Then the following week we met up with our friends from the 'Dining Club' (as Frank calls it) and 7 of us went to the Premises in Hoxton, a Turkish cafe adjoining a recording studio. I wasn't too keen on going there, although I love Turkish food, because I thought it would take ages on public transport, but it turned out to be very easy by changing to the London Overground at New Cross and getting off right by the Geffrye Museum. The food was rather mixed and I think I chose badly - my lamb was quite tasteless - but My Beloved was pleased with squid for starters and mixed grill. We had 4 bottles of Turkish wine and the price was still only £21 a head for 2 courses each! Coming home, New Cross at midnight was not exactly salubrious but we didn't have any problems.
Our next meal was a slap up lunch with the brother-in-law and his wife. Instead of giving Christmas and birthday presents now we go out to lunch somewhere special and this year it was the Alain Ducasse restaurant at the Dorchester - 3 Michelin stars. It was a really hot day and when we arrived our table wasn't ready so we decided to have a drink in the bar. We were assured the bar was open, but the staff were elsewhere and so we eventually went to our tables feeling very parched. My white wine was served warm, so I had to speak quite sharply to the waiter - did he think just because I asked for his advice I didn't know how to drink?! Anyway, the meal was ok (although My Beloved couldn't face the 'extra' of cauliflower foam with fois gras) but we all agreed that we wouldn't bother going back and last year's Le Gavroche was heaps better at the same price (3 courses with 2 glasses of wine £50 each -although the g&t cost £11!) even though it only has 2 Michelin stars.
Then when my brother and his wife visited for the weekend, we went out for Sunday lunch and met up with my lovely niece and her husband at the Almeida in Islington. We drove up and parked right outside (which was good as my brother lives in the country and totally unused to public transport - they don't even have a bus to their village). Apart from the woman at the table next to us collapsing and then just being left with her head on the table by her 'friends' who assured everyone that she was fine, it was a good occasion. 4 of us had the 'trolley' to start which made us laugh and was an enormous selection of cold cut meats, pate pickles and bread. The main course was a roast - which My Beloved doesn't enjoy, so he had fish - and my lamb was beautifully tender. Desserts were not bad too. Then we wandered around a little bit - it was nice and sunny and warm.
No big plans for eating out at the moment but my thoughts are turning what to cook when we next go camping? Should we do curry again or should we have a change?
Curry is good. A change would be interesting :o)
ReplyDelete