Posts Tagged ‘Restaurant Review’

Cecchini’s, Clyde Marina, 5 Dock Rd, Ardrossan, Scotland

cecchini's reastaurantMy husband and I went to Cecchini’s, Clyde Marina, 5 Dock Rd, Ardrossan, Scotland for dinner with friends recently. It was their recommendation because we had never been to the restaurant. We were booked for 7pm and were greeted politely and shown to a table upstairs. It was bright and pleasantly situated.

We chose a table near the stairs and the server brought us a menu and took a drinks order.

cecchini in 1

One of our friends was the designated driver. I chose a gin and slim, my husband had a beer, our other friend had a glass of wine and we ordered water for the table.

The menu is interesting and varied. Italian cuisine forms the basis of the menu, but there are also a variety of fish dishes that reflect the position of the building at Ardrossan harbour.

We chose a garlic bread foccachia between us to start and that was fun to share and our chat started flowing easily. We all chose different things for our mains.

cecchini-s-ardrossan food 1I had mushroom risotto, which was delicious. My husband had a meat feast pizza and really enjoyed enjoyed that. Our friends chose the lasagne and fish respectively. The lasagne was homemade and the fish very fresh so they both enjoyed their meals.

cecchini-s-ardrossan food 2I was unable to finish my main, the portion was so generous, so I didn’t make it to desert. My husband chose a sticky toffee pudding which was, apparently, delicious. He certainly made any effort to share!

We all had teas and coffees. The restaurant offers a good variety of both, including decafe. We were not rushed to leave but just as we were leaving a singer arrived to offer live music. Had we known, we might have tried to book our table for a little later so that we could hear her.

Cecchini’s, Clyde Marina, 5 Dock Rd, Ardrossan, Scotland, offers seating for those with mobility issues on its ground floor and, although this was our first visit, I hope it will not be our last.

Val Penny

 

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Sam’s Diner, 1220 Market Street, San Francisco, California,

On a recent visit to California, My husband, my friends and I were staying in a central hotel on Eighth Street. On a couple of occassions we stopped into Sam’s Diner on Market Street, for breakfast. Sam's Diner out

Sam’s Diner was recommended to us by the recption at our hotel and it was a good call. The menu is varied and offers breakfast dishes from fruit or oatmeal to eggs benedict . On our first visit we were seated in the boothe commorating the service of a former Mayor of the city and there s a large TV on the wall to watch the news. It was really rather nice.

Sam's Diner tv

The entrance to the diner is easy for those with mobility problems, but most of the seats were at booths or high seats at the counter so I am not sure that wheelchair access is realistic.

Service was courteous and our orders were taken quickly. I had a spinach and cheese omelette while my husband had a full breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon and potatoes. One of our friends had eggs benedict while the other had a scambled eggs with vegetables through it. We all enjoyed our meals, although I could not finish mine, it was just too much food. The friend who had the eggs benedict would have preferred more hollandaise sauce. Sam's Diner booth

One thing that we all agreed on was that the blend of coffee served at Sam’s Diner was a very strong blend and not entirely to our taste. This was so much so that on our second visit, I took tea instead.Sam's diner in

Sam’s Diner was a great find during our visit to San Francisco and I would certainly recommend it, especially if you like very strong coffee.

Val Penny

The Cafe Royal, 19 West Register Street, Edinburgh, Scotland

I recently met up with a delightful clowder of Cats: some other authors whose books are also published by Crooked Cat Books. We got together at The Cafe Royal, 19 West Register Street, Edinburgh, Scotland.Cafe Royal

It was years since I had been to The Cafe Royal and I had forgotten what a popular, busy pub it is. Hidden away around the corner at the East end of Prince’s Street, it is a gem. The décor is fabulous: Victorian & Baroque, stained glass windows in the Oyster Bar and Royal Doulton ceramic tiles. The staff were friendly and attentive. The wide choice of beers and whiskys is legendary.  cafe royal inAfter we had drunk our publisher dry, but not under the table, we all ordered meals and the food was excellent. Our main courses ranged from fish to risotto, steak pie. All the choices were much enjoyed and all were very reasonably priced.

Cafe royal outWhen we arrived about 3pm the bar was quite empty: by the time we left to find a different watering hole some five hours later, The Cafe Royal was back to being the bustling bar I remembered from years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to The Cafe Royal. The company, the food and the drinks were all excellent, so whether you are looking for a pub to watch a rugby match or a restaurant to enjoy a meal with friends, I highly recommend Edinburgh’s Cafe Royal.

Val Penny

Ed’s Easy Diner, 11 Euston Square, London, England

I was in Euston Station, London one morning waiting for a train and had a little longer to wait than I expected, so I decided to go for brunch and I decided to find somewhere to have brunch. I noticed Ed’s Easy Diner and decided to go in there for an American style brunch revolving around eggs, but after I sat down, I realised this was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I am vegetarian and all the egg dishes included bacon or sausage. I should have left then.Ed's out

I was shown to a table immediately and a menu was brought to me quickly but it was several minutes before a server managed to tear themselves away from conversations with colleagues to take my order. This restaurant styles itself a funky chain diner with a 1950s vibe serving burgers, hot dogs and American comfort food, but I did not find it so. My East European server made it clear that changing dishes as specified on the menu were not possible. Very un-American!Ed's pancakes

Eventually we compromised, I would have the three pancake stack, and orange juice and a black coffee. The drinks arrived without issue. What can you do wrong with orange juice and coffee? When the pancakes arrived, there was bacon on the top. I explained, again, that I am vegetarian and the bacon would have to go. Imagine my surprise when my three pancake stack came back with out the bacon and the top pancake. You have to laugh!

I cannot recommend Ed’s Easy Diner, as I did not eat there. The coffee and orange juice is good and access is easy for those with mobility issues, should they wish to go there.

Val Penny

 

Pickwick’s Tavern, Ohlos de Agua, Algarve, Portugal

My husband and I very much like Portugal, the countryside the people and the food. However, on a recent visit we stopped in for a cup of tea to a delightfully English pub, Pickwick’s Tavern. The owners and staff are English and they do an excellent mug of tea. My husband has also often taken refuge there with a pint of lager when I am resting or shopping. Conveiently, Pickwick’s Tavern runs a ‘husband creche’ that many wives take advantage of!portugal out

The pub benefits from the mild weather in the South of Portugal. It makes a point of showing main sports matches on big screen TV. It is always busy during international football and rugby matches. portugal in

The inside of Pickwick’s Tavern is quite small but cosy. Outside there is a large comfortable street-side area that benefits from large parasols that provide shade in the eat of the day. portugal sign

The staff and owners are friendly and take time to chat and make customers welcome. The ambience of Pickwick’s Tavern is warm, the food offered is excellent ‘pub grub’ and they do a tasty breakfast. We really enjoyed our visit to Pickwick’s Tavern and I highly recommend this this establishment.

Val Penny

 

The Corner Cafe, 73 Main St, West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland

corner cafeA few weeks ago this new restaurant and takeaway, The Corner Cafe, opened on the corner of Hunterston Road and Main Street in the Craft Town of West Kilbride Ayrshire, Scotland. My husband took me to lunch there recently. The takeaway enters from the corner cafe logoMain Street while the restaurant is entered from Hunterston Road.

When we went in, I was very impressed with the bright modern decor. Also, you can see into the kitchen. I like this, it is clean, tidy and well organised. The Corner Cafe was busy when we arrived for lunch but we did manage to get one last table for two. The table was a decent size, so many modern restaurants have tiny tables for two people.

corner cafe fishWe were also pleasantly surprised by the menu. There were imaginative specials, a variety of light meals and a generous choice of main meals. I was impressed that there was a choice of meals for vegetarians too. My husband swithered with having the fish but finally decided on one of the specials, the chicken caesar club sandwich with fries and extra onion rings. He enjoyed the meal very much. I chose the vegetarian cous cous with roasted vegetables. It was a most unexpected vegetarian option and delious. The portions were generous and there was a lovley choice of cakes and desserts.corner cafe choccake

I am also impressed that the access for disabled people is excellent. The Corner Cafe is a new venture. I recommend it and wish it success.

Valerie Penny

The Canny Man’s 237 Morningside Rd, Edinburgh, Scotland

canny man's 1 imagesOn a recent visit to Edinburgh, my daughter took me to the Canny Man’s Pub and Restaurant so that we could celebrate the forthcoming publication of my debut novel, Hunter’s Chase, by Crooked Cat Books. The Canny Man’s pub in Morningside is an Edinburgh institution established in 1871 and passed down through generations of the Kerr family. It is a free house therefore it has no connection with any brewery and only sells the best of each brewers produce.

We found a discreet table in a snug so that we could chat. There are lots of little nookscanny man's 2 and crannies in this old building. This small family run bar and restaurant in Edinburgh has catered to many dignitaries and celebrities over the years. With celebrated seafood chef Rick Stein calling the Canny Man’s “the best pub in the world”. We both ordered gin and slims and each of us had our preffered make of gin the snacks served with alcoholic drinks are complimentary and attention to detail here is second to none. There is even a free of charge buffet that runs Mon-Thurs 5-6pm!

canny man's bar-banner-3My daughter and I sat in the main bar it holds an impressive selection of over 250 whiskies and has seen no change in over half a decade. But there is another bar in the back of the premises is referred to as the ‘back bar’ or ‘lounge bar’, this is a great alternative to the main bar to ensure you will always be served. The Canny Man’s has good disabled access.canny man's restaurant-banner

The restaurant seating in the Canny Man’s is quirky, eclectic and deceivingly big. Dining tables can be found throughout the pub and there are certainly some very sought after seats available, including the Winston Churchill Room. The restaurant offers a selection of menus using fresh, local produce including a variety of tasty open sandwiches .

canny man's lounge-img1The Canny Man’s Bar and Restaurant is a little slice of Edinburgh that I highly recommend to you on your next visit to the City.

Valerie Penny

The Booking Office, 17 Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Booking Office Waverley BridgeOn a recent visit to Edinburgh, I took the opportunity of meeting up with friends I have known since we counted our age in single figures. That is far longer than any of us need admit to. We needed somewhere central so that everybody could get there easily. As I was getting a train out of the city about 5pm, we chose The Booking Office which is a Wetherspoons bar and bistro near the Waverley Station, the main railway station in Edinburgh, Scotland.The Booking Office out

We met in the mid afternoon, and I thought the place would be relatively quiet. How wrong I was! As The Booking Office is so very near the station, it was extrememly busy. We did manage to get a table, but only because we grabbed it when other people left. However, the bar was well staffed. People ordered hot and cold drinks as well as food at the bar and an army of staff were kept busy serving the drinks at the bar and delivering the food to the tables.

The Booking Office in 2The Booking Office had a lively atmosphere and, as it was so busy, tables would have benefitted from being cleaned more frequently and more thoroughly. This was true of the restrooms too. However, there is good disabled access and service was quick. I was not particularly impressed by The Booking Office, however, as it is so inexpensive and conveniently situated, I may well use it again.

Valerie Penny

Il Caffe,San Lorenzo, Rome, Italy

Every trip aaway from home requires a little down time. On a recent visit to Rome, The Eternal City in Italy, my husband and I set aside one day for nothing more than relaxing, drinking coffee, eating cake and watching the world go by. It was most enjoyable.Il Caffe Rome out

After a lazy start to the day, when we had coffee and wrote postcards (yes, some people still write postcards)! We wandered about San Lorenzo, the area where our hotel was situated. The hotel was bitterly disappointing and is reviewed on this site, here: https://hotelandrestaurantreviews.com/2016/10/25/hotel-vibel-viale-dello-scalo-s-lorenzo-97-rome-italy/. However, we enjoyed our vacation and were happy to find Il Caffe for lunch.Il Caffe Rome in 1

We chose freshly made sandwiches, crisps and a soft drink. The food was very tasty, and the atmosphere at Il Caffe was relaxed and the staff were courteous and helpful. The place was busy over the lunchtime period, but there was no sense of stress or pressure that spilled over to the customers.Il Caffe Rome in 2

Il Caffe offers good value, has good access for disabled patrons and we very much enjoyed our lunch and the experience of visiting this unpretentious, clean, friendly little restaurant.

Valerie Penny

Nevjesta Jadrana, Zanjev Do, 81250 Njegusi, Montenegro

On my first visit to Montenegro my husband and I visited the village of Njegusi in the mountains. To get there we drove up the Lovcen Road. It is one of the world’s most scenic routes: the view is certainly jaw-droppingly beautiful.nevjesta jadrana view

However, it was with some trepidation that we set out from Kotor as we were told that this road has 25 hair pin bends, does not have any safety barriers and is, for the most part single lane, despite being two-way.  Lovcen Road does, indeed, involve driving around 25 hair-raising hairpin bends as it rises steeply above the bay, each switchback providing increasingly gorgeous sweeping vistas across Boka Kotorska, the Luštica peninsula, over to the Adriatic Sea and on to Croatia.nevjesta jadrana outside

 

We stopped for lunch at the Nevjesta Jadrana restaurant where we had delicious ham and cheese sandwiches made with the Njeguški pršut. This is a specialty of Njeguši, the village in Montenegro that Nevjesta Jadrana is in. It is the local version of parma ham. The local cheese, Njeguški sir, and freshly made bread. It was very tasty. We sat out on the veranda to enjoy the view as well as the food.

nevjesta jadrana me

Inside the seating was rustic and traditional. The restaurant was well frequented by locals as well as tourists. I always think that is a good sign in a restaurant.

nevjesta jadrana inside

Unfortunately, the lavatories in Nevjesta Jadrana left too much to be desired and that is the biggest tell in any eaterie, so, despite the beautiful view and the local food I would not go to Nevjesta Jadrana again.

Valerie Penny