Burrs - Newport

"Best Bistro/brassiere" Award

2009 -Normally, I visit an eatery on my own, although occasionally with a friend or maddish-mum. This means I have to judge an entire menu based on three dishes. Therefore I tend to choose dishes that are a true test, something with pastry, something that must not be overcooked such as fish, something that most cooks/chefs get wrong such as bread and butter pud or fruit crumble, something that is a classical dish such as Pheasant Normandy. This can be boring. So, when four of us descended upon Burrs this year I could choose my meal with gay abandon knowing that the others would choose differently. With four of us there was twelve  opportunities for something to go wrong. This is why I have given them our Best All Rounder award. Nothing did go wrong. Every dish was professed to be excellent, good and gorgeous. We ate, unctuous goats cheese tart, full bodied tasting pate with chutney, perfectly cooked Duck with sticky (proper reduction sauce). Fresh tasting Black bream with roasted peppers. Lovely puds were creamy cheesecake, Marmalade bread and butter, and crème brulée.

This little Bistro, once the Tap at the back of the Bugle Hotel - do any of you remember that? has great atmosphere. It reminds me of one of those back street Parisian cafes full of Gitane smoke and accordion music. The food at Burr's suits the surroundings.

Where is it? East side of Lugley Street

George Hotel Bistro - Yarmouth (HR)

"Best Sunday Lunch" Award

2009 - I can never understand why an evening meal in a "premiere" establishment is so much more expensive than their lunch. This is a common trait albeit inexplicable. There might be the odd freebie with the evening meal but apart from that the same ingredients are used. I have been told that it is because the head chef cooks in the evening where as at lunch time it is his protégés. Does this mean we are charged less because there may be errors in the meal? Perhaps so but is this acceptable for a fine dinning eatery or any eatery for that matter. It is a chef's folly to risk his reputation to the vagaries of the lunch time cook. A brave one too or possibly foolish. An eatery with a reputation for good cooking should be consistently good whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Interestingly I eat lunch a lot and so do a lot of other people. I conducted a mini survey that showed me dinners would frequent expensive places in the evening rather than lunch time if they weren't so expensive. Is this one of reasons that the Ladies that Lunch,  brigade has grown I wonder??

 The chef at the George seems to have settled into a successful routine of good cooking. A Birthday Sunday lunch in late October proved to be a masterpiece of finesse. Sunday Lunch was to put it mildly, fantastic. fantastic fish soup, fantastic home made bread, fantastic pork terrine, fantastic, roast beef, gravy, vegetables, brilliant Yorkshire, spectacular roast potatoes, gravy was state of the art as was the horseradish sauce. Puddings, poached pear  and star anis pannacota wobbled its way to the table and intense iced chocolate thingy with passion fruit sauce was a sublime balance of flavours.

Service was traditional, efficient and polite. We liked the new décor too.

Where is it? Yarmouth is so small you will find it on the right as you walk from the Square to the ferry

29th Dec - very recently changed hands. We will be reviewing in a couple of months time to give new owners a chance to settle in.

2009 - Chef/proprietor Mark Young is still safely at the helm. His consistency ensures a strong clientele of regulars. He cooks with local seasonal produce and prepares lovely dishes that are tasty and bordering upon traditional. On a September visit we, maddish mum and I really enjoyed, rack of lamb with galette of potatoes and

St Helen's  cafe, come bistro, come restaurant is friendly and relaxing, the decor the kind of upmarket beach hut  one sees in Coast Magazine. It has a great holiday feel about it even in the Winter

2008 - Consistency I have always argued is the main thing that establishes a good eatery - it will get you one star. So what is it that makes an eatery outstanding and on the road to two and three stars? A good food inspector is looking for something instinctive and special. There are three crucial elements. First is the timing. The Roux brothers had this off to a fine art. Their recipes were minusculy measured, almost scientific, and timed to serve up perfection at every serving. Secondly a top chef will have an acute understanding of ingredients and food marriages (not, I might add, mad ideas just for the sake of it) to offer good and exciting flavours. Thirdly, most importantly and the most difficult to achieve, identity and individuality. Be a trend setter not a trend follower, have at least one signature dish that will blow your mind away. Think creatively without it being silly food. Look forward to excellent Sunday lunch and gutsy winter suppers. My friend and local jeweller Nina Bulley, professed that her roast beef was the best she had ever had. My rack of lamb with slow cooked breast of lamb came served with perfectly cooked green beans and a very  tasty sauce.

Where is it? Park on the car park on the green. Walk across the Green in  the direction of Bembridge. It is on a corner, you can't miss it.

The Black Cat  -Old Village Shanklin (R)

Second and third visits live up to expectations, particularly the Green Curry

I have always steered away from Thai food restaurants in the belief they can never be as good as the real thing. I ended up at the Black Cat in Shanklin because friend Dorene loves foreign food and it was her treat. All I can say is thank you Dorene for liking foreign food. We chose more than we could eat but it was so exciting with its little bursts of exotic flavours that we didn't leave much. Spring rolls - packed with little surprise-nuggets of flavour. The Duck with Chinese five spice - one of my favourite flavourings but probably because it reminds me of the cough tablets (an old fashioned candy) was excellent. The Green Thai prawn curry on the magical side. The Asparagus and baby corn cooked to perfection. The decors is strange for a Thai food restaurant, reminiscent of an olde English tea shop, but it somehow works and very cosy on Wintry nights.

I loved the white chocolate and red berry brulee , but a brulee is supposed to be a rich custard made with egg yolks and double cream- one of my most favourite puds so it is always a disappointment to me when I do not get what I am expecting.

I loved the flat screen of changing art.

Where is it? Shanklin Old Village

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Royal Hotel - Ventnor

"Best All Rounder" Award

2009 -The Royal changes little. Always a safe option when entertaining. The dinning room is the same now as it was 15 years ago. it is where I took my mates for lunch on my xxxx! birthday. We had pumpkin and apple soup, coq au vin and floating islands. Anyway, recently I popped in for a solo dinner. It is a hotel where you get a lot of mature solo diners on their solo holiday so I was not alone in my solo ness. I had the gazpacho soup which was not remotely like gazpacho but more of a salad soup with avocado sorbet. It was very nice and only disappointing in that I love chilled gazpacho. The main was amazing in its daftness of presentation and its deliciousness of flavour. A rock-pool presentation of monkfish, seafood and cauliflower puree.

We also like the Brassiere in the conservatory at lunch time. A very recent November lunch  was one of those episode where you wanted to return the next day for more. The Venison faggots with mash, curly kale, red cabbage and onion rings was possibly the best main course I have had this year. My chum Dorene had the Brill in light crispy batter, superb fresh tasting mushy peas, homemade tar tar sauce and fantastic three times cooked chips. - all very "brill".  At last someone knows how to make proper chips. The best on the Island without a shadow of a doubt. A place I want to return to soon.

2008/9

Compared to restaurants, bistros and pubs, dinning room eating is a rather genteel affair. Normally raucous parties take on a subdued demeanour, conversations become hushed - one is exposed enough, in such a large open expanse of room. Even children assume the behaviour of one intimidated by their surroundings. Dinning rooms call for formality, although thank god the silver service has been abandoned. These days what is on the plate is all down to the chef. On the down side veg' portions have disappeared and reappeared as garnish.

The dinning room at the Royal is large and simply furnished the expanse broken up with a wall partition. Peach coloured walls, dark blue soft furnishings, old gold framed oils, chandeliers, a bust and a slightly out of place art deco mirror complete the look. Service with a smile is discreet but at the same time attentive. I nibbled on a walnut and brown bread roll (H'made) while I waited my first course, a slice of terrine made up of confit of duck, foi gras and pasta, it was served with delicate orange segments and a light dressing. It was very good. I wasn't going to have a second roll when offered, but I was glad I changed my mind as portions are very small. My main course of steamed sea bream, stuffed with scallop mousse on a small bed of couscous was delicate on all counts, flavour, texture and size. It came with 4 spears of peeled (shows attention to detail) char grilled asparagus. It was all delicious but I wanted more. (I visited another restaurant this week and also ordered couscous with lamb and fruit kebab and a hot chilli sauce but the sauce was lost as it was poured over the huge pile of couscous and absorbed into the grains (thoughtless cooking).  The tiny dessert of roasted caramelised pineapple (sweet with a tangy edge) with Malibu panna cotta tender wobbly creation was a delectable but wicked tease. I still have difficulty understanding why such beautifully cooked food, not just at the Royal but at all high ranking restaurants, has to come in such small portions at high prices.

Where is it? Drive west along the Ventnor Esplanade up the steep hill, turn left and there you are

Mojacs - Cowes (HR)

"Best Pudding of the Year" Award

2009 - Mojacs is a bit of a dark horse. They quietly go about their business of serving extremely competent and tasty dishes. There is a hint of the 1980's restaurant food here. None of the Gordon Ramsey protein with salsa or Heston Blumenthal's  world of let's destroy a traditional dish. Mojac's is serving good honest restaurant food. I went with my jeweller friend Nina Bully who enjoys nice grub and  it give us a chance to discuss work and compare notes. My starter was not shy in coming forward. Sauté of chicken livers with black pepper cream one of the best I have tried and so peppery it left a delightful tingle in my mouth. Nina had the avocado and feta salad, it was fresh, cleansing and nicely dressed.

My oven baked cod on smooth buttery mash with creamy peas and bacon main course was divine - again simple ingredients lovingly tended to. Nina went for the duck with orange sauce and declared it to be excellent.

However, the star of the show was my dessert. I didn't have room but felt I had to have one to be fair to the readers of these reviews. A soft meringue cake with raspberry compote and a dollop of cool teasing cream. "I will just taste it" I told Nina.  20 tastes later it had all gone. It was a light, fresh, melty, tangy cloud full of love and by far the best dessert I have had this year, possibly last year too.

Where is it - Top of Shooters Hill Cowes

Albert Cottage - East Cowes

Competent cooking at this training restaurant. Most of the dishes are what I consider to be safe for the traditional eater.

Hambrough Hotel - Ventnor

"Best Fine Dining" Award

2009 - What I like about the Hambrough is standards never change and the new chef has made a seamless entrance. The cooking at the Hambrough is what sets the standard for the rest of the Island and any other Island chef should make at least one visit to learn what it is all about. Basically if they don't get it they are in the wrong business. My meal was faultless. Flavours, execution, balance, innovation. More over he has what all great chefs have, a palate. This is the singularly most important quality that sets the best chefs apart from the rest. This is the restaurant for dinners who want to experience the exquisite world of fine dinning. If your want a blow out, if you eat in places simply because you can get Sunday lunch for 8.95 or less then this is not the place for you.

Lunch with my chum Dorene before she whizzed off to India for the Winter was special because I was going to miss her for the next 4 months. We shared a starter of pork belly terrine with chorizo. Dorene had the Wreck for her main course, fish to everyone else. perfectly cooked with peppers. My partridge was also good, albeit a little too fresh. (lovers of game will know what I mean!).

The dessert was to die for and we were annoyed with our selves for only ordering one to share. Lemon tart with lemon flavoured bits such as sorbet and caramelised thingy's.

But the star of the show was the petit fours with the coffee. They should really consider opening their doors just for this. If I was  holidaying in Ventnor on a full board tariff I would forgo the coffee and partake of the after dinner beverage at the Hamborough.

2008 - The meal began with a complimentary cup of soup. and excellent house baked bread. My starter was sautéed sweetbreads with perfectly cooked carrots and an intense reduction sauce. My main course was perfectly cooked salmon (pink in the middle) on tender sheets of pasta and thinly sliced fennel. The white veloute sauce was the perfect accompaniment. The dessert came in a sundae glass. Apple posset, then sharp apple granita, then candied apples and blackcurrants, then apple foam, served with a wafer thin apple and candy crisp. No where else on the Island have I eaten food as good as this. If you are on a budget then I suggest  you try the lunch. However I must point out they were busy on my visit. This suggests to me people are prepared to pay for quality. Coffee and spectacular petit fours had as much attention paid to them as the rest of the meal.

Further visits have been equally as splendid. Marvellous pork terrine, roast partridge, wreck (fish) with confetti of peppers and a zingy lemon creation which a friend and I decided to share and wished throughout that we had one each.

Where is it? park on the sea front, walk up to the Winter Gardens and cross over the road. Turn left up the little lane and it is on your right overlooking the sea.

Priory Bay Hotel - Seaview (R)

new-review

All the dishes are home made and the vegetables from the kitchen garden and the exacting manner in which they are cooked set a high standard for the rest of the menu. The dishes served are hit and miss when it comes to seasoning. For instance seafood risotto that was too salty and tomato and basil pasta under-seasoned. However, get this right and the new chef is on the way to creating a very nice dinning experience. My favourite pudding crème caramel was on the menu and I have to say it was divine.

Morgan's- Shanklin (R)

2009 - Morgan's have now settled into a safe modern menu that suits most tastes. Soft herring roes on toast, pork terrine with chutney. Pork on an apple bubble and squeak with mushroom and stilton sauce. Poached chicken in Thai spices. All very pleasant.

The menu offers mostly pub style dishes with a touch of sophistication.

Again I hadn't booked and the staff were pleasant and efficient.    No fuss, no hassle, take a seat, we will be with you in a tick. I like that.

The pudding, a spicy apple and rhubarb crumble would have been better with cream as the custard was not home made - i.e. real eggs.

Where is it? Shanklin High Street on the left as you go towards Ventnor.

Number 7 - Brighstone (R)

2009 - There have been some changes at what was originally Brightstone Tearooms. Number 7 is transforming itself in to a serious eatery. Less cream tea and more restaurant. The Chef/Cook is not afraid of unusual flavours such as mussels in white wine, lavender and cream sauce. It is nice to see the use of herbs again. I was beginning to think island chefs had forgotten what they were. I have also enjoyed pigeon breast with salad leaves. Rabbit food the Brawn always calls it. I do wish green salad meant more than rocket leaves, frissée and radicchio - they are just too prickly compared to Webs, Coss, Romaine and Little gem. besides the Rocket never tastes as nice as the leaves I grow in my garden. I have also enjoyed deep-fried Monkfish, orange and chilli fishcakes and stilton and walnut souffle.

Where is it? Brighstone village opposite the church