecular or classic?

The Cliff in Barbados… Absolutely perfect in every way.

L’enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria.
First michelin star restaurant I went to.
Blew me away.
It wasn’t just a meal, it was a journey with many beginnings and no end…

EDIT: I went before Steve Coogan went for ‘The Trip’

Can we have a bit more detail please – you know how food porn works – you need to talk about “textures” and “flavours”

Starburger in Woolwich- lovely!

At a beach barbecue. I was snorkelling with some guys, they harpooned a few fish, we gutted them, cooked them and ate them with some local beers as the sun went down.

Cost about 50p.

Edit: The most disappointing meal I ever had was here: http://www.joelrobuchon.co.uk/

2 Michelin stars, about £60 per head for pretentious but utterly flavourless food, no atmosphere, surly staff and (STW cardinal sin) crap coffee. I was so looking forward to it too.

I’ve been to a huge range of different places and actually think the michelin stars have some credence. But if you get hung up on the price then youre going for the wrong reason. I am sure many people will think its obscene to pay that much for food. I think to enjoy them you have to compare them to buying a ferrari track day… its more an experience, an event, its more than just a bit of grub. The best one was in Florence and went to the two-Michelin star Enoteca Pinchiorri. frankly it just blew anything else out the water. Quite increadible.

Starburger in Woolwich- lovely!

The beefy warm velvetiness of the burger combined with the light fluffiness of the bun complements the smooth texture of the cheese slice perfectly. And the sharp tang of the gherkin finishes off the whole experience to a tee.

Constantia Uitsig in Cape Town was pretty special

the galley, st mary’s, isles of scilly.

one brother goes out on a day boat, the other brother cooks up whatever he catches.

I’m fortunate that I’ve been to a lot of good restaurants, but I suppose the one that stood out the most at the time was the Louis VX in L’Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo which is run by Alain Ducasse.
Yer man Roux’s place Le Gavroche is top notch too, as is his new one at The Langham.

I’ve eaten in some fancy restaurants around the world thanks to work and, to be honest, not one really stands out. My favourite restaurant meal is probably one of salty, crunchy suckling pig with a glass of house red on top of a mountain in Mallorca.

And the sharp tang of the gherkin finishes off the whole experience with a tea.

perfect.

One of my locals (my folks live opposite) here in the shires recently received a Michelin Star. James, the chef and also a friend of mine, bought the pub about 5 or 6 years ago when he moved down here with his wife and daughter having previously been a chef on Skye.

Ive eaten in some excellent restaurants in my time in London, and across other European cities on business, but have never had as good a meal as I have at The Butchers Arms. Nothing goes into his kitchen any more prepared than a raw ingredient (except cheese!). He puts so much effort into preparing each dish its not surprising he does no more than 25 covers in any night.

We go about twice a year for treats. We went for my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I can still conjure up the sublime taste of his bath chaps w fried bantam egg and french blood sausage. Nom.

The Guardian even deigned to come and review it earlier this year, before James received his Star.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/09/butchers-arms-eldersfield-gloucestershire-review?INTCMP=SRCH

Cheap little place in Hasselt, Belgium. I can’t remember the name, but it’s a really small restaurant run by a man and his wife.
At the time, it was a set menu – 30 euro and was a ridiculously good meal.
There was no choice, it was just plate after plate of whatever he was serviing. Can’t really remember it all now, although I do remember a particularly nice plate of cured meats, a main of lamb cutlets and a massive apology when he realised he couldn’t do his initial dessert plan of apple tart, but would we be OK with a belgian chocolate pudding!? Oh, go on then….
Even the coffee came out with a creme brulee in an egg cup.

Some small village restaurant in Northern Italy. I was absolutely starving and the pizza felt like the most gorgeous thing I’d ever eaten.

Fischers in Derbyshire was the best food I’ve ever had. Everything was just perfect and tasted incredible.

Been to a few Michelin restaurants, which although good, have not been quite as good.

One of the worst meals I have ever had was at Benares in London, not sure if its still a Michelin restaurant, but I went there 3-4 years ago and it was shockingly bad. Cold food, crap service, to be honest my local curry house did much better currys. They did even take any notice when we complained at the time or later in writing.

My favourite restaurant meal is probably one of salty, crunchy suckling pig with a glass of house red on top of a mountain in Mallorca.

I remember a similar place to that but in Majorca, in the mountains somewhere. I wish i could remember where it was though 🙁

Those are the best places- the rustic local tucked away places. Many of them arent even restaurants…

The Culm Valley Inn does properly wonderful food.

Quite enjoyed a family pizza at a pizza place all to meself after a monumental day’s exertion earlier this year. I remember being about 5 minutes in and the plate was already 3/4 empty so I ordered another one nom nom nom

Man vs food I’ve yet to lose.

Best overall meal was at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons near Oxford. Fantastic food, great environment and friendly attentive service that never felt overbearing or stuffy, as close to perfect as I’ve ever experienced.

Best individual course was at the crazy bear in Amersham. Summer berry and white chocolate dessert. Was stunningly good, but then it had to be as everything else about the place was a level below average.

Best takeaway. Fish’n’chip shop near Cayton Bay, Not a lot of choice; “cods got skin haddocks got none” but food of the gods when eaten looking out to sea on a Summers evening.

L’enclume is very nice. Fat Duck for me is easily the best meal I’ve eaten, everything is near perfect.
There are some great cheap restaurants around though, the best ones in my experience are the places which do a small number of things very well.

El Faro de El Puerto in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Andalucia.

http://www.elfarodelpuerto.com/

Sorry I don’t have time to write a pornographic description, but everything was fantastic – whereas everywhere else I have eaten there has been something not quite up to scratch.

My late friend had his own bistro for my first date with the now mrs c i rang ahead to make sure he’d do some vegan suitable dishes. When we arrived we were greated with personalised menues headed the “crankboy seduction special” All courses were well up to his usual standard and it was on the house.

Obviously the whole thing could have gone either way but seven years later we are still together married and with child.

As picked out above, Constantia Uitzig (La Colombe) is very good indeed.

La Terrazza on Sharrowvale Road in Sheffield.
Just went in to say hi with no intention of eating. Ended up getting a Nastro Azzuri and chatting for a bit. Then ordered a bit of Antipasti whilst sat at the bar with a limoncello aperatif. Had a browse of the menu and settled on veal in butter sauce, whilst the missus had king prawns. Proper king prawns as well, the size of lobsters. Bottle of some nice crisp Italian white (not Pinot, but can’t remember what it was). Tiramisu for dessert, washed down with Amaretto coffee.
Granted the ambience and company made a lot of difference, but I’ve never enjoyed a more perfect meal.

Swankiest – Gordon Ramsay at Claridges (when it had a star – Mark Sergeant was head chef). 22 of us in one of the art deco private dining rooms. Bill came to £13,500…. 😀

Excellent view – Las Brisas, Laguna Beach CA. Amazing seafood. Kindly paid for by friends.

Burger – Hueys in Memphis TN. I know it’s a chain, but if you’re going to have a burger, you might as well have fat running down your fingers. Yum! (Oh, and the weirdest pub quiz at the same time.)

Pudding (1) – key lime pie in some sweets only place near Harlem NY at around 11.30 one night. Listening to the lives of the locals played out all around us was great fun.

Pudding (2) – small bistro in Valbonne (village near Grasse in Cote d’Azur). Not sure it was there last time I passed through. The most amazing creme brulée that had been made with orange water. So good, I’ve had to stop choosing creme brulées as none get anywhere close….

EDIT – how could I forget this..?!!! BEST MEAL EVER – noodle soup in one of the student canteens at Peking University when Mrs North had been working out there. Less than £1 for two bowls and the most fantastically deep flavoured meal I have ever eaten.

not sure about best ever, but the discovery menu at the daffodil in cheltenham was pretty bloody good the other day… 7 courses including a cote de boeuf cooked to perfection 🙂

Dave

In third place: The Waterside at Bray

In second place: The Sharrow Bay, Ullswater in its heyday with the two guys who ran it then

And the winner: Ham and cheese omelette & frites at Requin Hut, above Chamonix

I’ve eaten in 3 of the 4 3* restaurants in the UK (all bar the Fat Duck) and of those I think Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester was probably the best. Everything was just spot on, great food and wine, service which was friendly, attentive but not overbearing and a lovely feel to the place. Waterside Inn was particularly disappointing, just didn’t feel particularly special, waiters didn’t have a clue about the menu or the wine and hideously expensive.

That said, the best meal I’ve ever had was either at Dinner (the Meat-fruit starter and the Tipsy Cake were two of the best things I’ve ever eaten) or the tasting menu at Marcus Wareing at the Berkley.

a chinese for my 5th birthday.
restaurant closed 37 years ago.

Dinner is very good too, Meat fruit is fantastic.

Wanted to take the group here for Christmas lunch, but they required a hefty room fee. Lunch rather than dinner tends to be pretty reasonable, even at the best restaurants. Instead we have enjoyed the Roof Garden in Kensington.

Getting a lunch table at the Fat Duck may require perseverance.

Most memorable meal was probably Fish and Chips watching the sunset on the beach at home after my sister’s wedding!

Purnells in Birmingham has amazing food. Glynn Purnell definitely knows how to cook, and his desserts are unbelievable

+1 for the cliff,

been to most of the restaurants on the west coast of barbados and a few really are top notch, Sasafras, Angry Annies, Daphne’s but my favorite i cant remember the name of but it was on the cliff on 1st street just as you come into prospect st.james. 5*

For me it’s never been completely about the food but the circumstances and company. On that basis, a tapas bar in Girona, Hemmingways in Grand Cayman, some beach place in Noosa, William and Vics in Harrogate, Joseph Tomneys in Tyrone.

Shit! Guys! Just thought I’d warn you. The middle-class-ometer is getting dangerously close to critical. If it blows it’ll take down Mumsnet and the Guardian ‘comment is free’ site down too. Then we’ll all be in serious trouble

Just be careful eh? 😉

Oh… and best meal was lunch in some little cafe above the hills near St Tropez. Unbelievable steak in a Roquefort sauce, washed down with chateauneuf du pape. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Khans in Bayswater circa 10yrs ago. It was amazing. Matey’s been recently (we used to go every Sat without fail!) and its ‘ok’ now but not as great as it was.

Every expensive meal I’ve had has been rubbish.

The best was probably somewhere in Croatia.

lamb dish, tiny little Monaco restaurant about 200 yards from the Loews hairpin. For monaco it was unpretentious and cheap. The food oh my god 😀