Category Archive: Fine dining

White linen, silver service, but not in Mr Michelin's book

Review: Smoke, Hampton-in-Arden

It being January and miserable, we took ourselves off to a country house hotel in darkest Warwickshire to do nothing but indulge. Recommended. And specifically I recommend Hampton Manor as a great place to unwind. It’s a big ol’ Victorian pile that has been given a warm country vibe with a mixture of big statements …

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Review: Behind, Hackney

Back from a six week trip to Patagonia and I was looking forward to some fine dining! It’s not that you can’t find any good food in Chile… it’s just really hard, especially as we were (deliberately!) exploring the back of beyond. Some of the best bits were straight from the sea: if you’re ever …

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Review: Thomas, Cardiff

I’m writing this review a bit late, really. It’s a good couple of weeks since we ate at Thomas – Tom Simmon’s Cardiff restaurant – and I didn’t take notes at the time. But! It was too good a meal not to record, so here are just a few thoughts and recollections… It’s got a …

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Review: The Frog, Covent Garden

For full disclosure: this was my 50th birthday meal, so I was inclined to be pleased. Yes, yes, I know I only look about 30 but it’s true, I’ve been on the planet for 50 years (and writing this blog for 12 of those)! Anyway, it makes The Frog by Adam Handling a tough review …

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Review: Gwen, Machynllyth

Gareth Ward strikes me as a really good guy. He’s opened this new 8-cover restaurant in the middle of Machynlleth high street, named Gwen for his mum, and put chef Corrin Harrison in charge, and then backed him to the extent of letting him create and evolve the whole menu without any input at all …

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