I generally try and avoid 5 stars, but here it was nigh on impossible. Maybe because it was so different to what I had expected - I had heard rumours that the food was good, but presumed that the restaurant within what is one of the more hip, swish and plush hotels in town may be a little 'too cool for school.'
It was the complete opposite. The waiter who took care of us could not have been more friendly; it was like being served by a family member (one that you actually like and get on with, that is), though the high standards that you'd expect here weren't compromised by such familiarity.
Also, it would be easy to dismiss the Saints & Sinners menu as a gimmick. Far from it. It's a good idea, brilliantly executed. Though, being frank, the reason that it works is that it contains a succinct choice of well-sourced, perfectly cooked cuisine. The best idea in the world wouldn't disguise average cooking.
So, the general idea is that the 'saints' side of the menu is for the more health conscious, the 'sinners' side is for insatiable gannets like me. We mixed up both sides, and all the dishes were succulent and flavoursome (regardless of which side of the menu they were selected from).
I had chicken dumplings that had my taste buds flipping like the Labour cabinet, drenched in a tangy teriyaki sauce which I would say was richer than Bernie Ecclestone. Then I plumped for the pork belly. My wonderful wife-to-be is a sucker for salmon ( as well as handsome Brad Pitt look-a-likes of Irish descent, that is). Both our dishes (mine a sinner like Mickey Rourke, hers saintly like Lady Di) were damn fine, juicy and divine.
The sticky toffee pudding, with butterscotch crunch ice cream and lashings of toffee sauce at only £4.50 a pop, may seem like a joke. It is the same price as you'd pay at one of those gruesome shopping centre cafés that my Mum loves. You know what, I wouldn't be so churlish as to compare the two.
Next on the do list - if anyone reading this feels compelled to buy us a wedding gift - is to spend a night in the sumptuous luxury of the hotel and its spa facilities. read more