Articles by Daphne Colthard
This was my third visit to Noble Rot, this time a celebration with an old friend as our respective birthdays are a month part and last Friday was a midway point. This friend alerted me to Noble Rot whose venue at 2 Greek Street I visited many times in its previous incarnation as the Gay Hussar. [...]
A la Colthard/the Boutique Hotel
If there has been one development in the hotel industry that has irritated me it’s been the rise of the boutique hotel. As often as not these are designed in a small space but disguise the size with a modern makeover and a few gimmicks. Last weekend I had to attend a 65th birthday celebration [...]
A la Colthard /The Royal Crescent and Bath experience.
After my third visit the Royal Crescent remains one of mt favourite hotels in the world. It’s immediate location in the Crescent itself is a great plus but the welcome, service, room and garden all add to the enjoyment. My only criticisms would be the muzak in the dining room and its [...]
A la Colthard/Gravetye Manor
This was my second visit to Gravetye Manor, a former baronial-style hall near East Grinstead, with exquisite gardens that was converted into a hotel in 2005. It’s more of a summer place to enjoy the formal walled garden and the expansive grounds by a lake. The dining room is set in a conservatory [...]
A la Colthard/Noble Rot and Regency Brighton
I returned to Noble Rot in the week for lunch. It’s located in Greek St Soho – a quarter much changed in the last 20 years. Noble Rot had a reasonably-priced fixed price menu but, as I wanted the roasted chicken with morels au sauce jaune, I went a la carte. I invited an old and elegant [...]
A la Colthard/The Ivy, Burnt Orange & Garrick Club
This time of year I develop mal de foie as I’ve had 3 consecutive long lunches. On Sunday we – my two companions being a French friend and her friend – were greeted at the Ivy In the Lanes Brighton by a woman who looking into her iPad could find no trace of our reservation. She [...]
A la Colthard /Lorne & the Glasshouse
On Friday I made my second visit to Lorne and was impressed. It’s located in Wilton Street, not far from Victoria Station, and its owners learned their trade at the River Cafe, a breeding ground for chefs and restauranteurs. My host and I ordered the same: a warm winter salad of parsnips and [...]
A la Colthard/The Ivy in The Lanes
I am getting more and more concerned by service and organisation of local restaurants which I have patronised. At the Ivy in the Lanes yesterday evening the greeting was poor, my friend’s steak, ordered as medium rare, was virtually raw. We had difficulty in attracting a waiter/waitress, the [...]
A la Colthard/Noble Rot
I have only heard good things of Noble Rot. It was once the site of The Gay Hussar in Greek Street where the hand of many a Labour MP, well-fuelled on Bulls Blood, wandered to my thigh!!! The cuisine was Hungarian and it was a well-known restaurant in the Soho scene particularly favoured by the [...]
A la Colthard: post lockdown problems
On my assessment and experience restaurants are in a tricky situation now. They want to make up for revenue lost in the lockdown but are hit by staff absenteeism and supply of food. At my beloved English’s yesterday we all commented that the oysters seemed frozen and the batter on the fish and [...]