Ondine – Edinburgh (UK)

Posted on 15/10/2015 by One Two Culinary Stew

I first visited Ondine shortly after chef-patron Roy Brett launched it six years ago. The food and service were so memorable that I vowed to return. I recently had the opportunity to have my birthday meal at this luxurious seafood restaurant in Edinburgh and it was as wonderful as I remembered… even better, if that’s at all possible.

Ondine isn’t easy to spot from the street. From the George IV Bridge entrance of an unassuming building, it’s a flight of stairs (lift available) to the first floor so it very much feels like a hidden gem. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with its high ceilings, large windows, mosaic columns, quirky artwork and stunning circular oyster bar.

The origin of the word “ondine” comes from the name of a water nymph, so it was only fitting to have a painting titled “Mermaids of Iona” in the lobby. Paulo was particularly delighted with the image… because the colours matched his suit and shirt. No other reason, of course!

We were given a table by the window with a lovely view over Victoria street. We chose an early time for our dinner reservations so it was quiet when we arrived but by the time we left, the place was full, including the oyster bar. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

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The Stable – Bath (UK)

Posted on 23/08/2015 by One Two Culinary Stew

On our trip to Bath, we were looking for a casual, lively place to enjoy some good food and drink, particularly cider as this is a Somerset specialty. The Stable, with its menu of pizza, pies and cider, was exactly what we were looking for.

The Stable has multiple locations (Bath, Bridport, Bristol, Falmouth, Fistral Beach, Plymouth, Poole, Weymouth, Winchester and soon Southampton). Each location has a slightly different menu, in accordance with the local ingredients and cider available.

The Stable in Bath is housed in a beautiful building and seating consists of benches, stools and long tables. This lends a wonderful convivial atmosphere and whilst this place is indeed a proper restaurant, it feels more like a bar with the freedom to order more food and drink whenever you please.

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Eat Cambridge 2015, the Main Event – Cambridge (UK)

Posted on 29/05/2015 by One Two Culinary Stew

Eat Cambridge was held at the Corn Exchange on 23 May, 2015. This one-day food and drink fair was the Main Event, with two weeks of fringe events leading up to the big day. I wrote about some of the fringe events: foodPark NIGHT MARKET, Over The Tracks and Grub Club Cambridge Producers’ Dinner.

Only in its third year, this food and drink festival has already become one of Cambridge’s best foodie events.

The aim of Eat Cambridge is to showcase independents that can produce, source or make their products easily available in Cambridgeshire. It’s a great way to discover our local producers, restaurants, cafes and farms.

Strictly not-for-profit, Eat Cambridge is organised by Heidi White and Sian Townsend, with the invaluable help of their team of volunteers. Heidi and the volunteers all worked really hard to make the day run smoothly. (Sian is expecting a baby any minute now so she wasn’t able to attend). As last year, the Corn Exchange was a fabulous venue to hold all the stalls and there were lots of rooms available for the various talks and pop-ups.