Where have you eaten out lately?

[smalex]

I keep meaning to go to an Ottolenghi place so I'll remember to avoid that!

We had dinner at Field, in Prague (why yes, recommendations in the Czech republic are so useful Smal). It was very nice, we enjoyed the food. Though once again the interior was like an art gallery and featured odd parts of farm machinery sticking out of the wall. It's becoming a bug bear of mine that fancy places are so often oddly austere.

[Ella]

Nopi is really nice, I think. Not too formal but just lovely food.

I know what you mean about the austere thing.

[emma_p]

I love Nopi and the original restaurant in Islington too - I was in there briefly today but only shopping, not dining :cry:

I bought some of their rum butter glazed gingerbread tiles and they are amazing

[emma_p]

Sad about Rovi - it was on my list.

[Ella]

I know it was :)).

[Kenickie]

I went for my birthday last year and it was brilliant (MH).

I love the sound of both of the other ones.

[Pippedydeadeye]

We went to a local Michelin started restaurant for lunch. We had the set menu, both of us chose smoked sea trout to start.

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MrMcLip had Cornish hake with barley risotto and a seafood bisque.

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I had Gloucester old spot pork with “hen of the woods” mushrooms and parsnips.

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[Pippedydeadeye]

Then I had a cheese board, with Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Battlefield Blue from Bosworth and another cheese I forget the name of but it was soft and lemony-truffly. It was served with amazing homemade crackers and a fabulous platter of fruit and nuts.

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Then we both had rhubarb and vanilla and pistachio for dessert. The sorbet was so sharp and delicious.

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The homemade breads and butter were incredible. We had two lots. Then there was coffee in the lounge with a sea buckthorn marshmallow (slightly upsetting) and a dark rum truffle.

Easily the best meal I’ve had this year.

[Pippedydeadeye]

The menu was a slight variation on this. http://www.johnshouse.co.uk/menu/lunch/

[emma_p]

Oh that looks lovely, Pip! Very pretty and delicate looking (apart from the CHEESE!)

I must post my pics of Rovi. I had one of the nice waiters (sorry Ella).

[Pippedydeadeye]

The other cheese was the one on the bottom right of the tray there.

[Mountain Goat]

That looks wonderful Pip.

I forgot about this thread but I had a bloody fantastic meal at The Ninth (Jun Tanaka) just before Christmas. It was cosy and all game and truffles. We got lots of dishes but among the best was the orecchiette with black truffle and egg yolk - you think you know what that's going to taste like and you're sort of right, but multiply it up by about a million. We both immediately swore to come back and just have a large plate of it each (we had a small to share). But then we had salt crusted roe deer with plum and hazelnuts and bugger me.

Also went to Hide (ground) which was really good but I think both of us (I went with the same person, and it was only a week or so later) were still too love with The Ninth. I will hugely recommend Hide Below, the basement bar, which was fabulous with amazing cocktails and food and service - it was Jan 2 and London was gorgeous and empty so I don't know how another night might compare, but we went back down there after dinner to have our cheese course - truffled brillat savarin on toast, which I ate with a whiskey with brown butter and PX. That was my happiest New Year moment, it was perfect. Then I walked back to Charing Cross in an empty, pretty, Christmas light twinkly London that looked like a filmset. I am making going out on Jan 2 (and having a quiet new year) a thing now, it's bloody marvellous.

[Mountain Goat]

That pasta looks good.

The wine wasn’t Pheasant Tears, was it, Goat? Something like that?

Weird: when you originally said this it didn't mean anything to me, but I'm planning our holiday to Georgia and intending to go the Pheasant Tears vineyard/restaurant. The post just caught my eye again now. :goat:

[Ella]

It’s quite the memorable name! I can’t remember what I think of the wine now. I think it was nice as orange wine goes (which... you know).

[Mountain Goat]

I LOVE orange wine. Good job really, I'm going to be drinking an awful lot of it. :lol:

[nineseven]

.

Also went to Hide (ground) which was really good but I think both of us (I went with the same person, and it was only a week or so later) were still too love with The Ninth. I will hugely recommend Hide Below, the basement bar

I loved it here too (ground and bar). I have a friend who had the tasting menu upstairs but didn't rate it as much. Did you have the chargrilled octopus?

[Mountain Goat]

Yes! We both did. :)) Clearly that's the dish to have.

[nineseven]

It was amazing

[Mountain Goat]

It really was. Did you easily get into Hide Below on a normal day or did you make reservations?

[nineseven]

I was there with the PR :))