Restauranting yet again...
Today is Sunday. And Sunday means lunch, preferably by the seaside in a nice restaurant.
And so it is. This time in 152 in Aldeburgh. We were visiting friends who have recently re-located to rural Suffolk, the lucky sods. Last time we visited we went for lunch here and it seemed too good a chance to not repeat it.
It's the sort of up-market eatery that could become formulaic if you eat out too much. Wooden floorboards, Farrow & Ball colours, white linen - sound familiar? Still being by the sea side you get a different feel and smell for the place, the latter being of the fish and chip shops up and down the street that pollute the air.
We hadn't booked but it didn't matter as they were full. Bugger. But a table was available in 15 minutes and they had free tables outside with a sea view (but a chippy odour) where menus could be perused and wine drank. Ian suggested a bottle of Rosé, which given the unseasonably warm October weather was a brillianty unseasonable idea I wouldn't have considered. This one was pretty darn good. It was called La Serre Rose de Syrah Vin de Pays d'Oc 2004, imported by Bibendum Wines. (It's interesting to see the mark up restaurants make on wine - £3.78 at Bibendum to £12+ on the wine list.)
Our table eventually became available as our food was waiting (we'd ordered while enjoying the sun outside). The choices were typical of this sort of place; a soup, goats cheese salad, etc. all served with rocket salad and balsamic dressing. Penjamin had a leek tart to start and I had the goats cheese, a good rindless cheese with not too much acidity; I'd guess quite a young cheese. I had a "red wine risotto with tarragon crème fraiche and root vegetable crisps" as a main and I think Penjamin did too. The food fitted it's description, it was tasty where tasty was expected, warming where warming was needed, etc. where etc. was needed. The root vegetable crisps were good. Occasionally I've had a bag of these from the not-so-supermarket in place of crisps as a nod to healthy virtue, but they always taste like cardboard. But these, freshly fried strips of carrot, parnsip and something else were light, crispy and er... vegetably.
Skipping puds (we'd attacked Ella's chips as she showed little interest in them), the bill was £70 -something including wine and water. Service was slick but not oily. Recommended but then I knew that as we'd been before.
And so it is. This time in 152 in Aldeburgh. We were visiting friends who have recently re-located to rural Suffolk, the lucky sods. Last time we visited we went for lunch here and it seemed too good a chance to not repeat it.
It's the sort of up-market eatery that could become formulaic if you eat out too much. Wooden floorboards, Farrow & Ball colours, white linen - sound familiar? Still being by the sea side you get a different feel and smell for the place, the latter being of the fish and chip shops up and down the street that pollute the air.
We hadn't booked but it didn't matter as they were full. Bugger. But a table was available in 15 minutes and they had free tables outside with a sea view (but a chippy odour) where menus could be perused and wine drank. Ian suggested a bottle of Rosé, which given the unseasonably warm October weather was a brillianty unseasonable idea I wouldn't have considered. This one was pretty darn good. It was called La Serre Rose de Syrah Vin de Pays d'Oc 2004, imported by Bibendum Wines. (It's interesting to see the mark up restaurants make on wine - £3.78 at Bibendum to £12+ on the wine list.)
Our table eventually became available as our food was waiting (we'd ordered while enjoying the sun outside). The choices were typical of this sort of place; a soup, goats cheese salad, etc. all served with rocket salad and balsamic dressing. Penjamin had a leek tart to start and I had the goats cheese, a good rindless cheese with not too much acidity; I'd guess quite a young cheese. I had a "red wine risotto with tarragon crème fraiche and root vegetable crisps" as a main and I think Penjamin did too. The food fitted it's description, it was tasty where tasty was expected, warming where warming was needed, etc. where etc. was needed. The root vegetable crisps were good. Occasionally I've had a bag of these from the not-so-supermarket in place of crisps as a nod to healthy virtue, but they always taste like cardboard. But these, freshly fried strips of carrot, parnsip and something else were light, crispy and er... vegetably.
Skipping puds (we'd attacked Ella's chips as she showed little interest in them), the bill was £70 -something including wine and water. Service was slick but not oily. Recommended but then I knew that as we'd been before.
Labels: Restaurant
posted by Bluebear at
5:48 pm
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