Where to eat in Majorca (Gourmet Chick in Spain)

Forget the package tours and all inclusive resorts, the real Majorca is just stunning. One of the group of the Spanish Balearaic islands Majorca boasts glinting azure sea and cliffs cascading down to the ocean. Despite the rampant development along the south coast, a lot of the island is untouched so there are plenty of opportunties to walk along winding trails between tiny hill top villages. Valdemossa, Deià and Soller are three not to be missed. Meanwhile the island’s capital, Palma, has plenty of great bars and restaurants hidden in its honeyed yellow walls.

View on the walk from Deia to Soller

Tast (Palma)

My friend Joyce recommended Tast saying it was “the best tapas I have ever eaten in my life” which is heady praise for a part of Spain not particularly known for its tapas culture. As with most things in life (which company is most reliable for shipping boxes internationally, which is the best play to see at The Old Vic right now and where to buy retro furniture in Melbourne) Joyce was right in saying Tast offers top notch tapas. Seats at the bar allowed us a prime view of a waiter frantically carving slivers of silky smooth jamon which were devoured as quickly as they were produced.

Some of the cold tapas selection at Tast - with colour coded plates

We helped ourselves to cold tapas such as slices of tender beef and mashed artichoke served like mini burgers or wedges of tortilla atop a slice of crusty bread. The price is charged according to the colour of the plate with small yellow plates starting at €1.20 and larger black platers progressing to €4.40. Caliente tapas such as croquetas and patatas bravas were ordered from the waitresses and particular highlights were the croquetas jamon (€5.90) which oozed out a soft creamy, cheesy filling and the gambas al ajillo (€12.90) which featured garlicky, finger licking prawns doused in a slick of olive oil.

Essentials

Details: Tast, 28 Calle Union, Palma, Majorca, Spain (Ph +34 971 72 98 7813)

Damage: Reasonable

9/10

Jamon ready to be carved up at Tast

Taverna La Boveda (Palma)

With walls lined with blue and white tiles, wine barrels which serve as tables to pull up a stool next to and a bar lined with trays of giant olives ready to be meted out, Taverna La Boveda is as Spanish as they come. It has been a stalwart of both tourists and locals for years and while the food was more plain and traditional than what was on offer at Tast it still impressed. A plate of slippery boquerones (€4) was deliciously salty and oily while Pimientros de Padron (€8) came with a great smoky char and crusted with sea salt. Lamb chops (€15) were served simply grilled with a serve of chips on the side. They erred on the side of being overcooked but by that time we had shared a jug of sangria (€10) so were not really too picky.

Essentials

Details: Taverna La Boveda, 3 Paseo Sagrera, Palma, Majorca, Spain (Ph +34 971 72 00 26)

Damage: Reasonable. Our dinner came to €49 for two with sangria.

7/10

Boquerones and Sangria at Taverna La Boveda

Xelini (Deià )

Xelini is just off the main street in Deià and has a laid back, rustic charm to it with a large bar area to eat at along with an outdoor terrace. Croquetas could have been a little more crunchy on the outside but they were piping hot and hard not to keep eating. We enjoyed playing Russian Roulette with Pimientros de Padron waiting for the time (about one in five) where one of these wrinkled, char grilled beauties blows your socks off with the heat. Xelini is not a destination restaurant but it is a good reasonably priced option if you are in Deià.

Essentials

Details: Xelini, 19 Arxiduc Lluís Salvador, Deià, Majorca, Spain (Ph +34 971 639 139)

Damage: Reasonable.

6/10

Tapas at Xelini

Ristorante Can Quiros (Soller)

This restaurant has a prime position in the main square of Soller so of course the food was mediocre. My tortilla esalada (€8.95) was too firm and lacked that wonderful alchemy of warm, loose potato and oil that you find in a truly good tortilla. MTV boyfriend’s simple baguette of jamon and queso (€6.25) was inoffensive enough although the bread could have been fresher.

Essentials

Details: Plaza Constitucio 16, 07100 Soller, Majorca, Spain

Damage: Reasonable

5/10

Tortilla at Ristorante Can Quiros

Gourmet Travel Tips

• We flew with Easyjet from London to Palma. Our flights were around £150 return although would be much cheaper at less busy times of year. We hired a car from Gold cars to get around the island. Be warned Gold charges you for a full tank of petrol which you really have no chance of using on an island of this size.

• In Palma we stayed at Hotel Born. Set in a beautiful old building which was originally a 16th century palace right in the centre of the old town the hotel exudes charm despite its budget pricing. I loved the sweeping staircase in the entrance hall and having breakfast outdoors in the courtyard each morning. The drawback is that the hotel is a tired looking and the rooms are small and no frills. Don’t expect nice toiletries or even for your bed to be made. Essentials: 3 Sant Jaume, Palma, Majorca, Spain (Ph 971 71 29 42) Rooms from €100 a night.

The courtyard for breakfast at Hotel Born

• In Palma we enjoyed wandering around the old town and visited the huge cathedral and the Es Baluard contemporary art gallery which has free entry every Friday.

• In Deià we stayed at the luxurious La Residencia. My full review of the hotel and its restaurant El Olivio is available here.

• Besides lazing by the pool we managed to do the two hour hike to Soller which headed over the hills and along the coast allowing us plenty of breathaking views of the sea and cliffs. The trail goes through olive groves and past an old convent (which now conveniently serves drinks and cakes to walkers) before finishing in Soller for lunch.

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in reading my post on La Residencia in Majorca or for more Spanish travel, my post on tapas in Seville.

The Olde Bell (Gourmet Chick in Berkshire)

My meal and stay at The Olde Bell is really going to cost me. I was invited to review the gastro pub so the immediate cost was minimal but I was so enamoured with the place that it is going to cost me dearly in return visits and what is bound to be an unsuccessful attempt to make my flat look exactly like my room at The Olde Bell.

Dining room at The Olde Bell

The setting is idyllic in the small village of Hurley which is in Berkshire and conveniently located if you want somewhere to stay after a meal at The Fat Duck in nearby Bray. The Olde Bell was originally a 12th century coaching inn and it has retained the atmosphere and charm of that history while being stylishly updated. The front bar of the pub is still clad in dark panelled wood with low ceilings, a cosy fire and lots of space for people to bring their dogs in while they sit and sip a pint.

Our room at The Olde Bell (room number six)

That sense of homeliness and Britishness is not lost in the glamorous rooms for overnight guests. The best one is above the pub itself with vast kingsize beds and a roll top bath in the middle of the bedroom. Rooms in the buildings across from the pub are not so atmospheric however in every room there are touches like chirpy red Roberts radios, rocking chairs, sheepskin throws, an actual teapot along with the kettle (so rare in a hotel or pub), some Penguin classics and a generous supply of Aesop toiletries.

Amazing bath in our room

My friend Claire and I started our meal with a glass of prosecco in the bar and then went through to the dining room which was cosy at night time thanks to flickering candles and travel rugs slung across the back of high backed booths. Our immediate concern was what not to order as the menu was the sort of menu you read and want everything on it. It was classic, seasonal and simple while using ingredients which are a step above what you usually find in a pub.

Asparagus with soft boiled egg

For example, the bread was so fresh and soft that Claire and I had to physically restrain ourselves from cancelling our dinner orders and just eating bread and butter instead. Luckily we didn’t as the starter of asparagus with soft boiled egg (£7) was the perfect dish for this time of year. The asparagus was drizzled with a chive butter sauce. I loved how the chef’s light touch let the quality of the ingredients shine through.

Channel island crab

Fresh Channel island crab (£7.40) was paired with vibrant green samphire and shredded cucumber. The crab was sweetly nutty and the greenery gave a great fresh contrast in taste and texture. The pork cutlet (£17.20) was an absolute monster and about the size of my head. Burnished to a golden colour it was dense and tender inside and was served with a salad of puy lentils. Chiltern lamb neck (£17.80) was marinated and then cooked to a delicate state of pinkness before being served in thick slices alongside delicate spears of sprouting broccoli laced with anchovy dressing.

The brilliant beer garden at The Olde Bell - it would be amazing in summer

Decadent desserts also delighted, in particular the smooth and silky lemon posset (£6.50). Service was excellent and our waitress helpfully pointed out her favourites wines on the list to us and her choices were spot on. The house white wine was grassy and fruity while a bottle of 2008 Fleurie Domaine De La Madone France (£33) was a delicate red with some lovely floral notes.

Inside the front bar

The next morning breakfast included a buffet of cereals, fruit and pastries along with a choice of hot breakfasts ranging from traditional kippers to the Full English. Boiled eggs had a richy, creamy yellow yolk which was perfect for dipping toast soldiers in. Poached eggs on toast were also spot on.

Boiled eggs for breakfast

The Olde Bell is really the perfect British pub. In an ideal world I would move in there permanently and spend my days soaking in the bath and reading paperback novels before heading downstairs for a drink and some dinner. At the moment I am having to content myself with plotting a return visit and doing furious internet research to find out where all the furniture is from.

Wellies at the door for going for walks in the garden - they also do picnics

Essentials

Details: The Olde Bell, High Street, Hurley, Berkshire, England SL6 5LX (Ph 01628 825 881)

Damage: Pricey. Double rooms start from £139. On this occasion I did not pay.

9/10

Gourmet Chick was a guest of The Olde Bell however MTV boyfriend has also stayed there as an anonymous paying customer and assures me everything was just as good on his visit.

Video of our room

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my review of another great country pub, Heston Blumenthal’s The Hinds Head or for another place to stay nearby try Stoke Place which is on the outskirts of Slough.

Me Me Restaurant

In a bold move the owners of Me Me restaurant have chosen not to open it on Kingsland road. Me Me is located as far away as possible from East London (or so it seems) in Fulham and I went there with American in London, Eat Noodles Love Noodles, Tamarind and Thyme and Chopstix to Steak Knifes to see if a Vietnamese restaurant could really survive outside the hallowed turf of Kingsland road.

Summer rolls

It took the five of us just one dish to decide the answer was a resolute no. Sure Me Me looked the part with its no frills decor and bare wooden tables. However sadly all the energy which had been saved on the look and feel of the restaurant had not been diverted into the food.

Goi

There were some dishes that are worth mentioning. The pho (£6.50) at Me Me was excellent. The pungent broth had great depth and there was just the right amount of bouncy noodles, fatty beef and mint. Aubergine noodle salad (£6.50) also brilliant showcasing the classic Thai sweet and sour combinations in a salad of slippery noodles and silky aubergine.

Beef pho

However, the rest of the dishes lacked the same care and attention to detail and made us question what we had just crossed town for.

Aubergine salad

Summer rolls (£3.90) were beautifully presented and had a great crisp taste however I was not impressed to discover lurid pink artificial crab stick within the rice paper wrapping. Chicken wings (£5) were also tough and inedible.

Golden pancake

The golden pancake (£6.50) was a light on its stuffing of bean sprouts, prawns and pork and none of the individual elements of the dish impressed.

I love a great cheap and cheerful Vietnamese restaurant but unfortunately Me Me is not one of those. Some dishes such as the pho were done very well but the majority disappointed.

Essentials

Details: Me Me, 565 Fulham Road, London, SW6 1ES (Ph: 020 7381 1100) Tube: Fulham Broadway

Damage: Reasonable

4/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my review of City Caphe which is great for lunch or Cay Tre.

Fiddlehead foraging - Gourmet Chick in Canada

“Watch out, they grow so fast one might hit you in the eye” dead panned our guide Brian. He was joking of course, fiddlehead ferns grow fast, but not quite that fast. I had been invited on a fiddlehead foraging trip to New Brunswick in Canada and we were busy picking the fiddleheads along the banks of the Miramichi river. The river was wide and fast flowing, surrounded by a great expanse of land, trees and sky. Brian had spotted the fiddleheads from our boats, speeding along the river. He pointed to the lurid green skunk cabbages which usually grow next to the fiddleheads.

A fiddlehead fern

Alongside the skunk cabbages sure enough were the fiddleheads. Tiny, babies of a plant. For those who don't know (I didn't) fiddleheads are the unfurled frond of the ostrich fern and native to North America. The name comes from the resemblance to the tuning end of a fiddle. Fiddlehead's have a unique, tender and fresh taste that reminded me of an asparagus or green bean.

Fiddleheads growing, covered in brown membrane that needs to be cleaned off

Along the river banks the fiddleheads' delicate fronds were curled up tightly and covered by a thin brown membrane. Brian told us to look for those fiddleheads which had not started to unfurl at all and to snap them just before they started to curl, discarding most of the stalk.

Along the banks of the mighty Miramichi where we foraged for fiddleheads

After we had filled our buckets (with Brian putting the rest of us to shame) we washed the fiddleheads in the river by shaking them through the water in a bucket with holes in to let the water pass through. This process removed the brown membranes and any pieces of grass and dirt. Then it was back to O’Donnells Cottages where we were staying to cook the fiddleheads.

Our haul - 40lbs of fiddleheads

O’Donnells cottages are a series of rustic log cabins in Doaktown New Brunswick. Creature comforts are limited with scratchy towels and worn furniture but the attraction is the simple pleasures like porches, rocking chairs, log fires and the view of the mighty Miramichi river.

View from our cabin at O'Donnell's Cottages

Valarie O'Donnell is in charge of the kitchen at O’Donnells where she creates lovingly prepared home cooked meals. It’s not fine dining but the produce used featured some good local and seasonal produce such as grilled chicken teamed with homemade blueberry sauce and rhubarb crumble using rhubarb from Valerie's neighbour's garden. Breakfast in particular was a treat with hearty serves of bacon, scrambled eggs and hash brown, waffles drizzled with Canadian maple syrup and fresh blueberry muffins.

Breakfast at O'Donnell's of waffles, bacon and maple syrup

However, during our stay it was all about the fiddleheads. We learnt how to freeze the fiddleheads, pickle them and cook them in a soup for our lunch. Whether it was the experience of helping forage for and then cook the meal, or just the fact that the fiddleheads were ridiculously fresh the soup was delicious. The creaminess of the soup was balanced perfectly by the springy green fiddleheads and I noted down Valerie's recipe.

Valerie's fiddlehead soup

Valerie's Fiddlehead Soup

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups chicken stock

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 handful basil leaves

500gms fiddlehead ferns (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

Salt and pepper to season

Cutting the fiddleheads for the soup

1. Melt the butter over a low heat then carefully mix in the flour to make a roux.

2. Stir in the chicken stock and cream of chicken soup and simmer over a low heat.

3. Meanwhile cook the fiddleheads in boiling water for 7 mins then drain.

4. Chop the fiddleheads roughly, leaving four aside for decoration.

5. Stir in the chopped fiddleheads to the soup mixture then add the milk and cream. Mix together then simmer for a further 5 mins.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves four.

Stirring the cream and milk into the soup

Gourmet Travel tips

• We flew with Air Canada from London to Halifax then on to Moncton. Doaktown is a two and a half hour drive from Moncton. Flights were £694 return.

• A room in a cabin at O'Donnell's Cottages costs $119 a night while the guided fiddlehead foraging trip is $59. O'Donnell's Cottages & Expeditions, 439 Storeytown Rd, Doaktown, New Brunswick, E9C 1T3 Canada (Ph 1-800-563-8724)

The porch at O'Donnell's - there was no real mobile reception but the porch had wifi!

Besides fiddlehead foraging in Doaktown you can also visit the Atlantic Salmon museum for some background on other produce the area is famous for, drive to the covered bridge or the Doak House. There is also a lot to be said for sitting and watching the river flow by with a glass of wine.

Random stuffed bear in the Atlantic Salmon museum

Gourmet Chick was a guest of the Canadian Tourism Commission along with Eat Like a Girl and Oliver Thring.

Links

If you liked reading about fiddlehead foraging you might be interested in truffle hunting in Provence.

The Fat Duck (Gourmet Chick in Berkshire)

It's the big one. For reasons both financial and organisational it has taken me four years of living in London to finally make it to The Fat Duck. Of course I had heard how fabulous it is, I had noted the numerous awards, gongs and three Michelin stars along with poring over the copious blog posts and newspaper reviews to the extent that I knew the entire contents of the menu off by heart. However I had not actually been as cost and complete inability to commit to a meal two months in advance to the day had deterred me until MTV boyfriend sweetly suggested eating there to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary.

Nitrogen steam covers our table at The Fat Duck

Bring on the crazy nitrogen steam, scented moss and dissolving watches - I was finally off to the Fat Duck!

Gin and tonic palate cleanser

In keeping with my ridiculously high expectations, the meal started with a bang, or rather a hiss and a pop. The hiss was the sound of the nitrogen steam that was used to create a solid, icy cold ball of gin and tonic. The ball was finished with a sprinkling of green tea dust and then the pop was the ball dissolving in my mouth as the perfect alcoholic palate cleanser.

Beetroot gazpacho

Red cabbage gazpacho with mustard ice cream sounded quite revolting on paper but in Heston Blumenthal's hands it was a triumph. The gazpacho was thing but rich and the pommery grain mustard ice-cream provided a tangy but sweet antidote to the soup.

Jelly of quail with crayfish cream

Probably the most visually spectacular dish of the meal was next, the jelly of quail with crayfish cream. The dish recreates the experience of truffle hunting in the countryside, first through a film served on the moss which I placed on my tounge to experience a mild, woody taste. Then through the spectacle of more liquid nitrogen poured over the moss to create a blanket of cloud over the whole table. Finally the experience finished by eating a luxurious chicken liver parfait served with rich truffle toast. Through the visual theatre, the taste and even the smell this one course transported me straight into a misty morning truffle hunting in the Provencal countryside.

Snail porridge

While it lacked the smoke and mirrors, Blumenthal's signature dish of snail porridge did not disappoint. The oats that made up the porridge were a lurid green from the parsley they were cooked with and the salty, tender snails were teamed with shards of Iberico ham and the slight licorice hit of shaved fennel.

Roast foie gras was quite simply the best foie gras I have ever tasted in my life. It instantly converted MTV boyfriend (a simple meat and three veg man) to the foie gras camp. The foie gras was creamy and wobbly in the centre and slightly bronzed and denser around the edges adding a textural element to the dish. It was balanced by the tang of rhubarb jam.

Roast foie gras

Each dish seemed to top the next but the real highlight came with the mock turtle soup which was served in the style of Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter Tea party. Just as the Mad Hatter dunked his fob watch in the tea, so too a gold fob watch was dipped into a cup of boiling water and dissolved to leave behind the richest, most pungent broth flecked with shreds of gold leaf.

The dissolving watch

I was then instructed to pour the broth into a bowl of a turnip mousse, which was designed to resemble a mock turtle egg, delicate enoki mushrooms and a meaty dumpling. The whole dish was just magical and I could not help grinning in child like wonderment.

Mock turtle soup

Equally as visually spectacular was the "Sound of the Sea" which I ate while listening to to waves crash through an ipod located in a giant sea shell. The dish was presented on a two tier wooden and glass board and was topped with sashimi of brilliantly fresh tuna, halibut and mackerel on top of 'sand' made out of spiced tapioca and a shellfish foam. It was wacky and brilliant although I was not as wowed by the taste as I found the tapioca a little too dry and perhaps a too accurate representation of sand.

Sound of the Sea

A fillet of salmon was perfectly cooked to a firm pink and then poached in a sticky licorice gel which provided a mild aniseed flavour to the fish. The salmon was teamed with in season asparagus, creamy vanilla mayonnaise and tiny explosions of golden trout roe.

Licorice salmon

The dish that made me think I might not make it to dessert was the pigeon with spelt risotto. The pigeon was served with meaty blood pudding and a dense, sticky sauce. The bird seemed to have been cooked sous-vide so that it was ridiculously soft and rich and nearly finished me off when teamed with the risotto.

Pigeon

Of course when you have ODed there is nothing that can pick you up again like a good old cup of tea. Or more specifically Blumenthal's hot and iced tea which alternates between freezing cold iced tea and steaming hot tea in each breath. My mind could only boggle at the actual science that went into this but whatever it was, it was delicious and resuscitated me in time for the three desserts.

First up was the taffety tart, a confection of absolute patisserie precision which I had eaten before at Blumenthal's Dinner restaurant in London (the only overlap on the menus of the two restaurants that I am aware of). It was as good as I remembered with incredibly thin layers of pastry balance on puffs of fromage blanc which were enlivened by an intense scoop of blackcurrant sorbet.

Taffety tart

Even better though was the "BFG", a contemporary take on the classic black forest gateau. It was creamy and chocolately all at the same time and utter perfection right down to the edible stalk on the cherry on top. Accompanied by kirsch ice cream and a spritz of Black Forest scent it was perhaps the ultimate dessert.

BFG

After dinner came whiskey, or in Blumenthal's case whiskey gums ingeniously served on a map of Scotland. It distinct flavours and characteristics of each whiskey were actually clearer than they ever have been when I am drinking the stuff so perhaps I should imbibe all whiskey in gum form from now on.

We had actually opted not to get the matching wines per course and so were not too sloshed by this stage and so actually able to enjoy the whiskey gums. For a saving of £70 on the cheapest wine matching option we were still able to enjoy a glass of Tattinger each, a glass of white wine and then to share a bottle of red. All were expertly selected by the sommelier and this offered a good option for those more interested in the food than the wine at The Fat Duck.

Whiskey gums

To finish there was a bag of treats called "A kid in a sweetshop". I was so full that I opted to take the treats away and enjoy the novelty of things such as an apple pie caramel with an edible wrapper from the comfort of home. This also allowed me to eek out a little bit longer the incredible Fat Duck experience which had already taken about four hours in the restaurant.

Sweet shop goodies to take away

I was blown away by the theatrical nature of my meal at the Fat Duck. It was not only some of the best food I have eaten in my life, it was also truly an experience rather than just a meal. I was constantly delighted, amused and entertained by what appeared before me. The fact that such an experience was served in a low key, relaxed environment only made the meal more enjoyable.

Finally I can say I have been there, eaten and got the tshirt. Well I probably would have if The Fat Duck sold such a thing.

Essentials

Details: The Fat Duck, High Street, Bray Berkshire SL6 2AQ (Ph +44 (0) 1628 580 333)

Damage: Budget breaking. The tasting menu is £160 a person. Including drinks our meal came to £500 for two.

10/10

Gourmet Travel Tips

• To get to The Fat Duck we caught the train from Paddington in London to Maidenhead which took about 45 mins and cost £10 return off peak. The Fat Duck is less than 10 minutes in a cab from Maidenhead station.
• When booking ask for a table by the window as they are easily the best ones in the restaurant. We got one there by fluke but you may not be so lucky.

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my reviews of Blumenthal's pub, The Hind's Head or his restaurant in London, Dinner.

Stoke Place (Gourmet Chick in Buckinghamshire)

The setting of Stoke Place is not immediately promising. I was invited to stay at the boutique hotel only to discover it is located on the edge of Slough, better known as the location for The Office. Driving past Slough Kebab shop and through "The Heart of Slough", which appeared to be a giant roundabout, was not the most inspiring approach to a weekend get away. However, the high walls that surround Stoke Place offered an instant sanctuary.

The main house at Stoke Place

The walls were built back in 1820 to keep out "marauders and vagabonds" and they are still going strong protecting the historic 17th century William and Mary manor house that is Stoke Place. The house itself is gorgeous with a very clever modern makeover which pairs bright, graphic wallpaper with modern furniture in the historic setting. Unfortunately our room was not in the main house but was instead in a little bungalow next to the gate.

The beautiful claw foot bath in our room

The room had all the features you could want from a hotel like a four poster bed, claw foot bath, Aveda toiletries and flat screen television however it lacked atmosphere and suffered from traffic noise from the busy road that runs past the gate. If you are planning a stay at Stoke Place I would recommend a room in the main building.

Our room at Stoke Place

We wandered back over to the main house for dinner which was a pretty lavish affair as we tried out the six course tasting menu. Chef Craig Van Der Meer's menu is modern British with some inventive twists. It was a relative bargain compared to London prices at £55 for six courses and there were some real highlights such as the clever icy ball of gin and tonic as a platate cleanser.

Gin and tonic palate cleanser

A thin beetroot consommé flecked with squares of potato and leek and some Bosworth ash goats cheese also impressed. However there were also some misses. While the pan seared fillet of beef was tender and paired well with a tightly packed disc of shreds of tongue and cheek the accompanying swede was undercooked and too hard to eat. The matching wines worked well for £35 but it has to be said our favourite was the rosé champagne which had a lovely sweetness and was from De Castellane in France.

Beef with tounge and cheek

In the morning the breakfast menu featured a buffet of cereals, fruit and pastries along with a selection of hot breakfasts. The Eggs Royale was very generous featuring a double decker of poached eggs, muffins and hollondaise sauce. However the hollondaise was lumpy rather than smooth. Although I was not a fan of the Stoke Place's hollondaise I did enjoy the Jing Teas that were stocked in each room and served over breakfast. The lapsang in particular had a fantastic smoky flavour.

Eggs Royale for breakfast

For a weekend country house experience Stoke Place offers a more reasonably priced alternative in comparison to the big names so it is a bit unfair of me to compare it to somewhere like Babington House. However despite the slick design I felt the location on the edge of Slough meant the feeling of escape from the City was lacking.

Essentials

Details: Stoke Place, Stoke Green, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire SL2 4HT (Ph 01753 534 790)

Damage: Pricey. A three course dinner and accomodation starts at £195 a night. However, on this occasion I did not pay.

6/10

Gourmet Chick was a guest of Stoke Place

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my reviews of other English weekend getaways at Babington House or The Scarlet.