Introduction: Harrods food halls at Knightsbridge are a feast for the eyes Ambience: Every food counter is overcrowded making it slow to get a seat and claustrophobic when you do Service: Feels like a pub with bright lights Food: Seafood, Oyster bar and sandwich bar. King size sandwiches toasted - tongue beef or cornbeef One sandwich and a handsome but not very good glass of wine a mere A$50 Comments: Go there to see it or perhaps to be seen Not to eat Score: 13/20
Introduction: Part of an International chain this one at 50 Kingsway London Ambience: Utilitarian Service: Self serve and waiter service Food: Typical Japanese sushi, sashimi and a variety of small dishes go past on different coloured plates on a conveyor belt. Green tea Udon soup and other dishes can be ordered. The quality is very ordinary Wine: Saki is available Price: A$65 barely filled a cavity in one tooth Comments: Expensive and poor value Score:13 /20
Introduction: ATapas house on the Cathedral square Ambience: Crowded with rapidly changing clientelle Service: Efficient Food: Moderate variety Mussels stuffed with crab meat are very tasty as was thevegetarian eggplant and pepper construction. Elvers (called Angula here) which look like long white worms and are actually eel larvae, are a delicate specialty Wine: House wine is barely acceptable Price: Most tapas cost between A$3-6 depending on size Comments: Excellent for a snack or meal Score:13.5 /20
Introduction: Attached to the excellently placed hotel of the same name at Avenida da Catedral, 7. Ambience: A very pleasant room Service: Laughable pleasantly incompetent Food: In a word AWFUL. The prawns in the prawn salad entree had not been cleaned and contained grit in the intestine The pumpkin soup was thin but acceptable Paella marinara had a recently deep frozen langoustine sitting an a bed of rice with a few limpits. Their special local fish only known in this area was inedible -extremely fatty with an overwhelmingly strong fishy taste. The ox sirloin requested blue came medium and the laquered lamb was as dry as a chip - cooked to death Wine: The only good thing was the Domaine de Nidoleres, Syrah, 2002 - we needed 2 bottles!! Price: Not cheap four dried little rolls cost A$11 3 entrees 4 mains and coffee and petit fours which I could not find on the bill came to A$270 Entrees about A$22 mains about A$40 Comments: I must say the staff were very nice Score:11.5 /20
Introduction: Facing the Marina at the port area of Barcelona. The many outside tables were empty at 10.00 pm on this winters night. Despite the hour staff greeted us warmly (almost fawning) and diners continued to arrive well after us the kitchen closing at about 11.30 Ambience: Gave me a vague feeling as tho I was on a shipwith huge porthole windows looking into the kitchen Service: Plenty of uniformed staff for the number of diners meant as much attention as we wanted Food: We started with the fish and shellfish soup Thick and filled with plenty of fish and prawns it was a good beginning. The mussels mariniere were large and satisfying in a slightly sweet thick tomato soup very much to my taste. The sweetness seems to come from the tomatos which are tastier than those in Australia For mains I had the Angler fish in a thick fish sauce packed with oyster mushrooms and eggplant. Despite being much firmer (and less delicate ) than the one I had in Rome a year ago it was a very good dish On the other hand the Hake with shellfish was extremely delicate. The flesh of this fish, also not available in Australia, very white and very fine. Wine: The house white was quite acceptable but the red rather rough Price: We paid A$160 Starters A$12-20 Mains about A$45 You pay for bread everywhere in Spain Comments: There are some meat dishes available but this is really a fish restaurant Score: 15/20
Introduction: I don`t know if this specialist fish restaurant at Gran de Gra`n, 81 Barcelona has Michelin stars or not but it deserves them Ambience: Bustling with waiters and patrons. A large display case is filled with awards and includes a Chaine des Rotisseurs chain. Photograhs of patrons includePresident Clinton and heaps of film stars and glitteratae. There is a long counter at which some ate presumably because the restaurant was full but most diners are seated at white linen covered tables Service: White coated waiters are efficient but unhurried, considerate and willing to spend time on explanations Food: We took our waiters recommendationfor 2 entreés and 2 mains The crab salad in a light olive oil was exquisite with plenty of fine almost sweet crab meat The grilled prawns were astonishingly tasty. Smaller but much sweeter than the Australian prawn they are caught 100 km up the coast. Only about 20kgm are caught each day for the whole of Spain and they could not be fresher ~ alive only a few hours ago The Spiny Lobster (about A$170/ kgm) served with a mayonaise or a red mild sauce was again remarkable for the taste of the flesh Finally the Sea Bass - a queen of fish, served with a cream sauce and sliced potato left us totally satisfied. Wine: Again on our waiters advice a bottle of Bojus del Riosfrom the Galicia area proved to be an excellent accompaniment to the meal Incidently they did have a few meat dishes available There were complimentary sweets and Muscat to finish Price: About A$430 but $300 if we did not have lobster Comment: Undoubtedly a top restaurant Score 18/20
Originally a culinary journey through the best (and sometimes not the best) eateries in Melbourne interstate and international. This site will, I hope, become a free peoples guide. Your comments are very welcome and any contributions will be added to the site. Feel free to email us reviews, anytime and anywhere.
This is a joint venture, to which you are welcome to join. Sandra, a perpetual student, has a doctorate in Psychology and is currently studying gastronomy. She is an excellent cook and has a very good palate. We share interests in travel arts and literature and especially food. I am an aging bonviveur, workaholic gourmet slowly losing a battle with obesity. We love all good things.
