• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1D 3JW
020 7734 4545

ProfMagellan said
Delicious food in buzzy setting
An arbutusuneto is a strawberry tree and there used to be one on Soho Square. Today, Soho Square is not populated by exotic flora and fauna so much as by young advertising types sporting their blackberries as though their lives depended on them (perhaps if they work for Martin Sorrell they do?).
Arbutus opened about two years ago to warm reviews
but this was my first visit. My guest was a true foodie
who at one time operated a successful catering business and has trained with some of the UK's leading chefs.
She had squid and mackerel burger (as recommended by AA Gill) and a pollock (I do not jest) whilst I opted for
a beef consomme and a summer risotto of vegetables presented in a lovely copper pan (see photo). The pollock, so my guest claimed, was from Cornwall.
We shared the chocolate soup desert (a thick warm chocolate dish served with ice cream - see photo) and shared half a carafe of sauvignon blanc.
Our waiter was from France and he was excellent - a real professional. The front of house was good too - not hint of the snootiness so often found in trendy London venues.
We both enjoyed our food enormously. Helpings were generous. The menu was excellent and wide-ranging.
The setting modern but not oppressively so.
Arbutus' pricing by London standards was fair.
Recommended.

• Added: 16th of August 2008
• Area: Lausanne
• Category: Restaurants

Lausanne 1005
021 312 1933

ProfMagellan said
Super Italian in downtown Lausanne
In the Canton of Vaud (which borders Lake Geneva) there are not many Italian restaurants which combine an attractive decor with excellent cooking. L'Antica Trattoria wins on every count. Our dining companions - who have lived in Vaud for many years - speak highly of this restaurant; and it is not hard to see why. The food is quite delicious: not a huge choice but quite sufficient.
I started with a wonderful zucchini confection, followed by a generous plate of spaghetti in a piquant pork sauce and I barely had room to eat the warm chocolate pudding. Our companions had moules that they said were excellent and the ladies raved about their fig ice cream. Wine was a primitiva, an Italian red zinfandel - excellent. Service was attentive and friendly and the Patron, Signor Alberto Alloro, was a commanding presence throughout. The decor is wood and muted tones with an open plan kitchen and gallery eating upstairs. Lighting is subtle. There is some pavement dining for hotter days. It reminded me a bit of the Villandry when it was located in Marylebone High Street.
Located right in the middle of Lausanne, this is a great place if you enjoy good Italian food as much as I do.

• Added: 13th of August 2008
• Area: Montreuil Sur Mer
• Category: Restaurants

Montreuil Sur Mer 62170
33 03 21 81 53

ProfMagellan said
Very disappointing
Problems all round here at this Michelin starred restaurant near the motorway up to Calais. The menu was really dull with a heavy emphasis on fish. I ended up choosing a lamb dish that I would rate as ok but nothing special. Neither the starters nor the puds appealed. Perhaps the pastry chef was on holiday as it was a dire selection (I ended up asking for a boule of ice cream which was met with a frosty response). The service was quite slip-shod. Lots of very young staff shuffling around in a clueless way -
a million miles away from the professional equipes at other places at which I have recently eaten such as the fabulous Hautes de Loire near Blois and the wonderful Hostellerie de Levernois in Burgundy. The one or two older chaps were unfriendly bordering on the supercilious and there was a definite lack of somebody in overall charge whose duty it was to make sure (at astronomical prices) that Mrs Magellan and I were having a really good time. There was a very limited selection of half bottles on the wine list (the first two I selected were out of stock but this was not marked on the wine menu). I did not find the dining room with its curiously wide rectangular tables very comfortable either. The area around Calais is curiously devoid of great food. My advice: keep driving!

• Added: 12th of August 2008
• Area: Veuves
• Category: Restaurants

Veuves 41150

ProfMagellan said
affordable family-run hostelry on Loire
Good French cooking at this low key place on the Loire.
Set menu is 22 euros. My filet de boeuf was 24 euros.
Pleasant farmhouse-style place to dine after visiting the chateaux.
We went on a very crowded night (lots of Dutch) and the owner and her helper simply could not cope; they were stretched to the max - far too many tables for too few staff. So the waiting was painful. This was the peak of the holiday season (July) so perhaps better in quieter times?

• Added: 12th of August 2008
• Area: Honfleur
• Category: Restaurants

Honfleur 14600

ProfMagellan said
A let down
We stayed on half board at the nearby Chaumiere hotel
(same owners). We were told that, as the Chaumiere dining room was closed, we could eat at the sister restaurant Ferme Saint Simeon.
It enjoys a Michelin star and as we paid an unbelievable sum to enjoy half board, we were full of expectation.
The outdoor terrace overlooks an oil refinery (odd place to have a hotel unless they are trying to appeal to Exxon executives). The real shocker was however the menu which for those on half board was dull and very limited indeed. No perusing for us through a leather- bound "carte". Just a nasty cardboard sheet with a couple of dishes on offer for each course. Pre-dinner drinks (a kir and a glass of red) were nine euros each
whilst the acceptable half bottle of Mercurey was priced at 43 euros (some £35). This place is in fact a tourist trap. The staff were efficient if a bit sullen (the sommelier was ok). We will not be back.

• Added: 4th of August 2008
• Area: Lewes
• Category: Restaurants

Lewes BN7 3BA

ProfMagellan said
Great cooking in East Sussex gastro-pub
A little north of Brighton lies the pretty village of East Chiltington where this super gastro-pub is located.
This is the heart of the Sussex Downs which I have been visiting every year since childhood: one of England's loveliest and most unspoiled places.
On a lovely July evening, the Jolly Sportsman was packed. Drinks were taken in the garden (world class Pimms) and then the dinner inside. My guests live locally and they recommended this place to Mrs Magellan and I several years ago. We all selected the lamb which was sensational. The cauliflower soup was fine but it could perhaps have been a little more strongly flavoured. It was just a bit diffident. Puddings included crumble and summer pudding which were delicious. Good wine list. We enjoyed a Chilean pinot noir. Service was very friendly. Our excellent waitress even managed to get us seconds of the chef's special custard despite the fact that he was running low. That's what I call service. And by South East England standards not too expensive. Highly recommended.

• Added: 12th of July 2008
• Area: Vullierens
• Category: Restaurants

Vullierens 1115
021 869 95 53

ProfMagellan said
Delightful and delicious in Vullierens
It was on a walk through the vineyards of Vaud, that Mrs Magellan and I found by chance this village eatery. Vullierens is a tiny hamlet boasting an exquisite chateau and an impressive church. It lies about an hour's drive away from Lauasanne. In the centre of Vullierens sits the Cafe de l'Hotel de Ville. It has a charming outdoor area and more traditional indoor dining. Very informal, it is clearly much loved by local people and on a Friday July lunchtime was packed. The staff were very friendly. The decor is unpretentious and the food quite delicious. We enjoyed the special of the day, beef in ale with pasta and green salad, washed down with some excellent local wine. We had cheese and rather a good puds too.
Switzerland is not like France with cafes in every village
and pretty good quality throughout. There are informal eateries; but, in Vaud anyway, they are few and far between.
Sometimes the food is mediocre. Sometimes the service can be incompetent or even hostile (we recently had really bad experiences in both Aubonne and St Prex).
But l'hotel-de-ville de Vullierens showed that village eating in French-speaking Switzerland can be fantastic without having to pay the price of gourmet fine dining. Congratulations to Corinne and Patrick Delatour-Hermann, the proprietors.
They run a great place.

• Added: 12th of July 2008
• Area: Bougy-Villars
• Category: Shops

Bougy-Villars 1172
021 807 21 25

ProfMagellan said
The best chocolate in the world?
High above Lake Geneva sits the tiny village of Bougy- Villars. It does not have a grocery. Nor a butcher. Nor even apparently a baker. It does have a chocolate shop.
But this is no ordinary chocolate shop. It may well be the best chocolate shop in the world. It is a bit of a windy drive (twenty minutes from Rolle) up the hills to reach Bougy-Villars; but well worth the effort. Family-owned and run, Tristan is always full, this in a country where chocolate is taken as seriously as steak in Texas, lobster in Boston, wine in France or pasta in Italy. Tristran chocolate is hand-made and is very, very expensive. It is not to be wasted on little Johnny (fob him off with Lindt or Nestle by all means). But a little goes a long way. One tip: if you are flying out of Geneva and have the time to visit Tristan do so - unlike the lacklustre and over-priced selection at Geneva Airport (for tourists and hurried executives) Tristan will provide chocolates that delight and make fabulous presents (if you can bear to be parted from your purchases).

• Added: 12th of July 2008
• Area: St Sulpice
• Category: Restaurants

St Sulpice 1025
0216919715

ProfMagellan said
Bustling neighbourhood eatery in St- Sulpice
Le Skipper does a roaring trade. It is one of those neighbourhood places, family-run, which works really well.
It has an excellent menu which includes Swiss specialities
(fondus), excellent steaks, pastas and pizzas - the food is plentiful and, by Swiss standards, not too outrageously priced.
Located in one of Vaud's prettiest lakeside villages, the Skipper is easy to get to, perhaps 20 minutes from the centre of Lausanne, 15 minutes from the town of Morges.
A typical dinner might include Jambon Cru Melon, Spaghetti Carbonara, Filets de Perches, Steak and fries and of course an ice cream sundae. They also do rather a good "flan".
Nice wine list offering local Swiss wine as well as rest of the world. Stick to Swiss: it's good and affordable.
Service is brisk and efficient (though they ran out of forks on one busy night).
The ambience of le Skipper is buzzy. Four areas: a bar (full of locals),
cosy indoor dining, a covered patio and, best of all, garden dining
with a spectacular view over the Lake.
Do book: it gets very full.

• Added: 6th of July 2008
• Area: Pully
• Category: Restaurants

Pully 1009
021 728 7878

ProfMagellan said
Swish Swiss in trendy Pully
Pully is one of those sophisticated villages which cluster around Lausanne attracting the prosperous: well turned out ladies who lunch, international businessmen (Nestle HQ is just down the road) and the leisured classes.
The Restaurant du Port enjoys a fabulous location right on the lake. Alas, English-type weather prevented the full outdoor dining experience so we took luncheon indoors. And it was very good indeed. The service was crisp and professional. The menu interesting and the dishes delicious (a risotto, rigatoni and grilled vegetables for mains) washed down with the local Pully Blanc. The dining room was comfortable and buzzy. And there was no objection when we asked to take our coffees and cigars on the outdoor terrace
despite the steady drizzle (we found a table under a tree).
A most enjoyable lunch.