Blog Image

Restaurants

About the blog

Have you also been visiting one of the restaurants that "The Michelin Club" have been to - then we would love to hear your comments and whether you agree or disagree with our view.

The Greenhouse, visited 22/10-2016

2 Michelin Stars, French Posted by Annette JorgensenPosted on Sat, May 27, 2017 15:25:09

smileysmiley
The 4th choice by Carlos was the 2 Michelin star restaurant The Greenhouse, where we managed to get a table last minute. I guess I had a few concerns about this place – as most places we have to book way in advance to get a table – so why was it so easy to get a table at The Greenhouse.

We arrived in good time at the restaurant and entering the place was really lovely. I could totally see why the restaurant has got the name ‘The Greenhouse’ as we were walking through a beautiful garden and it was a bit like entering a greenhouse in the garden. We got taken to a nice round table with a view to the garden in a lovely spacious restaurant and straight away felt very welcome.

All 4 of us went for the 10 courses Discovery menu + added the additional cheese board – so we were in for a lot of food. To get us started the restaurant served 3 lovely presented tasters from the kitchen, where again you could related to the ‘The Greenhouse’ name as they had a lot of fresh green vegetables in them – very tasty. The highlight for me was without doubt dish no. 2 – the Orkney Scallop – I can honestly say that this was one of the best scallops I have tasted in my life. It completely melted in your mouth and the taste combination with the avocado, ponzu, seaweed and rice it got served with – it was honestly a true delight. The other highlight was the additional cheeseboard we added. There was a fantastic selection on the cheese trolley and we were all able to choose 4 of our favourite cheeses. The only thing I didn’t really enjoy was the Foie Gras – as it was served warm. I normally love Foie Gras but for me it has to be the cold version – but except for that the whole menu was overall very enjoyable.

The other thing that made this a really nice evening was the service and the whole interaction we had with our waiters. Were able to have a real laugh with our main waiter – who turned out to be really funny. The atmosphere was so great that for the first time we all 4 went for the kitchen tour – where we again were made really welcome and continued to have a laugh with the Executive chef and the kitchen staff as well.

In the end of the night we got treated with some extra chocolate and cheese cake and when we left the restaurant Ingrid and I got a bag with some nice cakes – but at that point I also think we were too full to fit any more food in our stomachs.

If I had concerns before the dinner – I can honestly say that they were completely gone when we left the restaurant. Now I think we were just lucky to get a table last minute and without doubt this was a true 2 Michelin star experience where all 4 of us had a very nice evening.

Link to the restaurant….



Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, visited 23/04-2016

3 Michelin Stars, Modern French Posted by Annette JorgensenPosted on Mon, May 23, 2016 20:36:16

smileysmileysmiley

The 4th choice by Annette was restaurant Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. It was nearly 3 years since we last went to a restaurant with 3 Michelin stars – so thought it was time to add the 3rd one of these to our list. Also the restaurant was extremely helpful with the booking process – since I was travelling in Africa when the tables got released – but we managed to handle it all over email – so I didn’t miss out despite being away.

We started at The Bar at The Dorchester and for once we were really early so had good time to enjoy a few nice cocktails before dinner. When we were ready we got taken with the remain of our drinks to the restaurant where the first impression was that this was both elegant and spacious.

Tonight we had the choice between the Tasting menu or to choose 3 or 4 courses from the A la Carte menu. Here I think you see the difference between a restaurant with 3 Michelin stars and the ones with 2 or less – because the restaurant was totally flexible. We did not have to pick the same and if we wanted to change anything on the Tasting menu that was possible as well. Ingrid and I therefore went for the Tasting menu but both of us changed the fruity dessert with something more for the sweet tooth. The guys decided to do 4 courses from the A la Carte menu + the cheese dish.

The Sommelier helped us to pick some good wines and I got persuaded to try a French white, which actually grew on me and an Austrian red, which I found really interesting. Not sure I have ever tried an Austrian red before.

Before getting any of our food – they came out with a big bowl of some small delicious bread rolls. They were actually so good that we could not stop eating them – so the only minus was that we felt slightly full even before starting the dinner. However the dinner was really nice and I actually enjoyed most of the courses except that for the lobster dish both Ingrid and I thought the pasta was slightly under-cooked. I have no doubt it was cooked to perfection – but we liked it slightly softer – so told the head waiter and he got the chef to over-cook the pasta for us – the way we liked it :-).

Both Ingrid and Carlos got the BABA for dessert and when I saw they brought in the Rum tray and asked them to smell all the rums to decide which one they wanted for the BABA – I did get slightly jealous. However when I pointed out to the Head waiter that I would have loved one of the rums as a shot for my dessert – he of course sorted that our immediately without any extra charge – so a very nice touch.

For the first time Ingrid joined Carlos and I for the kitchen tour and we all 3 enjoyed meeting the team and get to talk to the Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet. He of course knew we were the ones who sent his pasta out – but he did laugh and was still treating us nicely :-).

In the end of the night we got treated to both chocolates and macaroons but we were so full at that point that we got them to wrap most of it up for us. When we left the restaurant they also treated the ladies to a small box with some nice Chamonix cakes – so definitely has something for the sweet tooth the following day as well.

It was the most expensive bill so far – but for me the service really stood out and I think we all had a really good night. I have only got one minus, which have been the same for all the Michelin restaurants in the big hotels, and that is the toilets. First of all they are far away from the restaurant – but also you share them with all the other guests in the hotel – so slightly disappointing. Otherwise I was very pleased with my choice.

Link to the restaurant…



Pollen Street Social, visited 12/12-2015

1 Michelin Star, Modern British Posted by Annette JorgensenPosted on Sat, March 05, 2016 17:31:19

smileysmiley

The 4th choice by Ingrid was the 1 Michelin star restaurant Pollen Street Social and for the first time we got to go out in the nice Christmas month of  December.

Unfortunately that also meant that the traffic into London was quite bad so Ingrid, Manual and Carlos just arrived before our booking time and had to rush a bit with a cocktail before dinner whereas I had proper time to enjoy mine. However the cocktails were really nice but the bar area right by the entrance was quite small and with a lot of activity around us – so not that relaxed and we were pleased when taken to the table.

We got seated at a square table in the middle of the restaurant which was quite nice and the restaurant was also lovely decorated for Christmas so had a nice atmosphere. There was also a chair for the ladies bags – which we loved.

The first impression of the Sommelier we got introduced to was really bad. He seemed scared of actually making some suggestions for us and more or less left it to ourselves to pick the wines, which we were not impressed by. The white wine we chose was fine but when we got to the red – we had to send it out since it was not to our taste at all and for me it tasted like it was corked. At that point the Head Sommelier – a lovely Polish girl – came to our table and offered to take care of us for the rest of the evening. She showed a completely difference experience with the wines and with her enthusiasm we trusted her completely – so she managed to change a bad start to a really great wine experience.

We all 4 went for the 5 courses Tasting menu since the additional dishes on the bigger menu didn’t really appeal to us. However as always we added the additional cheese board, which turned out to be a great decision – since the cheese choices were really impressive. Overall the food was nice and we also got some nice tasters both before and after dinner but of all the dishes I think the cheese board stood out the most – so nothing exceptional about the other dishes.

In the end of the evening Carlos and I did our usual kitchen tour, where we got to see quite an impressive kitchen and speak to the Head chef while he was still preparing food – so a really nice touch.

Based on that we changed the Sommelier after the white wine and got the Head Sommelier to sort out all the remaining wines for us – we had really no idea how much the bill was going to be at the end but got such a lovely surprise. Ended up that we only paid for the 1st white wine, which we drank before the Head Sommelier took over. Everything else she served us was on the house – since she didn’t want us to leave with a bad experience. A really lovely touch and definitely the one thing that stood out and that we would never forget – so finished the evening on a high. Also meant that we jumped straight in a taxi and continued the night at The Churchill Bar (that we got to know last time) with some great whiskies and cigars.

Link to the restaurant…



Texture, visited 12/09-2015

1 Michelin Star, Modern French/Nordic Posted by Annette JorgensenPosted on Sat, December 12, 2015 14:36:07

smiley
The 3rd choice by Manual was the 1 Michelin star restaurant Texture. An interesting choice where we for the first time tried a Nordic chef.

We started the evening in the front of the restaurant where they have a nice bar area. I was there slightly early and the waiter immediately came and offered me a glass of champagne. I nearly asked him whether he previously worked for Marcus Wareing :-), where they are also very quick to offer you champagne. However based on what we got charged at Marcus for the champagne – I kindly said no and asked for the cocktail menu instead.

We enjoyed a few nice cocktails before getting seated in the restaurant where we unfortunately didn’t get a great table. We were kind of squeezed into the corner – so it was not easy for the waiters to serve every person properly and we could definitely have done with some more space around us.

We all 4 went for the 7 courses Tasting menu and added the additional cheese board to that. For the first time ever we also tried the menu with the matching Prestige Wine paring. The most outstanding dish for me was the Warm Smoked Eel, which I absolutely loved. However being Scandinavian myself – eel has always been one of my favorite dishes and this one was just perfect. It was probably also the most Scandinavian inspired dish. However turned out that the wine matching was a mistake. Did not feel like we had enough wine for each dish and had to order extra to not sit with empty glasses all the time. However at least we now know and won’t do that again.

In the end of the evening Carlos and I did our usual kitchen tour, which was quite quick but still interesting to see.

The restaurant finished the evening with serving us cakes, macarons, chocolates and coffees on the house and the ladies got a small box with Icelandic Lava Salt when we left the restaurant. A nice touch and finish to the evening and despite a few hick-ups we still all enjoyed the experience very much. However the best part was when the waiter in the end recommend the perfect cigar place, which turned out to be just opposite the road. We therefore all continued the night at The Churchill Bar with some great whiskies and cigars.

Link to the restaurant…



THE SQUARE, visited 25/04/2015

2 Michelin Stars, Modern French Posted by CarlosPosted on Wed, September 09, 2015 15:04:20

smileysmileysmileysmiley

We arrived at The Square following early drinks at the excellent Mr Fogg’s down the road – so our arrival was more on time than early on this occasion. We were shown to a nice, large table in the centre of the restaurant but somehow the early minutes felt a little strained and not very relaxed. Once our main waiter took over, the mood improved and we were able to fully enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of The Square.

All of the wines were chosen with the help of the Sommelier. I thought the first was excellent but it was clearly not to Annette’s taste and the Sommelier immediately disappeared returning with an alternative that was more to her taste – a nice touch.

We all chose the tasting menu ad it wasn’t long before we sampled some very nice canapés and the first course arrived.

The first Tomato dish was excellent for something so simple, though not quite as good as the one at The Ledbury. The eel dish was not a dish I was looking forward to but I was pleasantly surprised. The dish had a huge amount of flavour and not at all what I expected. I would have certainly had seconds. The same could be said and was said about the crab lasagne. This was a really nice dish and one of my all time favourites. Annette mentioned to the waiter that this was excellent but too small for something so nice. The waiter disappeared and returned with a second helping for all of us, another great touch. It was just as good the second time around. Next was the Foie Gras. I found this a really nice tasting dish but had a texture that I did not enjoy, almost ‘fatty’. Then came the main which was Lamb. I thought this was one of the better mains I have had and was as tasty and tender as you would expect.

Annette and I now went for our kitchen tour. I am always impressed by how organised and small these kitchens are. The chef showed us around with great enthusiasm and was obviously very proud of what they were doing.

Then dessert, The pick for me was the Textures of Mango which was delicious!

I have wanted to go to this restaurant for a while and it really did not disappoint. In fact it was head and shoulders above some far more well known restaurants. The food was great and matched by the ambiance and  the relaxed but professional staff. This is the favourite of my choices so far.

Link to restaurant



DINNER by heston blumenthal, visited 10/01-2015

2 Michelin Stars, British Posted by Annette JorgensenPosted on Wed, February 18, 2015 16:46:14

smiley
The 3rd choice by Annette in the Michelin Club was the 2 Star Michelin restaurant DINNER by heston blumenthal – since I really wanted to see what Mr Blumenthal is all about even though I am well aware that this is a very different restaurant to the Fat Duck.

DINNER is part of the exclusive Mandarin Oriental Hotel and we therefore started the evening at the next door Mandarin Bar, where we had some very nice cocktails. Got a bit surprised when we realized in the end of the evening that we had paid more for a normal Gin & Tonic than any of the cocktails (which were not cheap either) but except for that it was a nice start to the evening. Waited a little bit to get picked up for our table – but were pleased with the location we got in the restaurant and the spacious round table, which made the evening comfortable.

For the first time in ages we got to pick the food from a A La Carte menu, so that was nice for a change but of course made the choice a bit more difficult. The menu was quite interesting in the way that all dishes were related to a specific century and there was an explanation to the sources of origin at the back of the menu. One of their signature dishes is the ‘Meat Fruit’ starter, which both Carlos and I went for and which was a true delight. Beautiful served like a mandarin with a delicious chicken liver & foie gras parfait. Unfortunately Ingrid was less lucky with her ‘Hay Smoked Mackerel’, which was not to her taste palette at all. In fairness to the restaurant we didn’t pay for the Mackerel in the end – so thought that was reasonable managed by them. We all had 4 different main courses, which were all nice but nothing outstanding. For dessert we probably made the mistake of not going for their other signature dish the ‘Tipsy Cake’, which was highly recommended by the waiter, but had to be ordered from the beginning because of the long preparation time, which put us off a bit. Again the cheese board and our desserts were nice – but we were missing the same WOW factor, which we got from the ‘Meat Fruit’ starter.

The service was nice and discrete but was missing the final attention to details, which we have found at other 2 star Michelin restaurants.

Carlos and I also had the usual kitchen tour, which we got before the desserts were served and therefore still saw the kitchen in full action. Here we got a proper explanation about their signature dishes and how they were made and also got to know about the different functions in the kitchen. Even though the kitchen is fully visible through a glass wall from the restaurant – we both still found the kitchen tour really interesting.

Overall everyone had a really nice evening and the atmosphere in the restaurant was nice and exclusive.

Link to the restaurant..



L’Ortolan, visited 10/05-2014

1 Michelin Star, French Posted by Annette JorgensenPosted on Wed, February 18, 2015 15:36:47

smiley
The 3rd choice by Ingrid in the Michelin Club ended up with the 1 Star Michelin restaurant L’Ortolan in Reading since Ingrid’s 1st choice was not available.

Was the first time we went to a 1 star Michelin restaurant so was quite  curious to see whether the standard would be a lot lower than we are used to. The first impression was really great since the restaurant is based in some beautiful surroundings in the country side. They also have a lovely bar area where we started the evening with some nice drinks and where they furthermore served us some different tasters to get us ready for  dinner.

The food choice was easy since they offer the option of a Surprise menu, which we all thought was great and a bit exciting not knowing what you are going to eat. Ended up we got 10 courses each and only one of them really failed – since for the first time we got a course that none of us liked (something with goat cheese and beetroot). However as soon as we mentioned it to our waiter – they were very quick to replace the course with something different – so no complain here really the service was excellent. The highlight for me of the 10 courses were really the desserts – they were just beautifully served and tasted all really delicious.

We also had a really great Sommelier, who had a huge knowledge of the wines and gave us some excellent suggestions matching for us the unknown courses. Annette and Carl furthermore did the usual kitchen tour where we met the excellent staff behind the scene and got a chance to compliment their work.

To be honest this restaurant has only got 1 Michelin star but in many ways it easily lives up to several of the 2 Michelin stars restaurants we have visited previously. Ended up being an excellent evening enjoyed by all of us, which started and finished in the lovely bar area.

Link to the restaurant…



Sketch London – The Lecture Room & Library, visited 18/01-2014

2 Michelin Stars, Modern European Posted by ManuelPosted on Thu, May 08, 2014 11:02:38

smileysmiley

For the 2nd choice from myself Manuel I wanted to head back to the big smoke and into London again. I wanted an great experience coupled with great food so this time I chose the two Michelin Starred restaurant Sketch – The Lecture Room.

The Sketch building is broken into different bars and restaurants. We were greeted by the doorman who was suited and wearing a bowler hat. A very traditional approach for London. It was a nice touch and something which I did not expect. As we arrived early we thought we’d grab a cocktail in the East Bar and hang out with the cool kids of London . I would recommend getting a drink here and also go to the toilet here as it is an experience to say the least.

From the East Bar we went up a flight of stairs. Two majestic doors were opened to present us to the Lecture Room. I’m not one who is a man for the arts but the room was very impressive and had a feeling of Grandeur about it.

We all went for the Tasting Menu which consisted of 6 courses. I have an allergy to fish so I substituted two of the fish dishes for the vegetarian options. To my surprise I was able to chose whatever vegetarian dish I wanted from the menu. Usually I just get given what the chef recommends so this was an added bonus.

Service was good although we could tell our waiter was a little inexperienced. His confidence grew within the service which made us feel more comfortable. The sommelier was very friendly and knowledgeable. As such we had wines from around the world which included wines from Turkey and the UK. Annette has a dislike of wines from France for some reason however the sommelier was even able to recommend a dessert wine from France to her which was was great. I never thought I’d see Annette drink a French wine so this is one for the record books.

Food was good if not spectacular. Key highlights were the lobster and the Venison. The highlight for me was the desserts. I have a sweet tooth so to see not just one or two desserts but 6 mini desserts was amazing.

The staff at Sketch Lecture Room and Library were nice and not too formal. The food was good and it does deserve the two Michelin stars. Where Sketch stands out from other Michelin starred restaurants for me is the building. What a beautiful location and you can see that a lot of effort has been put into making the venue look unique and you forget that you are in London and seem transported to another place and time when in the Lecture Room

Overall a good evening was had by all.

Link to the restaurant…



« PreviousNext »