Sofia's Italian Restaurant (Brighton)

Sofia's Italian Restaurant (Brighton)

Sofia's Italian Restaurant, 24 Ship Street, Brighton, rather let themselves down last night.

They had run out of brandy, aside from this failure in restocking depriving me of my post meal quaffing it also buggered up my main course.

They failed to point out that my steak (allegedly cooked in a brandy and cream sauce) would be bereft of one of the key ingredients (ie the brandy).

Unsurprisingly the sauce was bland, the reason becoming clear only after I passed comment on it.

Why didn't someone just go out and buy another bottle?

Bodega D Tapa

Restaurant

Bodega D Tapa
111 Church Street
Brighton

Phone 01273 674 116

Overview

Eva, myself and a friend dined at Bodega D Tapa last night, a regular haunt of ours when we have a hankering for some good quality Tapas.

Bodega D Tapa is a small wine-cum-grocery store and Tapas bar, which seats (at a guess) about 15 people inside and another 15 or so outside in the courtyard.

Ambience

Bodega D Tapa is intimate and rustic, small wooden tables and wobbly wooden benches add to its charm.

Given the size of the place you will be hard pressed to find a table on a busy Friday or Saturday. However, an option that we use is to pop in and ask for one to be kept for us in say 30 minutes, whilst we have a drink in the Waggon and Horses next door.

Menu

The menu offers a variety of Tapas including; pate, Spanish omelette, anchovies on bread, chorizo, chorizo casserole, a selection of Iberian meats (served on a wooden paddle) and fabada.

Service

The service is always enthusiastic and friendly. One person looks after the entire operation wrt service of food and drink, in a relaxed yet professional manner.

Food

We took a large number of dishes to share, which were all delightful. My particular favourites being the omelette and the fabada.

The meal, which included two bottles of wine and brandy coffees came in at well under £40.

Overall Opinion

A splendid establishment, which we are happy to frequent on a regular basis.

Taste of London

Taste of London

The Taste of London in Regent's Park, which ran from 19-22 June, has been a success.

Regent's Park was smothered in celebrity chefs, restaurateurs and foodies for the fifth festival of its kind.

The festival was a chance for foodies to sample some of London's top restaurants' signature dishes; including creamed lobster and brandy soup from Le Gavroche, squid salad with coconut passion fruit dressing from Benares, seven-hour braised lamb shoulder and mash from Tom’s Kitchen, and lemon tart from Rhodes Twenty-Four.

Guests also were given the chance to meet their favourite chefs in the Waterstone's book signing lounge, where authors such as Tana Ramsay and Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall gave Q&A sessions.

Even the weather was just about reasonable for the event!

Restaurant

Galicia
269 High St
Croydon

Phone:- 0208 686 0043

Overview

It was one of the hotter evenings of the year (31 degrees), and an old chum of mine from university was paying a social call.

Duly fortified with Pimms; we strolled into central Croydon for a meal at Galicia, a Spanish restaurant.

Ambience

Galicia is a large, bright, cheerful and lively tapas bar and family friendly Spanish restaurant; it is always busy.

The walls and floors are tiled, giving it an unfussy appearance; but the tiles reflect, rather than absorb, sound making it seem quite noisy. Particularly welcome on a hot day is the air conditioning; set, I am pleased to say, at a sensible level (ie not New York arctic!).

The tapas bar accommodates a large number of people on the neatly arranged wooden tables and chairs. The restaurant is equally spacious, with the tables being laid with white and blue linen.

Menu

Galicia offers an excellent selection of dishes and tapas including; fabada, king prawns, kidneys in cream, veal, paella and Dover sole.

Service

The restaurant is “stuffed to the gunnels” with staff, it gets very busy and so do the staff. All of whom are friendly, cheerful and efficient. We had not booked, but a table in the restaurant was quickly set up for us without any fuss.

Food

I chose the fabada (beans, Chorizo and pork) for my starter. Piquant and tasty, a fine way to start the meal.

I had the chicken breast in a cream and mushroom sauce for my main course. The chicken was succulent, and was complemented by the sauce; which did not overpower it.

David kicked off with a very generous portion of prawns, served with a fan tailed cut avocado and salad.

He chose the lamb cutlets for his main course; these were plump and succulent, and were served with a sauce boat of creamy garlic sauce.

Our main courses were accompanied by a very generous silver platter of sauté potatoes, battered courgettes and haricot vert.

The meal, which included; cocktails, a bottle of Chardonnay and brandy, came to £60 including service.

Overall Opinion

A great place to go for good food, a lively atmosphere and value for money.

Restaurant

L’Autre
5B Shepherd Street
Mayfair
London

Phone:- 0207 499 4680

Overview

Eva and I spent the other evening strolling around Shepherds’ Market, and came across L’Autre. Despite the French sounding name, this restaurant, come bistro, serves a combination of Polish and Mexican dishes.

Ambience

The bistro is romantic, cosy and intimate. The main part is situated on the ground floor, and is not much larger than a reception room of a domestic house. There are also tables outside and a dining area downstairs.

The décor is “bistro kitsch”, with a wooden floor and wooden beams decorated with knickknacks and stuffed toy animals (some of which are wearing sombreros). The tables are situated close together, and there is a bar (space prevents you sitting around it) at one end of the room.

The management have a rather unusual policy with regard to single diners, which we witnessed first hand, they don’t allow them. The rationale being that the single diner may intrude on the intimacy of couples.

Menu

The menu offers a good selection of Polish dishes including; Borstch, pate, dumplings and stuffed cabbage. The Mexican selection is a little more limited, concentrating mainly on a variety of burritos.

The bar has a selection of chilled vodkas, including Goldwasser which contains flecks of gold leaf.

Service

The service is pleasant and efficient.

Food

I chose the charcuterie for my starter. This consisted of a very generous selection of sliced smoked meats (sausage, chicken and ham); served with salad, horseradish and dark rye bread. The combination of meat tasted superb, I was very impressed.

I chose the Golonka for my main course. This was a large boiled ham hock, served with a good sized portion of mashed potatoes, red cabbage and sauerkraut. The meat, which was tender and succulent, was cooked to perfection; literally falling off the bone. The potatoes were excellent, and had been flavoured with a little cheese. This was a most hearty dish, make sure you have a hearty appetite to do it justice.

Eva chose the fish blini for her starter. This was really special, resembling a large pasty, it was stuffed with prawns, crab and trout. It was served with roe, and a sour cream sauce. I am not a great fish fan myself, but tasted it and was very impressed with the quality and combination of flavours. Eva was delighted.

She chose the Pozarski for her main course. This was minced veal, flavoured with dill and other herbs, shaped into a cutlet. The meat was creamy and succulent, and had a very special flavour of dill. It tasted superb. The dish was served with a mushroom and cream sauce, and was accompanied by boiled potatoes, carrots and French beans.

The bill, which included; a bottle of Chardonnay, an Irish coffee and brandy, came to £59 including service.

Overall Opinion

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and will definitely go back there again; making sure that we have starved for a day beforehand!

Restaurant

The Old Bell
High Street
Old Oxted
Surrey

Phone:- 01883 712181

Website www.theoldbell-oxted.co.uk

Overview

It was a sunny, hot Saturday; and so Eva and I decided to take a trip out of town to Old Oxted, a village, only 20 minutes train ride away from Croydon.

I haven’t been to Oxted since my childhood, so we took pot luck with regard to our dining needs. Having visited a couple of hostelries, we were delighted to stumble across The Old Bell; a 15th century pub that serves traditional and modern English cuisine.

Ambience

The pub is a traditional timber framed building dating back to the 15th century. Low ceilings with timber beams and columns are decorated with the usual knickknacks (hops, horse brasses, photos etc) accumulated over the centuries of use.

The restaurant and bar meld into one, so you can combine a trip to the pub with a meal (every Englishman’s dream!).

The menus are on chalkboards dotted around the walls.

There is a smoking and non smoking area, plus a garden. We were offered a choice of tables, and took one by the window.

The chairs were old fashioned highback “cottage” style, and were exceptionally comfortable.

Menu

The menu offers a staggering array of dishes including; pate, smoked salmon parcels, baked goat’s cheese, pies, fish, spinach and Roquefort tart, steaks, ham and eggs and vegetarian dishes.

I would venture one small suggestion; whilst the use of chalkboards is fine for specials, we found it to be a little inconvenient placing the entire menu on it. I would suggest that the “standard dishes” are detailed on menus (even if only photocopies) placed on the tables.

Service

We were promptly and warmly greeted by one of the staff when we arrived, and were shown to a table. Once seated, the ordering system was explained to us.

You choose from the menus on the walls, then place your order at the bar; quoting the number attached to the candle stick on your table.

After that the service is as in any other restaurant; ie further orders for drinks, wine, desserts etc can be placed with a member of staff. All of whom we found to be cheerful and efficient.

Food

I chose the warm chicken liver and bacon salad as a starter. This was very good, there was a generous portion of both liver and bacon tossed with a green salad and croutons. The liver was not overcooked, and was complemented by the bacon.

I chose the mixed grill for my main course, with a couple of fried eggs as an extra. The grill included; a lamb’s kidney, calves liver, a double lamb loin chop, a good sized portion of steak, a sausage and a slice of gammon. This was served with home-made chips.

The grill was professionally cooked, not burnt or dry. The meat was of good quality, although parts of the steak were a little chewy. A hearty meal for a hearty appetite!

Eva started with the smoked salmon parcel stuffed with crab. This was served with cherry tomatoes and beetroot. It was a good sized portion, the chef had not stinted on the crab stuffing. The combination of flavours was first class, and made an ideal starter.

Eva chose breaded pork with apple squares in a sage sauce for her main course. The combination of flavours was mouth-watering. The sauce was very “sagey” and was complemented by the flavour, and texture, of the cooked apple cubes; which in turn enhanced the flavour of the lean, tender pieces of pork in breadcrumbs. The pork had been cooked to a golden brown colour.

The dish came with new potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and courgettes; all cooked to perfection.

The bill, which included; a bottle of Chablis, two Irish coffees and brandy, came to £60 before service.

Overall Opinion

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and feel that it was exceptionally good value. Well worth a trip to Old Oxted. I recommend that you do the same.

Restaurant

King’s Restaurant
The De Vere Grand Hotel
Kings Road
Brighton

Phone:- 01273 224300

Overview

We celebrated Eva’s birthday in King’s, which serves a variety of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes in opulent surroundings; evocative of the Victorian era.

Ambience

As noted, the décor of King’s is evocative of the past glories of the Victorian era. Two silver carving trolleys mount guard to the entrance, which leads into the spacious dining room and sea front veranda. The dining room is resplendent with marble columns and dark wooden panels. The tables are laid with crisp white linen and silver cutlery.

We were given a veranda table, which afforded us a splendid view of the sea.

However, it was sad to see that were only a few other diners in the restaurant. In my opinion, a place such as this would benefit from being busier. The lack of customers also negates the restaurant’s ability to serve roast meats on their splendid carving trolleys; there is after all no point in roasting a joint if you only have a few customers. A point that was readily accepted by one of our waiters.

Menu

The menu offers a variety of dishes including roast lamb, Dover sole, chateau briande, lobster (Friday and Saturday only) and breast of chicken stuffed with cous cous.

Service

The staff were very professional, and the service polite and attentive.

Food

I started with the smoked salmon which came with a twist of lemon and sprig of dill; no brown bread oddly enough. However, it was fine way to start the meal.

I chose the roasted half English duck, in orange and liqueur sauce, for my main course. I am pleased to say that it was well cooked (unlike some establishments who offer you a carcass dripping in blood). The meat was succulent and tender, the sauce was a well balanced combination of liqueur and oranges.

The meal was accompanied by sauté potatoes and cauliflower au gratin. The latter, to my view, was undercooked; and on raising this with the waiter I as offered a replacement or no charge. I opted for the latter.

I finished my meal with a selection of cheese and biscuits, the latter being served from a magnificent silver serving bucket.

Eva started with asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. The asparagus was tender and not stringy. However, Eva noted that the hollandaise had started to curdle.

She chose pork fillet with sliced apples in a green pepper sauce, accompanied by thyme and red cabbage. The meat was tender, and the accompaniments were an innovative and welcome change to the more traditional apple sauce

Eva opted for herb buttered new potatoes as a side dish, these were cooked to perfection.

The overall bill which included; champagne cocktails, a bottle of Chardonnay, brandy and Irish coffee came to £122 before service.

Overall Opinion

We enjoyed the evening, and rate this as a good quality restaurant. However, I would suggest that the prices are more akin to central London rather than to Brighton. This may account for the lack of customers, which to my view negatively impacts the restaurant’s atmosphere.

Restaurant

Donatello
1 Brighton Place
The Lanes
Brighton

Phone:- 01273 775477

Website www.donatello.co.uk

Overview

Eva and I spent a couple of days in Brighton; and, feeling in the mood for Italian, dropped into Donatello one evening.

Ambience

Donatello is a large restaurant and offers; a smoking area, a non smoking area, a large bar, upstairs function rooms and outside seating for those that feel brave enough to face the uncertainty of the British weather.

The restaurant is bright and cheerful; some of the walls are painted red, others green and at the far end of the smoking area you can admire your reflection in the wall sized mirror. The stairway up to the function rooms is adorned with photos of celebrities, including Tony Blair, who have dined in the restaurant.

Menu

The menu offers a good range of Italian dishes including a variety of; pasta, pizzas, fish, steaks and veal.

Service

The service is very attentive, friendly and efficient. Although the restaurant is large, and was busy when we were there, there was a large enough complement of staff on duty to ensure that that customers’ needs were efficiently attended to.

Food

I started with the lasagne, which was rich and creamy. The sauce was a well balanced blend of tomatoes and cheese, which did not overpower the meat and spinach filled pasta.

I chose steak, in a green pepper sauce, for my main course. This was first class. The sirloin was cooked rare, as requested, and was exceptionally succulent and tender. The piquant sauce complemented the meat, and did not overpower it. The dish was served with a good sized portion of fries, carrots and courgettes. I was very happy with my choice.

Eva opted for pizza, and chose one with a topping that included; Chorizo, artichokes, prawns and peppers. It had been freshly prepared, and the dough had a light not “claggy” texture. She enjoyed it, but felt that it would have benefited from a more generous tomato and cheese base.

The total bill, which included; pre dinner drinks a bottle of Pinot Grigio, brandy and Irish coffee, came to £61 including service.

Overall Opinion

We enjoyed our meal, and will be pleased to visit again when we have the opportunity.

Restaurant

Andalucia
Döbelnsgatan 79
Stockholm
Sweden

Phone:- 08 15 6660

Website www.andalucia.se

Overview

Eva and I went to Andalucia, a Spanish restaurant in Stockholm, for Valentine’s day.

Ambience

Andalucia is a warm, friendly family run restaurant. It has brick faced interior walls and a polished wooden floor; which gives a Spanish feel to the restaurant, no mean feat given the heavy snowfall on the streets outside.

Menu

The menu has a large variety of dishes. Traditional tapas, such as fried goats cheese and stuffed artichoke. Appetisers, such as Spanish air dried ham, sizzled king prawns and main courses such as chicken in honey and paella.

Service

The service was friendly and very prompt. The owner took the time to talk to the diners during the evening; making them feel welcome.

Indeed, when one of the other diners (for reasons that escaped me) threw a wine glass across the room hitting another diner, then running out of the restaurant and down the street; the staff were very calm. They arranged some first aid for the hapless victim, and ensured that the police who arrived a few minutes later were properly briefed. Splendid entertainment! I don’t think that happens every night.

Food

I started with the Spanish potato omelette, which was a nice size and an ideal starter.

I chose the tournedos steak in brandy and rose pepper sauce for my main course. I was very pleased with this, the meat was very tender and cooked rare as requested. The sauce was very piquant and flavoursome. The dish was accompanied by a large bowl of potatoes gratin.

Eva had three different tapas dishes for her meal; paella with prawns, scallops in white wine and skewered chicken with chipped potatoes. She enjoyed all three. However, the chipped potatoes were a little undercooked.

We finished with brandy and coffee.

The meal, which included a bottle of Chardonnay, came to around 1500SEK.

Overall Opinion

In my opinion, this is worth a visit if you are passing through Stockholm.

Restaurant

Chateau Napoleon
Coombe Lane
Croydon

Phone:- 0208 686 1244

Overview

Eva and I spent a very pleasant evening at The Chateau last night.

The Chateau is based in a former country house, and offers high quality continental cuisine in a resplendent oak panelled room; set against the background of Coombe Wood Gardens.

Ambience

The Chateau, in addition to the main dining room, has a separate bar with ample seating and private dining rooms. As it is set in a former country house the rooms are decorated with oak panelling, red velvet seating and a cosy inglenook fireplace in the bar.

Diners are offered their menus in the bar from where the orders are taken. This ensures that you are only taken to your table in the dining room when all is ready.

The restaurant was packed, and you are advised to book.

Menu

The restaurant offers a set menu, a la carte and specials listed on a blackboard. The dishes include lobster with linguine, lobster thermidor, duck breast, smoked salmon with crab and quails eggs and a fully stocked dessert trolley.

Service

We started our evening sitting in the bar, sipping a couple of Kir Royales, whilst perusing the menus.

The service both in the bar, and dining room was friendly. However, as the dining room was full, and there was a private party, the staff were a little overstretched. As such, we were left to our own devices to pour the wine. Additionally, we had a to request a finger bowl (which should have been offered automatically) for Eva’s prawn starter, and parmesan cheese for my starter (which again should have been offered automatically).

Food

I started with the linguine with lobster. This consisted of a very generous portion of linguine in a rich creamy sauce, interspersed with chunks of lobster. I would venture to suggest that the lobster was a little rubber like in consistency.

As a main course I had fillet of steak in a red wine sauce. This was a beautifully tender fillet cooked rare, as requested, in a rich tasty red wine and mushroom sauce.

Eva started with the king prawns, in a hot butter and garlic sauce, which were spicy and succulent.

Her main course was the lamb en croute, tender and flavoursome; although the pastry was a little bland.

The main courses came with a generous medley of vegetables and roast potatoes.

Eva finished her meal with a tangy refreshing summer pudding.

We adjourned to the bar for Irish coffees and brandy.

The overall meal, which included a bottle of Chablis, four Kir Royales, several brandies and Irish coffees (I lost count!), came to £132 including 10% service; maybe a little pricey.

Overall Opinion

We like this place; but would suggest they need to attend to the small, but annoying, idiosyncrasies with respect to the finishing touches such as finger bowls etc.

Restaurant

The Polka
20a Lower Addiscombe Road
Croydon
CR0 6AA

Phone:- 0208 686 2633

Overview

The Polka was established in the eighties; but was taken over in the last few months by a new owner, Guy Ngu, who aims to enhance the traditional Polish menu by offering a fusion of Far Eastern and European dishes. It comprises a restaurant on the ground floor, and a function room on the first floor.

Eva and I have visited it on several occasions over the past few years, and more recently since Guy took over. We are pleased to note that the decline that we witnessed in the quality of the food, that was evident in the final months of the old management, has been reversed. Guy takes a “hands on” approach with the menus and quality of food selected for serving. I particularly like the website, which gives a very detailed overview of the restaurant together with pictures and menus. You can visit it on:

http://www.polkas.co.uk

Ambience

The restaurant is bijou, but not cramped, decorated with Polish artefacts and “bric a brac”. In the far left corner is a small bar which boasts an extensive array of speciality vodkas. My particular favourites being Bison grass (quite potent!) and a vodka I haven’t seen since visiting Berlin some years ago, Danzig Goldwasser (a unique vodka that contains flecks of gold leaf; which are very good for the digestion - take my word for it!).

The restaurant is cosy and welcoming; ideal for a family gathering or romantic dinner for two. I would recommend booking, as all the tables were occupied when we dined there the other evening.

Under the previous owners Eva and I often found that the restaurant was a little chilly; we were pleased to note that this problem has now been addressed, and the ambient temperature was just right.

Menu

As noted above, the restaurant offers a variety of European and Far Eastern dishes; ranging from crispy butterfly prawns, steak tartar, pork dumplings to the house speciality (smoked sausage, dumplings and stuffed cabbage).

The wine list is complemented by a lengthy vodka list (both flavoured and plain, of various strengths); I personally recommend trying a “shot” before dinner. Unfortunately, owing to the limited size of the bar fridge, only a few types are ice cold.


Service

When we arrived we were warmly greeted by Guy who showed us to our table. The service is attentive and friendly, and should you want to try a main course as a starter there is no fuss or raising of eyebrows.

Whilst ordering, a selection of bread was brought to us; one of which, a cumin flavoured rye, was particularly pleasant.

Food

I started with the pate and toast, I would say (all due apologies to the chef) that although the portion was a good size the taste was a little bland; maybe a few drops of brandy would add a little zest to this dish. My forthcoming recipe book has quite a decent recipe for pate, samples of my favourite recipes can be found on my website:

http://www.kenfrost.com

I followed on with a good sized fillet of veal cooked in breadcrumbs with, at my own request, two fried eggs on top (the technical name for this dish is Holstein Schnitzel). I am very pleased to say that the veal was tender and succulent, not overcooked and dry as some restaurants are prone to serve.

Feeling suitably replete I could not manage a dessert; but rounded off the meal with an Irish coffee, which was hot and well presented.

Eva had meat stuffed dumplings with bacon lardons for her starter; they were excellent and I highly recommend them. Eva then had the pork loin stuffed with prunes in sauce. Although the portion was generous, the meat was a little tough.

As is the tradition of the Polka, we were offered a complimentary vodka each at the end of our meal.

The overall meal, which included two vodkas as apéritifs and a good bottle of Chablis, came to a reasonable £53 before tip.

Suggestions

I present below a few, well intentioned, suggestions; which I hope are taken by the management in the spirit in which they are intended:

 Install a good sized fridge to accommodate all the vodkas. Vodka should be served ice cold, not at room temperature.

 Take up a discussion with the butcher who supplied the pork to ensure that future cuts are tender.

 Change the pate recipe.

Overall Opinion

We both agree that we enjoyed our evening, and are happy to recommend it to others.

Restaurant

Le Bien Manger
103-105 High Street
Croydon
UK

Phone:- 0208 680 7755

Overview

Le Bien Manger opened in the second half of 2002. It comprises a bar and restaurant specialising in continental cuisine.

Eva and I tried it out for the first time one Saturday evening in September 2002.

Ambience

The restaurant and bar, being newly opened, have been decorated in a modern (almost Scandinavian) style. Comfortable blue upholstered wooden chairs are complemented by blue tablecloths which suit the stylish polished wooden floors and blue and white walls.

The restaurant is very brightly lit, by halogen spot lights, both Eva and I thought that the lighting was excessively bright; more akin to the neighbouring pizza restaurant than what one would wish for on a romantic meal for two.

The restaurant has large windows facing out onto the street, and offers (as an estate agent would say) “unparalleled vistas” of the street life outside. This unfortunately being Croydon High Street on a Saturday night it is not necessarily an asset in its favour.

The restaurant and bar are well proportioned, and sufficiently well ventilated to allow people to smoke without it annoying other diners. The temperature, something which so often some restaurants seem unable/unwilling to control, was just right.

The modestly sized bar is situated in the left hand corner of the restaurant, I did not see any bar stools around it and it was not clear as to whether people can just come in for a drink.

Menu

The restaurant offers an eclectic mixture of tapas, French and pasta dishes; ranging from meatballs, mussels to pork shank. I was tempted to try selections from each, but that would have been too greedy! There’s always next time.

The wine list offered a decent selection of European and New World wines, priced on average between £14-£25.

One eccentricity, which I suggest the management address, is that there is a 70p per head charge for bread rolls. Our waitress asked if we would like some, and as these are just a normal part of the overheads in most restaurants I said yes. A small matter of quirky principle on my part, maybe, but I do not order bread rolls if they are charged for separately.



Service

When we arrived we had not booked a table, but we were shown to one instantaneously without any pretentious fuss about checking bookings.

The staff were attentive and friendly, the service prompt and accurate. We asked for a doggy bag (I being the doggy) at the end, for the remnants of Eva’s pork shank, and our waitress happily obliged.

Food

I started with a Spanish omelette from the tapas selection, this consisted of two good sized slices of a well presented tasty egg and potato omelette. I followed on with a sirloin steak (cooked rare) in pepper sauce with French fries. The steak was a decent size (I believe about 10oz) and had a good layer of fat around it, I do not like places where the fat is removed as the steak is often dry and tasteless. The steak had been properly cooked to my specification and was tender; the fat had some sinew but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the meat. I would say that the sauce was a little bland and thin. I would recommend more peppercorn, brandy and double cream (my forthcoming recipe book will contain a pepper sauce recipe). The french-fries were of good quality, and clearly superior to the fat injected muck served by the ever encroaching fast food outlets.

I rounded the meal off with crepes in Grand Marnier. The portion was generous, four crepes in a good layer of sauce. I was a little disappointed that they were not flambéed, but you can’t have everything!

Eva had the smoked salmon and capers for her starter. This was well presented, ie it was served as salmon should be “plain and simple”; a generous plate of salmon garnished with capers, lemon and a little side salad.

Eva then had the pork shank in apple sauce as a main course, with a medley of carrots cauliflower and haricot vert accompaniment. She thoroughly enjoyed it, and I must compliment the chef. This was a generous shank which had been well cooked so that the meat, which was very tender, literally fell off the bone. I must confess that I am munching on the remains, that we took home in the doggy bag, as I write this. The apple sauce was thin (not the chunky English kind that needs to be spooned from a jar) and complimented the pork. The vegetables were not overcooked, nor were they undercooked, and were well presented with a light dusting of parmesan.

The overall meal, which included two gin and tonics and a good £20 bottle of Chablis, came to a reasonable £74 before tip.

Suggestions

I present below a few, well intentioned, suggestions; which I hope are taken by the management in the spirit in which they are intended:

 Don’t charge for the bread, this only serves to annoy.

 Install wooden slatted blinds on the windows, this will serve to keep out the sights of Croydon on a Friday/Saturday night.

 Turn the lighting down, this will add a romantic ambience to the restaurant.

 Place larger, and more, candles on the tables. The small night lights placed in the elegant blue glass holders are nice, but not enough to create atmosphere.

Overall Opinion

We both agree that we will most definitely visit the restaurant again in the near future, and are happy to recommend it.