[London] If your boss gave you a little thank-you present of £350 to take your wife out for dinner where would you go?

Question

We see going out for dinner as our main form of entertainment, so have eaten out extensively across London at all levels. I think if we stay relatively controlled on the wine we can keep most places within budget, with a few obvious exceptions.

I guess I am just wondering if anyone has had any really good experiences recently. Perhaps something a little bit different or that is a bit of a risk - you know, the kind of thing you might hesitate on if spending your own money...!

Look forward to hearing any suggestions. Thanks.

Answer

On the basis that I regard much of "down south" as London, I'd be booking the tasting menu at the Fat Duck and be prepared to chuck in some of my own money to top up. 

As it is, with travel, overnight stay and no boss to give me money, I'm not going to see any change from six hundred quid. I suspect it'll be worth every penny.

Answer

What about Apsleys, it is new and getting interesting reviews, i.e. Matthew Norman hated it which is often a good sign. But the food cognoscenti seem to like it with some saying it is the best Italian in London, the chef (Heinz Beck) has three stars at his other restaurant in Rome. A risk worth taking?

Answer

i went to marcus wareing at the berkeley on xmas eve and had a fabulous meal (very elegant/refined) so that would be high on my list. 

having done it once, i'd avoid spending my own money on returning to helene darroze or petersham nurseries but would happily return to both if someone else was paying. 

having said all of that, i do love locanda locatelli and would probbaly head their for a blow-out meal. their wine list is fabulous and i'd enjoy moving up a notch on it.

out of london i'd also be heading to fat duck or le manoir. 3 chimneys would be my long distance choice.

Answer

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions guys.

Unfortunately I've already eaten at many of these places and we were really trying for something new for this meal. With the exception of Le Manoir (the most disappointing restaurant experience of my life), I totally agree with the recommendations though - have had some great meals at those restaurants!

One I haven't eaten at that could be worth a punt is Apsleys actually. Has anyone actually eaten there, or are we just going off the reviews, which I agree have certainly been "interesting"....

And these out of town suggestions have me thinking about Gidleigh Park again. I know it's a long way, but has anyone eaten there lately?

Answer

When was the peak of this last black truffle season? If still not too far off, looking for a place that cooks with black truffles and with a good selection of burgundies on their winelist. Even though I've not eaten at La Trompette, I've always been impressed by the low markups on their wine list (e.g. their Trimbach Clos St Hune is a bargain), so that may be a possible place to start sniffing around.

Answer

Speaking as a bird...does she know about this yet? If not, I'd surprise her, and use the amount of money to go and spend the night somewhere lovely so you don't have the post meal dashing home scenario, plus the actual meal itself will be cheaper-ish out of London, and it sounds like you've done a lot of the treatworthy places here anyway. Then you can have a lovely walk somewhere the next day, as I am reading between the lines that the 'thank you' may have been for a job well done which probably involved time not spent with wifey...I'm not best placed to write about ex-London possibilities, but the Sportsmans in Seasalter is definitely on my list, so what about staying in one of the decent Whistable B&Bs, going there for Friday dinner, bracing walk on Saturday morning and then one of the many lovely seafood places in town for lunch before heading back. Think your budget would pretty much cover the whole thing - she wrote optimistically.

Answer

Thanks for the further input everyone.

I am very keen to get down to Gidleigh Park, but the logistics are going to be a challenge. I'm also following this truffle discussion with some interest but haven't had much luck finding a truffle menu anywhere about...

Thanks also for the female input Helen, your analysis is scarily correct...... I have actually kept things to myself so far with a surprise in mind. We've eaten at the sportsman before so that one is probably out but there's a couple of other ideas forming in my head....

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[London] If your boss gave you a little thank-you present of £350 to take your wife out for dinner where would you go?

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