All reader reviews by Escoffier

Olive Press (Preston)

In my view, Paul Heathcote's Olive Press restaurants are showing the assembled multitude of Italian mediocrity how to do pizzas. A good base, stretched thin, cooked through and cooked crisp with good quality toppings and not all under a blanket of plastic mozzarella. Sounds simple. So why does it take a lad from Bolton to show all the local Italians how it should be done?

Pizzas are what to go for here, and it's unfortunate that it's not a slightly longer list of options. Other dishes on the menu aren't really in the same league, and I find can disappoint.

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9

Cabbage Hall

Bob Kisby is working his magic at this footballers' wives decorated roadside restaurant near Tarporley.

The menus are rather tweely named after various aspects of tailoring (cabbages in the Cabbage Hall context are not vegetables but something to do with the tailoring industry). But the important thing is what they contain: the Kisby classics are there, and as good as ever (lobster risotto, potage Yehudi Menuhin etc). At weekends, there's a grills menu which features some excellent meat (there's evident care in the sourcing of ingredients here), some with classic sauces and garnishes from the pages of Escoffier. But don't let that make you think there's anything fuddy duddy about the food here. This is bright, intelligent cooking that takes the best of the old and the best of the new, though thankfully this is a foam and spuma free zone with a pleasing lack of ponciness.

An interesting innovation is a series of platters for sharing either as a starter or a light lunch on their own. The fishy platter is like a tasting menu of most of the fish starters.

There's a good wine list, at not too grabby prices, to complement the food, and service has been pretty good on each of my visits (improving actually).

With apologies to Cheshire folk, it's just a shame it's not nearer to civilisation!

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9

Grado Restaurant

Grado is probably the best of Paul Heathcote's various chains, though it's a one-off.

It's really useful for post-work tapas at the bar waiting for the rush hour to subside (and is handily mid way between Oxford Rd & Picadilly stations!), but on a couple of occasions I've had full meals in the restaurant (though taking in a couple of the top tapas for starters/pre-starters), and it's been marked by excellent ingredients prepared and cooked carefully and accurately.

The wine list is a good example - apart from champagnes, completely Spanish, and it even manages to include a few relatively mature bottles. The sherry selection is pretty good, though maybe relies too heavily on one particular supplier. Perhaps they could have guest sherries occasionally? Nice to see the deliciious La Gitana manzanilla available in halves.

Depending on levels of greediness, you can sometimes end up spending quite a bit with tapas at the bar, and in those terms the restaurant I think probably offers slightly better value.

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7

City Cafe

I stayed at the City Inn and so had breakfast here.

There were two separate buffets, one with cereals, fruit, yoghurts etc and one with continental breakfast items - bread, croissants, pastries, ham, cheese, boiled eggs, smoked salmon etc. In addition (and still included in the B&B rate) a wide variety of cooked dishes were available, all apparently cooked to order.

While I was tempted by the full English (which looked great when I saw it being delivered to other tables), I couldn't resist Eggs Benedict, which was spot on.

If they can manage this sort of quality at breakfast, I think they may well be deserving of attention at other times of day. (I've eaten in the restaurants at the Glasgow City Inn and it's been very good.)

By the way, the hotel side of the operation was superb in all respects.

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8