Restaurant reviews?
Vicky Larmour
nwd...@cus.cam.ac.uk wrote:
>Similarly, can anyone tell me whether the food at the Garden House is
>anything to write home about?
Have eaten at the Garden House once, about a year ago. It was OK but we were
the only people in there, so the atmosphere was - how shall I put it - a
little lacking. The food itself was nice as I recall, but the waiters
were quite snooty.
[Jifl: in case you're racking your brains trying to remember this, I didn't
go there with you! :-)]
Vicky
--
vicky.larmour[at]camcon.co.uk Disclaimer: All opinions mine.
When Rabbit said, 'Honey or condensed milk with your bread?' he was
so excited that he said, 'Both' and then, so as not to seem greedy,
he added, 'But don't bother about the bread, please.' -Winnie The Pooh
Tim Benton
>Has anyone eaten at and would recommend the 'revamped' Riverside
>restaurant at the University Centre?
Nope - I thought it was good value (apart from the infamous sweet
trolley) before the revamp though.
>Similarly, can anyone tell me whether the food at the Garden House is
>anything to write home about?
Certainly not. I've eaten there a couple of times and it's always been
typical Hotel Food - overpriced and not up to much. The menu usually
sounds alright, but I'd only put the quality a notch above a Berni
Inn.
>
>How would they both compare to, say, 22 Chesterton Road?
22 wins every time. Anyone tried their new place in Newmarket?
Three Horseshoes at Madingley is also a favourite, although a couple
of sundays ago we did have unusually bad service there. Maybe it
should be avoided on Sundays.
Tim
Tim Benton
>I'm just looking for an alternative to 22, because we ate there on
>Saturday, and I'm looking for a venue for Wednesday, and 22 twice in a
>week is too much, imho.
Don't know what Midsummer House is like now it's reopened (other than
expensive as always). Michael Winner (!) said it was good, but then he
probably got got the meal for free and it's probably the nearest
restaurant to London that he hasn't been banned from.
Despite our bad experience the other day I wouldn't give up on the
Three Horseshoes just yet.
I reckon you should risk the revamped University Centre and report
back since nobody seems to have tried it yet.
BTW Whatever happened to 'Number Nine' in Newmarket? Never been there
as it seems to have been closed 'for restoration' (poss restauration?)
for the last two years...
Tim
Tim Benton
forget. Stockpots? Something like that. I've not been, but the menu
doesn't look too bad and I believe it's had favourable reports in
cam.miscs passim. Anyone? dejanews?
Tim
The Blond Alternative
> Yes, about 6 weeks ago. It was okay. Pleasant enough evening, but not as
> good as 22.
> I'm just looking for an alternative to 22, because we ate there on
> Saturday, and I'm looking for a venue for Wednesday, and 22 twice in a
> week is too much, imho.
>
Then you should jump into a taxi and get yourself to The Pink Geranium in
Melbourne. The food is excellent (if a little pricey), as is the service.
A good wine list too.
Martin Saxon
(Tim Benton) wrote:
Stocks. We had an excellent Sunday lunch there last week. A fair bike ride
from the city centre, good for building up an appetite.
--
Martin
Vicky Larmour
ti...@persimmon.co.uk wrote:
>Don't know what Midsummer House is like now it's reopened (other than
>expensive as always).
Was there the other night. The food was OK but not fantastic by a long way -
we had the set menu, and the first course was fish, fish, fish or
sweetbreads, which seemed pretty uninspired.
The main course was more varied (chicken, beef, cod, something else) but
although everyone pronounced their choice very nice, there were no
vegetables with it which was a great shame. The chicken was "on a bed of
pearl barley and muchrooms with roasted garlic and a potato hat" or similar
(I'm fairly sure they didn't actually call it a "potato hat", but you know
what I mean) - but it could really have done with a dish of veg to go with
it.
I should add that the dessert (a caramelised lemon tart) was one of the
scrummiest things I have ever eaten :-)
The waiters are somewhat pretentious, IMO, and it's exceedingly expensive
for what it is (the set meal was just under UKP40/head IIRC).
I've been there twice now, both at someone else's expense, and I have to say
I wouldn't go there if I had to pay.
Paul Oldham
> I just had another thought - the place in Bottisham whose name I
> forget. Stockpots? Something like that. I've not been, but the menu
> doesn't look too bad and I believe it's had favourable reports in
> cam.miscs passim. Anyone? dejanews?
Stocks, excellent place. Not cheap but excellent grub and good service.
--
Paul Oldham, Milton villager and cam.* FAQ maintainer
cam.* FAQ is at http://www.the-hug.demon.co.uk/paul/camfaq.html
Alastair France
<URL:mailto:ti...@persimmon.co.uk> wrote:
> On Mon, 09 Nov 1998 11:28:57 +0100, nwd...@cus.cam.ac.uk wrote:
>
> >Has anyone eaten at and would recommend the 'revamped' Riverside
> >restaurant at the University Centre?
>
> Nope - I thought it was good value (apart from the infamous sweet
> trolley) before the revamp though.
>
> >Similarly, can anyone tell me whether the food at the Garden House is
> >anything to write home about?
>
> Certainly not. I've eaten there a couple of times and it's always been
> typical Hotel Food - overpriced and not up to much. The menu usually
> sounds alright, but I'd only put the quality a notch above a Berni
> Inn.
>
> >
> >How would they both compare to, say, 22 Chesterton Road?
>
> 22 wins every time. Anyone tried their new place in Newmarket?
>
Yes - it's pretty reasonable. Service was maybe a little more "slow" than
"unhurried" the time that I went, but the food was up to the standards
expected from 22.
> Three Horseshoes at Madingley is also a favourite, although a couple
> of sundays ago we did have unusually bad service there. Maybe it
> should be avoided on Sundays.
>
Again agree, the Three Horseshoes is quite decent.
Well worth trying (in my opinion) - but out of town...
The Anchor (Sutton Gault)
The Old Fire Engine House (Ely)
--
Alastair France
afr...@stet-os.demon.co.uk
Alastair France
<URL:mailto:ti...@persimmon.co.uk> wrote:
> On Mon, 09 Nov 1998 14:44:08 +0100, nwd...@cus.cam.ac.uk wrote:
>
> >Saturday, and I'm looking for a venue for Wednesday, and 22 twice in a
> >week is too much, imho.
>
> probably got got the meal for free and it's probably the nearest
> restaurant to London that he hasn't been banned from.
>
> Despite our bad experience the other day I wouldn't give up on the
> Three Horseshoes just yet.
>
> I reckon you should risk the revamped University Centre and report
> back since nobody seems to have tried it yet.
>
> BTW Whatever happened to 'Number Nine' in Newmarket? Never been there
> as it seems to have been closed 'for restoration' (poss restauration?)
> for the last two years...
>
> Tim
>
Is that "Number Nine Park Lane" - close to All Saints' Church? It looked as
though it was open again recently when I passed (tables laid etc.). Never
tried it though.
--
Alastair France
afr...@stet-os.demon.co.uk
Alastair France
The Blond Alternative <URL:mailto:jwh...@5pamfr33.dial.pipex.com> wrote:
> >
> > Yes, about 6 weeks ago. It was okay. Pleasant enough evening, but not as
> > good as 22.
> > Saturday, and I'm looking for a venue for Wednesday, and 22 twice in a
> > week is too much, imho.
> >
>
> Melbourne. The food is excellent (if a little pricey), as is the service.
> A good wine list too.
>
>
I suggest dropping the second "e" - the village is Melbourn.
I'm beginning to understand why I am this shape - I seem to have visited all
these eateries. The Pink Geranium was indeed very good. Our meal there cost
double what it might have done though, as we fell in love with a picture
too...
Sheen Mill (also in Melbourn) was quite good too IIRC.
--
Alastair France
afr...@stet-os.demon.co.uk
Alastair France
<URL:mailto:ti...@persimmon.co.uk> wrote:
> I just had another thought - the place in Bottisham whose name I
> forget. Stockpots? Something like that. I've not been, but the menu
> doesn't look too bad and I believe it's had favourable reports in
> cam.miscs passim. Anyone? dejanews?
>
>
Stocks. Been there twice.
Once when Dickie Jeeps had it, which was quite funny as he was one over the
proverbial, but the food was extremely good.
The other time more recently on a Valentines evening when they had converted
every conceivable square inch of the building into tables and just *could
not cope at all*.
I might try it again if we're desparate, but I'm not in a hurry.
Someone suggested Midsummer House, to which I would say "Excellent, if
someone else is paying".
--
Alastair France
afr...@stet-os.demon.co.uk
Paul Hudson
>>Similarly, can anyone tell me whether the food at the Garden House is
>>anything to write home about?
>
>Certainly not. I've eaten there a couple of times and it's always been
>typical Hotel Food - overpriced and not up to much. The menu usually
>sounds alright, but I'd only put the quality a notch above a Berni
>Inn.
However, I've had an excellent Sunday lunch there (I find Sunday
lunches at hotels are often better than the weeknight business
person's menu). Food was fine, service fine and relaxed, lots of
space.
(OTOH, the next time we went was the meal from hell. Food was fine -
if not necessarily what we originally ordered - but everything else
went wrong. I'm prepared to give them another chance, though).
P.
Steve Hunt
> The Old Fire Engine House (Ely)
Excellent restaurant, and unlike some of the other
ones that have been mentioned, the portions are large
(and second helping are usually proffered).
-- Steve
Tim Benton
<afr...@stet-os.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In article <364700c7...@news.persimmon.co.uk>, Tim Benton
><URL:mailto:ti...@persimmon.co.uk> wrote:
>> BTW Whatever happened to 'Number Nine' in Newmarket? Never been there
>> as it seems to have been closed 'for restoration' (poss restauration?)
>> for the last two years...
>>
>> Tim
>>
>
>Is that "Number Nine Park Lane" - close to All Saints' Church? It looked as
>though it was open again recently when I passed (tables laid etc.). Never
>tried it though.
That's the one. I never knew it existed until I got something from
Amex telling me I could have free meal there with my 'reward points'.
It didn't sound too bad so I toddled along to find it was closed. It
looked a bit odd, but I kept checking every now and again and it
remained closed for at least 18 months, so I stopped bothering and
moved to Willingham which is a bit of a trek from Newmarket...
Tim
Al Grant
And although they are not a pub they do have very good beer
(Adnams I think).
Jennifer Liddle
(Steve Hunt) wrote:
> Alastair France <afr...@stet-os.demon.co.uk> writes:
> > The Old Fire Engine House (Ely)
>
> Excellent restaurant, and unlike some of the other
> ones that have been mentioned, the portions are large
> (and second helping are usually proffered).
It's been a few years since I was last there, but I thought it was
excellent too. They also had a very nice selection of food for vegetarians
from what I remember. I seem to recall having something with wild
mushrooms which was /very/ tasty.
--
Jennifer Liddle, Cambridge, England http://www.jsquared.co.uk/jennyl