Eggman
Well-known member
Oh. I love a steak tartar. Best I have had was in a suburb of Brussels where they GROUND the meat in the main restaurant area. Fabulous.
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Restaurant 2016
- Thread starter Machiavelli
- Start date
Can you remember the restaurant name?
Eggman
Well-known member
No. But will find out for you.
Thanks. I'm heading to Brussels in the next year.
Eggman
Well-known member
Believe it was called Le Central in Jette. North of Brussels. Went about 4 years ago mind during the Brussels jazz festival. Fab place. Great staff. Always free aperitifs. Always full and buzzing. And always top top nosh IMO
Machiavelli
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #727
An immaculate conception?
Christmas shopping with Mrs Nylon in Cambridge today as it is the children's last day of term and they are at school playing Kerplunk or whatever it is primary school pupils do on the last day of school before Christmas these days.
For lunch we made our first (and last) visit to The Gourmet Burger Kitchen.I suggest they drop the word Gourmet from their name as the food and whole experience was anything but 'gourmet' - although to be fair the bill probably was.
Aside from the food - which was just a sloppy burger in a bun that looked like it had been coated with decking varnish (and tasted suspiciously similar) - it was the whole experience that won't have me rushing back anytime in this lifetime.
Like I say, it was our first visit. We were greeted at the door and shown to a table. The waitress the explained a fairly complex set of inclusions and exclusions depending on whether we were choosing from the lunchtime or the regular menu. Regardless, it all looked poor value, especially the drinks which came in at three quid for a small lemonade. So I decided to forgo a drink simply because I don't like being ripped off. Their loss - had it been something like £2-50 (still alot for a drink) I would have bought one. But not at three quid.
The best bit is that once you have chosen, you then have to go and stand at the till, state your table number and place your order and pay there and then, before you've even seen your food, never mind tried it. I accept this in a fast food type place, but not in a restaurant where I have already settled into my seat. The crazy thing is, had the woman who explained the menu had a pen and bit of paper she could have taken my order, negating the need for me weave past closely packed tables and stand in a queue by a drafty doorway to give my order to some bloke standing next to a griddle.
I reckon GBK need to decide if they are a restaurant charging a significant amount for lunch for two; or a fast-food outlet. At the moment they are a hybrid of the two and the whole experience is pretty poor and not consistent with the brand they are trying to promote in their name.
Not for me. A disappointing 1/10
For lunch we made our first (and last) visit to The Gourmet Burger Kitchen.I suggest they drop the word Gourmet from their name as the food and whole experience was anything but 'gourmet' - although to be fair the bill probably was.
Aside from the food - which was just a sloppy burger in a bun that looked like it had been coated with decking varnish (and tasted suspiciously similar) - it was the whole experience that won't have me rushing back anytime in this lifetime.
Like I say, it was our first visit. We were greeted at the door and shown to a table. The waitress the explained a fairly complex set of inclusions and exclusions depending on whether we were choosing from the lunchtime or the regular menu. Regardless, it all looked poor value, especially the drinks which came in at three quid for a small lemonade. So I decided to forgo a drink simply because I don't like being ripped off. Their loss - had it been something like £2-50 (still alot for a drink) I would have bought one. But not at three quid.
The best bit is that once you have chosen, you then have to go and stand at the till, state your table number and place your order and pay there and then, before you've even seen your food, never mind tried it. I accept this in a fast food type place, but not in a restaurant where I have already settled into my seat. The crazy thing is, had the woman who explained the menu had a pen and bit of paper she could have taken my order, negating the need for me weave past closely packed tables and stand in a queue by a drafty doorway to give my order to some bloke standing next to a griddle.
I reckon GBK need to decide if they are a restaurant charging a significant amount for lunch for two; or a fast-food outlet. At the moment they are a hybrid of the two and the whole experience is pretty poor and not consistent with the brand they are trying to promote in their name.
Not for me. A disappointing 1/10
New thing isn't it. Much like Nando's.
More to do with the clientele and less staff needed I would suggest
Agree re GBK. Next time, try Butch Annie's on Market Street. Pretty decent, but not as good as those available in Brighton (few are).
GBK = "posh" McDonalds. Nandos = "posh" KFC with spicy sauces. Never liked either and certainly wouldn't return to them. And before anyone says "food snob" I'm quite partial to a cheeky Maccy Ds or KFC every now and again, I just don't understand paying twice the money for a similar product.
That was my exact take on GBK. Like I said, never been before and didn't realise what it was all about. Now I do, I shan't be returning and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Cheers for the recommendation. We spend a far amount of time in Cambridge but eat out infrequently. Any idea what The Grain Store (I think?) is like? It looked okay, walking past and peering through the window...
The Grain & Hop Store has been owned by about three different folk in the last 5 years and has had a similar number of names. It's basically a slightly better 'Spoons. My favourite place in Cambridge at the moment is the Pint Shop - about 20 different beers on tap/cask, 50 different gins, independent, decent bar snacks (brilliant home-made scotch eggs) and a very good, reasonably-priced small restaurant. If you want food in the restaurant, book!
Good to know - thanks. As I say, we eat out infrequently as generally we have a 5 year old and a 7 year old in tow, so places where respectable people go to enjoy fine food in a convivial atmosphere are generally off-limits.
So when we do eat out it's good if it's a memorable experience for the right reasons. Went to a steak restaurant opposite King's College in the summer (seated in the basement area) and had some beautifully cut and cooked steak that lives long in the memory, even if the name of the restaurant doesn't.
I think you'd be fine with the kids in the pint shop - the restaurant is a separate room from the bar area, and I've seen plenty of kids in there - it's good food, but not snooty in any way.
I'm guessing that the place opposite King's is the Chop House. They have another joint opposite what used to be called the Town and Gown pub (can't remember what its new name is).
thedonkeycentrehalf
Retired
- Jul 7, 2003
- 8,635
As you mention Scotch Eggs, Picnic Corner - purveyor of the best scotch eggs in Brighton - has a new home. He has been back selling at Florence Road Market, HISBe and through a few select pubs. However, him and a mate have just taken over Lucky 13 café on Lewes Road. The following is a note from the facebook pages:
We would love to welcome 13. The new and amazing cafe run by Oli & Paul. They are locals you will recognise them. They will be offering wonderful Union Hand-Roasted Coffee cakes & amazing scotch eggs #picniccorner.
If you love scotch eggs and a good coffee then go along and give these boys a try.
Another brilliant meal at Planet India last night made even more impressive by the best bhajis you'll ever eat, which were a new addition tothe menu.
We had dahi bhel puri, samosas and onion bhajis to start then tarkha dall, masoor dall, pea and paneer, aubergine curry and potato curry as the mains. A few Seven Giraffes washed it all down and a lovely time was had. As per.
9/10
We had dahi bhel puri, samosas and onion bhajis to start then tarkha dall, masoor dall, pea and paneer, aubergine curry and potato curry as the mains. A few Seven Giraffes washed it all down and a lovely time was had. As per.
9/10
Machiavelli
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #739
they may be the best purveyor, but my scotch eggs might just be the best made in Brighton: there's nothing quite like a homemade scotch egg; they're good to do for an event/party/etc
Machiavelli
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #740
Is this at the stalwart branch or the new one in Hove?
I adore Planet India, but have two minor criticisms: there has been no variation or additions to the menu since I've been going, not even a rotating special; and second, it can all be a bit heavy, and makes you pine for the freshness that you often get with Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese.