Restaurant Archives

A food lover’s New York

When you think of New York, what comes to mind? I realised just how much my view was coloured by what I’d seen in films and on TV: a brash …

Prithvi Restaurant Cheltenham – Refined Indian Dining

We visit a fabulous Indian Restaurant Do you have a list of must visit restaurants? We certainly do. Prithvi went on the list after I tried their halibut recipe in …

Drink in Champagne for the Weekend

A city break to Reims

Do you love driving in France? I do. Of course the cities are busy, but get on the autoroute and generally you fly along, enjoying the countryside. Bliss after our clogged motorways.

Take a long weekend off and you could head for the Champagne region as we did. It was our first crossing using the Eurotunnel and we were seriously impressed. Giving ourselves plenty of time in case the infamous M25 was slow going, we arrived way before our set train time. We were waved through. Subject to availability you can travel two hours before or after your chosen time.

You might think that the carriages you drive in to are claustrophobic. Not at all. The carriages are light and airy. You can get out and stretch your legs. After 35 minutes, your through and as customs were passed through on the English side, you are straight on the motorway. We had 2 1/2 hours to drive.

Our focus was food and drink naturally so we planned ahead. Reims is a compact city. Astonishingly, after the First World War just 60 houses remained. So 400 architects were engaged to create the new city with very few constraints. Now the roads are wide and reminiscent of Paris with touches of art deco too. It’s an easy place to get around – we walked to most of our destinations.

We spent 3 days in Reims. Here are our Top 7 things to do

Discovering Cotswolds food and drink

If you visit a new area, where do you choose to eat and drink? Of course you ask people you meet, but with an area as large as the Cotswolds, you’ll inevitably not find all the gems.

The Cotswold Cook Book will help. It celebrates the amazing food and drink in the Cotswold and includes more than 40 recipes. I’ve been reading through and getting very hungry. I’ve also started to plan visits to many of the places mentioned. What better way than to read a recipe and think, “I’d like to visit and try more”.

Small plates, big flavours in Nailsworth

Goodbye large plates of food, small plates or tapas hit the spot at the Vault, Nailsworth

Escape to Thailand at Thaikun

Last week I ate in Bangkok. Bath masquerading Bangkok to be exact. It was a chilly evening when my husband and I walked into Thaikhun. There was an immediate assault on the senses: colour, noise, people and stuff. Look up and there are all sorts of items hanging from the ceiling including signs in a language we didn’t know, household utensils, some very old TVs, networks of wires wrapped round what looked like telegraph poles. We then noticed the bar to the left where much energetic shaking was going on and to the right a very shiny kitchen semi-open to diners. The space is large but cleverly split into different areas.

A peep into the kitchen - lots of training going on — A peep into the kitchen – lots of training going on

Lunch in Cirencester: Cafe Mosaic

Twice baked cheese souffle at Cafe Mosaic, Cirencester

You don’t really expect to get a recipe when you visit a Café for lunch, yet this is what happened when we ate at Café Mosaic in Cirencester.

I love cheese soufflé. It is my show off dish and I make it regularly. My friend Amy is equally obsessed with all types of soufflé. She has been known to visit various restaurants in Edinburgh eating nothing but soufflé.