Reviewed by Natalie Lamb

London Road
East Grinstead
West Sussex
RH19 2BH
Phone: 01342 337700
Fax: 01342 337715

The Felbridge Hotel and Spa is located on the A22 near East Grinstead, 10 minutes drive from Gatwick Airport. It has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Each time I had anything to do with reception they were not only efficacious, but frequently had me laughing with their humour and engagement. The energy and mood of the staff often reveal the nature of the heart of a hotel, here they are helpful, healthy, and happy.

I noticed staff seem trained on affirmation not criticism, and generally worked well as a team. The culture they created rippled into me, making me feel like a wanted friend that they were happy to see and serve. The porter shared with me that they have a very low staff turnover. Many staff had been there much longer than his 2 years, even up to 3 decades. We had a long time to talk to the room at the far end of the hotel, and I truly received what a positive environment this was.

The Junior Suite was gorgeous: spacious, comfortable, and stylish. The cost is £159 a night, or £135.15 with the 15% discount for booking 14 days in advance. Definitely worth a stay, if only to enjoy the ‘special touch’ in all they do. It comes with a little something added beyond the usual that leaves you with a satisfying smile at their “extra thought” into small details. For example, with the tea were scrumptious homemade chocolate biscuits. In the roomy bathroom with double sinks and a power shower large enough to dance in, came a collection of luxury Elemis products (including facial cleanser). Our dinner was no exception – it exceeded my expectations and then some.

We dined in the fine dining Anise Restaurant. I can fully understand why it won the Fine Dining Experience of 2009/2010. The review of the meal can be found here

After my dining companion went home, I meandered through the hotel finding the Qube Bar. On Friday evenings they have a DJ playing Funky House music. Even though I was shattered I stayed awake for another drink just to enjoy the music longer it was so good. DJess shared that some Friday’s the room is packed, and others it is rather quiet. If I lived in the area it would definitely be a voguish place to rendezvous with friends or business colleagues. It hosts an atmosphere that is upbeat and cool, though with music that doesn’t drown out connection. It has class, buzz and hospitality. The menu included pub meals (ranging from £5.75 for a sandwich to £20 for sirloin), to afternoon teas and a full selection of cocktails. Like with most things in the Hotel they go beyond the call of duty. The Qube Bar also had a fine touch to what they do: after sitting down, the barman brought a flickering candle and a bowl of cashews to my table. Nice! It wasn’t done with the energy to impress, rather the delivery was like this was the natural free flow of heartiness and reception to all guests.

After my drinks, I made my way back to the room – gathering up the peppermint tea and honey the reception staff secured for me.

The Super King Sized bed was glorious to stretch into, and extremely comfortable. Sadly I didn’t sleep well as the air-conditioning was dripping. It was not like counting sheep where you know when the next number is coming – it was like Chinese torture where you don’t know how soon until the next drop so you wait poised in that pregnant pause unable to relax. This lead me to the very well laid out and professional Hotel Guide to find out how to turn it off. Sometimes Hotel guides are so confusing you come away wondering what your own name is! Not this one: very clear, indexed, and thorough. It even made me excited reading about the spa waiting for me in the morning.

The very charming staff told me the Spa Pool was closed for cleaning, and as there was a child in the pool I didn’t fancy swimming. On the weekend the pool is open to adults only from 10-4, had I not needed to leave the Hotel, I would have spent the day enjoying the health club. I took the opportunity to look around. It has a lovely ambiance, maintains a clean and fresh feel to it, and all together has really good facilities. The amenities I saw were the tennis courts, fully equipped gym, 10 person Spa pool, a steam room, a sauna and a kidney shaped pool. Also available is the Chakra Spa with a variety of treatments for maintenance, relaxation, enhancement and beauty. The prices are good for single treatments, through to full packaged pamper parties (check their website for details).

Feeling a tad disappointed, I went on to breakfast. A feast awoke my eyes! The buffet had a delicious spread of mini pastries, cold meats, fruit, yogurts, as well as a fresh toast maker. I opted for a cooked vegetarian breakfast as shout out to the vegetarians given one option in the restaurant. It was large – eggs, sausage, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and hash browns. I had some frustration getting exactly what I wanted for breakfast (eggs cooked the way I requested) – but the staff got there in the end.

Had it not been for the frustration at breakfast, the dripping air conditioning and the Spa Pool being closed for cleaning, the experience would have been perfect. The accommodation is amazing and the facilities are fabulous.

Overall the attitude and approachability of the staff create a great atmosphere – leaving me with a positive imprint each time I pass the hotel.

http://www.felbridgehotel.co.uk

The Anise Fine Dining Restaurant

Reviewed by Natalie Lamb

The 2 AA Rosette Fine Dining Restaurant Anise has won the award for ‘Best Eating Experience in Sussex’ voted by the Sussex Food & Drink Awards 2009/2010

Located at
The Felbridge Hotel & Spa
London Road East Grinstead
West Sussex RH19 2BH

Call 01342 337700 to make a reservation.

We dined in the Anise Restaurant which is open to both guests and non-residents for lunch and dinner. What a truly delicious experience worth the £32 for four courses. My dining companion, who frequents Michelin Star restaurants , remarked that the quality was not far off in quality and professionalism. The Executive Chef Frederick Tobin needs to be congratulated for his creative and compelling combinations that lit an effulgence of joy on my taste buds.

From the moment I sat down I felt like Royalty – thanks to the respectful attention, the awareness to our needs, and the “on the ball” service. I never felt like I had to wait, or catch the waiter’s attention. They were proactive professionals that took care of us well and often. After supplying us with the menu, the first thing I noticed was the lack of vegetarian options. There was one starter option, and no main vegetarian meals. While I’m sure the chef would create something given warning, there was no publicised option in the menu.

After ordering our food, we were gifted two breads: artichoke and Parmesan, and rosemary and sea salt. Unusually this came with three butters: tomato, black truffle, and regular with sea salt on the side to taste. Without a doubt the tomato butter triumphed. It offered a subtle while strong, distinctive taste that added a rare nuance to the bread.

While the silky flavour was not one I needed removing, the Amuse-bouche – French for “fun in the mouth” – truly met its meaning at the Anise. The palate cleanser was a single fresh raspberry, half a boiled quail egg, and marinated lobster with radish, spring onion and raspberry sauce. What an explosion of joy to wake up the senses for the starters.

I chose the fresh crab salad topped with Avruga caviar, served with soft boiled quail eggs, caper, and shallot dressing. The crab, caviar and caper concoction created a compelling composition that played off their flavours in sweet harmony. My dinner guest ordered the one vegetarian option: a fine tomato tart, tomato and vodka jelly, goats cheese fondant, with black olive and fennel salad. He affirmed his choice with smacking lips of appreciation. I just had to share his jelly – which was a delectable delight. The potions were perfect. There was enough food to get a full sense of the taste, without filling us up for the main meal.

The seared fillet of line caught sea bass, flamed langoustines and baby gem, herb gnocchi finished with sauce Vierge and citrus foam called my name. The herb gnocchi was perfect- not overbearing in taste, and not so subtle that you couldn’t capture its essence. The bass and langoustines with Vierge hummed together in fitting fusion. My guest enjoyed the Cutlet of Sussex lamb and braised breast of lamb, onion puree, baby aubergine, confit shallot and garlic, caramelised sweetbreads. He offered me a few morsels which I’m pleased to say were succulent and juicy.

My eyes lit up at the Anise version of a class lemon tart served with lemon syllabub, lemon curd terrine and a lemon sorbet. In addition, I had to go for a crazy shot at the chef’s homemade Limoncello as a £3 supplement. As I tasted the shot first I felt like I’d had an orgasm of the spot. It was an exquisite state awakening where I felt lit up in poignancy. Altogether, the lemon dessert was a zinging mouthwatering scrumptious delight. Tremendous! What a titillating temptation that tingled in textures and tang. My dining companion opted for the chilled vanilla rice pudding with praline tuille, cherry soup and pistachio ice cream. He felt I had to taste that pistachio ice cream as it was completely moreish. I have NO idea I could eat so much, but with food so irresistible how could I decline?

By the time it came round for coffee, I had completely had my fill. Though with eyes bulging at the luscious looking chocolates I just had to sample each one. There was a Baileys, Honey, Crème Mint Truffle and my favourite – a fresh raspberry with white chocolate. They were outstanding. The waiter sweetly created an artistic take away handbag out of tin foil for me to take the extra chocolates for my children. They were devoured in an instant!

The Anise shone! I can fully understand why it was voted the Best Sussex Eating Experience. I can not find a single fault in the eating aspect. I would only have preferred that the toilet was a little closer – it’s situated through another restaurant, up stairs and round into the foyer of the hotel. Possibly this is a good thing in that that added exercise increased appetite? The food was both appetising and scrumptious. The staff were sharp, committed and present. The environment was peaceful and classy without being pretentious.

Ring them and book your experience, it will be worth every penny.

http://www.felbridgehotel.co.uk/anise-restaurant.html

Tenderstem® broccoli, pea and mint soup

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

You’ll need:
1 tbsp British rapeseed oil
25g butter
1 medium white British onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove peeled and finely chopped
400ml chicken stock
400g shelled peas or British frozen peas if not in season
100g British Tenderstem® broccoli florets
Salt and cracked black pepper
Small bunch of mint shredded

What to do:
Melt the oil and the butter, add the onion and garlic and cook over a gentle heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, add the peas and Tenderstem® and cook until they are soft (about 5 minutes).
Remove half of the soup and blend in a food processor then add back into the rest of the soup.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir in mint and serve.

www.tenderstem.co.uk

We all know what it’s like when it comes to tea time with toddlers – it can be hard enough getting them to sit still at the table let alone anything else! Between the ages of one and three years it can be difficult to get them to eat the right foods particularly as some toddlers can become fussy eaters.

Help is here with Celebrity Chef and mother Lesley Waters, along with SMA nutritionist Anne Sidnell who have designed 6 easy meals to satisfy your tot’s taste buds, and give them a good dose of the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.

In the fourth webisode in the series, Lesley makes a modern twist on this classic to the delight of her toddler panel.

Lesley’s tip: This recipe is great because it’s high in calcium, and contains vitamin C from the tomatoes. Clever twists like this on classic recipes mean goodness can be added to your toddler’s food without them even noticing.

Log on to www.smanutrition.co.uk where you can find more recipe suggestions with Lesley Waters in her Toddler Tastes webisodes.

* A 200 ml serving of new SMA Toddler Milk will provide up to 50% of a toddler’s daily requirement for key vitamins and minerals, including Iron, Omega 3 & 6, and Vitamin D.

Julia Pearson reviews…

The Viet Grill is located on Kingsland Road amongst a host of other Vietnamese restaurants. But despite stiff competition from their neighbours the Viet Grill still manages to be bustling every night. The décor is nice, the staff are great but as I found out the food is the real winner here!

We started off with the Mango salad and Beef Vinh both dishes recommended by the chef. The Mango salad served with Sun dried squid, mint, smashed nut, julienned mango and sweet chilli sauce was fab. This was the first time I had tried mango salad usually opting for Papaya but it won’t be the last!

The Beef Vinh a roll of five-spice charcoal-grilled beef fillet was cooked to perfection, the meat was tender and the spices really complimented the meaty flavours.

For mains I opted for Seabass Chien Gion, a personal favourite from my visits to Cay Tre, Viet Grill’s sister restaurant, Bong xao sup lo, egg fried rice and plain noodles with bean sprouts and onion. First up the Bong xao sup lo, pork with tiger prawns, shitake mushrooms, cauliflower, wood ear mushrooms and Thai celery, what a dish! For £9 you could literally feed a family of four on this, I had never come across a dish that listed tiger prawns as an additional ingredient and actually contained more than three. Great value and a big thumbs up!

The Seabass served with mango in fish sauce was tasty, a good piece of fish in a light, sweet sauce. As one of my favourite dishes it never fails to impress. The noodles and rice were good, both none greasy and massive portions that we struggled to finish. There is also a good wine menu which you don’t often get in Vietnamese restaurants.

I finished with a glass of Thanh Mai, fermented plum apricot wine, on the rocks, a Hanoi local drink. A little too strong for me but worth a try.

All in all a quality meal and great value. Definitely one of the best Vietnamese meals I have tasted!

Viet Grill, 58 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 8DP

http://www.vietnamesekitchen.co.uk

About Julia Pearson:

Julia Pearson has travelled the world tasting the best dishes from every continent. She is now living and eating in London and her mission is to find the best restaurants and share them with you, our readers! She knows just how frustrating it can be visiting a new town or trying a new restaurant when the food is not up to scratch and it is her personal goal to stop that happening to the public by giving honest, genuine reviews!

To request a review of your restaurant please submit your request here

In the following video wine expert Jilly Goolden shows you how to create the ultimate dining experience

Few things match the taste experience we receive at a restaurant. Top chefs seem to know just what flavours work together especially when matched with the perfect wine. But how many of us know how to truly compliment our own dishes with the right drop when we’re entertaining at home?

While it is fortunate there is such a wonderful array of wines to choose from when we head down to our local supermarket, it’s often too easy to head for the usual favourite rather than experimenting with something new. So how can you get out of a midweek rut and bring restaurant quality into your own dining room?

Well the UK’s leading wine expert Jilly Goolden is on hand to offer some much needed advice on the art of matching the right bottle with our favourite dishes.

Jilly firmly believes that pairing wine with delicious flavours can make or break a meal and she’s teamed up with Dr.Oetker’s Ristorante to create the ultimate guide to wine and pizza.

In the following video Jilly gives us a mouth-watering demonstration on how to match things perfectly. Bon appetite!

How big-name chefs– including LA’s Quinn Hatfield — are shrinking their customers’ carnivore quota

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,105873873001_2000971,00.html#ixzz0wsv1tcPT

In the following video nutritionist Fiona Hunter offers her tips for easy, nutritious meals that are set to become family favourites

Striking a balance between work and home life can be tricky. In fact in a busy modern world, it’s hard to stick to a routine meaning important things such as meals can often be neglected. And now new research commissioned by the Flour Advisory Board has revealed the extent of this with 46% of adults skipping meals because of a lack of time or by putting others needs first.

It is essential to make sure you maintain a healthy balanced diet, as it gives you the energy to get through the day. A nutritious breakfast and lunch will keep you going and make sure you have enough energy to accomplish all your tasks.

But how can you avoid the same boring cheese sandwich without taking up even more of your precious time?

Well there are many delicious recipes you can make with bread and the nation’s favourite staple is naturally low in sugar and salt, enriched with calcium and is a good source of protein and fibre. There are also 2000 varieties; not just sliced white!

So now is the time to give it the filling it deserves, liven up the lunchbox and make sure both you and your children have something to look forward to.

In the following video, nutritionist Fiona Hunter, shows you how to create some healthy and exciting recipes for breakfast and lunch. And if after becoming a hit with your kids, there is any bread left over then why not make some delicious evening meals with the leftovers?

Reviewed by Julia Pearson

Bombay style café located in Covent Garden

From the minute I walked into Dishoom I liked it. I liked the booths and chairs, the photographs of the owners’ families lining the walls, my god they have big families, the dark wood décor, open kitchen and the incense burning in the toilets. Yes I liked it all and I hadn’t even ordered any food yet. Dishoom is a Bombay style café located in Covent Garden, it is the latest addition to a row of restaurants and counts Jamie Oliver’s Italian as its neighbour.

Given its location Dishoom could be expensive but it is refreshingly cheap and that’s one reason why it will always have a steady trade. The other, the most important to you and me is the food. The menu is styled on traditional Bombay cafés and all of the food is served together rather than in separate courses. The menu has a good selection without being over expansive. We started off with some signature cocktails the Chaijito and Bollybellini, both costing under £6. To eat we ordered the House Crisps, Cottage Cheese Ruby Murray, Masala Prawns, Rice, Roti, Vegetable Samosas, Salad and Fish Fingers. It sounded like way too much food for two people but the waiter was actually surprised we weren’t ordering more. The food arrived extremely fast and the dishes seemed to never end.

Everything was homemade, even the crisps. The Masala Prawns were the clear winners, thick, juicy and spiced to perfection. The Desi Fish Fingers were a nice surprise, flaked fresh fish in a spiced batter, something I would definitely order again. For desert we opted for the seasonal fruit crumble which was pineapple served with Chai ice cream. The crumble was sweet without being over powering and the chai ice cream was a great touch. We ended the meal with a House Chai and Chai Chocolate. The Chai is made from scratch and brewed for at least forty minutes. The whole meal was pleasant, tasty and fresh. At only £49 everything including two cocktails, it really is great value for money. Next time I will try the breakfast menu, I have heard the Sausage and Bacon Naans are worth the trip alone.

Dishoom, 12 Upper St Martins Lane, London, WC2H 9FB??

www.dishoom.com

About Julia Pearson:

Julia Pearson has travelled the world tasting the best dishes from every continent. She is now living and eating in London and her mission is to find the best restaurants and share them with you, our readers! She knows just how frustrating it can be visiting a new town or trying a new restaurant when the food is not up to scratch and it is her personal goal to stop that happening to the public by giving honest, genuine reviews!

To request a review of your restaurant please submit your request here

Louise Elgin Reviews….

Zebrano Greek Street
18 Greek Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7287 5267

Everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment and by jeepers are we all bored of having to watch our expenditure. So you may be pleased to know there is a venue in central London which is addressing this issue head on. For the rest of the summer at Zebrano’s in Greek Street there is a special offer which is worth checking out. Every Wednesday evening they are offering an ‘Invitation to Treat’ menu. This enables the diner to only pay for what they think the food was worth. If you really have the brass neck you could leave just a few coppers, although the helpful waitress informed us that to date no-one had the gall to do just that. We consumed a whole plethora of Tapas-style dishes which included crunchy fish goujons with tartare sauce, spicy Chorizo sausage, crispy calamari and a wonderfully fresh and crunchy salad to name but a few. This was washed down with a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc that ticked all the right boxes and came in at well under £20 a bottle.

The venue itself is a real hotchpotch of styles, from huge glitter balls on the ceiling to pornographic art on the downstairs walls. This is a place not just to eat but very much to ‘hang out’. Music is played loud but that suits the young and vibrant atmosphere. Upstairs there is a very different feel to the elegant drawing-room ambience of the VIP section. If boogieing the night away is your scene there is dancing every night with a DJ on Friday and Saturdays when apparently the place is heaving. Here they operate an over 21’s policy and this may be changing to an over 25’s so advisable to take your ID. Open till 3am with a very generous Happy Hour on selected cocktails and drinks so what are you waiting for?

Louise Elgin. August 2010.

Happy Hour – Monday – Saturday 5-7pm.
Monday – Friday 5-8pm.