Michelin star madness!

As a totally committed foodie ( described by DD as food snob) my idea of heaven would be to be gifted a meal at our local fine dining restaurant which is Michelin standard. 6 courses plus of tempting morsels of taste pleasure. Nothing too filling or over facing, but I realise I am in a minority among the older generation and can rarely find anyone to take me!

I have a friend who is a real foodie and we often go to fine dining restaurants for lunch. I enjoy small plates with exquisite flavours and quality ingredients so its a nice experience. I don't want to go out to eat something I could easily cook at home, and I don't want mountains of food either.

Oh, and I forgot to say. The young couple left 3 wine bottles behind when they left, each about a third full. I reckon easily £100 worth. I wish I’d had the nerve to ask them if we could finish them off!

We’ve been to top restaurants on special occasions, and loved the whole experience. And I don’t mind being escorted to the loo and having a stool for my best M & S handbag. But we went to L’Enclume in Cartmel on our Ruby Wedding day, and I was gobsmacked by a young couple at the next table. Shelling out hundreds for a taster menu and ludicrously expensive wines and liqueurs, just to spend the whole meal glued to their respective phones, forking in the food without even glancing at it and barely speaking to each other. I guess it was just a normal Sunday for them. By contrast, some of the pretentious Tripadvisor reviews were hilarious. On the wine front, we asked for a bottle of the house red, and were told they don’t designate one as house, as they love all their wines equally. Just a bottle of the cheapest then, said DH.

sorry monkeebeat not monkeybear!!!

Monkeybear go onto the internet and put in the letters and it will show you the meaning

Is there anywhere, on here, that I can find out what all the short hand initials stand for?
I have worked out a couple but .....

We love eating out and are going to Fera at Claridges next week!
I like Le Gavroche, the staff are superb, warm but not over-friendly and not intimidating at all. Though they do escort you to the Ladies.
(And that experience was worse in a 2-Michelin starred restaurant in Paris where the maître d' escorts you to the Ladies, which is down one floor, in a tiny lift. So awkward, crammed in with him trying not to make too much eye contact and making small talk in Franglais... )
But the food was fabulous for a special celebration. Sadly prices there are absolutely stratospheric now -- €50 plus for a starter, anyone?

I haven't been to Michelin * restaurants but a few years back at Warners flag ship hotel Cricket-St Thomas where they had just bought in 'Fine Dining '. What this meant was tiny portions and hardly any choice. You received a little stack of food in the middle of the plate with fancy liquid drizzled round the empty surround of the plate.
Gone was the extensive selection of salads for starters. If you ate from the carvery the only choice of green veg was cabbage, not everyones choice I guess.

The best meals we have ever had have been at our local further education college, really nicely cooked, lovely kids serving and learning and very reasonable. If you have not supported your local college, not a university, please examine the possibilities, you won’t be disappointed, even though the service might be slow, but open your eyes, you could well meet the future Michelin Stars when they are still at the apprentice stage.

Don't get me wrong. There was nothing wrong with the food. Nothing specific to complain about with the service. Just not very personal. It was, as I said, the flim flam, daft little touches that struck me. I didn't leave hungry for food just vaguely dissatisfied at the whole experience and extreme relief that it wasn't at our own cost. I'd far rather have a bowl of good soup with lovely bread and delicious cheese with annsixty one of these days.
All your experiences are interesting to read about though, hipsters and all!

I couldn't eat at a Michelin starred restaurant as I like my food well cooked and the chef would be insulted if I sent it back.

Phoenix we make tools for people like your students and have made many friends. Just received a bottle of Moonshine from one of them.

I havent been to a Michelin starred restaurant in the UK but have been to two in the Algarve. One is Henrique Leis restaurant in Almancil in the Algarve. Out of the main holiday season he does a very good lunch menu at €35 a head (plus the cost of drinks). The food is superb and you are certainly well fed and satisfied .
The other is the restaurant at the Conrad Hotel which is run by Heinz Beck who has 3 Michelin stars. The food was delicious. My friend chose the 6 course tasting menu whereas my other friend and I chose from the regular menu. They even had a water menu as well as the wine menu. With each course the waiter described the food. It was a really interesting experience and I would go again. The final bill for everything was €330 for 3. But very worth it.

I once had a meal at a Michelin two star restaurant in France. It was OK but food at home and eating out has improved so very much in the last few years I thought the courses were a little uninspiring.

Apologies, my post was totally out of order. Those of you who have the opportunity ( and the money) enjoy it.

If only. This is making me rather

Come on ladies, its all about individual tastes, likes and dislikes isn't it? its not about snobbery or some of the put downs here GabriellaG. I love going to fine dining restaurants, I love good food, I love Michelin. I usually go as a treat on a celebration etc . I love the theatre of the presentation of the food and the small wonderful bites of pure magic! The best ever was in Ubud in Bali...it would take too long to say how wonderful the whole experience was but Sat Bains is close! Loosen up and enjoy what ever eating experience you enjoy!!!

Went to a Michelin star restaurant - and was decidedly underwhelmed. Deconstructed salad and deconstructed Banoffee pie (? mush). Do we really think this is what the chef's eat.

One persons idea of good service is anothers nightmare ...I remember a restaurant (local and now a michelin star) where waiters stood with their backs against the wall watching "their" table .If a glass of wine neared the bottom of the glass he was over like a shot to fill it ,and he wasn't allowed to converse with the guests ..it was against the rules.My sons friend is head chef there now and the no speaking to guests rule has gone after I told him how I felt ,last time I was there, there was a lovely young waiter from Biarritz who didn't hover and was happy to chat ..what a difference it made to the atmosphere .Carolpaint surely we are all allowed our opinions about food and if someone thinks what they had was Michelin mush thats their opinion.Theres nothing special or sacred about Michelin restaurants ..its all PR .ALL chefs work long hard days and most put decent food on plates .As I have done my training I can assure you that a great deal of SNOBBERY is what makes Michelin desirable for owners AND customers

I suppose I should mention that I have had a Michelin chef come to my flat and cook for myself and then partner. only because he was partners friend and loves cooking. It was very, very nice, and there was plenty of it, too.

What an interesting variety of posts! I love fresh vegetables and fish (or meat) simply and beautifully cooked and well presented. And a well selected wine really is lovely.
Like Carolpaint I have enjoyed new experiences in some good restaurants, sometimes a revelation with an unexpected combination of flavours.
Personally I don't want to go out to get 'filled up' with a big plate of food and I find the fashion of pre-starter and pre-pudding dishes very odd.

Jane10, if the front of house team were lacking , perhaps you could complain? A written complaint may produce a good responses? It was the phrase Michelin Mush by another poster that I thought was unnecessarily derisory.
You did not post it but the reference to inbred taste is just without any scientific foundation. It is this month I am going, it is not Grand but normal. Try another time, you may be pleasantly surprised. Le Manoir, Claridges, The Berkeley, L'Ortalan and Cliveden are all beautiful.

What a take-on this is. I remember winning a 'meal for 2 plus wine' at a local restaurant, which had previously been a really good country pub. The whole place was 'minimalist', all in black and white, not a flower to be seen, and after having a 3-course meal, we went home to cheese on toast - were were so hungry. Needless to say, the restaurant closed after about 2 years, and the premises is now back to being a country pub serving delicious, and filling, meals.

GabriellaG actually no, this time, I posted exactly what happened and what I thought of it.

Come on ladies 'Michelin Mush' that is nasty, so is the reference to class, why should not anyone aspire. You do not know my life or what I achieved. No wonder we are criticised for the politics of envy. Go out and enjoy life, there is only one chance.