Homemade Soup Of The Day Homemade Soup Of The Day

A warm, comforting soup made fresh daily with seasonal ingredients for a delightful surprise.

The Peacock At Rowsley

The Peacock At Rowsley

Bakewell Rd, DE4 2EB, Derbyshire Dales, United Kingdom

Steak • British • European • Vegetarian


"In a gastronomic era dominated by a surfeit of no-choice tasting menus it is a delight to sample the fine dining choices offered by the menu at the Peacock. With its delicious, daily changing, amuse bouches and pre-deserts along with a hyper-salivatory choice of seven starters and mains, it takes you back to the masterfully inventive days of the 1970 with all the refinements of a modern and superbly creative kitchen team. This super bill of fare offers guests at the hotel a good reason to stay for a few nights without wondering where-else to eat. After temperature checks and hand sanitising we were warmly, and efficiently, welcomed into the bosom of this lovely old Hotel in the heart of early autumnal Derbyshire. The food was up there with the very best of British cooking. My starter of beautifully presented Tuna tartare with a soy flavouring and a thin yuzu gel covering was a sushi wonder and my wife's cauliflower soup with curry oil drizzle (another homage to the 70's) superbly creamy and flavoursome. Our mains (Stone bass with fennel and sardines and the superb goats curd and shallot ravioli) were accompanied by an excellent choice of wines by glass or bottle. Choice also included equally tasty but more traditional items from the bar menu and the meal was completed by desserts that would have made any Michelin pastry chef proud. We travelled for over an hour to reach this culinary haven and it was worth every minute. The restaurant, attentive waiting staff and, especially the chefs, provided us with an evening of foody delight. Just go there! You won't regret it."

Habit

Habit

Friary Court, City of London,Westminster, United Kingdom

Steak • British • Sandwich • Sandwiches


"Davy's wine bars have been a part of the London scene for more than 30 years. They have a deserved reputation for good wine and well-cooked simple fare. We were disappointed, though, in Habit. The decor is typical of Davy's, having the appearance of what I imagine a city coffee house might have been like. There are plenty of oak and barrels about the place. There are bar and restaurant areas with lots of alcoves and semi private rooms. In times gone by, a Davy's would have been jam packed at 8 o'clock on a Friday evening but there were just four people watching TV in the bar area, a group of six dining in one of the rooms and my wife and me. It is true the Rio Olympics on TV were a counter attraction but ... The menu is basic and brief. We chose crab toast to start. This comprised two slices of barely toasted bread spread with marie rose sauce and piled high with crab meat. The whole thing was topped with a fennel, avocado and chilli concoction which in colour was grey to the point of looking unappetising, and whilst it did not taste unpleasant, the fennel masked the avocado. Our main course was fish and thrice cooked chips. The fish was fine, although the batter could have been crispier and the portion larger. Cooking chips three times is something of a foodie fad that is fast becoming a cliche. The chips were soggy and waxy rather than crispy and fluffy inside. The accompanying mushy peas were well minted and tasty but an unfortunate luminous green in colour. Service was prompt and cheerful seemingly in apology for the lack of ambience. The bill, including a glass of wine each was a reasonable enough £50. I can't help feeling, though, there is better to be had elsewhere for not much more money. I hope Davy's can put some quality into the food and some vibrancy into the atmosphere and that in so doing they would attract more customers and create a venue that would capture some of the popularity of Davy's from the 1980s."