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Have you ever been to a Michelin star restaurant?

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    #32
    Teyla Emmagan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,641 ✭✭✭Teyla Emmagan


    I've been to a few. Guilbaud's, Chapter One, L'Ecrivain. And had the taster menu (all 7 courses of it) in Mint back in the day. I love eating out, and going somewhere really really special is the biggest treat in the world as far as I'm concerned. With a Michelin starred restaurant, it's about theatre as much as food. Incredible service, beautiful settings, the most perfectly paired wines and a plate of food that a huge amount of talent and creativity has gone into. Each to their own how they spend their money, for some people a meal out in a Michelin starred restaurant is worth saving all year for. Every meal I've had in one has been utterly special and memorable.

    And the bib gourmand places are generally fantastic as well and they're much more 'middle bracket' pricewise.


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    #33
    Legs.Eleven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,987 ✭✭✭Legs.Eleven


    Would love to eat in one some day but I wouldn't be into the tiny portions.


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    #34
    Menas
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    GenieOz wrote: »
    Yeah or take them to an airport and for the same cost whisk them away for a weekend break in any city in Europe.

    That should tell you how horribly overpriced that place is.

    If you can afford it then why not. Life is for experiencing.


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    #35
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    My name is URL wrote: »
    What exactly is obvious about it? Just because a few food writers and critics say they had nice food doesn't mean that every other single person is going to enjoy it also.

    Oh **** off of course the food will be nice, they're hardly going to throw chicken dippers onto a plate and charge you 80 quid for the privilege..
    I didn't say it's the nicest food you could possibly have but it will be nice food in a nice place with good service..


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    #36
    ceadaoin.
    Registered Users Posts: 8,148 ✭✭✭ceadaoin.


    Yes I have and it was great. We lived near one in London and decided to go for my birthday one year. I think the set menu was £40 but the bill ended up around £300 after wine, coffees and a couple of aperitifs. The sommelier was brilliant, very knowledgable, the wines were perfect for the courses we chose. And of course the food was amazing too


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    #37
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    frozenfrozen wrote: »
    Oh **** off of course the food will be nice, they're hardly going to throw chicken dippers onto a plate and charge you 80 quid for the privilege..
    I didn't say it's the nicest food you could possibly have but it will be nice food in a nice place with good service..

    Do you understand what subjective means? "Nice" is a matter of opinion.


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    #38
    Linka
    Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭Linka


    Cantremember wrote: »
    You don't go to these sort of restaurants for a feed. **** off to supermacs for that. You go to appreciate the craft of cooking and the symphony of service, quality ingredients, superb cooking skills married to the best wine with the meal. It's an experience like a West End musical, El Classico or great opera. If you don't understand any of this **** off to supermacs.

    It's completely lost on anyone who over fills their stomach with that shit and plies themselves with drink, only to whinge about how full they are afterward.


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    #39
    GenieOz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 892 ✭✭✭GenieOz


    Trigger Happy wrote: »
    If you can afford it then why not. Life is for experiencing.

    No, I completely get that. However you would get the same experience in places charging far FAR less. To pay more just because some critics have given it a star(which is reminiscent of being a kid in school) is silly.


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    #40
    My name is URL
    Registered Users Posts: 25,068 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    People seem to be really angry over this.
    frozenfrozen wrote: »
    Oh **** off of course the food will be nice, they're hardly going to throw chicken dippers onto a plate and charge you 80 quid for the privilege..

    lol.. and you say others are aggressive on the subject? :)

    Look.. define 'nice' for me. The food I had was tasty on both occasions, but the overall experience; considering things other than taste.. was not all that 'nice'.


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    #41
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    Do you understand what subjective means? "Nice" is a matter of opinion.

    Yes, and it'll be nice food, you choose something on the menu that sounds like you'd like it, and they cook a nice version of that dish. Don't be so obtuse to say that it won't be nice just because it's a michelin star place. It's got a michelin star because they make nice food..


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    #42
    thisonetaken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 236 ✭✭thisonetaken


    Linka wrote: »
    It's completely lost on anyone who over fills their stomach with that shit and plies themselves with drink, only to whinge about how full they are afterward.

    don't waste your time, some of the philistines on here are only happy when their plate is piled a mile high with spuds, they'll never get it


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    #43
    Teyla Emmagan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,641 ✭✭✭Teyla Emmagan


    Legs.Eleven wrote: »
    Would love to eat in one some day but I wouldn't be into the tiny portions.

    I've never left one hungry to be honest. It's not about rolling out of the place anyway. It's funny how people confuse quantity and quality, as an aside. I know loads of people who only think they've had a good meal when they have to be intubated afterwards.

    El Bulli in your neck of the woods was supposed to have been a life changing experience, will always mourn the fact I didn't get to eat there.

    Oh yeah, and I've eaten in Bon Appetit, and the Cliff House. Jays, I'm an awful name dropper :pac:


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    #44
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    frozenfrozen wrote: »
    Yes, and it'll be nice food, you choose something on the menu that sounds like you'd like it, and they cook a nice version of that dish. Don't be so obtuse to say that it won't be nice just because it's a michelin star place. It's got a michelin star because they make nice food..

    I never said it won't be nice because it's a michelin star place, I said nice is subjective, and just because it's a michelin star place doesn't mean it's always going to be nice. Do you think no one has ever had a dish in a michelin star restaurant and thought it was NOT nice? Ever? Who's being obtuse now ffs.


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    #45
    wexandproud
    Registered Users Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭wexandproud


    Cantremember wrote: »
    If you said to "a level nearly as high" I'd agree with you and there are a lot of excellent good value restaurants with large portions in Ireland. Part of the fun is getting to one of them and thinking this will have a star in a year or two. Dunbrody house in Wexford is an excellent example. Any others?

    was in dunbrody house last summer and thought it was only ok, if your in wexford try cistine eile on the main street[ spelling maby not correct],not cheap not overly expensive but never fails


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    #46
    Jezek
    Registered Users Posts: 737 ✭✭✭Jezek


    Cantremember wrote: »
    If you said to "a level nearly as high" I'd agree with you and there are a lot of excellent good value restaurants with large portions in Ireland. Part of the fun is getting to one of them and thinking this will have a star in a year or two. Dunbrody house in Wexford is an excellent example. Any others?

    Greenhouse


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    #47
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    So no one has ever had a dish in a michelin star restaurant and thought it was NOT nice? Ever?

    Sorry but are you really straw-manning me when I'm saying that good restaurants serve good food? Of course people can not like the food. I completely agree that people can not like food. However these places have good chefs who are well able to make delicious food. If you didn't like it you could send it back anyway and get something else..


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    #48
    Miaireland
    Registered Users Posts: 4,063 ✭✭✭Miaireland


    Yes I did,it was pleasant, the food was good but more appearance than taste. The service was excellent. The food was french style.

    The following night I went to a french style restaurant ten minutes walk up the road. The food was excellent, one of the best meals I had. The service was excellent despite one person running the kitchen and the owner running service.The appearance of the food may be rustic but I would crawl back there.

    It was in Leith in Edinburgh.


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    #49
    BeardySi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Thing about trying to maintain a Michelin star is there's a massive cost associated with trying to maintain the service standards required before food even comes into the equation - absolutely everything has to be perfect and the time and effort that goes into maintaining such levels of perfection have associated costs...

    I heard an interview with Michael Deane shortly after he lost his for Deane's in Belfast and he reckoned losing the star made life a LOT easier for him and was more likely to bring return business as people tend to go to the likes of a starred restaurant as a one-off special treat.


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    #50
    I am pie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,652 ✭✭✭I am pie


    It's a rewarding experience if your interest in food goes beyond filling your belly and eating predictable food. Taste buds are a sense, just like any other of the senses it's interesting to stimulate them with something refined and different every now and then, a special occasion etc.

    There is an air of pretentiousness or precious behaviour that goes hand in hand but you are not forced to participate.

    It certainly is a form of art given the huge effort that goes into to sourcing ingredients, balancing flavours and the focus given to stimulating taste, smell and visual appeal of the dish, a good restaurant should create an environment to allow you to enjoy the whole package.

    Some people would think nothing of blowing hundreds drinking or drinking and gambling but the thought of sitting down to be stimualted by some food and lesser amount of alcohol and being able to remember the whole experience after is somehow a waste of time.


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    #51
    Groundsource
    Closed Accounts Posts: 102 ✭✭Groundsource


    Cantremember wrote: »
    You don't go to these sort of restaurants for a feed. **** off to supermacs for that. You go to appreciate the craft of cooking and the symphony of service, quality ingredients, superb cooking skills married to the best wine with the meal. It's an experience like a West End musical, El Classico or great opera. If you don't understand any of this **** off to supermacs.
    cool the jets ya AH:D


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    #52
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

    And the bib gourmand places are generally fantastic as well and they're much more 'middle bracket' pricewise.

    I've been to the bib gourmand restaurant in Bon Appetit it was great value, and even the Michelin starred restaurant does a very reasonable early bird with three courses for €29.95


    My name is URL wrote: »
    What exactly is obvious about it? Just because a few food writers and critics say they had nice food doesn't mean that every single other person is going to enjoy it also.

    If you like good food, you most likely will tbh


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    #53
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    Murt10 wrote: »
    Patrick Guibauds is Irelands only 2 star restautrant.

    E50 for the 3 course lunch menu. For me, this is much better than going to some other places later at night that's packed and paying even more for an ok sort of meal, but each to his own.

    http://restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie/menus/lunch

    As Murt10 has said, RPG does a 3 course €50 lunch, Chapter One do a 3 course pre-theatre for €35.60, Aniar do a 5 course tasting menu for €65.

    So really, you can eat in a Michelin starred restaurant and not pay more (or a lot more) than any "decent" restaurant and get a much higher level of food and service. That said, if you have the money and the want to, you could easily spend upwards of a grand between food and wine for a table of 4 if you were so inclined.


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    #54
    Aongus Von Bismarck
    Registered Users Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭Aongus Von Bismarck


    I enjoy eating out, and don't mind paying a premium to eat in high-end restaurants. It allows me to taste the creations of a talented chef, using premium ingredients, washed down with a carefully crafted wine list. I'd much rather eat in Chapter One once a month than visit somewhere like Fade Street Social by Dylan McGrath and eat food made with inferior ingredients, from a menu given the once over by an accountant.

    The quality of the food, the aesthetic of the room, the warmness and professional nature of the waiting staff, and the relaxed atmosphere is hugely appealing to me. If the height of your culinary adventures is to wolf down a burger with a pint of weak lager then that is your prerogative. But don't deride those of us who see eating out in destination restaurants as a treat for all five of the senses.


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    #55
    I am pie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,652 ✭✭✭I am pie


    Of course the experience is subjective, if you enjoy your meat burnt and coat your meals in sugary salty additive ridden ketchups then no, it probably isn't an experience which you personally will enjoy.


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    #56
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    Treadhead wrote: »
    Thing about trying to maintain a Michelin star is there's a massive cost associated with trying to maintain the service standards required before food even comes into the equation - absolutely everything has to be perfect and the time and effort that goes into maintaining such levels of perfection have associated costs...

    I heard an interview with Michael Deane shortly after he lost his for Deane's in Belfast and he reckoned losing the star made life a LOT easier for him and was more likely to bring return business as people tend to go to the likes of a starred restaurant as a one-off special treat.

    First star is, in theory, awarded for food alone. You could have a food truck and get a first star if the food is good enough (according to the rules). There are pubs in the UK with stars.


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    #57
    cournioni
    Moderators, Regional North East Moderators Posts: 12,739 Mod ✭✭✭✭cournioni


    Been to three of them while I was in Hong Kong, definitely worth it for the experience alone. Needless to say the food was excellent.


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    #58
    Aongus Von Bismarck
    Registered Users Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭Aongus Von Bismarck


    Seaneh wrote: »
    First star is, in theory, awarded for food alone. You could have a food truck and get a first star if the food is good enough (according to the rules). There are pubs in the UK with stars.

    There are a number of excellent One Star restaurants in Hong Kong that are little more than a cafe.


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    #59
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    My name is URL wrote: »
    lol.. and you say others are aggressive on the subject? :)

    Look.. define 'nice' for me. The food I had was tasty on both occasions, but the overall experience; considering things other than taste.. was not all that 'nice'.

    You're just being argumentative for the sake of it now. oh **** off is a colloquial way of saying go away with your nonsense.

    I'm not going to get into the semantics of defining 'nice' for you, look it up yourself. You didn't like your experience in a michelin star restaurant, you should post about it on this thread which is specifically about that, rather than waiting for someone to say they had a nice time -- and attacking them for enjoying themselves in an establishment which has the sole objective of serving people nice food and making them enjoy themselves. **** me I've never been to one, maybe I won't try it seeing as you've had this terrible experience where you didn't think their idea of 'nice' and yours aligned.

    Attack the post not the poster and all that so I'd say we'll leave that there..


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    #60
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,556 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    This thread is the perfect example of why restaurant review websites (where reviews are written by the everyday customer) are usually a waste of time.

    People will rate a restaurant depending on how big the bowl of chips is that comes with it rather than the quality of the food.


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    #61
    HeidiHeidi
    Registered Users Posts: 28,986 ✭✭✭✭HeidiHeidi


    Masterchef on RTE about to send the last four contestants into PG's for a day, if anyone is interested in an inside view :D


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