Where we ate:
The restaurant at The Peninsula Hotel
Les Dicqs, Vale, Guernsey, GY6 8JP.
When we ate:
1pm
Saturday 2 August, 2008
What we ate:
Homemade vegetable soup or melon with berries
Locally caught plaice, chicken breast in Guernsey mushroom sauce or Mediterranean vegetable lasagne and salad, all served with sauteed Jersey royals and fresh vegetables.
Profiteroles with chocolate sauce or banana and chocolate mousse
What we drank:
French Chardonnay
What we paid:
We didn't! It was a treat and a lovely one at that, despite the sad occasion. The three courses of food plus coffee cost £12.95 per person.
Where to feed twenty-one people aged between 1 and 79 at lunchtime to mark a special occasion?
Sadly my boyfriend's grandfather passed away one year ago. His widow organised a memorial occasion for the extended family to get together and mark the date, but we wanted to remember the happy times so some fabulous food was also required.
Any gathering of more than two persons and anything involving family is always chaotic in terms of arrangements and this was no exception. Chinese whispers concerning the start time meant that some of us waited in the bar for an hour before the others arrived. However, on pain of a public ticking off from a grieving grandmother, twenty-one family members were present and correct by 1pm which was the lunch time that had been Chinese-whispered to the hotel (if not the guests!)
What we didn't realise was that the hotel had been more than kind and opened the restaurant especially and exclusively for our lunch. The chef and the waiting staff were there just for us and if they resented it they did not show it at all. The food was delicious and the service was warm and efficient. The bar staff who kept us watered while we waited for the fashionably late were also very friendly. A special table, with floral decorations, had been set up so that all twenty one of us were all able to sit together and a high chair was also provided for the youngest member of our party. As we had the restaurant to ourselves we could have quiet for a memorial speech and a few tears, then make noise while we chatted and wander around sociably after we'd eaten. The two little children were delighted to be spoiled with a free run of the entire restaurant to explore.
We left feeling pleasantly full and contented, despite the sad occasion, at 3.45pm as the staff had been in no hurry to evict us from the comfortable, smart surroundings of the hotel restaurant from which we had a view of the patio area and enticing outdoor swimming pool.
I felt that we were well treated and that the tasty, hot food was extremely good value. The only improvement would have been a little more fresh air to cool us down on such a hot day.
Will we go back?
Yes, in happier times, we hope. We'll also ask to use the pool!
Showing posts with label Guernsey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guernsey. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Eating: La Perla, Guernsey
Where we ate:
La Perla Restaurant
North Plantation, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2LH.
When we ate:
7.30pm
Friday 1 August, 2008
What we ate:
Garlic bread, lasagne and sticky toffee pudding (Girl Friend)
Homemade fishcake, plaice and an extremely virtuous pass on desert (Other Girl Friend)
Prawn cocktail, plaice and apple pie (Another Girl Friend)
Prawn cocktail, local crab salad and meringue with berries (me)
What we drank:
Two bottles of light, semi-sweet, French Chardonnay
What we paid:
£70 including service
Girls' night out in Guernsey can take a variety of routes. There's a mortgage's worth of cocktails on offer at Laska or a bargain bucket of vodka Red Bull at the Red Onion. There are cheap and cheerful pizzas at Valentino's, chick flicks at the Mallard, pampering at OGH or modern tapas in the sultry surroundings of White D'Or. The brave can dance around their handbags in Barbados, the braver can dance below the watchful crowds on the balcony at Folies and the "oops got drunk too early" can dance into tables at Christie's.
We're a bunch of townies so we're spoilt for choice within stumbling distance of home. We chose to meet for a Friday night dinner in La Perla as the food's quality and price (£10 per person for three courses) and a lively atmosphere are all guaranteed at this island institution for Italian food. Plus we'd be right in the heart of St. Peter Port nightlife for a drink or a dance afterwards.
I visited La Perla for a quiet dinner with my boyfriend less than two weeks' ago and had a lovely evening. On our girls' night on Friday we ate from the same menu and food, wine and service were consistent with my previous visit. The restaurant was full, but we were not rushed to order or to finish our meal, which allowed us to feel very relaxed despite the lively bustle around us. We ended up enjoying a leisurely three hours there and I was startled to discover that our "wine of the month", for £10.95 per bottle, was more than drinkable.
Will we go back?
Yes, wearing skimpier clothing. It does get pretty hot in there, especially in summer!
La Perla Restaurant
North Plantation, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2LH.
When we ate:
7.30pm
Friday 1 August, 2008
What we ate:
Garlic bread, lasagne and sticky toffee pudding (Girl Friend)
Homemade fishcake, plaice and an extremely virtuous pass on desert (Other Girl Friend)
Prawn cocktail, plaice and apple pie (Another Girl Friend)
Prawn cocktail, local crab salad and meringue with berries (me)
What we drank:
Two bottles of light, semi-sweet, French Chardonnay
What we paid:
£70 including service
Girls' night out in Guernsey can take a variety of routes. There's a mortgage's worth of cocktails on offer at Laska or a bargain bucket of vodka Red Bull at the Red Onion. There are cheap and cheerful pizzas at Valentino's, chick flicks at the Mallard, pampering at OGH or modern tapas in the sultry surroundings of White D'Or. The brave can dance around their handbags in Barbados, the braver can dance below the watchful crowds on the balcony at Folies and the "oops got drunk too early" can dance into tables at Christie's.
We're a bunch of townies so we're spoilt for choice within stumbling distance of home. We chose to meet for a Friday night dinner in La Perla as the food's quality and price (£10 per person for three courses) and a lively atmosphere are all guaranteed at this island institution for Italian food. Plus we'd be right in the heart of St. Peter Port nightlife for a drink or a dance afterwards.
I visited La Perla for a quiet dinner with my boyfriend less than two weeks' ago and had a lovely evening. On our girls' night on Friday we ate from the same menu and food, wine and service were consistent with my previous visit. The restaurant was full, but we were not rushed to order or to finish our meal, which allowed us to feel very relaxed despite the lively bustle around us. We ended up enjoying a leisurely three hours there and I was startled to discover that our "wine of the month", for £10.95 per bottle, was more than drinkable.
Will we go back?
Yes, wearing skimpier clothing. It does get pretty hot in there, especially in summer!
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Eating: La Perla, Guernsey
Where we ate:
La Perla Restaurant
North Plantation, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2LH.
When we ate:
6.30pm
Sunday 20 July, 2008
What we ate:
Calamari, chicken supreme and sticky toffee pudding (him)
Prawn cocktail, lasagne and meringue (me)
What we drank:
A bottle of fruity red
What we paid:
£45 including service
Sunday evening was sunny and sultry. We'd spent the day helping at a ten year olds' soccer tournament and were hungry and tired, but still cheerful. The obvious choice for a filling meal in relaxed surroundings is La Perla.
La Perla relocated from the South Esplanade (now home to Hojo) to a larger, two-storey home in the North Plantation (formerly home to Spice, the much-missed, quiet , Northern Indian restaurant). Anyone who paid a visit to the previous premises will recognise the current ones as the fittings and fixtures were by no means lost on the quarter-mile journey along the quayside. The nostalgic prints of Porto Fino and Napoli are there, as are the painted tiles setting out each place at the table and the authentic Italian staff. The chairs are still blue, the tablecloths are still yellow and the space between the chairs and tables is still rather limited.
The La Perla menu is simple. Three courses, three menus, three prices: diners pay £10, £15 or £19 per head for three courses. Each menu offers several choices for each course. Bowls of sauteed new potatoes and steamed fresh vegetables are served with every main course, plus a basket of French bread with the starters and mains. On Sunday I chose prawn cocktail (a large and delicious portion), lasagne (ditto) and the house meringue with red berries and ice-cream (which was medium-sized, beautifully presented and the perfect way to end a summer supper), all from the £10 menu. My companion upgraded to the £15 menu from which he chose calamari (cooked excellently), a supreme of chicken (tender breast in a homemade sauce of herbs) and sticky toffee pudding (his favourite, so the verdict of "brilliant" was a well-informed one). Vegetarians would not be unhappy with the range of Mediterranean delights on offer such as the oven baked aubergine parmigiana.
In addition to the three courses, three menus, three prices format, La Perla offers a one-course lunch for £5 and seasonal one-course specials which currently include local crab salad priced at £7.95. The £19 menu is temporarily devoted to seafood to coincide with the island's "Fete de la Mair". The lobsters served to our fellow diners on Sunday evening looked and smelled amazing. La Perla doesn't disappoint on quality at either end of the price range.
Don't come to La Perla if you like several yards between yourself and the next diner. Don't come if you're not prepared to squeeze your way to the loo. Don't come in summer and forget to ask Tony for a table near the door or window...or you will get HOT!
Do come if you like traditional Italian or British food of a reliable standard and at a reasonable price. The house wines are supplemented by "wines of the month" which are more than drinkable and the rest of the wine list is ample. Service is efficient even at the busiest times; the waiters and waitresses are experienced and therefore sufficiently relaxed to be friendly.
Will we go back?
Yes. I've booked for my netball team to celebrate our summer league success at La Perla in a fortnight's time.
La Perla Restaurant
North Plantation, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2LH.
When we ate:
6.30pm
Sunday 20 July, 2008
What we ate:
Calamari, chicken supreme and sticky toffee pudding (him)
Prawn cocktail, lasagne and meringue (me)
What we drank:
A bottle of fruity red
What we paid:
£45 including service
Sunday evening was sunny and sultry. We'd spent the day helping at a ten year olds' soccer tournament and were hungry and tired, but still cheerful. The obvious choice for a filling meal in relaxed surroundings is La Perla.
La Perla relocated from the South Esplanade (now home to Hojo) to a larger, two-storey home in the North Plantation (formerly home to Spice, the much-missed, quiet , Northern Indian restaurant). Anyone who paid a visit to the previous premises will recognise the current ones as the fittings and fixtures were by no means lost on the quarter-mile journey along the quayside. The nostalgic prints of Porto Fino and Napoli are there, as are the painted tiles setting out each place at the table and the authentic Italian staff. The chairs are still blue, the tablecloths are still yellow and the space between the chairs and tables is still rather limited.
The La Perla menu is simple. Three courses, three menus, three prices: diners pay £10, £15 or £19 per head for three courses. Each menu offers several choices for each course. Bowls of sauteed new potatoes and steamed fresh vegetables are served with every main course, plus a basket of French bread with the starters and mains. On Sunday I chose prawn cocktail (a large and delicious portion), lasagne (ditto) and the house meringue with red berries and ice-cream (which was medium-sized, beautifully presented and the perfect way to end a summer supper), all from the £10 menu. My companion upgraded to the £15 menu from which he chose calamari (cooked excellently), a supreme of chicken (tender breast in a homemade sauce of herbs) and sticky toffee pudding (his favourite, so the verdict of "brilliant" was a well-informed one). Vegetarians would not be unhappy with the range of Mediterranean delights on offer such as the oven baked aubergine parmigiana.
In addition to the three courses, three menus, three prices format, La Perla offers a one-course lunch for £5 and seasonal one-course specials which currently include local crab salad priced at £7.95. The £19 menu is temporarily devoted to seafood to coincide with the island's "Fete de la Mair". The lobsters served to our fellow diners on Sunday evening looked and smelled amazing. La Perla doesn't disappoint on quality at either end of the price range.
Don't come to La Perla if you like several yards between yourself and the next diner. Don't come if you're not prepared to squeeze your way to the loo. Don't come in summer and forget to ask Tony for a table near the door or window...or you will get HOT!
Do come if you like traditional Italian or British food of a reliable standard and at a reasonable price. The house wines are supplemented by "wines of the month" which are more than drinkable and the rest of the wine list is ample. Service is efficient even at the busiest times; the waiters and waitresses are experienced and therefore sufficiently relaxed to be friendly.
Will we go back?
Yes. I've booked for my netball team to celebrate our summer league success at La Perla in a fortnight's time.
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Eating: Cellar Door, Guernsey
Where we ate:
Cellar Door Cafe
Marina Court, Glategny Esplanade, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 1WP
When we ate:
12.30pm
Friday 18 July, 2008
What we ate:
Steak and blue cheese salad (him)
Crayfish tail and mango sandwich (me)
What we paid:
£15 including service
Friday lunchtime is the perfect occasion to treat one's self and one's hardworking boyfriend to a delicious cafe lunch. Yesterday was uncomfortably hot and sunless; the clouds lay dark and low in a stifling blanket over the east of the island. The best kind of venue on such a day is a bright, light one with al-fresco options.
The Cellar Door wine specialist opened in 2004 in the wealthy parish of St. Martin's. Since then it has grown a deli cafe and relocated to the ground floor of the stunning Marina Court development which overlooks the Queen Elizabeth II marina. On a clearer day than yesterday it would have overlooked Herm, Jethou and Sark too.
The medium-sized cafe area is adjacent to the shop and both are accessed from the same entrance. The glass front of the building enables potential eaters, drinkers or shoppers to check out the interior before entering. The cafe is decorated simply with smart square or rectangular tables matched with two or four wicker chairs each. The drinks menu is chalked behind the counter which contains an enticing array of cakes and cookies.
One table was marked Reserved and approximately half of the others were occupied. I seated myself at one of the vacant tables to wait for my companion, but I felt uncomfortably hot despite the open patio door. On his arrival my companion commented on the extreme temperature of the cafe too, perhaps the air-conditioning had broken down yesterday. This was no problem for us as we were able to find an empty table outside on the patio terrace.
The terrace has been recently rearranged so that diners enter from the cafe itself (rather than approaching from the street and sitting down outside straightaway). A stylish but sturdy canvas has been installed to shelter outdoor diners from the wind. Any Guernsey man or woman knows how the wind can whip straight into St. Peter Port on even the sunniest day.
We were greeted at our table by a smiling waitress proffering menus and offering to take our drinks order immediately. We resisted the lure of alcohol and chose sparkling water. One brand was available and delivered to our table immediately; the taste was very pleasant.
The menu includes a daily insert showing the soups, quiches and other specials of the day. The lunch menu comprises approximately six different sandwich fillings, which are available on white or wholemeal bread, ciabatta or panini, in a tortilla wrap or jacket potato plus four or five different salads, a soup of the day, three fresh quiches and a couple of daily specials. Yesterday's specials were a vegetarian pasta dish and a risotto with local fish. The same menu includes hot drinks, soft drinks, water and wine. Several wines are available by the glass for £3 each. The food is reasonably priced, at £4 for a sandwich or soup and £9 for the daily special. There is also some breakfast dishes available between 8am and 11am.
The service we received was laid-back but also efficient, brisk but warm. After closing our menus we were immediately invited to place our food order by another friendly waitress. By this time the cafe was almost full, but we did not have to wait very long for our lunches to arrive. (I'd estimate five minutes). Both dishes were presented eye-catchingly, playing up the different colours of their ingredients. My crayfish-tail sandwich was served on wholemeal bread with a mango sauce, more of a coulis than a chutney. The flavours created a glorious taste sensation. A substantial, dressed side-salad and a pile of potato crisps completed my platter. My companion was more than pleased with his salad of rocket, red onion, sundried tomatoes, blue cheese and hot strips of steak. The tender steak was perfectly cooked and the freshness of the salad gave the dish its texture. The portion sizes were just right for a one-course lunch.
On my next visit to the Cellar Door for lunch I'll ask for no butter in my sandwich and for less dressing on the side salad, but these are minor tweaks to an otherwise delicious lunch. After three and a half years in Guernsey I still forget that every single eaterie, from corner shop to Christophe, serves its sandwiches with Guernsey butter and sometimes lots of it.
After eating we sat back and finished our drinks, enjoying what was visible of the harbour view and relishing the occasional mild breeze on such an otherwise airless day. I went to the counter to settle our bill and left a tip in the jar there. I averted my companion's eyes from the sweet treats at the counter and we headed off at our own pace, 35 minutes after arriving, feeling pleasantly full.
Will we go back?
Yes.
Cellar Door Cafe
Marina Court, Glategny Esplanade, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 1WP
When we ate:
12.30pm
Friday 18 July, 2008
What we ate:
Steak and blue cheese salad (him)
Crayfish tail and mango sandwich (me)
What we paid:
£15 including service
Friday lunchtime is the perfect occasion to treat one's self and one's hardworking boyfriend to a delicious cafe lunch. Yesterday was uncomfortably hot and sunless; the clouds lay dark and low in a stifling blanket over the east of the island. The best kind of venue on such a day is a bright, light one with al-fresco options.
The Cellar Door wine specialist opened in 2004 in the wealthy parish of St. Martin's. Since then it has grown a deli cafe and relocated to the ground floor of the stunning Marina Court development which overlooks the Queen Elizabeth II marina. On a clearer day than yesterday it would have overlooked Herm, Jethou and Sark too.
The medium-sized cafe area is adjacent to the shop and both are accessed from the same entrance. The glass front of the building enables potential eaters, drinkers or shoppers to check out the interior before entering. The cafe is decorated simply with smart square or rectangular tables matched with two or four wicker chairs each. The drinks menu is chalked behind the counter which contains an enticing array of cakes and cookies.
One table was marked Reserved and approximately half of the others were occupied. I seated myself at one of the vacant tables to wait for my companion, but I felt uncomfortably hot despite the open patio door. On his arrival my companion commented on the extreme temperature of the cafe too, perhaps the air-conditioning had broken down yesterday. This was no problem for us as we were able to find an empty table outside on the patio terrace.
The terrace has been recently rearranged so that diners enter from the cafe itself (rather than approaching from the street and sitting down outside straightaway). A stylish but sturdy canvas has been installed to shelter outdoor diners from the wind. Any Guernsey man or woman knows how the wind can whip straight into St. Peter Port on even the sunniest day.
We were greeted at our table by a smiling waitress proffering menus and offering to take our drinks order immediately. We resisted the lure of alcohol and chose sparkling water. One brand was available and delivered to our table immediately; the taste was very pleasant.
The menu includes a daily insert showing the soups, quiches and other specials of the day. The lunch menu comprises approximately six different sandwich fillings, which are available on white or wholemeal bread, ciabatta or panini, in a tortilla wrap or jacket potato plus four or five different salads, a soup of the day, three fresh quiches and a couple of daily specials. Yesterday's specials were a vegetarian pasta dish and a risotto with local fish. The same menu includes hot drinks, soft drinks, water and wine. Several wines are available by the glass for £3 each. The food is reasonably priced, at £4 for a sandwich or soup and £9 for the daily special. There is also some breakfast dishes available between 8am and 11am.
The service we received was laid-back but also efficient, brisk but warm. After closing our menus we were immediately invited to place our food order by another friendly waitress. By this time the cafe was almost full, but we did not have to wait very long for our lunches to arrive. (I'd estimate five minutes). Both dishes were presented eye-catchingly, playing up the different colours of their ingredients. My crayfish-tail sandwich was served on wholemeal bread with a mango sauce, more of a coulis than a chutney. The flavours created a glorious taste sensation. A substantial, dressed side-salad and a pile of potato crisps completed my platter. My companion was more than pleased with his salad of rocket, red onion, sundried tomatoes, blue cheese and hot strips of steak. The tender steak was perfectly cooked and the freshness of the salad gave the dish its texture. The portion sizes were just right for a one-course lunch.
On my next visit to the Cellar Door for lunch I'll ask for no butter in my sandwich and for less dressing on the side salad, but these are minor tweaks to an otherwise delicious lunch. After three and a half years in Guernsey I still forget that every single eaterie, from corner shop to Christophe, serves its sandwiches with Guernsey butter and sometimes lots of it.
After eating we sat back and finished our drinks, enjoying what was visible of the harbour view and relishing the occasional mild breeze on such an otherwise airless day. I went to the counter to settle our bill and left a tip in the jar there. I averted my companion's eyes from the sweet treats at the counter and we headed off at our own pace, 35 minutes after arriving, feeling pleasantly full.
Will we go back?
Yes.
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