Portsmouth Food Lovers - giving 'Food for Thought' in Portsmouth and Southsea

2012-01-25T11:02:00.000Z

Brand New Morrison's - Victory Park, Portsmouth

Well today at 9am was the opening of a brand new Morrison's store in Portsmouth. All the advertising stated it would be 'a fresh new shopping experience'. Was it? What did I think of the store?

Well as the Foodie I am, I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype, so I arrived at 9am to see for myself. There was quite a line of shoppers ready to see in the the new store, many asking if there were any opening day deals, but there were none to be found.

What was to be found (and pleased me no end) was the amazing array of unusual global produce that introduced itself to you as you stepped through the door. Yes the 'greengrocer' section was laden with all sorts of goodies and things you have possibly never heard of. Produce included Kohlrabi, black and red kale, eddoes, galangal, tumeric, krachi, turia, white asparagus, candy and golden beetroots, smoked garlics, samphire, just to name a few. A great opportunity to go home, look them up and get creative, I was inspired to say the least. There was an impressive mushroom section too and I was pleased to see the likes of Chanterelle, King Oyster, Pied Bleu and Enoki and many more exotic varieties to be found.

The store displays especially in the fresh grocery sections, very much reminded me of the Whole Foods Market chain of stores I have visited in the UK and US. I hope this is the future of supermarkets.

Over at the fresh meat and fish counters the staff were eager to assist. I was told that the butchers section makes it's sausages fresh and rusk free, and you will be sure to find at least 98% meat in them compared to the pre-packed ones. They have traditional British beef which is something new that they have rolled out in only 7 UK stores including this one, and that it is an exciting time for Morrison's as these 7 stores will be rolling out new products and ideas, that won't be found in other stores. If this is to be true then it may be worth a regular visit to see what they intend to produce! The fish counter I was told only sells fresh and sustainable catch, and fishcakes, fish pinwheels, fish wellingtons (as they call them!), are all made daily. There is also a charcuterie counter.

It was funny to see Portsmouth's Lord Mayor walking about asking shoppers questions about what they had in their baskets - I quickly walked the other way!!!

I'd like to have high hopes for this store, but what it really needs is the people of Portsmouth to get behind and support this exciting produce, that will be hard to find elsewhere in Portsmouth all under one roof. Because inevitably, if we don't support it and sales are down, then the powers that be will just get rid of the global produce by replacing it with everyday fruit and vegetables.

So I encourage you all to dust off those Indian and Thai cook books you have sitting on your shelves, find yourself a recipe that has 'unusual' ingredients only found in ethnic stores, pop down to Morrison's and enjoy the 'fresh new shopping experience' it boasts about. I did, and will be back next week armed with a decent shopping list!

A selection of fresh vegetables

Global fusion foods

A dedicated charcuterie counter

Much room for Mushrooms!


Seaweed, Spiced Curry and Lemon & Thyme rolls, great with soup I would imagine!

Lusseau - The French Food Shop, Marmion Road, Southsea

2011-09-27T19:56:00.000+01:00

Lusseau (named after the owner Marie Lusseau) is our newestfood shop offering up an array of French delights, and has been open for fourweeks now. How exciting to have such ashop in our midst! There are not enoughindependent deli/bakeries in Portsmouth, and whenever I visit Brighton, Ialways come home with a sense of envy at their infinite food scene, but Lusseaubrings us that step closer to their ranks of sophistication. Lusseau is a smartindependent store offering the likes of baguettes, patisseries, cured meats,cheeses and other French groceries. Soon to be added to this list are wines too! Their Ethos is to source only from quality French suppliers. Marie has a kitchen upstairs which allowsher to bake the fresh bread dough, and tells me she makes other delights too(which sell like hotcakes on a Saturday, so get in quick) such as cherry tartsand flan patissier. Today was just astop off to see how things are coming on, but I promised to be back on Saturdayto make a purchase, and the rosemary bread looks like it will be making it’sway into my home for sure!

I wish Marie much success in her new venture.

**UPDATED 1st February 2012 Lusseau is now a Delicatessen and not a French only food shop! Spanish, Italian, English and French produce! It also sells coffee and sandwiches**

Lusseau – 106 Marmion Road, Southsea, PO5 2BB

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 10amto 5pm

Sellers Coffee House - Kent Road

2011-08-30T18:23:00.000+01:00

Sellers Coffee House is one of the many new coffee houses opening up in Portsmouth. More power to the independents!

It is a big job to get the mix just right due to the fierce competition, and a good coffee shop needs that 'Unique Selling Point' we always hear about to win us over. This place is on the doorstep of another good local Cafe named Mint Tearooms which I visited when it first opened and liked it very much.

Sellers used to be a pub, so it is situated in a rather large space for a coffee shop. Inside I found it to be lacking that cosy feel that soft furnishings can bring to such a large space. Perhaps this will come as they become more established, but is needed I feel. I popped in for a coffee and cake with a girlfriend, but glanced at the food menu on the board.

We both had coffee's, and cakes to eat after much deliberation (because the portion sizes were huge, you could share a piece between two) I opted for the Victoria sponge after being told by the waitress it would be a good choice, and my friend had the carrot cake. The carrot cake was good, as for my sponge, well I thought it a little dry and I was hoping for a softly fresh whipped cream filling, and instead it was butter cream and jam. I feel if your going to make homemade cakes to sell to the public, they need to be the best that they can be - regardless of cost, etc. Nothing tastes better than fresh cream in cakes, does it?

From what I can recall the food menu is small. The overall impression I get from this place is that it is still finding it's feet and a little in need of direction and a unique identity which could make people flock here. With that thought in mind I will leave it 6 months or so, and return again to hopefully 'find' the place with something magical.

Bamboo Bar and Restaurant

2011-08-30T17:12:00.000+01:00

When this place first opened I was not sure what it did or what it was promising, and due to it's location I was not sure what market it was aiming towards. That end of Palmerston Road can be renowned for it's night life. So I gave it a miss, until recently a Groupon voucher saw me dining here on a really reasonable deal for 2 courses.

The starter was really average and nothing that good to say about it really - chicken satay. Quickly moving on, I had their Black Rock Grill for my main course which is dubbed as a unique, delicious, healthy interactive dining experience that allows your meal to be presented cooking on the volcanic rocks at your table.

The rocks are heated to a temperature so high that you can cook raw meat on them to your liking.
I was told that it is the only place in Portsmouth that does such a thing. I opted for the beef which was delicious and Amanda at the restaurant advised me that the meat comes from Bramsbury Park butchers, which I know has a good name.

I liked the Black Rock Grill experience - but I don't know if I'd be willing to part £17.95 for the 8oz fillet of beef again - just because I can cook good rib eye steak from Buckwells at home, but for the novelty and the Groupon price I paid, I enjoyed it.

The Sussex Brewery - Home of the Sausage!

2011-07-29T17:41:00.000+01:00

I had heard this place specialised in sausages, but had not really heard that much about it, nobody I actually know has been here. The Sussex Brewery based in Emsworth

The Sussex menu is all about the sausages - the range of award winning Sausages, all cooked with the emphasis on flavour they have a fantastic range of sausages all served with Creamy mash potato,
beans or peas, and rich onion gravy!

With over 20 sausages to choose from, and they also have a specials board, nobody could fail to find something they liked.

The sausages can be ordered as a sharing platter, giving you and your partner a chance to share each others sausages, thus having more to taste. This seems like the best option to me. The platters are very reasonably priced at £19.50 for 6 different sausages, and it comes with lashings of mast too, so even those with a large appetite would be happy. The quality of the sausages was amazing - I just can't praise it enough. And what a fantastic touch to send all the sausages out with tickets on, so you know which is which. It makes the whole experience so enjoyable.

The dessert menu was also good, solid and worth ordering from if you have the room.

There are two dining rooms, the smaller of the two is downstairs, and the larger cosier one is upstairs, but gets very warm, so be warned if you get hot easily.

Would I go back? Why have I already not!!!!!

Top tip - booking at the weekend is recommended as the restaurants are both small, and you will be hard pushed as a walk in on a Friday/Saturday night to get a seat.

Jamie's Italian - Gunwharf Quays

2011-05-30T08:45:00.000+01:00

Sunday 29th of May - Jamie's Italian is now open for business. Their advertised official opening is today (Monday 30th), so I did not expect it to be as busy as it was! Who am I kidding!!! In a world where everyone is super obsessed with celebrities and its owners’ celebrity chef status, you can expect the restaurant to be constantly packed. I'm sure it will be the biggest grossing restaurant at GWQ - especially with 300 covers indoors and 100 outdoors.

On arrival I was given a pager and told there would be a 30 minute wait unfortunately, (so it looks like queues here will be a common theme), so I headed over to the bar area for a drink and to peruse the menu. The restaurant only takes bookings for large groups of 6 or more.

Menu choices include Italian classics (like spaghetti bolognese, antipasti and such) and Italian-inspired dishes. The smaller plates/starters looked far more interesting than the mains, with dishes such as stuffed courgette flowers, crispy polenta chips and crispy rice balls stuffed with smoked buffalo mozzarella and porcini mushrooms.

Risotto Milanese £11.95 promised creamy saffron & parmesan risotto with herby roasted bone marrow & lemon & parsley gremolata. I found it was very one dimensional and I can't recall tasting the flavours of the gremolata (which is lemon zest, garlic, parsley). Risottos barely cover an inch in depth, so you don't get that much for your money. This was my feedback to the waiter - a slightly larger portion please. I think I made a poor choice on this occasion.

Unfortunately some of the prices are hard to chew, and although I would like to return again and perhaps next time order several smaller dishes under the nibbles/antipasti menu instead of a main course (as also encouraged to do by the waiter), for my choices would come to just shy of £20 excluding drinks, dessert and any tipping - wowee. So potentially best part of £40 for 1 person. I think I would need an advance on my wages!

I think the majority of the public will love this place going on the popularity of all the other branches. The service is slow, so don't think you can pop in for a quick lunch. You will need to take your time, so go with good friends.

Would love to get other peoples thoughts on the place.

Risotto Milanese

Truffle Risotto

Southsea Castle's new tea rooms

2011-05-25T18:49:00.000+01:00

Opened on May 14th, I was chomping at the bit to visit the new tea rooms, equally to visit the castle as I have never managed to do so before (terrible I know).

They have made this place into something truely special in my view. It had a feel similar to Aspects Gallery tea rooms, but in a greater setting. With the sun shining it was a perfect day to visit. I only stayed for a cup of tea on this occasion, but having looked at some of the food coming out, I will be back to eat soon. They have a few outdoor tables and benches, so weather permitting you can sit and eat/drink there also. The inside space has very clean lines (love that expression LOL) and is bright with its modern feel and touches.

The cafe is run by Yellow Kite who are a catering company set up as the social enterprise component of the healthy Pompey project. There mission is to improve the health of the people of Portsmouth, by introducing healthier options.

I had a cup of tea which was fairly priced at £1, and a pot at £1.50

The menu comprises of a few breakfast dishes, lunch is 12 to 2.30pm and includes soups, salad, mezze, and a childrens menu, and all dishes are priced between £2.50 to £6 (for the mezze). Afternoon tea is served between 2.30 to 4.15pm, and a selection of cakes are available throughout the day. There is a small selection of alcaholic beverages too :-)

There has been talk of turning the hot walls in Old Portsmouth into an art space and cafe, if so, then this is what I imagine it will look like as it housed in a similar space.

Truly a great addition to the now expanding Southsea tea room scene!

Open daily 10-4.30pm May to October, excluding Mondays.

Nara Sushi

2011-05-25T18:04:00.000+01:00

Having a Yo Sushi at GWQ is fine and well, but sometimes it is nice to give the independent restaurants our support, plus there is the need to pay a minimum of £2.80 to park at GWQ!

I went for a spot of lunch Saturday afternoon to Nara Sushi. There were only 6 other customers in there, but it still created a nice environment. The waitress was very knowledgeable and helpful.

The concept is the same as Yo, with a conveyor belt and brightly coloured dishes all individually priced. I am no expert on Sushi, but the food in this place was very good compared to my previous sushi adventures. The rice had a consistency and texture so creamy it melted in the mouth, like no other sushi rice has done before. I ordered a Tuna Set, Chicken Gyoza, Salmon Roe Nigiri (this was beautiful), to name a few. Even the wasabi was prepared beautifully, and not too harsh on the palette like it can be.

What a cute place! They have 2 belts, so lets hope they fill them with lots of adventure seeking locals. I will be back for sure!

Top tip: They have a BYO policy too!

narasushi.co.uk

OSBORNE ROAD WEDNESDAYS

2011-04-04T15:29:00.000+01:00

I received the following information this week and thought it would be of interest to some to publish this:

Now with Osborne Road Wednesdays you don't have to travel for miles to taste the world. Every Wednesday you can eat drink and be merry with one of the fabulous offers printed in The News.

The top places to eat and drink in Osborne Road have come together with regular offers every Wednesday for you to save money and try something different! Look out for the full-page feature in The News on Tuesday, April 5 where every one of the businesses below will be giving you a mouth-watering offer.

Happy Eating!

Chez Choi~Steki~Barnaby's~Rancho~Belle Isle~Shenanigans~Istanbul~Spice Merchant~Grosvenor Casino~Noble House~Jewel in the Crown~Kingsley's

Noorish finally open!

2011-03-30T16:21:00.000+01:00

Noorish had a stall at last years Southsea Food Festival, and since then I have been keenly keeping an eye out for it's opening which was yesterday (29th March 2011), and due to unforeseen personal circumstances they had to delay the opening.

If you like the idea of making your own curry dishes then this place is for you. They have created different spice blends for you to take home and add your own ingredients to. Also recipe cards will be available to follow along for those of us (me included), who are less experimental with Indian food. The boutique store also offers pre-cooked food using the unique spice blends such as samosas, spicy wraps, potato patties and chickpea salad.

They are easy to find and are located off Marmion Road opposite Waitrose (down the side street which is Winton Place)

www.noorish.co.uk
(website appears currently unavailable)

Zizzi - GWQ

2011-03-12T07:38:00.000Z

Chain restaurants! Love them or loath them, they are convenient, and at GWQ there is not much else to be found. I recently read a review in a respected food magazine on chain restaurants where Zizzi came quite high as one of the better ones, so I thought I would give it a try. It was heaving in there - people must love the place. I had not booked and it was a Friday night. The only table left was one that had been brought in from outside, crammed in to accommodate more customers.

Anyway, I will keep this one brief. The food although appealing to the taste buds from the menu description - and well presented was bland! Gorgonzola gnocchi starter with barely a taste of any cheese and a lemon chicken breast for mains which barely kissed any lemon (although to look a the picture below you would never know). £42.50 for 1 calamari, 1 portion of olives, 1 gnocchi, 2 lemon chickens and 2 soft drinks. I wished I had gone elsewhere.

I don't want to give all chain restaurants a bad name, as some are quite good, but there is always the dreaded fear of wasting your money on bland food for the mass British public who seem to have inactive taste buds! I'm sure the Italians would not say this was authentically Italian.

Southsea Food Festival 2011

2011-02-13T08:19:00.000Z

The dates are now in for this years event which will be taking place on Saturday the 18th and Sunday 19th of June 10am-4pm. It promises to be bigger and better than last years! Well let us hope so, as I blogged about this event last year after it happened and although it was a good event for us locals to attend, I'm sure if more local food businesses took part it could be a really fantastic day out and put Southsea on the map!

So get these dates in your diary and hope that the British summer is kind to us that weekend!!!

Soprano's - Palmerston Road, Southsea

2011-02-05T17:35:00.002Z

Last Saturday I thought it would be a good idea to have lunch at Soprano's, so I parked on the seafront, paid the £2 parking fee only to find when I got there it was full, and many tables had been booked! I was disappointed that on a Saturday lunchtime it would seem you can't just expect to walk off the street and get a table for lunch. This must be a sign of a good eatery! I was not to be beaten by this so in the week I called to make a reservation for Saturday lunch. When we arrived there were several spare tables (typical), although this said, they soon started filling up even as late as 2pm.

The 'Ristorante' looks to have approx. 30 covers, and it appears to have a very loyal customer base. You get the distinct impression that everyone knows everyone, as the staff were chatting to the customers on first name terms and vice-versa.

It was just a quick lunch date so no starters, snacks or puds - just straight into the mains. I had the daily special which was pan fried mackerel fillets on roasted baby new potatoes and tomatoes with olives and a caper and lemon mayo at just shy of £10. My dish was tasty, especially with the lemon in the mayo which really helped to cut through the oily and rich nature of the fish. A very well balanced dish and nice to also have a few salad leaves on the plate too.

The other dish my partner ordered was the Polpetti Spaghetti which is homemade beef meatballs with a spicy rich tomato sauce at £7.95. Both dishes were very reasonably sized portions. He enjoyed this, I found the meatballs a little dense and solid, rather than being succulent and flavoursome. The sauce however delivered nicely on the spicy notes.

During Monday-Friday Soprano's offers a lunchtime special which is 2 courses for £6.95. I would be interested in trying this next time, and would hope that the portions are as good in size and flavour as the full price menu.

I think the main menu is missing a trick - I would have liked to have seen some home made Gnocci dishes and perhaps dishes which feature Polenta (grilled as a starter with Porcini mushrooms for example). Both these ingredients are very Italian and very current and I feel would make Soprano's even more contemporary and trendy...so here's hoping!!!!

Would I go again? Yes - I will be back, if only for the excellently priced lunch menu.

Tip: Try the salads as every salad that came out from the kitchen looked fantastic!

Like a Teatray in the Sky - Art Cafe - Osbourne Road, Southsea

2011-01-26T13:22:00.000Z

This quirky new Cafe has just recently opened and it's owners Sam and Nicky Foot also of The King Street Tavern have branched out (so to speak) and opened a vintage tearoom.

Not only can you purchase a scrummy piece of cake (with several beautifully displayed to choose from) and a pot of tea, but there is also the opportunity to purchase items from local artists and designers.

They are currently looking for artists, designers, illustrators, photographers etc to get in touch with a view to selling their work in their shop and tea room. Please contact Sam for further details – sam@thekingstreettavern.co.uk

I'm backing this place all the way, as Sam and Nicky are two lovely people with a good eye for what the locals want, with the Tavern a roaring success as proof of this fact.

I wish my local landlord and landlady all the best with this new venture!

My appearance on Saturday Kitchen January 2010

2011-01-15T18:27:00.001Z

Well - this one just has to get a mention as it's not every day your fortunate to be invited to appear on this show!! Having written in several times to be guest, to my surprise I had a phone call inviting me on. I had to write a bit about why I was interested in being a guest before I was chosen (as they had other guests they were considering too), so without hesitation I hot footed it home, wrote a brief biography, and the rest is history!

It was a fantastic experience, I was so pleased to have two Michelin Starred Chefs cooking too, and Kelly Adams from Hustle who was both beautiful and warm to talk to. Check out the two minute clip of my best bits from the show!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1BTMaS4v-M

Jamie Oliver coming to Gunwharf Quays

2010-11-01T16:15:00.000Z

I hear on the grapevine that Jamie is planning to open one of his restaurants in the late spring at our GWQ! It will be situated in the current Donnay sports shop unit, which is quite a large unit. I'm looking forward to it, the more good restaurants in town we have the better. Some folk are worried about the business it will take away from areas such as Osbourne Road, but if your restaurant delivers good food and a good atmosphere, then surely this is just healthy competition?!

Oh well.....watch this space I say and bring it on!!!

Heston at Waitrose Marmion Road

2010-10-18T14:36:00.001+01:00

I have been dying to try out this new range since I read about it back in the summer and it has arrived! Granted our local store does not have the full range, but there is enough to get started on. I purchased this week the Cabernet Sauvignon Mayonnaise (£2.25) and the spinach and 3 mushroom pie, and the ham, leek and chicken pie (£2.50 ish each). There are also available in our store the salts. There will be more to come from this range I'm told in time. The mayo with chips and steak was really good. The pies were ok, but how posh can a pie actually become?

Worth a try thought I would say, especially now as there is for a limited period 25% of the full price!

I was drinking in Hestons pub in Bray yesterday and they had crunchy roast potatoes in bowls on the bar as snacks (great idea!) - wish I had taken the Mayo with me now!!!

Strada this Friday only BOGOF!

2010-10-13T09:47:00.000+01:00

Wow - those BOGOF meal deals rarely cover Friday or Saturday nights, but Strada are offering this deal this Friday only! Visit their website for more details. I have not been here for some time so this is as good a time than any to take advantage!

Steki - Osbourne Road

2010-09-19T18:25:00.000+01:00

This is one of those places that has been on my mind to try for ages, but just never got around to it!

What a busy place!! I called and booked ahead luckily as I don't think I would have got a table for my required time otherwise. The interior and the music set the scene well, just as you would expect from a Greek Taverna.

I went mad on the starter and ordered the Steki seafood meze. At £20 to share between two I was expecting something special - and it did not disappoint! The dish comprised of octopus, anchovies, prawns, calamari, muscles in a tomato sauce with melted feta cheese, hummus, pita bread and a few olives. Probably the best seafood dish I have ever had in Portsmouth. So fresh and tasty I would order this over and over. I had read on Trip Advisor a review from a Greek person who said that the pita breads were totally authentic, and although personally I have not been to Greece (yet), they were amazing!!! The only thing I think they could change was that the calamari was slightly greasy to taste and the batter struggled to stay attached to the squid. This could be so easily corrected.

Mains we opted for the classic Moussaka - refreshingly made with beef and not lamb, and a dish called soutzoukakia which is little (sausage-looking) meatballs made of a delicate mixture of minced beef, onions and herbs, cooked in tomato sauce, served with rice and Greek style potatoes. The latter dish was also served with rice which we felt was too much with the potatoes, but was a very tasty dish! The moussaka too was good, although I would have liked more beef and less bechamel in mine. Both these dishes we would order again.

Service too was good, especially as they were busy with some customers just walking in off the street. Our waitress was a lovely charming American lady, who was very helpful.

Total bill including a mineral water and beer was around £43.00.
Booking at weekends probably advisable

Would I go again - Yes, but it would be hard not to partake in the seafood meze and pitta bread which stole the show!

Blue Mondays at Yo! Sushi

2010-09-03T20:57:00.000+01:00

It has finally arrived, Blue Mondays at Yo! As much as I love this place and have eaten a couple of times at the GWQ branch, I do find by the time you have had a decent amount of dishes you come out a little light in the pocket.

Blue Mondays afford the diner a choice of up to 50 dishes (subject to availability obviously, but availability I found was not bad), for a price of £2.20 per dish, whereas their two most expensive dishes come in at £3.80 and £5.00 each, so it is really worth making a trip there on Mondays. You can still order a few hot rice/noodle dishes and vegetable hand rolls with this offer too!

So if your still a 'sushi virgin' as their promotion goes, give blue Mondays a go, then if it's not for you, you wont have spent a fortune!

Southsea Common Art Exhibit and free Hog Roast

2010-07-29T20:12:00.000+01:00

Portsmouth and Southsea’s skyline will be transformed this summer by the spectacular addition of Luna Park, Heather & Ivan Morison’s recreation of the accidental dinosaur Ultrasauros. Created in the style of American roadside super-sculptures and standing at 16 metres tall on Southsea Common, Luna Park will be visible from miles around.

Grand Opening: Sunday 1 August (exhibiting until 10 October)

There will be a free BBQ (hog roast) at Southsea Common 1-3pm, followed by drinks at aspex 3-5pm!

Port Solent Open Kitchen Event

2010-07-21T19:29:00.001+01:00

This event was open to the public last Friday, Saturday and Sunday (see my previous post on blog), and as a foodie fan of our local restaurants and all things food related I put my name down to attend 3 of the free one hour long sessions: Pizza demonstration at O Sole Mio, Wine tasting at the Water Margin and a tasting of Dim Sum at the Dragon Marina.

On the Friday 3 out of the maximum of 5 were in attendance at O Sole Mio. They had in store for us a pizza making demonstration where the chef explained the components and tips to making a traditional Italian pizza. Obviously techniques and ingredients vary from place to place, but there version was certainly tasty and cooked in a pizza oven too. I am planning on trying this recipe myself this weekend.

Saturday 11am was wine tasting at the Water Margin with a French speaking sommelier named Michael. In an hour he managed to do a very good basic explanation and Introduction to wine tasting and what to look for. Everyone in attendance seem to thoroughly enjoy it, and Michael despite your concerns on the language barrier you did an excellent job, we all came away with a little more knowledge.

The Dim Sum tasting session was also well supported, and they had us hands on making Dim Sum ourselves. We then all sat down to 3 varieties of Chinese tea and they handed out information about the history of Dim Sum itself which then followed a small banquet of several different Dim Sum for us to taste all compliments of the restaurant!

I found out about this event via a resident of Port Solent, but nobody else I had spoken to prior to the event had heard about it! Was this an intentional move to keep the publicity to a minimum due to limited spaces I wonder?

Overall it was a really great event and a superb idea, so if you missed out hopefully it will be back again next year!!!!

Port Solent Open Kitchen Events 16-18th July 2010

2010-07-06T18:36:00.000+01:00

Port Solent are holding a three day event which promises several of their top chefs inviting members of the public backstage for an intimate demonstration of how their signature dishes are created, whilst an expert sommelier and local brewer drop by to perform some wonderful wine and beer tasting sessions. There will be family entertainment throughout the day.

The events are due to take place between the 16th and 18th of July and places must be booked in advance.
for more information visit:

http://www.portsolent.com/open-kitchen-events

See you there!

Gunwharf Quays Food, Family Fun & Real Ale Festival

2010-07-05T18:04:00.002+01:00

This years event took place over 3 days starting Friday 2nd July with guest Raymond Blanc opening the proceedings. This is the 6th year this event has taken place now which is good to see it still going strong.

The Food Theatre featured guest chefs cooking in a purpose built kitchen. The kitchen was located in the centre area this time, rather than last year which was over by Raymond's Restaurant. This hopefully was done to attract more visitors to the demonstrations. The event also boasted a 40 cask real ale marquee with Wimbledon inspired Champagne and Strawberries, and lots of local food stalls, an Italian Market and a new family area.

Personally I didn't spend too much time looking around all the stores this year, so I can't comment on how good it all was. I went for one purpose only - to meet the legendary 2 Michelin star chef himself Raymond Blanc OBE, and what a thoroughly nice man. He hobbled over on his crutches to have a good old chat with me and my friend, which was a real pleasure. With the crutches and beard he's now sporting I think it took people a while to realise it was him standing talking with us!

All of the main theatre events could be reserved via a 'New for 2010 exclusive VIP packages' which were to include:

Gold Package - £40 per person 10am - 5pm

On arrival half bottle of champagne, Canapes throughout the day from Brasserie Blanc, Front row seats to see Raymond Blanc (Friday) or Richard Fox (Sunday), Entry to the Real Ale Marquee, Ticket to Spinnaker Tower, Bag drop area, all day free car parking, 2 x 20 minute rib rides around the Solent, cash bar, goody bag, souvenir programme, plasma TVs showing Wimbledon finals.

or:

Silver Package - £25 per person 10am - 2pm/1:30pm - 5pm
On arrival glass of champagne, Canapes throughout the day from Brasserie Blanc, Reserved seats to see Raymond Blanc (Friday) or Richard Fox (Sunday), Entry to the Real Ale Marquee, Ticket to Spinnaker Tower, Bag drop area, 2 hours free car parking, 1 x 20 minute rib rides around the Solent, Cash bar, Goody bag, Souvenir programme, Plasma TVs showing Wimbledon finals.

Were the tickets value for money, and did many people purchase these tickets i would love to know? I know one gentleman who sat behind us who had been given the gold package as a gift who was a little unhappy as his first rib ride never showed up, and his guaranteed front seat to see Raymond Blanc was just not guaranteed and he had to sit in the row behind us, and we had not paid a bean to see him! I felt a little sorry for him, as the organisation did not seem to run too smoothly. I am yet to ask him how the rest of his package went (as he just so happens to be a neighbour!)

Still, I'm looking forward to it again next year, please make it bigger and better than ever, as i would hate it to disappear like other foodie events do! As a customer I would love to give some input on what would be good to see next year, so please ask your public GWQ!!

Southsea Food Festival 2010

2010-06-22T09:31:00.003+01:00

It is a good idea to showcase the best of what our local area has, but sadly I feel this event does not live up to it's potential. I popped down on Sunday to have a look at this years Southsea food festival, and thought it was pretty much the same as last years, in terms of size and content, which in my view was very average then too.

I can't say I spent too much time here this year as on Saturday I went up to London to visit a Taste of London food festival in Regents Park, so was a little tired, but boy we could really learn a thing or two from that event.

What would be really nice to see is more local restaurants getting involved, showcasing the best they have, because really Portsmouth has some good restaurants from all corners of the earth.

Having chatted to a couple of local restaurant owners, they feel the event is somewhat tacky, and lacking in substance, so perhaps this is how many of them feel, and hence don't support it?

I think a fresh new look at this is event would help.

A taste of London is a perfect example of how local restaurants can make this work. Each of the restaurants had a stand with 3 to 4 dishes listed on a menu, which you go up to and choose what you like and pay with a currency of paper crowns. Something like this on a smaller scale would be perfect.

There was last year a Thai food event on Castle Fields which was brilliant in comparison to the Southsea food festival, with lots and lots of food stalls, cooking all yummy Thai cuisine, thus proving that it can be done!

With the closure of Love Albert Road Day, there is all the more reason to put more energy into the Southsea Food Festival in years to come.

What did anyone else think of this years event?

Don't forget to check out at Gunwharf Quays the Food, Family Fun & Real Ale Festival July 2nd - July 4th 2010

Old Portsmouth Fish Markets

2010-06-06T21:43:00.002+01:00

Monday, 31 May 2010

Old Portsmouth Fish Markets

I only recently discovered that there was another fish market (I'm a little embarrassed to say) besides Viviers at Camber Quay, and it is located very close to it. I am referring to Johnson's at the End of East street also in Old Portsmouth. So when I visited for the first time a few weeks back I was pleasantly surprised! It really looks the part in here, everything well laid out and the staff are amazingly helpful and friendly. I've never particularly enjoyed the experience of purchasing fish at Vivers, so it was a dream to find the other place.

Last week I overheard someone saying that one of these places had squid on 'special offer', and as I was planing on making a squid dish that very weekend so I hot footed it down there. Turned out to be Viviers who had the offer. So the next day I prepared my bargain squid and cooked it only to bite into it and realise it was way past it's best, hard and almost stale like. I don't take risks with seafood so sadly it went in the bin! This and the poorish service I have received in Viviers has now made me a Johnson's girl!

Does anyone else have a favourite? Are you a Viviers or Johnson's fan!!!

Relentless Steak & Lobster House, Elm Grove, Southsea

2010-05-25T14:43:00.000+01:00

New restaurant in town 'Relentless' is a Lobster and Steak House offering freshly cooked seafood caught daily from it's own fishing boats and sourcing it's meat from Buckwells. Any restaurant selling itself on good quality fish and meat is a winner in my book. Having picked up one of their flyer's which has adorned my fridge for the last couple of weeks with a beautiful looking thick sirloin steak on the picture, I couldn't resist any more!!

On arrival we were immediately asked if we would like appetisers, which were a choice of snails or asparagus with hollandaise or bread and olives. We had a quick scan down the starters and decided to skip them, but instead to go for the appetisers of snails and the asparagus. They were a really decent size served on large plates, and we were glad we had not ordered starters too. Both dishes were prepared well and the asparagus as it is currently in season was huge! It was not made clear if the appetisers were complementary or not. They turned out to be priced around the £3 mark.

The choice of starters and mains were very good, something for everyone including vegetarians. As we couldn't decide on fish or meat we both ordered the surf and turf option of half a lobster and rump steak at £24 each. This being the most expensive dish on the menu, but a fair price for both lobster and steak I think. The waiter gave me the choice of going up to the tank and actually fishing out my own lobster which all adds to the fun of eating out. The food is cooked in an 'open kitchen' but from were we were seated it was hard to see anything. On arrival of the mains the plates were huge with a really good size steak and served with green beans, flat mushrooms, tomatoes and a portion of home cooked chips. Even those with big appetite's would have been satisfied.

I had a little room for dessert so opted to share a portion of orange cheesecake which appeared to also be home made too. Nice and rich in the right way, a good finish to the meal.

General comments I have heard from others who have eaten here tend to be that Relentless is good value for money - and I would agree. My only request to you is please don't compromise on quality and portion size for profit like so many restaurants often do, as this may be why many will return in future.

Only thing we didn't like was being sat by the window next to the open front door (although it has been said that's where restaurants seat the good looking people - LOL), and with the door propped open most of the night, I presume due to ventilation issues in the kitchen area, this made it feel as if we were dining on Elm grove with the smokers and passers by.

Would I recommend? Yes. Top tip: Try and get a table in the cosy alcove at the back of the restaurant if your booking ahead.

Would I Go again? Yes, and I wish Scott Matthews and his team every success for the future.

Manna - High Street, Old Portsmouth

2010-05-24T15:43:00.002+01:00

I drove past this Tea Room and noticed it had changed. I'm not sure when this happened, but I liked what I saw and decided to pay a visit for breakfast. The decor has been well thought out, bright, inviting, and sophisticated. A great addition to Portsmouth.

The breakfast menu I thought was somewhat lacking in options. Personally I would have liked to have seen things such as poached eggs on toast, bagels or maybe even a smoked salmon option. This cafe could carry off these kind of chic choices, but the menu was limited to 3 or 4 options. We ordered 2 full English breakfast's which were ok, but nothing on the plate stood out in terms of quality considering the produce is all locally sourced -(Buckwells, Mislingford Farm).

Would I go again? Yes, but not for breakfast, maybe for afternoon tea and cake, as this seems to be their speciality. A few small hiccups with the service, and no sign of salt or pepper on any tables (even when we asked for it, it never came), which was a shame.

Would I recommend? Yes, give it a go. Hopefully the breakfast menu changes from time to time, and it is a great contemporary environment which will hopefully thrive. More good looking tea rooms/cafes in our area would be fantastic!!

10th Hampshire Food Festival - July 2010

2010-05-09T16:45:00.001+01:00

It's always good when there's foodie events in the local area, so was excited to receive an e-mail from Hampshire Fare outlining the events to be held this July. They are boasting the likes of Raymond Blanc, James Martin, Atul Kochhar, Ed Baines, John Burton Race, Alex Aitken and Rose Elliot are all taking part in the 10th Hampshire Food Festival throughout July (1st-31st), celebrating food and drink produced here in Hampshire. This is the pick of what is happening local to us this year:

Southsea Food Festival (19/20 JUNE...not July then...?)
GWQ Food and Real Ale Festival (2-4 July)
Family Chocolate Workshops (17 July Rowlands Castle)
Northney Farm Open Day (18 July Hayling Island)
Hampshire Water Festival (24-25 July Staunton Country Park, Havant)

I have to say I'm disappointed in the about of events happening on our doorstep. For such a densely populated area, surely we can produce more than this? It appears Winchester is the place to be, with a lot more variety of events. I recall looking at this programme last year too and feeling somewhat underwhelmed at the choices. Having said that I will certainly be popping along to the first two events. Raymond Himself is due to be appearing at GWQ on the Friday I read somewhere else, so I'm not sure if this is a 2 or 3 day event?

Anyway here's the link: http://www.hampshirefare.co.uk/downloadfile.asp?dID=82
If you're happy to travel a bit further then there are lots of things to try out. I'd love to hear if any good experiences were had during previous years, and at what events.

Both the Emsworth and Staunton Country Park food festivals have been axed, Even the one held last year in Brighon is no longer! What's happening to our food festivals???

So come on Portsmouth there is so much to offer - let's see a little more events happening here next year please!

Yo! Sushi for lunch

2010-05-08T16:57:00.002+01:00

People have mixed views about Yo! Sushi, but as it's recently opened at Gun Wharf it seemed rude not to give this branch a try. We arrived at 1.15pm to be told that they were not fully stocked on the belt and to return again in half an hour! Most people I speak to make noise about Yo! Sushi's high prices and the fact they don't like eating raw food! Both statements have a level of truth, but for many who are regulars I think the uniqueness of the set up and the quality of food is what keeps people coming back. On all previous occasions of eating in a Yo! Sushi I've opted for just eating items from the belt, but today I ordered from the menu too. We ordered Chicken Yakisoba noodles and a Seafood Rice dish and was not disappointed. These hot dishes are the same price as some of the dishes that come straight off the belt but with a lot more substance, so I was glad we sampled these dishes and they were both filling too. Some other dishes sampled today were Vegetable Tempura, Endame beans & Kaiso Salad. My Bill £23.70 for 2 people with a total of 8 dishes and 1 glass of water.

I did sign up a couple of months ago to the Yo! Love Club for news and promotions, but as yet have not received any correspondence.

The Manager told me today that in a couple of months time once they have found their feet they will be introducing their 'Blue Monday' promotion to the branch where dishes are all £2.20 which many will look forward to(including myself), because as much as I love the quirkiness and speed which you can eat at Yo! Sushi, I always come out feeling rather light in the pocket department.

What does everyone else think? It was amusing to see lots intrigued faces pressed up against the glass every few minutes. This is the closest I'm likely to ever know how animals in zoo's feel - LOL!!!

Gordon Ramsay Bamix

2010-05-05T14:36:00.000+01:00

I have been after a new blender/food processor/whisk for some time now as gradually the individual ones I had seem to give up the ghost after a year or so. My food processor was too bulky and was taking up too much work space in my kitchen also, so when a vital plastic part sheered off, it was finally time to shop about.

Completely by accident I came across the Bamix on a shopping channel. It claimed in the infomercial that it can do almost everything a large food processor can do - and it does it in any receptacle, even in a pot on the stove. It mixes, purées, emulsifies, aerates, chops, grinds etc.. It works extremely small but also large quantities. With more than 11 million units sold in all 5 continents, they claim it is certainly the most successful kitchen machine of its kind.

At a cost of £120 it is by no means cheap, but the item comes with a 10 year warranty, so I thought I would give it a whirl. Gordon Ramsay is not the kind of chef to put his name to a product if he is not serious about it, and since purchasing the item I have found out from a chef who has been in his kitchens that he has them at every work station in his restaurant now, so not just empty words. I have also seen the Bamix used on Saturday Kitchen and in the Professional kitchens in the final episodes of Masterchef.

My verdict: I love it!!! It is extremely handy, amazingly light-weight, requires a minimum of space... and it is cleaned in seconds! It looks like a hand held blender with various attachments that clip on and off to perform the various functions. It will turn skimmed milk and a few berries into a wonderful thick shake and I love the whisk for making meringues.

I opted for the Gordon Ramsay version (other models also available) as it came with a small mill for grinding and chopping too.

It is still early days for me and my Bamix but that aside, I hope I continue to love it just as much for the next 10 years!! Most independent reviews praise it highly too.

Fire & Stone...The verdict!!

2010-05-04T16:08:00.002+01:00

Always looking forward to trying any new eateries in my area, and after an offer on opening night of pizza's for £2 it had to be done! I'm not a big fan of eating out in pizza establishments but the menu with it's unusual combo's look like it could be worth a shot. We ordered pizza's from differing continents. From the 'Americas' menu we had Acapulco & New York, from the 'Asia' menu we had Koh Samui, and from the 'Europe' menu we had the San Sebastian. Acapulco was the most flavoursome of the 'Americas' with ground chilli beef, jalapenos, red onions and topped with sour cream and guacamole. New York was a let down we gave it 5 out of 10 as it was bland and rather like an average Domino's pizza. The Koh Samui was very unusual, all the flavours of Asia we have come to like on a pizza - yellow coconut sauce, red chilli, Thai basil, toasted sesame to name a few. It was topped with sweet potato cubes which was interesting an unusual and worked, as some of the other pizza's come topped with roasted potatoes and I'm not sure this works on a pizza - makes it somewhat stodgy and carries no real flavour enhancements.

Service was excellent, you could not tell it was opening night as on the surface from a customer point of view it all seemed to run smoothly.

Definitely worth a try, especially if you like pizza. The location is excellent, especially during the long summer nights as it is situated in the part of Gun Wharf that gets the late sun and they have outdoor seating with heat lamps too! Inside the restaurant looks the part, very well thought out. I'd not bother with the starters unless you have a huge appetite, as the two we tried were pretty bland - the 'mixed marinated olives' came with Italian bread sticks which were those long thin cheap ones you get in supermarkets - yuck!

If you enjoy it and want to return then don't miss out on the privilege card that is on offer as it gives you a 15% off A La Carte and a free pizza when you have paid full price for 6.

Fire & Stone Pizza - Gunwharf Quays

2010-04-15T14:33:00.000+01:00

This place opens on Monday 19th and look to be doing some amazing first week offers:

Wednesday 21st April - £2 pizzas
Thursday 22nd April - £3 pizzas
Friday 23rd April - £4 pizzas
Saturday 24th April - £5 pizzas
Sunday 25th April - £6 pizzas

Fire & Stone claim to take pizza to an exciting new level with amazing stone-baked pizza made from entirely fresh ingredients, cooked to perfection in a gigantic wood-fired oven. The combinations of toppings are inspired from five continents. Sounds the part...watch this space for my verdict. Hopefully I'll be one of the lucky ones who can get the £1 pizza deal via there website - either way I'll be there!!

They only have branches at Covent Garden and Oxford, GWQ being no. 3. Let's hope it lives up to expectations!

abarbistro Old Portsmouth

2010-04-10T16:56:00.000+01:00

Went here for lunch today - just fancied something with a bright and spring like atmosphere. I think this place is fab inside, I love the art work in here - the scenes of Southsea seafront fit this bistro's environment, and the provocotive black and white picture of a lady with a glass of red wine placed on the table in front of her always gets a smile from me.

A few people braved it to sit outside and also in the sun garden at the rear, but we opted for a table inside. I really fancied the chips as I could see they were presented in a nice metallic cone and looked really golden. Looking down at the menu I was initially feeling cautious of what to order due to the fairly high prices of some of the dishes, (I don't know why but I always have a hard time in my mind justifying a large food bill at lunchtimes), but the proof is always in the eating I say. We ordered between us a cone of chips £3, small moules £6 and a ham doorstep sandwich £4 which are all reasonably priced. The chips were the best I have ever had in a restaurant (I'm wondering if they use the twice cooked method), moules were beautiful with just the right balance of wine and the lemon perfectly proportioned in the sauce just to lift it correctly, and the ham doorstep too was really good. So if the rest of the menu is this good, then it really does justify the pricing. As they are so close to the fish market I would guess that all of their fish dishes would be perfect, and so am looking forward to re-visiting this bistro - only problem is will I be able to draw myself away from ordering the moules and frites!!!

P.s Don't miss out on visiting Camber Wines upstairs if you get a chance.

Ashburton Cookery School

2010-04-07T16:05:00.000+01:00

March 2010 I recently attended a 2 day course entitled 'Gastro Plus' which was amazing! Anyone wanting to improve their skills, and pick up tips, then this is just for you. A very professional and well organised school, it is one of the best in the country (so I'm told). My teacher was Chef James Knight-Pacheco who came runner-up with friend Alasdair on the BBC television show ‘The Restaurant’ and was subsequently offered a year long position at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir and has also worked at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges & The Square in Mayfair. This experience really showed through as he gave us lots of 'Michelin' style hints and tips along the way.
The course content included making 2 fish courses for lunch; we made Sea bream fillets with cherry tomato and basil salsa and the other dish was Seabass fillets with poached quails eggs, crispy parma ham and white truffle oil. Not only do you learn to prep and cook the fish, but also how to fillet it! Other fun dishes we made included Gin & Tonic sorbet and Lavender creme brulee. We also made a pork dish on the first day and duck on the second. The courses are designed so that you make the dishes for yourself and then eat them at lunch, and dinner in the late afternoon. This way you get to enjoy the fruits of your labour!

It is quite tiring on your feet for 2 days but the effort is well worth it. I returned home with many recipes under my belt and the confidence to 'experiment' with the dishes and to try different infusions and ingredients. There was knowledge to be gained for all levels of experience and the school offers lots of different courses. The schoold is based in Ashburton, Devon and they also offer accomodation.
www.ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk

New restaurant on the block - Relentless, Elm Grove

2010-04-05T16:01:00.000+01:00

Been out today for a walk and discovered a new restaurant on Elm Grove next to Rosie's called 'Relentless'. It is a Steak and Lobster House and the leaflet I picked up explains that the idea is that of cooking locally caught fish and meat to be supplied by Buckwells in an open kitchen! They state they have a fleet of their own fishing boats and what they can't get will come from Brixton fish market to ensure there is no middle man and that the fish is fresh. You can also pick out your own lobster from the tank. So looking forward to trying this at some point.

This place has changed hands a few times, but the building has been totally revamped and looks rather nice.

Yo! Sushi coming soon to Gunwharf

2010-04-05T15:59:00.000+01:00

Went to Southampton this week only to discover a new Yo! Sushi in West Quay. The waitress pointed out a man who she told me is the new Manager of the soon to be open restaurant in Gunwharf!!! Yippee!!

Its going to be opposite M&S I'm told and hopefully will be open in a few weeks. I messaged Gunwharf themselves to confirm this which they did and I also asked if there were to be any promotions (as Wagamamma's had one), but they just said watch this space. I'm not holding my breath as the Southampton one didn't have any.

Giraffe - Gunwharf Quays

2010-04-05T15:52:00.000+01:00

17 Mar 2010
Really wanted this experience to be great as I have read reviews on this chain restaurant and it was ranked rather high in a respected food magazine. Having arrived I was somewhat disapointed in the menu, not knowing why until I returned home to look at the menu online and saw that only a fraction of the unusual dishes were available at Gunwharf making it in my opinion 'average'. The food we ordered was good, and the staff attentive, but I just don't think I will be visiting again, as there is not much on the menu to tempt me. Wagamamma's is opening there very soon - stiff competition from them, so I really think Giraffe you should add some of the other dishes to the Portsmouth branch. This is my first expereince of visiting a chain restaurant where certain items are only available at other branches!! Clothes maybe - but food??????!!!!

Sakura - Albert Road

2010-04-05T15:50:00.001+01:00

22 Feb 2010
Loved it here - went for lunch on Saturday. Only wish they did a lunchtime menu at a slightly cheaper price. A must for any sushi lovers.

JSW - Petersfield

2010-04-05T15:49:00.000+01:00

7 Feb 2010
Having been to several of the one star restaurants in our region I was looking forward to trying JSW. At first glance I was a little disapointed to see that there was once an 8 course tasting menu which has now been slashed to a 5. On asking why,I was told it was too complicated with eight, as they were bringing out two dishes at a time and one was getting cold. - Anyway, the building is very pretty and looks the part. The food was very nice although my main critism for a Michelin restaurant was that there was absolutely no amuse bouche or any palette cleaners between courses and I can't say I have ever been to a Michelin restaurant where these extras didn't happen. I have even been to non-starred restaurants which have, and it all adds to the anticipation and enjoyment of the meal. So JSW, you should really think of adding these in as I mentioned to a member of your team - people who enjoy fine dining expect it. One of our courses also arrived whilst I was powdering my nose, so to speak, and really I feel both of our dishes should have automatically been held back until my return. Very young staff lacking a little in expreience also, but very pleasant natured. Tried to pay via American Express and was told it was not taken, which left us wondering if making money was the main priority of the restaurant (as there is a charge for the restaurant to take this card), and a few things that occured during the night left us wondering if the things lacking were due to trying to achieve higher profit margins rather than great dining.
In summary - a nice restaurant, but average. Would not go again, but hopefull thet they will make some needed changes.
Top tip: try Restaurant 27 in Southsea, just as good (if not better) yet half the price.

Restaurant 27 - Southsea

2010-04-05T15:44:00.000+01:00

12 Nov 2009
YIPEE!!! I was so excited when I heard that a fine dining restaurant was opening in Southsea, one which would love a Michelin star according to it's own staff. The restaurant only opened a week ago today, so I couldn't wait to be one of it's first customers on Saturday night, and I was not disappointed! The owner is a former chef at Bistro Montparnasse, so we knew we were on to a good thing. The building is beautiful and very warm and cosy, almost like a lounge and I was glad to see carpet and not some horrid hard wood floor that can make restaurants sometimes feel clinical. The menu offered 3 courses for £35. The food was beautiful and having just last month eaten at the Hamborough on the Isle of W which has one Michelin star we thought in it's own right that Restaurant 27 was just as good. I look forward to seeing what other foodies out there thought of it. I could go on in great detail about the food we ate, but I wont, all I will say is, that Kevin's signature dish is even more finer tuned than it was at Montparnasse - thanks! The staff were so helpful and the service was spot on. I can't fault it, olny negative comment I can possibly make was that we would have liked the bread to stay on the table for longer, but if that's all I can come up with...! I wish the team evey success and we will be back again in January once Christmas is over with.

Vatika - Wickham

2010-04-05T15:40:00.000+01:00

10 Nov 2009
I see everyone's experiences here were good, and I wanted mine to be also, but my visit back in the summer was spoilt by the flat atmosphere and awful smell in the restaurant. The food however was good. I actually didn't like the fact that when I called to book I was told we only had a 2ish hour window before we had to leave for the next sitting, and I can't bear that in restaurants. Fine dining should be about taking your time over the meal. As for the smell, well it can only be described as disenfectant!!! I e-mailed my comments to them regarding this when I returned home (apparantly according to the website direct to Atol), but with no reply. I'm sad about this because I wanted an explanation as to the awful smell and to feel as if my feedback was valued. Message sent twice and no reply. The stern looking female manager could do with smiling a little more - fine dining does not have to be stiff necked!!!!

The Hamborough - IOW

2010-04-05T15:38:00.000+01:00

10 Nov 2009
we travelled over from Portsmouth to stay here for the night in the hotel too, and really enjoyed it. The hotel was really cosy and the bathroom lovely too. Great decor.

The restaurant was split into two rooms. We were seated by the window but sady it was too dark to experience the lovely ocean views. We enjoyed the meal and the wine also. This is not our first one star restaurant visit, so we had comparisons to make. Overall it was well worth going. We had the tasting menu, but would have liked one or two more extras. Service was great as expected, and we would return again.

Blue Nile - Osbourne Road

2010-04-05T15:35:00.000+01:00

25 Jul 2009
Wow! We went here after a recent review in the local paper - and we were not disapointed! For those not too sure wheter to try it or not - I would say to you if you like curry, then you will like this. The staff are so attentive and polite. The food is so very reasonably priced, and the way you are traditionally enouraged to eat the food makes the experience wonderful. Coffee is freshly made - and I mean even the beans are roasted right there in front of you, lovingly by hand; "you won't get that in Starbucks" I heard another diner say!

I hope this place does really well as it deserves it. I'm told it is the only Ethopian Restaurant on the whole of the south coast - so go and experience something new!!

Brasserie Blanc

2010-04-05T15:32:00.000+01:00

25 Jul 2009

Got the chance to go when it opened as they did a 50%off the bill pre opening offer to local residents. It was ok, our bill came to around £50 (excluding the discount), which had we paid full price, my jaw would have dropped to the ground! Average tasting (and only 8oz) steak was a whopping £26.00 full price which I would never pay in a restaurant. The snails were lovely though. Verdict - over priced and not everything made fresh!