Jüdisches Museum, Berlin, Germany

Date of visit: Thursday 6th August, 2009

Refreshments consumed: 1 glass of Coca Cola, turkey salad sandwich, turkey club pitta, danish pastry, blueberry muffin.

Price: €12.50

Reason for visit: Showing a friend around the sights of Berlin.

Comments: This is a strange one. So far, the worst food I have tasted, yet possibly the most beautiful location. The cafe is huge, bright, with impressive views over the large museum gardens. It is unfortunate then that the food really does not match up to the surroundings. Anyone who has been to Germany will know that they make excellent sandwiches, and take bread very seriously. Any basic bakery in any town will carry a huge selection of loaves, bread rolls and freshly made sandwiches, typically costing little more than €2. It was depressing then, to be presented here with sandwiches that looks like they had come from a child’s lunchbox. Sliced white bread, wrapped in clingfim and served on paper trays. The pastries were stale, and €2.50 for a small (250ml) glass of Coke really is taking the, err…cola.

The Jüdisches Museum do have a proper restaurant though, which admittedly did look quite nice. Perhaps next time I am in Berlin I’ll try there instead.

Score: 1.5/5

The Castlefield Gallery 25th Birthday Party

Okay, this isn’t a review as such, but I just had to write at least a couple of scribbles about this. Sunday evening was the birthday party for one of Manchester’s most overlooked art spaces. Situated just down the road from Deansgate and 5 minutes from Castlefield Basin, it has a prime location yet is still somewhat hidden away. The main attraction of the party was the cake competition (see the reference now?), judged by Manchester diva Coco La Verne. I thought the Madchester cake should’ve won, but it came second (the cake that looked like a credit card cutting up lines of coke was also pretty funny).

The guest speaker was a rather bemused looking Peter Saville, who didn’t really seem to know why he was there or what he was supposed to say. Indeed, he said “I seem to be a kind of alternative mayor for Manchester and get dragged out to these things.” Well, Anthony H’s shoes were mighty big and I suppose he has the next biggest feet… Still, it was nice to hear Saville speak, and strangely its the second time I bumped into him in the space of a week (almost the third, but I sadly couldn’t attend the Best of Manchester awards due to shooting a gig at the Academy). I’m not a weird stalker, honest guv.

There was also a free bar, which seemed to go down well. I was driving so only took advantage of the VitaminWater and Mr. Scruff’s tea.

DJ’s and a rather bizarre experimental/video act entertained throughout the evening. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and credit goes to the gallery staff who obviously put in a lot of effort to organise the event. Let’s hope the profile of the gallery gets a well earned boost as a result.

Click on the photos to see more. I took quite a few.

The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester

Date of visit: Thursday 23rd July, 2009

Refreshments consumed: 1 Cappuccino, Victorian Lemonade, Cranberry & Orange juice, pot of tea, Goosnargh chicken liver pâté with red onion marmalade and sourdough toast, Wrap of roast new season vegetables with baba ghanoush and feta cheese.

Price: £17

Reason for visit: To visit the restaurant.

Comments: The Whitworth Art Gallery Cafe has a brilliant reputation, the only museum based eatery we have found to be featured in the extremely well respected Good Food Guide 2009. Today, we were hungry. Very hungry. Sadly the dish I was eager to try (Bruschetta of new season beetroot & Leagram organic mature Lancashire cheese) was off, due to lack of cheese, so I went for the pâté instead. I was not disappointed. As you can see from the photos, the food was extremely well presented, and tasted even better. My pâté was creamy, yet still with a slight bite, perfectly seasoned yet retaining an aromatic sweetness that was just right. The real joy came in the red onion marmalade though. The perfect compliment to the pâté, it was sweet, still retained a bite and really lifted the dish to a new dimension.

The sourdough toast was crispy, flavoursome and without any soggyness, which pâté dishes all too often suffer from. My only complaint (and this is a very minor one), is that the toast was buttered, and a little too heavily for my personal taste. I would have preferred the option to apply my own butter.

My partner seemed to instantly fall in love with her vegetable wrap, claiming it was “packed with flavours” (okay, we do watch a lot of Masterchef…). The side salad was particularly pleasant, with fresh peas, chickpeas and a dressing that had a whisper of mint in the background. Very cheeky.

All the food prepared at the Whitworth is sourced locally and is organic (where available). Everything is brought in fresh daily and prepared in a delightful open kitchen, and it shows. The dining style is relaxed, bright and rustic, with the menus handwritten on a large chalkboard. What I find particularly nice is the ordering procedure. You have to bascially walk right up to the kitchen counter and watch the chef prepare your lunch. Not many eateries are that brave. It works very well. They really let the food speak for itself.

The Whitworth Art Gallery cafe is operated by The Modern Caterer, aka Peter Booth. An accomplished chef and charming Liverpudlian who has previously worked at prestigious restaurants such as Obsidian, amongst others. He is also chef-proprietor at Gabriel’s Kitchen, another hidden gem in Manchester’s all to often overlooked southern corridor (and has been nominated as Best Newcomer at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival).

Score: 4.5/5

The Manchester City Art Gallery

Date of visit: Sunday 10th July, 2009

Refreshments consumed: 2 Cappuccinos, slice of chocolate cake

Price: £7.50

Reason for visit: General snoop around.

Comments: The Manchester City Art gallery cafe is housed in spacious, contemporary and fresh surroundings in the heart of Manchester’s financial district. They offer a wide range of home made sandwiches, cakes and (at lunchtimes only) hot food, in addition to the usual teas, coffees, cold drinks and snacks. We were too late to sample the hot food on this occasion, so settled for coffee and cake.

Firstly, the cake. While tasty, it was quite dry. My companion thought the icing was “too buttery”. I’m not a big cake expert (I was born without a sweet tooth, it seems) so I think I’ll just have to take her word for it.

Coffee, on the other hand, is something that I do know a lot about. Sadly, the coffee here suffered from the same illness that blights many a cafe. Namely, under-training of the barista. under extracted watery espresso (TAMP, damn it!), terrible microfoam (If I wanted to see bubbles I’d have a bath, thanks..), and far too large a serving size (hence the need for a double shot). While I find this unacceptable, the vast majority of people (including those serving such monstrosities) are not aware of how espresso, and espress0 based drinks should be served. I blame the American chains that are scattered across the high street. Low quality, big serving sizes, diluted pish.

Manchester is crying out for decent espresso. I find it depressing.

Having said that, the cafe doesn’t profess to be an espresso bar, so I’ll try to be understanding. The staff were polite, the place was clean and it was an overall pleasant experience, if a little overpriced.

Score: 3/5

Côté Jardin, Parc Phoenix, Nice, France

Another entry from our super sleuth in France…

Date of visit: Saturday 4th July 2009
Refreshments consumed: 1 Cappuccino (Our French spy loves cappuccinos)
Price: € 2.50
Reason for visit: Time to kill at the airport, get some fresh air, see some animals, visit the beautiful Asian art gallery next door.
Comments: With its green plastic furniture and the bright yellow menu board, this outdoor café, housed in a giant gazebo, bears the charm of a 1970s seaside snack bar that serves soft drinks, ice cream and heavenly greasy chips (nom. -ed). This impression fits in well with the slightly weird concept of “Parc Phoenix”, which is an interesting mix of botanical garden, mini zoo, kid’s playground and theme park. The cappuccino I ordered from the friendly barman was quite weak and, sadly, served in a small take out paper cup, which made for quite a depressing sight. Not even the generous amount of cocoa sprinkles can make up for the disappointment that is paper cups in a café.

The food is basic but absolutely affordable (€ 4 – € 7 for paninis, baguettes and crèpes) and looks quite appetizing, so much that I nearly regret not being hungry (and later regret not having eaten anyway, given the pitiful choice of overpriced food outlets at Nice airport and a delayed flight). Salads come with vinegar and olive oil in minimalist looking spray bottles, which adds a nice touch that happily clashes with the overall, let’s say, “timeless” feel of the café. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have a peacock visiting you while you’re sipping on your coffee.

I would certainly come back to the park, enjoy the grassy surroundings and fill up on food at the Côté Jardin next time I have a longer stay at Nice airport.
Score: 2.75/5 (an extra 0.25 points for the randomness that is putting a panda on the menu board.)

Musée Océanographique, Monaco, France

This review comes from our secret restaurant spy in France, the identity of which is guarded under lock and key…

Date of visit: Friday 3rd July 2009

Refreshments consumed: 1 Cappuccino

Price: € 3

Reason for visit: To watch the fish…

Comments: Knowing that the café at the aquarium in Monaco was located on the monumental building’s rooftop, I could not wait to pay a visit and enjoy the amazing views over the hilly town and the sea. But, oh!, how disappointing it was to find the café’s outdoor area surrounded by high walls, that would only allow the view of plastic chairs, fellow guests and the blue sky. The menu mainly comprises of set meals for up to € 30, which seems inappropriate for a museum café that attracts tourists hoping to get a fairly decent and simple lunch – which is probably why I only saw bowls of salad and bread baskets on the surrounding tables.

A few more smaller options would have been nice, along with a reasonably priced cake + coffee offer – € 7.50 for a small slice of apple pie and a coffee seems too pricey, even for Monaco. However, the cappuccino is nice and strong, and the busy waiters are surprisingly friendly (I overheard one giving directions in English to an American couple). I wouldn’t mind coming back for coffee, but the lack of food options (don’t even mention “vegetarian”) makes the rooftop café rather unattractive for anything beyond.

Score: 1.5/5

The Social, URBIS, Manchester

Date of visit: Monday 15th June, 2009

Refreshments consumed: 1 large pot of tea and chocolate & nut brownie

Price: £5.50

Reason for visit: Videogame Nation Exhibition

Comments: URBIS in Manchester is a contemporary, spacious and engaging institution that blurs the border between gallery, museum and multimedia production space. They have a prestigious restaurant on the top floor (The Modern) and on the ground floor a smaller bar can be found (The Social). With a wide range of hot and cold food, and a selection of beers, wines and spirits, The Social is the perfect place hang out day or night (they open late and extend their menu for special events. A particularly fond memory is being there at 4am for last year’s Refication: The Tony Wilson Experience).

Onto today’s visit, the tea was, again, huge. Maybe this is a Manchester thing. Too big for even my appetite. Served in a massive teapot with a large jug of fresh milk and sugar. Lovely. The brownie was soft, gooey and sickly sweet. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I’m sure that for those who do, this would be a proper treat.

As I have tried to picture, The Social also has a large daily specials menu, featuring a range of soups, sandwiches, pastas and other tasty sounding dishes. A dish from the menu to try out (I’ve had it before and it is a bit scrummy!) is the posh fish finger sandwich. Nom.

Score: 4/5

The Imperial War Museum North, Salford Quays

Date of visit: Sunday 7th June, 2009

Refreshments consumed: 2 pots of tea, scone with butter & jam, tomato, mozzarella & basil pesto mayo ciabatta

Price: £9.50

Reason for visit: Captured: The Extraordinary life of Prisoners of War exhibition.

Comments: The restaurant at the IWM is light, airy and clean, with good views over the Salford Quays waterway. What really impressed me though was the tea. Proper tea in a proper teapot. And it wasn’t just any teapot, oh no, the teapots were huge. Really huge. Real leaf tea was provided (none of that Tetley’s nonsense here, though it does have its place, I admit), as were lovely teacups and ample supplies of real milk and sugar (no UHT rubbish or Splenda). The serving size proved too large for my dining partner, but being the real Englishman that I am, not only did I finish my own but hers too.

Now on to the food; scones were nice and crumbly, yet still moist. The jam was homemade and of the strawberry variety (seriously, who needs anything but strawberry jam?), self served from a large glass jar (nice touch!). However, there was no clotted cream available, just pre-packaged butter portions, which was slightly disappointing.

The tomato and mozzarella ciabatta was moist, tasty, non-soggy and surprisingly good for an out-of-the-fridge job. The basil pesto mayo was particularly enjoyable.

I will most likely eat here again.

Score: 3.5/5