• Added: 7th of August 2008
• Area: Brompton
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SW1E 5JA
020 7834 3547

Hugo said
Rancid Tuna
Oh dear, it is not often I do a stinker of a review but I feel forced to pull one out of the bag. The reason: The grimmest serving of Tuna I have ever had. I am naturally greedy (I fear), so it is rare if I don't eat up all my grub but, in my book, this was inedible. The tuna just tasted wrong, rancid if my imagination was not over-doing things, the risotto was suspiciously bland yet gloupy (sorry hard to explain) and the sauce was untouchable, a sickly yellow squidge that I wouldn't eat if you paid me.

To be fair other things about the Pheonix food experience were ok: the waitress was attentive and friendly (the main reason I feel slightly guilty for this review in fact) and others claimed some of their food was ok. Apparently the steak was pretty darn good but I got rather mixed reviews on the other dishes - salmon (same sauce as mine I noted) and a chicken dish.

In summary it seemed like it was trying to be a gastro-pub without the passion for the gastro. It sounds unkind but it seemed like they were going through the motions without the product at the end. Love to hear about any contrary and more uplifiting experiences. After all this is a potential local for me but one thing is for sure, I would never, ever, order the tuna here again.

The most popular feature of the Pheonix pub, I should note, is that it allows people to drink outside over an extensive area of the street (spilling out of a smaller beer garden type thing at the back).

• Added: 1st of August 2008
• Area: Halkirk
• Category: Hotels and Travel

Halkirk KW12 6XY
01847 831641

Hugo said
Fishermans dream hotel & restaurant
The Ulbster Arms Hotel has built itself a reputation as the hotel for fisherman in Caithness and anyone else for that matter, pottering around Caithness.

The hotel itself is probably mostly used by fisherman on Thursoe (as stunning local Salmon river) but after a recent tasteful refurbishment, new management and a new chef, there is a diverse set of guests at this charming hotel/ restaurant.

I stayed here for 4 days and had some superb food including lobster, fresh haddock/ poached egg for breakfast, fresh lemon sole, venison casserole and much more besides.

The local area, especially up by the loch at the top of Thursoe is wild and utterly stunning.

The hotel caters across a range of options from some cheap cabins to some very pucca new double rooms with large baths actually in the rooms and views of the river, which is quite fun.

• Added: 1st of August 2008
• Area: Helmsdale
• Category: Restaurants

Helmsdale KW8 6JA
01431 821 102

Hugo said
Local Scottish Food
A delicious pit-stop meal, just passing through the Bridge Hotel in Helmsdale.

An excellent Red Deer Stew with mashed potatoes and beans. As simple as that and thoroughly delicious. If you are passing through this neck of the woods, either for a few days or on your way oop North to John O Groats then this is worth a pitstop.

They also seem to do a raft of other foods and have all sorts including fresh lobster.

They pride themselves on using local produce and there is some wonderful stuff around this neck of the woods.

• Added: 29th of June 2008
• Area: Petersfield
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Petersfield GU32 2DA

Hugo said
unspoilt traditional country pub
The Harrow is a local country pub next door to where I went to school. It has always had a legendary status as a traditional and unspoilt local pub. What is rather remarkable is that nothing has changed, literally nothing: the loos, the menu, the owners, the garden, the parking....a time warp of unspoilt unkempt charm.

I just returned there the other day for a cricket match and was touched by its humble simplicity and stubborness to move with the times. Sadly a dual-carrageway has cut through the landscape within a stone's throw but despite this it remains a bastion of a British way of life and pretty much an-affected. Perhaps most remarkable is how the menu has been identical for decades: split-pea, lentil and ham soup, ham ploughmans, cheese ploughmans, cottage pie and, well, that is about it. Gastro-pub this is not. However, all the ales are served directly from the barrels and the tiny pub rooms are uncompromisingly....small and pokey: perfect.

The pubs notably stoic approach to maintaining its unspoilt charms do not go un-noticed as this year it won most unspoilt pub of the year award:
http://www.goodguides.co.uk/NationalWinners2008.htm

So, if you are in the Petersfield area and fancy a pint then pop-in to the Harrow. You should not be disappointed with your traditional pub experience to remember the good old days. You probably would not drive there to eat but after a pint or two the food seems excellent.

• Added: 6th of June 2008
• Area: St James's
• Category: Restaurants

London SW1A 1RD
020 7629 2239

Hugo said
Reputation Deserved
This establishment has a reputation for a reason: It is professionally run and has truly excellent food.

The restaurant is chocca in the evening and has a lively vibe. Whilst it may be a little noisy for those who don't like to raise their voice the quality of food and ambiance let that potential irritation pale into insignificance.

Le Caprice's food is so good that i think i could honestly eat it every day of my life. I had a light but exceptionally tasty meal: Cold beetroot soup with horseradish (mmm, perfect) and then arguably the best blue fin tuna I have had - luscious and thickly chopped tuna steak on a bed of cleverly spiced lentils that were astonishly complimentary.

Monitoring closely the other dishes around the table, the soft crab appetizer looked a winner, as did the juicy helpings of scallops.

All in all, highly recommended.

(Punters should note that doing anything as vulgar as photographing your dinner party is utterly banned, which I personally find a shade OTT and potentially pretentious but I am in a surprisingly forgiving mood after such tasty food.)

• Added: 3rd of June 2008
• Area: Swinton
• Category: Restaurants

Swinton TD11 3JJ
01890 860 257

Hugo said
Borders fine dining
I got a word-of-mouth recommendation from several locals for this restaurant in Swinton. I believe that more than anything there just aren't that many tasty places to eat out in the Borders. Being an urbanite who is making strides to become more rural (at least part of the time) I am still slightly slow to drop my eating out tendencies...so was keen to try out The Wheatsheaf.

The entrance window of the restaurant leaves you in no doubt that they have their share of awards and the location is charmingly opposite the village green. The amosphere is quite formal but extremely friendly. We were sat down at the bar and our orders taken from there, which seemed pleasantly old fashioned. It was a Monday night and absolutely empty, so not really a fair test (worth bearing in mind on busier nights - don't blame me if v different!).

The menu was excellent, with a raft of staple local Scottish meats and fish. I ate a tasty timbale of cold 'hot smoked salmon', prawns and other bits-n-bobs. I then had a very tasty halibut. My fellow dining comrades ate local beef and lamb, which was by all reports quite good. Good presentation, in a modern style but not too intricate/ fancy so as to be irritating.

My inclination is to say great service, pleasant atmos, tasty food: probably a 3.5 star but erring on the side of 4 for goodwill (and the fact that there arn't many options around here).

• Added: 2nd of June 2008
• Area: Holy Island
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Holy Island TD15 2SJ
01289 389 109

Hugo said
Well worth a pilgrimage: coffee with passion
Passion makes a difference and 'Pilgrims Coffee Shop' is a case in point. This family run tea room on Lindisfarne is a highly recommended spot to rest your weary feat and quench your thirst after a wander out to the castle or around the battered Abbey. Holy Island is a treat of the Borders region and if you make it here then you should remember to come here too.

The setting was wonderful as the cafe has a charming walled garden with plenty of seating that is a sun-trap (if you are lucky enough to have sunshine like us, remember you are not visiting the Borders for the weather - as a man in a local shop reminded me).

The family run cafe should surprise you with the quality of their coffee (truly excellent) and their home-made cakes are a winner too. Unfeasibly friendly you can just tell that the family team care about what they are doing. If you want convincing then take a look a their fun website as I did.

• Added: 29th of May 2008
• Area: Kelso
• Category: Food and Drink

Kelso

Hugo said
Good but not excellent
I really wanted 3.5 star option but erred on the side of generosity. I am a huge fan of farmers markets and this is a good one to know about. Somehow though I was not dazzled by the energy of the market (how do I measure that? just gut feeling really) but certainly worth a visit and I give it all my support. Kelso is a very pretty town and the farmers market nestles in the central square just in front of the Town Hall.

There is plenty of local veg, fish, meats, cheeses etc and a few novel stands too: a local cupcake maker (are they fashionable or what right now?) and one stand selling Rape Seed Oil (which it is claimed is the savvy oil to use and in many repsects more healthy than Olive Oil).

Only things to really know:
- Every 4th Saturday of every month except July and December (for some reason)
- Wide range of Borders products
- Open from 9.30am until 1.30pm

• Added: 25th of May 2008
• Area: Belgravia
• Category: Restaurants

London SW1V 2HF
020 7834 1001

Hugo said
Numero Uno in Pimlico?
I was impressed by my experience; I'm a huge fan of Italian food and this hits the spot. The restaurant has been completely renovated and now has a fun but not over the top modern atmosphere.

The food is carefully presented and seems lovingly prepared, but without too much fuss. The menu was rammed with Italian specialities and it was a menu that begs you go back before you have even completed your first meal. I had a simple faggioli soup and then grilled monkfish with potato and beetroot cake, which was succulent and tasty. I was especially intrigued by the wild seasonal mushrooms on toast and want to try that next time.

The staff could not have been friendlier, so all in all the package was a good one. This is likely to become a regular for me.

• Added: 19th of May 2008
• Area: Belgravia
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SW1P 1DN
020 7834 7260

Hugo said
A proper local
This pub ticks all the boxes as a tip-top local pub: quiet, always a seat, no music, great beer, a sense of community and fun characters to watch. I even spotted a chap drinking from his usual pewter mug (presumably in his usual seat too).

This is a Samuel Smith pub (nothing to do with John Smiths, despite the rumours) so everything is furnished with their traditional brand and quality. The Oatmeal Stout is well worth trying...close your eyes and it feels like slipping back into a bygone era.

Pub food looks pretty basic but traditional. Will report back on that one.

If its an old fashioned local you are after then this hits the spot. This is an endangered species.