Have U ever eaten in a Michelin Star Restaurant? Experience?

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Francesca

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The question that has come to mind, is, have you ever eaten in a Michelin Star Restaurant ?

If yes, please describe your experience and tell us about it ..

If no, please tell us about where you would like to lunch or dine that merits The Michelin Ratings ..

I have eaten in many Michelin Star Restaurants, from one star to three stars ..

The world has so much to reveal gastronomically, and I am always driven by passions, in search of adventures, fleeing boredom, and my grand admiration for the arts, be it visual, fine, performing and of course the culinary arts ..

Local: Let me cut to the chase here .. The Michelin Restaurant, of extraordinarily amazing memories and incredibly spectacular gastronomy, sensational wines and top notch clientel services, is a yearly birthday celebration which we hold at The Three Michelin Star Restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, in Gerona, Cataluna, 1 hour north of Barcelona. My parents, in-laws, 2 twin sons and their wives, and my husband and I, have a grand admiration for the French trained Chef Joan Roca and we have come to know him quite well over the years .. Gracious, "humble" and simply an amazingly talented Architect, Author, Chef, Food Designer, Artist, and Agriculturist all in one .. A true delight.

France & Hong Kong: I would have to say Veteran French Cuisiner (Chef) Pierre Gagnaire. His cuisine, products and food design are simply incomparable. The most sublimely exquisite refined French techniques and a drizzle and sprinkle of Asian influences.

Italy: I am veered to say, Tri-lingual Heinz Beck of 3 Star La Pergola in Rome. His gastronomy is a celebration of regional Italian traditional with amazingly dazzling dynamic food design art of plating ..

The U.K. Brilliant Heston Blumenthal .. His dessert " candyland" was absolutely unforgettably phenomenal ..

France: Veteran French Cuisiner Alain Ducasse .. The un-imaginable exceptional on one´s plate ..

Have a wonderful summer ..
 
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Yes once [in England of course] - was I impressed ..... yes and no. Food and service first class - no question BUT it just felt a bit 'industrialised' somehow - it was a little cold. It lacked 'friendliness'. Very hard to put into words but was it an experience I would repeat [even if I had the money these days] TBH no. The trouble is it's not just about the food, it's not just about the service, it's something more and that something was lacking. Was this a 'one off' - perhaps, but at the prices they charge I won't be able to try again.
 
sidevalve said:
Yes once [in England of course] - was I impressed ..... yes and no. Food and service first class - no question BUT it just felt a bit 'industrialised' somehow - it was a little cold. It lacked 'friendliness'. Very hard to put into words but was it an experience I would repeat [even if I had the money these days] TBH no. The trouble is it's not just about the food, it's not just about the service, it's something more and that something was lacking. Was this a 'one off' - perhaps, but at the prices they charge I won't be able to try again.
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Which restaurant or chef was it?
 
I've eaten in only two Michelin starred restaurants, The Black Rat in Winchester and JSW in Petersfield. At JSW we had the tasting menu. I thought the food was excellent but hubby thought the portions were a bit small. My criticism was that the menu was a bit too meat oriented for me. The service was OK but I felt it was a bit impersonal. This is quite an expensive restaurant.
http://jswrestaurant.com/sub.php?id=72&parent=2

The Black Rat is much more special in my opinion. The menu is not as pricy and they grow there own vegetables and also used foraged ingredients. We intend to go there again.
http://www.theblackrat.co.uk/menu/
 
jennyb said:
Which restaurant or chef was it?
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I really can't remember TBH. It was a long time ago now [when I was single and had lots of spare cash]. It was I think a 2 star restaurant at the time. But [if the above is anything to go by] it seems that I was not the only one who has suffered this
I have to admit I like a good plate of food well cooked and good cheerful surroundings with good service - being served a spoonful of 'something' on a large plate surrounded by goop and told I must be in awe of it by slightly superior staff doesn't really work for me no matter how good it tastes [what there is of it].
 
jennyb said:
I've eaten in only two Michelin starred restaurants, The Black Rat in Winchester and JSW in Petersfield. At JSW we had the tasting menu. I thought the food was excellent but hubby thought the portions were a bit small. My criticism was that the menu was a bit too meat oriented for me. The service was OK but I felt it was a bit impersonal. This is quite an expensive restaurant.
http://jswrestaurant.com/sub.php?id=72&parent=2

The Black Rat is much more special in my opinion. The menu is not as pricy and they grow there own vegetables and also used foraged ingredients. We intend to go there again.
http://www.theblackrat.co.uk/menu/
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@jennyb

Thank you for your participation. If in the future, we would travel over to London for a few days, I have already made note in my notebook on The Black Rat !

The normal degustation has approx. 6 to 10 small courses, ending with dessert. So, considering that the dishes are smaller, the quality of the seasonal wild products and the amount of plates, one is completely transformed to being full by the end of the degustation .. Plus the wines and the bread .. So, it is a matter of learning how to enjoy and dine on a Michelin Taster´s Carte .. It is very different from a " normal great restaurant without Michelin status" ..

Have a lovely day ..
 
sidevalve said:
Yes once [in England of course] - was I impressed ..... yes and no. Food and service first class - no question BUT it just felt a bit 'industrialised' somehow - it was a little cold. It lacked 'friendliness'. Very hard to put into words but was it an experience I would repeat [even if I had the money these days] TBH no. The trouble is it's not just about the food, it's not just about the service, it's something more and that something was lacking. Was this a 'one off' - perhaps, but at the prices they charge I won't be able to try again.
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@sidevalve

Thank you for participating.

The staff are extraordinarily trained in both Restaurant Service, Customer Service, and table Protocol.

I understand your view point however, at the same time, this could take place in any restaurant Michelin or " wonderful non Michelin " ..

Perhaps, your preference is veered to the small neighborhood " wonderful non Michelin " and thus, feel more at home in such an environment .. Especially as a regular or frequent diner at a neighborhood venue .. It can be quite different ..

Have a lovely summer ..
 
We tried to have a meal in what later became a Michelin starred restaurant in the Lake District. Half hour after we ordered, the waitress came over to tell us the food we ordered was "off". We ordered an alternative. The soup it came and was nearly cold. After another half an hour or so, there was no sign of the main course, so we walked out.

On the way home from our holiday in the Lake District, we made a small detour and went into a three star (doubt it was Michelin) establishment near Hatfield Peverel in Essex. The furnishings were rather bleak, but the service and the food was lovely. It was cheap too. It was a transport café just off the main road. We did go back there more than once. It was advertised as the first three-star transport café in England.
 
@ Elawin,

A Three Star Transport Café: Interesting category ..

Have a wonderful summer ..
 
Francesca said:
The staff are extraordinarily trained in both Restaurant Service, Customer Service, and table Protocol.
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And that could be the problem - you missed out one word - friendliness. Efficiency and speed alone do not make for a pleasurable evening and surely that is what eating at a restaurant is all about. As for having 6-10 small courses that too is a bit of a 'production line' system. Also IMHO a bit of a 'cop out' - ie if you don't like one course [or it's not quite 'right' - everybody can make mistakes] then the others will make up for it. It reminds me too much of a 'running buffet' type approach. Seasonal produce is available from many restaurants so they don't really have a monopoly on that either
Wine is wine - the restaurant simply buys it in - you can have the same wine in any restaurant [or at home] so that is irrelevant.
I'm sorry if this sounds like a condemnation but I must admit I do find that [having spoken to friends who have been to more such places than me] some of the 'starred' restaurants do seem to have lost their way a little. Always worth a try though.
 
@sidevalve,

We all have different cultures, needs, tastes, visions, different likes and dislikes ..

Have a nice summer and Thank you for your commentary of your experiences and thoughts on the topic ..
 
sidevalve said:
And that could be the problem - you missed out one word - friendliness. Efficiency and speed alone do not make for a pleasurable evening and surely that is what eating at a restaurant is all about. As for having 6-10 small courses that too is a bit of a 'production line' system. Also IMHO a bit of a 'cop out' - ie if you don't like one course [or it's not quite 'right' - everybody can make mistakes] then the others will make up for it. It reminds me too much of a 'running buffet' type approach. Seasonal produce is available from many restaurants so they don't really have a monopoly on that either
Wine is wine - the restaurant simply buys it in - you can have the same wine in any restaurant [or at home] so that is irrelevant.
I'm sorry if this sounds like a condemnation but I must admit I do find that [having spoken to friends who have been to more such places than me] some of the 'starred' restaurants do seem to have lost their way a little. Always worth a try though.
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I agree about the friendliness which is why The Black Rat wins my vote. I reckon that things are changing a little in the UK at least and there are now Michelin starred restaurants with a more relaxed approach. Tom Kerridge has a pub the Hand of Flowers which is the first Pub to have 2 Michelin stars. You might have seen one of his shows on TV. I have not eaten there but I have a niece who has and sings its praises. Here is photo I found which shows how informal it is. http://thehandandflowers.co.uk/menu/

Hand-and-Flowers-1.jpg
 
@jennyb

Thank you for your recommendations.

As I stated above, " if in the future, we would travel over to London for a few days, I have already made note in my notebook on The Black Rat " ..

I am aware that Pubs in the U.K. have received Michelin Stars ..

I had read about this.

Have a lovely summer ..
Goodnight .. 12am ..
 
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sidevalve said:
And that could be the problem - you missed out one word - friendliness. Efficiency and speed alone do not make for a pleasurable evening and surely that is what eating at a restaurant is all about.
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As soon as I read your first post, I knew exactly what you were talking about. The chefs at some places are excellent technicians: what they create are works of art, but they don't have a soul. They're missing the love and the joy that should be a part of food.

Unfortunately, the closest Michelin Stared restaurant to me is in Chicago, and I haven't had the inclination to drive the 4+ hours to eat at one. I've eaten at James Beard Award-winning restaurants several times; the James Beard Award is arguably the most prestigious award for American restaurants. Those experiences were uniformly excellent.
 
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