Bell's Diner

helenleckie

Good Food, but don't believe the hype 14th February 2008

1 found this helpful

I ate here on 5th December 2007. My birthday in fact.

It was a satisfactory birthday meal, although every dessert was Christmas-related, which made me feel a bit less special.

The food is nice, and they tried some adventurous techniques. The chef is of the Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal school of experimental cooking. To me the techniques and slightly odd flavours did not really make them taste too different from a regular dish. On one dish they had slivers of ?was it salmon tartare? with cubes of tea jelly. (I may have this slightly wrong but this is what I remember). Unfortunately the jelly was very mildly flavoured and did not stand up to the strong fish.

It was, however, all very tasty, and reasonably priced for an avant-garde (?sp?) eatery. The a la carte menu averaged about £30 per person for three courses, excluding drinks. Speaking of which, I was a little disappointed by the rough fitou we had with our meal, but I have to admit we probably did not pair it very well.

The location causes concern for some, in a back street of Montpelier, but I felt safe enough there, and the ambience inside is welcoming and not at all stuffy.

evilkitten

Tries too hard 9th June 2007

3 found this helpful

I'd seen this restaurant mentioned in several national publications, not to mention BA's inflight magazine, and was determined to try it out.

I can see what the fuss is about; the restaurant has a lovely cosy feel to it, and the food is very, very good. I can't fault it, in fact.

There is, however, a problem with Bell's Diner, and that is that it tries too hard. Just because it is possible to create parsnip and tobacco ice-cream doesn't mean it is a good idea. The menu is littered with these gastronomic land mines, and it is difficult to pick a meal without chosing something that perhaps you wouldn't elsewhere.