WE only rate or re-assess outlets when visited; rarely act speedily on hearsay or anonymous complaints, but file them for later investigation, writes Dusty Miller.
Several readers thought Adrienne's 5-Stars (family restaurant catego
ry) possibly over the top, often citing problems real or imagined with their popular Sunday roast lunch. Two female RoY judges, after supper together, moaned hake wasn't up to scratch. Passed that on to partner Nick Madeya who confirmed a box of fish was suspect, but they'd sold most before it was brought to management's attention.
Impromptu Sunday night visit after a bibulous afternoon at REPS Bar: another hilarious jam session: Old Geezers on the Block band, saying farewell yet again to banjoist John "The Dresser" Curtin, returning to Jersey. A neighbour was good enough to ring to say we'd another outrageous power outage at home. I'd to eat, so strode into the "Greenhouse Restaurant" as my kids called it.
I'd recommended it to three stunning Finnish women kept bumping into: at a Delta Gallery art exhibition, Billy Fudpucker's pub, outside Sitar and REPS. They thought lunch: two roast beef/Yorkshire puds and a T-bone "kvite vunderful." Two of them slurped more ale at an average session than any 10 gels, but kept elegant willowy figures, creamy skins, aquiline features, naughty sparkling blue eyes. Scandihooligans can be morose. These were tops.
Unusually, Nick was on a well-earned night off : but Erines is one of Zim's best greeters, meeters and seaters. An unordered refreshingly chilled article of a moderately intoxicating nature came as I scanned whimsical menu, taking the mickey out of hyper-inflation.
Soup: tasty, steaming home-made spring vegetable, plenty of it with good rolls and butter: $10 000. From fairly recent experience, also recommend sauteed mushrooms with herbs ($27 500) : earthy, delicate flavour more pronounced than deep fried; also crumbed deep-fried Vumba : to die for.
A major Adrienne's attraction is opening lunch and supper daily; it was about half full; many restaurateurs will envy that. Too late for anything heavy : had baked trout with sharp tartare sauce, lemon wedges, well-cooked chips, scrumptious side-salad rich with red, green and yellow peppers ($50 000.) Main course salads $15-$20 000. Hake, squid, bream $55 000; prawns, sole SQ.
Check Adrienne's chalkboard. Always stress this, but often forget! Had I glanced on way in, I'd probably have started with smoked snoek pate I hear's superb : $35 000; then maybe snapper or red roman, $60 000; minted lamb cutlets, $75 000.
Poultry's $50-$60 000: Beira half-chicken's recommended. Steaks/grills $50-$70 000, with oxtail Samanyika and ostrich or beef fillet $65 000. Nick's lamb shank's worth trying, especially in winter.
Puddings $18 000: sampled a soupçon of fresh fruit salad with good dollop vanilla ice-cream, ending with creamy, frothy cappuccino full of flavour.
Some folk don't savvy how a family restaurant (pub, licensed or unlicensed cafe) can merit Five Stars. We felt calling up-market outlets' ratings "Rosettes" instead of "Stars" might help, but there's still confusion. Victoria 22 or La Fontaine have Five Rosettes.
Currently their meals could cost possibly a quarter of a million smackeroos. Adrienne's retains Five Star rating (licensed family restaurant), scoring very highly in all sectors: especially Value for Money. Superb three-course dinner $78 000, drinks reasonable; no corkage. Do you see now?
Adrienne's, Belgravia SC, 2nd Street Extension. Tel 335602. Open daily lunch, supper till late.
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