On
this page:
The Moon & Sixpence (Bath)
Pimpernels (Bath)
Hullaballoos (Cardiff)
The Shroppie (Norbury)
The Moon & Sixpence
6A Broad St, Bath
ph 01225 - 460962
www.moonandsixpence.co.uk
European
7.45pm Saturday 25th August 2001, Bank holiday weekend
Nicola, Jacci, Ade
Hullaballoos
92 St Mary Street
Cardiff
www.hullaballoos.co.uk
European
9pm, Tuesday, 25 June 2001
It was a
quiet night in the restaurant, with two other tables full - however all
the restaurants in Cardiff centre looked quiet. The restaurant phone rang
all night with people making reservations, so it must be busy at other
times.
The service was friendly from the young French manager.
Excellent value with special menus at 3 courses for £15 and summer
menu at £10.
I had the salad, good although the leaves were a bit maimed. The chef
special, the sea bass on a bed of roast peppers was delicious, so fresh
and tasty. The chargrilled red and yellow peppers added a sweet accent
to the fish. The vegetables were steamed perfectly retaining bright colour
and taste.
The dessert, the orange crème brulee was a little disappointing
as the custard was lumpy with unmixed sugar and the coating on top was
burnt. It was served warmed which was a bonus point.
Décor: Like the set of 'Cheers' traditional green leather and dark
wood, nice comfy round booths.
Clean, which I found was difficult to find in other restaurants in Cardiff.
Paper serviettes!
Overall: Very good value at under £20. BYO
6.5/10
.........................................................................
The
Shroppie pub
nr Norbury, Shropshire, UK
8.00pm, Saturday, 28th July 2001. The canal boaters.
Food: A large selection. The trout is done in a microwave. The salad looked boring, but my fisherman's pie was good.
Décor: Large english pub with picnic tables outside overlooking the canal. Obviously the place to go as the place was densely populated by the glammed up locals and tourists like us.
Overall:
£6/£7 per dish for pub grub. Average, but apparently a lot
better than the neightbouring smaller pub. Entertainment from a keyboard
player who did a good rendition of David Gray's This Year's Love.
5.5/10
.........................................................................
The
Junction Inn
Norbury Junction, Norbury, Shropshire, UK
8.50pm, Sunday,
29th July 2001
Ade, Ben, Gary, Cyndi, Anita
Service: Behind the bar, the landlord was friendly and let us order despite stopping serving at 9pm.
Food: For a pub, the selection was wide, everything from chicken tikka to thai chicken, sausages, the Sunday carvery, fish and chips…My lamb casserole with chips was very rich and tasty. Ben's mixed grill was a bit chewy, the thin steak turned out to be well done rather than the ordered medium. However the chicken dishes looked a lot more sophisticated. This pub has the world's flattest, warm coca cola.
Décor:
Old english pub with picnic tables outside overlooking the canal.
£6/£7
per dish.
4/10 (let down by the flat Coke)
This restaurant is one of my favourites in Bath. I have fond memories of dining in the courtyard on a warm summer's evening. Thankfully on this slightly chilly evening, this time our table was inside, near the window. It was a 10 minute walk to the restaurant from the hotel, more like a stroll as the girls' heels weren't comfy on the cobbled streets.
The maitre'd couldn't find my reservation and then he mentioned that we had to be out by 10pm, which did not set a good tone. This did not reflect the rest of the evening. The menu was difficult to choose from as all the dishes sounded great. And we were all famished after a wonderful day at the Royal Crescent Hotel's Spa.
My main of the duck was satisfyingly good, Jacci's chicken was reported as great, and Nic enjoyed the tasty scallops on bak choy.
Dessert was also delicious - I had a passionfruit delice, which was similar to London's Sugar Club! Jacci's white and dark chocolate creation was very rich.
We ignored the maitre'd and stayed at our table until 11pm. Our waitress, who looked like kd lang, was very efficient.
£40 3 courses and wine.
8/10
Pimpernel's
Royal Crescent Hotel,
Royal Crescent, Bath
www.royalcrescent.co.uk
9pm Sunday 26th August 2001
Nic, Jacci, Ade
After a hard
day walking around, the obvious no-hassle choice was the hotel restaurant.
Described as informal, when we arrived, it was most definitely formal!
But just like Charlies Angels, we were well prepared - we looked
fabulous.
The light-pistachio coloured room was summery with our table looking out
towards the gardens. we ahd to wait for a very long time before we could
order and the wine took exceptionally longer to arrive than the acceptable
time to 'breathe'.
My crab salad starter, served on a large cobalt blue plate, was delightful.
The rack of lamb with cumin sauce, served for 2, was suprisingly good.
As Nicola noted, the cumin wasn't overpowering and enhanced the lamb beautifully.
This is the way spices should be used!
For once, I couldn't manage dessert but the cheese platter was enjoyed
by the girls.
£60pp
6/10 (let down by slow service)
Disclaimer: Please note reviews of restaurants are the personal opinion of a particular dining experience only. The writer is not a professional food critic and dining encounters are experienced in the role of a customer and the meal is paid for out of one's own pocket (or Ben's).
All content and images are the property of Adrienne Wong and may not be used or copied without permission. © 2002