All reader reviews by Jes

Le Chardon

Three refugees from The Palmerston sought comfort in Le Chardon. And very comforting it was too.

I claimed birthday extravagance and started with a crab. Fresh and lovely, big and bold. Helen's little fish cakes were equally scrummy. Helen followed up with coq au vin; served in a cute copper casserole it was the real deal, with separate flavours jostling for attention. Betty skipped a starter and sipped a kir.

I had perfectly pink calves liver. Perhaps best of all were the vegetable sides - fantastic mash with chives, almost-crunchy carrots with garlic herb butter, a gratin dauphinoise to die for (or from), green beans and broccoli at the point of just cooked and a side salad that looked like fresh splashes of bright paint. (Betty ordered three sides instead of a main without complaint either way.)

We finished off with pancakes, just to add a few last calories.

All in all a top class meal, served with style. It all seemed very good value too. We'll be back for more.

Monday, April 28, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9

The Palmerston

An early evening booking. We scuttled into the Palmerston to avoid an April shower and settled into our table.

Spring is the time of year for asparagus and many people think it the king of all vegetables. Other's don't.

Sadly, the vegetarian options were limited on tonight's menu. One of the three veggie starters was asparagus. The only vegetarian main course option was also asparagus, with pancake and bechamel.

The vegetable side dishes were limited in their scope and imagination.

So we left, and went to Le Chardon, two minutes along the street.

The staff were accepting rather than apologetic, but the menu seemed, at best, lazy. Perhaps a damp Monday night doesn't bring out their strengths. So it goes.

Monday, April 28, 2008
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0

The Restaurant

A bitterly cold Easter Saturday and no will to cook meant we had to trawl the net looking for somewhere we hadn't been to.

"Have you got a table for two?" we asked at 7.35. By 8.15 we were sitting in an otherwise empty restaurant looking at a short but solid menu.

Helen claimed the carrot and coriander soup was better than she'd tasted in a long time and my chilli and chorizo risotto tasted satisfying and deep without owing much to any Italian heritage.

A sea bass was fresh and fleshy with sides of proper brocolli and proper mash. A guinea fowl came with just-right vegetables. All finished off with a bread and butter pudding that looked the business. I was too full to taste.

All this with a decent bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape and a bottle of fizzy water came to a shade under £60. I thought it was fantastic value.

The downsides? No other customers, so the kitchen was slow and the dining room was cold. A Herbie Hancock CD on repeat could drive me to violence and a papier-maché sheep near the cloakroom was a bit scary.

On the plus side, the food was honest, well-cooked and well-presented. The short menu changes each month so we have good reason to go back again.

Ophelia who served us and Michael who came out of the kitchen are lovely people and we could easily have sat and talked for another hour.

The Restaurant will be better for more customers and on last night's showing certainly deserves them.

Sunday, March 23, 2008
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 10