Quay Restaurant - Best in Class

I was asked the other day by a colleague of mine, “What is your favourite restaurant in the world?”. My answer seemed to shock them. I think they expected me to cite some three Michelin starred Mecca of cooking. However, when I confidently declared my favourite to be Quay Restaurant in Sydney Australia I was greeted with an astonished “Really!!!” by my colleague. I felt I had to justify my choice and why I hold Quay in such high regard.

To begin with, it’s the location. On the first floor of the passenger terminal in Sydney harbour its perched on the edge of Circular Quay with the harbour bridge to its left and opera house to its right. Located in the middle of these two great landmarks in the worlds most beautiful harbour there can be no other location to match it.

In a setting such as this it’s easy to get carried away and neglect the food for the sake of the view. However Peter Gilmour’s cooking is not only a compliment for the views across the harbour, it rivals them, no, surpasses them. There are many restaurants dotted around Sydney Harbour, however Quay is the only one where the view takes a backseat to the food. Dishes combine modern Australian cooking with some Asian influences and a few unexpected twists which keep the interest levels ticking over.

The atmosphere is one of relaxed confidence. The front of house team really does need to be applauded for creating an environment where customer enjoyment of the whole experience is paramount. Everything is assured and refined without being cocky or arrogant. I guess when you are this good in such a location you don’t need to try and be something you are not.

The wine list has it all. Australian classics, the lesser known local wines, New Zealand, American, South African etc etc. There are also the obligatory French big hitters if you want to hammer your finances. One of my favourite wines that I had here was Lakes Folly Chardonnay. One of the best Australian Chardonnays there is.

Finally, Quay has my favourite dish ever. The pork belly with shitake mushrooms, abalone and silken tofu is just mesmeric. I have been back to Quay time and time again and cannot stop ordering this. It has to be tried to be believed. It’s a simple dish yet the various flavours and textures compliment each other so well.

Summing up, Quay has it all. Great quality, interesting and creative cooking, faultless wine list, the perfect backdrop of Sydney harbour and an atmosphere that I have not come across in any other restaurant around the world. It simply is perfect. There’s no other way to describe it.

By the time I had finished explaining why I chose Quay my colleague was in the process of applying for visas and airline tickets to Australia!

Favorite Five Hotels

My top five hotels of the moment:


1) The Westbury, London UK
Art Deco at its best just off Bond Street. The Polo Bar is fantastic with one of the best Champagne by the glass lists in London.

2) Le Sirenuse, Positano Italy
Absolute perfection. There is nothing else to say.

3) The Oriental, Bangkok Thailand
An absolute classic. Try afternoon tea in the Authors Lounge or one of the magical evening buffets by the riverside

4) The Connaught, London UK
Fantastic refurbishment. Great rooms, bar, restaurant, service, what more could you need. Pure refinement.

5) Shangri La Kerry Centre, Beijing China
Great business hotel. Everything the travelling executive could want. One of the best and liveliest bars in Beijing.


Go on, treat yourself to a long weekend or week in one of them!

What's in a Wine List?

When I was younger I was always slightly daunted when handed a wine list in a restaurant. I didn't really know what I was looking at and therefore tended to stick to what I thought I knew. This had the effect that I tended to order the same wines time and time again, never really taking the opportunity to explore what was on offer. It was only as I became older and I began to engage with the sommelier more and more that my love of wine developed. From this point on my understanding of wine grew confidently and I actually learnt how to navigate my way around a wine list.

These days, wine lists range from a simple piece of cardboard on a table which can be glanced through quickly, to something resembling a door stop sized hard backed fiction. The later would probably require you to set aside a couple of hours to go through it in any realistic detail. I have always been intrigued by the size of a wine list. This is one time when biggest is defiantly not best. Of course, the bigger the list the more choice you undoubtedly have, but in earnest how long can you spend choosing a wine when you are in a restaurant. When it comes to top level fine dining a voluminous and expansive wine list is expected, almost demanded, but this should really be a one off occasion. For more day to day eating out a single side of A4 should be more than sufficient.

Personally I like to see a bit of variety in wine lists. Yes, there should be some classics there, as well as the staples, but it is always nice to see a few intriguing choices as well as a couple of relative unknowns. As long as it’s clearly laid out with some sense of logic you should be able to select a bottle with relative ease. Whatever you do, never feel pressured to make up your mind what it is you should choose. Take your time and if you aren’t sure don’t be afraid to ask the sommelier for advice or a suggestion. After all, he or she is there to help you.

I must admit that as a Bordeaux lover I do have a bit of a tendency to over analyze what is in this section of the list. I think that this maybe my OCD side coming out. Note to self that I must remember to keep it in check. That said, there is nothing really that wrong with spending 45 minutes or so pouring over the varieties of Pomerol, Margaux, St Emillion etc is there!

Victorian Country House Splendour (and the best value wine list around)

Anyone who knows me knows I have a bit of a thing for English country house hotels. I’m not sure what it is exactly about them, but I cannot think of a better way than spending a weekend in one of them along with some great food and wine. For me, an English country house hotel is one of those things that you just can’t find anywhere else. Have travelled to almost every civilised country on the face of the earth I can safely say that English country house hotels are a tradition that we desperately need to maintain. Many countries try to copy them, but unfortunately most fail miserably.

One of the best value around has to be Horsted Place in East Sussex. Nestled in the tiny hamlet of Little Horsted, just outside Uckfield, its unassuming entrance hides a real gem of a property. The red brick gothic exterior draws you in to an entrance foyer with stunning Victorian tiles that gives way to a grand Pugin staircase sweeping its way through the centre of the hotel.

In wintertime fires are lit which give a lovely warm glow to the place. In summer the doors in the drawing room open out onto an outdoor terrace and croquet lawn. No matter what time of year you visit you will not be disappointed. Staff here exhibit that rare quality of real warmth and friendliness which ensures a calmness pervades across the hotel. Rooms are furnished in the quintessentially English country house style. The pick of which has to be the Neville Suite, named after previous owners.

The restaurant serves up good modern British cooking with a few neat twists on some classic dishes. Pan fried Scallops with bacon are a favourite for a starter, with venison and noodles a popular main. The cooking is uncomplicated and precise. Sunday lunch is an absolute steal at £28.50 per person. The hotels wine list is great value. In fact it must be one of the most reasonable priced wine lists available in the UK. If you want first growths at prices that don’t require a second mortgage then this is the place to go. I have enjoyed many an evening in the restaurant here with various vintages of Lafite, D’Angludet, Palmer, Conseillante and Mouton Rothschild. If Horsted place can supply quality claret to their customers at sensible prices I don’t know why other places of similar ilk can’t.

I actually spent the Christmas period at Horsted Place this year and enjoyed a few incredibly relaxing days along with some great food and wine. It won't be long before I am back there again. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed and like me will probably return again and again!

An English Tradition.....and long may it continue to be

Afternoon tea is one of those quintessentially English things that I love. Having been lucky enough to travel the world extensively I can honestly say there is nothing like an English afternoon tea served up in England. Of course there are many examples of good afternoon tea served around the globe. But, to my mind, no one quite does it like we do here at home. Here are a few of my favourites for this great tradition of ours. A great country house afternoon tea, the best afternoon tea in London and the best you can find abroad.

Lucknam Park Country House Hotel in Bath typifies what afternoon tea is all about. Delicate sandwiches, hot and delicious scones, all topped off with cakes and pastries that push you to the limit of what is feasible to consume in one sitting. This wonderful feast is served in the drawing room looking out over the vast grounds. Here you can sit and relax, winding away the hours pretending to be a landed gentry owning all he surveys whilst washing down artery clogging pastries with endless quantities of fabulous tea.

In London it seems almost all the big name hotels offer afternoon tea. However, The Connaught Hotel does it all with a bit of a twist. Here, Helene Darozze brings some Michelin starred flair to afternoon tea at The Connaught. The basics are traditional, sandwiches, scones and cakes but the style is very much its own. Resist the temptation to order more of each course when offered as you won’t get through it all. If you do fancy more, order a second helping of the scones which are simply divine and have to be the best I have ever had. A variety of scones are offered, the pick of which has to be Darozze’s now famous apricot ones. The tea list here deserves a special mention. The choice is almost endless. My personal favourite is one called French Vanilla which smells almost like custard and has a lovely silky vanilla taste to it….simply marvellous.

I can’t think of a better place to sample afternoon tea abroad than in the colonial splendour that is The Oriental in Bangkok. It’s served up in the austere surroundings of the Authors Lounge in the old original part of the hotel. I have spent a few lovely Sunday afternoons tucked away in here slowly devouring their form of afternoon tea over several hours. The surroundings can’t help but take you back to times past and I must admit I do like to imagine who may have passed through the lounge over the years or even sat in the very seat I occupy while tucking into the sumptuous cakes and scones.

Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley - Serious Cooking, Serious Dining

From the moment you enter you realise you are somewhere a little special. The dinning room itself oozes class. Deep purple on the walls, blood red leather arm chairs. It reminded me of a nice bottle of Pomerol. Not surprising really, this did used to be the original Petrus after all.

The menu choice could be described as exhaustive. A fixed price set lunch, a la carte, prestige tasting menu, gourmand tasting menu. You are spoilt for choice. We visited at lunch and after debating the fixed price menu we opted for the full a la carte.

Scallops to start with onions and crushed blueberries were followed by turbot poached in squid ink served with cuttlefish. Desert was a peanut parfait with rich dark chocolate.

As it was lunch I opted for a couple of glasses of wine as opposed to a full bottle. Normally I’m not a fan of wines by the glass list. Only because I never get that excited by what is on offer. Marcus Wareing is different though. Its wines by the glass list stands comfortably alongside its bedfellow the full wine list. A couple of glasses of Chateaux Batailley 2001 were just right for lunch.

The service is as you would expect extremely professional, but it’s all done with what seem genuine enthusiasm and a desire to see the patrons enjoying themselves. As I always say, the food, cooking and wine is one thing. I great dinning experience is the whole package including the service and ambiance. Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley is the full package.

There’s many a good two Michelin star restaurant in London these days, someone has even given Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester three stars, but I think this may well be my favourite.

Oh and finally, make sure you leave room for the chocolates that are served up with the tea and coffee. Divine does not even come close!

You will need deep pockets to dine here, but for a special once off its worth it.

Wild Honey - A Hidden Gem

Where can you get great quality cooking at a price that won’t break the bank? Sounds easy at first doesn’t it? Everyone has their own favourite value eatery. But where can you find such a place in the heart of Mayfair? Impossible I hear you cry, it can’t be done you protest! Well that’s what I thought until I visited Wild Honey a few weeks ago.

Tucked away, just off Conduit Street is Wild Honey. The unassuming exterior hides a gem of a brasserie style restaurant which serves up some of the best value modern European cooking I have come across.

The food is well presented without being fussy and the quality of the cooking is absolutely spot on. What seem some unusual combinations at first work well in reality and I found myself ordering dishes that I probably would not have done so before.

The wine list is short but contains some interesting bottles that you won’t usually come across in this part of town. We went for a lovely Pinot Noir from New Zealand which was ripe and fruity, but ever so soft on the palette.

The décor is all wood from the floors to some great cubicles. Service is sharp and to the point. None of the starchy pompousness that is found at some of the other restaurants in this area.

Wild Honey is that rare thing in restaurants today, quality dining at decent rates. If you want to try somewhere that’s a little bit special whilst at the same time great value for money give Wild Honey a go. Just don’t tell everyone as they will all want to go there.