Eating Out, Your Dining reviews

[LOG]

Has anyone been to Urban Burger in Queens Street? Driven past many a time, only it's my lads Birthday soon and every time we go out he goes for the burger on the menu...

Foxy, see post #5. It gets my approval.

 

[Silver fox]

Thanks Log, I remember now and might get lucky with that over friendly waitress :$

 

[Grecian_In_Exile]

There's quite a few decent places to eat round this neck of the woods but I will be dining at my favourite place in the whole of the UK next month when we head up to The Scottish Highlands.

The Plockton Inn, Plockton which serves up some of the finest seafood in the UK. They have won awards in the past and have their own smokehouse when they smoke the fish that they catch locally. On my first visit there I had their "Seafood Platter" as a main course which included 3 different types of smoked salmon, trout, locally caught Plockton Bay prawns, langoustines, mussells, scallops, oysters, clams, whiting and a couple of others fishy delights. There was that much that on my second visit I had their "starter" version of the dish.

As an aside though, and maybe this is a long shot, my brother and I are traveling up on my 50th birthday and breaking our journey in Edinburgh. I was just wondering if there was anyone out there from up that way or who has been to Edinburgh recently who could recommend a decent restaurant in Edinburgh City Centre ( near Waverley station) that would be good for a birthday meal.

There's a wicked Chinese about 200 yeards from Waverely station just off Princess Street, they do a wicked buffet there, eat all you can, choice of about 50 differnet foods, was only £6.95 last time we went.

 

[Stuffy]

Ed's Diner.

Situated in Swindon's Designer Outlet, this is a retro-American diner that looks for all the world like a U.S. 50's original you'd see in a movie. At first the novelty of having a juke box selector over your table blinds you to the cost of the rather average food and drink on sale, however, once that novelty wears off your visits become less.

It's a chain so expect one in Exeter in due course.

 

[manc grecian]

Took Mrs Manc to Las Iguanas on Saturday. Brahma on tap and 2 4 1 on cocktails before half 7 made manc a very happy man.

Duck starter was good but the main (chimichanga) was a bit bland. The place was full of large groups of women as well.

All in all a solid 7/10.

 

[Grecian_In_Exile]

Just had a look on their website! A bit out of my price range I think. £345 for ONE nights B&B and £90 for dinner!

Who do they think they are, Rick Stein?

 

[Grecian_In_Exile]

The have Devon & Cornwall Rail Card will travel, the next chapter. Re-visited Totnes yesterday, as I didn't get to do the quay last week, so went back to do that, a great walk, wonderful Devon scenery, lots of fresh air, which really worked up an appetite, so the climb back up into the Town was well looked forward to.

This week I did end up at an Indian, a fabulous place right at the top of the High Street http://www.cafemumbaitotnes.co.uk/

I ended up with the Lamb Balti Garlic Masala, with pilau rice after the usual poppadoms & pickle tray, excellent various tastes exploded in the mouth with each forkfull, brilliant friendly quick service, well reccommended if you're visiting Totnes. I will be certainly going back. 10/10

 

[Grecian_In_Exile]

Whilst on me jollies a few weeks ago, I ended up in Cardiff, had a couple of hours there around lunch time, so I ended up here http://www.yardbarkitchen.com/

Now every so often, you come across a pub, that should strictly keep to providing beers spirits & (their alleged famous) cocktails, and leave the food to someone who knows a little of what they're doing, this is one such establishment.

I ordered the Haddock & chips, at £8.00 a pop I was looking forward to a nice large piece of succulent Haddock accompanying some nice fried potato pieces, imagine my utter disappointment when served up a piece of haddock the size of a very small lemon sole, which was all curled up & very very hard, brittle in fact, the chips were passable.... I sent it back complaining I was unable to eat it & how small the fish was for £8.00 a pop!! I was told I would get a replacement. 20 mins later, I'm served 2 pieces of very small haddock in batter all curled up & both again so brittle I was unable to eat it, with a small apology that the fish supplied by the supplier was small today (yet they were still willing to rip the punters off for £8.00 a pop, no offer of a reduction in price etc... any chef worth their salt would have rejected the haddock & taken it off the menu), there was so very little meat on them, It was difficult to find amongst the brittle batter. When asked again if all OK I advised the member of staff, had I not already had paid on ordering, I would have refused to pay for this muck on a plate. I left in utter disgust. 1/10

I was of course still hungry & on the way back to the railway station I called into the Burger King for a BK double opposite the station..... My god that reminded me why I rarely frequent such establishments, it was awful, my experience at these two establishments put me off food for the rest of the day 1/10

I felt physically ill, the railway journey back to Wareham Dorset, was most uncomfortable!!

 

[StroudGrecian]

Normally I would shun anything to do with imported American fast-food franchises, but on Wednesday I visited the Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street. It's where Barkers used to be (for anyone who knows the area). The ground floor is a standard wholefood market and the first-floor has the Whole Foods Market Restaurant, which has the style of a fast-food area of a large shopping mall, and is pretty much that, except that the food on offer is (by and large) organic and/or wholefoods, rather than the horseburgers and bad chicken served up in the usual fast-food outlets.

Firstborn and I both went to the Mexican stall for burritos - she not overly impressed with her vegan one, but my pork burrito was superb, and great value at only £6. There are also Italian, Chinese and US BBQ outlets around a communal dining area.

Recommended

 

[ecfc70]

The Cosy Club - Exeter
Didn't book which on a Thursday wasn't a problem, told table would be available in 25 minutes so we had a drink at the bar.
Looking across to the dining area we struggled to see why it would be 25 mins as there were plenty of tables sat empty but no matter.
After 30 mins i had to ask if our table was ready and we were taken through where we then waited another 10 minutes to be asked if we would like a drink
Ordered the food shortly after which to my surprise came out before drinks and much too quickly, had to remind them we were waiting for drinks
Food was ok but then it is a chain
service was severely lacking = no tip tonight

wouldn't rush back