Amuse Bouches
Chez Roux

Chez Roux

Greywalls Hotel, EH31 2EG, East Lothian, United Kingdom

Food • French • 4-star • Lodging


"Such a beautiful building and gardens, with a unique history and atmosphere. It feels picky to point out small things which aren’t quite right when clearly its a privilege to stay in such a place, but given the prices and the standard of the competition, expectations are high. There’s nothing really wrong with any of it, but too many small details end up making you feel a bit underwhelmed. On the positive side, the building is stunning and the gardens are immaculate with views out over Muirfield golf course and a lovely rural quiet with birds singing etc. Welcome was friendly and attentive. Our room was in the old building, so clearly you don’t expect straight lines and perfection, but the decor is a bit tired, the windows stuck closed, it was overheated and the room amenities basic for the price not even a particularly comfortable bed. The country house hotel feel downstairs is nice and obviously in keeping with the house so a bit old fashioned it’s hard to find somewhere to sit where you don’t feel overheard and overlooked by others. Again nothing really wrong with the meal in chez roux restaurant, but it was dull fancy menu titles don’t really cover up some pretty straightforward food, though it was well executed and the wine list similarly full of safe recognisable names at a pretty heavy markup. Breakfast was similar, and not even that well done overcooked eggs, slightly stale pastries and a long wait for the teas and coffees. All quite conservative I guess maybe it works for their target demographic. Service was OK, but the pleasant facade didn’t really translate into a seamless experience and maybe they are, like many places, overstretched. Underwhelmed."

Drunken Duck Inn

Drunken Duck Inn

Barngates, Ambleside, United Kingdom, LA22 0NG, AMBLESIDE

Pub • Vegan • British • Vegetarian


"As a Visitor, wanting to experience a true flavour of The Lake District, in terms of Location/Scenery, Local Ales/Locally sourced Produce to eat, and Local Hospitality, you hope to find a real Gem of a Pub like this. It 's certainly, off the beaten track , and is frequented by, those in the know (in our case, my Wife, who had been there prior to us meeting), Walkers/Cyclists/Car Trippers who stumble across it by chance, and most importantly, the Locals. Best to book, if you 're wanting to eat Evening Meal there; it 's served in the Dining Room Area, so spaces are limited, and they fill up VERY quickly. The interior of the Pub is extremely, homely and Traditional, with Retro Signs, Notices, and Adverts, adorning the Walls of the Main Bar Area. Toilets are spotless, and accessible to all Guests. The Car Park is in a, Clearing opposite the Pub, and there are Seating Areas in the Main Bar Area/Dining Room, immediately outside the Pub, and on Benches across the Road from the Pub (which provide stunning views of the Locale). Want to know about the best Local Ales? Ask one of the Locals, who are extremely welcoming, and more than happy to share their knowledge with you (we settled on Tag Hag, and Brathay Gold). The Pub also has its own Micro Brewery, and we look forward to working our way through these particular Ales, at some point! Cannot recommend The Drunken Duck, highly enough. Go and see for yourself!"

The Barn At Moor Hall

The Barn At Moor Hall

Moor Hall Barn Prescot Road, L39 6RT, West Lancashire, United Kingdom

Kebab • Mexican • Asiatic • Seafood


"ok… I have deliberated whether to write this as don’t like to be negative but I think this place can take it so here goes… My husband booked a meal as a Christmas pressie this as I have always wanted to go to a michelin star restaurant and this is quite local to us. We arrived at The Barn which is quite basic in appearance as the downstairs looks like several saunas due to the amount of wood on show. Upstairs was nice and attractive. The staff are efficient but the whole set up is bit ‘cold’ and unfriendly. The staff were not particularly engaged; maybe this is how they were trained to be? The food consisted of amuse bouche which tbh didn’t really taste of much and this was a theme for the whole menu unfortunately. The homemade bread was delicious but the other offerings were tasteless and needed seasoning. -trout mousse in a lemon broth, including pips, was tasteless and the mussel mousse on pikelet didn’t taste of mussels. anyhow on to the main event-we ordered partridge -chewy and tasteless, the cured sea bream not seasoned sufficiently. The meals looked delicious-style over taste? Then the mains-my deer was tender and delicious but the sauces didn’t taste of much-I had to check the menu to see what they were meant to be. My husband ordered the steak-now at £62 this should have been SOME steak- what a shame it wasn’t -it was just a sirloin, bit chewy, not that great. Deffo not worth £62 of taste! It wasn’t caramelised on the outside and abit sinewy. The bone marrow bearnaise sauce was tasty though. Now I like cooking, I like food , I cook fresh meals every night but I’m not a chef. My first experience of food at this level… I will stick to local restaurants WITHOUT michelin stars at a fraction of the price -tbh I prefer my own home cooked meals! Is this a case of the emperors new clothes? Do people just think it’s good because they are told by someone else it’s fantastic? I’m disappointed in the experience at The Barn. Bit of a wash out and I will be asking for a meal at Bistro Verite in Birkdale next Christmas probs at a fraction of the price!"

The Boat House Bangor NI

The Boat House Bangor NI

1A Seacliff RoadCo Down BT20 5HA, Bangor, United Kingdom

Kebab • Seafood • Asiatic • Mexican


"Tl;dr this chef and this team are on their way to a Michelin star, so get a reservation while you can. We visited here Saturday 29, where we enjoyed the tasting menu by current chef John Hollywood. Their tasting menu is averagely priced, comparable to Dublin’s Bastible, with 6 courses actual, and plenty of wine. Aside from the setup, nothing else is average. The staff at Boat House are second to none. The atmosphere is similar to Hof van Cleve, with chirpy, witty staff happily serving customers and following the mood of the table. Their sommelier and wine pairing is particularly special, with each bottle subverting the trend, unexpected, but without compromising on quality (see: Bastible cannot figure out wine). Their sommelier is a wine nerd who’s happy to go into as much depth as you want, but you feed off the passion between courses, which is a really great dynamic between the staff and the table this is rare, usually only achieved at top star restaurants. I’ve never found this in the island of Ireland. The food itself is the perfect mix of foraged from land and sea, each dish testing and surprising you, but with some classics mixed in (beef Barolo your reward for trusting the chef). On the whole, the menu seems designed to subvert comfort you in equal measure, and succeeds with every course. You won’t find the same level of experimentation from many of the Italian tasting menus on the circuit, but that comes with the assurances of consistent quality and a journey that’ll never let you down, where subversive wine pairings inject a level of exciting chaos without risking the food. Between the atmosphere, staff, and chemistry at the table in the kitchen, a trip to Boat House can be held in the same regard as some of the world’s top Michelin star restaurants. They’re on the way. They have the ingredients, whether you know it or not. Better start those birthday reservations now."