Pattersons

Food

I started the day with some yummy bread and a Glass of Rioja, Heredad Ugarte, Crianza 2004 (£6.00). We had to order 3 courses to get the special, so…

• Slow Roast Belly Pork, Red Cabbage, Cauliflower Puree with a Seared Scallop and Thyme Jus - was a bit dry, the meat overwhelmed with flavour. The scallop is the usual tasteless offering. The cabbage was like sauerkraut, but pleasant.
• Squab Breast, on Potato and Apple Parmentier, with Foie Gras Parfait and Madeira Jelly - definitely the better entrée, although Slokky did manage to drop half of the squab onto the floor. The Foie Graf parfait was very strong, it comes with bread sticks for dipping, but I think works best paired with the gamey yet tender squab.
• Fillets of Dover Sole with Langoustine, Confit Leek, Jerusalem Artichoke Mash, Wild Mushrooms and Sauce Duglere - I love this dish, and I think if I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t think this restaurant was so good. This was easily the best fish dish I’ve had for awhile in London, and that includes Le Gavroche (but I am not comparing this to Tajima-Tei as that wouldn’t be fair). The fish was very succulent, but the accompaniment and sauce simply blew me away.
• Prime Sirloin of Beef with Celeriac, Stewed Shallots and Chestnuts with a Braised Oxtail and Potato Puree Gratin - the steak was cooked a bit more than medium-rare, but that suits me as I like medium. The beef was well cooked, but certainly not the best I’ve eaten. The sauce was too salty as well. I found more interest in the oxtail, wonderfully stewy and meaty, and the celeriac mould was interesting, sweet and savoury, yet with the texture of potatoes.
• Chestnut Soufflé Tart with Vanilla Ginger Ice Cream - I was really looking forward to this but was so let down. The flavours just didn’t really go together, and even the ginger ice-cream didn’t save the day.
• Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Iced Double Cream - This was much better than the chocolate cake from Wet Fish Café, the shell had been hardened, and good quality molten chocolate filled the centre. The ice-cream was a letdown again.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Strange. I am not so sure if the décor is to my taste. On one hand, everything is quite modern, if a bit boring. However, they have a huge fish tank in the front room, and other aquatic colour scheme happening. It makes the place look a bit like a hotel lobby, and actually detracts from the elegance of the room.

Rating - 2

Service

I was very impressed by the excellent service by a very professional team who were also friendly and warm. They took our coat, readjusted the table for the cancellation, and was humble, with no trace of pretensions, even though we weren’t behaving as expected, throughout.

Rating - 4.5

C-factor

It definitely wasn’t that cheap, even with our 50% off offer, but the food was great and the service first rate.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 15

Info

4 Mill Street
London
W1S 2AX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7499 1308
Website

Wet Fish Café

Funny enough, I have not eaten at a café in London before now, and realised how much I actually miss the café atmosphere.

Food

I started off the evening with the Cabernet-Malbec, Finca los Prados, 2007, Argentina (£4), described as medium-bodied with strong red fruits, spices and chocolate. Never mind that, it was good. The dessert menu sounded divine, so it was the consensus to skip entrees. The Welsh lamb cutlets with Jerusalem artichoke mash and lamb jus (£14) came recommended, and it was very good indeed. Simple food with simple flavours done well. The Spicy Slow-Simmered Mutton with Aubergine, Dates and Wild Rice (£13) probably didn’t taste as good as it sounds. The mutton has absorbed some wonderful flavours, but the date and wild rice was only ordinary.

Desserts were fine, being more homely in flavour than anything else. My rhubarb, ginger and almond crumble (£5) hit the spot. The rhubarb was quite tart, the almond crumble satisfying. The warm soft chocolate cake w red berries & cream (£5.50) was a bit disappointing. The cake was a bit dry, and the chocolate sauce was not made using that great quality chocolate.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

All around us people seem to be doing the same, whether it was a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, it was one of those places you could lounge around in the whole day.

The name comes from the fact that this use to be a “wet fish” shop, and they have restored it so that the original tiles and sign is visible. The room is very dark, illuminated by some candles. The vibe is definitely a relaxed chilli, very fitting for the Hampstead crowd.

It’s also a wine store, you can buy bottle or case loads of all the wines on their menu.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Daylight saving had just started, and I think the chef forgot, because we were not able to order food until 7pm. It was ok for us though, as we nursed some drinks to get us in the mood.

The wait staff were super cool and accommodating, but it was not really that busy and they don’t really need to “service” you as such.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

The prices is certainly not cheap, especially if you take in the fact that if you use a special on Toptable, you could eat for around the same price at so called higher priced restaurants. Never mind, it is aiming at well-off people in the Hampstead area that wants to have a relaxed dinner and not be fussed about.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

242 West End Lane
London
NW6 1LG
Phone +44 (0) 20 7443 9222
Website

Katies Tea Room

A traditional tea room in the heart of Chester by day, by night it becomes MDs Restaurant. We were attracted by the claim that the building contained remnants of a 14th century house.

Food

The menu was huge, with your café favourites, as well as some more substantial and regional offerings. Seeing all the old English style architecture had me yearning for Traditional Roast Beef served with Yorkshire Pudding, and I was not sorry for the choice. The last time I tried Yorkshire Pudding, I was really disappointed, but after today, this has definitely turned around. The crunchy and soft texture was wonderful. Even though it was just flour and water and fat, it tasted so good. It actually overshadowed the beef, which was fine, but a bit tough, and the gravy too salty for my taste. Mixed with some of the carrots, potatoes and broccoli that came on the side though, and it was fine. The potatoes were so creamy and buttery. Pork Loin Steak (£7.50) - Grilled Pork Loin Steak Served on a Bed of Mashed Potato with a Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce was a bit heavy handed with the cream, otherwise a satisfying meal. I was really looking forward to the Apple Pie served hot or cold, with Custard, Cream or Ice Cream, but this turned out to be quite disappointing, kinda like store bought stuff.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

Certainly popular with the over 50s. This place is not cool or hip, but it has heart. The building is lovely, the furniture has that homely touch, think doilies and plastic flowers. The place is very big, so even when filled with people, you don’t feel too claustrophobic. It’s one of those places you feel like you should go to when on holidays.

Rating - 2

Service

Very good. A bit forgetful at times, like when they delivered the apple pie with custard instead of ice-cream, but changed it straight away with no questions asked.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

Cheap!! I had a generous two course meal for £9!!

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

38 Watergate Street
Chester
CH1 2LA
Phone +44 (0) 12 4440 0322
Website

The Wizard

Another country Bib to cross off the list.

Food

The menu didn’t look very exciting, with the very usual restaurant selection and nothing out of the ordinary. The bread though, was very cool. We actually got some brioche, served with butter. I ignored the butter and the brioche tasted fine.

We decided to stick with the safe options this time, so ordered the Pan fried chicken livers, griddled bruschetta, Madeira cream (£7.95) for entrée. Chicken liver really taste just about the same everywhere, however the saucing was a bit disappointing. The Pressed ham hock & asparagus terrine topped with a poached egg (£6.50) was again disappointing as the egg was too well cooked. The terrine was quite good in terms of flavour.

For mains, we had the Wizard shepherd’s pie with cheese mash & fresh vegetables (£11.00) , which was really really disappointing, as I’ve had this dish a few times in pubs and it has always been very nice, so I was looking forward to seeing what this restaurant could do with it. Unfortunately the execution was terrible, the mince was way too salty, and the cheese gravy was not good enough to lift it up, plus it was too heavy to balance the saltiness of the meat. Slightly better was the Oven baked fillet of hake, rocket & parmesan salad, balsamic dressing (£14.50), although the salad seemed to be repeated from the entrée, and was also extremely boring. Needless to say, we didn’t stick around for dessert.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

The building was lovely, old and lovingly restored, with exposed beams, antique furnishing, fireplace (fake). It was all very homely, although the chairs were not that comfy as a result. They also have a tearoom which they open for lunch, which I would love to try out.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Very casual I thought, they don’t even dress so you can identify them as waiters, but it is suitable enough for this place. We were seated in the front room, so it was difficult at times to get their attention.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

Even more expensive than the Mistley Thorn, not worth it.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

Macclesfield Road
Nether Alderley
Cheshire
SK10 4UB
Phone +44 (0) 16 2558 4000
Website

Yang Sing

We chose Yang Sing as it was recommended by a friend and also because there were at least some Chinese people eating there. It has won heaps of awards for being the best Chinese Restaurant in Manchester.

Food

The food was quite good, not good compared to Oz or HK or Rotterdam of course, but better than anything I’ve had in London. There is no trolley or anything, you choose your food from a list (all in Chinese, which was a good sign…but we couldn’t read about a quarter of it, which was bad). We had:

• Chau siu
• Vegetable dumplings
• Prawn dumplings
• Pan fried Meat bun
• Steamed meat bun
• Sticky rice

The highlight was definitely the sticky rice and the vegetable dumplings, the low point, the meat buns which were too oily. The chau siu was quite nice, but a bit too salty and strong on its own, it really needed rice, but it was our fault for not ordering any. Their chun fun machine was broken so we couldn’t have any which was sad though.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

I think Yang Sing must’ve been very modern and impressive about 10 years ago. You don’t get your classic Chinese décor, but it’s not quite modern either. All the fixtures were starting to wear, and not as spiffy as you would expect from such an expensive Chinese place. It’s situated in the basement, with some skylights looking out into the street, so it’s all very strange.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Good for a Chinese restaurant, ok for a normal restaurant. They were quite apologetic when they didn’t have the chun fun, and generally refilled water and took away things at the right time. The bill also arrived quickly, but then again, they weren’t that busy.

Rating - 3

C-factor

It’s cheap on a London basis, but I think it’s actually one of the most expensive restaurants in Manchester. It was £26.15 for 3 people, and we didn’t leave hungry.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12

Info

34 Princess Street
Manchester
M1 4JY
Phone +44 (0) 16 1236 2200
Website

Ping Pong St Katharines Docks

We scored an invite to test out the soon to be open Ping Pong on the staff training day. I had been intrigued about Ping Pong for awhile, but I am always a bit apprehensive about Westernised yum cha. Well, I have to say I am impressed.

Food

Imagine the Wagamama concept, except for dim sum. We started with some drinks from the scrumptious drinks menu. The Kumquat mojito (£5.75) – Santiago de Cuba Blanco rum, lime, mint, sugar and kumquats was everything I expected, tangy, sour and sweet, it was definitely refreshing for the food. The place was really hot, and I wonder if they do this on purpose so you would order more cocktails? The Flowering Jasmine Lily (£1.95) – green tea buds, infused with jasmine, hand tied around lily and jasmine flowers was a bad choice considering it was so hot. I really only ordered it so I could see the flowering bud. It looked spectacular, but tasted like water.

There were 8 of us at the table, so we were able to try a large variety of dishes. The menu is broken out into different sections, with the steam stuff winning hands down in terms of both variety and taste.

• Wasabi three bean mix (£.99) – soy beans, green beans and black beans coated in spicy horseradish - I was so surprised that these were very hot and very fresh. A very good start.
• Char sui bun (£3.10) – honey barbecue pork in fluffy white bun pastry - not as good as the Chinese restaurants. The pastry a bit hard and the filling too dry and bland.
• Seafood Sticky Rice (£3.30) – rice with king prawns and scallops wrapped in a Lotus leaf - not much seafood. I think seafood only sticky rice doesn’t really work in this dish as you need a bit of meat to bring out the flavour.
• Crispy Thai Chicken Spring Roll (£2.99) – chicken and prawns with chilli, coriander and lemongrass wrapped in bean curd skin and served with chilli fish sauce - the skin was crisp on the outside and still soft on the inside, the filling was great too.
• Chives (£2.99) – king prawns and chives in green chive pastry - lovely balance of flavour, and the pastry was well done.
• Crystal (£2.99) – sauteed vegetables in transparent crystal pastry - this one was a bit cold when I ordered, but it was pleasing nevertheless.
• Scallop and shitake – scallops and king prawns with shitake mushrooms in wheat flour pastry - my favourite dish of the night, great flavour and great skin, everything a dumpling should be.
• Pork shu mai (£2.99) – pro and king prawns in open shu mai pastry topped with a Chinese wolfberry - very different to the ones you normally get at yum cha. I think for the better. The pork was certainly better quality.
• Seafood (£2.99) – snow crab, prawns and scallops in carrot tortellini pastry - not as good as I thought, the carrot pastry didn’t really work.
• Honey Glazed Ribs (£3.99) – 3 pork ribs roasted with Ping Pong’s special spices, glazed with honey - a little dry but the meat was very generous and quite tender.
• First Emperor’s Treasure (£4.50) – steamed salmon dumpling with lime leaves topped with trout eggs - this didn’t work well together, the flavours did not combine well.
• Qin Shihuangdi Dum Sum (£4.50) – steamed scallop, prawn and pork dumpling topped with lump fish roe - quite pleasant, like a rich man’s version of normal dumplings.
• Coconut puff (£3.20) – baked puff filled with coconut, topped with honey and sesame seeds, served with a scoop of coconut ice cream - the puff was a bit dry, the coconut filling was not too sweet – tasting like a BBQ pork puff, only with coconut texture. The ice-cream was heavenly.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Ping Pong looks good, and I can see that this would be a real attraction to Westerners. There is a big bar area, with the dining area consisting of small and large tables. They have thought of the little things as well. Shelves under the seats allow you to pop your coat, and there are hooks for your bags under the table, although the hooks can’t always support your bag, and it does get in the way of your legs.

Décor is pretty much funky Chinese furnishing, rendered in black. It does get very noisy and very busy and hot, but that means they have replicated the

Rating - 1.5

Service

It was staff training day and the staff gets evaluated, so they were all on their best behaviour. Several people served us, and we did make things very difficult for them since we had two separate bills and menus going, but they managed it quite well. Our server was very good too, so I wonder what the place would be like if they aren’t on training.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

We got all our food for free as it was a staff training day, so we only paid for drinks. If they can keep this standard up normally though, it is definitely worthy for a meal.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 14.5

Info

Quayside, Tower Bridge House
St Katharines Docks
London
E1W 1BA
Phone +44 (0) 20 7680 7850
Website

The Mistley Thorn

Another one of those hotel restaurant combination in a “country town”. I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it, and luckily, the food lived up to my expectations.

Food

I wanted everything on the menu, and actually, between the four of us, we got to try quite a lot. Feeling especially greedy, we started with some Colchester Native Oysters served raw with ginger shallot mignonette (£1.75 each) and Mersea Isalnd Rock Oysters served raw with ginger shallot mignonette (£7.50 ½ dozen) to share. The Colchester were a bit like Sydney Rocks while the Mersea were like Coffin Bay ones. They each had their good points, and I was very happy, but that could also be due to the fact that I was downing a skippers, a locally brewed beer.

Entrees:

• Grilled whole sardines in garlic butter (£6.95) - was actually the weakest entrée of the night. I guess the nicest sardines are the ones that are simply grilled, with nothing else. These sardines are not as nice as the ones my parents buy, so …
• Saffron and Glove Artichoke Risotto with Parmesan Cheese (£6.95) - was a huge plate, even though I had asked for the “small”. The risotto was actually better than the one from Midsummer House, nicely balanced by the saffron, the grains al dente.
• Roasted Pear Salad (£6.25) with Endive, Hazelnuts, st Agur Blue cheese and Walnut Vinaigrette - I only tried a little bit of this, but the sauce was out of this world. The salad leaves were so fresh, I think they might’ve come from the back garden.
• Dayboat Calamari a la Plancha with Chilli, Garlic, Coriander - was cooked to perfection, not chewy, with a slightly tangy sauce.

Main:

• Roast Rack of Lamb in a Herb Crust with Wholegrain Mustard Mash, Mint Vinaigrette & Seasonal Vegetables - a very good choice. There weren’t that many pieces, but it was about quality, not quantity. The vegetables were outstanding again.
• Grilled Skate with Caramelised garlic, Smoked Paprika, A Mano Olive Oil, Local New Potatoes & Alison's Organic salad Leaves (£13.95) - was a little heavy on the spicing, but luckily it suited this fish well. The potatoes were so heavenly. They were so soft and buttery.
• Cioppino a "Cal Ital" Seafood Stew with Local Fresh Fish, Shellfish, Tomato and herbs served with garlic crostini - I only got a small bite of this, but they balanced the flavours very well, I don’t know how good the quality of the seafood is though.
• Roasted Deben Duck Breast with Red Wine Cherry Sauce, Root Vegetable Rosti & Savoy Cabbage - for me, the best dish of the night. The duck breast was gamey, with just the right amount of fat for flavour.
• Handcut Fries (£2.25) again tasted like those new potatoes, so buttery and creamy

Dessert:

• Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream
  - stock standard. Not that it’s bad, it’s just that by now I expected a lot more.
• ice cream and sorbet - quite nice, but again, nothing out of the ordinary.

sick of seeing the usual foam, Espresso was the order. As usual, it was not good.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

This was another hotel and restaurant and pub combination that litter the English countryside. We found that it was very modern, with clean lines in the design. There was an open fire, and the clienteles are local, enjoying a drink at the very modern and not at all seedy bar, before settling down to dinner and a chat with the waiters. There was a complaint about the wicker chairs though, it hurts if you have no fat in your bum, but I had no problems with that one.

Rating - 2.5

Service

The waiters were quite casual, but very accommodating. They were friendly, which I liked. It seemed they had a long day with the lunch crowd though, and were a bit disorganised for dinner to start with. They did manage to pull themselves together later to offer us a very enjoyable experience.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

They normally have a 3-2-1 special, where you can eat 3 courses each for 2 people and pay only £25!! Unfortunately the deal was not available as it was a Bank holiday, but I think it was still good value for the quality of food we enjoyed.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 15

Info

High Street
Mistley
Essex
CO11 1HE
Phone +44 (0) 12 0639 2821
Website

Café Zoot

We were looking for a feed on this Easter Monday, and there weren’t many choices available, so we were very relived when we spied Café Zoot, open and warm, as we were ravenous and cold.

Food

Surprisingly, the coffee was not bad at all. We have decided to always order lattes (£2.30 large) to avoid getting the mountain of foam that is associated with cappuccinos in the UK. They use illy beans.

We decided to be slightly healthier, so Mushroom Omelette (£3.95) - mushroom and three-egg omelette served with crispy hash browns was the way to go. The omelette was so tasteless, and the mushrooms did not look like they had benefited from any butter at all, so I guess it was a pretty healthy breakfast, if not a particularly tasty one. I really liked the hash browns though, still lumpy, with a bit of pepper, and done so it’s just crisp on the outside. The Toasted Teacake (£1.50) - with butter and jams was ok. We were given a huge choice of jams, but they all taste very ordinary, some home-made stuff would’ve been great.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

Situated in the hub of Lincoln, the street is filled with restored shop fronts all promoting afternoon tea, Café Zoot definitely stood out from the crowd. It’s a modern, minimalist space, doing Mediterranean leaning café fares and hearty breakfasts.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Maybe our waiter was in a bad mood, but she was quite rude, plonking things down and she got annoyed at us when we took too long to decide on what to order. However, the other waiter who served us was very friendly, but managed to hear our order wrong. Never mind, they didn’t charge for our mistake, and everyone thanked us and waved us goodbye at the end.

Rating - 2

C-factor

Eating out for breakfast in the UK, unlike Oz, is a pretty cheap affair. This is more expensive than going to the pub, but is fair value for the quantity we got.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 10

Info

5 Bailgate
Lincoln
LN1 3AE
Phone +44 (0) 15 2253 6663
Website

Midsummer House

2 Michelin Stars, so we were very keen to compare this with Le Gavroche

Food

We were very impressed from the start. They had delivered some “thinking snacks” while we deliberated on the menu.

• cheese stick - looked spectacular, and were very more-ish
• balsamic vinegar foam and crisps - wonderful balsamic foam and crispy crisps!
• green olives - so fresh and so beautiful

I was sad that they took this away very early on, but in hindsight it was a good move, as I was already filling up on this, and there was so much more food to follow.

Based on the quality of the start, we decided to go the whole hog and get the tasting menu.

• foccacia - was soft and beautiful
• brown bread - ok, but the butter was excellent.
• Grapefruit and Champagne foam - was dramatically presented, a decanter was brought out and our foam squirted into lovely pink glasses. The coldness combined with the texture was heavenly. Nothing disappointing so far.
• Tiger Prawn, Cucumber and Cauliflower - this was a soup that has also been “foamed”. The prawn was so delicious, the other flavours quite light, a great start to the meal.
• Langoustine and King Crab - I really like this one, the crab was encased in a tortellini with the most delicious pastry and the best texture, the langoustine did not pale against the crab either.
• Piquillo Pepper Cannelloni - was totally not what was expected. A liver mousse was wrapped, lolly-pop style, with red peper sauce for dipping. Looked wonderful but I don’t think the taste quite work.
• Sauteed Scallop, Bay Leaf, Pigs Trotter - as usual, the scallop didn’t have the scallop taste, and the bay leaf didn’t add much flavour. The pigs trotters were little cubes and tasted like fried croquettes.
• Risotto of Parsley, Garlic Snail, Yeast Foam - I was really looking forward to this one, but the risotto was actually quite disappointing, the rice being still hard. The garlic snail was presented in an ingenious way. The snail is skewered on the end of
• Roast Zander, Red Wine and Nettles - again, the fish taste was a bit of a letdown, and I’m not that keen on the nettles, but the fish was perfectly cooked and the red wine sauce helped to impart some flavour.
• Pousse Café - an appetiser of cream, egg and sweet stuff. Different, interesting, if not that refreshing.
• Bourbon Smoked Pigeon, Iceberg Lettuce, Sweet Potato - the flavour of the pigeon was excellent, so gamey and moist. The lettuce was still crunchy, the bourbon sauce a bit sweet
• Camomile, Lemon and Ginger - presented as a jelly of three flavours, I especially like the camomile layer, but make sure you mix them together to get the best taste.
• Pear, Black Olive and Fennel - the olives certainly didn’t taste like olives, instead, more like grapes, and very strange. I am not so sure what the point of this one is.
• Coffee, Chocolate and Passion Fruit - I thought this was literally what it was, but it turned out to be 3 rectangles of foam of the flavours. The coffee was the best, white the passion fruit didn’t quite carry through.

I was very very full after this, but Slokky decided he needed coffee to help his long drive, so we ordered Cappuccino (ummm… as usual, very very foamy), which actually came with:

• Baignet with crème anglais and plum sauce - so so so delicious. It was warm, lightly dusked with icing sugar, and the dipping sauces so so good, I actually ate too even though I really couldn’t fit anything else in.
• chocolate – mandarin, pineapple, green pepper, dark - surprisingly, the best was the green pepper, even though it was encased in white chocolate. They have definitely used very good quality chocolate. These are some of the best I’ve tasted, and I would come back just for that!!

I really can’t fault the technique and the presentation. I like it that they are willing to experiment, but some worked much better than others.

Rating - 8

Atmosphere

This literally was a house, but a big one at that, with a garden on the side and a stream running down the back. We were seated in the back room which had large open windows looking out to the garden. The weather was horrid, snow, wind and periods of sun, so we really enjoyed watching the changes during our 3 hour meal, after which we retired to have coffees and petit fours upstairs, where there was a small bar and a balcony, and views of the river.

You must definitely pay a visit the bathroom to check out the pictures they have in there. They are very cheeky and totally not what you would expect to find in a restaurant like this. The clientele seems to be intellects, dressed smartly for lunch but not too stuffy.

Rating - 3

Service

Excellent, as you would expect from a two-star restaurant. Attentive, polite, and good wine recommendation. We didn’t feel like we were rushed at all.

Rating - 5

C-factor

At lunch time, you could choose from a limited 3 course menu for £30, but we decided we might as well go the whole hog and try the tasting menu, which at £80, is not something you should have very often. The price is really justified by the amount of work that goes into preparing those beautiful dishes.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 17

Info

Midsummer Common
Cambridge
CB4 1HA
Phone +44 (0) 12 2336 9299
Website

Clos Maggiore

I was a bit dubious about Clos Maggiore, as it was situated in the middle of tourist attraction of Convent Garden, but I was very happy to be proved wrong.

Food

We had the 3 course pre-theatre menu., starting with some onion foccacia, which was very caramelised and scrumptious, not at all oily, and brown roll, which was very boring. The 3 of us just about tried all the items on the menu:

• Foie Gras & Oxtail Terrain - pickled silver skinned onion - was beautiful, as it should be, the onions were not quite as caramelised as I liked though.
• Boudin Blanc with beans and game sauce - great quality produce, much better than the ones we bought from Paris, and the beans were so fresh, you could almost taste spring.
• Pan Fried Fillet of Pollock - terrine of purple potato & globe artichoke - at least it wasn’t sea bass. It’s tasty enough, cooked perfectly. I just wish for a bit more seafood taste, as usual. The accompaniment were great though.
• Slow cooked Elwy Valley Lamb Belly -pus pulse & lamb jus with olive oil - a great time for lamb, and this was lovely and tender. I’m a sucker for good pus pulses and these were very good indeed.
• Passionfruit and Chocolate Ganache, Coconut Sorbet. - was definitely the highlight. The chocolate was so good, which was accompanied by the tangy passionfruit, and the coconut sorbet was like eating a ripe, fresh coconut.
• Vanilla Cheesecake & warm Red Berries - good, smooth, but not spectacular. I haven’t really had a great cheesecake at a restaurant yet, with maybe the exception of the Cheesecake Factory.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Everyone raved about the setting, and I can see why. Clos is situated in one of those terrace houses, so the restaurant consists of a series of rooms. We were seated next to a blazing fireplace, in a room which also had a sky light and a flower canopy. Scrumptious French wallpaper complete the setting.

Rating - 2.5

Service

The wait staff were absolutely lovely. Most of them are French. There was a French couple at the next table and the waiters were all talking to them in French. One waiter was especially charming, explaining the dishes and helping us with choices when we needed.

Rating - 4

C-factor

The pre-theatre menu was 3 courses for £19.95, which didn’t have a lot of choice, but it was good value for the quality of food we got. Gripe, we got charged £4.95 for a bottle of still water!! Warning though - order before 6:30 if you want to make your 8pm show. We were quite rushed at the end.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 15.5

Info

33 King Street
London
WC2E 8JD
Phone +44 (0) 20 7379 9696
Website

Tajima-Tei

Recommended by several people, including a Japanese foodie, I was definitely looking forward to this one.

Food

There are several options. You can pick a la carte, or choose from one of their many sets of bentos or set coruses. We decided to try a bit of both. We got the Tokujyo Nigiri (£20) - Assorted nigiri sushi (10 pieces of nigiri sushi) as we knew the sushi was a specialty, and we were not disappointed. Consisting of a mix of Toro - Tuna Belly, Sake – Salmon, Hamachi - Yellow Tail, Amaebi - Sweet prawn, Maguro – Tuna, Ikura - Salmon roe, Suzuki - Sea Bass , Ebi – Prawn and 2 generous Tamago - Egg Omelet. The fish was so fresh and as generous slices, unlike those paper thin ones you get at Yo-Sushi, with just enough wasabi to bring out the flavour. The Tajima-tei Bento (£18.80) - Sashimi (tuna, salmon, sweet prawn), Deep fried dish, Yakitori, tempura, salad, Sushi (tuna, salmon, prawn, salmon roll), Miso soup was very big. The best things on the dish were the sushi and the sashimi, the rest was nice but not too special though.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

The signs were good even before I entered. Two black cabs had just stopped off to deliver a bunch of Japanese businessman at the entrance. It’s an out of the way place, but the place was full and buzzing, so it must mean people come here just for the food. I didn’t hear the familiar "Irrashaimases" when I entered though. It’s a small space, decorated like a typical Japanese sushi bar. You can sit at the bar or at the table. Our table of 8 was pretty cramped in, but you put up with it for the food. The only oddity was that they have these very low hanging light that hung down from the ceilings….the lights themselves weren’t on, and they got in the way, I wonder what function they serve?

Rating - 1.5

Service

For a London restaurant, excellent, for a Japanese restaurant, terrible. I’d asked several times for tea, and they took a long long time to deliver. They weren’t very polite, but they did trust us after we’d paid the bill and instead of counting the money, just asked us how much was there.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Japanese is always expensive, especially when you are talking sushi and sashimi. We paid £47 for 2 people including green tea, which is expensive for a normal night out, but the portions were very generous and the food very good quality, so it was good value for money.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

Unit 1, Doorington House
9-15 Leather Lane
London
EC1N 7ST
Phone +44 (0) 20 7404 9665
Website

La Tasca Canary Wharf

Another Canary Wharf lunch. I am quickly running out of options here.

Food

Since this was supposed to be a cheap lunch, we started with Cranberry juice (£1.65). After waiting quite a long time, our selection of tapas arrived:

• Pan de Ajo (£) - Garlic bread - which was only delivered about 2 minutes before the rest, and was very disappointing. It was basically 2 pieces of white bread smeared with some butter, unevenly spread, and some sprinkle of garlic.
• Champiñones al Ajillo (£3.45) - Mushrooms lightly sautéed in garlic & olive oil - somehow managed to be mucked up. The mushrooms had not much flavour, which is probably a first.
• Patatas a la Pobre grande (£2.95) Potato, fried with onion and red and green peppers - not what we ordered, but with the same fried potato as a base. They were nice enough, but definitely did nto compare with the Tapa Tapa version.
• Brocheta de Pollo (£3.95) - Skewers of fresh chicken breast & red peppers, marinated with spices - this one was ok, the meat a bit tasteless.
• Paella de Pescado (£3.95) - Paella with squid, prawns and mussels, served with lemon - very boring, they probably skim on the material, and of course none of the paella pan goodness of a real gelato.
• Gambas Pil Pil (£4.45) - King prawns sautéed and sizzling in olive oil, fresh garlic & hot Spanish guindilla peppers - we only got like 4 prawns (which were quite small) and it was drowned in oil. The only thing going for it was that it was very hot.
• Chorizo Frito al Vino (£3.95) - The spicy Spanish sausage, sautéed in red wine - not too bad, but it was on the side of bland.

Wow, Canary Wharf eatery has sank to a new low.

Rating - 2

Atmosphere

It was a wet and miserable Monday lunch, and as a result, we were just about the only customers. The theme is your typical Spanish tapas bar that is outside of Spain, i.e. wooden furnishing, red and yellow tones. The good thing about this place is that it’s big, so t here’s loads of room for big group functions. Even though the whole restaurant was empty, they decided to squash us onto a small table, so that when our food arrived, we had to really juggle to get everything to fit.

Rating - 0

Service

Even though there was no one else at the restaurant, it was extremely difficult to find any service though. The staff seem to think that standing around and chatting should be their job, and we had to actually GET UP to get them to come and serve us. Then they inform us that the juice I wanted on the menu was not available, they had run out of squid so we couldn’t order anything with ti, and the potato dish we ordered was not the one that was delivered. After that though, someone came over every couple of seconds, and would interrupt our conversation and ask if everything was ok. I was so mad by about the 5th time I wanted to reply that THEY were the source of our troubles. Needless to say, when we wanted them at the end of our meal to get the bill, they were nowhere to be found.

Rating - 0

C-factor

The lunchtime menu they had on their website wasn’t available, so we had to order a la carte. It worked out to be £24.80 + service for the 3 of us after our 25% off discount. I ate much better at Tapa Tapa, and as you can probably tell, I will never come back.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 2

Info

Hertsmere Rd
West India Quay
London
E14 4AE
Phone +44 (0) 20 7531 9990
Website

Brasserie 44

Meal number two, and we knocked all the Michelin rated restaurants in Leeds out of the way.

Food

The food is quite homely and unfussy. Pate, soup and steak all come as it is, unadorned, not fussed over. The food won't knock your socks off, and the service is extremely casual for the setting and the price, but they are generous, ensuring that you won't leave hungry.

We were offered a choice of bread to start, and chose the Foccacia, which was still slightly warm, although a little oily. For entrees we chose the Country Pâté - pumpkin and date chutney which tastes like all other pates, the chutney was nice enough. The Warm Asparagus Quiche - tomato and red pepper coulis was very disappointing though. The egg was too set and the filling was not creamy. What’s more, the pastry couldn’t redeem it.

Things picked up slightly with the mains, the Fillet of Seabass - caramelised lemon chicory, orange butter sauce was extremely generous, the sauce went very nicely with the perfectly cooked fish. The Confit Leg of Duck - chestnut mushroom and tomato ragout was a little dry, but if you smear it with the sauce, it’s very eatable. We were given we sides (we didn’t get a choice). The Hand-Cut Chips were sensationally fresh and crunchy, while Green Beans with Shallots overcooked and tasteless. My half bottle of merlot was decanted already, and I wasn’t told what I was drinking, but it tasted quite nice at least.

Desserts were very boring, and I was happy to skip them, but since they were included, we had the New York Cheesecake - red berry compote, which really tasted like supermarket cheesecake, there was a bit of quite tasteless berries on the side. The Banana Pudding was comforting, more like a banana cake with custard poured over. Not spectacular, a bit sweet.

As you might have expected, this didn’t quite meet my expectation, I was definitely under whelmed after the experiences at J Bakers and Anthony’s

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

Even though Brasserie Forty 4 is situated right by the river, and looks stunning, the service and the food they serve says otherwise. On one hand, the setting seems to convey a special occasion restaurant, but the food and the service is so casual, it seems to want to be your local. There is a small bar at the front, where you can wait for your guests to arrive. The restaurant proper is situated on a split-level, open space. We had the privilege of sitting next to the window by the water. The place filled up early, with many people enjoying the early-bird deal, a mixture of jeans and dresses, so we really didn’t know how we fit into the scheme of things.

Rating - 1.5

Service

This was where it all fell down. Water was plonked onto our table, service was extremely casual, by that I mean we have to pour our own everything. It took us a while to get anyone’s attention, especially as the restaurant started filling up.

Rating - 2

C-factor

We dined on the early bird menu, which consisted of 3 courses, sides and half a bottle of Chardonnay or Merlot for £19.95. For the amount of food we got, extremely good value, but the standard was not really up to Bib quality.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

44 The Calls
Leeds
LS2 7EW
Phone +44 (0) 113 234 3232
Website

Anthony’s at Flannels

We were warned that there was nothing to do in Leeds, so we decided to spend all our time eating instead. There aren’t any Michelin stars in Leeds, only Bibs, but Anthony’s did not disappoint.

Food

For lunch there was a choice of sandwiches, afternoon tea, or 2-3 course meal. We decided we might as well go the whole hog, so we chose to have the 2 course meal. Oak Smoked Salmon & Prawn Fishcakes. Red Pepper & Tomato Salsa, Caviar Vinaigrette looked very pretty, the fishcakes were softly tinted pink, the tomato salsa setting off the fishcakes. The taste is quite delicate, with a nice smoked flavour. The Chicken & Black Pudding Sausage, Grain Mustard Mash Potatoes was fine, with good quality sausage, but nothing too special though.

For mains, I chose the Thyme & Garlic Roasted Lamb Rump, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Caponata . I actually couldn’t cut the lamb with my knife. The caponata didn’t go with the lamb at all but the Dauphinoise potatoes were beautifully executed. The Pan-Fried Calves Liver & Streaky Bacon served with Polenta Cake, Caramelised Onions & Shitaki Mushrooms tasted like calves liver. I couldn’t detect any shitaki mushrooms in the dish at all. The food was good but not really that exciting.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

Situated in the Flannels department store, more specifically, in the attic space. I like the design in that they have used this to their advantage rather than the other way. Let me elaborate. Exposed beams are a feature of the decoration. The view out the window is the Leeds city skyline, and the white walls are decorated by some colourful beams. Anthony’s function as both a café and restaurants, there are some leather armchairs and cakes and coffees for the shoppers, a whole line on afternoon tea, and starch white tablecloths and wine for the serious diners. It’s definitely a place to come to catch up with friends on the weekend, or a casual business lunch on the weekday. The plates remind me of the ones at J Baker’s. Their chosen flower colour is purple though, and is presented on the table and in their dishes as well.

Rating - 2.5

Service

They were a bit casual, but fine for the setting. No one said goodbye to us or handed us our coats when we left though.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

Two Courses £15.50 for lunch.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

3rd floor
68 Vicar Lane
Leeds
LS1 7JH
Phone +44 (0) 11 3242 8732
Website

Gourmet Pizza Company Canary Wharf

Another one bites the dusk at Canary Wharf.

Food

GPC is actually run by the same people as Pizza Express, but they try to capture a different part of the market by offering up pizzas with “gourmet” topping. The most interesting thing they have on the menu were the Baked Dough Balls (£2.10) - Bite-sized chunks of baked pizza dough with garlic butter dip. They were hot from the oven and very nice, but the garlic dip was too overpowering though and doesn’t work. I prefer them plain.

The mains I shared two pizzas. There were lots of interesting combinations, but I stuck to the ones I know work. The asparagus, parma ham, egg was ok. There wasn’t a lot of asparagus and the egg was overcooked, but the flavours worked well together. The aubergine, goats cheese, peppers was even better, the goats cheese really lifting the flavour of the vegetables. The pizzas had a pleasing base, which was of course not as good as a pizza that comes out of a wood-fired oven.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

Situated beside the square, but you can’t really see the water from here. There’s an open kitchen with a big oven. It was really busy on a Friday lunch, with big groups and lots of noise. We had to shout to be able to hear each other, and the tables are so cramped you can’t push back your chair without banging into someone.

Rating - 0.5

Service

Pretty terrible. I guess they were too busy keeping everyone happy, but when we needed them they didn’t come, and then before I had finished everything, they wanted to whisk it away. Trying to get us to leave so they can fit more people in perhaps?

There was no attention to detail at all, missing cutlery was not delivered, and the utensils they provided to eat the pizzas were inadequate.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

The pizzas were average, the setting could be improved, and compared to Pizza Express, not justified for the more expensive price.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 7.5

Info

18-20 Cabot Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4PH
Phone +44 (0) 20 7345 9192
Website

Benja

A Thai Bib Gourmande, I was definitely intrigued, especially since I’ve been searching for good Asian food forever in London.

Food

We took advantage of the 2 course + drinks set menu, which actually had quite a bit of choice. I had:

• Argento - Vanilla vodka shaken with cinnamon, lychee juice and fresh lemongrass topped with champagne - this is very refreshing. The alcohol doesn’t hit you until later on, the cinnamon and lemongrass makes it different from your run of the mill cocktails.
• Peanuts and betal leaf starter - a bit of a surprise to be given this. The flavours are bold and pleasing, and shows that they can experiment.
• Crispy deep-fried of prawns and squid served with chilli mayonnaise dipping - this was very ordinary. The batter was not bad and the dipping sauce pleasant, but there was nothing that says this is a Bib and not any old takeaway joint.
• Tom Yum soup with king prawns lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves - I love this one, and is definitely the dish of the night.
• Lightly battered Sea Bass with benja chilli sauce
  - The batter was nice and light, the fish was of good quality, I only wish the chilli sauce had more kick.
• Lamb steak char grilled on thick red chilli paste with finely chopped lime leaves - the red curry like paste was a bit too sweet and smothered the lamb, not allowing the natural lamb flavour to shine from the good quality lamb.

All in all, the food is definitely above the average Thai place, for London. You can get Thai this good at quite a few places back in Oz, but it’s a rare find in London, so it should be encouraged.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

Benja was very busy on this Wednesday night. We were seated upstairs, where there were a few tables and a small bar, there is more space and a much bigger bar downstairs. Décor wise, it is luscious, jade green being the dominant colour on the walls, and gold being the supporting player. It reminds me of the top hotels in Thailand really.

Clientele wise though, there are no Asians, and no Thais, so I guess their business is to Westerners. The bathroom seemed to have been an afterthought. There was only one unisex bathroom to serve the whole upstairs, so it was not in good condition by the end of the night.

Rating - 2

Service

The waiters are very attentive, if a bit slow. It took ages for our drinks to arrive and just as long for the bill.

Rating - 3

C-factor

All up, it was £22.50 for 2 courses and a cocktail. For a normal meal, it wasn’t too bad, for Thai, probably a tad expensive, but they do use good quality ingredients. Btw – their website provides no information at all.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

17 Beak Street
London
W1F 9RW
Phone +44 (0) 20 7403 8403
Website

St John Bread & Wine

I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, after hearing so many good things especially since this really is my “local”.

Food

The menu changes daily, but usually consists of one sarnie, one porridge and one brioche. We started with a cappuccino (£2.25) while we were waiting, and was not disappointed at all. They use Segafredo, so the taste is very strong, but the coffee was very smooth and creamy.

This visit, there were 5 things on the menu, all very appealing. In the end though, we settled on Pikelets & Plum Jam (£3.80), which were 3 cakes of pikelets so light and fluffy, with butter that just melts and a plum jam that is good enough to drink. The Rhubarb, Yoghurt & Brioche (£4.00) didn’t disappoint either. Excellent yoghurt, sweet rhubarb and very airy and not too sweet brioche. Slokky was greedy and ordered some toast with butter (£1.50) as well. The bread was so airy and so full of flavour, I could eat it with no topping at all.

We were very full, but the display of bread and pastries were so inviting, we got some for take-away. The Chocolate Brownie (£2.40) very gooey, with really good dark chocolate, the best brownie I’ve had. I’d always wanted to try an Eccles Cake (£2.40), and was surprised that it tasted like a “wife cake”. The pastry wrapping was excellent, so flaky and buttery, the filling was sweet but intense, nicely spiced.

The only disappointment I would say is that they don’t have very much choice in terms of drinks. It’s orange juice or water. I would’ve loved a fruit smoothie to go with my brekkie, but I guess their game is called “bread & wine”, not bread, wine & smoothies…so I will come back for dinner so I can have wine.

Rating - 8

Atmosphere

Very rustic and strip back. It’s a rectangular space which has been filled with timber tables. The walls are painted white. On one wall there is a row of hooks where you can hang up your coat. Blackboards hang with the daily menu written up. One wall is taken up by the open kitchen, and all their breads and cakes are on display. Homely and very chic.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Strange. The vibe of the place is very special, yet they have a guy in a suit in the kitchen (I presume he’s the head waiter or owner or something). The waiters are dressed in white chef’s gear, and while they were quite efficient for such a busy place, they weren’t really that friendly and didn’t suit the relaxed vibe.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

For wonderful food it is not very expensive at all. Good, I am definitely going to come back to try lunch or dinner.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 15

Info

94-96 Commercial Street
London
E1 6LZ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7251 0848
Website

Bib Gourmande 2007- Czech Republic

Prague	Aromi
Prague	Brasserie M
Prague	Le Terroir

Bib Gourmande 2008- Netherlands

Almere	Brasserie Bakboord
Alphen	Bunga Melati
Amersfoort	Blok's
Amsterdam	De Belhamel
Amsterdam	De Jonge Dikkert
Beetsterzwaag	Lyf's
Beverwijk	t Gildenhuys
Breda	Chocolat
Delft	l'Escalier
Den Haag	Bon-Bon
Den Haag	Maxine
Deventer	t Arsenaal
Domburg	Mondriaan
Drachten	De Herberg van Smallingerland
Drachten	Het Spijshuys
Eersel	Promessa
Goes	Het Binnenhof
Haarlem	Terra Cotta
Heerenveen	Sir Sebastian
Hilversum	Spandershoeve
Holten	De Swarte Ruijter
Hoorn	Hendrickje Stoffels
Houten	Coco Pazzo
Lisse	Het Jisser Spijshuis
Maastricht	Eetkamer de Bissjop
Maastricht	Manjefiek
Middelburg	De Gespleten Arent
Middelharnis	Brasserie 't Vingerling
Molenrij	t Korensant
Monnickendam	Posthoorn
Montfoort	Bij Mette
Nijmegen	Het Savarijn
Nijmegen	Liberty
Nijmegen	Vesters
Noordwijk aan Zee	Onder de Linde
Oeffelt	Bloemers
Oirschot	La Fleurie
Oldenzaal	De Oude Raadskelder
Philippine	Auberge des Moules
Rijsoord	Brasserie Corneille
Rotterdam	Brasserie Kasteel Spangen
Rotterdam	Huson
Rotterdam	Restaurant 70
Ruurlo	De Tuinkamer
Ryptsjerk	Frouckje State
s Hertogenbosch	Artisan
Schinnen	Aan Sjuuteeanjd
Staphorst	De Molenmeester
Streefkerk	De Limonadefabriek
Tubbergen	Droste's
Urk	Mes Amis
Venlo	De Cantharel
Venlo	La Mangerie
Waddeneilanden	Amjaad
Wamel	d'Oude Weeghbrug
Weidum	De Vijf Sinnen
Yerseke	Nolet's Vistro
Yerseke	Oesterbeurs
Zierikzee	De Gouwe geit
Zweeloo	Adema
Zwolle	De Koperen Kees
Amsterdam	Brasserie van Baerle
Amsterdam	Elkaar
Amsterdam	Entresol
Amsterdam	Envy Delicacies
Amsterdam	Gorgeous
Amsterdam	Le Camelia
Amsterdam	Le Relais
Amsterdam	Le zinc... et les autres
Amsterdam	Spring
Den Haag	Papermoon
Rotterdam	Bistrot Hosman Frères

Michelin Stars 2008- Belgium

3 stars:

Brugge	De Karmeliet
Kruishoutem	Hof van Cleve

2 stars:

Brussel	Bruneau
Brussel	Claude Dupont
Brussel	Comme Chez Soi
Brussel	Sea Grill
De Panne	Hostellerie Le Fox
Ieper	Hostellerie St-Nicolas
Mol	t Zilte
Reet	Pastorale
Tongeren	Clos St-Denis
Zeebrugge	t Molentje

1 star:

Aalst	t Overhamme
Antwerpen	De Koopvaardij
Antwerpen	De Schone van Boskoop
Antwerpen	Dôme
Antwerpen	Gin-Fish
Antwerpen	Kasteel Withof
Antwerpen	Le Petit Zinc
Antwerpen	t Fornuis
Barvaux	Le Cor de Chasse
Beaumont	Hostellerie Le Prieure Saint-Gery
Berlare	Lijsterbes
Blankenberge	Philippe Nuyens
Bornem	Eyckerhof
Braine-l'Alleud	Jacques Marit
Brugge	Aneth
Brugge	De Jonkman
Brugge	Den Gouden Harynck
Brugge	Herborist
Brugge	Hertog Jan
Brugge	Manoir Stuivenberg
Brugge	Sans Cravate
Brussel	Bistrot du Mail
Brussel	Bon-Bon
Brussel	Le Chalet de la Foret
Brussel	Le Pain et le Vin
Brussel	Le Passage
Brussel	L'Écailler du Palais Royal
Brussel	Marie
Brussel	San Daniele
Brussel	Senza Nome
Brussel	Terborght
Charleroi	L'Eveil des Sens
Deerlijk	Marcus
Dendermonde	t Truffeltje
Dilsen	Hostellerie Vivendum
Dinant	Hostellerie Gilain
Dranouter	In de Wulf
Eghezee	L'Air du Temps
Elewijt	Kasteel Diependael
Ellezelles	Chateau du Mylord
Fauvillers	Le Chateau de Strainchamps
Gent	C-Jean
Gent	Jan Van den Bon
Haaltert	Apriori
Hasselt	Aan tafel bij Luc Bellings
Hasselt	Hoeve St-Paul
Heure	Le Fou est belge
Hulshout	Hof ter Hulst
Izegem	La Duree
Keerbergen	The Paddock
Knokke-Heist	Bartholomeus
Knokke-Heist	De Oosthoek
Knokke-Heist	Jardin Tropical
Kruishoutem	t Huis van Lede
Lavaux-Sainte-Anne	Lemonnier
Leuven	Arenberg
Leuven	Couvert Couvert
Liege	Heliport
Mechelen	D'Hoogh
Mechelen	Folliez
Namur	Cuisinemoi
Namur	La Bergerie
Ninove	Hof ter Eycken
Noirefontaine	Auberge du Moulin Hideux
Opglabbeek	Slagmolen
Paliseul	Au Gastronome
Pepinster	Hostellerie du Postay
Pepinster	Hostellerie Lafarque
Perwez	La Frairie
Profondeville	L'Eau Vive
Quaregnon	Dimitri
Reninge	t Convent
Roeselare	Bistro Novo
Sankt-Vith	Zur Post
Sint-Martens-Latem	Orangerie
Soheit-Tinlot	Le Coq aux Cahmps
Vrasene	Herbert Robbrecht
Waregem	t Oud Konijntje