Gazpacho Gazpacho

A refreshing cold soup with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, olive oil, and vinegar, perfect for a light summer appetizer.

The Star Inn Sparsholt

The Star Inn Sparsholt

Watery Ln, Sparsholt, United Kingdom

Wine • Coffee • British • Ice Cream


"Went for dinner on the 7th of October to celebrate my partners birthday. Started off with a lovely Nigroni for myself and a gin and tonic for my partner but unfortunately was downhill from there. We ordered our food with the waitress, explaining that I was dairy intolerant, I ordered and the waitress checked with the kitchen that what I had ordered could be done dairy free. We also ordered a bottle of wine so that it had time to open up while we finished our drinks. No wine appeared. I had the duck terrine to start and my partner and I shared some sourdough. We asked for some balsamic and oil to go with the bread for myself but this was forgotten and did not get picked up until we had nearly finished our starters. The terrine was bland and did not seem like much care had gone into making it. The plum chutney was overly spicey and the celeriac slaw consisted of some raw celeriac dressed with what seemed like just pure lemon juice. The toasted bread was missing from the plate. I left over half the dish, the waitress that cleared the table asked if the dish was okay and I said that I did not really enjoy it. We then asked for our wine which had been forgotten about. My partner had the beef cheek for main. The beef cheek itself was well executed, it was served with a horseradish mash but unfortunately this was under seasoned. Also on the dish were three tiny florets of over cooked broccoli. This meant that the whole dish was one texture and boring. I had the venison for main, the haunch was cooked nicely and the cabbage was okay, but the scotch egg was split down the side, rare and cold in the middle. That was unpleasant to eat and I left it. I asked the waitress if it was meant to be served like that and she told me that it was meant to be served rare but that should have been explained For dessert, my partner had the creme brulle. This was nice. I had the bakewell which was okay but the sponge was dry. Again I did not finish the plate. The bill came with no change based on any of the feedback I had given, I did not want to complain further as my partner and I don 't get out often and I did not want to spoil our evening. We were expecting a similar service to the Woodspeen being its sister resteraunt but sadly it was no where near the mark. Overall a very disappointing evening."

Pot Kiln

Pot Kiln

RG18 0XX Frilsham, United Kingdom

Pub • British • Terrace • Ice Cream


"When we arrived, we tried to make a reservation but couldn't get through by phone. Fortunately, there was no problem getting a table as it was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night. We ordered four venison dishes and two duck dishes, which soon arrived. Unfortunately, all of the venison meals were cold, including the mashed potatoes. We spoke to our waitress about this, and she assured us she would take care of it. The dishes came back, and as we dug in again, we found they were still lukewarm. The venison itself was tougher than I remembered from my previous visit. I mentioned this to our waitress, and in response, we received some complimentary French fries, which the kids loved and were hot—unlike the mashed potatoes. To her credit, the waitress apologized again and mentioned that to make up for the cold venison and mash, she had arranged free desserts for all of us, which was a nice touch. The desserts were delightful; the ice cream profiteroles were a hit with both the kids and the adults. The meal would have easily earned five stars if the main courses had been hot. It’s disappointing because I truly enjoy the location and the home-cooked quality of the food. I hope my experience was just a fluke, but with the current challenges facing restaurants, it's essential to be consistently at your best. Everyone is feeling the pinch these days, and a negative experience could prevent us from returning."

Lympstone Manor

Lympstone Manor

Courtlands Ln, Exmouth, United Kingdom, EX8 3NZ

Cakes • British • European • Breakfast


"we arrived shortly after 3 o'clock in lympstone manor and spent the afternoon on the 18 hectar large ground. the reasons that run all the way from the manor house to the Exe-Eistuary are well tended and managed. when we went, we profited from the different ways that the land was used and even used some of the seats. First we went through the weinberg and met andrew hunt, the weinberg manager, who strip the gras at the bottom of the rebs, so that the cool air through the rebs of the opening ran in the position to benefit their growth. we have left the weinberg, which we came to the coast and the shepherds hats, which are an alternative type of stay in lympstone for those who want to be close to nature. the huts are around a small lake and are named after the home of animal shelters: otter holt, Hare’s rest, hedgehog row, bee hive and fox den. these accommodations share a common grill zone and a series of them had whirlpools and while I am not one to to torment it, I suspect that it would be nothing bad to stay in one of these! the next part of the hike led us to a series of gentlely flowing lakes. I remember going past that the details of such natural drainage systems were outlined in the archers about eight years ago when they were implemented in bridge farm. next to the lakes leads the ladies walk, who was a Georgian invention for the ladies to wander while the men had their brandy and cigars after dinner. the walk runs around the edge of the estate and the pond leads it to the pool, tennis courts and back to the main house and back to more of the amazing sculptures that are around the house and property. the ladies walk also includes a scenic 'marry me' vibration accompanied by a quote from the days when young lovers had tried in the forest or perhaps still do! while we did not rush on the walk, we took two hours just meandering and enjoy the warm summer air with gentle meeresbrises and beautiful view over the mouth, to exmouth and the sea beyond. then after a wonderful afternoon we had time to shower and go to the appetizer. three light canapes were served with the drinks and were a real promise what was to come delicious. we have checked the menu and decided for the signature tasting menu that has a good mix of seafood, fishing, vegetables and meat. there is not enough space in a google review to do a hit through the bill of the meal, but just to say that there is a nice meal with all the delicate and balance of taste that we had expected when michael caines ' eating on television. the service was impeccable, with each employee showing a real interest in our desires and needs and offers all our needs. After we started with kanaps at 18.30 a.m., it was about 10.30 a.m. when we were finished and came back to the room, we were very, very satisfied."

The Mezzanine

The Mezzanine

Upper Ground, Lambeth, United Kingdom

Soup • Cafés • Coffee • Seafood


"We have been dining at the Mezzanine in the National Theatre for many years. It is by far the most convenient dining option for theatre patrons before or after a performance. They are very practiced at meeting curtains for their customers before matinees or evening performances at up to three theatres at once. But the ambience is also sufficiently relaxing for diners after a performance. Given this priority, the food is surprising good and reasonable value. My experience of the steaks is that they are not as good as advertised (Buccleuch Estate), but the menu choice is very good. Just make certain to ask for all sauces on the side because they tend to be very strong and smother the natural taste of the food (even poured all over the pineapple ring on top of the roast pork chop, and preventing the duck confit from being crisp on the outside). Some tables have good views of the Thames and the South Bank promenade, but most are well inside the concrete building. Still, I have tried many nearby restaurants over the years and some, like RSJ, are quite good; but you can't beat the convenience of the Mezzanine combined with the reasonable quality of the food and atmosphere. The serving staff are obliging and youthfully charming at all times. Front of house is very well managed. The kitchen could use a little more care and taste in preparation. They do try when asked by the obliging staff, but it is a matter of culinary training that needs to be considered. They also have to work under the pressure of most meals being prepared in time for curtain-up!"