A weekend in Bray
Discussion
Thought people might be interested in our weekend away, so here's a short review:
We arrived in Bray late Friday afternoon. We've been before, but stayed a few miles away but this time we headed straight to the Waterside and weren't sure exactly what to expect as it bills itself as a restaurant with rooms rather than a hotel.
On booking, the only room available was their top Mallard suite which their descriptions and website really don't prepare you for - it is STUNNING! Riverside decking area, upstairs bedroom that overlooks the Thames and a very high quality finish. Anywhere else and you'd pay 2 or 3 times as much and probably not get anywhere as spacious. We mentioned the 'underselling' to Alain Roux but he was happy with it, saying that he would prefer it like that so that people arrive and find it exceeds their expectations.
Friday night saw us wandering along for the full Fat Duck experience. We've been before so it didn't have the complete WOW factor you get first time you have some dishes but liquid nitrogen poached aperitifs were as crazy as ever and the 'Hot and Iced tea' at the same time from the same cup is so strange your mind really can't cope with processing the temperature difference!
Saturday started with a wonderful breakfast, delivered to our room and setup on the dining table (if it was a little warmer we would have eaten outside on the decking) with exotic fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and pain au chocolate and a great selection of cheeses.
We then had a rather unsuccessful day at Ascot and whilst the food was pretty good, comparison really isn't appropriate and would be a little unfair on the excellent staff that served it. A winner in the last race at least finished the day on a good note.
Having eaten all day, we didn't go out in the evening, just made our way through the homemade biscuits and chocolates the Waterside had provided.
After a lazy breakfast on Sunday (the best kind and all too rare these days as by 10am I am often stood in a muddy field for my son's football) we headed to Windsor which has really gone downhill - very few of the independent and different shops it used to have - now it could be any other high street, though we did find a couple of excellent art shops across the river in Eton.
When we got back from Windsor, we went for a tour round the Waterside's kitchens to see how they prepare their ingredients from delivery to table - everyone is very friendly and it was really interesting to see how a top class professional kitchen works. At pretty much every station, there is a plaque which says "Taste - Season -Taste again"
A superb meal followed, one of the best tasting menus I think we have had as it included pretty much a full-house of my favourite dishes all of which were actually much more than 'a taste'. Truffle, Fois Gras (my wife often finds this too rich, but it was superb), wonderfully succulent lobster, a whole Challandais duck which is carved brilliantly at the table (the reason for which, Monsieur Roux commented afterwards was that the front of house staff do it so much better than them)
After all that we had a perfect souffle and to finish cognac from the extensive trolley and some more homemade chocolates.
Yet more fresh pastries and breads with smoked salmon for breakfast on Monday finished of a great weekend, very relaxing with wonderful food.
Having been to both places before, I think the Fat Duck remains an amazing place to go but I can't see you would want to go too often. I would quite happily go back to the Waterside tomorrow and stay for a week
We arrived in Bray late Friday afternoon. We've been before, but stayed a few miles away but this time we headed straight to the Waterside and weren't sure exactly what to expect as it bills itself as a restaurant with rooms rather than a hotel.
On booking, the only room available was their top Mallard suite which their descriptions and website really don't prepare you for - it is STUNNING! Riverside decking area, upstairs bedroom that overlooks the Thames and a very high quality finish. Anywhere else and you'd pay 2 or 3 times as much and probably not get anywhere as spacious. We mentioned the 'underselling' to Alain Roux but he was happy with it, saying that he would prefer it like that so that people arrive and find it exceeds their expectations.
Friday night saw us wandering along for the full Fat Duck experience. We've been before so it didn't have the complete WOW factor you get first time you have some dishes but liquid nitrogen poached aperitifs were as crazy as ever and the 'Hot and Iced tea' at the same time from the same cup is so strange your mind really can't cope with processing the temperature difference!
Saturday started with a wonderful breakfast, delivered to our room and setup on the dining table (if it was a little warmer we would have eaten outside on the decking) with exotic fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and pain au chocolate and a great selection of cheeses.
We then had a rather unsuccessful day at Ascot and whilst the food was pretty good, comparison really isn't appropriate and would be a little unfair on the excellent staff that served it. A winner in the last race at least finished the day on a good note.
Having eaten all day, we didn't go out in the evening, just made our way through the homemade biscuits and chocolates the Waterside had provided.
After a lazy breakfast on Sunday (the best kind and all too rare these days as by 10am I am often stood in a muddy field for my son's football) we headed to Windsor which has really gone downhill - very few of the independent and different shops it used to have - now it could be any other high street, though we did find a couple of excellent art shops across the river in Eton.
When we got back from Windsor, we went for a tour round the Waterside's kitchens to see how they prepare their ingredients from delivery to table - everyone is very friendly and it was really interesting to see how a top class professional kitchen works. At pretty much every station, there is a plaque which says "Taste - Season -Taste again"
A superb meal followed, one of the best tasting menus I think we have had as it included pretty much a full-house of my favourite dishes all of which were actually much more than 'a taste'. Truffle, Fois Gras (my wife often finds this too rich, but it was superb), wonderfully succulent lobster, a whole Challandais duck which is carved brilliantly at the table (the reason for which, Monsieur Roux commented afterwards was that the front of house staff do it so much better than them)
After all that we had a perfect souffle and to finish cognac from the extensive trolley and some more homemade chocolates.
Yet more fresh pastries and breads with smoked salmon for breakfast on Monday finished of a great weekend, very relaxing with wonderful food.
Having been to both places before, I think the Fat Duck remains an amazing place to go but I can't see you would want to go too often. I would quite happily go back to the Waterside tomorrow and stay for a week
I've not stayed, but I think your summary is the same as mine. Both are brilliant but the Fat Duck is theatre, wonderful experience and very very clever but the Waterside is better as an eating experience. I'd go to the Waterside every week, I'd go to the Fat Duck every few years.
Still, I'm at Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road tonight (v. excited) so I then only need Alain Ducasse for a full house of UK 3*
Still, I'm at Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road tonight (v. excited) so I then only need Alain Ducasse for a full house of UK 3*
Hospital Road is excellent, really good food with excellent service.
Ducasse at the Dorchester is a little odd in that it is a larger dining room set in a big hotel, it promises theatre (with all the hype and the decor) but didn't quite deliver (at least not in comparison with the way he does at Louis XV in Hotel de Paris).
However, I must admit that neither of them left me with a lasting memory of what we had eaten and a desire to go back as soon as possible. Maybe its the fact that we tend to go for hotels so the overall experience of staying is part of it but we're more likely to return to The Waterside, Le Manoir or Gidleigh Park (and Louix XV)
Ducasse at the Dorchester is a little odd in that it is a larger dining room set in a big hotel, it promises theatre (with all the hype and the decor) but didn't quite deliver (at least not in comparison with the way he does at Louis XV in Hotel de Paris).
However, I must admit that neither of them left me with a lasting memory of what we had eaten and a desire to go back as soon as possible. Maybe its the fact that we tend to go for hotels so the overall experience of staying is part of it but we're more likely to return to The Waterside, Le Manoir or Gidleigh Park (and Louix XV)
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