Queen's Head, Chesham

The Queen's Head opposite St Mary's Church almost in the centre of Chesham is a Fuller's pub.
Staff are welcoming. There are several rooms off the bar. Sports are available on TV. The beers on tap included Fuller's London Pride and ESB, Brakspears and Fuller's Bengal Lancer- a 5% IPA new this month.
There was also a wine list and very full whisky selection. The food was supplied by Thai Kitchen. With mains classified as Mild, Spicy, Hot or Very Hot there is a choice of various styles with beef or chicken for £7, or with prawns for £7.50 served with rice or noodles. There was also a blackboard with various chef's specials. Service was quick and the food was fine and spicy.
All in all, a good value unpretenious outlet for good beer and Thai food.
Date of visit: 7 November 2010
Listed in CAMRA good beer guide 2009
Winners of the Fullers Inns Country Village Pub of the Year 2008

Roca Tranquila, Fuengirola

Well signposted from the Gardenia Park Hotel on the N340 in the Torreblanca area of Fuengirola, the route takes you tortuously through a hillside urbanization overlooking the port.

There is an ample car park in the grounds of the old house recently refurbished. The entrance to the dining area is past the spotless open kitchen on the left where Danish chef-proprietor Kasper Nielsen can be seen at work.

The tall-ceilinged dining room is spacious and elegant with views over all Fuengirola. There were few other tables occupied on the night we went, but we did not feel lost in the space. Equally had it been full we would not have felt cramped.

The service was attentive and helpful. The atmosphere, menu and prices clearly state that this restaurant, opened in June 2008, wants to challenge the likes of El Higueron, Airen and Girol – all within a few kilometres.

Having read an earlier Tripadvisor review we opted for the open ravioli starter. Presentation was excellent and the care in preparation was evident, but we both felt the balance of flavours was overpowered by the cheese.

For mains we had Fideua con bogavante- lobster pieces on a noodle base. The same care in preparation and presentation was evident and the flavours were good.

The last bottle of our chosen local Montespejo had been sold “that afternoon”. The substitute offered as similar, Marina alta (16€) from Alicante turned out to be more floral.

The usual trimings of amuse-bouche were fine.

At 123.90€ for two including wine and drinks Roca Tranquila is not cheap, although on a par with its supposed competitors. The wine mark-up is over 200%.

We would recommend this restaurant for a romantic dinner for two, or for entertaining guests. We intend to revisit, hoping that next time the mix of flavours will be moving closer to the divine it ought to be.

Date of visit: 14 October 2010

Gourmetour: not listed

Michelin: not listed

Vanilla Pod, Marlow

Excellent dinner 23-Oct-2009 courtesy of Nick, as a birthday treat. Marlow now has a profusion of good restaurants, rivalling Ludlow.
Jasper Gerard in the Daily Telegraph 8-May-2010 gives it a good write-up and 7/10.

Casa Bigote, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cadiz, Spain

Casa Bigote is rated 7.5 by Gourmetour (2008) - the highest in the province of Cadiz- we had high expectations. A little tricky to find- Bajo de Guía is a pedestrianised area on the estuary by a small ferry over the river to the Parque Nacional de Doñana.
The restaurant setting and decor were impressive. We had a first floor table overlooking the estuary. And it was non-smoking. The service was first class. Our waitress was knowledgeable. The wine list was very reasonably priced and had a good selection of local wines and Albariño. More than twenty different Manzanillas - as you would expect in Sanlúcar de Barrameda- were on display above the chiller cabinet with a tempting display of fish and seafood. Being on the coast that is the speciality.
The problem was the food was disappointing. We tried the Sopa de Mariscos, and two dishes from the specialities of the house. They were rape (monkfish) and corvina with salsa de cigalas. None of the dishes rose above the ordinary and the monkfish was both overcooked and cold- quite an acheivement! Graciously the price of the monkfish was deducted from the bill when we complained about the quality.
If we went again- and I am tempted- we would choose from the fresh fish and seafood priced by the kg. That way we won't get food prepared yesterday.

Old Church Napier, North Island, New Zealand

Old Church Napier

A fantastic setting, but in the beautifully lit garden with flame next to the car park we first heard the music that spoilt our evening.

A converted church with great atmosphere and pretensions to be truly great. The chef Francky Godinho was, so local reviews say, NZ Chef of the Year 2007 and Hawke's Bay chef of the year 2008. So expectations were very high - enhanced by the setting. 

Our niggles were that we were not acknowledged immediately on entering the restaurant, the music was too loud and totally inappropriate in a restaurant of this type, and that the duck leg ($30) was overcooked, although the breast was fine.

On the plus side the 3 oyster shot at $12 and the venison steak at $36 were good. We enjoyed a glass of Bilancia Viognier at $13 and a bottle of Alpha Domus Navigator $48.

Overall could be good with a little more attention to detail and a better soundtrack!

Date of Visit: 23-Nov-2008

El Chinitas, Málaga,España

El Chinitas is an old friend in the heart of Málaga, just by the cathedral and tucked away behind the bishop's palace. In fact this was my 12th visit. The ground floor dining room is decorated with typically Andalucian paintings including one presumes some of the family. Service is attentive from experienced staff. Fish is our favourite here. Lenguado was 17€, and a bottle of Antonio Barbadillo Castillo de San Diego from Cadiz was very reasonably priced.

Date of Visit: 13-Nov-2009

Gourmetour: 6.5

Michelin: not listed

Website: http://www.elchinitas.com/

Rex Whistler Restaurant at Tate Britain, London, UK

The Rex Whistler Restaurant is a gem that can easily be combined with a visit to admire the art at Tate Britain. Indeed you can admire the art from inside the restaurant as Whistler painted the walls. It was my seventh visit as the food and the wine list in particular have been consistently excellent. We had booked in advance for a party of four between Christmas and New Year; just as well as the restaurant was full. That was the problem this time as service did not seem to be as prompt as on previous visits.

The parsnip soup (£5.80) was given full marks by all of us. The pheasant stew (£15.55) was also well appreciated. Il Molino di Grace Chianti Classico 2003 (£29) complemented the stew well but we had to ask for it to be decanted.

Date of Visit: 30-Dec-2008

Good Food Guide: 3

Michelin: 2 Forks No Stars
Website: http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/eatanddrink/restaurant.htm