Memorable Meals?

Shabby Chic?

I just had to write about my last couple of eating experiences in the past month. The first was my birthday lunch at the nearby "shabby chic" Michelin starred restaurant where I was expecting fine dining in a relaxed and refined atmosphere. So armed with my special discount voucher we set off for our special three course (£19.50 a head) meal. On arrival our welcome was very pleasant and the process of ordering perfect but I am sad to say that while we sat with our drinks (sadly I am a bit alcohol free these days) we found we had not been offered any nibbles but what the heck we said, we will be eating soon. We were called to our table and the most delicious bread we had ever had was served (more was to come) and our starters arrived then our main course (we were offered more bread) and then desert (no more bread!) - it did become clear that the bread did supplement the Nouvelle Cuisine portions and I regretted not having eaten more of it! The bill was requested and delivered and paid and we set off home more or less satisfied but with the impression that we would not be returning and that the establishment was rather more shabby that chic. Then I read the bill, yes I should have read it when I paid but I had rather foolishly assumed a degree of efficiency given the welcome and the service in general. We had been charged the full cost of the meal!!! I suppose I had noticed but as they had taken the voucher from us I was unable to check it. Nor did I wish to get embarrassed by raising the issue at the table! The end of the story is that one small email resulted in a refund of the excess charge and the offer of a bottle of wine "next time you are in the restaurant!

To top it all I was hit with yet another attack of a Norovirus (I think) type virus that floored me for a good three days and left me with an aversion to various foods including, rather bizarrely, Dundee Cake! I should clarify my “yet another” comment there, I was struck down back in May with a similar deadly attack that I think I caught off my daughter when she was here from Ibiza!!

Well, I am OK now and will be writing shortly about our trip to Cornwall, the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan and one of the most interesting curries I have had in may a year, watch this space again!