Tom Eats!
Miranda Heggie Reviews Drinks Offers: Part 1 – Wine
Miranda Heggie Since lockdown it has been reported that retail sales were at a record low and that off licence sales had soared. Journalist Miranda Heggie points out that as pubs and the majority of shops were closed, this hardly counts as news. Like the rest of us Miranda is restricted to drinking at home.…
Read MoreTom Eats! Fish and Chips
Don’t be fooled by the headline. This column has not yet resorted to the delights of takeaway food; however, your diary will have told you, as mine did, that the first Friday in June is National Fish and Chips Day. Actually, your diary has played you false. This year, owing to a little local difficulty,…
Read MoreCarry Out and Carry On – Carol Main Reviews Merienda
Merienda 30 North West Circus Place, Edinburgh EH3 6TP 0131 220 2020 www.eat-merienda.com Campbell Mickel Carol Main For anyone reading this, it’s a fairly safe bet that one of the best things about going on holiday is the food. There is endless joy and pleasure in thinking about regional cuisine as part of choosing the…
Read MorePilgrim’s Pick Up & Provisions – Guest Reviewer Michael Greenlaw
Pilgrim’s Pick Up & Provisions 6 South Square, Rosscarbery, Co Cork, Ireland +353 (023) 88 31796 www.pilgrims.ie Drawing by Michael Greenlaw It’s probably a consequence of lock down that my sense of humour (as well as my sleeping and drinking habits) has changed. I give you a recent example from the eastern seaboard of the…
Read MoreRestaurants – How (and Why) Do I Love Thee?
And before I start counting the ways, please do NOT write in to point out that I ought to have said ye instead of thee. As I may have written before, there’s room for only one annoying pedant in this blog. As a boss of L’s, a great stalwart of the Labour Party, was wont…
Read MoreTo Takeaway or Not To Takeaway
Don’t let the two week break make you think that activity here at Casa Johnston has slowed. Au contraire. My willing helpers, PAs, research assistants, sous chefs and food stylists, have been beavering away as usual. No furloughing here. Material for future On The Side columns is tucked away in the can: recipes for Tom Cooks! are…
Read MoreGolden Oldies – The Fat Duck, Bray
The Fat Duck High Street, Bray, Berks SL6 2AQ 01628 580333 www.thefatduck.co.uk The Bill 15 courses: £275 + Service (2017 price) The Score Cooking 10/10 | Service 5/5 | Flavour 5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 25/25 Obviously there are no restaurants to review at present. Tom Eats! will provide a varied programme which will include…
Read MoreTrotters Independent Condiments and Super Meals
Trotter’s Independent Condiments and now Super Meals – Good Guys Doing Good Things www.trottersindependent.co.uk/super-meals 07712 339 275 I had one more restaurant review in the can. It was half done, as I had intended to revisit, the first lunch having resulted in rather too much duplication. When I invite others out to a Tom…
Read MoreSupper Club at The Strawberry Barn – Guest Reviewer David Dickson
Thistly Cross Roundabout Dunbar, East Lothian EH42 1ST 01368 860573 www.belhavenfruitfarm.co.uk The Bill Supper Club 5 courses: £40.00 The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 4/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 20/25 I thought long and hard about continuing to publish reviews, given present circumstances. I have decided to press ahead with what…
Read MoreThe Peat Inn
Restaurant With Rooms Peat Inn, near St Andrews, Fife KY15 5LH 01334 840206 www.thepeatinn.co.uk The Bill Set Lunch 3 courses: £25.00 Dinner Menu of the Day 3 courses: £58.00 Tasting Menu 6 courses: £78.00 A la Carte First Dishes: £19.00 – £20.00 | Second Dishes: £28.00 – £35.00 To Follow: £11.00 – £12.00 The Score…
Read MoreFabric
2 Canmore Street, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 7NT 01383 733430 www.fabricdrinkanddine.co.uk The Bill Lunch and Dinner 2 courses: £13.95 | 3 courses: £17.25 A la Carte Starters: £5.25 – £6.95 | Mains: £8.95 – £26.95 | Desserts: £4.95 – £5.25 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4.5/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL…
Read MoreL’escargot bleu
56 Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3SA 0131 556 1600 www.lescargotbleu.co.uk The Bill Set Lunch 2 courses £12.60 Set Dinner (pre 18.45) 2 courses £14.90 A la Carte Starters: £6.00 – £14.00 | Mains: £14.00 – £24.00 Desserts: £6.00 – £7.50 The Score Cooking 7.5/10 | Service 5/5 | Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5…
Read MoreHaar Restaurant
Kinnettles Hotel, 127 North Street, St Andrews, Fife KY6 9AG 01334 473387 www.haarrestaurant.com The Bill Dinner Tasting Menu 5 courses: £50 A la Carte Starters: £11.00 – £16.00 | Mains: £20.00 – £35.00 Desserts: £9.50 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 5/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 20/25 There is something about…
Read MoreLe Bistrot by Patisserie Maxime
59 – 63 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1RN 0131 225 4021 www.lebistrot.co.uk The Bill Table d’Hote Lunch 2 courses: £13.95 | 3 courses: £16.95 Dinner A la Carte Starters: £5.95 – £9.95 | Mains: £12.95 – £32.95 Desserts: £5.95 – £6.95 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 3/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5…
Read MoreCafe Royal Oyster Bar
19 West Register Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AA 0131 556 1884 www.belhavenpubs.co.uk/pubs/midlothian/cafe-royal-circle-bar The Bill A la Carte Oysters(6): £12.00 – £15.00 | Starters: £6.00 – £12.00 Mains: £13.00 – £35.00* | Desserts: £6.00 – £7.00 * Lobster is market price, probably higher The Score Cooking 2.5/10 | Service 3/5 | Flavour 2/5 | Value 2/5 TOTAL…
Read MoreTwo Fat Ladies in the City
118A Blythswood Street, Glasgow G2 4EG 0141 847 0088 www.https://twofatladiesrestaurant.com/citycentre The Bill Table D’Hote Lunch 2 courses; £16.00 | 3 courses £19.00 Table D’Hote Dinner 2 courses; £18.00 | 3 courses £21.00 A la Carte Starters: £5.00 – £11.00 | Mains: £16.00 – £22.50 | Desserts: £6.50 – £8.50 The Score Cooking 7/10 |…
Read MoreDuong’s, Ho Chi Minh City
Duong’s Restaurant Saigon & Cooking Class 27 Dong Du Street, Ben Nghe Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam www.duongrestaurant.com The Bill (£1 = 30,000 Vietnamese Dong) Set Menus: £15.00 – £36.50; A la carte Starters £3.50 – £13.00; Mains £9.00 – £25.00; Desserts £4.00 – £5.00 The Score Food 5/10; Service 2/5; Flavour 4/5; Value…
Read MoreThe Marshall Trewin House of Fun
The Marshall Trewin House of Fun Somewhere in Norfolk Reservations: Strictly By Invitation Only Guest Reviewer Ross Marshall The Bill Incredibly cheap The Score Cooking 8/10* | Service 2/5** | Flavour 6/5*** | Value 5/5**** TOTAL 21/25 It’s Friday and Tom’s oxtail recipe has just dropped into my phone. Looks interesting – though, clearly, it’s…
Read MoreEusebi Deli, Glasgow
Eusebi Deli 152 Park Road, Glasgow, G2 9HB 0141 648 9999 www.eusebideli.com The Bill Starters: £4.00 – £12.00 | Mains: £12.50 – £24.00 | Desserts: Didn’t get there The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 5/5 | Flavour 5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 23/25 A long, long time ago, in a place very close to here,…
Read MoreWhite Horse Seafood & Oyster Bar
White Horse Seafood & Oyster Bar 266 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8AA 0131 629 5300 https://www.whitehorseoysterbar.co.uk The Bill Small Plates – 9.00 – £14.00 | Whole Fish (Daily Selection) – £Market Price | Seafood Platters (for two) – £65.00 – £95.00 | Desserts – £4.50 – £7.50 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4/5 | Flavour…
Read MoreVietnam House
3 Grove Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8AF 0131 228 3383 www.vietnamhouserestaurant.co.uk The Bill Starters: £6.25 – £7.95 | Mains: £10.50 – £14.50 | Desserts: £3.99 The Score Cooking 5.5/10 | Service 5/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 19.5/25 Picture yourself, if you will, back in the days of the Edinburgh Enlightenment. Now I am…
Read MoreLe Plongeoir by Donnie Marshall
60 Boulevard Franck Pilatte, 06300 Nice, France +334 93 26 53 02 www.leplongeoir.com The Bill (Euros) Set Lunch (Not weekends or public holidays) 2 courses 25€ | 3 courses 35€ A la carte Starters: 19€ – 26€ | Mains: 31€ – 37€ | Desserts: 12.50€ The Score Cooking 5/10 | Service 2/5 | Flavour 2/5…
Read MoreMichael’s Grill & Seafood Place
15 – 19 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh EH1 1 DR 0131 557 2635 www.michaelsteak.co.uk The Bill Lunch menu (Monday to Friday) 3 courses £11.80 A la carte Starters: £6.95 – £13.50 | Mains: £14.95 – £32.00 | Desserts: £4.00 – £8.00 The Score Cooking 4/10 | Service 2/5 | Flavour 2/5 | Value 2.5/5 TOTAL 10.5/25…
Read MoreNew Chapter
18 Eyre Place, Edinburgh EH3 5EP 0131 556 0006 www.newchapterestaurant.co.uk The Bill Set Lunch 2 courses: £16.95 | 3 courses: £21.95 Set Dinner (Mon – Thu 1730 – 1830) 2 courses: £17.95 | 3 courses: £22.95 A la Carte Starters: £8.50 – £14.00 | Mains: £18.50 – £23.00 | Desserts: £5.50 – £7.95 The Score…
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