We’ve returned from our holiday in England and write to report back.
Bath:
Circus Restaurant – We enjoyed a nice three course Christmas menu at Circus. The venison pie and fish ragu were standouts. The service was efficient and warm. This was the best restaurant we dined at in Bath.
Sotto Sotto – very good Italian food. The lamb ragu we ordered was fantastic and our kids couldn’t get enough of it. The branzino was less successful but nonetheless tasty.
Hive – we had the Sunday Roast and tried a portion of the lamb, chicken, and steak. The steak and lamb were more successful than the chicken which was too dry. Each order came with roasted root veggies that were good but not memorable. Frankly, it’s a restaurant that I would return to eat at again but only if convenient. It’s not destination dining.
We also did afternoon tea at the Pump Room. Having never had afternoon tea I have not point for comparison. We enjoyed the food, tea and surroundings. A nice way to waste away an afternoon in a beautiful setting.
Oxford:
We only had one dinner and one lunch and ate both meals at Antep Kitchen, a Turkish restaurant. The lentil soup, lamb shank and kebobs (chicken and lamb) were fantastic. The price was extremely reasonable considering the portions. I highly recommend Antep Kitchen.
London:
Noble Rot (Lambs Conduit)– was the highlight meal for us. The service, wine list and food were all outstanding. The duck main was one of our best bites of 2023. A daily special appetizer of chicken liver, heart and mushroom was similarly fantastic. Our boys are still talking about the dish. Max and his team run a very tight ship and I highly recommend the restaurant.
St. John’s (Smithfield) – a very enjoyable dinner. The Jerusalem Artichoke and bone marrow starters were the stand outs. We also had the ox tongue (good not great), a sensational duck, and a very delicate and tasty plaice. The beer and wine list were also very impressive.
Gunpowder – perhaps the finest Indian meal of my life. Each dish was memorable. The highlights were the softshell crab, spicy venison doughnut, Goan prawns and Barnsley lamb chop. The chaat was the low point of the evening. It was fine just not nearly as tasty as everything else we ordered.
Pig & Butcher – great neighborhood restaurant. We really enjoyed our meal. The wine list was also impressive. Highlights were the black pudding scotch egg, venison, steak, and duck. The sticky toffee pudding was the best we had in England.
Prince Edward in Baywater. The boys wanted fish and chips. They were outstanding. As were the other pub style dishes we ordered. This was a very pleasant surprise. A low key and very enjoyable and tasty meal.
We also had enjoyable lunches at Dumpling Legend (service is a bit cold but the food was very good) and Tao Tao Ju. Between the two, Tao Tao Ju was the more enjoyable experience. Both the dim sum and the Cantonese style dishes were successful. We didn’t care for the hot and sour soup at either restaurant. The flavor profile (not peppery or particularly hot) is entirely different than what we are accustomed to in Los Angeles.
Liverpool:
Manifest – this was the best meal we had during our limited stay in Liverpool. Food, service and wine list were very impressive. The hen of woods mushroom starter was fantastic. So too the sweet onion tart and the venison.
Mowlgi (Bold Street). A nice neighborhood restaurant but not a dining destination. The food was good, not great. I thought the cocktails and mocktails were very impressive.
Mei Mei – had a nice lunch here.
Bakchich – we really enjoyed our lunch here. The shawarma and cold appetizer plate were favorites.
Duke Street Market – we had a nice breakfast at this marketplace and would have liked to have returned for lunch but simply didn’t have the time.
York:
Drake’s Fish and Chip – is very good but not quite at the level of Prince Edward in London.
Shambles Market – we had a surprisingly nice curry and noodles from the Thai vendor in the market. The husband and wife are originally from Chang Mai. They did a very respectable job preparing the food given the local ingredient limitations.