The Pryordurkins

Posts Tagged ‘hotel’

It was spring-like and after a short stroll through the grounds of RHS Harlow Carr we headed off into Harrogate to explore and find a little bistro for lunch. We eventually came across Van Zeller Restaurant on Montpellier Street, a little restaurant that we liked the look of, even though we could not clearly read the menu since the window was steamed up. As it turned out, this place had only officially been open since Fri 13th Feb 09. The owner and chef is Tom van Zeller and according to the advertising is the only chef in Harrogate to have been awarded 2AA rosettes, whilst head chef at the Hotel du Vin, Harrogate. With backing from David Moore (one of the inspectors from BBC2’s The Restaurant) Van Zeller’s is aiming to be the premier dining destination in and around Harrogate.

It had just gone 2.15pm  but the chef was still prepared to accept two more covers. The restaurant is on the small side, which makes listening to fellow diners extremely easy, but was smart and stylish. One table was screened off from the till, and when the couple seated at this table were being served one person was served and then the waiter would run around the screen and the till and then serve the other half of the table. They did make the comment that they felt hemmed in. This place is certainly bijou. We were readily seated, our coats taken, and were glad to note the linen napkins. Two menu options were available, the ‘Du Jour’ which consisted of two courses and a free glass of wine, for the bargain price of £14.95, and the A La Carte menu. We both opted for the A La Carte menu. Michael opted for the game terrine and then the lamb confit with leeks and potatoes, I opted for the salmon balotine to be followed by the lamb too.A little sliver of butter (that was sitting in a little puddle of water) was put on the table but we were half way through the starters before we eventually managed to ask whether we could have some bread to go with the butter. Additionally,  whilst we were told about the free wine, the front of house weren’t so keen in promoting the drinks that we had to pay for and we had to ask for a drinks menu. The drinks menus were given to Michael to browse and one menu promptly dropped one of the fastenings into his terrine. Instead of replacing the starter (or at least removing the fastening in the kitchen) Michael was asked to pick the fastening out of the terrine and hand it over! Michael chose a glass of Shiraz that he said was very nice but looking at the bill when we got home we were charged for 2 Erdinger beers instead (another loss in profit). Michael thought the terrine was ok but had tasted better recently, and the centre of my salmon balotine had ice crystals in it. Not the best of starts. The mains were acceptable but not overly outstanding. Being a cheesecake aficionado, Michael ordered the rhubarb and lime cheesecake but said the two flavours clashed, I opted for the apple tarte tatin but the caramel had been burnt and left a bitter aftertaste. Two double espressos were ordered but they did not come with any cantucci or the like and I could still taste the burnt caramel even after the coffee but I could not find any mint imperials.

Whilst Van Zeller’s is hoping to become the premier dining destination in and around Harrogate,  the front of house need to pull their socks up, they weren’t even half full, and more attention needs to be paid to the food being served ie not to send out frozen or burnt food. Whilst we wish a new business to succeed we don’t feel that Van Zeller’s has yet achieved the standards that they are clearly hoping to attain. The chef Tom Van Zeller did apologise for the frozen salmon though.

Pryordurkin rating: 3 stars.  (We will go back though to see if our experience was just early opening snags)

Telephone 01423 508762

Tuesday gone had me dining with a colleague at the Royal Tandoori Restaurant, part of the Royal County Hotel on Duke Street in Reading.  From the outside window looking in, it didn’t particularly appeal; what with the plastic table covers and paper napkins, but at around 8pm with the snow falling at the treacherous street underneath, anything would have done.

We were shown to a window table and after a little wait were offered up drinks and popadoms while we looked through the menu.  After a little while our order was taken and I went for the Onion Bhaji starter with a Chicken Dhansak main.   The food itself was good, although the quantity was a little on the mean side.  Accompanied by a Cobra beer it was a welcoming warming meal.

The restaurant itself also serves as the breakfast room for the hotel, which explained its sheer size.  Not a great place for a romantic meal I guess, but one that probably undertakes several functions.  The service was efficient and friendly and all in all, we were happy with the meal just completed.

The total bill came to just over £41 for two people including drinks which was reasonable value indeed for the meal just had.

Pryordurkin rating. 3 stars.

This week had me staying a couple of nights at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Reading.  Sitting on the River Thames, it was easy to reach by car as I came into town from the general direction of Oxford.

I immediately thought this hotel was going to be nice as I pulled up.  Not only did I find a car parking space right in front of the hotel; it looked modern stylish and well kept as I headed into the reception area.  I was immediately greeted by a friendly chap who had all the paperwork prepared and having simply applied one signature I was on my way to the room.  The lift door was a little slow in closing, I thought the floor button wasn’t working but apart from that it was smooth and importantly clean.  Entering my room, I was again very happy.  It was large, had a view of the river and included a seating area along with a desk and reclining chair to work at with full internet connectivity available.  The bathroom although small was well appointed and sparkling clean.  The complimentary toiletries were of reasonable quality and the towels soft and fluffy.  Even the loo roll was more your Andrex, than your Aldi variety, which is a nice touch.. literally!

Anyway after I’d unpacked my case and hung the suit up I decided to try the Spa.  The pool as you can see was very good indeed. Not your usual mis-shaped hotel pool, but properly square and 17 metres long, which allowed for a decent stroke.  The Spa also included a very nice gym with a good range of equipment, although I only saw it through the window as I relaxed in the Whirlpool.  Heading out, I passed a steam room, sauna and a number of treatment rooms.  With nice chill out music playing in the background I could easily have forgot I was in Reading and might have imagined I was back in Cyprus.

With all this exercise behind me I decided to order up room service.  Again I was delighted.  The quality of the food really surprised me.  None of the usual thrown together affair usual to hotels, but a well cooked meal.  My rib-eye steak was cooked medium rare as requested and came with chunky chips cooked in Goose fat.  (Note to Paul) They were cooked so well, they were not greasy at all.  Nice, light and very tasty.  A lovely meal all in all.

A good nights sleep lay ahead after I turned the air conditioning down to 18 degrees and waking up the next day I felt refreshed and ready to face the world.  Before that breakfast in the restaurant lay ahead.  A good breakfast was available with healthy choices all round.  I went for cereal with added sunflower seeds which were to the side with other nuts and optional extras (a nice touch).  I skipped the fry up, more out of will power than anything else, because it looked great.  The coffee brought to my table was  also very good.  Smooth, full flavoured and freshly made.

The rest of my stay continued in the same veign.  The service was excellent and because this is not one of the biggest Crowne Plaza hotels you come across it always had a nice local warm welcoming feel about it.  I look forward to going back next week.

Pryordurkin rating.  5 stars.

Hotel Reservations: 0871 423 4896

Hotel Front Desk: 44-1189-259988

Having complete dinner at a nearby restaurant last night, with a colleague I went to the Island Bar and Restaurant on Pipers Island near Caversham Bridge in Reading.  The place was near empty except for a couple and the bar man.  The place has clearly been renovated and is actually very stylish.  It has both indoor seating and outdoor decking where during warmer weather I could imagine many people enjoying themselves.  The music playing in the background was very mediteranean in style and this only added to the sophisticated nature of the place.   We ordered up a couple of Remy Martin Brandies and I was very pleased when the said bar man offered to warm our glasses and bring our drinks over to where by this point we had taken a seat.  With fantastic views of the river and only a short stroll from my hotel room at the Crowne Plaza a pleasant wind down from a reasonably busy day was underway.

I would certainly go back here and look forward to the warmer weather if I am in Reading again.

Pryordurkin rating. 4 stars.

Telephone +44 (0) 1189 479530

Described on their website as offering fine dining, I found myself at the Riverside Restaurant on Caversham Road in Reading this evening having dinner with a colleague.  It was ideally located for me as the restaurant is just along the river from the Crowne Plaza hotel where I am staying at the moment.

We arrived at around 8.30 and were quickly seated at a table with paper napkins with instructions to order up quickly as they were closing the kitchen.  The bar man / waiter was friendly enough.  A Polish guy with a nice smile and a sparkle in his eye.  I went for the Pea Green Soup (£3.50) starter and Sea Bass (£9.95) Main.  My colleague went for the Portabello Mushroom (£4.25) starter and also had the Sea Bass main.

My ‘mushroom’ soup was warm (not hot) but quite tasty.  Served up with croutons and creme fraiche it was fine.  I was too tired to enquire about the Pea Green Soup I ordered and as I said the waiter had a nice smile.  My main was OK as well.  The Sea Bass was cooked nicely and being served up with couscous, went down well.

We were the only ones dining in the restaurant it seemed this evening.  Our table was at the far end with great views across the river and overall we had a very enjoyable evening.  Not the fine dining as described, but generally OK.  The overall bill which included a nice bottle of Malbec from Argentina came to just under £50 which was good value though.

Pryordurkin rating. 3 stars.

Telephone 0118 951 2211

This week has me staying at the Holiday Inn Reading South for a couple of nights.  I turned up at reception around 8pm last night and the check in experience was fine.  They had all my details and all I needed to do was sign for my pre-prepared room card.  The reception area was smart and clean.  The bar and restaurant areas looked busy with business and tourist people alike.  It seemed like a fairly relaxed affair.  Not many stuffy suits sitting around.  I made my way to my room and it took a while.  This hotel is quite sprawling and the walk to my room must have took at least three minutes ( a long time for me!).

The room was as I now expect.  Clean, no character and functional.  The only immediate problem I could find was the TV remote control didn’t work and having reported this, was a little disappointed that it would take till the next day to fix.  I had to resign myself to the old fashioned way of changing channels and volume ie. getting off my ass and pushing buttons.

Room service last night was a bit of a disapointment.  The waiter nearly dropped everything on the floor and the food was barely warm.  I still can’t understand what the tray charge is for either, given the prices charged for room menu items are generally a whole pound more expensive than the same item in the restaurant.  Anyway I was too tired to worry about this for too long and after the guy / or girl upstairs had finished walking backwards and forwards across their floor for half an hour, I fell asleep. (what do they do to keep walking backwards and forward across such a small room?  I’d love to know!)

Anyway this evening, having got back from work, I decided to try the swimming pool out and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Clean and relaxed, it was nice to be staying at a hotel (unlike many in London) that actually has some space for a gym and pool.  Feeling virtuous I then made my way to the restaurant for dinner.

Surprise, surprise.  It was actually excellent food by hotel restaurant standards.  The starter of mushroom soup was freshly prepared and had fantastic taste and consistecy ( I do like a good soup).  My main was equally good; presented well and clearly cooked fresh by someone who cared.  With such good food coming out of the kitchen I then had for try (for research purposes) the dessert menu.  Again this was excellent.  The chocolate sauce was to die for!

All in all, I am very pleased with this hotel.  A great experience so far.  The restaurant food is very good indeed and it has a great gym.  To top all that, it is also moments from the M4.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.

Parking our car at the University we walked into the City on Saturday morning primarily to get some fresh air, but also to take in the sights and sounds of Yorks famous Christmas Market Fairs which start early December with the famous St Nicholas Fayre which runs for four days.  We first came across this annual delight when we were looking for a house in York.  At the time we needed a hotel room and because of  St Nicholas fayre, everywhere we tried was fully booked.  It was only at the very last minute with a bit of string pulling that we managed to blag a room at the local Holiday Inn.  St Nicholas fayre is a traditional Christmas market affair and runs from early December to then be followed by the International Christmas fayre.  This year St Nicholas Fayre started on Thursday and by the time we walked along the river we could see with the coach park full, that it was going to be very busy again.

It was manic. Crowds of tourists flocking through the streets of York.  The queues to get even the most basic of coffees were huge.  Even the normally quiet hot dog stands (most Yorkshire folk know not to buy from these) had queues stretching between 15 to 20 people.

The usual Christmas gifts stalls were much in evidence but to be honest, we’d made for a favourite local eatery of ours (1331 Gastrobar – read latest review) to get out of the way of the crowds.

St Nicholas fayre is clearly popular though and as we headed back the University later that day, we passed quite a few shops in the City of all which seemed to be doing a roaring trade.  Who said there was a credit crunch.  There isn’t if York Christmas Market Fairs are anything to go by.  Ignore our grumpiness though and give them a go, you won’t be disapointed by what is on offer.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.

It’s been a quiet week for me having been working at home.  No travel by train, no being herded along on the underground and no being fed bad food in a sad boring hotel room.  One of the benefits was finding the time to get a decent haircut from Cube in York, where Alex, my stylist promptly remarked on how he thought I’d lost weight.  This was either a genuine comment (doubtful), clever marketing that would engender continued custom (he need not worry) or a result of interesting lighting in the salon.

Regardless, I was happy and feel sure Paul (like many of you) will confirm I just get better looking each day!

After a late start and watching some beefcake on Sky Action movies it was time to leave the hotel room to meet up with Helen and Mark near Covent Garden.  The taxi driver dropped us off on Bedford Street immediately outside the Paul French Bakery and Patisserie.  Spotting the cakes we wandered inside only to feel very hungry.  The counters full of freshly baked bread and cakes looked wonderful.  We ordered up (after they recommended it) two cups of hot chocolate and along with a couple of pastries left with our lot.  The hot chocolate was the best we had tasted in a long time.  Not since our visit to Paris had we tasted thick hot sweet liquid chocolate.   Along with the fresh pastries we were very happy indeed, especially as all that sugar kicked in!.  We think they should open up in York and give Betty’s a run for their money.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.

Having worked very late last night I had a great lie in this morning.  With us spending the weekend in London, the only thing I needed to do was check out of one hotel and check into the other.  I arrived at the Crowne Plaza on Buckingham Gate around 2pm and after a spot of coffee in the lounge was shown to our room by Philippe. (nice warm smile).  I was very pleased to discover we had been upgraded to a suite and with the bags unpacked, a warm bath ahead and a soft fluffy bathrobe to lie around in, the only thing missing is Paul who gets into London around 6pm.  I’ll just have to take in a movie and perhaps crack open a bottle of wine to unwind with.  The reason we are spending the weekend in London is that we are off to see Monkey:Journey to the West at a specially built theatre next door to the O2 arena.  We’d followed a documentary about the making of this new Chinese Opera written by Damon Albarn and just have to see.  We’ll post a review after the event.