Address: The Bridge, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2LP

Telephone number: 01491 575782

Website: http://www.leander.co.uk/

Date of visit: 23 April 2010

Approximate cost per head: ?????

Summary:

This is my second visit to the “club” in Henley. Members of this club hold more medals than any other sporting club in the world.

Leander hosts a lot of external events and if you get the chance – do go, as the view and location is not only great, the food is pretty good.

An alternative is to become an associate member or a full member (rowing ability and rowing history is a must) if you can get 2 current members to nominate you.

On the night I went, it was the RSA annual dinner for the South Central Region. The cost was £40 per head including wine. I was told that the normal price is £45. Drinks at the bar was pretty reasonable, champagne was £6.50 a glass.

To start with, we have a ham and peas soup with croutons – this was extremely, hammy and excellent. Next, poached salmon and finally, some sort of pudding that reminded me and other guests on the table of a school version of Eaton Mess.

The salmon was fine but there were little carb or veg with it. We were also offered Aussie – I think – white and red which were best forgotten. On my table, there was a gentleman who claims that wine over £6 a bottle is a waste of money, I am of the opposite – I actually think that wines less than £10 (retails price) are usually only good for killing bacteria as it is normally very acid and young – some whites are best drunk young and Beaujolais Nuevo is best avoided even in the best year.

Now, I have to admit that the meal on the whole was not memorable but I put that down to the budget. When I was at Leander for the IOD Henley music festival some years back, I had excellent lobster and roast beef – it was a buffet.

E

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/apr/26/travel-transit-airport-food

This is worthg a read. By the way, the BA lounge also served cha siu pao and noodles during march – do they use the same caterer?

E

Address: 3 Romsey Road, Winchester SO22 5BE

Telephone number: 01962 890018

Website: http://www.myspace.com/stjamestavernlive

Date of visit: 26 April 2010

Approximate cost per head: £10

Comments on wine list/beer: Several excellent beers on tap including the rare Butcombe range. Pretty good wine list for a pub from £12. You can even get bottles of champagne (Moet at £45)

Summary:

An excellent pub up the steep Romsey Road. There is regular “live” music – see web site.

You can have soup and pate to start with at £3.95 and £4.95 respectively.

There is a whole array of sandwiches of the traditional type, beef, ham, cheese etc at £5.25 and if you want it as bread with the meat/cheese on the side with a salad, its at £5.95

They also serve jacket potatoes with the traditional filling – chilli, beans, tuna melt at £5.95

The main courses are priced at £7.95. My friends and I had the fish & chips, cottage pie and ham egg and chips.

The ham is served sliced thin not a chunky cut – so its probably out of a packet. I had the fish and chips, served with mushy peas and a not too vinegary tartar sauce. The chips were great, but the batter was not the traditional batter – very much like the mazo meal versions that you get at Golders Green.

The truth is that you come here to drink and the food is not bad and it’s fairly cheap compared with Reading, Oxford or London.

Eddie

Don’t get to excited. This is about the book that tells you how to do it.

E

April 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/7610840/Mind-your-elvers-the-future-of-young-eels-is-looking-bleak.html

Elvers is fantastic. Try it if you can find any. Best place is Spain – Angula. They even have “mock” ones – gulas.

E

April 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/apr/21/british-curry-india-tikka-masala

Well, same goes for Chinese! As I was saying, Kai (see review) in Mayfair which has a Michelin Star is more “fusion” than chinese. Sweet and sour in this country is far too sweet when compared with similar dishes in the Far East.

E

April 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/apr/20/consider-the-scotch-egg

Well the best one around is still the ones made at The Royal Oak (Michael Parkinson’s pub)! See review on The Royal Oak, Paley Street.

See also Manchester Egg (published 29 April 2010)

Exx

Location: Garrick Street, Covent Garden, London, Central London, WC2E 9BH

Web site: http://www.carluccios.com/caffes/covent-garden

Telephone number: 020 7836 0990

Date of visit: 17 April 2010

Approx. cost per head: £17

Comments on wine list/beer: A nice mix of Italian wines – the Fiano, Mandrarossa is a nice fruity pick.

Media link:

Review:

Lovely location at the heart of Covent Garden in Central London, a short walk from the West End, Carluccios is a nice choice for lunch. Not sure the interior and the overall atmosphere lends itself as well to dinner, but would need to try it to be sure.

Choose from around a dozen flavoursome pasta dishes (average price £8) or a main (average price £12-13). Starters (antipasta, soups etc) are priced at around £5, whilst deserts average the same.

On the day we shared a nice bottle of Fiano, Mandrarossa, and opted for the homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli and a special of the day – grilled chicken wrapped in parma ham, served with roast potatoes. The latter was delicious although lacked a little substance. As good as any similar restaurant though. The ravioli, I’m told, was very tasty but you could can’t the number of parcels on two hands. In fact when it arrived it looked like the chef had got distracted and forgot to finish the ticket.

If you’re after a reasonably priced lunch in Central London, and quality not quantity’s on the agenda it’s not a bad option.

Dave Lamont

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/7611268/Sauteed-smoked-eel-with-mustard-mash-and-crisp-ham.html

This looks good. Smoked eels is wonderful - beats smoked salmon any day!

The place to get smoked eels is Brown and Forrest @ Hambridge:

www.smokedeel.co.uk

E