Chesil Rectory is my very particular father's favourite, itself a rite of passage. From the…read morehistoric story behind the ownership of the restaurant to a phenomenal quality of inventive and exciting dishes Chesil Rectory has never failed to amaze and delight. Genuinely. Sounds slightly over the top but true.

We went for a day out in Winchester and found ourselves let down by so many things being closed,…read moreunavailable, etc. Finding Chesil Rectory was a treat. We were walking by and saw it and the look of the building stood out for its age and style. A sign outside proclaimed it had been rated one of the most romantic restaurants in Britain and after having dinner there I have to agree! We worried that due to nearby graduation festivities we might need a reservation, so arrived just after they opened at 6pm and were delighted that they had space available. From 6-7pm they offer a set menu option in addition to the regular menu, and we both went for this. I had a fish starter, potato dumping main and the berry fool. All were delicious - especially the dumplings which were a bit like big gnocchi, but absolutely melty and dreamy. In addition to the delicious food, the service was wonderful. I'd mentioned it was our anniversary when we were being seated and my dessert came with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate sauce on the plate! A really lovely touch. The building itself is charming and full of history from medieval to modern times. Downstairs there are 2 rooms for dining, and upstairs there are 2 more (plus a door that indicated a private dining room). Upstairs is a bit brighter than downstairs, but both are cosy and sweet. Ceiling and door heights are low, as to be expected in a building of such age, & there are lovely wooden beams throughout. It is truly a dreamy space. I highly recommend having a meal here if you're in Winchester!

The girlfriend and I were looking for a light lunch and the prices looked very reasonable here…read more Though naming a French estabishment 'Froggies' did give equality and diversity training sensibilities a raised eyebrow It was busy but we were soon seated and the food came out fast too The girlfriend's steak hache was cooked medium as requested - meaty amd dense though I could have done a little more seasoning but that was soon rectified My smoked haddock risoni resembled a risotto but made with pasta rather than rice. the smoked haddock was the classy undyed version and I did like this varation even though the pasta wasn't served quite al dente £9.95 per dish and we walked out very satisfied and full

Stopped in for a beautiful mid-week lunch with friends…read more Escargot & the smoked haddock with spinach risotto were both excellent. The service was competent & friendly; plus the guys were kid-friendly. A great spot.

A very quaint, old and tastefully done inn. We had a grand time here. it is convenient to…read moreeverything in Winchster of note as well. Some of the details which although quaint and they harken back to simpler times, were a trifle annoying, such as the sink in the room, which had two faucets, one for hot and one for cold. People under 40 perhaps haven't seen that before. The key to the room was absolutely gigantic and the lock was so close to the door jam that you found yourself twisting your hand and fingers into unnatural positions. I figure you take little things like that in stride because you're staying here for the ambience, not to have everything perfectly modern. They DO have wifi, so there you go. The room was a good size, plenty large enough. A small tea and coffeemaker was there. Service is great and cheerful. Staff were helpful. There are two places to have a beverage and there is a nice little outdoor courtyard, which we took advantage of because the weather was above average for Winchester! The bartender is quite knowledgeable and talented and makes a very good cocktail.

What a nice find in a strange town! It's compact and bijou, but served nicer home-made soup,…read morepaninis, sandwiches and the like, in a hip environment with some high-class art on the walls and laid-back jazz music playing. Perfect for a lunchtime chill session. Not much room at street level, but they do have more seating in the basement. We were most impressed with the selection of exotic soft drinks in the cold cabinet, particularly the obscure French lemonade that nobody had heard of before. A classy, laid-back food stop. Jolly nice.

I loved this place. The food was very good and the service was friendly. The waiters were charming…read more It felt really like a french restaurant in france. The food was delicious! I was sad to hear that the cafe de paris had closed. I believe that recently the owners decided to transform the restaurant into an american diner, partly due to the saturation of the french food market in this location. I can't wait to go there and see what they have done! From what I saw of cafe de paris the owners of this venue seemed to make creative and quality choices. I was a big fan of cafe de paris.

I'm honestly puzzled by the high rating -- I must be missing something…read more This is supposed to be a French restaurant, yet the bread served was clearly supermarket bread (it tasted like Tesco bread), not a proper French baguette, which was a disappointing start. I ordered the pâté followed by the chicken. Both were fine, but very average -- nothing memorable or particularly well executed. My partner began with the onion soup, which was overly sweet and had hardly any cheese. It lacked the richness and balance you'd expect from a classic French onion soup. The biggest letdown was the main course: the ribeye. "Ribeye" it was not. It arrived cold, dry, and extremely chewy -- the opposite of what a ribeye should be. Overall, the experience didn't come close to matching the hype or the ratings. Sadly, we left disappointed.

High-quality food that's affordable, with nice ambiance…read more They have a dinner deal, 29 pounds for a starter and main dish. I got the salmon tartare and duck. The salmon tartare was a great starter, with fresh ingredients. It was well-seasoned, and not too heavy. The duck was quite rich and the portion size was massive.

Have dined here a few times with my wife and we have never been disappointed. Henri has been…read moreccooking his own style for many years in Worthing, (about 30!!), and is worth a visit. Mainly French cuisine but there are alternatives. They do an excellent 'shoppers' lunch and the evening selection is joyespecially the Magret of Duckling!!! Parking not too bad in the evening.

La Difference is a restaurant which is highly unassuming and the prices amazingly good value. It…read morereminds me a lot the type of French bistro in most small towns in France. There's no real atmosphere to talk of, the decor has not been updated for a while, but its part of its charm because the restaurant is not pretentious and it's about simplicity. Intimate and always busy on Saturday and Sunday evenings, I advise you will need to book or go in early to get a meal. Excellently priced lunch deals, the Normandy buckwheat crepe with mushroom filling and glass of cider was wonderful.

I live near the Clos du Marquis and pass it often, standing alone and exposed like 'Jamaica Inn' on…read morethe long Roman road that used to be the main London Road before the advent of the A303. It looks romantic - until one gets inside, where sadly one is met with tired decor, cramped seating and uncomfortable chairs and a menu that reads promisingly but does not live up to expectations. The short wine list is almost exclusively French and contains few names that one would instantly recognise and the few that stand out like Mersault are prohibitively expensive. We had a Beaune that was not on the list and was said to be especially good, but wasn't. However some tasty amuse guerles did appear as we scanned the short and enticing menu and selected rognons sauce diable, lamb, grouse and Dover sole. The kidneys were well prepared and the sauce pleasantly spicy, but the grouse was already deconstructed and very much less good than one recently eaten at the Boot (a nearby pub in Houghton). Tellingly the Clos' one hadn't been obtained from Robinson's, the famous local butcher, on the grounds that Robinson's were too expensive, whereas the grouse at the Boot was. Nevertheless the Boot had charged £21.50 whereas the Clos du Marquis charged £26. Furthermore the lamb was disappointing and was served in gravy covered slices reminding my French-resident restaurateur of a school dinner. Worse, the Dover sole, though large and well- cooked, had clearly been frozen. And it cost £27. One of the dishes most anticipated was crepes suzette, and again these were disappointing. Not prepared at the table as they should be and thick and chewy instead of light and a bit crispy at the edges. But the sauce was good. Altogether a disappointing meal despite a not insignificant cost of £144 for three.

I've passed this restaurant hundreds of times and only recently made a reservation to eat. We were…read morelooking for something a cut above the usual gastro-pub fare and this delivered so much more. It's a small, intimate and cosy place with between 30 & 40 covers. The menu is packed with authentic French dishes using the best seasonal British ingredients. There is a special fixed menu on Tuesdays and Wednesdays making the choice so much harder. On our first visit, we had the fois gras (sublime) followed by cassoulet and a selection of cheeses. Everything was faultless and I would have it all again in a heartbeat. The wine list is succinct and all but 2 or 3 are accessibly priced and all good. Garth shared his wines and gave us tasters so we could make good pairings. We had such wonderful food we came back twice more in less than 2 weeks. Each time we ordered different dishes and all were superb. Outstanding and our new favourite place. Expect to pay £35-40pp plus wine.

Was stuck in an assignment in southern UK and found this place 2 days before we had to fly out…read morewhich was early last year (2010). Picked 3-course menu. Can't remember exactly mini starters we had which were served in sequence but they were delightful to our palates. Similarly with their desserts. As entree, I picked duck and my co-worker pork belly. The duck was juicy, tasty and tender. Just right. The pork belly was basically a block of fat. It was out of this world amazing. Served with a piece of fruity jelly (peach?) which sourness gave a very nice contrast to the pork belly. Easily the best dish I ever had. It was sooooo good, we came back on our last night there to get the 24-Hour Pork Belly again. This time I gotta have my own. We chat with the chef and he gave the recipe to my co-worker. Told us that pork belly is not a common French dish and probably something he was experimenting with. He was very friendly and service was great. I noticed that they change their menu and didn't see the 24-Hour Pork Belly anymore. This place is still 5 stars to me without it and 6 stars with it.

This is an incredible place to go for a special meal. I LOVE LOVE LOVE food and my girfriend and I…read morecan't get enough of good restaurants. I took her here for her birthday and our anniversary and it was perfect. The manager gave us some excellent advice on wine and the food was all incredibly well done. It doesn't look like much from the outside but I was so happy I chose this place. Pretty reasonable price for the quality of food and service.

Very enjoyable meal with some surprisingly great highlights. Food had a truly French flair. Started…read morewith the mussels, which came in an incredibly creamy garlic sauce. I don't eat bread but I am sure most other people would have liked some to get all the sauce. For me, it was perfect. For a main, had the roast salmon special. Perfectly prepared, on a bed of broccoli and peas. The real highlight, though, was a side of spinach. I am not into greens but, by far, best spinach I ever had. Drenched in a garlic sauce, the garlic really jumped out. The preparation was truly Parisienne. Great meal.

Cozy atmosphere and great service. The lamb shank was amazing, tender and the sauce sooo good! The…read moreportion of fish served for dinner was maybe 2 ounces at best. Good appitizer portion but not for a main entree. My waiter from Portugal was amazing and went out of his way.

This is one of the best restaurants in the Chippenham area. Not in the town itself but instead…read morenestled in the Wiltshire countryside in the village of Sutton Benger. It's about a 15 minute drive from Chippenham itself. It is extremely popular with locals and tourists. There isn't a restaurant like it anywhere else unless you go out into Bath or Bristol? The cuisine is French, and is extremely good. I've eaten in a lot of nice restaurants in my time and this one is on my favourites list. It is here that I had one of the nicest racks of lamb I have ever eaten. Succulent and juicy it was cooked to perfection and not a scrap of meat was left on the bones. Their signature dish are their dauphinois potatoes. Again these are the nicest I have ever tasted. I have tried several times to replicate them myself bit can never do it. They are out of this world! Creamy and garlicky they are out of this world. The whole meal was just stunning. Completely out of this world I thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful. The restaurant itself is nothing too special, a very simple dining room that seats all diners comfortably without being on top of each other. It could do with better lighting and a bit more of a vibrant atmosphere. The staff are very attentive and you don't have to wait long for drinks or food. This is quite an expensive restaurant so it would be for most people a once a year treat unless of course you have pots of money and you can afford to eat there all the time? I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants a venue for a very special occasion. They cater well for large groups and celebratory dinners. The food as I have said is fantastic so you won't be disappointed on that front. I shall definitely be making another reservation again in the future.

Very good food for a good price. Pleasant service and a lovely atmosphere. Relaxed and unrushed.read more