Location: 136 High Street, Teddington, TW11 8JB

Web site: www.restaurantnoel.co.uk/index.htm

Telephone number: 0208 9773344

Date of visit: 20 October 2009

Approx. cost per head: £20+

Comments on wine list/beer: Very simple wine list, normal price.

Review:

Went there with a few friends. The first thing I noticed is that Teddington High St is full of this type of restaurants.

For starters, we had spicy prawns, foie gras (a slice not pate) and fish croquette which turned to be the size of a fish cake. The food was beautifully presented and my friend heaped praises on the foie gras. My “fish cake” was nice and crisp and not greasy. Starters are around £7. I had one of the spicy prawn which was quite nice.

For main courses, we had seabeam, roast cod and a warm salad of roast vegetables with girolle (chantarelle). The salad had a sweet dressing – probably using a fig vinegar. The roast cod was thick and cooked just right. My friends left the skins which were crisp.

I recalled that – many years ago – I was in Koyto as a guest of Sony and I was taken to a restaurant which served me crisp fish skin as one of the courses – I was assured by the chef (via a translator) that this is the best part of the fish and it was – the rest of the fish was served as shashimi. So, eat up your fish skin next time you cvome across it.

On the whole, this is a very good neighbourhood restaurant at a very reasonable price.

We had a bottle of Spanish white which was fresh and had a very strong grapefruit citrus flavour at under £20. In my view, Spanish “dry” whites are excellent value for money. A bottle of a less tasty gavi would set you back around the same.

Park in the pay and display behind the pub or on the High St.