Restaurant: The Kitchin, Edinburgh (Leith)

I think I've found foodie heaven!

I was up in Scotland to play golf at Muirfield and Loch Lomond, both ranked in the Top 10 courses in the UK & Ireland. So I decided to tack on a few days in Edinburgh and bring the wife.

Top of the list was a table at The Kitchin. I knew Tom Kitchin from programs like Saturday Kitchen and The Great British Menu. I knew the restaurant had a Michelin star. But I still had no idea how good it was. The first clue was that I couldn't get an early table on a Saturday night when I rang about 6 weeks ahead. I don't like eating at 10pm and later so declined a late table.

Thinking that I might not get there I was looking at other options. Then I mentioned it to a friend of mine who just happens to have an Amex Centurion card. He said leave it with him and he'd get me a booking. Sure enough he texted later that day with a booking for 18:30 table.

We arrived at about 18:20 and took seats in the bar to have an aperitif and peruse the menus. Tom popped around to say good evening to everybody before heading off to run the show.

We were shown to our table which just happened to be the best table in the house. There are only three tables on a raised part of the main floor that have a view into the kitchen through a glass window. Our table was the middle one of the three and had the widest view of the cooking area and the pass.

The wife obligingly sat with her back to the window so that I could observe all the goings-on in the kitchen. The one thing that I can report is that the whole time I was there Tom was in charge of the pass, checking the quality and presentation of the dishes before they left the kitchin. A Michelin-starred chef who actually works in his kitchen.

We were served from a basket of good, but not exceptional, breads. This was the only part of the whole evening where I could find room for improvement.

Then the amuse bouche arrived and this is where the magic began.

I had never considered making fennel soup but the little cup of soup served to us was one of the most delicious things that I've eaten in years. It was topped with some tiny squares of smoked salmon and crispy crumbs and had an added kick from some cumin. It was bursting with flavour & texture and was described by my wife as truly historic.

My starter was a langoustine stuffed courgette flower with roasted tomatoes and tomato consommé. The flavours were amazing. The deep flavour from the consommé and the deft cooking reminded me of Marco Pierre White when he was at The Oak Room.

My wife went for the pan-fried foie gras served with haggis, neeps and tatties a’la Kitchin. This was served with additional extras including fresh broad beans and peas. Whilst my wife didn't pronounce this as historic she was still oohing and aahing about the flavour and texture.

For my main I had ordered the hake with a herb crust, girolles, broad beans and a girolles jus.

It's not often you see hake on the menu in the UK so once I spotted it I was instantly sold despite the waiter, in a very nice way, recommending the chef's favourite of confit salmon.

I couldn't have chosen better as it was a perfectly cooked piece of fish, nice and moist, with a delicious jus and little bursts of flavour from the accompaniments in each mouthful. A triumph.

My wife chose the seabass with red pepper piperade, croutons and herbs. She loved every mouthful. Another triumph.

When it comes to dessert I have to brag. Nobody makes a better panna cotta than me. And my wife agrees with me so much that she will no longer order it when we are out as every one we've tried, even in the top restaurants, can't match the texture I achieve using my magic ingredient. In fact, some panna cottas are downright disgusting and overset.

In my humble opinion the best panna cotta should be just set enough to come out of the mould and stand up but still have a wobble.

However, unlike my wife I nearly always try other panna cottas if only to a) prove that mine is still the best or b) in the hope that I might find one that's at least as good.

I can now admit that for the first time anywhere in the world I have had a panna cotta that can stand up to mine. My wife asserts, and I agree, that I still have the edge on texture but the overall treatment of the dish is what gives The Kitchin a slight edge. But I'll learn from this!

Their gooseberry panna cotta with creme fraiche ice cream, gooseberrys, blackcurrants and a gooseberry jus was stunning. As fine a dessert as I've ever eaten. The combination of creaminess, sweetness, tartness and the cold ice cream was divine. Historic beyond belief.

To add to this I took the waiter's advice and had a superb Niagara Ice Wine to accompany it.

My wife had a lemon & sorrel tart with meringue ice cream and fresh berries which she declared as fantastic.

Service through the whole meal was excellent. Just the right mixture of formality and friendliness.

This was easily the best meal I'd had in over a year. Tom Kitchin is a genius and IMHO is serving up the best cooking in the UK right now. If I lived in Edinburgh I would set up a rolling monthly booking to eat at The Kitchin. It's that good.

List of favourite Paris restaurants

Each year in June I drive to Paris from London on a golf trip with 3 friends. We stay 3 nights and play 3 different courses on each trip. We've been doing this for 6 years. Interspersed with the golf trips are other trips, with my wife, on business etc.

The reason we keep going back to Paris is that, apart from some fine golf courses, we love trying new restaurants. As the organiser of the trip, and the chief foodie, it rests with me to find the restaurants.

Our rule of thumb is that we'll do two nights in smaller, bistro-style places and on the last night we'll splurge a bit maybe by going to a Michelin-starred place.

Overall we prefer the bistro-style restaurants to the well-known temples of gastronomy. We prefer the cosy atmosphere, the rustic setting, the classic french dishes and quite often the camaraderie with your fellow diners, often including the sharing of food. For me this is the real joy of eating in Paris.

Prior to our golf I spend many weeks of research each year reading all the various guides looking for the places that will delight us and rarely have I failed to come up trumps.

I always pre-book my restaurants at least a couple of weeks before I travel. Once I've chosen the 3 restaurants for the trip I then want to be certain I can get in so I don't leave it to chance.

So on the back of these visits I offer my list of favourite Paris Restaurants. These are not ranked per se. Which one to choose will usually depend on what type of food or experience you want.

1. Chez Georges (1 Rue du Mail, 75002, Paris). For me this is Paris in a nutshell and it's a place that I always bring people to. It is everything that I love about Parisian bistros. They serve classic French comfort food in a cosy, buzzy atmosphere with tightly packed tables. The starter portions are HUGE. One starter can easily serve two or more people. The sole filet with pouilly sauce is addictive. The service has always been good. I can't fault this place.
2. Stella Maris ( 8, Rue Arsène Houssaye, 75008 Paris). This place is everything that Chez Georges is not. It's a modern sterile room with no atmosphere. The type of place I would normally avoid. Apart from the fact that it's got a Michelin star, what drew me to book there was the combination of a Japanese chef serving up classic French food. It sounded interesting. And boy was it interesting. The four of us shared the Tasting Menu and to this day we still reckon that it was one of the meals of our lives. The Mi-Cuit Salmon (cooked sous vide) was one of the all time great dishes that I've ever had. I've been back there a second time (for lunch) and wasn't knocked out as much by the food but I didn't have the Tasting Menu that time but overall Stella Maris deserves its place on this list.
3. Le Pré Verre (8 Rue Thénard, 75005, Paris) is a firm favourite for its innovative take on French food with Asian spices. The chef, Philippe Delacourcelle, spent some time working in the Far East and he has managed to blend oriental flavours with classic French food to deliver some of the most interesting cooking available in Paris. The cod with cassia bark and the suckling pig were two of the stand-out dishes we had.
4. Chez l'Ami Jean (27 rue Malar, 75007, Paris) is a small Basque bistro down a quiet side-street not far from the Eiffel Tower. It's everything I like about Parisian bistros i.e. tightly packed tables with a real buzzy atmosphere. The food is based on Basque cuisine with a modern inventive touch. Four of us lapped up everything put in front of us and even managed to share some food with our Maltese neighbours. The only down side is that they are very keen to turn the tables around so towards the end you can feel pressured to leave especially if there are people waiting. I'm happy to accept that they need you off the table after two hours if they tell you that when you book but we got chased off after 90 mins because we had finished dessert and were sitting chatting.
5. Mon Vieil Ami 69 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Ile, 75004, Paris is the Paris outpost of a 3-star chef from Strasbourg. It's on the small island in the river and has a very contemporary black interior. They serve some wonderful bistro food with a big focus on using lots of fresh vegetables. The flavours were delicious and after 3 courses I left there replete but not bloated.
6. La Rotisserie d'en Face (2 Rue Christine, 7500,Paris) is another bistro owned by a Michelin starred chef, Jacques Cagna. It's in the heart of the Latin quarter and is the only restauarant on this list that I turned up at without a reservation (it was after 10pm however). There is only one dish you need to order here and that's their famous spit-roasted free-range chicken, with traditional mashed potato. Don't even consider ordering anything else. I promise you that you will think you've died and gone to heaven when you taste the chicken. Three of us that night had the chicken and still today we talk about it as the best chicken we've ever had in our lives. I try to explain to people about the chicken and they look at me as if to say "Yeah but it's just roast chicken". Well let me tell you that it's not just any roast chicken. I don't know what they do with it but you have never tasted chicken like this.
7. Chez Denise - La Tour de Montlhéry (5 Rue Prouvaires, 75001, Paris) is another classic, unpretentious little bistro with tightly packed tables and red-check tablecloths. They serve rustic bistro fare such as steak frites, pot au feu, andouille sausage etc all in huge portions. The atmosphere is lively and aided by the cheeky waiters who know how to poke fun without offending. The house Brouilly is delicious and is served in carafes which they keep topping up as you need. One of the best nights we had in Paris was here, sharing food with the tables next to us. NB: Our taxi driver didn't know where this street was. He had to look it up on the map. Oh for a decent London cabbie in Paris!
8. Chez Dumonet - Josephine (117 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006, Paris) is yet another classic French bistro that looks like it's been there for hundreds of years. I love starting with the help yourself bowl of marinated herrings with warm potato salad. Easily enough to serve more than two people. Then choose from a range of bistro classics such as boeuf bourguignon or confit de canard. One thing is for sure and that is that you won't leave here hungry. Tip: Try and get a table in the front room rather than in the back.
9. Ze Kitchen Gallerie (4, rue des Grands-Augustins, 75006)  is as good a place as any in Paris to get your fix of fusion food. Food here is a mixture of asian flavours with western dishes (e.g. brandade with thai herbs). I really enjoyed the food here but my wife was less impressed. She's a more fussy eater than me and there were too few options on the menu for her. If you're a big foodie like me then you'll enjoy it here.
10. Kim Anh (51, Avenue Emile Zola, 75015)is a fine dining Vietnamese restaurant in the 15e. Yes you can get cheaper Vietnamese food but this is a place for a bit of a splurge and, unlike many Vietnamese restaurants, you can reserve in advance. It's not cheap but the food is high quality and full of fabulous flavours. All four of us were unanimous that the spring rolls were the best we'd ever tasted. The beef salad was also superb. Be warned though that one of the specialities could be seen as a rip-off. The tôm càng rim (gambas simmered in caramel sauce) was absolutely delicious but 37€ for two (yes 2) medium-sized prawns is just silly.

Restaurant: Le Cassoulet, Croydon

A dingy side street in South Croydon is the unlikely location for one of the best restaurants in the London suburbs.

Le Cassoulet is one of those neighbourhood restaurants that we all wish was on our doorstep.

You walk in off the street into an elegant bistro serving classic French bistro food.

Chef Malcom John made his name at Le Vacherin in Chiswick before deciding to open up Le Cassoulet much closer to home. And what a cracking place it is.

Like all good restaurants we were quickly served with a basket of delicious bread. At Le Cassoulet the bread comes with a jar of anchovy butter as well as normal butter.

The wife started with the Chicken Liver Parfait served with onion chutney and brioche. This is a superb dish made sublime by the addition of the toasted, airy brioche which works perfectly with the richness of the parfait.

I had the Beignets of Lamb Sweetbreads with Sauce Gribiche. Another winner that I would be very happy to order again. Even my wife deigned to try some even though she hates all offally dishes. She was impressed so that's big praise.

My main was the Deep Fried Plaice with Duck Fat Chops & Tartare Sauce. This was fish & chips to perfection. I don't think I've ever had such a moist piece of fish in batter. The chips were divine with a real taste of duck fat.

The wife's main was the Cote de Boeuf with Pepper Sauce & Frites. A superb piece of meat cooked to perfection.

Normally I don't even look at their dessert menu as I know what I want. Their Iles Flottantes are truly historic and are a must-have on your first visit.

As I've had them a few times I thought I'd try something different and plumped for the Venezuelan Chocolate Fondant with Amaretto Ice-cream.

Whilst the fondant was delicious I think I will revert back to the Iles Flottantes next time. They are unbeatable.

The wife finished with Profitteroles & Vanilla Ice-cream. "Absolutely delicious" she said "but I still prefer the Iles Flottantes".

At £27.50 for 3 courses this is pound-for-pound some of the best cooking in London.

Service overall was efficient but, given that we were first in for a 6pm sitting, they weren't under any great pressure. However, a restaurant of this quality could really do with a maitre d' who oozes friendliness and charm to customers. Unfortunately this was lacking on our visit.

Aside from that small quibble this was another great meal. If you live in the vicinity of Le Cassoulet you should beat a path to it. You will be glad you did.

Restaurant: The Fish House, Sussex

You'll find The Fish House in Chilgrove about 7 miles north of Chichester set just off the Petersfield Road. It's an unlikely location for a fish restaurant but the first clue that this was not an obstacle to success was a completely full car park at Sunday lunch time.

Having checked the menu on the Internet beforehand I arrived full of anticipation. As the name suggests The Fish House specialises in fish - all sorts of. I eat fish at least 3 or 4 times per week and when I go on holidays I sometimes eat fish all week. To say I love fish would be understating it.

First impressions as we walked in were good. There was an air of quality and elegance about the place. Judging by the cars in the car park and a quick scan around the tables it was clear that this was not an audience in search of a cheap meal. It boded well.

But then it went downhill at an alarming rate.

The Bad

We went in and stood just inside the door expecting to be asked about our reservation and shown to our table. Plenty of staff walked by us but nobody made any contact. So we walked over to the bar to see if we could get attention.

The barman blanked us. He was shucking oysters and was clearly too busy to even acknowledge a customer never mind serve one. Bad. First level of annoyance began to set in.

There was a manager-type rushing around who clearly clocked us standing there and yet still nothing happened. Staff continued to pass by. I'm now one step away from walking out. Eventually I made eye contact with the manager-type and got him to attend to us.

We got taken through in to another part of the restaurant laid more formally than the bar area outside. This place was far bigger than we had first imagined. The area where we were seated had the look of an extension to the main building. It wasn't as cosy as the main building but was nonetheless a pleasant room and with adequate spacing between tables.

Starting to calm down now that we have been shown to our table but unfortunately things keep getting worse.

We were not given any menus, no one asked if we wanted water and no one brought bread or nibblies to the table. In fact, we got blanked again for probably another 10 minutes.

Some restaurants seem to specialise in hiring staff with an inate ability to look busy whilst actually doing nothing at all and with a special talent in avoiding eye contact with customers at all costs.

Staff were wandering around but not one of them was scanning around to see if any customers needed anything. This is surely one of the most basic functions of a good waiter.

Eventually we managed to get a young girl's attention (there's a clue to the bad service in that sentence) and we eventually got the menus and ordered some water. But it didn't get any better.
To be fair the manager-type came along when we wanted to order wine and was very helpful in helping my wife select a glass of rosé wine. He even went off to get a sample for her to try before making a decision. Nice touch.

Another 10 minutes passed before we could attract somebody's attention to take our order. Another 10 minutes passed before we saw any bread or water. During this period my wife and I debated getting up and leaving as the whole thing had reached serious annoyance level.

There is just no excuse for this level of bad service in a restaurant where the prices are not cheap. It's all down to poor management and poor training.

If you're going to run a higher-end restaurant and expect people to spend £100 for lunch for two people then you had better get staff who understand the expectations of their clientele.

In addition you need a senior person/maitre d' who watches everything like a hawk. And then you've got to have a training program to ensure that standards for good service are reinforced with everybody.

Why do so many restaurants get the simple things wrong. How hard is it to greet people quickly and with a smile when they arrive? How hard is it to give them menus and serve water within 2 minutes of them sitting down?

I nearly always arrive at restaurants hungry. I doubt I'm alone in this. I go with the expectation of enjoying my food and trying 3 courses so I usually eat very lightly beforehand. So a basic need is to have some food arrive quickly.

The best restaurants can get you a basket of fresh bread and a bowl of olives (or other nibbly) on your table within a minute of you sitting down. It's not a hard thing to achieve and is a great way to keep customers relaxed. It might even buy a little extra tolerance if the service is a bit slow.

The Good

Eventually the food started to arrive and very quickly things started to look up in a big way.

A basket of bread arrived first. As I've said before, the quality of the bread that is served is usually a clue to the overall quality of the meal. Restaurants that put the effort into serving home-baked, artisan-style breads usually serve great food.

The bread at The Fish House was some of the best bread we'd ever been served in a restaurant. We had brown sourdough, poppy seed bread & caraway bread. All of them were superb with really crusty crusts. Somebody there knows how to bake great bread.

Then the starters arrived. And things got even better.

The wife's Smoked Mackerel Pate with sourdough toast was absolutely historic. Deliciously smooth with a wonderful smoky flavour. From now on all other mackerel pates will be judged against this one.

My Salt & Pepper Squid with Oriental Salad was not in the historic category but was nonetheless tasty. The benchmark for this type of dish has been set by Will Ricker is his group of pan-Asian restaurants (E&O, Eight Over Eight, Cicada etc). Their Chilli Salt Squid is historic.

Things were going well then another bad service experience started to annoy us again. We had ordered another glass of wine but had to ask again for it after more than 10 mins. Grr.

My main course of Viennoise Brill with herb crust, tomatoes, citrus and mash was another triumph. As good a piece of brill as I've ever had and perfectly cooked so that it remained moist in the middle.

The wife's Guinea Fowl, savoy cabbage and squash purée was also pronounced as fabulous.

We also tried a bowl of their Hand-made Chips. These were superb and rank just below the benchmarks set by the dripping chips at The Ginger Fox in Sussex and the triple-cooked chips at The Royal Oak near Maidenhead.

We were well stuffed at this stage but we still managed to fit in desserts. I had a delicious Chocolate Fondant and Vanilla Ice Cream and the wife ooh'd and aah'd about her Fruit Crumble and Custard. This was a lovely combination of fruits, crunchy topping and delicious vanilla custard.

I was drinking the New Zealand Peacock Ridge Chardonnay and very nice it was too.

Overall a fabulous eating experience with some outstanding dishes. When it comes to food this place rocks. The range of fish on offer is unequalled anywhere within 30 miles. This place is worthy of wider recognition if it wasn't for the dreadful service.

If I was the head chef here I would be livid at what's happening in the front of house. There is obviously a brigade of talented people working hard in the kitchen to turn out some fabulous food and they are being let down by extremely sloppy service.

My Food rating would be 9/10. I drool at the thought of the Smoked Mackerel Pate!
My Service rating would be 0/10. They failed in every way they could.

Lack of reviews in 2009

In 2009 I discovered Twitter and started to tweet about food, golf and travel so I stopped blogging as I found the immediacy of Twitter much easier to work with.

However, I've begun to find Twitter's 160 character limit a bit constraining for some reviews so in 2010 I will be posting some more blogs for notable restaurants. I will be combining short tweets with some longer reviews.

If you are interested in my witterings about food, golf and travel then you can also follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/pasmyth

Restaurant: Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Orlando

First visit Nov 08
When in Orlando one of the must-visit places is Downtown Disney. It's an artificial village built around a lake and it really comes alive at night.

From the west end at Cirque du Soleil, passing through Pleasure Island in the middle, to the opposite end at the Rainforest Cafe it's about a 3k walk.

The streets are lined with bars, cafes, restaurants and shops. Music from the bars & cafes can be heard as you walk along.

Opposite the Virgin store is Wolfgang Puck's Cafe.

Wolfgang Puck is not well known in the UK but he is famous in the USA for his TV appearances and his restaurants such as Spago in Los Angeles.

I was aware of his reputation for running high-end restaurants so I went to his cafe expecting it to be somewhat exclusive. In fact, when you enter you are immediately struck by the buzz of the place. You also quickly notice that many families with children are dining there. It's got more of a feeling of TGI Friday than a top-end restaurant.

However any comparison with TGIF quickly disappears when you see the menu and the prices. As I was on my own I was given a seat at one of the counters where all the starters were cooked. As a lone diner this is an ideal place to sit as it gives you a chance to watch what's going on and occasionally chat to the chef.

I started with Crab Cakes which were served on a bed of aioli with marinated tomatoes and micro greens (whatever they are). They were nicely cooked with a crispy coating. The aioli was the piece of magic that lifted them out of the ordinary and made them special.

I originally couldn't decide on my main course so the waiter recommended the Pumpkin Ravioli with brown butter sauce, fried sage, port wine glaze, toasted pine nuts and aged Parmesan. He said that this was his favourite dish.

This was probably the best piece of advice that I followed in 2008. The dish was historic. It was perfect in every way. Perfect pasta with a sweetish pumpkin filling with the flavour of the butter sauce and and sage and the crunch of the toasted nuts topped by a sensational port wine glaze.

This must go down as the best dish I've had all year and it is easily one of the best pasta dishes I've ever eaten. Even typing this is making me drool!

I finished off with a key lime pie which, although delicious, was a bit too stodgy for me. I would have preferred something a bit lighter.

Service was excellent throughout. I also chatted to the chef looking after the starters and when I remarked how nice the prawns looked he offered me some. Nice touch.

One of the senior floor walkers came over a couple of times to see how I was doing. I made sure to tell her that the Ravioli was historic.

I eventually left and walked out into the warm evening air and pottered around all the shops. I kept thinking about the ravioli dish and making a mental note to head there first the next time I'm in Orlando.

Second visit Nov08
The next day I was flying home to the UK at 6pm so I most of the day to pass before I headed for the airport. I therefore decided to spend a few hours at Disney Hollywood Studios.

I wasn't that impressed with the studios (not a patch on Universal Studios) and after about 3 hours I had seen most of what I wanted to see. So I decided to head back to Downtown Disney and go for lunch at Wolfgang Puck's again. I was obsessed with the ravioli and I couldn't stop thinking how good it was.

I got there and they seated me at the Sushi counter. I had gone in intending to have the ravioli again but when I saw some people eating tempura prawns, sushi and sashimi I thought I've got to try that.

That was a mistake. Now don't get me wrong, I love sushi and particularly sashimi and this was very good. But it wasn't historic. It wasn't noticeably different from lots of other good sushi bars.

I was sitting there finishing my drink when I saw the floor walker I spoke to the previous night heading my way. She came over and we chatted again and I mentioned that I was heading back to the UK and that I looking forward to coming back again just to try the ravioli.

We finished chatting and I was minding my own business when she reappeared with a take-away container of the Pumpkin Ravioli. She offered it to me for free saying that she didn't want me to leave the US without trying it once again. I was staggered at the gesture. What a nice lady and what a lovely piece of customer service.

I was about to head for the airport so I had the logistical problem of what to do with it. I took the easy answer and ate it there and then. It was every bit as good as the previous evening although this time I was less hungry. However I ate it all and I left the restaurant a sated man.

My only regret was that I never got the chance to say goodbye to the lovely lady who looked after me. Next time maybe!

Third visit Nov09
I was back in Orlando a year after my first visit to Wolfgang Puck's Cafe and I just had to get some more of that Pumpkin Ravioli.

I opted to sit again at the counter where all the starters were cooked. I was on my own again (business trip) so its a great place to sit as you can engage with the chefs. The other great thing is that the chef gave me a couple of freebies to try while I was waiting on my order. What a nice touch.

The Pumpkin Ravioli was every bit as delicious as the year before. Man I wish I knew how to cook this at home. It's the Port Wine sauce that goes with it that is the real secret.

Another great meal.

Fourth visit Nov09
I went to see La Nouba at Cirque du Soleil. It was my first ever Cirque show and I was totally gobsmacked. Amazing show and a must-see if you go to Orlando.

I came out of the show into the pouring rain so I ditched my original eating plan and legged it over to Wolfgang Puck's for another visit.

Again I opted to sit at the counter where all the starters were cooked. And again I got chatting to the chef and again I got a couple of freebies. I love this place!

This time I decided to try something else and went for the Asian-style ribs. These were beyond delicious. The meat just fell away from the bone and the flavour was to die for. In my humble opinion these are the best ribs on the planet and the benchmark by which all others will be judged by me.

Four meals. Four triumphs. This place is the nuts. If only Wolfgang would open up in London!

Restaurant: Chez Hugon, Lyon, France

Every so often in life you have these moments when the planets come together and you have a really enjoyable experience. Dinner at Chez Hugon was one of those times.

Lyon is according to some commentators the foodie capital of France.

It is the home of one of the greatest of all French chefs, Paul Bocuse. He of the Michelin 3-star restaurant at Collonges.

However, to those in the know, the real places to eat in Lyon are the bouchons.

Bouchons are small restaurants, typically family owned, that serve down-to-earth traditional food, much of it featuring offal and other extremities of animals.

Don,t let this put you off though as there will be other traditional dishes on the menu also.

The real authentic bouchons are nearly all small cosy places that exude atmosphere. They are also usually very good value and are generally packed with locals.

Eating at a bouchon was top of my agenda for my trip to Lyon. I was so keen not to miss out that I decided not to book a bouchon for our first evening in case our late Thursday afternoon flight from London was delayed.

I therfore booked our bouchon for Friday evening. As you'll read later this turned out to be a great decision.

Chez Hugon is a classic bouchon. Set down a side street it is small (approx 30 covers) with tables set closely together. The kitchen area is part of the same room, separated only by a partition.

We were greeted by the lady of the house who seated us at a table between two French families. As it transpired we we were the only foreigners in the restaurant for the whole night.

Very soon we were engaged in conversations with the people around us. They saw us looking at their food as it arrived and they helped us make our choices by explaining what their dishes were.

A nice atmosphere was developing as we all chatted away to each other. We tried our best at speaking French and they all happily spoke in English to us.

Bouchons typically have small menus and some choices may not be available if they have run out or they were unablc to get the ingedients at the Market that day. When it came time to order we indeed found that one or two of the choices were not available.

In the end the four of us had two starters to share followed by

2xPoulet au vinaigre (chicken in vinegar)
Quenelles de brochet (pike quenelles)
Langue de Veau (veal tongue)

The highlight was undoubtedly the chicken. It came with a delicious sauce with only the merest hint of vinegar to it.

My quenelles were also delicious if a slightly unusual texture. They came with a deliciously creamy sauce which I think may have been a crayfish sauce.

During the meal our French neighbours were offering us their dishes to try and we reciprocated. We got to taste a number of other dishes all of which I would be happy to eat.

We ordered the house red wine by the "pot", a thick-bottomed pitcher. Very drinkable. It always seems appropriate in places like this to drink what the locals are drinking.

We rounded of our meal by sharing two desserts between the four of us - a tarte tatin and a creme brulee.

During our dessert an old man and woman, who had come in earlier, appeared by the door, guitars in hand. The next thing we know the whole restaurant is singing along to French songs and a party atmosphere has developed.

We didn't know any of the songs but that didn't detract one bit from our enjoyment of the music.

Then the chef came out from the kitchen and did his party piece. It was obviously a rude song judging by the expressions on his face and the peals of laughter from the diners. He had a fine voice and went on to sing a couple of other songs.

The guitarists picked up that we were not French and asked to play a song for us. My wife misunderstood what they were saying and started to hum a French tune she knew. The guitarists quickly picked up the tune and started playing it. Then the whole restaurant joined in.

Great fun. And my wife got a nice round of applause. I think the French were surprised that she knew one of their songs.

After a few more songs the evening drew to a close. And what a cracking evening it turned out to be. Definitely one of the best evenings out in a restaurant for a long time.

This is peasant-style food with no pretensions or concessions to tourists. Go there for a truly authentic Lyonnaise experience.

The bill for 4 came to €147 euros which I rate as excellent value for a brilliant evening.

If you want to try the bouchon experience then I thoroughly recommend Chez Hugon I believe the musicians are only there on Fridays so try and go then.

My only fear in writing this is that if enough people read this review then I might not be able get a table the next time I go to Lyon!

Restaurant: Inamo, London

Inamo is an Oriental fusion restaurant in Wardour Street in the heart of Soho. Its claim to fame is that you do all your food and drink ordering using computer generated images that are projected onto your table.

Each table has a projector above it that projects a sort-of computer screen on your table. One corner of your table has a hollowed out circle in it and this is your mouse control. You move your finger around in the circle and this controls the mouse.

Using the screen that is projected on the table you can choose your food and drink, order the bill, request a waiter and even order a taxi. There is also has an "ambiance" option which allows you to control a set of colour/image combinations that are projected onto the table.

A final option is to turn your table into a game board and play battleships!

The big fear in going to a place like this is that the food comes a long way second after all the new gadgetry. Thankfully in the case of Inamo this fear doesn't materialise as the food is rather good. Given that the chef is ex-Nobu & Hakkasan this should be no surprise.

The menu is presented with options for Small Dishes and Large Dishes. For two of us we chose 4 small dishes and 4 large dishes. This gave us plenty to eat.

As you scroll through the menu each dish is projected on to your plate so you get quite a good impression of what you are ordering.

For small dishes we ordered Wild Boar Roll, Baby Back Ribs, Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Baby Crispy Prawns. Each of these dishes was delicious with the spring rolls and ribs particularly standing out.

For large dishes we ordered Black Cod, Chilean Sea Bass, Pomegranate Duck and Marinated Quail.

For me the stand-out dish was the Chilean Sea Bass. A fine succulent piece of fish. The Black Cod was also good but I've yet to have Black Cod anywhere that beats the one at Nobu (although this one came close).

Overall the food was of a high standard and I would happily return.

If you're a technophobe then I would suggest that you eat elsewhere as the ordering system will probably drive you bonkers. I noticed an older woman at the next table get more and more frustrated with the system and eventually she resorted to calling over a waitress.

For a computer-age person like me it was both easy and fairly intuitive to order. If this is the future then bring it on.

Golf Course: Chateau de la Chouette, Paris

Chateau de la Chouette is situated about 50 minutes drive from central Paris on the northwest side.

Your first impression when you see the course from the approach road is that it is very hilly. And let me confirm that the last (and maybe only) impression you'll have of the place is that it is damned hilly!

We arrived early (10:00am) hoping to get some breakfast. The kitchen wasn't open but the girl at the "reception desk" offered us a sandwich or a croque monsieur. I opted for the croque - big mistake. It was a frozen croque that they managed to burn. And it was as dry as sand. Not a good start.

The "reception desk" is literally that. A desk in one of the chateau's rooms. There's no golf shop as such.

The course started well with a lovely downhill hole. After your drive you are left with a difficult second shot over a stream just in front of the green. Nice start.

After that the memory starts to get fuzzy as a procession of holes come and go, quite a few of them involving water. For the front nine at least the holes are mainly played at the bottom end of the slope.

The 3rd hole was an exception. A climb up the slope from the 2nd green led to a great Par 3. The tee box is high above the shallow green with water in front and a bunker at the back. Nice hole.

Things start to unravel though at the 9th. This is a 370yd par 4 up quite a steep hill. In fact the last half of the hole up to the green really has you puffing.

From then on you really would need to be a mountain goat to enjoy this course. It is just a succession of steep climbs up and down with the lowlight coming between the 10th green and the 11th tee.

I don't think I have ever climbed such a steep hill on a golf course before. I measured the distance on Google Earth and it is about 150 yards from the green to the tee up a ridiculous slope.

This is not my idea of fun. All four of us had to stop more than once on the way up and we were all panting like mad. It was so bad that I could feel the lactic acid in my legs taking over! And none of us was fit to tee off for a good few minutes. Mad.

The back nine works its way up to the highest point of the course and then all the way back down to the lowest point of the course.

In fact the 18th is just as bad as the 9th as you have to work you way up from the bottom part of the course up another steep climb to the green. And then, just to rub it in a bit more, you have another climb to the club house.

Needless to say we were all knackered at the end of the round. I just could not imagine being a member at this club. It would either kill me first or I would go mad from climbing those damned hills.

So in summary - I will not be playing here again. There are far better courses around Paris more deserving of your time and money. If you decide to ignore this advice then bring plenty of crampons with you.

Restaurant: Benares, London

Atul Kochhar trained at the Oberoi Hotel Group in India before coming to London in 1994. He then worked as head chef in Tamarind where he became the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star.

On the back of this success he left Tamarind to set up his own restaurant in Mayfair called Benares where he has since won another Michelin star.

I'd been trying to get a booking at Benares for a Friday night for some months but without success. My penchant for keeping my options open till late in the week doesn't always work well when you're trying to get into one of the top restaurants in London.

I decided to try and book ahead and was fortunate to get a table within a week, probably due to the fact that it was August and lots of people are on holidays.

Atul has made a name for himself on TV over the last year or two appearing regularly on programs such as Saturday Kitchen and The Great British Menu. His food always looks fabulous so it was with a high level of anticipation that I headed there.

The entrance could easily be mistaken for an entrance into one of the many office buildings that occupy Berkeley Square. Once through the door you are taken upstairs to the main bar area. The decor is dark and contemporary and you certainly sense that you are in a temple of food. Having said that, you do feel as if you are sitting in what was once an office building.

As you'd expect, this is no ordinary Indian restaurant. Being a Michelin-starred restaurant you know it's not going to be cheap and in case you're in any doubt then one look at the prices will tell you that immediately. Do not go there expecting to pay high-street curry-house prices.

As we had arrived early (6:20pm) we were told that the good-value lunch menu was still available up to 6:30pm in case we wanted to avail of this. Nice of them to tell us this as it indicates that they are not being mercenary in squeezing us for every last penny.

However I'd waited for so long to eat here that I passed up on all the different menu options and headed straight for the A La Carte as I wanted to try the best of Atul's cooking.

We started with the Gosht Ke Shammi (Ground Lamb Patties Served with Cucumber Yoghurt) and the Tandoori Ratan (Lamb, Chicken Tikka and King Prawn Kebab Platter).

A slight side-track here. For many years my favourite UK restaurant was the Black Chapati in Brighton. It wasn't an Indian restaurant as the name might suggest. They served an eclectic range of dishes one of which was Lamb Patties. For me this was one of their best dishes and either myself or my wife would always order it when we went there. Unfortunately the Black Chapati is no more.

Anyway the point of the above is that once I saw Lamb Patties on the menu I just had to order it. I had this picture in my mind of the fantastic Black Chapati patties and I wondered if Atul could top them.

When they arrived they were nothing like the ones in the Black Chapati so it was actually hard to compare them as it would be like comparing apples and oranges - both nice but both different.

The Benares patties were very tasty without being exceptional. I probably wouldn't order them again but that's probably because I have a lingering vision of the exceptional Black Chapati patties.

The other starter was more memorable. A succulent piece of chicken, a big fat juicy prawn and a mini lamb cutlet all nicely tandooried. This I would definitely have again.

For the mains we had Machchi Amritsari (Batter Fried John Dory with Crushed Garden Peas and Gorkha Tomato Chutney) and Mongsho Ghughni (Roast Romney Marsh Lamb Rump on Rosemary and Garlic Chickpeas) with a side dish of Gobi Mutter (Stir Fried Cauliflower and Garden Peas with Cumin and Turmeric) and a basket of breads.

The John Dory was nicely cooked. It was still succulent inside which is not easy to achieve. Too often fish in batter is overcooked because the fish cooks quicker than the batter. The batter obviously had spices in it as it was much tastier than your average chop shop batter.

The crushed garden peas (i.e. frozen peas) were really delicious and complimented the dish perfectly.

Overall a very satisfying dish but I would not order it again. It just lacked that certain "je ne sais quoi".

The Lamb on the other hand was superb. Perfectly cooked lamb (i.e. pink) on a bed of spicy chickpeas. The flavour from the lamb was fantastic. Absolutely moreish.

The Gobi Mutter was another stand-out dish. A definite must-order for the next time. The breads were also delicious.

The thing that struck us most about the food was the background taste we kept getting long after we'd swallowed a mouthful. The subtlety of spicing and the lingering flavour was far beyond anything you'll experience in a high-street Indian.

As might be expected from a Michelin-starred restaurant the wine list favoured French wines but there were also choices from across Europe and the New World. At the top end there were the expected wines from Puligny Montrachet, Meursault, St Emilion etc.

Given that it was a warm summers evening and that we were having both fish and red meat we decided to opt for the rosé wine. This was a "Rose of Virginia" (at £42) from the Barossa Valley in Australia.

I'm not a fan of sweet wine (excluding dessert wine) and I'm always cautious of ordering a rosé in case it gets too sickly sweet. This wine was fresh and flavoursome but wasn't at all sickly sweet. It worked really well with our meal.

We finished off with a shared plate of three different Kulfis (pistachio, coconut and mango). I thought that these were superb and probably the best kulfi I'd ever had. The crunchy bits accompanying them added an extra dimension to the dish.

The service throughout was generally very friendly and efficient although one of the waitresses could do with spending another few days at Smile School!

Overall a very enjoyable evening's dining. The food ranged from very good to superb and I would definitely want to visit there again a number of times. I think that you only realise how good a restauarant is when you've tried many of their dishes and they are all consistently excellent.

The bill came to £162 with 12.5% service included. Not a shocking price for a Michelin-starred restaurant and I certainly have no complaints about it.

However is Benares five times better than Lahore (my favourite cheap Indian in London where £30 will buy two people a fantastic meal)? No of course it isn't but then it's horses for courses.

If you want a cheap night out with friends then go to Lahore but if you want a romantic evening with your partner or if you want to entertain a client then head to Benares. You won't be disappointed.

Restaurant: Thai Lounge, Lingfield

Lingfield in Surrey is best known as the home of Lingfield Park race course. It's is a bit of a one-horse town (except when it's race day!). Blink as you drive through it and you'll miss it.

It would be a shame to blink though as you might miss out on a wonderful Thai restaurant called Thai Lounge. It's in the High Street so is easy to find.

The first impressions are good. It's obviously had some money spent on it. You enter into a bar area with some comfortable seats. The cocktail bar offers a wide range of cocktails as well as all the usual drinks.

The eating area is situated up some steps from the bar area. The whole place has got a nice contemporary feel to it.

All the waitresses were dressed in traditional Thai dress and had that warm friendly approach that you associate with Thai people. Service throughout the evening was both friendly and efficient.

There were four of us there on a Friday evening and whilst the place wasn't full it had enough people in it to create a buzzy atmosphere.

We all ordered different items from the menu so that we could try as many dishes as possible.

Starters included Goong Phaow (Tiger prawns with herbs & chilli sauce), Satay Gai (Chicken Satay) and a plate of Mixed Starters

I regard myself as a bit of an aficionado of satay as I spent 4 years in Holland eating satay. It's almost a traditional pub dish over there due to the Indonesian influence from it's colonial days. I've also eaten satay as street food in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

The satay in the Thai Lounge definitely ranks high up on my list of best satays. The skewers came with big pieces of perfectly tender chicken. 9 out of 10 for this. (As an aside there is a nearby Thai restaurant in East Grinstead called Mae Ping that serves probably the worst satay I've ever had. Miserable pieces of dry, chewy chicken).

The other starters, with one exception, were all delicious. The exception was the Thai fishcakes which came with the Mixed Starter dish.

As with satay, I am a bit of an expert on fishcakes. I cook fishcakes at home that are very light and easy to eat. They are fat, crispy and tender. My wife says that she can never eat anybody else's fishcakes as they don't even come close to mine.

I don't know what it is with Thai fishcakes but wherever you go in the world you get served small flat things that are like rubber. I know this is the traditional style but I've yet to meet anybody who raves about these. The ones we had here were just as rubbery as anywhere else so low marks for this dish.

Mains included Gaeng Phed Gai (chicken curry), Gai Yang (Thai-style char-grilled chicken ), Goong Phad Nam Prik Phaow (stir-fried tiger prawns), Neua Phad Gra Pao (stir fried beef) and Pad Thai (thai noodles).

Everything was delicious but one dish stood out above the others. The Gai Yang was one of the tastiest, tenderest pieces of chicken I've had in a long while. It's a fairly substantial dish so definitely one for sharing.

Overall this place deserves high praise for its decor, food and service. Easily the best Thai restaurant that I've been to in the Surrey/Sussex area.

Restaurant: The Westerly, Reigate

Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey. It is set at the foot of the North Downs about a mile off Junction 7 of the M25. It has retained some of its historical buildings including its castle which sits within the one-way system that encircles the town.

Probably the biggest down-side of Reigate is that the A25 runs right through the middle of the town. In fact the High Street is actually part of the A25.

In common with many other towns it has plenty of chain restaurants such as Pizza Express, Strada, Cafe Rouge, ASK etc. However it also boasts a number of individual restaurants serving above average food. The best of these is undoubtedly The Westerly.

The Westerly is situated just around the corner from the High Street on the London Road. If you were shopping in Reigate you might be tempted to turn back at the end of the High Street as it looks like there's nothing else of interest there but if you follow the one way system around on to the London Road then you will quickly come upon The Westerly.

It calls itself a "Modern Bistro" and I guess this sums it up neatly. It's got an air of casual elegance about it. It's informal and unfussy in a bistro type of way. However, unlike a Paris bistro such as Chez Georges (qv) there is at least some space between the tables.

I've been going to The Westerly since it opened about 18 months ago. It took over the premises previously occupied by another favourite of mine "Sweet Potato". When I first discovered it I was quite pleased that we had found another top restaurant not far from us.

My wife and I mistakenly thought this would become a regular place to visit on our Friday nights out. We always eat out on Friday night as it starts the weekend off on the right note. However I rarely book more than 24 hours in advance as I like to keep my options open to suit my mood.

Bit by bit it became impossible to get into The Westerly at short notice as word spread about how good it was. And then the floodgates opened.

The Westerly won the prestigious accolade of the 2008 Rémy Martin UK Restaurant Excellence Award. This award is given to the restaurant which has shown itself to be the most outstanding rising star of the UK restaurant scene.

The Westerly had not only finished ahead of other similar restaurants around the country but it had also beaten many Michelin-starred places to the title.

I don't know how many covers per week they did before the award but I'll bet that since the award they must have added at least 20% to the number. It is now nigh on impossible to get a weekend table at short notice. Unless you're really lucky like I was recently when I phoned in the hope of a cancellation. And bingo - I got a table.

The food is definitely a modern take on standard bistro fare. This is food that I would normally only expect to find in London or maybe in one or two of the top echelon of gastropubs.

I started with Croquette of Pig’s Head with Sauce Gribiche. My wife had Terrine of Chicken Livers, Cornichons and Onion Chutney. Both dishes hit the spot nicely.

Portions were just the right size for a starter - big enough to take the hunger away but small enough to leave you still yearning for the main course. They were accompanied by a basket of good quality bread. (I don't know if it's home made).

My main was the star of the night - Roast Icelandic Cod, Mash & Salsa Verde. This is a match made in heaven. As Michael Winner would say - "historic".

I'm fussy about my fish. Not only must it be fresh but it must verge on being undercooked. Fish that is overcooked (as most restaurants do it) is just a waste of money. Every fish (including shellfish) gets chewy and dry when it's cooked too much. That's not the way I want my fish.

I want a fish that has been seared on both sides and allowed to heat through until just past raw. This way it stays juicy and succulent and the flesh just falls away when you start eating it. I wish that fish could be ordered like beef i.e medium rare (or blue in the case of tuna!).

Needless to say The Westerly got the cod spot on. A lovely juicy piece of fish on a bed of the most unctious mash imagineable with a perfect salsa verde on top. This is the second time I've had this dish here and each time it has been 10 out of 10. I'm drooling thinking about it now.

My wife had Duck Confit, Garlic Roasties, Watercress and Blood Orange Salad. Again, another masterpice of execution.

From past experience we knew that The Westerly serve brilliant chips - triple-cooked in the Heston Blumenthal way. So we were a bit greedy and ordered a portion.

Now the main meals are meant to stand on their own as they each come with vegetables. In truth we overdid it with the chips. By the time I got through my cod and mash my appetite for chips had dwindled and so we ended up leaving half the bowl untouched. Sinful I know.

I did manage to squeeze in a dessert though. I had a Chocolate Malt Ice Cream and Peanut Butter Cookie. The ice cream was perfectly smooth and delicious. A find end to a fine meal.

Just around the corner from The Westerly is Tony Tobin's restaurant The Dining Room. For a long time this was my favourite restaurant in Surrey. I've literally spent thousands of pounds there entertaining over the years.

However, based on my last two visits, the standard at The Dining Room has fallen so far that I don't bother to go there any more. This is a restaurant living off its chef's TV fame.

Luckily I have The Westerly to go to. It's less pretentious, the food is better and it costs a hell of a lot less. It's a gem. But whatever you do don't tell anybody else about it. I want to be able to get a table there!

Restaurant: Wentworth Grill

After a splendid afternoon's golf on the West Course at Wentworth we stayed on for dinner at the Wentworth Grill.

As an introduction to the Wentworth Grill it is worth saying that this is no ordinary golf club restaurant. The restaurant is run by the Caprice Restaurant Group the owners of Le Caprice, The Ivy and J Sheeky amongst others.

The food was excellent. I began with a starter of Crispy Duck and Watercress Salad and followed this with Roast Hake on a bed of Spiced Arrocina Beans.

My friend ordered a bottle of Pomerol to accompany our meal. This was one of the finest reds I've drunk in quite a while - rich and smooth with a wonderful nose. Delicious! Unfortunately as I was driving I couldn't drink as much of this as I would have liked.

After the starters and mains I was feeling stuffed and I was going to pass up on dessert. However, my friend waxed lyrical about the Wentworth Sticky Toffee Pudding claiming that it was the best sticky toffee pudding on the planet. He banged on about it so much that I thought he must be on a commission for selling it.

Anyway I relented and, to give credit where it's due, he was not wrong. It wasn't at all stodgy as I had feared. It was a very light sponge covered in masses of toffee sauce served with a scoop of velvety smooth ice cream sitting in a brandy basket. Heaven!

This was probably the best meal I've eaten at a golf club in the UK. The Wentworth Grill could easily stand on its own two feet as a top restaurant even if it wasn't attached to the club. I've eaten here three times and each time the food was faultless.

Go there even if you don't play golf. You'll not be disappointed.

Golf Course: Wentworth West Course

The West course at Wentworth is the one that most people know as it has until recently been used for two televised tournaments each year.

Each May the BMW PGA Championship (formerly the Volvo PGA Championship) is played here and in the autumn Wentworth has long played host to the World Matchplay Championship (this is now moving to Valderama).

Whilst I had played here twice before it's been some time since then and my memory of the course was based more on what I see regularly on televison than on a previous round I've played.

It is always exciting to play a course that you've seen the pros play. For a start you are nearly always guaranteed that the condition of the course will be perfect and Wentworth was no exception.

Apart from the first 5 holes, when it was cloudy, the rest of the round was played in beautiful warm sunshine. The fairways were immaculate and the greens were in tip-top condition - fast but not ridiculously so.

We teed off quite late (15:10) but were blessed with a virtually empty course. We never saw anybody behind us and the first time we say anybody in front of us was when we caught a four-ball on the 18th. Even then they were playing their second shot and we didn't have to wait.

How enjoyable is that, having a world-class golf course to yourself?

The course has so many enjoyable holes (2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 17, 18 to name a few). It's a hillier course than you would think from watching it on TV. There are also a few blind landing areas so you need to watch your club selection to avoid hazards.

I played with a friend who is a member and who told me that it was safe to play a 3-wood off the 7th as the out-of-sight ditch was out of range. I promptly hit a sweet 3-wood into the ditch. Not happy with the advice!

On the 9th he advised me to hit my second shot left of the green. Again I hit a shot right out of the middle of the bat exactly on the line he indicated only to discover when I got up to the green that my ball was in the front bunker (which I couldn't see) on the left.

Definitely not happy with the advice. Needless to say I didn't listen to my friend for the rest of the round!

Most of the holes are tree-lined although the fairways weren't too tight. It's certainly a course that rewards good driving. Unfortunately I was not having my best day with the driver. My iron game was good however. Just as well as I had to play a few tricky recovery shots after going off-line from the tee.

As you would expect from the headquarters of the European PGA, the facilities at Wentworth are second to none in the UK.

Overall it was extremly enjoyable days golf. I was lucky that I was with a member as I only had to pay an £80 green fee. For a course of this quality that is a reasonable fee to pay and I would happily pay that again and again.

However if you turn up as a visitor you are going to have to pay a £280 green fee in the summer (this might explain why the course appeared so empty). I might pay that just to say that I've played Wentworth but that is not a fee I would more than once particularly as there are other fantastic courses nearby for a fraction of that cost e.g. Hankley Common at £70.

I've played all 3 courses at Wentworth on multiple occasions but I'm still not sure which one I like best. They are each excellent courses and have something different to offer.

Individually none of the courses are as good as the Old Course at Sunningdale (just down the road) but if I lived nearby I would love to be a member here and have three great courses to play.

Restaurant: Morston Hall in Norfolk

In recent years Galton Blackiston has come to nationwide prominence thanks to his presence in the BBC programme The Great British Menu.

He has, however, held a Michelin star for a number of years at his award-winning hotel in north Norfolk. Morston Hall is situated on the coast just opposite the little quay at Morston.

Unusually, he only serves a single set menu each day. He bases the menu on whatever is available on that day, ensuring that you always get fresh ingredients. If you have certain food dislikes or allergies then you can tell them in advance and they will cater for you.

The food was classic Michelin-style cooking, everything perfectly executed and professionally served. There was little to fault in the meal and yet I left feeling a tad underwhelmed.

It was all just a bit too safe. There was no adventure in the cooking. There were no outstanding flavours (except for the superb orange ice-cream). This is food that is replicated in dozens of Michelin starred restaurants throughout Europe.

If that's your cup of tea then you'll love this place. Personally, I'm always looking for something that's got more edge to it.

We stayed overnight at Morston Hall in one of the best rooms I've had in the UK. Their new Pavilion rooms are beautiful contemporary suites with all the mod cons and a little patio area.

As a total experience (hotel + restaurant), Morston Hall is hard to beat. So if you're short of brownie points with your loved one then you could do worse than book a night or two there.

Restaurant 7½/10 Hotel 9/10

Golf Course: Chateau d'Augerville France

Chateau d'Augerville is situated about 90k south of Paris down some of the smallest, windiest roads you'll come across for a long time. It takes about 75 mins to get here from the centre of Paris.

The Chateau itself is a fine 4* hotel with about 50 rooms/suites. We played there on a Saturday and the hotel was buzzing with lots of guests staying for the weekend. Unusually many of the cars were Dutch and we didn't see another English car there.

Having driven down early from Paris we managed to blag a table in the hotel dining room for a buffet breakfast which kick-started the day nicely.

Teeing off on the first you have no sense of what a delight lies ahead of you. The hotel's 18-hole golf course has been classified amongst the 10 most beautiful in France and it definitely lives up to this.

The 1st is a short Par 4 doglegging around some trees to the green. Nice and easy start as long as you keep your drive fairly straight.

From the 2nd hole onwards the course is a succession of beautiful holes. The 2nd is a Par 5 that doglegs right up a hill to a huge green. The green has multiple levels and you could easily find yourself 100 feet from the hole if you find the wrong level. And if you're on the upper level putting down the slope then you're in big trouble.

Most of the holes are tree-lined and there's a real sense of quiet isolation as you plot your way around the course. Each time you think it can't get better it does just that.

The 9th hole finishes right in front of the chateau with the moat running in front of the green. The 18th hole finishes parallel to the 9th but to the side of the chateau. If there was one design change I'd make it would be to find a way to swap the 18th and 9th. The 18th hole deserves to have the grand view of the chateau.

The course has some great Par 3s. My favourite hole was the Par 3 15th. The tee box is set high up on a rocky outcrop looking down over a pond towards the green 180 yards away. It helped that I nailed a 5-iron to 5 feet and sank the putt for a birdie. My 2nd birdie of the day at a crucial point in our match.

The four of us rated this the best of the three courses we played on the trip (the other two were Chateu de la Chouette and Apremont). There wasn't a bad hole on the course and the greens and fairways were in excellent condition.

For me this is a must-play course if you are in the area. In fact I would recommend anybody to come to this area and play three gems - Fontainebleau, Chateau d'Augerville and Belesbat. These are all within 20 miles of each other. Play these three and you would think you were in golf heaven.

Restaurant: Chez L'Ami Jean, Paris

On a recent trip to Paris I had the pleasure of eating at three restaurants.

On our last night we ate at Chez L'Ami Jean which is situated on a quiet street in the 7th arrondisement.

This is a modern bistro headed up by a chef from the Basque region who bases many of his dishes on food from that region.

The place is small and the decor has lots of wooden panelling. You literally sit elbow-to-elbow with your fellow diners. However, rather than this being a negative it creates a very buzzy atmosphere and you quickly find yourself in conversation with people at nearby tables.

The place was packed - not a surprise given that it was a Saturday night. It seemed like the clientele was split evenly between locals and tourists.

This is clever and inventive food that is full of flavour. In fact the menu descriptions do not do justice to the tastes that you experience. Unlike Chez Georges which serves well-known classic dishes, you will struggle to find a single dish here that you recognise.

The service here is frenetic but friendly. The waiter was even able to joke with us in English. In response to a comment from us that everything on the menu looked good he remarked that "all the food and wine is excellent. It's only the service that's crap!".

As a starter two of us ordered the Croustillant dish. This was like a large piece of filo pastry wrapped around a very tasty filling of carrots, egg and other ingredients which I'm not sure about. Very unusual and very delicious.

I can't even remember what the main dish was as I ordered something that I didn't recognise. I like trying different things so I thought I'd chance my arm. It had the word "Volaille" in it so I was assuming it would be based on chicken.

It was some concoction of chicken with a sauce and spices. Again very unusual and very delicious. One of the other mains was a rabbit dish which I tried. Again nothing but praise for this also.

There were four of us at our table and each one of us raved about our chosen dishes. In fact, at the end of our trip, we all voted Chez L'Ami Jean as the best of the three restaurants we had eaten in. Fine praise indeed given that we all loved Chez Georges also.

And to make matters even better it also was the cheapest of the three restaurants by quite a distance. With three courses, a couple of bottles of wine and some water the bill for four came to just over €200 euros. In my book that represents excellent value.

The only slight negative on the evening is that we got hurried away from the table at 10:30pm as there were people queueing to get in. We had booked the 9:00pm sitting fully expecting the table to be ours until closing time but it seems that this restaurant has a third sitting for late diners.

This is unique cooking and you come away feeling that you've just discovered a little hidden gem.

Just one tip - reserve your table well in advance. This place is popular both with Parisians as well as tourists.

Restaurant: Hiramatsu, Paris

One of my all time best meals in Paris (in fact, anywhere) was at Stella Maris a French restaurant run by a Japanese chef.

It was therefore with much anticipation that I had booked Hiramatsu. Like Stella Maris it is run by a Japanese chef and serves classic french cuisine. It also holds a Michelin star.

I had anticipated that of the three restaurants that our golfing group were going to visit, Hiramatsu would be the best. The other two were Chez Georges (qv) and Chez L'Ami Jean (qv).

All four of us elected to go with the Tasting Menu (Delice Gastronomique) as the tasting menu at Stella Maris the previous year had been stunning.

As you'd expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant the meal was kicked off with an Amuse Bouche.

The menu comprises various courses designed to show off the talents of the chef. These included a crab and prawn dish, a foie gras dish, a fish dish, a lamb dish, a cheese plate and a dessert.

It was all faultless in execution but somehow lacked excitement. This is a typical Michelin one-star restaurant in that it serves classic food faultlessly but it lacks that edge that will get your taste buds excited.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was also very stiff and formal. The service was friendly but slow at times. One of my pet hates is when a restaurant takes the wine that I have bought away from the table. On more than one occasion I had to indicate for a top-up. Very poor.

The most distinctive part of the evening was the bill - €650 euros for 4 of us with two bottles of wine. By far the most expensive meal we had over three nights. And by far the least memorable meal also!

Nearly 14 months after eating at Stella Maris we still talk about it and some of the dishes we ate. A couple of days after eating at Hiramatsu we could hardly remember the dishes. It really left no memorable impression with us.

By unanimous decision we would all return to both Chez Georges and Chez L'Ami Jean many times but one visit to Hiramatsu is plenty for us.

Restaurant: Chez Georges, Paris

On a recent trip to Paris I had the pleasure of eating at three restaurants.

The first night we ate at Chez Georges in the 2nd arrondisement. Beware that there are other restaurants called Chez Georges - this is the one on Rue du Mail.

This is one of those restaurants in a quiet street that you could easily walk by and not realise that behind some very ordinary looking doors lurks a hive of activity.

Chez Georges is a classic turn-of-the-century bistro that exudes warmth and coziness. Tables are close together but this just adds to the bonhomie of the place. Service was friendly and efficient even though the restaurant was full.

The menu is full of traditional bistro classics such as chicken-liver terrine, curly endive salad with bacon and a poached egg, steak with béarnaise etc.

For starters I had "harengs avec pommes à l’huile" (herrings dressed with potatoes in oil). Other starters at our table included herrings with a vinaigrette, mushrooms a la grecque and escargots. These were accompanied by some delicious breads including slices of Poilane bread.

The starter portions are huge. We could easily have ordered two starters for four of us and we would still have had plenty to eat. A definite tip here is to share starters.

With the exception of the mushrooms, which were tasty without being exceptional, we all rated our starters as exceptional.

For the main course two of us (myself included) ordered the "Sole Georges". This is a sole filet with a sauce made from Pouilly wine and crème fraîche. Absolutely delicious.

To accompany the sole we ordered some frites. The frites were quite possibly the best frites I've ever eaten. They were thin and crispy with no oiliness whatsoever.

Other mains included Rognons de Veau (veal kidneys) and grilled turbut with bearnaise sauce both rated as excellent.

All of the above was washed down with a number of bottles of wine including the house red, a Cote de Brouilly, and a bottle of Sancerre.

This is comfort food at its best. It's the sort of food that you could eat every night unlike some of the Michelin-starred food served in other restaurants.

It's not cheap here. Four of us paid €330 euros before we added service. However euro-for-euro I would prefer to eat here than in some of the Michelin-starred places.

This is a place that I will visit again and again.